SOTA Pheasant Hill VK1/AC-021

With a nice sunny day and no wind decided to revisit another VK1 summit, Pheasant Hill VK1/AC-021.

As per previous activations drove down Boboyan Road, stopping at Brayshaws hut and walked cross country to the summit.

The walk took almost an hour. Got to the top and found my usual log in the full sun, a bit too warm to operate from.

So instead set up the squid pole on a nearby wattle sapling, and ran the coax out to the shack in the shade of the trees.

SOTA shack on the tarp. Did have to relocate later as the sun moved.

Got on 40 m. As only a few minutes left before UTC rollover managed only one S2S contact with Tony VK1VIC/2 on VK2/SM-059 Big Badja.

After new UTC day worked further S2S contacts with Peter VK3PF/P on VK3/VE-105, Andrew VK1AD/P on VK1/AC-037 Mt Taylor, Allen VK3HRA/P on VK3/VT-059 and Gerard VK2IO/P on VK2/CT-056 Mt Solitary. Plus plenty of chasers from VK1, VK2, VK3 and VK7.

Lowered the squid pole and added the 10/6 m dipole.

Got on 10 m. Worked Nev VK5WG, who could not copy me at all on 40 m. Also Rick VK4RF/VK4HA, and an S2S with Andrew VK1AD/P on Mt Taylor. Also worked Rod VK2TWR from Nimmitabel to the South of me.

Tried changing the links to 20 m. Got Paul VK2KTT in Coffs Harbour, Paul VK5PAS in Adelaide and Brett VK2VW in Northern NSW.

Had lunch and waited for Adan VK1FJAW/2 to come up on 10 m from VK2/SW-027 Mt Tumorama. I heard him very weak, a 4 by 1 report, he was struggling to hear me with a 3 by 1 signal. He was 87 Km away but probably some mountains in the way. I found by rotating the dipole a bit I could copy him a little better.

Headed back down and drove home. The temperature at home was around 30 c, a lot warmer than the summit was at 1400 m...