VK - NA S2S Experiment (11 March 2017)

I’ll try my best to figure out a way to get up on a peak, it would be really fun to work you from Arizona. Can’t promise it yet as we are celebrating my YL’s birthday that day. Will try to be more certain by Friday and I’ll comment here.
73 Keith KR7RK

One challenge is that any higher peaks near me right now are covered in snow. Still doable. Just more difficult to gauge time, and definitely would not be on air for more than 30 minutes at tops due to cold and snow!

After more thought (I have two replies in the thread). I might set up a portable operation at my house. It wouldn’t be a STS, but I am pretty high up as it is and it definitely could be more doable, so I might be able to “chase” VZers instead. This might be my best option for me.

I should be on from a few 10 point high elevation summits on Saturday so I will definitely be looking for VK/ZL when on those summits. Will likely be operating with Jim, K7JFD.

Pete
WA7JTM
W7A

I’ll make an effort to be on a summit in the San Francisco Bay Area. I’ll operate 20/30/40 qrp CW, and post an alert once I figure out which summit to climb. Hopefully the propagation cooperates.

Summit forecast for where I alerted:

The weather in my region isn’t cooperating and I’m going to have to cancel.

The timing for this experiment is bad for me, normally (for winter) I’d pick a nice low summit that I could hang out for many hours. This weekend is an important weekend for me to gather with some friends, and the only reason I could do SOTA is because we’ll be at a ski area. But it’s a real mountain with real mountain weather. 30 mph winds and -11 F temps means there’s no possiblity I’d venture onto the summit, much less try to put up a big doublet.

I’m interested in any inter-continental SOTA events, and will make an effort to participate in the future. I think they’re quite productive. I’m appreciative of the folks that organize them.

Kevin AC2KL

Going to try a small peak here in New England at 1900Z. VOACAP indicates potential path from Maine to Canberra on 21 Mhz. I will be bringing both my EFHW with 10 m pole and my magnetic loop to see which is better. It may be a bit wet on summit but its worth a try for VK-NA s2s!
73
Mike NS1TA

Planning to be on an 8-pointer. 100 watts, full-size 20m vertical, single elevated radial favoring VK/ZL.

Listening for you!

Ken

I am looking for a good summit near the coast to activate and look for S2S to VK or ZL. I was skeptical but yesterday on W6/NC-030 I worked ZL1BYZ so I believe it is possible.
Ed

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I’m 99% sure I will activate W7A/PE-002, Green Mountain, a 10-pointer here in Arizona. It’s a short hike so I hope to take an amp for 100 watts. I’m also hoping to set up both my inverted vee and my 20m GB-QEC, 2-element vertical yagi directed towards VK, and compare them both. I’m really looking forward to this for several reasons, sure hope to hear you in VK! Good luck to everyone participating.
73, Keith KR7RK

Forgot to mention, I would love to try for a 10m QSO! I’ve had 10m QSO’s in that direction a few times recently, including ZL1BYZ and VP6EU just last week during an activation using 10 watts on a SOTA activation. However I may be off the mountain too early, the best timing seems to be around 2300Z +/-

73, Keith KR7RK

Good luck to everyone taking part in the VK-NA S2S experiment.

73 Ed DD5LP.

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Just back home in Tucson, where its 91 degrees, F.
No joy on VK or ZL; wondering if anyone there heard me.
Did work Lars, SA4BLM, on 20M, so band was working in some directions!

All best, Ken, K6HPX/P

I was on 20m only, from 1930UTC (Saturday UTC). Worked NS7P, N4EX and N4NC, did not hear any activators, conditions not good enough. Also had several local S2S contacts with VK1AD, VK1RX and VK2WP. Plus a big signal from John ZL1BYZ.

The VK1 contacts were SSB, all others CW.

Closed at 2130, signals of the chasers were weakening further. I did hear KR7RK at one point, but lots of competition and signals were very low.

10w from IC703, quarter wave vertical with elevated radials, feedpoint about 1.5m AGL.

Will try again next time.

73 Andrew VK1DA VK2UH

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Hi, as I’d like to put together a small report including both the VK-EU and VK-NA events, can anyone who managed some contacts (or didn’t) please post their reports here so that I can get a general overview for my report - thanks. I will of course take a positive approcah to both events and to S2S events in general, as I think they are raising more interest in and awareness of SOTA.

Ed DD5LP/VK2JI.

Hi Ed

No joy in making NA S2S QSOs from Mt Ginini VK1/AC-008. I started my CQ calls at 19:00 (6 am local) UTC, calling on 14.310, 18.145 and 21.280 MHz. I ceased operations at 21:00 UTC (8 am).

Stations worked on 20m: Andrew VK1DA (S2S), Al VK1RX (S2S) and Jacky ZL1WA.

73 Andrew VK1AD

Hi Ed,
With sunrise at 19:52z, the doublet was altered from EU to NA pre-dawn allowing a 19:30z (6:30am) start. The bands from 20m up were eerily quiet. NS7P answered my spot on 20m-CW at 19:54z. That was the only contact. Later on I did try 17m-CW. The NA activator I did hear was KR7RK on 17m with the aid of an extra 10dB RF preamp. He would have been workable but the battery for my 70W linear was flat by then so I could only manage 10W out and was not heard.
QRT was at 21:30 (8:30am) once the KX3 battery was also flat.
Enjoyed the hunt and let’s hope for better propagation next time!

73, Gerard - VK2IO

Well a fine day on a summit but no VK or Zl worked. Worked quite a few S2S stateside though. I could hear VK1DA on 20M at one time but S1 or 2 and me with 10W just couldn’t make it. However it was one of the most gorgeous sunny days on Mount Tamalpais. The wind was calm, unusual for there, and breathtaking views out the Golden Gate to the Farralone Islands and the beautiful sky line of San Francisco. I worked ZL1BYZ from St Helena Thursday but did not hear him this time.

Hi Ed,

Good to know you heard me. I was running 10W too.

73 Andrew VK1DA VK2UH

I was disappointed to not get any VK in my log yesterday, but I’m still glad this was put together and I look forward to trying it again. Bands have just not been good lately, even stateside QSO’s are tougher the past couple of weeks. There was some propagation, as I worked ZL1BYZ (booming in) on 15m, and E51DWC was an easy catch on 10m cw. I was surprised to work EA2IF on 20m cw as well, not sure if that was a LP QSO.

It’s interesting to hear that a couple of you did hear me. I was running 80 watts from a KX2 (with amp) into an Aerial 51 multi-band dipole, oriented broadside to the East/West. At one point I thought maybe I was hearing a call back but just could not pull out enough to know if it was a VK or even a real signal.

I would like to suggest that more ops try the higher bands. It’s not unusual for me to work stations across the Pacific from Arizona on 10, 15, or 17 when they can’t be heard at all on 20. This is often possible even when the propagation forecasters rank the bands as “poor” and it usually happens with 10 watts or less (yesterday’s 80 watts was an exception to my normal SOTA kit).

I have yet to work a VK activator but hopefully that will happen before too long!

73 Keith KR7RK