Revival at Mt. Perganti, where the R2 repeater came back to life and our passion for VHF contesting was reignited
Our return to Mount Perganti brought the legendary R2 repeater back to life and rekindled our enthusiasm for VHF activity during the Field Day weekend.
Mount Perganti is part of the Acarnanian Mountains (Greek: Ακαρνανικά όρη), a rugged limestone range in western Greece that stretches nearly 40 kilometers from Monastiraki near Vonitsa in the north to Astakos in the south, overlooking the Ionian Sea. The range is known for its windswept, barren peaks and for shielding the fertile plains and the city of Agrinio from the harsh weather that blows in from the west. Perganti itself rises to about 1,428 meters (4,685 ft) and stands just north of the range’s highest peak, Psili Koryfi.
The summit of Mount Perganti is more than a scenic viewpoint. It serves as one of western Greece’s most important telecommunications hubs, hosting a dense cluster of broadcast and radio towers that cover the entire Ambracian Gulf region and much of western mainland Greece. From this mountaintop complex, signals reach as far as Agrinio, Preveza, Arta, Lefkada, and even parts of southern Corfu and the Ionian islands. For decades, it has been home to national and regional television transmitters, radio relays, as well as commercial telecommunications and amateur radio installations.
After a long time away, the SZ1A – RAAWG team once again made the climb into these remote mountains.
This time, our goal was to breathe new life into the historic R2 repeater (SV1E).
But the journey did not stop at maintenance.
It evolved into something more, a unique experience where technical work, team spirit, and passion for VHF came together in a memorable amateur radio adventure.
The Mission to Mount Perganti
If there is one thing the SZ1A team does best, it is contesting. We participate, promote, and help spread the spirit of competition. As part of this effort, we maintain and continuously improve our contest station at Red Forest, while also training and mentoring visitors and new members.
But the journey did not stop at maintenance. It evolved into something more, a unique experience where technical work, team spirit, and passion for VHF came together in a memorable amateur radio adventure.
The Historic R2 Repeater of the Acarnanian Mountains
Like most amateur radio clubs in Greece, we also maintain several repeaters, three in total. The most historic of these is without a doubt R2 (SV1E), located high in the Acarnanian Mountains.
The summit of Mount Perganti lies about two hours from Agrinio. It is an alpine landscape with no trees, harsh winters, and an altitude of around 1,500 meters. The Acarnanian range forms a natural barrier, absorbing the bad weather that traditionally comes from Italy and protecting Agrinio from its impact.
Reaching the mountain from the village of Drymos used to be extremely difficult. A 4×4 vehicle was required, and for much of the year even a tractor. As a result, going up for maintenance, let alone for a casual visit, was a challenging task that demanded careful preparation.
From Tractor to SUV – The Road Changed Everything
The wind turbines that have filled our mountains in recent years actually did some good in this case!
An old, rough dirt road that once connected the area from Monastiraki Vonitsas was repaired, improved, and widened significantly.
Now it is possible to reach the top quite easily, even with a regular car!
The only obstacle left is time, since it still takes almost a full day to make the trip.
Preparing the Expedition
With that in mind, we made two trips during 2025. The first was in spring, when we identified the problems with the repeater, and the second took place during Field Day!
We had to replace the antenna, as the feedline used for its matching had suffered significant damage over the years.
We purchased a new array of four folded dipoles that had already proven extremely reliable, having survived for fifteen years on the mountain, and we were ready.
Field Day & VHF Contest – The Idea Is Born
When would we go?, and how would we gather everyone?, since on one hand we needed enough people, but on the other it was not an easy trip to organize.
The summer passed quickly, with everyone spending their weekends by the sea.
That’s when the idea came up, to go on the weekend of Field Day and take part in the 2-meter VHF contest!
We had never operated a contest from up there before, and the idea sounded exciting!
…the idea came up, to go on the weekend of Field Day and take part in the 2-meter VHF contest!
The Ascent to the Mountain
Early on the morning of Saturday, September 6th, 2025, we met at a well-known bakery in the area.
After all, we never go anywhere without food!
A convoy of vehicles set out for Mount Perganti in the Acarnanian Mountains
On the road, the VHF chatter was nonstop!
Most of the team had never been there before, and even those who had didn’t know the new road.
We were impressed!
The wind turbines looked enormous as we approached them, while from a distance they resembled the warriors seen by Don Quixote. We were ready for battle, not with spears and swords, but with antennas!
Setup at 1,500 Meters
The sight of the transmitter building was a major disappointment. Where technicians from the national telecommunications organization “OTE” once lived, maintained equipment and infrastructure, we now found around two to three hundred sheep! Everything was abandoned! Towers, containers, and everything else were in a state of complete disrepair. What a shame…
We, however, got straight to work keeping our mission in mind. Some of us prepared the repeater’s new antenna, others climbed the tower to remove the old one, others set up the shack for the VHF contest, and others assembled the antenna and equipment for the contest.
Grills, tents, and the rest of our “hotel–style amenities” would follow soon after (we do enjoy our comfort after all).
With God and the weather on our side, conditions were perfect. It was almost unbelievable to find the summit calm and dry, with just the right amount of sunshine and a light breeze to make the day feel almost romantic!
The weather was so good that in the afternoon we even saw a couple who had come up to enjoy the sunset!!!
R2 Back on the Air!
And just like that, with everyone’s help, we installed the new antenna for the repeater, and SV1E was once again loud and clear on the air.
The first calls were extremely encouraging:
We received mobile stations from Ioannina, portable stations from Preveza, Arta, and Agrinio, and signal reports from Messinia, Aegina, and Patra!
“Can you believe this?” we shouted, laughing as the reports kept coming in!
Our joy was overwhelming. We felt so fulfilled that most of us actually left!!!
Why?
To test the repeater ourselves, of course, to check our own signals and make sure everything was working perfectly!
The wind turbines looked enormous as we approached them, while from a distance they resembled the warriors seen by Don Quixote. We were ready for battle, not with spears and swords, but with antennas!
The VHF Contest Begins
And so there were five of us left for the contest: SV1DPI, SV1HKH, SV1RRX, SV1RLC, and SV1CQK. We set up our tents, ready and determined to stay overnight.
The weather was perfect!
For the antenna we used a horizontally polarized Cushcraft 13B2, a Kenwood TS2000 running 100 watts, a laptop, and a Microham microkeyer MKII, mainly for the voice keyer (thankfully).
At around 4 p.m. local time we started calling, only to realize that the contest actually began at 5 p.m.
All right, we said, the main goal was different anyway, but we probably should have read the rules a bit more carefully.
At 5 p.m. we started again, and the first QSO was very promising: Croatia!
We expected the first contact to be with Italy, but no. We thought this might turn out better than expected.
In the end, propagation wasn’t in our favor, but the location is still excellent for this kind of operation.
We worked several Italian stations, mostly with a “7” in their callsigns, two Croatian stations, one from Montenegro, and of course several Greek stations from the surrounding areas.
Our return to Mt. Perganti brought the R2 repeater back to life and reignited our passion for VHF contesting.
The Night on the Mountain
As night fell, we started to feel the cold, but the smell of grilled souvlaki on the BBQ soon filled the air.
It didn’t take much to distract us from operating…
We went to sleep with a hint of fear, as the howls of wolves and jackals echoed in the distance!
The Three Musketeers
Early on Sunday morning, two more left, and only the three musketeers remained: SV1CQK, SV1HKH, and SV1RRX.
They kept operating for a while, making a few more QSOs.
Around noon, with five hours of contest time still left, we started packing up, and about an hour later we began our descent.
We made 35 QSOs and enjoyed every one of them.
So much so that we promised to come back again next year!
We made QSOs and enjoyed every one of them.
So much so that we promised to come back again next year!
Reflections and a Promise for the Future
Our return to Mt. Perganti brought the R2 repeater back to life and reignited our passion for VHF contesting. For the record, the operators of SZ1A/p (KM08LT) were Thanasis SV1CQK, Konstantinos SV1DPI, Sotiris SV1RRX, Panagiotis SV1HKH, and Thanasis SV1RLC.
Helping with the installation of the repeater antenna were SV1HKH, SY1DOB, and SV1JMC, who climbed the tower, as well as SV1RLC, SY1EDF, SV1DPI, SV1DPJ, SV1TBW, SV1RRX, SV1TNE, and SV1TBW as ground crew. We were also visited by SV1HKR.
R2 is once again on the air, now with a new antenna and a strong signal covering all of western Greece, the Italian coast, and even farther beyond. Our passion for VHF DXing continues, and we are already looking forward to the next Field Day and another expedition to the mountain.
Our time on Mount Perganti reminded us why we do this.
Beyond the antennas, radios, and QSOs, it is the friendships, the teamwork, and the shared passion that truly keep the spirit of SZ1A alive.
