What started as an experiment between two teenagers in Australia testing the range of their walkie-talkies later grew into a test of CB radios' range in young drivers' cars. The activity, which began formally in 1987, is known as the Mountain Radio Challenge and it is a test of what a radio operator can accomplish using only line-of-sight communications.

This year's challenge is taking place on Saturday the 29th of November. Instead of school kids on beaches, this growing challenge attracts CB radio operators on 27 MHz and amateur radio operators on the ham frequencies, many of whom are also activating SOTA summits.

Tony Lock, the founder and event director, told Newsline in an email that the very challenge that began long ago between him and a schoolmate has since expanded to several groups on hills within his home state of Victoria and has expanded to Tasmania, South Australia and New South Wales.

The objective is to transmit a predetermined relay message in one direction, from one operator to the next, and a responding message back in the reverse direction.

According to the event website, although ham radio operators will not be participating in the message relay itself, their presence on the mountains is still useful because the hams can help with operator coordination and, of course, if there is a need for emergency communications.

For details about participating, see the link the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org