visit to Mt. Sugarloaf lookout grid QF57sc, west of Newcastle - 21st May 2023

 As part of a recent road trip, I did a visit to Mt. Sugarloaf lookout SF57sc, west of Newcastle, home of VK2RNC, to look for a spot for doing 23cm DXing, plus activate VK2RAG and VK2RTZ 23cm repeaters, neither of which I could keyup. I also wanted to know was this site useful for doing WIA VHF/UHF Field Day contests from. Basically, the public carpark at the top, only gives a small window to operate up towards Port Stephens and up the NSW coastline,  any other direction would be useless due to heavy forested trees.

I did a walk up to the lookout, this was a rocky outcrop at the top, quite suitable for VHF and above, operating portable DX, but be aware that lots of tourists walk up to the top lookout, so you can't just consume all the space up there with gear and antennas, but I guess approx 50 sq metres of flat rock at the top surrounded by metal railings, good to strap small temporary antennas to. There is a road to get to the commercial radio site (not NBN3 or ABN sites) leaving about a 50 step ascent to the top lookout,

Grid Square locator is QF57sc and height approx 436m ASL

looking n.w. up the Hunter Valley

looking east to Newcastle/Lake Macquarie

NBN and commercial towers

ABC/ABN rusty tower

Gosford/Sydney between tower and trees

towards Lake Macquarie  and N.Z.

public carpark with Newcastle/Port Stephens in the gap