After a week of teaching I had a SOTA Saturday where I had arranged in advance to visit 2 summits in Central Hawkes Bay. This, the first of the two summits, is actually ham land. ZL2GR Gerard owns a farm near Omakere in Central Hawkes Bay that just happens to contain a summit. With some pre-warning, Gerard was able to take me up his summit, unnamed ZL1/HB-131 in his side – by – side ATV.
Gerard had kitted out a the summit with caravan and some poles for masts when he used to use it for field day activities. This has dried up a bit but the site has excellent take off for VHF DX.
We swung the dipole between t masts and got the centre supported up on a third mast. Plenty of height, shame the bands werent really awake, or is it the hams that werent awake? Even so we managed 6 contacts. 2 on 5 MHz and 4 on 7 MHz. Back in the ATV and down for lunch at Gerard and Netty’s place before setting off to Omakere.
Details
Summit – ZL1/HB-131
Height –398 m (height gain of 200 m)
Access – 1937 Pourere Road, Waipawa
Nominal time to summit – About a 40 minute drive from Hastings.
Mobile and internet coverage from the summit – OK on Vodafone.
Repeater coverage – 670 is S9.
Summit Marker – Caravan and poles.
Land Access Permission – Summit is owned by Gerard ZL2GR. Make contact with him before accessing.