Project 2025: The Island of Cres is more than IOTA

June 7 – June 21, 2025

In 2024 we had a great time on the island of Pag (read more HERE). Over Pentecost, we returned to Croatia, 9A—this time to the beautiful islands of Cres and Lošinj, and the 2025 project: An Island is More Than IOTA launched.

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🏝️ About Cres and Lošinj

The islands of Cres and Lošinj are located in the northern Adriatic, forming part of the Kvarner Gulf in Croatia. Once a single landmass, they are now separated by a narrow canal near the town of Osor, connected by a small swing bridge.

• Cres is wild, quiet, and rugged—famous for its steep cliffs, pristine nature, fallow deers and rare griffon vultures. It’s ideal for hiking, solitude, and of course, SOTA and WWFF activations.

• Lošinj, on the other hand, is livelier and greener, known for its pine forests, wellness tourism, and charming towns like Mali Lošinj and Veli Lošinj. With a slightly more developed infrastructure, it also offers great POTA opportunities and family-friendly beaches.

These islands is a true paradise for any outdoor ham radio operator. With over 35 XOTA references, Cres and Lošinj offer a wealth of opportunities. Since this was a family vacation, I aimed to keep all my radio activities family-friendly. That meant focusing on the XOTA programs I enjoy the most:

• SOTA – 6 main island summits + 1 Plavnik island → ✅ 7 of 7 activated,

• WWFF – 2 nature reserves → ✅ 2 of 2 activated,

• POTA – 10 parks → ⚠️ only 3 of 10 activated.

Cres and Lošinj belong to the Croatia Kvarner Group, IOTA EU-136, and by default include WLOTA:

• Cres, island – IOCA CI-012, WLOTA LH-0553,
• Lošinj, island – IOCA CI-058, WLOTA LH-4295,
• Plavnik, island – IOCA CI-088, WLOTA LH-2344.  

Any additional references were a pleasant bonus for the GMA triathlon. Whenever I could include MOTA, COTA, or LOTA references during my SOTA, WWFF, or POTA activations, I did so.

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🌤️ Conditions & Equipment

The weather was fantastic the entire time! But the propagation conditions were weak and fickle. Nevertheless, even with QRP (4W), I managed 20+ QSOs per SOTA activation.

Learning from my 2024 experience on Pag island, I brought my low power station (running 20-40W) – and it turned out to be a great decision. The low power setup made the activations more enjoyable and effective.

Below is a summary of my activations and adventures, including a few unforgettable moments.

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🏔️ SOTA Activations

June 9 – Velo Gračište (9A/PH-037, 562m)

A light family hike and a short QRP activation on a windy day:
✅ 23 QSOs on 40/20m in 30 minutes. Job as usual. 

After activating Velo Gračište — junior SWLing to weak CW signs. 

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June 10 – Helm (9A/PH-042, 483m)

A spontaneous activation during a day trip to Lubinice with friends and family. I hiked ahead to set up early. At the summit, I was stunned to see a fishing pole with a SOTA flag! Who could it be? To my surprise, it was Frank, DJ2FR! I knew he had been on the island, but I thought he had already left.

After he wrapped up his activation, I plugged my QRP TRX into his antenna and logged ✅ 20 QSOs in 30 minutes. TNX, Frank! We chatted about HAMing, XOTA, islands, etc. and agreed to do a joint activation. 

9A/DD1LD and 9A/DJ2FR on Helm, 9A/PH-042.

Both traveled hundreds of kilometers from home just to meet here by chance! 

It turned out that we also lived in Cres close to each other on the island 😎.

There was a lot to discover on this beautiful family hike. The kids had a lot of fun.

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June 11 – Gorice (9A/PH-034, 648m)

A solo morning activation with ✅ 33 QSOs (mostly on 40m) in 55 minutes.
Afterwards, I cheched Fojiška - Predošcica, 9AFF-0056 in: ✅ 63 QSOs (mostly 20m) in 1¾ hours.
Propagation was so poor, I skipped further radio haming that day😒.

On the way to Gorice. Great view to the south. 

The view from the summit top was nowhere near as good as from here.

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June 12 – Televrina (9A/PH-003, 588m)

The highest peak on Cres, jointly activated with Frank, DJ2FR.
✅ 44 QSOs on 40/30/20/17m in about 1 hour made with QRP.
We even enjoyed a brief early 17m opening. The other bands were also in good shape. 

Great weather, great views, great company. Thanks again, Frank!

It was simply great to do a joint activation of Televrina with Frank, DJ2FR 

and to exchange thoughts about our shared hobby.

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June 14 – Zlostan (9A/PH-047, 428m)

A midday activation in hot weather, with ✅ 26 QSOs in 45 minutes.
Trail and summit were rather uneventful—job as usual.

On the way to Zlostan — take a rest, take a bath 😉😆. 

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June 17 – Grgoščak (9A/PH-058, 241m)

A drive-in activation with the family. ✅ 56 QSOs on 40/20m in just over 1 hour using low power. The family enjoyed the views while I operated. The highlight was an S2S QSO on 2 m with Daniel, 9A/DM1DF, who activated Zlostan, 9A/PH-047.

View from Grgoščak. There was much more going on Lošinj than on Cres island.

These two bays in the background are two of five bays with POTA references, 

an ideal place for bay hopping by bike or boat. May be next time!? 

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June 19 – Krušija (9A/PH-061, 194m) – Real Adventure!

This one was epic. A real adventure! 

Originally, Daniel, DM1DF and I wanted to charter a fishing boat from Merag to Plavnik Island. But due to rough seas, the trip was canceled. Once things calmed down, I decided to make the crossing solo on my stand-up paddleboard (SUP)! 

Why Plavnik? This small uninhabited island between Cres and Krk is known for its secluded coves, wild goats, fallow deers, and dramatic cliffs. It’s remote, pristine, and totally off the tourist radar—making it a dream destination for adventurous ham radio operators (LOTA, IOTA/IOCA) and nature lovers alike. And, it has one SOTA reference — Krušija (9A/PH-061, 194m). This one was my real goal and this one was the hardest one pointer in my life!

The adventure began at noon. The starting point was the lonely beach Plaža Selzine. I hiked 100m down a steep trail to the beach, carried my radio gear in a waterproof bag, and paddled for 1.5 hours to Plavnik to reach Uvala Krušija. From there, I hiked 4 km in scorching heat to reach the summit.

At Uvala Krušija on Plavnik island. That's all I needed for a real ham radio adventure. 

Island of Cres on the horizon in the background. A long and somewhat dangerous journey. 

Despite tough conditions with deep QSB and limited time, I made ✅ 20 QSOs in 30 minutes. The return trip was challenging due to currents between the islands. I reached the beach at 19:30, completely exhausted but incredibly happy. I'm not sure if I want to do it again 😉. 

APRS track of my adventure. 300m in altitude, 10km walking, and 12km paddling.

I'm back safe and sound after an adventure of about 7 hours. 

Plavnik island in the background.

Looking back, I was very lucky with the calm weather window — it turned rough again shortly after.

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🌿 WWFF – 9AFF Activations

June 15 - Mali Bok (9AFF-0057)

The second WWFF activation was at Mali Bok, 9AFF-0057:
✅ 84 QSOs on 20/30/40m in about 2 hours.
Tough propagation conditions. The stunning cliffside location made it a highlight.

My operating spot made my activation. View at Uvala Mali Bok 😍.

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🏖️ POTA Fun on the Beach

Operating POTA on Cres and Lošinj is pure enjoyment. The island of Cres has two references: HR-0085 (Otok Cres Natura 2000) and HR-0026 (Kvarnerski otoci Natura 2000), and neighboring Lošinj offers at least one—HR-0226 .

I ran my station casually, often from the beach. If the bands died, or there were no takers, I’d take a break to swim, paddle, or play with the kids—then return to operating. That’s how POTA is meant to be!

Easy & lazy POTA operating from the beach. 

LP vs. QRP - this is how you can endure the poor propagation conditions.

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📻 Summary

This year’s ham radio activity in 9A was more relaxed and enjoyable. The propagation conditions were tough and changeable, however, there were no total radio blackouts like last year on Pag island (read more HERE). Low power instead of QRP and digital modes made radio haming more effective and dynamic, and more fun!  

CW has always been—and still is—my favorite mode. Operating SSB, especially with QRP, proved to be challenging: propagation conditions were weak and using a microphone on the beach was not always appropriate. So I kept experimenting with FTx, and I was surprised by the strong activity and demand in the digital modes.  

✅ All SOTA and WWFF references were successfully activated.

⚠️ POTA was just for fun—and it was fun! And now I have a reason to come back: 7 POTA references still await!

As mentioned, all the other XOTA references (4x LOTA, 3x IOCA, 2x MOTA, 1x COTA activated) were a nice addition.

All in all: great weather, great time with the family & friends, beautiful nature, solid radio fun — and most importantly: No stress on Cres. 

It doesn't take much to have a real adventure here. Finally, it's up to you — you have to create and conquer your own challenges! Cres is one of those islands you want to return to. And maybe I will, too. POTA bay hopping? IOCA (Islands Of Croatia Award) island hopping? Let's see. 

9A/DD1LD/P QSO Map. Almost all on 40m and 20m witn some rare DX. 

9A/DD1LD/P statistics: CW - 57%, Phone -  11%, Digi -  32%. 

41 DXCC on 20m.

Another Kilo Award from 9A ✅ remains a nice memory. TNX to all chasers!

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TNX for reading — see you on the bands!
73 de Dzianis, DD1LD

Triathlon 2024 is over, running a marathon 2025

2024 was a SOTA year for me. I was very busy with SOTA activities in the Alps trying to reach as many "to-be-deleted" (TBD) summits as possible.  I would even say that I was slightly under pressure to take the last chance and activate as many TBDs as possible. Also, this and other numerous XOTA activations contributed to the achieving the platinum award in the GMA Triathlon. This was the first year I reached the annual Platinum Activator Status. Additionally, I just moved to the MEGA Activator level. It was fun! It was an unique and exciting experience to get there and reach that level, so I'm going to keep going. I wouldn't say it was very difficult, but it required some strategy, dedication and planning. As with any triathlon, there are some disciplines you may enjoy more than others, but you must do them all. Well, sure, I am proud of this achievement 😀💪. Now, I should continue and look forward and set new goals and challenges. So, what's next?

Only six activators reached the platinum status in the GMA Triathlon 2024.  

I was looking for a new challenge for 2025. All SOTA related challenges in the Alps are out of my scope. The glorious SOTA era in SOTA-DL is over, the SOTA-DL association just lost almost half of its references because of P150. Well, I just need to activate a dozen peaks in SOTA-DL to get 300 uniques for my German Alps Challenger Award in Gold. And that's all. It's kind of weird. Almost all XOTA programs try to attract new participants and release as many new references as possible or necessary to keep the program running.  However, SOTA is doing it the other way around, SOTA has basically made no progress for years (apart from the launch of the new associations) and is now even taking a step backwards. It's the same P150 rule with some arbitrary allowance of P100 in some priviledged countries and areas, the same arbitrary and unfair points system and the inconsistency in the association parameters. SOTA points and rankings are meaningless to me, however, it seems that it is still crucial for some competing folks. The SOTA MT simply doesn't care. Me too now. Their rules, their game. So, SOTA is now just for fun for me. Ob Sommer oder Winter, der Berg ruft immer! 

The WWFF just announced the WWFF 2025 Marathon.  Let’s take a look at the rules and review them. 

Awards for Hunters.

• “WWFF Pillar Hunter for working WWFF activators on at least 180 calendar days during the year.”

It looks like I'm still too young for the "WWFF Pillar Hunter Club", whose members are probably pensioners or unemployed OMs without families who can sit in front of the TRX every other day in the middle of the day. I am confused as to where the 180-calendar-days requirement comes from and what the goal is here. For those who will be leading the Top Hunter list, the 180-calendar-days requirement doesn’t play any role, since they will be hunting every day from morning to night and from dusk to down. I don't have this option. And I don't see how this requirement is supposed to encourage new hunters, such as people who work all day like me, families with children, youngsters or newcomers, to take part in the marathon and reach the pillar hunter status. The entry barrier to the "WWFF Pillar Hunter Club" is too high, so like many others I'm not going to join this club. No, no, I'm not sad about it at all, a typical Pillar Hunter is probably a very old man with a lot of free time, I just don’t fit the profile yet 😁. Why not a 44-calendar-days requirement for a basic award then? OK, your rules, your game, I don’t care, I'll just keep hunting occasionally like I always have.

• “For number of WWFF QSOs during the year: 244, 1,044, 2,044, and 3,044.”

Here the same story, I will not have time to chase and accompany the same activator through all the bands in all modes. One QSO is enough to have the park hunted. If I have the chance to work with him twice, I will.

• “For number of DXFF and during the year: 44.“  

Feasible and doable. I'm in. 

• “For number of KFF states/territories + VEFF provinces/territories + VKFF states/territories during the year: 44”.  

Would be difficult from my QTH, but not impossible. I guess it would work fine for POTA rather than for WWFF as there is a lot more going on in POTA across the pond. I 💖 DXing, so let's see how many I can reach! This award is probably intended primarily for hunters in NA.  

Awards for Activators.

• “WWFF Pillar Activator for activating at least one WWFF reference every month.”

This award can easily be achieved by everyone. You just need to activate at least one reference per month. It can be the same park around the corner. Just go there, have fun with your radio, enjoy nature, get some fresh air and collect QSOs. OK, I like it and I’m in 👍👊

• “For number of WWFF QSOs during the year: 244, 1,044, 5,044, and 10,044.”

I’m less interested in the number of QSOs. An award that simply indicates the number of OSOs completed during the year – 244 or 10,044 – does not excite me. I find the Kilo Award (1000 QSOs from one park) more elegant, where you can collect different Kilos from different parks. 

Many parks around the corner were activated several times on 20/40m during the solar minimum. Instead, I want to put more emphasis on high band DXing, reaching as many DXs as possible and giving new ones to DX hunters, especially since the high bands are now in top form. At some point the solar cycle maximum will be over for the next 11 years, and I don't want to miss that. Low bands can wait. High bands also mean far fewer QSOs, but when they are open, very nice DX opportunities. So why not to introduce an award for “the number of DXCC reached during the year: 44 or 88?” Okay, DX will be my own challenge then. DXing is especially fun within POTA as POTA is much more popular around the world. 

Secondly, I want to “GoGreen” as often as possible, at least once a month. It is not the award or the number of QSOs that are important, but above all the outdoor experience and the memory that remains. And an award can be a nice reminder of your outdoor and /P activities. Finally, it’s my run and my fun, isn't it? It’s also about home brewing, trying out new things and optimizing /P-equipment. It is about personal goals and sporting challenges as well as one's own health and inner satisfaction, etc.😀 Ohh, excuse me, I'm getting off topic. Let's move on 😁.

• “For number of confirmed P2P QSOs during the year: 44, 144, and 244.”

I do not actively collect P2P or S2S, but always respond respectfully to any /P callers. With WWFF, the P2P has to be entered manually into the log, which is very annoying. Unfortunatelly, there is no simple cross checking as with POTA.

And what is my final impression? The idea of ​​the marathon is basically good. However, the WWFF seems to make everything overly complicated. Make it simple and people will go for it. The WWFF marathon will certainly provide a boost in activity, but probably among the existing activators and hunters who were already represented in the program and rankings. The "WWFF Hunter Pillar Club" will certainly have many members this year, as radio amateurs in the EU suffer from the problem of aging. The WWFF Pillar Activator Award, which requires one activation per month, can be easily achieved by anyone who is not too lazy 👍. However, I do not see how the actual marathon rules are intended to attract and mobilize new groups of participants. POTA succeeds in doing that. The aim of the marathon is probably to stimulate activity within the WWFF own party 😉, but this is OK. I definitely won't be able to top any marathon rankings because I don't have time for it. However, I will have my fun and my own goals and challenges within the WWFF 2025 Marathon, which provides a solid framework for this.

Then let's run. My personal live score is here:

Short summary for January 2025

My focus in January was mainly on the high bands and DX when operating outdoor POTA/WWFF. The propagation conditions on the high bands were somewhat changeable, but still very good, and I didn't want to miss out on a chance for DX. I got a few nice P2P with NA on 10/15m, the highlight was a P2P QSO with JA on 15 m 👍. The ODX was ZL1. 

DD1LD/P statistics for January 2025. All QSOs @ outdoor XOTA.

 DD1LD/P QSOs map in January 2025. All QSOs @ outdoor XOTA.

Short summary for February 2025

I spent more time on the classic bands - 20/30/40m because of QRP SOTA and WWFF but still with a focus on DX. The ODX was LW2. The propagation on the high bands was good at the beginning of the month and deteriorated towards the end. 

DD1LD/P statistics for February 2025. All QSOs @ outdoor XOTA with QRP and LP.

DD1LD/P QSOs map in February 2025. All QSOs @ outdoor XOTA with QRP and LP.

Short summary for March 2025

The CONDX on high bands were weak in March if compared to January and early Febraury. In general, the propagation was very changeable (K=3-4 and SFI=160 in average) on all bands. So, I spent less time on the high bands and more time on the classic bands 20/30/40m. I just worked whatever the band was open. A couple of the WWFF activations were a bit tough. The ODX was CE3 on 10m in CW. 

DD1LD/P statistics for March 2025. All QSOs @ outdoor XOTA with QRP and LP.

DD1LD/P QSOs map in March 2025. All QSOs @ outdoor XOTA with QRP and LP.

Short summary for April, May and June 2025

Propagation conditions have noticeably deteriorated in April. DX rarely appears in the log, usually on 15m/20m. Due to the weak and changeable conditions, any QRP activation with much deeper QSB became more difficult. May and June are SOTA season for me, so the focus was less on WWFF and more on SOTA. 

DD1LD/P statistics for April 2025. All QSOs @ outdoor XOTA with QRP and LP.

DD1LD/P statistics for May 2025. All QSOs @ outdoor XOTA with QRP and LP.

The main activity in June was in 9A with 1100 QSOs (see HERE). Mainly EU with some rare DX were in the Log. Hard times for /P activations 😒.   

DD1LD/P statistics for June 2025. All QSOs @ outdoor XOTA with QRP and LP.

CU agn es 73 de Dzianis, DD1LD

POTA Activation & High Bands Splash

Sunday, October 28th, 2024.

The Ismaning Reservoir is one of my favorite places, I really enjoy being there. A while ago I applied for a POTA reference for this location and the application was accepted, POTA DE-0798. So, I take my radio with me every now and then.

On Sunday afternoon I had some free time and I did not want to miss these very good propagation conditions with K=2, SFI=248. I fed 10-20W into a Lambda/4 GPA and got a nice high bands splash 💦💪. I took it easy, operated for a while, enjoyed every QSO, chatted with the people walking around, took a little walk with Spartacus and then radioed again until we both got hungry 😁. 

High bands splash from the Ismaning Reservoir, POTA DE-0798. 

CW runs only, no SSB, no contest and no digi modes. 

On October 15th, 2024 representatives from NASA and NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center  announced that the sun has entered its solar maximum period which could continue for another year.  The high bands are now in top shape and you should focus on the high bands instead of operating on the low bands because:

• you can also get nice DX in your log with QRP and mediocre antennas;
• [in this case] POTA is international and very popular across the pond, even more so than in Europe. There are many more chasers there than in Europe who would be happy about a new international POTA one;
• and, finally, a DX pile-up is fun.

Have fun operating on high bands!

73 de Dzianis, DD1LD

Alpine trail running with QRP in October

In October I was lucky enough to enjoy a couple of nice mountain trail runs in lovely weather. The goal was to activate as many SOTA references as possible as quickly as possible, but with as many QSOs as possible 😃. The focus was on the summits that will no longer be valid for SOTA from January 1, 2025. The other references were a nice addition. Here is a brief evaluation and summary of these activations within a radio sporting aspect - how to keep a SOTA activation as short as necessary and log as many QSOs as possible.

Trail running together in the Ammergau Apls was fun. Grosse Klammspitz, DL/AM-112, 1924m. 

 

Boundary conditions: 

• Equipment used: USDX+ TRX with 4W output and 5m long GPA. 
• (Self)Spotting: SOTAwatch only.  
• Propagation conditions: fair and similar in all runs.

Trail Run #1. October 12th, 2024.  Three alpine peaks and altogether five XOTA references were activated by 135 QSOs. Call used DA20XOTA. Two SOTA references expire in 2025. This was an easy mountain run with relatively long operating times. The pile-up on DL/AM-008 on 20m lasted over 30 minutes! In average, 45 QSOs in 39 minutes [1.1 QSO/min] per SOTA summit. Propagation: K=4, SFI=214.

Band changes and afternoon time resulted in a lower run rate. 

E.g. only 5 QSOs were logged on 17m that day. 

Trail Run #2. October 16th, 2024. Four alpine peaks and altogether five XOTA references were activated by 123 QSOs. Call used DD1LD/P. Two SOTA references expire in 2025. This was a nice trail run with fair operating times on two bands. The GMA activation of the famous Brunnenkopf, DA/AM-004 was purely for fun and final relaxation. In average, 38 QSOs in 27 minutes [1.4 QSO/min] per SOTA summit (without DA/AM-004).  Propagation: K=3, SFI=174.

The best runs are usually before midday. I struggled to get a couple of chasers in FM.

Trail Run #3. October 20th, 2024. Five alpine peaks and altogether seven XOTA references were activated by 145 QSOs. Call used DA20XOTA. Four SOTA references expire in 2025. This was a fast trail run with operating times of about 30 minutes per summit. Unfortunately, the repair of my antenna on the Horn, DL/AL-181 took some time, and a short attempt on 10m from here yielded no QSOs.  In average, 31 QSOs in 29 minutes [1.1 QSO/min] per SOTA summit (without DL/AL-181). Propagation: K=2, SFI=163.

The best runs were before midday. High bands took time and were not as productive as 40/30/20m.

In the late afternoon, e.g. when activating AL-181, 40/30m bands were the best option.

Trail Run #4. October 25th, 2024. Three alpine peaks and altogether five XOTA references were activated by 99 QSOs. Call used DD1LD/P. Two SOTA references expire in 2025. This was my best solo SOTA tour 2024 in SOTA DL so far. In average, 33 QSOs in 21 minutes [1.6 QSO/min] per SOTA summit.  K=4, SFI=170.

This was a very long and tough trail run of about 12 hours in total. The first two peaks AL-003, Hochrappenkopf and AL-004, Rappenseekopf were easy to climb, the last one AL-005, Hochgundspitze was a bit tricky and required some high-speed free climbing (a couple of cruxes with difficulty level II). The total distance was 2x9km (bike) + 13km (hike) = 31km with ~2000m ascent.

 

Short runs on 20/40m delivered the best run rate.  After a very long climb I needed some more rest on DL/AL-003. Due to time constraints, I had to keep the activation short on AL-005, which resulted in the best run rate.

Operating spot on the Rappenseekopf, DL/AL-004,  2460m. Hochgundspitze, DL/AL-005 on the left, and Hohes Licht, OE/TI-160 on the right. I only met two other trail runners that day. 

Summary:

• Switching bands and modes takes time. For high-speed activations, single or two bands are sufficient. 20m/40m seems to be a sweet combo in terms of QSO rate and chaser satisfaction level. High bands offer more DX opportunities but are (much) less productive.  If you really want to get it quickly, use just single band and single mode and operate until the pile-up dries up. 
• The midday and late afternoon times are not as productive as the morning hours because there are fewer and fewer EU-chasers available. Therefore, the midday and late afternoon runs on each band should/will be shorter. Too early activation is not good either.
• The operating time of about 30 minutes (or less) per summit seems to me to be a good compromise in terms of QSO rate. It is also enough to give my body some rest and prepare it for the hike to the next summit.
• Shortwave CW is fun 👍. There is not much time for rag chewing, so I usually operate in a contest style at 30 wpm - CALL, RST and TU. 2m FM is mainly used as backup and for APRS beaconing. And, I just don't like local FM as much as CW and DX. 

Therefore for mountain trail runs in the Alps that aim for fast SOTA/GMA activations, a short 20m and/or 40m run for about 20-30 minutes per summit seems to be the optimal choice. Keep in mind that your body needs some rest, so you may want to operate (and have fun 😁) for longer than 20 minutes. The radio equipment should therefore be optimized accordingly, but that is another story. And what are your thoughts and experiences?

Activated summits with 98 alpine points during October trail runs in SOTA-DL.   

See you soon at the next alpine trail run!

73 de Dzianis, DD1LD

Scandic Tour 2024 - Part IV

2024-08-25. Hjelmen, LA/RL-309, 206m, 1 point.  On the to Stavanger on Sunday we had some time for outdoor activities and walked to the Hjelmen, which was right on our way. The short walk is easy and family-friendly, and the views of the fjords are awesome. The weather changed constantly between sun and rain, it felt like every quarter of an hour or so. Of course, it started to rain as soon as I sent my first CQ into the ether 😁. The propagation was like a roller coaster ride, the signals on 17/20m were changing from zero to S9 and then back to S0. In total, 21 QSOs in CW were logged in 25 minutes of operating time.  

The view point on the Hjelmen, LA/RL-309.

2024-08-26. Hirtshals Fyr, ARLHS DEN-017. This was a purely technical activation of the Hirtshals lighthouse for the GMA Triathlon during our family trip to the lighthouse and to the WW2 bunker museum before we began our long journey home. I was lucky to get 7 QRP QSOs in CW on 20m in 10 minutes of calling CQ while the rest of the family enjoyed their breakfast. Overall, it is a really interesting, historical and educational place, a worthwhile spotlight, and where our children had a lot of fun. 

Hirtshals Fyr, ARLHS DEN-017.

2024-08-26. Lysnet, OZ/OZ-008, 131m, 1 point. It was nothing more and nothing less than a quick QRP activation as a stopover on the way home. Lysnet is the ninth highest point in Denmark, I would not describe this hill as interesting or attractive, however, it was another unique for me. There is a OZFF next to the summit, but we didn't have time for it. In less than 20 minutes of operation, 20 QSOs were made on 20m, the reference was successfully activated in CW, and I called it a day. This was the last activation in Scandinavia as we still had a long way home ahead of us.

Short stop and last activation at the the Lysnet hill, OZ/OZ-008. 

Tnx all es 73 de Dzianis, OZ/DD1LD

Scandic Tour 2024 - Part III

2024-08-17. LA/AA-118, Lauvåsknuten, 617m,  2 points.  It was the first activation of this mountain. I started in Tveit and followed the path up to Svartetjønn. The rest of the hike, which I liked the most, was pathless. An experienced hiker will find his way to the top 😉. To give you a direction: you have to cross the saddle between Skjebbettjørn and Orretjønn. What a beautiful and secluded area there! 

View from the summit. There is a small water source at the very top.

View from the summit. 

 Once I got to the top, I had to wait a moment until a short shower had passed. I found a nice, sheltered spot near the summit and was able to get 26 QSOs on 17/20/30 m despite very poor propagation and deep QSB. The weather was stable with some short, very localized rain showers and gusts of wind. I definitely enjoyed the hike and the surroundings more today than operating the radio.

Operating QRP from LA/AA-118, Lauvåsknuten. There is a small cairn on the top. 

2024-08-19. LA/RL-089, Hustveitsåta, 1187m, 4 points. It was a micro adventure through all vegetation layers from 0m ASL to 1187m. It was quite a strenuous hike, the route length was 20 km with too much water, wetness, mud, swamp, wet stones. My feet were completely wet when I reached the summit. I had to take my shoes off twice to cross an ice-cold stream on foot. At the top it was cold and very windy, I put on all the clothes. However, the unpredictable and capricious weather in western Norway was kind to us and meant that we didn't have any rain for quite a while.

 

The propagation was awful, with a lot of QSB. However, it was more than enough for a successful activation - 23 QSOs on 20m in 30 minutes standing behind the stone wall. I haven't tried the other bands, a few QSOs more or less wouldn't have made any difference. Instead, I decided to take a little more time to enjoy and absorb the beauty of the nature.  

I tried to do everything at high speed, since, unfortunately, I started the hike a little late to wait out the morning rain. The neighboring summit Vardanuten, LA/RL-149 would have been possible to hike and activate, but would have taken at least another three hours and I didn't have time because I had to pick up my family in Sauda. Overall, I was very satisfied with the tour. I just like being in fjells, unfortunately it happens too rarely.

On the way to the summit. 

My operating spot on  LA/RL-089, Hustveitsåta. The stone tower protected us from the wind.

View from the summit. 

2024-08-21. LA/RL-126, Tinden, 1564m, 6 points. Probably, it was the most beautiful SOTA tour so far. I was so happy to be able to enjoy the absolute solitude and endless beauty of the Norwegian fjells and mountains for a long while. This tour will remain in my memory for a long time. 

The trail starts at the Bauta (Memorial) Knut Vesthassel and is partially marked. The hike is long but technically easy. However, you need to have very good orientation skills in pathless terrain. The weather was stable without rain. On the way down we were suddenly surprised by the fog, which caused us to lose our way twice. But it wasn't too bad 😏. As soon as we descended below the fog line, we found our way home.

The temperature was slightly above 0°C, so that I didn't have any problems with cold fingers while keying in CW. So I stayed on the summit a little longer than usual. The propagation was poor, like all those days. Nevertheless, 38 QSOs were logged on 17/20m in 45 minutes of operating time with some DX to NA on 17m.

Another six-pointer, LA/RL-128 was very close, but due to family commitments I did not have time for it. And besides, because of the fog in the rough terrain, I wasn't sure. 

For me, there is nothing more beautiful in Norway than hiking through the fells.

On the way to the summit.

In the pathless terrain.

Arrived at LA/RL-126, Tinden, 1564m.

Operating QRP from LA/RL-126, Tinden, 1564m.

View from the summit.

The fog is coming... 

On the way down. 

Tnx all chasers es 73 de Dzianis, LA/DD1LD