YU/CS-043 Avala - ANZAC day

Avala - YU/CS-043 - 506m 1 point

ANZAC day S2S activation

Avala YU/CS-043

On SOTA reflector a plan was made to try for S2S (summit to summit) contacts between EU and VK, on ANZAC day, Saturday April 25.  Several activators joined, and I decided to join too and operate from my local summit Avala YU/CS-043. Encouraged by the recent long path contact with FK8DD from YU/IS-113, I was hoping that I will work some VK activators on 20m CW with my MTR2.

The S2S event was scheduled to happen between 05:30 and 07:30 UTC (at EU morning and VK sunset). I was a bit late to arrive, and the antenna (quarter wave vertical) was set at 06:30 UTC. After working some already familiar EU chasers, I was called by a loud AC1Z followed shortly by KP4CPC, my first contacts from this part of the world. A bit later, HB9AFH/P called me from HB/AR-006, followed shortly by HB9BIN/P from HB/BE-087. I tuned up and down (bit difficult with the spartan MTR2) and kept an eye on SOTA spots, but could not hear any VK stations, except a very very weak VK3HRA/P - so weak I did not dare calling him. In the meantime, I run into 9H4RH/P on 9H/GO-001 for a new S2S, and was called a bit later by EA2BD/P from EA2/NV-119. Ignacio EA2BD/P had a strong signal, but he caught my eye  by the way he answered my cq: "S2S S2S de EA2BD/P". This is definitely a good method to raise attention while trying to establish a S2S contact, and I will try it myself. Finally, a very weak station answered my cq and it was Allen VK3HRA/P from VK3/VC-024. I could have heard him much better if I had chosen a quieter summit, without commercial antenna towers everywhere. On the other hand, he was not in much better position - plagued by bad weather.

Saturday morning on Avala was glorious, bright and sunny

After some more EU chasers, I called it a day. The total was 23 qsos, 5 S2S.

S2S:

HB9AFH/P HB/AR-006
HB9BIN/P HB/BE-087
9H4RH/P 9H/GO-001
EA2BD/P EA2/NV-119
VK3HRA/P VK3/VC-024