SOTA Mt Ginini VK1/AC-008

Found I've missed adding this blog entry so a late entry.

A warm day in Canberra so decided to activate Mt Ginini, VK1/.AC-008. At 1760m ASL a good 10c or so cooler. Drove up the Brindabella Road turning off onto the Mount Franklin Road.

Stopped at Bulls Head for lunch. A pleasant picnic spot. Drove up to the Mt Ginini communications site. The water tank is a new addition here.

As wanted to be in the Bimberi Wilderness area for WWFF purposes set up on the New South Wales side of the border, on the other side of the copper log fence. Used a convenient dead tree for squid pole support. As only a short walk to the car used my WWF setup, table, chair and TS480 radio.
Mountain in the background is Mt Gingera VK1/AC-002.

 Radio on the table. A few march flies about so some repellant needed...

Got on 40m. A Park to park with VK2YK/3 Adam activating VKFF-0627 Organ Pipes National Park.

Also worked VK1MA/2 Matt activating VK2/SW-026 Yankee Ned Hill nearby.
Several of the usual chasers in VK2, VK3 and VK7.  Another S2S with VK1MBE/2 Andrew on VK2/ST-036 Spring Hill.

After 17 contacts had a low battery warning, so gave it away and headed home.

SOTA Mt Ginini VK1/AC-008

After riding back from Mt Gingera a fairly easy matter to activate VK1/AC-008 Mt Ginini. Drive up, walk down and up the hill again and then set up.

Looking up to the Air Services site.

Looking down the mountain towards Mt Gingera

Set up the squid pole on one of the copper treated logs. A bit windy but managed to secure it okay. Dipole legs flapped about a bit but stayed up. Shack on the tarp.

Started on 2 m FM. Worked VK1NAM/P Andrew and VK1ATP Paul. Went to 40 m, a large pileup of chasers waiting... 18 contacts overall. 20 m no luck. Headed home.

SOTA Activation Mt Ginini VK1/AC-008

Noticed on SOTAwatch an alert by Dave, VK4OZY for a VK4 summit, as I've only had one VK4 SOTA summit QSO so far decided to chase from Mt Ginini, and escape the summer heat at the same time. Mt Ginini is over 1700m and should be cooler than the 37c day forecast in Canberra.

As I left home the temperature was already approaching 30c mid morning, as I climbed up the Brindabella Road it dropped to around 25c, by Mt Ginini summit was a comfy 23c. Only problem was the wind, very strong.

Set up the squid pole on a copper log as per my last activation. For a bit of comfort set up a tent fly on the ground and sat in the shade of a nearby tree.

Got on 40m. There was a spot for VK4OZY, Dave on 7.095 but nothing heard. Called on 7.090, got a few chasers, then Peter, VK3PF came up on VK3/VE-189, Mt Baranduda for a S2S. Went on to work chasers again after the UTC rollover. After one contact the squid pole fell over in a wind gust. Had to go clear and fix it with another bungy cord and a rock at the base.

Saw Peter VK3PF QSY to 30m. The night before had quickly measured up a 30m dipole, hooked this up. SWR not perfect but good enough to operate. Had a weak signal contact with Peter, my first SOTA contact on this band! Later on saw Dave VK4OZY had gone to 20m. Hooked up the 20m dipole but it showed high VSWR, so could only listen. Heard Dave and Peter on 20m but no contact.

Headed back down after noon as getting warm even up here...

SOTA Activation Mt Ginini 1760m

After doing the Mt Gingera summit drove part of the way to Mt Ginini Summit. Got to the top around 3:30pm

This is the site of VK1RGI, the major 2m repeater in the ACT along with air navigation and a heap of other services. There was a grassy area just down from the summit with copper logs. The mountain in the background is Mt Gingera which I just climbed.

 set up the squid up on one of the copper logs supports and ran the dipole out to a couple of trees.

Set up the FT817 in the grass nearby. Tried 2m ht, heard Andrew VK1NAM, but couldn't read him well, probably overload from the nearby radios.

No problems on 40m though. Worked 17 stations in VK1/VK2/VK3. Worked John, VK2YW in Wagga Wagga. Later on we tried a contact on 2m FM, no go, so tried SSB. Could weakly hear each other : ) This on an FT817 rubber ducky whip and 5W!

Thought might have got rained on but a false alarm. Nice and cool at altitude...Packed up around 5pm, drove home.