FT8 ERC 600 Asia Stations Award

 After working several Japanese stations on 30 m recently, managed to achieve 600 Asian stations worked on FT8. Applied for the ERC 600 Asia Stations Award. Nice award

Worked 150 US Grid Square Award

Managed to work several US stations recently on 20 m and 30 m, working 150 Grid Squares. Here is the award.

FT8 ERC Ecuador Award

On 40 m at sunset here found 40 m open to South America, rare from Australia. Managed to work CX6VM in Uruguay for a new country. Also worked HC7AE in Ecuador. As had also worked HC2AO on 20 m in 2018 able to apply for a basic ERC Ecuador award. Nice award.

 

Crace Nature Reserve VKFF-0838

With a nice sunny Saturday afternoon decided to go out and activate one of the local Canberra Nature Parks for WWFF. As have qualified most of the ACT parks for WWFF this was to go towards the Boomerang Award, 5 parks each with 5 activations. Went to Crace Nature Reserve, VKFF-0838 for the 3rd activation.

As per previous times entered via the gate off Nirta Pl in Mitchell. The actual sign for the park seems to have gone from the gate.

As per other times headed for a star picket near the gate for squid pole support. Set up the linked dipole, legs to the nearby fence

Looking back the other direction. SOTA peak Mount Majura in the background.

Checked the 40 m dipole, good.

Shack on the table. A real joy to be in this park without flies, still too cold for them...

Found S6 of noise on 40 m, probably from the nearby power lines. Spotted myself on 7.110 Mhz as some sort of contest going on up the band around 7.144.  A good stream of park hunters. Worked

VK7DW

VK5PAS

VK3YE

VK5FMAZ

VK4KC

VK3PF

VK3EJ

VK2VW

VK3PI

VK7QP

VK3QP

VK3SG

VK5FANA

VK3MPR

VK5ST

VK3FLCS

VK2LEE

VK4SMA

VK5HAA

Switched to 80 m to get the close in stations.

VK2LX, Grant in nearby Bungendore

VK3ZPF, Peter who I could barely hear on 40 m, but not enough to work. Good on 80 m.

VK3SQ, Geoff in Beechworth

A SOTA/Park to park contact with VK1DA/p Andrew on VK1/AC-021 Pheasant Hill, about 70 km away at the far end of the ACT, in Namadgi National Park VKFF-0377

VK2LEE, Lee in Scone

Tried 20 m, only 1 contact, ZL1TM Andrei.

Packed up and headed home.

FT8 ERC Asia and European Awards

The European ROS Club (ERC) recently released a heap of new awards, for working Asia and European stations on digital mode. For Asia, 25 different stations award

Asia 50 stations

Asia 75 stations

Asia 100 stations

Asia 150 stations

Asia 200 stations

Asia 300 stations

Asia 400 stations

Asia 500 stations

For European awards, not as many, not that easy to work Europe from VK... 50 Europe stations

Europe 100 stations

Europe 250 stations. This is the highest award for me with Europe contacts so far.

SOTA Mount Majura VK1/AC-034 VKFF-0851

With a fine sunny Sunday morning decided to do a SOTA activation of Mount Majura. As per other activations parked off Antill St in Hackett and took the walking track near the horse paddocks.

Walked for a few minutes to a junction with a track at the base of the mountain, then took the track climbing up the mountain.

Midway up the climb a view to the snow covered Brindabella mountains.

Got to the summit. Very active with other walkers, plus windy. Decided to not operate there, instead dropping down out of the wind to a burnt tree stump for squid pole support, between the trig and the Mount Majura Canberra airport radar station. The radar did not seem to interfere at all.

Shack on the tarp, out of the wind. Away from most of the crowd, still got a few walkers/dog walkers going past. A few came to chat and see what I was up to.

Got on 2 m FM 146.500 Mhz first. Worked VK1MA, VK1RX, VK2VEX at Yass. VK1CC/mobile, VK1MIC, VK2KBB.

Went to 40 m when I saw a spot for VK2FPAD/p Paul on VK2/SC-046 Byangee Mountain. He was very weak, and had problems copying me. The NVIS skip not good today. Byangee Mountain was about 100 Km away near the coast. Pleased to work him as know the mountain well from bush walking, and a first time activation.

Spotted myself, worked on 40 m

VK4TJ, ZL1TM, VK3AFW, VK7QP, VK5FMAZ, VK5AYL, VK5PAS, VK1MA, VK4KC

Briefly tried 20 m with no luck.

Returned to 2 m FM, for a park to park with VK1CT Chris in Mulanggari Grasslands Nature Reserve VKFF-0856, very strong. Also worked VK1DB, VK1MF, VK2COW and VK1LAJ.

The wind had really picked up in the afternoon, packed up and headed down for lunch in nearby Dickson.

Worked All Indonesia Call Area Award

Despite Indonesia being close by to Australia found it difficult to find YB5 and YB6 call areas on air, finally worked YB5QB and YB6HAI. FT8DMC Award, Worked All Indonesia Call Area Award on 17 m 

And the ERC Award