A few days before the International SOTA Weekend I met Zlatko, Z30A and informed him about that operating event. He promissed to see the possibilities for the first time to join SOTA as activator. We discuted the rules and tips for successful SOTA activating. He smiled on my recomendations to reduce the eqiupment load stating that as a experienced mountaintopper he is ready to climb on a summits with a ruksakck of 30 kg (hi).
When he e-mailed to me his eqipment list consisting of:
IC-746 base HF/VHF transciever, plus an IC-706 MK2G, 2 x 12,5m fiberglas poles, 7-el YAGI for 144 Mc, 3-el QUAD for 50 Mc, D4B multiband dipole for HF, Bencher Paddle, 12V 45 Ah car battery, plus the tent for few persons, I realised that he is not joking at all - hi.
He collected the local group of experienced operators, Blagoj - Z35F, Venci - Z39Z, and his father George - Z33A, who insisted to go despite the healt problems.
For two days spent on the mountain of Kozhuf they activated the summits of Dve Ushi, 1766m - Z3/WM-030 and Zelen Breg, 2166m - Z3/WM-052 and made a total of 450 QSOs mainly on HF.
Photos:
Vlado, Z35M
AM SOTA-Z3