WWFF Gossan Hill Nature Reserve VKFF-0842

With a nice sunny Sunday morning decided to do a local WWFF activation, returning to Gossan Hill Nature Reserve VKFF-0842. I activated this park back on 23rd Mar 2015, after the Canberra Nature Parks were added to WWFF, and only managed 25 contacts, so needed to return to get the 19 needed for the 44 contacts for WWFF.

As per last activation parked in Weatherburn Place Bruce and walked up the hill, using the "Gossan Four" track

a short walk to the top of Gossan Hill. Operating spot shown, from Protected Planet.

Summit marked by a large rock pile. Good views to the West over the Brindabella mountains.

Gossan Seven Track sign with Belconnen town centre beyond.

Last time used this track marker for squid pole support, this time used an old fence post. Other fence posts used for dipole leg support. Looking up the hill.

Looking down the hill

Shack on the tarp near the fence post. Usual FT-817 running 5 W.

Note no paper log book... Decided to try electronic logging, as seems to becoming common now for SOTA and park activators, and would save me transferring the paper log to electronic form back home, a tedious process...

Like others got a cheap android tablet, a Lenovo Tab 3 7 inch tablet. Installed VK3ZPFs VK port-a-log program. I initially fumbled about adding contacts, but got the hang of it after a while. Found a setting to keep the recorded frequency with each contact so saved some retyping. Still a bit of fiddling quickly entering chasers with multiple callsigns, and when being called by multiple calls at once just had to try and remember who had also called later...

I also used my phone to just monitor parks and peaks for activity.

Started by working Andrew VK1AD/2 and Al VK1RX/2 on SOTA peak Mt Wee Jasper VK2/ST-017. Also worked Gerard VK2IO/p in VKFF-0490 Tomaree National Park.

After spotting myself on 7.095 Mhz went on to work lots of hunters in VK1, VK2, VK3, VK4 and VK5. A couple more SOTA contacts, VK3ARR/p Andrew on VK3/VC-002 Mt Donna Buang, and VK1FWBD/p Wade on VK1/AC-040 Mt Ainslie.

Gerard VK2IO/p popped up again later in a new park VKFF-1410 Port Stephens/Great Lakes Marine Park.

Briefly tried 20m. Worked VK4UH Kevin, VK4FW Bill and VK6XL Allen with good signals.

Returned to 40m to contact VK3PF/p Peter on VK3/VE-033 Mt Number 3.

Gave it away at 12:30 pm as I had made 38 contacts and with the 25 before qualified the park.

At home connected the tablet to the PC via USB cable, it showed up as a storage device, and just copied off the adif logs for importing into my logging program. Simple 😃

Stations contacted on 40m

VK1AD/2 SOTA VK2/ST-017
VK1RX/2 SOTA VK2/ST-017
VK2IO/P WWFF VKFF-0490
VK5PAS
VK3GGG
VK3PMG
VK3FQSO
VK3FOWL
VK5HS
VK3FPSR
VK5JK
VK5FMAZ
VK1AT
VK2YX
VK4RF
VK4HA
VK3YSP
VK2VW
VK3SQ
VK4TJ
VK3LDB
VK3ARR/P SOTA VK3/VC-002
VK1FWBD/P SOTA VK1/AC-040
VK3YE
VK2KYO
VK3AXH
VK2IO/P WWFF VKFF-1410
VK3MRG/P
VK5FANA
VK3GMC
VK3PAT/P
VK3FOTO/P
VK2EFM
VK3HKK
VK3PF/P SOTA VK3/VE-033

Stations contacted on 20m

VK6XL

VK4FW

VK4UH