SOTA Mount Taylor VK1/AC-037

After activating Tuggeranong Hill decided to do another 1 point summit on the way home, Mount Taylor. Drove to the car park at the end of Waldock Street and started walking.

Joined the Summit trail to the top

Good view to the North to Woden from the ridge lower down

Reached the top after about a 15 minute walk. As per my last activation avoided the crowded trig and set up the shack in the shade of some trees on the Western side of the summit, not far from a communications tower.

Another view of the setup from the other direction.

Shack on the tarp in the shade of the tree

Got on 40 m. Some good signals from VK1, VK2, VK3 chasers. Usual contact with Rick VK4RF/VK4HA. As was getting warm probably close to 30 c packed up after only 13 contacts.

The summit is in a Canberra Nature Park, WWFF reference VKFF-0854. So will need to return to get it qualified with the 44 contacts needed for WWFF.

SOTA Tuggeranong Hill VK1/AC-038

Time for another visit to one of the Canberra local summits, Tuggeranong Hill VK1/AC-038. As per other activations parked in the lane off Callister Cres in Theodore and started walking.

Note Tuggeranong Hill is in a Canberra Nature Park, VKFF-0863. Usual steep climb up the road to a small hill before the main summit

Got to the trig. Noticed a small wattle tree behind it, looked like a nice shady spot to operate under.

Set up the squid pole on the tree, and was promptly attacked by dozens of small black ants, some biting me on the arms :( Very quickly secured the squid pole, flicking ants off me, and set up the shack on the tarp. The ants didn't spread as far as the tarp, seemed intent on just defending their tree...

Shack on the tarp. Nice and cool in the shade.

Got on 40 m. Good signals from chasers in VK1, VK2, VK3, VK4 and VK5. A S2S with Gerard VK2IO/P on VK2/HU-054.

After contacts dried up to 40 m switched to the 10 m dipole. Band was well open to VK4 on Summer Sporadic-E, also worked Steve VK7CW, and a nice opening to VK3. Initially to Western Victoria such as to VK3DAI and VK3PMG, then closer in to Melbourne with VK3CAT Tony and VK3AFW Ron. Tony reported I appeared out of nowhere as the band opened up...didn't stay open for long though.

A few more VK4s, including my usual 10m Summer contact Ross VK4CQ, his usual 59+ signal...

Starting to get warm so packed up and had lunch at the nearby Conder shops. 59 contacts so qualified the park for the WWFF award, which requires 44 contacts.

WWFF 10 Park to Park Award

Noticed on the World Wide Flora and Fauna Blog  the announcement of a new "Park-to-Park" Award, initially for 10 Park to Park contacts.

A check on the WWFF logsearch website showed that I had qualified with more than 10 contacts

Count	Reference	DXCC	Activator	Chaser	Date	Band	Mode
WWFF P2P References
1	VKFF-0032 (from VKFF-0855)	OC / VK	VK1DI/P (VK1DI)	VK2HBG/P	2015-11-28	40m	SSB
2	VKFF-0041 (from VKFF-0834)	OC / VK	VK1DI/P (VK1DI)	VK2IO/P	2016-01-24	40m	SSB
3	VKFF-0092 (from VKFF-0991)	OC / VK	VK1DI/P (VK1DI)	VK2IO/P	2015-11-29	40m	SSB
4	VKFF-0473 (from VKFF-0855)	OC / VK	VK1DI/P (VK1DI)	VK2IO/P	2015-11-28	40m	SSB
5	VKFF-0625 (from VKFF-0377)	OC / VK	VK1DI/P (VK1DI)	VK3ANL/P	2015-12-06	40m	SSB
6	VKFF-0816 (from VKFF-0851)	OC / VK	VK1DI/P (VK1DI)	VK4AAC/5	2016-01-15	40m	SSB
7	VKFF-0826 (from VKFF-0855)	OC / VK	VK1DI/P (VK1DI)	VK5GJ/P	2015-11-28	40m	SSB
8	VKFF-0916 (from VKFF-0855)	OC / VK	VK1DI/P (VK1DI)	VK5PAS/P	2015-11-27	40m	SSB
9	VKFF-0923 (from VKFF-0991)	OC / VK	VK1DI/P (VK1DI)	VK5PAS/P	2015-11-29	40m	SSB
10	VKFF-0934 (from VKFF-0841)	OC / VK	VK1DI/P (VK1DI)	VK5PAS/P	2015-11-28	40m	SSB

Applied for the award and received promptly from Danny, ON4VT. Thanks Danny.

Here is the award, number 4 issued!

WWFF Hunter 176 Award

While on the WWFF Logsearch site noticed I've qualified for another WWFF hunter award, for working over 176 parks. This is different to the VKFF award scheme, awards are issued in increments for every 44 parks hunted. Applied for and promptly issued by the Awards Manager, Pit YO3JW, thanks.

Here is the award

SOTA Black Mountain VK1/AC-042

After a dull cloudy morning the weather improved into a nice sunny afternoon, so headed out to activate a local SOTA peak, Black Mountain VK1/AC-042.

As per other activations parked in the lower car park and walked up to the tower and summit.

Wanted to to ensure properly activating Black Mountain Nature Reserve, VKFF-0834 for the WWFF award. The park map from the ACT Government TAMS website seems to indicate Black Mountain Road and the tower car park are not within the park.

The summit distance marker where I usually operate, probably inside the park, however continued on .

At the top of the rise the actual summit, only a marker in the ground, not a proper trig

Just on the Northern side of the car park within the activation zone was a track with the remnants of a gate and gate posts. Probably left over from a time when Black Mountain was farmland. Used one of the gate posts as a support for the squid pole

Looking back up the track towards the tower car park.

Shack on the tarp at the base of the gate post. Telstra tower visible behind. No problem getting a mobile Telstra signal here :)

Got on 40 m. A few birdies in places but otherwise not much interference from the tower. Worked the usual chasers in VK2, VK3, VK4, VK5 and VK7, most good signals but lots of QSB.

A couple of S2S contacts, Julie VK3FOWL/P on VK3/VC-018 Mt Buninyong and Gerard VK2IO/P on VK2/SY-002 Riley's Mountain. Gerard had been operating on 10 m, I had a brief listen but as expected nothing, too close for skip and no sporadic e about.

Tried 20 m, however no luck, band didn't sound that good with only a few ZLs on.

Starting to get warm in the sun, so packed up after 19 contacts and headed home.

SOTA 100 Complete Summits Award

As mentioned on my blog entry for Arthurs Seat VK3/VC-031, this was the 100th completed summit for me. Completed summits are those you have both chased and activated.

This took some doing as it involved trips to VK2, VK3, VK4 and VK5 to activate summits I had chased there, along with the local VK1 summits... A lot of driving :)

Here is the award

SOTA Mt Majura VK1/AC-034

I've activated Mt Majura VK1/AC-034 several times now, and for something different decided to walk up a different way, from Hackett Gate off MacKenzie St, instead of the Horse Paddocks off Antill St.

Got to Hackett Gate. Found not a big car park, only enough room for 4 cars, and there were 3 there already...Parked and started walking. A sign nearby for Mt Majura Nature Reserve, a Canberra Nature Park and eligible for the World Wide Flora and Fauna Award, VKFF-0851.

The road behind is labelled Hackett Houses Track (North). Followed this until coming to a smaller track on the right. There was a track marker, the brown disk says Mt Majura Summit

Followed the track, crossing a power line access road, then the track starts to rise.

The track zig zags it way up the mountainside. A bit of a view of nearby Mt Ainslie.

The track eventually reaches the top ridge and follows it. Came to the junction of the track I usually come up from Antill St Horse Paddocks.

From here its a bit of a steep slog up the fire trail to the summit. Gate just before the summit.

Set up the squid pole on my usual spot, the round metal thing near the trig

Shack on the concrete base.

There was a spot on SOTAwatch for Adan VK1FJAW/2 on VK2/ST-005 Webbs Ridge on 10 m, so hurriedly set up the 6/10 m linked dipole up. Worked Adan, Tony VK1VIC/2 and Grant VK4JAZ/2 on 10 m. Signals were not strong, only S2 and wasn't getting much power out. As I suspected in my haste to get the dipole up had left one of the links open...After fixing Adan was a good S7.

On 10 m also worked Andrew VK1AD, Matt VK1MT and Roald VK1MTS with good signals. No DX though, able to hear a ZL beacon but not much activity or replies to my calls.

Went on to work the usual chasers in VK1, VK2, VK3, VK4, VK5 and VK7 on 40 m. Chased a couple of Park to Park contacts, Rob VK4FFAB/P in VKFF-0391 Noosa NP and Rob VK4AAC/5 in VKFF-0816 Spring Gully CP.

After UTC rollover a couple more S2S contacts, with Allen VK3HRA/P on VK3/VS-040 and Russ VK2BJP/3 on VK3/VE-029.

Packed up around noon and headed back down.

Which way was better? The Hackett Gate distance was 2.7 Km to the summit, the Hackett horse paddocks about 2.6 Km, so only about 100 m or so difference. Both took about the same time, around 30 minutes. For ease of parking I would probably stick with the Antill St walk. This can also be shortened by driving to the end of Jukes St and joining up to the walk at the top of the first rise.

Track logs of both walks. Hackett Gate in Blue and Antill St in Green.