Three weeks ago I received the Mountain Hunter Award (Silver) from SOTA MT in the UK. The Silver award can be claimed for chasing 10 unique SOTA Associations. To qualify a unique Association the chaser must make two unique contacts per Association.
For six months I sat patiently on nine unique SOTA Associations, finding an activator working an Association of interest to me has been a long process. With nine Associations completed, I had one Association in each of DL, GW, and VK9. Ed DD5LP in Germany has activated a small number of DL summits, it’s been a challenge to hear Ed let alone getting a signal report back to him. VK9 Australian territories are rare activations, if I had any chance for a 10th SOTA Association it had to come from Wales.
On Sunday 24 August 2014 Bill G4WSB planned to activate a mountain peak in South Wales, Mynydd y Betws GW/SW-028 near Swansea. Bill had posted an alert for 06:00 UTC. For me Sunday was a SOTA expedition to Booroomba Rocks VK1/AC-026 and Honeysuckle Mountain VK1/AC-027 both in Namadgi National Park VKFF-377. With 14 activator points in the SOTA log, I left the park at 04:30 UTC for a 45 minute drive home. At home I had time to spare before Bill’s planned start time at 06:00 UTC.
At 06:00 UTC my Android phone RRT app altered to an activation of a summit in Wales. Looking at the phone display it was Bill on 14 MHz. With no time to waste I fired up the FT897D set the power output to 80 watts, I heard Bill working Ron VK3AFW in Melbourne, Bill’s signal was in the clear at 5-6. After Ron cleared I called Bill, to my surprise Bill acknowledged with a 5-5 report, bloody beauty, finally a second GW summit and a 10th unique Association. 🙂
Why was I surprised to make the contact? Being on a suburban block, I don’t have a multiband Yagi with 3 or 5 elements. My 20m antenna is a 20m rectangular horizontal loop six metres above the ground. The 20m loop is fed with 450 ohm ladder line and tuned by a homebrew Z Match. Propagation was on my side, the antenna radiated the signal long path to Wales, very happy with the result. Thanks Bill for activating Mynydd y Betws 🙂
SOTA Associations chased, majority of DX are from summit to summit contacts
SOTA Associations and Regions chased since 1 February 2013
Association | Region |
DL – Germany (Alpine) | BE – Benediktenwandgruppe |
DM – Germany (Low Mountains) | BW – Bathe Wuerttemberg |
DM – Germany (Low Mountains) | NW – North Rhine-Westfalia |
EA2 – Spain (North) | NV – Navarra |
EA7 – Spain (South) | MA – Málaga |
F – France | AM – Alpes Méridionales |
G – England | CE – Central England |
G – England | LD – Lake District |
G – England | SB – Scottish Borders |
G – England | SE – Southern England |
G – England | SP – Southern Pennines |
G – England | TW – Tees to the Wash |
GW – Wales | MW – Mid Wales |
GW – Wales | NW – North Wales |
GW – Wales | SW – South Wales |
OE – Austria | OO – Oberösterreich |
OE – Austria | VB – Vorarlberg |
OK – Czechia | PL – Plzenský |
VK1 – Australia – Capital Territory | AC – Australian Capital Territory |
VK2 – Australia – NSW | CT – Central Tablelands |
VK2 – Australia – NSW | CW – Central West |
VK2 – Australia – NSW | HU – Hunter |
VK2 – Australia – NSW | IL – Illawarra |
VK2 – Australia – NSW | MN – Mid North Coast |
VK2 – Australia – NSW | NR – Northern Rivers |
VK2 – Australia – NSW | NT – Northern Tablelands |
VK2 – Australia – NSW | NW – Northwest Slopes and Plains |
VK2 – Australia – NSW | RI – Riverina |
VK2 – Australia – NSW | SC – South Coast |
VK2 – Australia – NSW | SM – Snowy Mountains |
VK2 – Australia – NSW | ST – Southern Tablelands |
VK2 – Australia – NSW | SW – South West Slopes |
VK2 – Australia – NSW | SY – Sydney |
VK3 – Australia – Victoria | VC – Victoria – Central Region |
VK3 – Australia – Victoria | VE – Victoria – North East |
VK3 – Australia – Victoria | VG – Victoria – East Gippsland |
VK3 – Australia – Victoria | VN – Victoria – North Central |
VK3 – Australia – Victoria | VS – Victoria – South West |
VK3 – Australia – Victoria | VT – Victoria – West/South Gippsland |
VK3 – Australia – Victoria | VU – Victoria – North Country |
VK3 – Australia – Victoria | VW – Victoria – Wimmera |
VK4 – Australia – Queensland | SE – Southeast Coast |
VK5 – Australia – South Australia | NE – North East |
VK5 – Australia – South Australia | SE – South East |
VK6 – Australia – WA | SW – South West |
VK8 – Australia – Northern Territory | AL – Central |
VK9 – Australia – Islands | NO – Norfolk Island Group |
Congratulations Andrew on the Mountain Hunter Award, a great effort.
Cheers,
Garry VK2GAZ
Thanks Garry, John and Paul
Chasing SOTA from a mountain top or a National Park VKFF doesn’t get any better. Love it!
73, Andrew VK1NAM
Hi Andrew
Well done and congratulations on attaining this award. It is a tribute to your skills and patience.
Cheers
John D
VK5BJE
Congratulations Andrew on Silver Mountain Hunter status.
Cheers,
Paul,
VK5PAS