Wednesday 15 October 2014

SOTA Mount Coramba

After activating End Peak VK2/MN-098 returned to Buxner Park Road, headed North West, this becomes Central Bucca Road, turned off onto Mount Coramba Forest Road on the left. Sign for Mt Coramba


The road is unsealed but suitable for 2WDs. Parked below the activation zone and walked up the road to the communications towers. The road ended in a turning circle in front of the towers. Scrambled up an embankment to find the trig


I tried setting up the squid pole on the trig and running the dipole out here. There was S9+ of electrical noise on all the bands :(

Packed up and moved down to the turning circle area. Used a fence post for squid pole support, running the dipole along the road and across the turning circle.


Set up the shack in the shade of the building


Got on 20 m. Now around S8 of noise, managed to work Ron, VK3AFW, mainly because he was a strong S9... Tried 30 m, got Gerhard VK2IO, John VK2YW and Jeff VK2AGC, hard to read in the QRM. 40 m was still too noisy for use...So once again 30 m saved me from a non qualifying activation...

The flies and noise on the bands were driving me mad, packed up after qualifying and headed back to Coffs Harbour for the night.



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