VK/G

I’m feeling inspired by Mark (M0NOM) & Mike’s (2E0YYY) tales of DX success. The forecast looks good next Saturday 10 Jul (so far), so I’m thinking of an early morning trip up my local G/TW-002 to see if I can get some VK action.

Anyone down under interested in trying for S2S? What time/band do you think looks best?

Of course this has absolutely nothing to do with my wife being away, and the bacon butties at the cafe at the bottom of the hill :wink:

By my reading of VOACAP, 20m at around 0600z looks best (happy to be corrected by someone with more understanding than me!), with a second possibility for 17m.

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I’ll try and join in if I can. I won’t be on a summit, but my /MM status might be of interest!

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It will be a long path to the eastern side of VK and to ZL, with the signals passing ZL before reaching VK. At 0700 the sunset is upon us here in vk1/2 but that would be closer to 0500 in ZL. you never know though, there are some who are keen to do anything, even using CW on SSB frequencies and they might go for an after dark activation, just to prove they can do it…

73 Andrew vk1da

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Hi Andrew,

Maybe 40m would be a better option for ZL? Just over a week ago, I found Ron ZL4RMF, working 40m. He was signing with another station at 05:05utc and I managed to get straight in just before the usual pile-up from Hell started. I know Ed DD5LP works him regularly.

This morning, I was out portable at 06:00utc and couldn’t buy a contact into VK on 20m. Wicked QSB. Heard Ernie VK3DET calling me. He was just too low, no chance of a QSO…

73 Mike

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Hi Mike,

Yes 40m is a good option, it is producing excellent dx into Europe at that time of day. 20m might still be a basket case for this path, except on some rare occasions such as your recent activation where you made a zillion contacts!

Keep up the good work. Looking forward to hearing you one day soon.

73 Andrew VK1DA/VK2UH

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I’ll certainly look out for you Tom

Happy to start a bit earlier if that would help?

So 20 and 40m are the bands to try?

Although I mentioned VK, I would of course be delighted with any exotic stations! Never worked J, ZS or S2S with ZL

Andy, yesterday, after seeing the solar numbers before I left my QTH, I would have bet my house on working VK on 20m. As well as Ernie VK3DET and Ian VK3YFD, Ed DD5LP was on frequency too. Working Ed from G should have been a piece of cake with a couple of Watts, I couldn’t even hear him. Next thing I know, he’s 5/9. I asked Ed if he would give Ernie a call. Ed was easily workable in VK, however, Ed couldn’t hear Ernie. Ernie was probably running 400 Watts into 3 elements, Ed a bit less into, I think a loop… Whether the MUF crossed 20m, who knows!

Both Ed and myself heard nothing from Ian YFD and he was hearing nothing from Ed or myself either. IIRC, Ian was running 400 watts too. Ian is probably no more than 40Km from Ernie. When we all eventually threw the towel in, I stayed on 20m and worked about 25 EU contacts, around 10 of them were Dutch and they were all off the scale. Don G0RQL gave me a shout from Devon and he was an armchair copy too.

To answer your question, 20m and 40m is where I would head for, but it’s been a while since I worked VK on 40m, unlike the last VK/ZL/EU day, where all the VK/ZL action was on 40m.

Your s2s wish list would be quite a challenge in predictable conditions.

I’ve only ever worked ZS s2s once, it was from GW/NW-070 Great Orme on the 10m band, back in 2014. It may well be the only G/ZS s2s. Never heard a ZS activation since.

This is my s2s wish list. The chances of ever getting another Lebanon s2s are slim to none. In fact, it “may” well be the only one ever made.

GL.

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Thanks Mike. I’d settle for summit to base station for some of those countries! Do you think there’s any value in aiming for 0500z or would the extra hour be better spent in bed?

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At 05:00utc, I would be tempted to take a look at 40m first and see what’s occuring. You may well pick up a ZL chaser.

At 05:00utc on 20m, you might pick up the odd North American and Asiatic Russia contact. I worked a couple of North Americans about 05:50utc last week from my local summit. As for working VK on 20m at 05:00 utc, and this is just my personal opinion, I reckon you’ll have more chance of knitting fog.

I’d be looking at 06:00-6:30utc for east coast VK. As I said a couple of weeks ago, the sun is going through a change of some sort and solar numbers don’t tell the whole story, it’s totally unpredictable and the bands are a lottery, as I found out yesterday.

Here in G, there’s little doubting, 20m is a late evening and very early morning band and it will reward you during these times.
Nice if you’re free, single and retired with no commitments, bit more of a problem if you have a partner at home.

73 Mike

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The delights of long range (>2 days) forecasting in the UK……

Moving my alert to Sunday due the the weather forecast

I might try Sunday morning too… Receiving VK stns about 06:30 BST on 40m this morning. I cant make it up Cringle so I’d be portable just up the road from the beach at Whitby

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Splendid Roy, I’ll take 2m as well

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Dave G3TQQ and I hope to be on G/TW-004 tomorrow, Saturday 10th July on 7 and 14 MHz from around 0500z.

73
Nick G4OOE

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I didn’t make it in time for the start of your activation ( :sleeping:), but listened from just after 0600 on 20m. Nick I might have heard you, but too faint (and fast) for me to read. Nothing from Dave. How did you both get on?