2/3/2025 - ZL1/WK-158 Puketutu

After a busy couple of weeks at work, and Jock White Memorial Field Day the previous weekend, I was keen to have a "John weekend" this weekend, where I could do whatever I felt like without needing to be anywhere at a particular time - or see anyone, quite frankly! A weekend for introverting, if you will.

I decided that it was high time I did some SOTA, and on HF at that. I was also tempted to try out the xOTA End-Fed Half Wave PCB that Matt ZL1LZ gave me (designed by DG1JAN), so I resolved to solder some wire on it and give it a go. I added the right amount of wire to get me onto the 40m band.

I also wanted to try the deployment technique of using a rock with a rope attached to it, and throwing it over a branch to get the antenna up high and into an inverted V shape.

A quick trip to Bunnings to get the rope and some extra tent pegs, my new deployment apparatus was ready to go.

Once I got up to the AZ, I was treated with beautiful views - of both scenery and radio towers! Lots of radio towers! (What is the plural of radio towers? A farm of radio towers? A sentinel of radio towers?.....) The sun was shining, beautiful warm weather and I found myself a wee spot in the shade to setup camp.

My antenna deployment was successful so I think I will keep that apparatus in my arsenal.

The rope with (camo'd) rock attached at the bottom deployment apparatus + tent peg.

DG1JAN xOTA EFHW antenna donated by Matt ZL1LZ who did the build.

Once setup I checked my SWR which was terrible so immediately got the tuner onto it. I will have to do some testing/adjustments on the wire to see if I can make it better natively. In the meantime, the tuner got me into a good space.

Almost as soon as I tuned into 7.090 MHz I heard some people chatting and Soren ZL1SKL popped up doing SOTA at a summit up north. I knew he was going to be there so that was a good test. I followed him to 7.085 MHz and got my first contact - S2S at ZL1/AK-005 Tamahunga

I left him to it on 7.085 and I staked a claim on the free 7.100 MHz.

Once I sent out my spot they started coming throw nice and steadily:

• ZL1TZP Steve (Pukekohe) came up first on this frequency

• ZL3QR Geoff (Rangiora - just north of Christchurch)

• ZL1UTH Trevor was doing a POTA up in the Far North (NZ-0424) so was great to get some Summit 2 Park action

• ZL3JD Phil popped up next

• ZL3RIK Rick in Christchurch

• ZL1ALF and ZL2NMW were two more POTA people - NZ-0390 which appears to be in the Kaikoura Ranges

• ZL2STR Stewart (Nelson)

• ZL2SEA Nigel in the Far North

• ZL3ABY - Kevin appears to be in Christchurch but I think we was listening to me via the Rotorua KiwiSDR

Then I did a couple of 2m contacts at 146.500 MHz

• ZL1SKL Soren

• ZL1KB Scott

• ZL1ACK Rob

Soren and I also got a contact on 20m on 14.310 MHz

All in all, I had a great day doing SOTA and really enjoyed Puketutu. I'm glad the EFHW worked (and I think I can make it better), and I even did some Geocaching on the way home!

My wee campsite

Impressive tower!

Another radio site

Beautiful views looking south