I last participated in the John Moyle Memorial Field Day in 2010. Then I operated from the car park at Mt Donna Buang with a generator and a multi-band vertical. This year my interest in SOTA suggested that a combined Mt St Phillack and JMMFD SOTA activation would be a good idea. Scouting the available hilltops that were 10 point SOTA summits and had a good view of Melbourne for VHF/UHF purposes narrowed the choice considerably. Mt St Phillack fit the bill well apart from the length of hike to get to it (5km). I decided to give it a shot and set about working out what I could squeeze into a backpack to give myself the best shot at a decent score in the contest. Continue reading →