100 Grid Squares FT4 Award

Another award from the FT4 Digital Mode Club, for working 100 Grid Squares on FT4.

1375 VKFF Hunter Honour Roll Award

Award for working 1,375 different VKFF parks. Thanks park activators.

100 Prefixes FT4 Award

Another award for working 100 prefixes on FT4, from the FT4DMC. I find not many stations using this mode, with 10m about the most active band.

5 Singapore Stations Award

Another award for working 5 Singapore stations, from the YB6DXC group. Looking on QRZ I have some respect for Singapore ham radio stations, often just using temporary antennas hanging out of windows. The local RF noise level must be high in this packed city. 

5 Central American Stations Award

Another award from the European Ros Club, worked 5 Central American stations.

12 Days of QRZ 2023 Award

Noticed QRZ.COM had their 12 Days of QRZ for 2023 award. I got the award for 2022, a bit of fun working at least one station a day starting 1st December and getting them confirmed in the QRZ.COM logbook. Here is my logbook summary for the award.

And a new award banner on my QRZ.com award entry page

Worked all Japanese call areas FT4 award

Another award from the FT4DMC group. Worked all Japanese call areas, JA0 to JA9 FT4 mode. Think mostly done on 10m. Fairly easy from VK.

1350 VKFF Hunter Honour Roll Award

 Another award, for working 1350 different VKFF parks.

Worked 900 Oceanian stations

Another award for working 900 Oceanian stations. Not surprisingly a lot of VKs, ZLs and YB stations.

 

Worked Caribbean Award Bronze 10 countries

 Another award from FT8DMC, for working 10 countries in the Caribbean.

1500 US stations ERC Award

 Another award from the ERC (European Ros Club) for 1500 US stations on digital modes.

WWFF 644 P2P Award

An award from the WWFF group, for 644 P2P (Park to Park) contacts.

1325 VKFF Hunter Honour Roll Award

Another VKFF Award, for working 1325 different VKFF parks.

2023 VKFF National Bird Week Award

For National Bird Week 16th-22nd October I activated a VK1 park, Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve VKFF-0847 on 18th October. Seemed appropriate as a water bird watching reserve. Award from VK5PAS Paul.

 

WWFF DXFF 10 DXCC entities award

Applied for and received an award for hunting 10 DXCC entities for WWFF. In my case they were

# Reference DX Entity Activator My Callsign Date Band Mode

1 DLFF-0068 EU / DL DL7ACA VK1DI 2012-08-11 20m JT65

2 JAFF-0044 AS / JA JF7RJM/P VK1DI 2023-02-24 10m FT8

3 JTFF-0006 AS / JT JT7A VK1DI 2019-09-08 17m FT8

4 KFF-4966 NA / K (K-UT) K7CAR VK1DI 2021-04-21 15m FT8

5 ONFF-0297 EU / ON OT4V/P (op: ON4VT) VK1DI/P 2015-05-23 20m SSB

6 VKFF-0360 OC / VK (VK-SA) VK5PAS VK1DI/P 2013-05-05 40m SSB

7 VKFF-0576 OC / VK9L VK2BYF/9 VK1DI 2021-04-28 40m SSB

8 VKFF-0392 OC / VK9N VK9N/SM3TLG (op: VK9N/SM3TLG) VK1DI/2 2015-01-06 20m SSB

9 VKFF-0574 OC / VK9W VK9WX VK1DI 2023-04-17 10m SSB

10 ZLFF-0032 OC / ZL ZL4NVW VK1DI 2022-04-15 40m SSB

Bungonia State Conservation Area VKFF-1291

 After activating Pomaderris Nature Reserve continued along Mountain Ash Road, until reaching the small village of Bungonia. There is a road on the left in town, you can't miss it as a sign indicates this is the way to Bungonia National Park. Followed this road, The Lookdown Road to the entrance to Bungonia National Park.

The sign is a bit misleading. Just behind it is Bungonia State Conservation Area, in fact the ranger's residence is in the State Conservation Area, the National Park does not start until past it.

Near the ranger's residence a turn off to Great South Road Fire Trail. This trail is still in the State Conservation Area.

It was locked so unable to drive in, so just carried my gear and table into the nearby scrub.

Operating spot, from Alltrails map. 

Got on 40m. Able to spot myself, lucky as phone coverage is spotty further into the park. Worked the following on 7.144Mhz.

VK3SQ/VK2BD, VK1AO/VK2MET, VK2IO, VK3ZSC, VK3BFX, VK3MCA, VK2NP, VK5HS, VK1RF/VK2MK/VK4CEE, VK2GQR, VK4HNS, VK3AMO, VK2HRX.

As lunch time packed up and headed up to the picnic area at Adams Lookout in Bungonia National Park. Good views.

Pomaderris Nature Reserve VKFF-1985

To the Southeast of Goulburn are a couple of parks I have not activated for WWFF, Pomaderris Nature Reserve VKFF-1985 and Bungonia SCA VKFF-1291. Left Canberra early to beat peak hour traffic, headed up the Federal Hwy, Hume Hwy, then some side roads to get onto Mountain Ash Rd. The first park, Pomaderris Nature Reserve is small. I almost missed a small car park in the reserve at the Western edge of the park. Sign for the park, and a rough track into the reserve, closed to vehicles. 

Set up the squid pole and table on one of the metal posts.

Location, map from Google Maps

Checked VSWR on 40m, not too bad.

View of the shack. The road was close, but not too much traffic.

Shack on the table

I had my 40 Ah battery so could afford to run power at 40w. Able to spot easily here on Telstra network, got going on 7.144. A stream of callers.

VK3VIN, VK3HQ, VK3PF/m, VK4HNS, VK2IO, VK3MCK, VK3DCQ, VK3ZSC, VK2KEV, VK5BJE, VK5NHG, VK3ZGW, VK2EST, VK3SQ/VK2BD, VK1AO/VK2MET, VK3AMO, VK3SO, VK3AHM. VK4NH/VK4DXA.

Another contact with VK3PF, Peter, now on SOTA summit VK3/VE-069 Gibb Range

Tried 20m, got Ray VK4NH/VK4DXA strong, but no others. Packed up and headed for the next park, Bungonia SCA.

15 Alaskan Stations Award

Another award from the FT8 Digital Mode Club, for working 15 Alaskan stations.

1300 VKFF Hunter Honour Roll Award

Have worked a lot of new parks recently, mainly in VK3. Checked Logsearch, found I had qualified for the 1300 parks VKFF Hunter Honour Roll Award. The photo is not labelled however I recognize the view, it is in Dorrigo National Park NSW.

Here is a similar photo I took from the Dorrigo National Park skywalk.

DXCC on 17m Digital Modes Award

After working T22T Tuvalu on 17m FT4 mode had reached DXCC, 100 countries on 17m and applied for the award from the European Ros club. Note this is for all digital modes, JT65, FT8 and recently FT4 modes.

Not far off reaching 100 countries digital mode on other bands too, on 30m 97, 10m have 95 countries.

FT4DMC LDA Long Distance Awards

For something different I have been trying FT4 mode. Have found it not that popular compared to FT8, a pity as it is a nice fast mode for contacts. I have found 10m FT4 about the most popular on 28.180 Mhz, managed to work a lot of USA and JA stations there. After joining the FT4DMC club I managed to qualify for some awards, LDA or Long Distance Awards. A bit of a different award to qualify as it is based on the total Km contacts are away from you, based on their grid squares. USA stations are around 12,000 to 15,000 Km away so added up quickly. First award for 354,759 Km or Triton Award. 

Next 384,400 Km or Moon Award

Last 421,800 Km or IO Award

There are others too that have yet to qualify for.

50 European Countries Award

 Another award from FT8DMC club, worked 50 countries from Europe. A lot of these would be from 17m, which has been great into Europe lately.

1275 VKFF Hunter Honour Roll Award

Lots of new VKFF parks on recently. Latest award for contacting 1275 VKFF parks.

10 Dutch stations award

After a contact into the Netherlands on 17m, qualified for an award for working 10 Dutch stations on FT8 mode. Award from the FT8 Digital Mode Club FT8DMC.

1250 Asia Stations Award

Another award from the European Ros Club, for working 1250 Asia stations on digital modes. Suspect most would be JA stations.

10 Indonesian YB4 Call area Award

Another award from the YB6_DXC group, for working 10 YB4 stations. 

5 South African Stations Award

After some good propagation on 17m recently managed to work South Africa and qualified for the FT8DMC Worked 5 South African stations award. I don't hear much out of Africa so glad it's been open recently.

Spanish EA districts award

After working EA9ACD in Ceuta recently on 17m FT8 found I had worked all the Spanish EA districts, EA1 to EA9, and able to claim an award. From the European Ros Club

EA6 is the Balearic Islands and EA8 the Canary Islands. EA9 is a small area on the Southern side of the Strait of Gibraltar belonging to Spain, counted as DXCC Ceuta & Melilla.

I also got to claim an award for working 30 Spanish Grid Squares

Indonesian 20 YB7 Award

Another award from the YB6_DXC club, for working 20 YB7 prefix stations. Been on the lookout for Indonesian stations, good results on 10m and 15m recently.

Burra Creek Nature Reserve VKFF-1902

Burra Creek Nature Reserve VKFF-1902 has never been activated before for WWFF, so set off to do it. The park is in 3 parts, northern, central and southern sections, I looked at a map and decided the central section would be the nearest to walk to. The closest point is the car park at London Bridge woolshed. London Bridge is a natural rock arch formation over Burra Creek. 

Drove to Queanbeyan and had lunch there. After lunch drove to Googong, then followed Burra Rd, turning off onto London Bridge Rd on the left. Followed this road to the London Bridge woolshed and picnic area. There were signs that the gate in is locked after 5 PM, so need to watch the finish time on this activation. Parked at the London Bridge Woolshed and picnic area. Looked quite nice. Signs for the walks from here.

Took the Queanbeyan River Walk along a fire trail. Burra Creek Nature Reserve visible in the distance.

Got to a turnoff to London Bridge Arch, this old track was closed now. Continued on the fire trail. Reached another turnoff to Gelignite Crossing and London Bridge Arch, took this track.

Reached Gelignite Crossing. The creek, Burra Creek, was low, able to cross using the large rocks on the right and stay dry. An amusing fact, Burra Creek does not flow through Burra Creek reserve...

After crossing the creek reached a track, left to London Bridge, and right, South towards the reserve. Headed South, spotted London Bridge homestead on the other side of the valley.

I took a track up the hill on the left, coming to a gate, with a sign Boundary Trail on the other side. This was in Burra Creek Nature Reserve. Hopped over the gate and used the gate post for squid pole support. On the left side Googong Foreshores Reserve, Burra Creek Reserve on the right.

Looking the other way, sign for Boundary fire trail on the left.

Checked the SWR, a bit high resonance in the 40m band but okay.

Radio against the fence. I sat on my pack, comfy. Able to spot okay on ParksNPeaks.

A bit of a pileup at first. Worked

VK3PF, VK2IO, VK1ARQ,

VK1AO/VK2MET Alan in VKFF-1410 Port Stephens - Great Lakes Marine Park

VK4NH/VK4DXA, VK7ZA, VK3SQ, VK3VIN, VK3ZSC, VK3SG,

A park to park with VK2YAK Gavin in VKFF-1319 Glenrock State Conservation Area

VK2BYN, VK3PI, VK3DCQ, VK7STO, VK7AN, VK2TM, VK3MCK, VK1TTY

Tried 20m, no callers. Was worried about the time so headed back to the car park. The walk was about 2 Km, taking about 30 minutes. Track log of walk, from Alltrails map.