Sunday 21 December 2014

SOTA VK2/ST-044 Bobbara Mountain

Bobbara Mountain, VK2/ST-044 is located near the town of Binalong, to the North West of Yass. Had chased Andrew VK1NAM on it so thought I would check it out.

It is about a 100 km drive from my home in North Canberra. Drove on the Barton Highway to the Hume Highway, heading towards Gundagai. Turned off at Bowning, then on to Burley Griffin Way. Just after leaving the town of Binalong turned off onto Bobbara Road on the right. This is unsealed but fine for 2WD cars. View of Bobbara Mountain from the road. The access road can be seen winding up to the top.


The summit is on private property, however the sign on the gate indicated you can enter at your own risk. Access road to the communications towers.


Started walking along the road, however like Andrew decided could take a short cut up using animal tracks, most likely sheep as this is sheep country. Note that due to the animal dung there are lots of flies on this summit. I used repellent but they kept hovering around me all the time, annoying...At least they were not march flies, only little ones.


Joined back up to the road not far from the towers. Air navigation radar visible spinning away on top.


Walked around and past the tower enclosure to inspect the trig at the Northern end of the summit.


Bobbara Mountain trig. Not much shade...


Name plate on trig, "Bobbara"


Wandered around the Western side of the tower enclosure. Noticed the radar platform, being quite large, cast a good sized shadow, with an old tree stump nearby for squid pole support. Perfect! 


Nice cool operating spot in the shade on the tarp. Got set up by 10:30 local time and spotted myself okay.


Got on 40 m on 7.090, got a massive pileup of chasers after me...Good signals from VK1, VK2 and VK3, the VK5s lots of QSB and low down though. Despite some other activators also out at the time managed to miss most of them, only 1 S2S with David VK2CDS on VK2/HU-013. After UTC changeover Andrew VK1DA/2 came up on nearby Mt Mundoonen VK2/ST-053. Worked him on 40 m and also on the 2 m hand held on the whip, a good copy too on 20 m. Besides Andrew only one other contact on 20 m, Nev VK5WG with a good signal.

As starting to lose my shade with the sun getting higher gave it away at 11:30 local time


Heading back down the road. Mt Bowning, VK2/ST-042 visible, the large hump in the distance to the right of centre.


Heading back down the animal tracks short cut to the car.


Track log of walk. About 1.2 Km each way, with animal tracks short cut.


Track profile, about a 200 m climb.


2 comments:

  1. Took a team in there this afternoon after completing Bowning Hill walk, 27Sep20,
    Russ,
    Organiser, Canberra Meetup Walking Group

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    Replies
    1. Hi Russ. Hope you found this blog handy for your walk. I spoke to someone on the radio on Mt Bowning today. Was around 100 or so that did the walk. Im actually a rather inactive member of your group..must go along to some of them some time.

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