Bango Nature Reserve VKFF-1884

With a nice warm sunny Sunday decided to go for a drive and activate a couple of new parks for me, Bango Nature Reserve and Mundoonen Nature Reserve, both close to Yass.

Drove to Yass, then from the main street, Laidlow St, turned off onto Orion St, at the end of the street turned off onto Cooks Hill Rd. Followed this for several Km North, then turned off to the NE onto Blakney Creek Rd S, until coming to Bango Park on the right. Sign for the park.

The park is accessed through some gaps on the side of an old gate.

Near the park sign a star picket made an ideal support for the squid pole. Set up the table next to it. Dipole legs out to a nearby tree and down to the park fence.

Looking back the other way

Operating spot in the park. Map from Protected Planet website.

Shack on the table

Got on 40 m. Went to spot myself, found no mobile coverage... I had a chat to a local farmer later who came up to see what I was doing, he told me phone coverage drops once you come down from Cooks Hill Rd. So with no coverage called on 7.140 Mhz. There is usually a WIA broadcast on Sunday on 7.146 Mhz so wanted to avoid this.

Managed to get heard and called by Linda VK7QP who kindly spotted me, so off with a queue of park hunters calling me. Worked

VK5AR/m
VK5HS
VK2VW

A weak park to park with John VK5FLEA/p in VKFF-0778 Cleland Conservation Park and also SOTA summit VK5/SE-005 Mt Lofty. He was quite weak but got stronger with time.

VK4CZ
VK5NJ
VK4RF VK4HA
VK4NH VK4DXA ZL4TY/VK4
VK3JP VK3CA
VK3FSPN
VK5FANA

A non SOTA contact with VK1XP/m on Mt Ainslie, in the car so not valid, still a good copy from the mobile to this park.

VK3XXY
VK5IS
VK4SMA
VK5PL
VK3PF
VK7EE
ZL1TM

Was good to work a few VK3s, short NVIS skip has been poor lately on 40 m.
With no spotting did not try other bands. Around noon packed up and headed back to Yass for lunch.