SOTA Activation VK1/AC-039

Being the 1st day of a new year meant I could now reactivate some of the summits I activated in 2013. I picked VK1/AC-039, an unnamed summit in Uriarra Forest to the West of Canberra, not too far away and a bit more of a challenge over the suburban summits.

As per last activation VK1/AC-039 drove down the Brindabella Rd, the Bullock Paddock Rd to Padovans Crossing. VK1/AC-039 in front.

Parked near the junction with Yellow Rabbit Rd, started walking, about 1.3 Km to the summit.

Mid way up took a "short cut" up a disused logging trail, this was a bit of a log hopping and blackberry avoiding walk though...After a while joined Yellow Rabbit Rd again and continued to the top, photo below. My last operating spot was on the disused road on the right. The pile of rocks in the foreground is where Andrew, VK1NAM activated from, going by the photos in his blog.

Set up the squid pole on a log and set up the 40m dipole.

Used the tent fly to get a comfy operating spot behind the log in the shade.

Got on 40m. The band was a S2S hunters dream! Seemed everyone else had decided to activate this morning...Worked 9 S2S contacts before I even got my first chaser!. Ended up with 12 S2S contacts and 3 chaser contacts.

Packed up around noon and headed back down, took about 30 minutes walk to the car. View heading down. Cotter dam on the right, black mountain tower on the far right horizon.

Track log of walk. Next time think I'll follow Yellow Rabbit Rd around a bit further and avoid the logs...