Im going to activate Mt Frankland VK6/SW-048 on the weekend. I’m thinking I might do voice and data…data/digital mode if the demand is there. Happy to give rtty PSK and Olivia a shot. Only thing is I’M STILL LEARNING…so I may stuff up Olivia. RTTY and PSK are not a problem. Any thoughts or should I keep it simple for my first solo?
Any may the bands open a lovely path between us
be good to work another sota somewhere else other than Europe
Look forwards to it
Be Good be safe
M3FEH
Hi VK6MMB
Many of us have found that it is indeed best to keep things simple until you have done a few activations. Even now I find my aspirations for an activation are too ambitious and it would have been simpler and more enjoyable if I had just stuck to the basics. Once you are comfortable using the hardware you plan to use on a summit, it’s feasible but until then you are risking the success of the entire activation if you take too much extra stuff and not enough battery, or you remember the computer but not the antenna or the battery, etc.
Remember to post an alert on sotawatch and only use spots for actual on-air signals. Alerts are plans, not promises.
Spots are signals on the air.
Good luck
Andrew
VK1DA/VK2UH
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Roger will do. Im not very comfortable talking so digital is really a preferred thing for me. However I will KISS it for the first. Biggest issue is Radio…Kenwood TS680 so I’m a bit restricted anyway.
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One more sleep…then its off!!! Kenwood preset to 20 watts. 12 Metre pole packed and ready to go, Batteries charged…now to find my teddy bear and snuggle rug!!!
So I’ll call 14.285Mhz for eastern states and OS and 7.090Mhz for Locals. Lets see if I can turn my 2 SOTA points into lots and lots of Sweet SOTA points!!!
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No joy hearing any VK sotas as yet
BUT there are VKs making trip to European sotas
just heard VK6YS chatting to DG3NEU/P on 5w 
on 20m
Never seen that latest spot so busy just hit 155 in past 12hrs
Keep One’s ears open one’s never know
Hi Michael
Great to work you this morning, hope you had a great day. Mike has sent around a great photo so looks beautiful up there. A definite on my to do list when next in that neck of the woods. Look forward to hearing how it went.
73
John VK6NU
Thank you VK mates for your activations this morning.
I had a great hunting although some of you were spotted but nothing was heard from you in that frequency after the spot was raised.
Thanks Warren, Andrew and Gerard for the QSOs.
Best 73 de Guru - EA2IF
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Saturday 15th November 2014, and the much anticipated VK SOTA QSO Party. I was up with my alarm at 0525 UTC and soon preparing my flask of coffee. On the road shortly after 0600z, I listened to BBC Radio 5 Live en route to The Cloud G/SP-015. I did the first part of the ascent using my night vision, but decided to turn on my Petzl headtorch at the top of the stairs, so I could see where the really muddy and slippery bits were.
I was fully set up with the 20m GP (same version as that built by the delegates at YOTA UK) just before 0700z, and had a tune around after checking SOTAwatch. Despite all the doom and gloom about weather and conditions, it was dry albeit misty, and furthermore, I could hear Robbie VK3EK/P on Mount Cann VK3/VG-133 on 14.310MHz SSB. My attempts to answer his CQ calls failed, but it was encouraging that I could hear his signals at 0657 UTC.
I called on 14.057MHz CW and was auto-spotted by the KU6J RBN-gate facility. VK was in the log as early as the fourth contact, thanks to VK2UH. Things were looking promising. Two contacts later came the first S2S of the activation, with Dionisis SV2OYE/P on Analipsi SV/TL-092. Shortly afterwards, I would also work George SV2CNE/P and George SV2NCH/P who were also activating the same summit. Before that however, it was nice to get S2S contacts with Erwin OE5PEN/P on Ellerberg OE/OO-124 and Casab YO6PIB/P on Vânturiș YO/MC-086.
^^^ This is the simple GP arrangement that got me the contacts.
This though, was the VK SOTA QSO Party weekend, and I hadn’t got a VK S2S yet. I didn’t wait for long though, and like buses, two came along at once. John VK2YW/P on Granite Mountain VK2/SW-015 and Andrew VK1NAM/2 on the unnamed 1459m ASL peak VK2/SM-053 called me consecutively on my run frequency of 14.326MHz SSB.
Next to be heard were weak signals from much closer to home, Bill G4WSB/P on Beacon Batch G/SC-003 and Barry M0IML/P on Cheriton Hill G/SE-015. I never managed to get through to Bill, but I eventually made it with Barry over an hour later! Much easier was the 20m CW contact with Warren VK3BYD/P on The Hump VK3/VE-019, followed a short time later by S2S with Gerard VK2IO/P on Wingcarribee VK2/IL-002. In between, came the joint activation of Mickey 2E0YYY/P and David M0YDH/P, both on Titterstone Clee Hill G/WB-004.
^^^ My station and operating spot on The Cloud G/SP-015
This set up a decent run on 14.285MHz SSB, and included S2S with Jonathan 2W0KGQ/P on Hope Mountain GW/NW-062, and David OK4KOP/P on Bukovec OK/JM-007. Marcial EA2BDS/P was worked on both SSB and CW from his summit of Ganguren EA2/BI-055, and after a few tries, I managed to work Don M0HCU/P on High Vinnalls G/WB-012.
^^^ A closer look.
A couple more S2S came courtesy of Joachim OK/DH1JH/P on Velký Špicák OK/US-002 and Tobias DG3NEU/P on Haag DM/BM-220. And that was the last S2S action of the activation. It was 0932 UTC, and a stunning twenty S2S QSOs were in the log within a period of 2 hours and 10 minutes! The S2S might have been finished, but I wasn’t, and I carried on making QSOs on 20m CW - until…
Until a big dog ran across the summit taking my antenna with it! He was a big daft dog, harmless enough with a very waggy tail and tongue hanging out. He looked very pleased with his demolition work, but his owners looked very embarrassed! I assured them it was not a problem as I tried to stop them apologising profusely. I looked at re-erecting the antenna, but the dog had snapped not one, but two of the three radials, one of them right next to the chocolate box, one right in the middle of the radial. A makeshift repair would have been doable, but I decided to take the opportunity to switch bands to 15m.
^^^ Obviously in a good mood!
So up went the 21MHz GP in its place, but conditions weren’t anything like as lively as observed on 20m. Just 15 further contacts were added to the log, before I decided to pack up. Three final QSOs were to be had on the 2m FM handie prior to descending, and it was nice to have a good old natter and catch-up with Russ M6RGF who I had not spoken to in ages.
Summary:
20m CW: 64 (including 5 S2S)
20m SSB: 39 (including 15 S2S)
15m CW: 13
15m SSB: 2
2m FM: 3
Total: 121 QSOs including 20 S2S
VKs worked: 7 including 4 S2S
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Hello Tom.
Remarkable tally especially the S2S x20 - is it a personal record I wonder?
Well done.
Mike
It certainly is in the lifetime of the S2S award section Mike. As for in all SOTA, I’m just checking…
…No!
27 S2S on SP Fun Day - 23rd April 2006 - remains my record for number of S2S in a single activation. That was the day when there was at least one activator simultaneously on each on of the (then) 17 summits in the G/SP region, and we all worked each other. A few summits from outside the SP region called in too.
Hi Tom
Should have been s2s x 21 
I could hear you down in the noise but not good enough for a contact. I was plagued by QRM this morning from adjacent stations so only worked 2 VKs (no VK s2s). Good tally of points from 13 s2s so happy with that
Thanks to all the activators and chasers.
73 Allan GW4VPX
I stayed on the hill for exactly 1.5 hours and in that time managed 14 s2s - this included 2 from VK. One on ssb and one on cw.
The total Qso’s for the activation was 50 with 9 VK’s in the log.
Many thanks to all activators and chasers.
Barry
M0IML
Hello Allan,
Another good day for you! 13 S2S is very good going!!! I think Barry M0IML did well as well.
I worked no SOTA DX at all today. The day started about 0545 when I pumped the mast up, takes about 20 minutes and a bit dodgy in the darkness especially in the heavy rain this morning. K index was at 3 so I was not hopeful which proved to be true, at least for me. Anyway I was very happy with the chasing today within EU with some very good signals from activators.
Cheers
Mike
Ah you have just popped up as I was writing to Allan 
Good stuff.
Night night
Mike
Hi Tom,
Thanks for the s2s too, you kept getting wiped out by a German stationa few Ks away, but we got there in the end 
Thanks for persevering!
No joy with any VKs, I meant to make a GP antenna, but working away meant I didn’t have the time, so stuck with the linked dipole, SWR was up and down with all the moisture dripping over the links…
I did hear the mobile VK station that Mickey and David had the QSO with, but he was down in the noise for me.
Disappointed to find that the observation tower was in worse state than you found it in your report… now being a pile of wood 
Ex Observation tower…
I had to pack up earlier due to just about losing my voice, obviously not recovered from my recent cold
So thanks to all the chasers, and the s2s stations!
Don
m0chu
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Hi Don M0HCU
Thanks for the s2s today. Like you I had QRM issues (see another current Topic). Anyway it was great fun despite our little problems. From your pics it looks as if it was slightly damp on your summit
Hi Mike G6TUH
Thanks for the contact today. Yes,early start this morning for me also and quite eerie trudging up to the summit. A few pics of my activation.
The dawn breaking behind the ruins of the Abbey at Talley this morning.
A sleepy Talley village - taken halfway up Mynydd Cynros GW/MW-034
A happy activator
Thanks once again to all the activators and chasers
73 Allan GW4VPX
.
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[quote=“M1EYP, post:9, topic:9698”]VKs worked: 7 including 4 S2S[/quote]Any VK6 (Western Australia) calls worked during the morning 20m long-path window by EU activators yet?
13 March 2011 in the BERU event - VK6DXI, 0814 on 14.018MHz CW. I was on The Cloud G/SP-015 (surprise surprise).