Oakey Hill Nature Reserve VKFF-0858

With a warm sunny afternoon decided to activate one of the Canberra Nature Reserves, Oakey Hill Nature Reserve VKFF-0858. In the past I have activated it at the Oakey Hill trig, but this time wanted to take the table and chair in, so accessed it from a gate off Heysen St Lyons, not far from the bridge under the Tuggeranong Parkway. Sign for the park.

Headed around the gate and caried the gear in, set up in the shade of the trees. Shack on the table. Using the IC-7300 with the 40aH battery.

Shack location. Some power lines nearby but no electrical noise. There was a bit of traffic noise from the nearby Tuggeranong Parkway but not too bad. Map from Openstreetmap.

Got on 40m. Good signals from VK2, VK3, VK4, VK5 and VK7. A lot of VK3s as a public holiday in Victoria. With lots of calls having multiple callsigns I easily qualified the 44 contacts, making 58 just on 40m. Switched to 30m, working all VK4s

VK2XXM, VK4NH/VK4DXA, VK4IJP, VK4SMA. VK2XXM was in VK4.

Tried 20m, one contact with ZL1IM, a good signal.

Packed up and headed home for afternoon tea.