Oakdale Nature Reserve VKFF-2694

With a break in the summer heat and the temperature around 22 c for a change decided to do a new WWFF park activation, Oakdale Nature Reserve, VKFF-2694.

This park is just West of the village of Collector to the North of Canberra. Drove down the Federal Highway, turning off to Collector and the Collector Road. Followed this until getting to the park, just before the Collector Road Marked Tree Road junction. Sign for the park.

A little past the sign found a spot to get over the fence and enter the park. Fairly open woodland.

Set up near the fence using a fence post to support the squid pole. Operating spot, map from Protected Planet.

Shack on the table. FT857-D running about 40 w.

Got on 40 m. Conditions not good, not hearing that many stations. Worked the following park hunters.

VK3TNL
VK5LA
VK3UH
VK7HAM
VK2YW
VK3PF/p Peter in VKFF-0971 Kurth Kiln Regional Park
VK4TJ
VK4/AC8WN
VK4/VE6XT
VK7QP
VK2HHA
VK5PAS
VK3AHR
VK2XSE/m
VK2KNV/m
VK3WRL
VK3ANL

Felt a few spots of rain so packed up, just before it started raining heavily... For a change drove back via Marked Tree Road to Gundaroo, then Mulligans Flat Road through Gungahlin back home.

FT8DMC WAC 20 m Award

Following a contact with VK0HZ at Davis station Antarctica managed to qualify for the FT8 Digital Mode Club Worked All Continents (WAC) award for the 20 meter band.

VK0HZ               2019-01-14  11:30  20M   FT8      AN     
JG1LRE              2018-01-08  07:13  20M   FT8      AS     
OM7PY               2018-10-09  06:24  20M   FT8      EU     
W4IMD               2017-12-03  04:57  20M   FT8      NA     
5W0RR               2017-08-03  06:09  20M   FT8      OC     
HC2AO               2018-12-21  06:04  20M   FT8      SA     

Thanks to the awards manager A92AA Fawaz.

European ROS Club Awards

Checking Ultimate AAC recently, found I had qualified for several more European ROS Club Awards. These are for working calls on any digital mode, not just ROS. They were gained using a mix of JT65 and FT8.

Firstly a certificate for contacting 100 European ROS Club members

Another Diploma for contacting 6 South American countries. Not easy from Australia, the East-West path is not open that often here... Mainly made on 20 m.

Calls worked

CE6MBK              2013-11-05  11:08  20M   JT65     CE
CP1FF               2012-11-06  09:20  20M   JT65     CP
HC2AO               2018-12-21  06:04  20M   FT8      HC
HK3J                2018-04-27  08:09  40M   FT8      HK
LU8WAG              2010-12-22  09:51  20M   JT65     LU
YV6EJI              2011-01-24  10:48  40M   JT65     YV

The award

Next Awards for working all Japan Call Areas, JA0 to JA9. Stations worked all on 10 m

JA0IXW              2018-04-21  06:14  10M   FT8      JA0   
JQ1TIV              2011-09-10  00:06  10M   JT65     JA1   
JA2ACI              2011-04-05  07:44  10M   JT65     JA2   
JH3BJG              2011-04-09  01:23  10M   JT65     JA3   
JA4CXX              2011-02-20  02:46  10M   JT65     JA4   
JA5BDZ              2013-10-21  09:10  10M   JT65     JA5   
JA6IUQ              2011-10-27  06:55  10M   JT65     JA6   
JA7BVS              2011-04-06  23:02  10M   JT65     JA7   
JH8XVH              2018-05-06  04:49  10M   FT8      JA8   
JA9AVA              2011-03-12  02:11  10M   JT65     JA9   

The 10 Meter WAJACA Award

Worked all JA call areas on 17 m

JA0EVI              2017-09-02  23:27  17M   FT8      JA0     

JH1XOX              2017-03-14  07:50  17M   JT65     JA1     

JA2LWA              2017-03-17  22:49  17M   JT65     JA2     

JJ3DKQ              2017-03-17  07:26  17M   JT65     JA3     

JH4PBQ              2017-03-16  09:05  17M   JT65     JA4     

JA5CBU              2018-10-30  08:09  17M   FT8      JA5     

JS6SVV              2017-08-02  23:20  17M   JT65     JA6     

JF7RJM              2018-04-20  08:02  17M   FT8      JA7     

JG8FWH              2018-10-14  05:28  17M   FT8      JA8     

JA9CAC              2017-03-18  23:26  17M   JT65     JA9     

The Award for WAJACA on 17 Meters

WWFF Hunter 744 Award

Noticed on the WWFF Logsearch website that I've managed to work 744 different WWFF parks.
Here is the award. Thanks Karl DL1JKK awards manager.

VKFF 2018 Activation Weekend Certificate

Checking my email, received a certificate for activating 2 ACT VKFF parks during the VKFF Activation Weekend on 24th-25th November from Paul, VK5PAS. Thanks Paul. These activation weekends are a lot of fun.

Ironmungy Nature Reserve VKFF-2624

After activating SOTA summit Box Ridge VK2/SM-065, drove back to Barry Way, then North back towards Jindabyne, turning off to the right onto the Snowy River Way to Dalgety. Crossed the Dalgety bridge, and turned off onto Barnes St, which continues on as the Snowy River Way. After a while turned off to the right onto an unsealed road, Ironmungy Rd. This then enters Ironmungy Nature Reserve

Continued into the park. I had seen Ironmungy Fire Trail on the map and had planned to drive up it, however when getting there found a locked gate...

So just climbed over the gate and set up the squid pole and table on a nearbv tree sapling.

Operating spot, map from Protected Planet. After looking at the map later I probably could have set up either side of the road and still have been within the park.

Another view of the station

Shack on the table. Still a lot of smoke haze from the bush fires to the South. I checked on the NSW "Fires Near Me" app, the fire was a long way away.

Got on 40 m. Started with a park to park with VK3OAK/p Malcolm in VKFF-2131 Lexton Nature Conservation Reserve

Able to spot myself on ParksnPeaks. Was worried I was about to get rained on, but it stopped after a few spots. Worked the following park hunters.

VK2IO
VK1MIC
VK4TJ
VK3PF
VK3TNL
VK3SQ
VK3ZPF
VK2YK
VK3WRL
VK4CZ
VK2PEZ
VK2SLB

Tried 20 m. It was working well with summer sporadic e

VK3ARH
VK3PF
VK3ANL
VK3ZPF
VK5PL
VK3TKK
VK7JGD
VK3NSC
VK3SQ
VK3BAP
VK3ELH
VK2YK
VK3UH
VK5AYL
VK4NH/2
VK4DXA/2
ZL4TY/VK2

Returned to 40 m. Some storm static about made copying difficult.

VK3HOT
VK2FHQQ
VK3BAP
VK3AHR
VK2GZ
VK3KKP
VK2UH
VK3HQZ/P

38 contacts made, so short of the 44 for WWFF.

After working VK3HQZ I felt some rain drops, looking at the BOM radar on the mobile saw a front of rain approaching... quickly packed up. Got quite heavy driving to Cooma. After Coffee in Cooma drove home to Canberra.

SOTA Box Ridge VK2/SM-065 and Paupong Nature Reserve VKFF-2699

After staying overnight at Jindabyne headed South to do a SOTA activation of Box Ridge, VK2/SM-065. As well as a SOTA peak the summit is in Paupong Nature Reserve, which was recently added to the WWFF list of parks, VKFF-2699. This was to be a first activation of this park. Headed South on Barry Way, turning off to the left onto Gullies Rd. This is initially sealed but changes to a dirt road. Took a road off onto the left Thornybush Rd. This is a private road so make sure to shut the gate to stop cattle getting out. Drove along Thornybush Rd and entered Paupong Nature Reserve

Map showing the park location. From Protected Planet.

Came to the 4 way junction, Thornybrush Trail and Paupong Fire trail.

Continued along Paupong Trail , until reaching the SOTA "summit", actually just a high point in the terrain. The road runs right over the top of it. Map from SOTA maps, Google Map view

 Set up the squid pole on a roadside Telstra cable sign.

Shack on the table. Note the haze, there was a bush fire well to the South of me close to the Victorian border.

Got on 40 m . Plenty of keen chasers as a Saturday morning. Most fairly strong signals

VK2IO
VK3CAT
VK3ZPF
VK1MIC
VK4TJ
VK3PF
VK2VIC
VK1VIC/2
VK3FPSR
VK2HRX
VK3ANL
VK3SQ
VK3ARH
VK2GKA
VK3HN
VK2ZRD

Tried changing the links to 20 m. There was summer sporadic e about so lots of calls there too, including some ZLs

VK3SQ
ZL1BYZ
VK2IO
VK3PF
VK3ARH
ZL2AJ
VK3GTV
VK5KLV
VK5PL
VK4HNS
ZL1WA
VK5ATN

After 28 contacts had morning tea and packed up, heading for my next park, Ironmungy Nature Reserve VKFF-2624