European ROS Club Worked 25 Australian Stations 17m Award

Found in Ultimate AAC awards software qualified for 25 Australian stations worked on 17m. Applied for this ERC award and received confirmation from the awards manager approved. Downloaded from the EPC website. Here it is.

SOTA The Cascades VK2/SM-014

With some time off work decided to escape the heat for a while and head up to Thredbo for a few days. The temperature there at altitude is in the low 20s instead of mid to high 30s at home. Decided to activate a nearby summit, The Cascades, VK2/SM-014, which I have done a few other times but still enjoy doing.

Drove SW out of Thredbo along the Alpine Way until reaching the Thredbo River crossing and the car park for the walk. The car park is known as Dead Horse Gap. At 9:00 am it was crowded, got one of the few spots left to park. Followed the Cascade walking trail

The trail follows the Thredbo river, initially high above but after a few km drops down to the river

 Reached a metal bridge over the river.

Looking upstream.

Looking downstream where I had come from and to the main range

Climbed up the track on the other side, steep in places. After a few more Km headed into the bush towards the summit. A little swampy in places but with the drought not that deep.

Reached the summit, a large rocky outcrop with an old wooden trig.

It was very windy. Set up on an old stump, the rocks protected me from the wind but the squid pole was bouncing around everywhere.

Looking the other way.

Squid pole attached to the stump

Radio perched on my pack.

Got on 40 m on 7.090. After a call got VK3AFW Ron quite strong. Worked VK3GTV Col next, then a summit to summit from VK3PF/p Peter on VK3/VE-159. Quite surprising as the summit was in NE Victoria, only about 100 km W of me.

Went on to work

VK5WG Wal
VK3SQ Geoff

After contacting Geoff the squid pole collapsed, twice... Really very windy.

VK3XPT/7 called me, on a beach in VK7 using an old military type portable radio. Audio sounded like a telephone handset... He had some company, worked VK7FOLK Helen and VK7JON Jonathon as well on the same radio.

The VK3ZPF Peter, VK2IO/m Gerard and a faint copy on VK4TJ John.

Went to 20m. Worked ZL1BYZ John, then another summit to summit, with ZL/VK2GPL and ZL1SKL on ZL1/WK-158 Puketutu. Both weak but workable

Worked ZL1TM Andrei, and VK5AYL Sue. Packed up and headed back down. Track log of walk, map from Google Maps. Its around 4.7 Km each way.

FT8DMC Worked Region 1 Award Bronze 30 contacts

Checking in Ultimate AAC award software, found I had qualified for the FT8DMC Worked Region 1 Award, for working 30 stations in the Region 1 area, ie Europe. This was following some good openings into Europe on 17m recently. The award.

European ROS Club Worked 150 Japanese stations on 10m Award

After working a lot of JA stations on 10m FT8 recently found I had qualified for the European ROS Club Worked 150 Japanese stations on 10m Award. Here it is

European ROS Club Worked 50 Australian Stations 10m Award

After working a heap of VK stations on 10m FT8 recently, found I had qualified for the ERC Worked 50 Australian Amateur Radio Stations on 10m award. Here it is