WWFF Cooleman Ridge Nature Reserve VKFF-0837

With a sunny Sunday afternoon decided to do another WWFF activation, Cooleman Ridge Nature Reserve, VKFF-0837. I had activated this before but due to poor conditions only made 13 contacts, so returned to try and make the 44 for WWFF.

Wanted to try a different place, so this time drove to the end of Guiness Place in Chapman. The end of the road is unsealed with a parking area on the left, gate into the reserve at the end. A map of the park on the gate.

Walked past the gate and took Guiness Fire Trail, off Cutoff Drain Fire Trail, heading up the hill. After a bit of height for the activation.

Followed Guiness Fire Trail to the top of the hill. A water tank and mobile phone tower near the top. Wandered over to the highest point of the hill and set up on a log.

Location of my operating spot. Map from Open Street Maps.

Note this is not the highest point in the reserve, but this is WWFF not SOTA so does not really matter. Looking towards the highest point Mt Arawang trig at 765 m.

View towards Black Mountain and the city

View to nearby Woden town centre.

View West towards the Brindabella Ranges. One leg of my dipole visible, tied to a prickly bush :)

Set up the shack on a rock seat. FT-857D perched on the top of the rock.

Got on 40 m. Heard Glen VK3YY/p doing a SOTA activation on VK3/VT-016 Mt Useful, so worked him with a good signal. Then went and worked the 3 park activations on at the time.

VK4DX/p Mike in VKFF-1594 Moggill Conservation Park
VK4ALE/p Jono in VKFF-1511 Clear Mountain Conservation Park
VK4SMA/p Mark in VKFF-1660 Tingalpa Creek Conservation Park

With these parks worked spotted myself on ParksnPeaks on 7.115 Mhz and worked the park hunters.

VK2IO
VK3ZPF
VK4TJ
VK4FDJL
VK7QP
VK2UH
VK4HNS
VK4AAC/5
VK2NP
VK4NH VK4DXA ZL4TY/VK4
VK1MIC
VK2GPT
VK2VX
VK3LTL
VK4GSF
ZL1TM
VK2VW
VK7AN
VK1AT
VK2HPN
VK3SQ
VK5FMWW
VK3TXB/m
VK2IAN
VK2KTG
VK2KMI
VK4UMS

As had made 33 QSOs had 46 total for the park, and qualified it. Packed up and headed home.

Cooleman Ridge Nature Reserve VKFF-0837

After a cold -2c night had a nice sunny Sunday, so decided to get out and do another local WWFF park activation, this time to VKFF-0837 Cooleman Ridge Nature Reserve.

This is another Canberra Nature Park and easily accessible from the Western suburb of Chapman. Drove to the end of Kathner Street and parked. Usual Canberra Nature Park sign and a gate here.

There is a narrow gap on the side of the gate for walkers. Just past the gate a fairly old sign describing the walk through the park.

The road up the hill was fairly steep and a bit unsafe with loose rocks, so took a narrow foot pad to the right.

Got to the main track that runs around the Eastern edge of the reserve, called Cut-off Drain Fire Trail. Good views the the North of Canberra. Black Mountain with its tower visible.

Took a side track running up to the top of the ridge.

There is a trig a bit further along the ridge but decided this was a good enough spot to operate from anyway, this is a parks activation, not SOTA... Set up the squid pole on a small eucalyptus sapling. Strung up the 20/40 m dipole.

Set up the FT817 on a nearby rock and sat on the tarp.

Got on 40 m. A fair bit of activity with the weekend VK Shires contest. Made a park to park contact with Peter VK3PF/P in VKFF-0484 The Lakes National Park. Worked VK2, VK3, VK4, VK5 and VK7. Some signals quite strong and getting me quite well despite the 5 w from the FT817.

Gave it away as it started to get cold, despite the sunshine only around 10c today.

Map of the park showing my operating spot. Map from Open Street Maps