1000 US Stations Award

Been good conditions from VK to US recently. Picked up a new award for working 1000 US stations.

500 ERC Members Award

 Award for working 500 members of the European ROS Club (ERC).

Statistics for 2022

 Time to look back at 2022 on the radio, statistically speaking.

A plot of QSOs per band. 

I mostly have QSOs on 40m. Lots of these would involve portable park hunting and activating.

Next is 10m, my favorite band. You can see it does go quiet in the winter from June to August each year.

The 30m band is next most popular, mainly because it is open some mornings to Europe. I quite like 30m.

The other bands dont get used much.

Countries per band

I have 127 countries total, which continues a slow upwards trend. The 30m band with 93 countries had overtaken 17m as the best band for DXCC. The 10m band, with a few false starts is climbing up nicely with the total now at 79

US States per band

Have 50 US states on 40m and 10m now. Only a couple more needed on 17m with 48. US stations seem rare on the other bands.

Continents per band

No surprise here, the most popular is OC, Oceania my home continent. NA or North America is mostly on 10m, so is seasonal. Asia is there almost all the time but does get a kick when 10m opens and the JAs find me. Europe comes and goes with the seasons too. Africa and South America are quite rare here in Australia.

SOTA Isaacs Ridge VK1/AC-041

For the annual SOTA end of year UTC rollover event decided to activate a summit also in a park, Isaacs Ridge VK1/AC-041, also Isaacs Ridge Nature Reserve VKFF-0845. As per other activations parked off Long Gully Rd in Isaacs.

After 15 minutes and a short steep climb reached the activation spot. A trig South of the Southern transmitter tower. A bit more open now compared to other years, some of the nearby pines cut down. The sign is for a mountain bike trail, one runs close to the trig.

As 10:30am only had a half hour before UTC rollover at 11am local time. Set up the 2m Jpole only on the squid pole.

Checked the antenna with the 230 stick analyser. A bit low in resonant frequency but so broad did not really matter.

FT857D on a rock near the trig. Ran 40w on 2m FM

Started by working some summit to summits

VK1MCW Bill on VK1/AC-002 Mt Gingera

VK1AD/2 Andrew on VK2/ST-010 Mt Foxlow

A special call for the VK1 10-year SOTA anniversary, in February, 

VI10SOTA Wade on VK1/AC-040 Mt Ainslie

There were a couple of stations I could not hear that others were working, an unknown call on VK2/ST-053 Mt Mundoonen and VK2ZRK Andrew on VK2/SM-052 Bald Mountain. Andrew was almost workable, just too noisy to read. Looking on a map later had the Tinderries range in the way.

Also worked a couple of local chasers, VK1MT and VK1KCM, both very strong.

After UTC rollover worked again

VK1AD/2 Andrew on VK2/ST-010 Mt Foxlow

VI10SOTA Wade on VK1/AC-040 Mt Ainslie

VK1MCW Bill on VK1/AC-002 Mt Gingera

Put up the linked dipole and got on 40m. Conditions quite good for short hop contacts. Worked

VK3ZPF Peter on VK3/VN-001 Mt Torbreck

VK3TKK Peter on VK3/VC-014 Mt Disappointment

VK2EG Bob on VK2/HU-024

Spotted myself and worked VK3AT, then

VK3AFW Ron on  VK3/VT-057 Mt Fatigue

VK2ASD Maritime mobile on Sydney harbour.

VK3BCM Brian on VK3/VT-046 Mt Tassie

VK2HRX Compton on VK2/IL-003 Mount Wanganderry

VK3BEL, VK4FW/VK8MM

VK3ARR Andrew and VK3ARH Allen on VK3/VT-030 Mt Lookout

VK2ZRK Andrew on VK2/SM-052 Bald Mountain, able to hear him on 40m.

VK2PET, VK3FAR, VK2DIF, VK2DHN, VK3VIN, VK3KIM

A park to park with VK3GJG Garrick in VKFF-0269 Kosciuszko National Park

VK2VH/VK4AAC, VK3KR.

The cloud which had made the morning cool and comfy had cleared, with the sun out started to get warm. Packed up at noon and headed to nearby Mawson for lunch at a cafe.