Radio hiking trip

Four members of the Scout Australia, Victorian Branch Scout Radio & Electronics Service Unit will be hiking the French Island National Park southeast of Melbourne and operate the scout callsign VK3SAT for the Keith Roget Memorial National Parks Award.

Peter Fraser VK3ZPF, Hayden McManus VK3FRST, Marcus Berglund VK3TST and Adam Scammell VK3YDF will be on air 0400 UTC on 9 January until 0100 UTC 10 January.

The bands proposed are 80m, 40m, and 20m using wire antennas strung in the low trees on the island.

As the team has to carry everything in backpacks to the camping ground the transceivers are to operate a maximum of 15w PEP and will be powered from small sealed lead acid batteries.

VK3SAT hopes to make many contacts and will be QRV as long as the battery power lasts.

Details of the Keith Roget Memorial National Parks Award can be found on the Amateur Radio Victoria website www.amateurradio.com.au

Jim Linton VK3PC