Sota Activations – New Years 2015.

Sota rules allow one summit activation (for the activator points) per calendar year, and the program runs to UTC time. In Australia we are lucky that we are 10(11)hrs in front of the UTC date line, our new years eve change over is 11am normal people time!

SO.. I lined up the family for the fun of sitting on a march fly infested hilltop on a hot day for 3+hrs while I played radio, and they decided to go for a bike ride and swim in the river at the campsite instead and let me deal with the mountains.

I set off from our campsite at around 9am after breakfast and coffee and headed to the nearest sota summit to where we were staying VK2/SM-053. This is an unnamed summit on what appears to be private property above the Crackenback valley, I had activated this summit new years day 2014 and was concerned that maybe it was private, however Rod, VK2TWR knows the owner, who is developing the hill as a housing estate, and is happy for our activations. A small amount of ground works/excavations has happened over the last 12 months, but essentially its the same as it was last year.

As you head up the road, take the sharp road to the right almost at the top, the road you are on continues into what is essentially a dead end now (the old road has been blocked at the far end, replaced by the new more “sellable” main road!

I parked near where I planned to activate and grabbed my gear, realising I had left the spare LOGBOOK sheets safely at the campsite – bugger!. Thankfully with the kids in the car packed for a road trip they have lots of colouring and activity books, and I found suitable book and ruler to make my own log sheets up. I then walked back down the hill, until out of the zone, then back into the one and set myself up on a work, using a tree stump to mount the antenna pole.

I had left a 2m/70cm HT back with Chrisitne, vk3fcek, and was able to work her on pre and post new years for her chaser points on fm (being in the next valley below the summit camping) as my first contact.

I was ready to go before 10am.

The march flies were out in force as i sat down and tuned to 40m. With so many people out on summits, i spent the first 15 mins working other summits before I found a clear spot and called CQ, the pre NY effort saw 37 contacts with 16 S2S contacts for 87 S2S points.

IMG_4875 IMG_4874 IMG_4881 IMG_4882

The post new years effort followed a similar routine, chase some other summits then find a clear spot and call CQ for a bit until all the current chasers had been worked before moving back to chasing other summits and repeating the process. Post the change over I tried 6m SSB without luck (could hear the others who could not hear me, need to add that 6m leg to the link dipole! Before giving 20m a try and successfully working some VK6’s both on a summit and some chasers!

The pace was pretty frenetic at times, with 3 contacts a minuet at one point, great to see so much activity, including new activators and chasers as well as the regular crowd.

The post NY activation saw 49 contacts with 24 S2S contacts and 124 S2S points. By around 12:30 local I had exhausted all the chasers and other S2S operators and packed up working christen on FM telling her I was done and headed back down the hill.

A quick stop in Jindabyne for a cool drink and I continued to another easy access summit south of Jindabyne, VK2/SM-065 Box Ridge.

I’d operated VK2/SM-065 Box ridge earlier in the week with Christine and the kids, but this time was alone. I drove along the access road but didn’t meet anyone as Ian VK1DI had the previous day.

I parked near the cross road and walked down the left track outside the zone and back up to my tree stump id used the other day and setup the dipole. The operating procedure was similar to earlier in the day, with lots of people on summits and many on different summits, i chased S2S contacts for a bit before finding a clear spot and working chasers before hunting again, once again running 20m at the end of the activation to give the vk6’s and other distant stations some points. I tried 6m again but with little luck again, on to that 6m link dipole!.

IMG_4885 IMG_4884

This activation saw 45 contacts and 21 S2S contacts and 113 S2S points.

I packed up and was back at the campsite around 5pm, in time to light the BBQ and cook dinner,. (though slightly exhausted, even though I hadn’t done any long walk in activations) all that talking (and concentrating) had really taken it out of me

All up, 135 contacts, 10 Andrew to Andrew Contacts, 61 S2S contacts and 324 S2S / Chaser points in 4 ½hrs of activations and 8hrs of sota’ing. Thanks to everyone who helped make the day a success, the other activators and the chasers, without your efforts, the activity would be pointless! Bring on New Years 2015/2016.

A final note, i had always manually entered logs via the sotadata website, but with SO many to enter, sat down with excel and created a .CSV file to upload the log file following the guide HERE the first log had some errors I corrected, but the 2nd and 3rd logs were fine. Once i re-read the instructors and discovered they needed to be in time order! (my log isn’t always written in time order!) Somehitng to use in to the future.

Date:31/Dec/2014 Summit:VK2/SM-053 (VK2/SM-053) Call Used:VK3BQ Points: 0 Bonus: 0

Time Call Band Mode Notes
22:30z VK3FCEK 144MHz FM
22:57z VK3MRG 7MHz SSB THANKS MARSHALL
22:59z VK3ANL 7MHz SSB THANKS NICK
23:00z VK3ARR 7MHz SSB THANKS ANDREW
23:01z VK3YY 7MHz SSB THANKS GLENN
23:03z VK3EK 7MHz SSB THANKS ROBBIE
23:04z VK5IS 7MHz SSB
23:06z VK3TKK 7MHz SSB
23:06z VK3CAT 7MHz SSB THANKS TONY
23:07z VK2YW 7MHz SSB
23:08z VK5FTRG 7MHz SSB
23:09z VK3TCX 7MHz SSB
23:10z VK2LEE 7MHz SSB
23:10z VK2IO 7MHz SSB THANKS
23:11z VK3PF 7MHz SSB THANKS PETER
23:11z VK3FPSR 7MHz SSB
23:11z VK3DAC 7MHz SSB
23:12z VK3MTB 7MHz SSB
23:13z VK3AV 7MHz SSB
23:14z VK2IB 7MHz SSB THANKS
23:15z VK3AWG 7MHz SSB
23:17z VK3HAD 7MHz SSB
23:18z VK3WE 7MHz SSB
23:18z VK3CCJ 7MHz SSB
23:22z VK5PAS 7MHz SSB THANKS PAUL
23:24z VK7TW 7MHz SSB THANKS
23:24z VK1DI 7MHz SSB THANKS IAN
23:32z VK5FTRG 7MHz SSB
23:33z VK5EE 7MHz SSB
23:34z VK1MA 7MHz SSB THANKS MATT
23:42z VK5FO 7MHz SSB THANKS
23:45z VK1NAM 7MHz SSB THANKS ANDREW
23:46z VK1DA 7MHz SSB THANKS ANDREW
23:55z VK2AWD 7MHz SSB
23:56z VK2ZRD 7MHz SSB
23:57z VK2YK 7MHz SSB
23:59z VK3LED 7MHz SSB

 Date:01/Jan/2015 Summit:VK2/SM-053 (VK2/SM-053) Call Used:VK3BQ Points: 8 Bonus: 0

Time Call Band Mode Notes
00:02z VK3LED 7MHz SSB Thanks
00:03z VK3MRG 7MHz SSB THANKS MARSHALL
00:04z VK3EQ 7MHz SSB THANKS
00:06z VK3YY 7MHz SSB THANKS GLENN
00:08z VK5PAS 7MHz SSB THANKS PAUL
00:11z VK3MCD 7MHz SSB THANKS BRIAN
00:12z VK2QR 7MHz SSB THANKS ROBBIE
00:13z VK1EM 7MHz SSB THANKS
00:14z VK1MA 7MHz SSB THANKS MATT
00:15z VK3ARR 7MHz SSB THANKS ANDREW
00:16z VK2MWP 7MHz SSB THANKS ANDREW
00:16z VK3FPSR 7MHz SSB THANKS PETER
00:17z VK3WE 7MHz SSB THANKS
00:17z VK3DAC 7MHz SSB THANKS
00:17z VK3PF 7MHz SSB THANKS PETER
00:18z VK1NAM 7MHz SSB THANKS ANDREW
00:18z VK1DA 7MHz SSB THANKS ANDREW
00:19z VK3FQSO 7MHz SSB THANKS AMANDA
00:20z VK5IS 7MHz SSB THANKS
00:20z VK3ANL 7MHz SSB THANKS NICK
00:21z VK3HRA 7MHz SSB THANKS
00:21z VK3FTRG 7MHz SSB THANKS TOM
00:22z VK3EK 7MHz SSB THANKS ROBBIE
00:22z VK3JM 7MHz SSB THANKS
00:23z VK3TCX 7MHz SSB THANKS
00:24z VK1ATP 7MHz SSB THANKS
00:25z VK3CTM 7MHz SSB THANKS
00:26z VK2HRX 7MHz SSB THANKS
00:26z VK2CCJ 7MHz SSB THANKS
00:27z VK2CDS 7MHz SSB THANKS DAVID
00:28z VK5EE 7MHz SSB THANKS
00:33z VK7TW 7MHz SSB THANKS
00:40z VK3HAD 7MHz SSB THANKS ADAM
00:45z VK2IO 7MHz SSB THANKS
00:51z VK3AS 7MHz SSB THANKS ANDREW
00:56z VK2YW 7MHz SSB THANKS JOHN
00:57z VK2YK 7MHz SSB THANKS
00:57z VK3ZZS 7MHz SSB THANKS COLIN
00:59z VK3AV 7MHz SSB THANKS BERNARD
01:00z VK3BHR 7MHz SSB THANKS PHIL
01:01z VK2NNN 7MHz SSB THANKS
01:02z VK7JGD 7MHz SSB THANKS GARY
01:11z VK6QS 14MHz SSB THANKS
01:13z VK5PAS 14MHz SSB THANKS PAUL
01:15z VK3FCEK 144MHz FM THANKS CHRISTINE
01:19z VK6NU 14MHz SSB THANKS
01:22z VK5FO 14MHz SSB THANKS
01:23z VK6NI 14MHz SSB THANKS
01:25z VK7LTD 14MHz SSB THANKS TONY

Date:01/Jan/2015 Summit:VK2/SM-065 (Box Ridge) Call Used:VK3BQ Points: 8 Bonus: 0

Time Call Band Mode Notes
03:03z VK2TWR 7MHz SSB THANKS ROD
03:07z VK3YY 7MHz SSB THANKS GLENN
03:08z VK3ETC 7MHz SSB THANKS ETHAN
03:09z VK1DI 7MHz SSB THANKS IAN
03:10z VK3BHR 7MHz SSB THANKS
03:11z VK3EK 7MHz SSB THANKS
03:12z VK2IB 7MHz SSB THANKS
03:12z VK3TCX 7MHz SSB THANKS
03:13z VK2IO 7MHz SSB THANKS
03:14z VK3FPSR 7MHz SSB THANKS PETER
03:15z VK1DR 7MHz SSB THANKS JAMES
03:16z VK2YW 7MHz SSB THANKS JOHN
03:17z VK3CAT 7MHz SSB THANKS TONY
03:18z VK3HRA 7MHz SSB THANKS ALLAN
03:18z VK5IS 7MHz SSB THANKS
03:18z VK3AWG 7MHz SSB THANKS CHRIS
03:19z VK1MA 7MHz SSB THANKS MATT
03:20z VK3IL 7MHz SSB THANKS DAVID
03:20z VK3PF 7MHz SSB THANKS PETER
03:21z VK3ANL 7MHz SSB THANKS NICK
03:22z VK3JP 7MHz SSB THANKS
03:23z VK2ZPF 7MHz SSB THANKS PETER
03:23z VK7TW 7MHz SSB THANKS
03:24z VK7LTD 7MHz SSB THANKS TONY
03:30z VK3BLE 7MHz SSB THANKS
03:32z VK3CRG 7MHz SSB THANKS CRAIG
03:32z VK2EXA 7MHz SSB THANKS GREG
03:34z VK3WAR 7MHz SSB THANKS CRAIG
03:35z VK2CPR 7MHz SSB THANKS PHIL
03:36z VK3AV 7MHz SSB THANKS BERNARD
03:37z VK5LY 7MHz SSB THANKS
03:43z VK3MTB 7MHz SSB THANKS TIM
03:44z VK3FOWL 7MHz SSB THANKS JILIE
03:44z VK3YSP 7MHz SSB THANKS JOE
03:46z VK2CPR 7MHz SSB THANKS PHIL
03:50z VK7FREU 7MHz SSB THANKS
04:01z VK3FBAC 7MHz SSB THANKS
04:02z VK3XBC 7MHz SSB THANKS DUNCAN
04:03z VK5BJE 7MHz SSB THANKS JOHN
04:04z VK3UH 7MHz SSB THANKS KEN
04:16z VK6NI 14MHz SSB THANKS
04:23z VK1NAM 7MHz SSB THANKS ANDREW
04:23z VK1DA 7MHz SSB THANKS ANDREW
04:28z VK2QR 7MHz SSB THANKS ROBBIE
04:29z VK3MCD 7MHz SSB THANKS BRIAN

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