Hi Klaus
Thanks for activating DM/BW-228, excellent copy in Canberra (VK1) 20 minutes prior to VK1 sunset. Today’s sunset was 07:30 UTC.
To other EU and UK activators, please send SOTA signals long path on 20m to VK, we are listening.
I’m looking forward to an extra hour of daylight to activate local summits and chase EU/UK SOTA.
73
Andrew, VK1NAM
In reply to VK1NAM:
Hello Andrew,
“…I’m looking forward to an extra hour of daylight to activate local summits and chase EU/UK SOTA.”
I hope I hear you 8). I could not hear Klaus at all on 20M and he later told me on 40M (59) that he had not worked any UK stations on 20 so the band was long to VK!
Best wishes
Mike
In reply to G6TUH:
Hi Mike
Might try in a fortnight (Saturday morning UTC). Rain is forecast for next Saturday/Sunday.
20m was wide open, excellent signal from Klaus in the clear above local noise.
73
Andrew, VK1NAM
In reply to VK1NAM:
Hi Andrew;
I heard you working Klaus on 20m SSB but heard not so much as a whisper from him here on, worked him later on 40m CW.
This is the first time I have ever not been able to hear Klaus on 20m from his usual haunts.
73 de Ken G3XQE
In reply to VK1NAM:
Hi Andrew,
thanks QSO 
yes, excellent conditions this morning from 0600-0700utc to VK longpath.
today i was only on bw-228 with a small antenna, only 2x7m vertical dipole with
only 1m up from ground. some sigs are real S9. sorry, only a few chasers from VK called me in that hour. so only 8 VK´s made it into my log. this morning was the first time i heard no sigs from UK chasers and only a very few EU´s with weak sigs made qso with me. therefore a K4 mobile station called in on the way to work…had good spots from W on rbn, but i think most NA chasers sleep at that time
most qso´s this morning are on 40m ssb ? 
with a small vertical dipole…funny conditions all in all.
on the second summit bw-195 i had the dipole at 26m over ground and made most qso´s of the activation then and a few s2s qso´s before i checked my antenna due to the sometimes bad reports. oh yes, i made around 40 qso´s with only the bottom leg from the vertical dipole. then i set up the antenna as inv.V. for a few qso more before the first raindrops stopps my activity for today.
if wx okay tmrw and i wake up ;-), i go again to check for VK chasers around
0600 to 0700utc on 20m band. will try then 2xhalfwave vertical at a “better” tree. in most cases the verticals don´t work on bad ground on summits, but with this antenna i had good activations in past…if wx okay, i set an alert at around 0430-0500 utc, if not i´m sleeping
greetings to all who gave me a call today …
cu 73 Klaus DF2GN/p
p.s. will try some very easy qrp activations in abt. a few weeks with small and easy to set up antennas. the other interesting site of sota. not as much dx, but also a lot of fun. maybe with a ft-817nd only and a hf-clipper/comp. for ssb…or the good old kx3…mhhh ? lets see
In reply to DF2GN:
Thanks for the S2S from DM/BW-195 to GW/NW-031 today. I was using a 15 watts to a 7 metre vertical and 4 metre counterpoise on the (wet) ground, with a Z-11 Pro tuner. I think this is the first time we’ve had an ssb qso and first S2S?
tu es 73 de Dave, G6DTN
In reply to M0DFA:
Hi Dave, thanks qso ! yes, our first s2s…cu on the next summit !
73 Klaus DF2GN/p
In reply to DF2GN:
Hi Klaus,
2nd day in a row, excellent copy in VK1. Thanks for activating BW-845.
73
Andrew, VK1NAM
@1130z wet as a dog but happy arived at carpark on dm/bw-228. Thanks all who called in at this great activation. Think never before i been called by so many VK chasers.first condx very poor, but this morning condx getting up much more later at abt.0700utc.before that time vy bad noisy band. Now going home to become dry…
At home i update the database soon. Think around 150 qso are to put in from the paper log. Maybe at afternoon another summit. But only if it stops raining…thanks agn all who called in. Especially the plenty vk chasers…
Vy 73 klaus df2gn
In reply to DF2GN:
Sorry I missed you Klaus I was out on my cyclo cross bike this afternoon and you were gone when I got home and saw the SOTA spots.
next time maybe .
73 de Ian vk5cz …
In reply to DF2GN:
Hi Klaus,
Congrats on the VK’s.
Thanks for the s2s from DM/BW-228, even with a lot of qsb.
Worst conditions I’ve ever encountered on the 20m band here in G! One hour of calling gave me just 6 EU contacts.
I could here you working the VK stations, but the only VK station I heard all morning was Matt VK1MA, sadly, we didn’t complete a contact.
As you say, funny conditions all in all.
73 Mike
2E0YYY
In reply to VK5CZ:
hi Ian, next time again, no problem. i hope you enjoyed your cyclo cross bike 
the band closed at around 0800utc to VK…
In reply to 2E0YYY:
Hi Mike, thanks to going out this early morning and doing a s2s with me.
funny conds. a your first call you was S9, then the signal became fading in and out.sorry to hear that the condx on your side was so bad. next time it is much better, for sure ! today propagation to VK was terrible until around 0700 utc with a lot of noise. it seems at 0700utc the k-index improved and the condx to VK improved very quickly with good signals. Worked 20 VK chasers, most on ssb. i called also in CW QRS and get a few replies from VK. but the most QSO´s are done in ssb mode this morning with alone 100 qso´s in 20m ssb. all in all 145 qso logged… used power output on cw was 10 watts and around 50 watts on ssb mode. antenna was a tree mounted linked dipole in inv-U configuration. inv. U ! because the dipol was hold by a horizontal pvc pipe for abt. 5m lenght.
http://dk7zb.darc.de/portabel/inverted_u.htm
vy 73 and hope to work youi again !
klaus DF2GN/p
hi all,
just a quick info over the antenna used. my was a bit different. it was no really inv.U…the end wires are also inverted with an angle at abt. 45°.
heres a photo from the calculation of the antenna at the height i hanged it up this morning on dm/bw-228
here my favourite dx antenna on summits with high trees, its also a quick set up
from around a few minutes. its a extd. rhombic loop vertical. around 28m of wire is used and hold by a pvc pipe spacer, also 5m long.
and for info, i don´t climb on the trees to set up. not on wet trees, too dangerous. i use a slingshot called “bigshot” for treeworkers. no problem to get a wire 40m high up in a tree. but very difficult then to set up antennas by high winds and keep wires in line.heigts at around 20m are much more easier… if i had no high trees in activation zones i love to work with vertical antennas halfwave or up&outers.
a real pity that condx to NA was so bad the last weeks. will try work NA chasers again in autumn with this antennas. but worked the last days some NA contacts at late afternoons also in QRP from 2,5-5watt in cw with not so good antennas. best band for me to NA was 17m, much more better as on 20m the last days.hope i will have more time again at afternoons next weeks…
vy 73 Klaus DF2GN