Activated 26/27th April 2013

This day turned out a little different to what I expected. It was my original intention to activate Riddell Ridge VK3/VC-010. I studied some hiking notes and the Parks map on line, made my own notes and made my way early by car, getting to the park gate with much anticipation. On arrival there were notices posted around the gate entrance and on several prominent trees that the track to the top was closed due to controlled burns being undertaken. Although it was obvious they were not doing any burning today, the wind was strong and conditions would have been unsuitable. I toyed around with the idea of ignoring the notices and setting off up the track anyway. Common sense told me that it was probably not such a smart idea just in case. The last thing you would want to happen is to twist an ankle or be in need of help and have to explain to someone how you managed to miss all those signs.

None the less, I jumped back in the car and headed straight for Mt Toolebewong instead. Once you leave the bitumen and head for the summit, you find yourself on a well formed gravel road that winds its way pleasantly to the top, passing a number of delightful cottages nestled in their surroundings with magnificent views of the valley below. Close to the summit, the road turns sharp left and continues past some cleared pasture on the left and then comes to a sign informing you of a private road from there on. A couple of small clearings either side of the road before the sign give you room to turn the vehicle around and go back down the hill as it is here where you are within the activation zone. I took the Triton back down around the corner and parked further down the road again and parked near one of the cottages before grabbing my kit and walking back to where I had been earlier.

I checked out the two clearings again at the sign and found signs of a previous SOTA activation. Someone left part of their antenna stuck in a tree – a thin wire with red insulation and a moderately sized zinc-plated nut as a weight. (Come on, you know who you are). I managed to recover the wire and nut, but before setting up, I decided to take a walk past the sign just to see what might be ahead. A little further on is a gate with another sign “Private Property”. I turned back and about half way between the two signs found what seemed to be animal track. I detoured and about 15 metres in found a little clearing and part of a large fallen tree that I decided would make a reasonable bench space. I unrolled the doublet and decided on an inverted V configuration this time due to the relatively tight space I was in.

I first got on 40m at 2300 UTC. My third contact was Andrew VK1NAM/p on summit VK1/AC-008 and for the next hour, I logged 21 contacts, once again many were SOTA regulars but not on summits. Things went quiet again for around 10 minutes, just before the UTC rollover, giving me a chance to have a bite to eat. Most of the stations I had previously worked came back after the rollover to pick up more chaser points. A further 15 contacts were made in the new day.

Briarty Hill was an activation on the run. I was heading home but the afternoon turned out to be warmer than expected and the strong winds earlier in the day abated somewhat. I  detoured at Coldstream and headed towards Briarty Hill after stopping for a while and checking out the summit access notes from Peter VK3ZPF on his blog. I downloaded his access map onto my smartphone and away I went. Part of the route to the top is quite steep and I worked up a decent sweat getting there.

At the top the tower came into view at the end of the road and I could smell the diesel fumes from the generator powering the equipment around the base of the tower. I set up to the side of the road about 60 metres from the tower and launched the doublet high across the road.

Time was marching on and I was set up and operating by 0417 UTC. I was on air for 25 minutes and logged 12 stations with many of them being the second contact for the day.

28th April 2013.

I stayed close to home today but still got the itch to get out for a spin on a bike and take the radio backpack along for the ride. Earlier in the day from home I had worked Andrew VK1NAM/p on VK1/AC-007 and then Peter VK3ZPF/p on VK3/VT-039 prior to the UTC rollover. Frustrated with the noise levels I have to endure at home, I took the bike out and found a nice grassy spot at Westerfolds Park to lay about and make a few contacts. Made contact again with Peter VK3ZPF/p still on VK3/VT-039 and hanging about in the hope of another S2S contact before calling it a day.

Before packing up and heading home, I tuned up on 20m and had a go for some DX. The band was alive and yet another contest was under way with many powerful stations dwarfing my signal. I tried to make a number of contacts to no avail. Hopefully better luck next time.

Activated 24/25th April 2013

The Anzac Day public holiday was a planned dual summit day and I intended to snare a few of the other summit stations that I knew would be operating and also get a few extra chaser points on the UTC roll-over.

I arrived by car to the point mentioned below Mt Bride by Glenn VK3YY on his blog notes. The road past the gate was muddy and slippery from the rain the night before but easy going in the Triton with 4WD engaged. From here it was a pleasant walk to the summit which levels out nicely with a number of small clearings within the activation zone just to the side of the track to choose from.

On choosing my site, I messed around for awhile and wasted valuable time deciding to use the doublet and trying to string it up relatively clear of obstructions without much success. I then gave up on the doublet and spiked the vertical antenna in the ground, rolled out the counterpoise and was on the air with only 10 minutes left before the UTC rollover. Doh!! I did the best I could with this short time and made only 3 contacts but good ones. Peter AX1RC/p S2S on VK1/AC-034, Andrew VK1NAM/p S2S on VK1/AC-037 and then Matt VK1MA in Canberra.

I stayed on the summit past the UTC rollover for another hour, worked Peter and Andrew on their summits once again and logged a total of 10 contacts for the new day. I then packed up and walked back to the car, boiled the billy on my new camp stove, had some lunch and a quick chat on the VK3REC repeater before heading off for Britannia Range.

I arrived at the junction of Mt Bride Rd and Britannia Range Track without problems and after previously studying notes on previous activations by Glenn VK3YY and Peter VK3PF got out for a short walk to check the condition of the track before attempting to take the Triton any further. I was surprised in reading that Peter had managed to get his Subaru up this rather steep track in low range with the severity of the spoon drains. The rain from the previous night had actually made the track quite muddy and slippery underfoot and being alone I decided to walk to the top.

Upon the track leveling out at the top and being close to the activation zone, I left the track and quickly found myself pushing through thick ferny undergrowth and forest which was quite damp and uncomfortable. After slow progress and not too far from the track, the undergrowth opened up to a relatively clear area with a couple of large rocks and enough clearance overhead to string up the doublet. After getting the antenna up, one of the rocks became a good radio bench.

After tuning the radio, I felt something a little uncomfortable under my damp jeans. A leech had worked its way up one leg below the knee and was securely fastened to me. I grabbed a lighter out of my backpack and warmed the little bugger up with the naked flame and he quickly dropped off. I had a closer look about my legs and found a couple more on my socks and jeans attempting to inch their way to flesh. After roasting them off, I finally got on the air at 0350 UTC.

I operated here for just over an hour and logged 19 contacts including several SOTA regulars but unfortunately without any S2S this time around. After packing up and crashing my way back to the track, I checked myself for any hitch-hiking leeches again and made my way back to the car without picking up too much mud.

Activated 23rd April 2013

The activation of Mt Dandenong was a spur of the moment thing as a result of some work out near the foothills and some time to spare afterwards. I parked the car a fair way down Ridge Road in the Kalorama village and walked to the Summit via the fire track through Jennings Reserve.

I set up the station and the vertical HF antenna at a picnic table around the back of the Sky-High Lookout and out of the direct path of any wayward tourists ambling by.

I tried the HT firstly on 2 metres and jumped on VK3REC repeater first to hopefully stir up simplex contacts on 146.500mhz. My first 2m simplex contact was with David VK3JDA mobile on the Westgate Bridge and copied with some difficulty. Immediately after was a contact with Mike in Reservoir with a 55 report. Not too bad for a hand-held. The rest of my contacts were on 40m. I logged a total of 8 contacts and then quickly packed up and headed home. It was rather cool and the clouds were threatening. All well timed as it did begin to rain a little later.

  Activated 21 April 2013

Without too much preparation I decided to officially activate my first SOTA summit,       Mt Donna Buang.  On the way, I dropped in at the weekend retreat of Andrew VK3FAJH at Warburton and convinced him to accompany me to the top.

 We arrived on the summit with a stiff crosswind blowing and set ourselves up in the shadow of the lookout tower at a picnic table damp with dew. We quickly erected the HF vertical, tuned for 7090 and created a pileup almost immediately. We logged 14 contacts in 20 minutes, including two S2S contacts with Ian VK1DI/p on VK1/AC-041 and followed straight after by Kevin VK3KAB on VK3/VC-016. Starting to feel the wind chill and pleased by our first official SOTA activation, we then packed up and headed back down to Warburton where we warmed up again.

Mount Little Joe was the second summit planned for the day. After dropping Andrew back in Warburton, I headed straight out, following the access notes for this summit posted on the SOTA website by Wayne VK3WAM. The climb was exactly as Wayne had described, steep and not best tackled without a reasonable degree of fitness. In terms of exertion to get to the top, it seemed a tough summit for only 2 points compared to the leisurely 8 points from the lower car park at Donna Buang. On the plus side, it was much warmer in this summit and I was well sheltered from the cold of the wind by the forest and surrounding bush. The station was set up on a large comfortable log by the side of the track and for quick deployment, the vertical HF antenna was set up.

Before firing up 40m, I got out the hand-held and called CQ on 146.500Mhz and was pleased to get two contacts straight away, Craig VK3FZAA relatively close by in Macclesfield, followed by Ralph VK3LL, much further away in Ringwood North, both with 59 reports. After no further contacts on 2 metres, I jumped on to 40m and quickly bagged my 3rd S2S contact for the day, Al VK1RX/p on summit VK1/AC-039. All up I logged 21 contacts on Mt Little Joe before the steep decent back to the car. This summit was a good physical workout and I felt it in my legs for a few days afterwards.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable day and really got me fired up to tackle more summits.