It’s the10 years Anniversary for the VK5 association on October 1st 2022 also and I hope some will be out on SOTA around the date. I know Hugh and I will be doing some summits around that time. SOTA activating has not really been a strong activity among the vk5 community of radio amateur’s but there are a few of us still doing some summits. With the distance involved for the centric population being mostly living near Adelaide our capital city and only 2 accessible summits near the city not many have taken up the challenge of first getting access permission or driving much further than Gepps Cross road to take part in the program. Where as Hugh and I are country boys so we live a bit closer to some of the summits and is probably why we have been more successful in SOTA. Over coming the fear of rejection for access by land owners and also finding the right land owners is the hardest parts of SOTA for us then all the driving involved to get to the summits is more of a challenge than the hiking and radio part. Right now I say thank you to the land owners who do grant access and make it worth our while to have a decent number of summits we can visit every year to build a score to Mountain Goat. It’s been an interesting 10 years for me personally and I just hope my health and lifestyle helps me keep going a bit longer with this obsession. Happy Anniversary vk5 SOTA see you on a summit on 1st of October Alerts and Spots on SW3. Whoops I almost forgot thanks to our faithful Chasers the other very important part of the program.
Regards
Ian vk5cz am vk5 …
hi Ian,
Congrats on 10 years of VK5 SOTA.
A few of us are planning an activation for Saturday morning soon after 0000 UTC. we look forward to giving you some chaser/s2s points.
73 Andrew VK1DA/2DA
Congratulation Ian and all VK5 SOTA people.
I have activated three SOTA summits close to Adelaide but yet to go very far North where the big pointers are.
73
Ron
VK3AFW
Hoping you might still be around at 0745 UTC on Saturday and we can try for an S2S on 20m SSB? The band is regularly opening EU/UK-VK around that time.
73 Ed.
Hello Ed not sure how long to stay at the summit. Hugh will be along too for that day but we are travelling in our own rigs this time Hugh is staying on at Quorn to do other stuff with Kate. I am trying to get access permission for some un activated summits further north on Friday then driving to Mt Brown from near Hawker Saturday early, its abt 70km. My Friday summit will be near Hawker an easier one to get to after meeting land owners or chased off by their dogs HI, then stay over night up there. On my summit 300 I did a SOTA and VKFF to 44 QSO’s and if my QRP setup and battery lasts ok with plenty of willing chasers I will stay on the summit longer. Its a 2 hour hike off so if it quietens down I might hike off and go back to the Ute which will still be in the VKFF and get a new battery and try to make up a 44 score for VKFF including digital modes. Bit of a mix up but the best I can do and if I was solo on Saturday I could have taken my Ebike and got up and down a lot quicker and spent more time on the summit.
Regards
Ian vk5cz …
Hi Ian,
I totally understand you’ll need to get down the summit on Saturday and with a 2hr hike, you will have to leave to get down before it gets dark. I’ve just checked my end and the weather now looks better for Friday, so I’ll head out Friday instead of Saturday and try to catch you on VK5/NE-093 if you can get past the dogs and get the approval of the land owner. My summit is a very easy one-pointer (only difficult to access with snow cover in winter!).
It’s a shame there are no other VK5 activators heading out it seems.
73 Ed.
Update 30/09/2022 - Great to get a contact with you this morning on 20m SSB Ian. I know it’s only 9 years and 364 days but congratulations on 10 years of SOTA in South Australia for tomorrow!
Hi Ian,
I will try to get scheduled SP/SW-004 as early as possible and switch on 20m CW.
Hope to meet you on S2S 
73, Jarek
10 years, how time flies. Congratulations to VK5.
73, Wal VK2WP
Congrats also from the far-away VE6 Association - 10 Years also, on the exact same date! Time flies when you’re having fun …
Thanks Ken well done on VE6 and all the hard slog up hills for SOTA.
It’s 5am here now and I am awake in a room in an old restored pub with creeky floors and everything that moves rattles keeping me awake most of the night. But when you think about it that has been typical of most out back accomms on my 10 year journey out here among the summits. HI.
The up shot on this trip is I met a land owner at the pub and got permission to climb the summit on his property and 3 phone numbers for more home work when I get home. I did call into 2 other properties Yesterday to find no one home. These extra summits might have to wait until next year now as it will warm up here now spring is half done. If access comes off I will have 4 summits in this area of the possible 7 and make it worth while visiting the area. All that is in front now is a 70km drive to Mt Brown and 6.3km hike up into UTC roll over let the fun begin.
Regards
Ian vk5cz …
Thanks for the anniversary QSO Ian. Hope it was a good day.
73
Ron
VK3AFW
Ian,
Great to hear and work you today on CW and SSB, congrats on 400 summits and on the 10 year anniversary for SOTA in VK5. Next year it’s vk1/2/4, time seems to have flown by.
73 Andrew VK1DA/VK2DA