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.