Earlier today starting at 22:00 UTC (8 am local) VK1 SOTA activators fired up on 2m, 23cm and 13cm for a coordinated QRP 2m, 23cm and 13cm S2S QSO party.
Activators included (distance from Mt Cowangerong):
Al VK1RX/P at Mt Stromlo VK1/AC-043 59 km;
Andrew VK1DA/2 at Mt Mundoonen VK2/ST-053 101 km;
Bill VK1MCW/P at Mt Ainslie VK1/AC-040 54 km;
Tony VK1VIC/P at Mt Foxlow VK2/ST-010 17 km;
Wade VK1MIC/P & myself Andrew VK1AD/P at Mt Cowangerong VK2/ST-001
2m and 23cm yagi. Canberra is 60 km north west well over the horizon.
With action on 23 and 13 cm completed at 23:30 UTC (9:30 am local) Wade spent some time with his FT817ND and a ZS6BKW antenna working VK and ZL chasers on 80, 40, 20 and 10m. Wade experienced his first 10m pileup, wait for it, working six (6) VK1/VK2 chasers on 28.490 MHz SSB. Yes, I have experienced a northern hemisphere pileup, I do know the difference.
One Tree Hill is located on north-west ACT/NSW boundary. The walk to the summit is 5 km, a 10 km return trip along a public trail known as the ACT Centennial Tail.
At the summit is an observation platform with large bench seats perfect for a SHF activation. The vertical drop off is very steep, perfect for over the horizon VHF/UHF and SHF communications.
I qualified on three bands: 2m, 23cm and 13cm using simple lightweight antennas. Jim VK1AT/p was operating on 2m and 13cm from Tuggeranong Hill VK1/AC-038. The 35 km S2S contact was a certainty.
The 2m antenna is a rectangular loop with a 50 ohm feedpoint, that’s right no 1/4 wave impedance transformer. See link below.
