YOTA Austria 2026 – Day 1
After arriving safely in Salzburg in Austria on Saturday, the RSGB team – Tom, M1TJM; Milo, M9ILO; Filip, M7SZW; and Henry, M0KUQ – made our way to Wagrain for the start of the YOTA Summer Camp 2026. It didn’t take long before we were meeting participants from across Europe and beyond, and by the end of the evening we’d already made plenty of new friends. The atmosphere was incredibly welcoming, and everyone was excited for the week ahead.
Our first full day began with antenna-building workshops. During the morning, we constructed an end-fed half-wave (EFHW) antenna covering bands down to 80m. From winding the unun and soldering the capacitor to carefully winding the antenna wire without creating a tangled mess, it was a fantastic hands-on experience. For several of us, it was the first time building this type of antenna from scratch, making it even more rewarding.
In the afternoon, we built tape measure UHF antennas, based on a design by Harm, DK4HAA. The workshop involved carefully measuring and assembling the various elements before making our own BNC-terminated coaxial leads. Soldering the BNC connectors certainly tested our patience, with Milo finally managing to solder the centre pin after several determined attempts—a moment worthy of celebration! Both workshops were excellent and really helped develop our practical construction skills.
Later in the day, the RSGB Team had the opportunity to operate special event station OE2YOTA on 20m. The station was quiet at the time, as most participants were enjoying tea, which gave us a good opportunity to get on the air. Using a 1kW station for the first time was a memorable experience, and it was especially satisfying to work several stations back in the UK. Tom made 17 contacts, sharing news of the YOTA camp and the RSGB with operators across Europe. One particularly memorable QSO was with John, G3RXA, whose friendly voice over the air brought a little piece of home to the Austrian mountains.
The evening concluded with the ever-popular Intercultural Evening. The British table proved to be a huge success, with Yorkshire Tea, biscuits and Welsh cakes disappearing quickly. Many participants even asked if they could take tea bags home with them, which was great to see!
Another highlight of the day was meeting Hans Summers, G0UPL, founder of QRP Labs, who is providing every participant with a QMX transceiver kit to build during the week. With activities including an ice cave visit and a Summits on the Air activation still to come, we’re all looking forward to an exciting week ahead.
73 from all of us in Wagrain! Hope to catch you on the air soon.
Category: Your stories
