I notice that most spots for VK activations begin about 2330Z and pick up considerably after 0000Z but 18mhz is seldom used. Any chance of giving 18mhz a try for NA chasers?
Jack W7CNL
In reply to W7CNL:
Hi Jack,
18 mhz is rarely used in VK for SOTA and is only available for those holding an Advanced licence and this is the case for all the WARC bands which therefore precludes a number of SOTA activators here.
All VK licence classes can use 80m, 40m, 15m & 10m, 2m & 70cm. 20m can be used only by Standard and Advanced calls.
With alot of interest in DX SOTA contacts in VK lately, 20m is your best bet and many of us are also getting DX contacts on 15m & 10m.
Many VK activators are trying several bands during an activation so keep an eye on those spots and hopefully one of us can snare you soon.
Best 73, Marshall VK3MRG
In reply to VK3MRG:
In reply to W7CNL:
Hi Jack,18 mhz is rarely used in VK for SOTA and is only available for those
holding an Advanced licence and this is the case for all the WARC
bands which therefore precludes a number of SOTA activators here.
I’ve got a 17m dipole cut but I tend to run out of time on a summit long before I run out of contacts on 40m and 20m. I will however make an effort next time I’m out to try it first and see what happens. I will give advanced notice via the reflector if I do so.
As Marshall points out, 18MHz is limited to Advanced calls only, which precludes a large number of chasers being around to qualify the summit. If you’re pressed for time (or in my case having bored looks sent my way from the wife and kids), 40m SSB in VK will give you the qualification in about 30 seconds.
Cheers,
Andrew
VK3ARR
In reply to W7CNL:
Hello Jack
I will be happy to try 18MHz when I’m out and about. Generally I start on 7MHz, work the locals, and then start thinking about DX once I’ve qualified the activation. The VK6 guys have taken to posting a spot when they know there’s an east coast VK activator on the air, saying something like “can’t hear you, can you try a higher band”. If you were to do that, I would certainly QSY and try to make contact with you.
Obviously this only works when activating from a Summit where there’s mobile/cellphone network coverage but quite a lot of them in this part of the world do have that.
On activations I run only 5W from my FT817 and on 18MHz my antenna is a vertical ground plane so it would be very interesting to see if we can make contact. I guess if conditions are right it should be possible.
73
Bernard, VK2IB
In reply to VK3MRG:
18 mhz is rarely used in VK for SOTA and is only available for those holding an Advanced licence and
this is the case for all the WARC bands which therefore precludes a number of SOTA activators here.
Out of curiosity, wherabouts, roughly (+/- some handwavium), on the US and UK licence scales do the Australian Standard and Advanced licences fall?
I figure the UK and Aussie Foundation licences are at about the same level?
73, Rick M0LEP
In reply to M0LEP:
Hi Rick,
The VK Advanced licence is equivalent to the highest grades of licence in the USA (technician and above) and whatever that equates to in the UK (some/most grades of Phone/Sound licence?). However we are limited to 400 W because we are not good at working out safe EMR levels. (long story there… don’t start me…).
The VK Standard licence is equivalent to the US Novice licence. In the UK ???
The VK Foundation licence is at a lower level and the Australian Communications and Media Authority does not list an equivalence for overseas licences in their tables so i don’t know where it sits. It can be obtained in concentrated weekend of learning-testing sessions. You need a very basic understanding of radio communications, regulations and must demonstrate you can conduct a QSO.
73
Ron
ax3afw/vk3afw
.
In reply to W7CNL:
Hi Jack,
It’s a chicken and egg or supply and demand thing. I have only had one 18 MHz DX QSO on a SOTA peak that I can recall in 2 years. That was with a ZL.
If there were a reasonable number of chasers the activators would go there because there is less QRM and almost the same propagation as 20 m. But of course there are the licence limits that prevent more than half of our activators using the band, so less motivation for chasers to try. Another factor is that few 18 MHz ops have more than a simple antenna so signals are down compared to 20 m or even 15 m.
You need to be a bit of a night owl to work VK on our mornings I think. I have had a couple of stateside contacts on 20 m around 1600 -1700 UTC when activating but nothing around midnight UTC.
Last Tuesday on VK4/SE105 I heard many US stations on 20 m prior to midnight UTC but they would all be running decent power and the band was closing. I tried calling one but got no response - not surprising as none were particularly strong. CQ’s brought responses only from VK. Maybe if I got out of bed earlier and tried 18 MHz at 2300 or earlier a contact might have been possible?
Are you around mid week or only on weekends?
73
Ron
In reply to AX3AFW:
Hi Ron,
I’ve never given much thought to working the 17m band at 0600z, mainly because 20m works pretty well. 12m is very difficult (although not impossible) at this time of the morning. I’ve worked VK a little later on 12m and even managed a s2s. It’s a shame there are band restrictions on your Foundation Licence holders…I’ve never worked one from a SOTA summit.
I’m just wondering if you think 15m would produce any VK/G DX, at around 0600-0700z?
73 Mike
2E0YYY
In reply to 2E0YYY:
Funny that this post came up, because I was thinking about this lately. I noticed many of the VK activations are using 40m around 0600z, and being on the west coast USA, I was thinking 20m or 17m might do the trick. I’m hoping to see some more VK activity on these bands in hope of a late night west coast qso.
Thanks,
Tim
K6TW
In reply to K6TW:
My experience recently in working VK activations from The US northwest is that 15 meters is definitely better than 20 meters in the 2300 - 0300Z range. During that time I have had 12 and 10 meter contacts too, although 15 meters seemed better. 20 meters may improve a bit later than that. I expect 17 meters to improve too. In all cases, CW is much better than SSB.
For now, I am one of those with a better antenna on 20/15 and 10, than on 17/12. I will keep listening for the VK summits.
In reply to 2E0YYY:
Hi Mike,
Generally I would have expected the strongest signals on 20 m but if 21 MHz is near the path MUF then it would definitely be best. I worked a VK9 SOTA station on the weekend on both 20 and 15. He was much much better on 15. Only 1,500 miles though. Need another 6 hops to the UK.
I’ll have to look at some recent propagation charts before recommending anything other than 20 m. Watch this space.
73
Ron.
In reply to M0LEP:
Hi Rick - Aussie Foundation licence was based on the UK one, so very similar (only manufactured rigs no home made ones, restricted power (10W) and restricted bands.
The standard licence in Australia is the equivalent to the UKs Intermediate licence (more bands and power than the Foundation and allowed to use home made gear and digital modes). This level is the equivalent to the Novice class in Europe and the US.
The Advanced licence is the same as the Advanced in the UK - all allowed bands and modes at up to the maximum allowed power. I think this would be the Extra class in the US.
73 Ed VK2JI / G8GLM / DD5LP.
In reply to DD5LP:
Thanks. I guess I shold have figured the Aussie and UK levels would be roughly equivalent, but there’s a very different approach to the band allocation, which is rather confusing. Oh well…
73, Rick M0LEP
In reply to DD5LP:
The Advanced licence is the same as the Advanced in the UK - all
allowed bands and modes at up to the maximum allowed power. I think
this would be the Extra class in the US.
There is no Advanced licence in the UK.
Only Foundation, Intermediate and Full licences.
73,
Walt (G3NYY)
In reply to 2E0YYY:
I’ve never given much thought to working the 17m band at 0600z, mainly because
20m works pretty well.
FWIW, in the WPX Contest yesterday I worked three very strong, S9+, VK stations (a VK3 and two VK6’s) between 1730 and 1800 UTC on 20m. So there is sometimes a very good 20m path between Western Europe and VK at that time of day. This might be a good time for VK night-owl chasers to work UK and European activators on the band, but I don’t suppose many VK activators would be out on summits at that hour of the night!
73,
Walt (G3NYY)
In reply to G3NYY:
There is no Advanced licence in the UK.
Only Foundation, Intermediate and Full licences.
Unfortunately there is confusion over the naming of the highest level licence in the UK because the exam to gain it is called the “Advanced” exam but the licence is known as the “Full Licence”.
Colin G8TMV
In reply to AX3AFW:
In reply to 2E0YYY:
I’ll have to look at some recent propagation charts before
recommending anything other than 20 m. Watch this space.
Thanks for the reply, Guys…
Hi Ron,
Many thanks for that.
In the meantime, I’ll cut some wire for for G4ASA’s excellent ground plane antenna …somewhere around 21.270.
73 Mike
2E0YYY
In reply to 2E0YYY:
Hi Mike,
I have looked at the WSPR reporting page and for last 24 hours and last 4 hours today, typical for last few days, the map shows that from 0500 UTC on to maybe 0900 UTC there were solid openings to VK from EU and US on 20 m. I heard a few good signals here on 20 m around 0700 ex Eu but the band wasn’t jumping.
On 17 m there were a few openings to the same areas in the same tine frame and a few more on 30 m. There were good openings from the Western part of Europe to the east coast of the USA on 17 m.
21 MHz has been good from Western Europe to the USA but not much to VK.
Still if you are going to be on a summit I will at least try from home and might even get on a hill for an S2S on whatever frequency you want to try.
73
Ron
In reply to AX3AFW:
Hi Ron,
Yeah, 15m may be a little ambitious for a VK/G s2s. Can always give it a try though. Usually no problem on 20m at around 0600-0700z, Let me sort something out for later this week. The wx for the next day or so isn’t that brilliant over here, so I’ll PM you.
73 Mike
2E0YYY
In reply to AX3AFW:
Hi Ron, Thanks for your post ref 18mhz. To answer your question…yes, being retired, I am available both mid week and most weekends. I am especially enjoying everyone’s commehts. I am fortunate to have a large 17m monobander and have come to appreciate the band’s potential. I’m thinking that when the 12m Challenge comes to an end this month that some will start looking at 17m again. Meanwhile I’ll watch for the VK spots in the UTC 2330-0300 range and keep the beam pointed toward VK at the promising times By the way, UTC 0000 is 6pm here in Idaho.
73 Jack W7CNL