Monthly Archives: June 2014

Peakery

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Just wanted to bring an interesting website to everyone’s attention.  It’s called ‘peakery’.  It can be located at…..

http://peakery.com

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The peakery website features over 330,000 peaks from around the globe.  You are able to find peaks by browsing lists, maps, and photos.  You can also use peakery to envision your next peak objective with photos, trip reports, statistics, 3D fly-arounds, and maps.  The 3D fly around feature is extremely good.

There are currently 10,820 peaks in Australia, that are recorded on peakery

On the site you can also log all of your summits.  Once you’ve returned safely from your summit, you can share your summit experience, by adding trip details, photos, route info, and information on who you went with.

Every peak that you summit earns you its summit badge.  As you climb more peaks, you rise up the ranks as shown on the Members page.

Screenshot 2014-06-28 20.40.01

Just as with WordPress, you can follow someone’s progress.

Your page will also show you some interesting facts such as your user rank, the highest peak that you have activated, and the top regions that you have climbed peaks in.

Peakery can also be found on Facebook…..

https://www.facebook.com/peakery

You can even download your own peakery Annual Report which documents your year in the mountains.  The Annual Report is a comprehensive summary including all of your claimed peaks and summit logs for a specific year.

annual_report

If a summit does not appear on the peakery list, you can add it to peakery.  Your addition will first go to the peakery moderator/s for their approval.  I should warn you, that not all will be included, even if they have the 150 metres of prominence as required with SOTA.  A total of 19 of the SOTA summits I have activated are not recorded on peakery, and at this stage have not been approved to be added?  This is about 40 % of my SOTA activations.

However, despite this, peakery is another tool that can be used when considering activating a peak as part of the Summits on the Air (SOTA) program.

 

Going overseas to activate

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I am heading off to Europe in July for 7 weeks and I was hoping to activate a few Summits on the Air (SOTA) peaks and World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) parks whilst there.  So I commenced making enquiries re operating whilst over there.  What I found was information, here, there and everywhere.  Unfortunately the ACMA’s website contained very little information and even after telephoning them and corresponding via email, I was confused.  So here is a little bit of information, should you be in the same position as me with holding an Australian Standard class licence.

Sadly, as a Standard licence class holder, it is not easy getting on air overseas.  You are not covered by the CEPT agreements which I will talk about in more detail below.  The CEPT agreements are relevant if you are the holder of an Advanced licence.  However, I did find that as a Standard licence holder, you can apply for a 3 month visitor’s licence to operate in the Federal Republic of Germany.

CEPT.

The European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) was instituted by an intergovernmental arrangement on the 26th June, 1959 at Montreux, Switzerland.  It was established as a co-ordinating body for European state telecommunications and postal organisations.  The CEPT acronym comes from the French version of its name, Conférence européenne des administrations des postes et des télécommunications.  It was originally established by 19 countries, which expanded to 26 during its first ten years.  There are now 48 member countries in the CEPT.

 

logo_70px_cept.jpg

CEPT is organised into three main components:

  • Electronic Communications Committee (ECC) – responsible for radiocommunications and telecommunications matters and formed by the merger of ECTRA and ERC (European Radiocommunications Committee) in September 2001.  The permanent secretariat of the ECC is the European Communications Office (ECO)
  • European Committee for Postal Regulation (CERP, after the French “Comité européen des régulateurs postaux”) – responsible for postal matters
  • The Committee for ITU Policy (Com-ITU) is responsible for organising the co-ordination of CEPT actions for the preparation for and during the course of the ITU activities meetings of the Council, Plenipotentiary Conferences, World Telecommunication Development Conferences, World Telecommunication Standardisation Assemblies

Recommendation T/R 61-01 

In 1985 in Nice, France, the CEPT met and Recommendation T/R 61-01 was approved.  This Recommendation makes it possible for radio amateurs from CEPT countries to operate during short visits in other CEPT countries, without obtaining an individual temporary licence from the visited CEPT country.  The following is a list of CEPT member countries:

Albania, Andorra, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Vatican.

The Recommendation was revised in 1992 with the aim to make it possible for non-CEPT countries to participate in this licensing system.  Australia is recorded in the document as a non-CEPT country.  Other non-CEPT countries recorded in the document are Canda, Curacao, Israel, Netherlands Antilles, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa, and the USA.

However, you need to be the holder of an Advanced amateur radio licence to operate in CEPT countries under this Recommendation.  Annex 4, Table 2, shows the required equivalence between National licences of non-CEPT countries and the CEPT licence.

Screenshot 2014-06-28 09.25.13

So in essence under this Recommendation, if you hold an Australian Advanced licence you can operate in the European CEPT countries for up to 3 months without needing to apply for a reciprocal licence.  You obviously need to adhere to the relevant band plans, power limits, rules, etc.

The Recommendation can be downloaded in full from…..

Click to access TR6101.pdf

Recommendation (05)06

ECC Recommendation (05)06 CEPT Novice Radio Amateur Licence was  approved in October 2005 and was amended in October 2011.  This Recommendation acknowledges that in many countries, novice licences exist, none of which are included in the procedures of Recommendation T/R 61-01 mentioned above.

This Recommendation relates to both CEPT member countries, and CEPT non member countries.  However, please note, Australia is not included in this Recommendation and the Recommendation has not been implemented by Australia!  The only non CEPT country listed in the Recommendation is the United States of America (USA). It appears for whatever reason/s, the WIA and ACMA have not progressed Australia to be included in this Recommendation.  I will endeavour to find out why.

This Recommendation can be downloaded in full from…..

Click to access rec0506.pdf

Recommendation T/R 61-02

This Recommendation was approved in 1990 and makes it possible for CEPT administrations to issue a Harmonised Amateur Radio Examination Certificate (HAREC).  Initially, only CEPT countries were involved in HAREC, however the Recommendation has been modified to allow non-CEPT countries to participate.

You need to successfully pass an amateur radio examination to obtain a HAREC.  The HAREC facilitates the issuing of an individual licence to radio amateurs who stay in a country for a longer term than that mentioned in CEPT Recommendation T/R 61-01.  It also facilitates the issuing of an individual licence to a radio amateur returning to his native country showing the HAREC certificate issued by a foreign administration.  Australia is listed as a non-CEPT country in this Recommendation.

German 3 month temporary licence.

If you are visiting the Federal Republic of Germany and would like to continue your hobby of amateur radio whilst there, you can apply for a 3 month temporary admission licence.  The fee is 70 Euros (EUR).  This licence will allow you to operate under the privileges of a German National Class E licence: the 160m band, the 15m band, and the 10m band on HF, with 100 watts PEP; and 2m and 70cm with 75 watts PEP.

Radio amateurs to which one of the CEPT Recommendations T/R 61-01 or (05)06 applies, or who are resident in Germany or hold a permanent German admission to participation in the amateur service cannot be issued a temporary admission upon this application.

Screenshot 2014-06-27 17.31.23

Other possibilities.

The Belgium Amateur Radio Society (UBA) allows amateurs who are not part of the CEPT Recommendations, to apply for a special guest licence.  You need to send a letter of enquiry to the UBA, with a photocopy of your amateur licence, together with the study program relating to the radio amateur examination in your country.  The UBA website states that the entire procedure may take quite a while and there is no guarantee of success.

UBA_logo

Thankyou.

While I have the opportunity, I would like to publicly thank the following people who promptly replied to my queries and sent me a lot of helpful information…..

  1.  Rik ON7YD, Belgium Amateur Radio Society (UBA)
  2. Rainer Wilhelm , Federal Network Agency, Germany
  3. Gianni Nigita, DL7GBN, Deutscher Amateur-Radio-Club (DARC)
  4. Jan, OK1NP
  5. Ed, VK2JI (now DD5LP)

Sadly, I never received a reply from the French authorities, and I received a very limited response from ACMA.  The ACMA’s website also has out of date information, and it is difficult to interpret information on the site.  This has been pointed out on the SOTA Yahoo group previously when the issue of reciprocal licensing was discussed.

Summary

So what have I learnt?  Get my upgrade!

I am hoping to have my application for a 3 month temporary admission licence to Germany approved, so I can activate a few summits and a park in south western Germany.

 

References.

http://www.cept.org

http://www.astrosurf.com/luxorion/qsl-ham-history11.htm

 

 

Parks in South Australia

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A number of times recently I have been asked about what parks qualify for the VK5 National and Conservation Parks award? and how parks become Conservation Parks in the first place?  So, I am hoping that this blog will be of some interest and answer some questions on South Australia’s parks system.

It has certainly shed some light on the system for me, and has also revealed that the Region and District system has changed since the inception of the VK5 Parks Award in April last year.  Yes, that means another spreadsheet to come out.  But it has helped me in the formulative stages of the proposed new award certificate ‘Worked All VK5 Park Regions’.

Firstly, just how big is South Australia?

South Australia (S.A.) has a land area of 984,221 square km, of which about 4,600 square km are located on islands.  South Australia has a coastline of 5,067 km which consists of 3,816 km of mainland coastline and 1,251 km of island coastline.  South Australia’s land area is 12.7% of Australia’s total, with the state being the fourth largest of all the Australian States and Territories.  The state’s coastal waters cover about 60,032 square km.

To put that into perspective, South Australia is larger than any country in Europe, excluding Russia.  Ukraine comes the closest at 603,700 km², then France 547,030 km², and then Spain at 505,992 km².  Italy could be placed into South Australia, more than three times over, whilst the whole of the United Kingdom could be placed into South Australia four times over. Although I couldn’t find an overlay map of South Australia, here is one of Australia showing how big Australia is compared to most of mainland Europe…..

Size-of-Australia-vs-Europe

Image courtesy of http://letstourengland.com

Mount Woodroofe is South Australia’s highest peak at 1,435 metres above sea level.  It is a big 10 pointer for the Summits on the Air (SOTA) program, too by the way.  South Australia is a relatively flat place, with more than 80% of South Australia being less than 300 metres above sea level.  The lowest place is Lake Eyre at 15 metres below sea level.  It is in this vicinity that South Australia receives its lowest rainfall.  About 52,786 square km is occupied by agriculture, which equates to 53.6% of the State. South Australia’s parks and reserves are managed by the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR).

DEWNR was created on 1st July 2012 to bring together environment and natural resources management in South Australia.  The new Department was created by amalgamating the Department for Water, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.  DEWNR are responsible for establishing and managing South Australia’s parks.  There are a total of 350 parks and reserves covering an area of 21,087,984 hectares, which equates to 21.5% of South Australia.  The map below shows the extent of South Australia’s vegetation. Screenshot 2014-06-18 19.24.41

Map courtesy of http://www.epa.sa.gov.au

DEWNR has three groups within its structure:

  • Strategy and Advice.
  • Partnerships and Stewardship
  • Customer and Corporate Services.

Below is an organisation structure chart of DEWNR, as of 30th June, 2013.

Screenshot 2014-06-19 10.20.06 In South Australia, National Parks and Conservation Parks (protected areas) are proclaimed under the National Parks Wildlife Act 1972, and the Wilderness Protection Act 1992.  The term ‘protected area‘ is used internationally to embrace a wide variety of types of parks and reserves.  The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) describes a protected area as:

‘A clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values’ (Dudley 2008).

DEWNR are in partnership with the Natural Resources Management Council (NRM) which was established in 2004.  This comes under the DEWNR’s umbrella of ‘Partnerships & Stewardships Group’. Additionally, there is the National Parks and Wildlife Council which was established in 1996 under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972.  One of the main items of business for this Council is reviewing park management plans.  ‘Conserving Nature 2012-2020‘ is a strategy for establishing a system of protected areas in South Australia.  It is a big document, but it is worth a read and contains some very interesting information.  The Conserving Nature document, advised that about 28.6% of the state of South Australia was under some form of ‘protected‘ status.

Screenshot 2014-06-18 19.25.22

Map courtesy of http://www.epa.sa.gov.au

There are eight types of parks in South Australia’s Protected Area system.  They are:

National Park

Land that is of national significance by reason of its wildlife or natural features.

There are 21 of these in S.A. that include an area of 3,995,444 hectares (4.1% of the State).

IMGA0001

Conservation Park

Land that is protected or preserved for conserving wildlife or natural or historic features.

There are 268 of these in S.A. that cover an area of 5,859,256 hectares (6.0% of the State).

IMGA0061

Recreation Park

Land that is conserved and managed for public recreation and enjoyment.

There are a total of 14 recreation parks, covering an area of 3,204 hectares (<0.1% of the State).  Some examples of this type of Park are the Para Wirra Recreation Park, and Granite Island Recreation Park.

IMGA0068

Game Reserve

Land that is preserved for the conservation of wildlife and management of game.

There are 10 of these covering an area of about 25,888 hectares (<0.1% of the State).  A few examples of this type of park are Tolderol Game Reserve and Currency Creek Game Reserve.  Duck open season applies to these Reserves.

For more information on Game Reserves, have a look at…..

http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/managing-natural-resources/plants-and-animals/Abundant_species/2014-duck-quail-open-season/game-reserves

Regional Reserve

Land that is protected or preserved for conserving wildlife or natural or historic features while, at the same time, permitting the utilisation of natural resources.

There are 7 of these covering an area of 9,342,641 hectares (9.5% of the State).  An example of this is the Chowilla Regional Reserve near Renmark which comprises 75,036 hectares.

For more information on Regional Reserves, please have a look at…..

http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/managing-natural-resources/Park_management/Regional_reserves

Wilderness Protection Area

Land that is protected to conserve ecosystems that have not been affected, or have been affected to only a minor extent, by modern technology; and ecosystems that have not been seriously affected by modern exotic animals or plants or other exotic organisms.

There are 14 of these, covering an area of 1,842,071 hectares (1.9 % of the State).  An example of this type of park is the Billiatt Wilderness Protection Area, which was decimated by fire last Summer.

For more information on Wilderness Protection Areas, please have a look at…..

http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/managing-natural-resources/Park_management/Wilderness_protection_in_South_Australia

IMGA0091

Conservation Reserve

Crown land that is specifically managed for conservation by the Government.

There are 16 of these covering an area of 19,480 hectares(<0.1% of the State).  An example of this type of park is the Mutton Cove Conservation Park on the Le Fevre Peninsula.  Which by the way, I activated earlier in the year, believing it was a Conservation park.  Not so!

IMGA0017 2

Native Forest Reserve

Managed for native flora and fauna conservation.

There are 61 of these, covering an area of 16,050 hectares.  Examples of this type of park are Mount Crawford Forest, Kuipto Forest and Wirrabara Forest.

Many of these parks have Adopted Management Plans, which contain relevant management issues for each specific park.  When those plans are in the preparation stage, the DEWNR provides the public and stakeholders the opportunity to become involved in the planning process.  DEWNR place advertisements in The Advertiser and in local newspapers, where they call for suggestions on issues relevant to the management of a specific park.  For more information on these plans, please have a look at…..

http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/managing-natural-resources/Park_management/Management_plans/Adopted_management_plans

Remember, that ONLY National Parks and Conservation Parks qualify for the VK5 National and Conservation parks award.

New parks

Since the inception of the VK5 National and Conservation parks Award, there has been a total of 6 Conservation Parks established/gazetted.  These have been added to the VK5 Parks award list.  Some of these have been activated including the Bullock Hill Conservation Park and the Ettrick Conservation Park.  The DEWNR website records recent additions to park boundaries which is worth having a look at…..

http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/managing-natural-resources/Park_management/Parks_boundaries

IMGA0017

Regions

The State of South Australia is currently divided into 8 different natural resource management regions.  They are as follows:

  1. Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges
  2. Alinytjara Wilurara
  3. Eyre Peninusla
  4. Kangaroo Island
  5. Northern and Yorke
  6. South Australian Arid Lands
  7. South Australian Murray-Darling Basin
  8. South East

This is a new group of regions which commenced in about July, 2013, after the inception of the VK5 Parks Award.  The seven old regions were as follows:

  1. Adelaide
  2. Kangaroo Island
  3. Murraylands
  4. Northern and Yorke
  5. Outback
  6. South East
  7. West

SOESA-02-Fig2.3-04(23July)-01_fmt

Map courtesy of http://www.epa.sa.gov.au

The largest region is the SA Arid Lands region which covers over half of South Australia and encompasses the state’s north-east corner to its borders with NSW, Queensland, and the Northern Territory.  It is more than 400,000 square km in size.  This is followed by Alinytjara Wiluara (meaning ‘north west’ in Pitjantjatjara) which covers the north west third of South Australia and is more than 250,000 square km in size.

In turn those Regions are broken up into Districts. The 21 National Parks and 268 Conservation Parks in South Australia re located within those regions and Districts.

Please note that the regions referred to on the National Parks website, are totally different regions as mentioned above.

See the link below…..

http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/Find_a_park/Browse_by_region The regions referred to at that link are geographical regions and not administrative regions.

Adelaide & Mount Lofty Ranges Region.

This region covers 6,581 sq km of land, 4,627 sq km of sea, and has 364 km of coastline.  It supports 1.2 million people which equates to 80 % of South Australia’s population.  The northern boundary of this Region incorporates the whole of the Light Regional Council, the District of Mallala and the Barossa Council.  The region stretches south to Cape Jervis on the southern tip of the Fleurieu Peninusla, from the ridge of the Mount Lofty Ranges to 35 km into Gulf St Vincent.  The coastline of this region encompasses the District Council of Mallala in the north to Middleton Beach in the south in the Distrct Council of Alexandrina.

The area is divided into the following 3 districts:

  1. Adelaide & Central Hills
  2. Northern Hills Coasts & Plains
  3. Fleurieu & Willunga Basin

This region was previously known as Adelaide region, and consisted of the Fleurieu, Northern Lofty, and Southern Lofty districts.

There are a total of 46 parks in this region, comprising of 2 National Parks, and 44 Conservation Parks.  They are as follows:

  1. Aldinga Scrub CP
  2. Angove CP
  3. Belair NP.
  4. Black Hill CP
  5. Charleston CP
  6. Cleland CP
  7. Cromer CP
  8. Cudlee Creek CP
  9. Deep Creek CP
  10. Eric Bonython CP
  11. Eurilia CP
  12. Ferguson CP
  13. Fort Glanville CP
  14. Giles CP
  15. Gum Tree Gully CP
  16. Hale CP
  17. Hallett Cove CP
  18. Horsnell Gully CP
  19. Kaisterstuhl CP
  20. Kenneth Stirling CP
  21. Marino CP
  22. Mark Oliphant CP
  23. Moana Sands CP
  24. Montacute CP
  25. Morialta CP
  26. Mount Billy CP
  27. Mount George CP
  28. Mylor CP
  29. Myponga CP
  30. Newland Head CP
  31. Nixon Skinner CP
  32. Onkaparinga River NP.
  33. Port Gawler CP
  34. Porter Scrub CP
  35. Pullen Island CP
  36. Sandy Creek CP
  37. Scott Creek CP
  38. Spring Mount CP
  39. Stipturus CP
  40. Talisker CP
  41. The Knoll CP
  42. Torrens Island CP
  43. Waitpinga CP
  44. Warren CP
  45. West Island CP
  46. Yulte CP

A total of 5 parks that previously came within this Region in the old Fleurieu district, are now located in the Ranges to River District of the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Region.  They are:

  • Bullock Hill CP
  • Finnis CP
  • Hesperilla CP
  • Mount Magnificent CP
  • Scott CP

DEWNR offices for this region exist at Eastwood, Lobethal, Gawler, Willunga, and Victor Harbour.

Screenshot 2014-06-19 10.49.53

Map courtesy of wwww.naturalresources.sa.gov.au

The map below shows the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges split into its three Districts.

Screenshot 2014-06-19 14.35.00

Map courtesy of wwww.naturalresources.sa.gov.au

Alinytjara Wilurara

This region (meaning north west in Pitjantjatjara) covers the north west third of South Australia and is more than 250,000 square km in size.

The region is divided into the following 9 districts:

  1. Bunda Cliffs
  2. Yalata Coast
  3. Nullabor Plain
  4. Yalata Lands
  5. Yellabinna and Yumbarra
  6. Great Victoria Desert
  7. Southern APY
  8. APY Ranges
  9. Eastern APY and Tallaringa.

There iare a total of 6 parks in this region, comprising of 2 National Parks, and 4 Conservation Parks in this region. They are as follows:

  1. Great Australian Bight NP
  2. Mamungari CP
  3. Nullabor NP
  4. Pureba CP
  5. Tallaringa CP
  6. Yumbarra CP

A DEWNR office exists at Ceduna.

Screenshot 2014-06-19 13.14.02

Map courtesy of http://www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au

Eyre Peninsula

The Eyre Peninsula region covers an area of 80,000 square km or 8 million hectares.  It includes parts of the upper Spencer Gulf, the City of Whyalla, and stretches across the southern boundaries of the Gawler Ranges, beyond Ceduna to the edge of the famous Nullabor plain, and south to Port Lincoln at the southern tip of the Eyre Peninsula.

Eyre Peninsula still has 43% of natural vegetation cover intact, making it one of the highest levels of surviving native vegetation for agricultural regions in South Australia.  About 40 species of native plants are endemic to the area, with 26 plant and animal species of national conservation significance listed.

The Eyre Peninsula region includes over 1,800 km of coastline.  This represents about 33% of the entire coastline of South Australia.  The Eyre Peninsula NRM region contains over 100 different parks and reserves.

This region was previously called West region.

There are a total of 74 parks in this region, comprising of 3 National Parks, and 71 Conservation Parks.  They are as follows:

This region does not appear to be divided into Districts.

  1. Acraman Creek CP
  2. Avoid Bay Islands CP
  3. Baird Bay Islands CP
  4. Barwell CP
  5. Bascombe Well CP
  6. Boondinna CP
  7. Calpatanna Waterhole CP
  8. Cap Island CP
  9. Cape Blanche CP
  10. Caralue Bluff CP
  11. Carapee Hill CP
  12. Chadinga CP
  13. Cocata CP
  14. Coffin Bay NP
  15. Corrobinnie Hill CP
  16. Darke Range CP
  17. Eba Island CP
  18. Fowlers Bay CP
  19. Franklin Harbor CP
  20. Gambier Islands CP
  21. Gawler Ranges CP
  22. Gawler Ranges NP
  23. Greenly Island CP
  24. Heggarton CP
  25. Hincks CP
  26. Kathai CP
  27. Kellidie Bay CP
  28. Kulliparu CP
  29. Lake Gilles CP
  30. Lake Newland CP
  31. Laura Bay CP
  32. Lincoln NP
  33. Lincoln CP
  34. Lipson Island CP
  35. Malgra CP
  36. Middlecamp Hills CP
  37. Moody Tank CP
  38. Mount Dutton Bay CP
  39. Munyaroo CP
  40. Murrunatta CP
  41. Neptune Islands CP
  42. Nicholas Baudin Island CP
  43. Nuyts Archipelago CP
  44. Nuyts Reef CP
  45. Olive Island CP
  46. Peachna CP
  47. Pigface Island CP
  48. Pinkawillinie CP
  49. Point Bell CP
  50. Point Labbatt CP
  51. Rocky Island (North) CP
  52. Rocky Island (South) CP
  53. Ruddall CP
  54. Sceale Bay CP
  55. Searcy Bay CP
  56. Shannon CP
  57. Sheoak Hill CP
  58. Sinclair Island CP
  59. Sir Joseph Banks Group CP
  60. Sleaford Mere CP
  61. The Plug Range CP
  62. Tucknott Scrub CP
  63. Tumby Island CP
  64. Venus Bay CP
  65. Verran Tanks CP
  66. Wahgunyah CP
  67. Waldegrave Islands CP
  68. Wanilla CP
  69. Wanilla Land Settlement CP
  70. Wharminda CP
  71. Whidbey Isles CP
  72. Whyalla CP
  73. Wittelbee CP
  74. Yeldulknie CP

DEWNR offices for this region exist at Port Lincoln and Ceduna.

EPNRM region map

image courtesy of http://www.epnrm.sa.gov.au

Kangaroo Island

The Kangaroo Island region encompasses Kangaroo Island which is about 15 km off the coastline of the southern Fleruieu Peninsula.  The island covers an area of 4,370 square km.  Off all the South Australian agricultural regions, Kangaroo Island contains the highest proportion of remnant vegetation.  In fact, about 40% of the island is taken up by native vegetation.

The Kangaroo Island Region only contains one district.  And that is Kangaroo Island.

There is a total of 22 parks in this region, comprising 1 National Park, and 21 Conservation Parks. They are as follows:

  1. Baudin CP
  2. Beatrice Islet CP
  3. Beyeria CP
  4. Busby Islet CP
  5. Cape Gantheaume CP
  6. Cape Willoughby CP
  7. Cygnet Estuary CP
  8. Dudley CP
  9. Flinders Chase NP
  10. Kelly Hill CP
  11. Lashmar CP
  12. Lathami CP
  13. Lesueur CP
  14. Mount Taylor CP
  15. Nepean Bay CP
  16. Parndana CP
  17. Pelican Lagoon CP
  18. Seal Bay CP
  19. Seddon CP
  20. Simpson CP
  21. The Pages CP
  22. Vivonne Bay CP

A DEWNR office for this region exists at Kingscote.

Screenshot 2014-06-18 23.05.02

Image courtesy of Kangaroo Island NRM Plan 2009 

Northern and Yorke

The Northern and Yorke region totals 34,500 square km or more than 3 million hectares.  It encompasses the Yorke Peninsula, the northern Mount Lofty Ranges, the southern Flinders Ranges, and significant areas of Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent.

This region is divided into three districts as follows:

  • Upper North
  • Lower North
  • Yorke Peninsula

There are a total of 24 parks in this region, comprising of 2 National Parks, and 22 Conservation Parks. They are as follows:

  1. Althorpe Islands CP
  2. Bird Islands CP
  3. Black Rock CP
  4. Carribie CP
  5. Clements Gap CP
  6. Clinton CP
  7. Goose Island CP
  8. Innes NP.
  9. Leven Beach CP
  10. Martindale Hall CP
  11. Minlacowie CP
  12. Mount Brown CP
  13. Mount Remarkable NP.
  14. Mount Brown CP
  15. Point Davenport CP
  16. Ramsay CP
  17. Spring Gully CP
  18. Telowie Gorge CP
  19. The Dutchmans Stern CP
  20. Troubridge Island CP
  21. Warrenben CP
  22. Wills Creek CP
  23. Winninowie CP
  24. Yalpara CP

A DEWNR for this region office exists at Clare.

Screenshot 2014-06-18 23.08.44

Image courtesy of http://www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au

South Australian Arid Lands

This area covers over half of South Australia and takes up the state’s north east corner to its borders with New South Wales, Queensland, and the Northern Territory.  The population within this semi arid region comprises less than 2% of the State’s entire population.

This region is divided into the following 6 districts:

  • Gawler Ranges
  • Kingoonya
  • Marla-Oodnadatta
  • Marree-Innamincka
  • North Flinders
  • North East

There are a total of 15 parks in this region, comprising of 7 National Parks, and 8 Conservation Parks in this region. They are as follows:

  1. Bimbowrie CP
  2. Breakaways CP
  3. Coongie Lakes NP.
  4. Ediacara CP
  5. Elliott Price CP
  6. Flinders Ranges NP.
  7. Ironstone Hill CP
  8. Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre NP
  9. Lake Gairdner NP
  10. Lake Torrens NP
  11. Pualco Range CP
  12. Simpson Desert CP
  13. Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges NP
  14. Wabma Kadarbu Mound Springs CP
  15. Witjira NP

A DEWNR office exists at Port Augusta.

Screenshot 2014-06-19 11.37.58

Map courtesy of http://www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au

South Australian Murray-Darling Basin

The SA Murray-Darlling Basin region extends from where the mighty Murray River crosses the South Australian/Victorian border, down to where the Murray meets the sea at the Coorong.  The region covers 70,000 square km.

This region was previously known as Murraylands and contained a number of parks that were in the old Adelaide area, e.g. Kyeema Conservation Park and parks that were in the old Northern & Yorke region including Mkotoa CP and Red Banks CP.

The region is divided into the following 4 districts:

  • Rangelands
  • Ranges to River
  • Riverland
  • Mallee & Coorong

There are a total of 46 parks in this region, comprising 2 National Parks, and 44 Conservation Parks. They are as follows:

  1. Bakara CP
  2. Bandon CP
  3. Billiatt CP
  4. Brookfield CP
  5. Bullock Hill CP
  6. Carcuma CP
  7. Caroona Creek CP
  8. Cooltong CP
  9. Coorong NP
  10. Cox Scrub CP
  11. Danggali CP
  12. Ettrick CP
  13. Ferries McDonald CP
  14. Finnis CP
  15. Hesperilla CP
  16. Hogwash Bend CP
  17. Hopkins Creek CP
  18. Kapunda Island CP
  19. Karte CP
  20. Kyeema CP
  21. Lowan CP
  22. Maize Island CP
  23. Marne Valley CP
  24. Media Island CP
  25. Mokota CP
  26. Monarto CP
  27. Morgan CP
  28. Mount Magnificent CP
  29. Mowantjie Willauwar CP
  30. Murray River NP
  31. Ngarkat CP
  32. Ngaut Ngaut CP
  33. Pandappa CP
  34. Peebinga CP
  35. Pike River CP
  36. Pooginook CP
  37. Poonthie Ruwe CP
  38. Ramco Point CP
  39. Red Banks CP
  40. Ridley CP
  41. Rilli Island CP
  42. Roonka CP
  43. Salt Lagoon Islands CP
  44. Scott CP
  45. Swan Reach CP
  46. White Dam CP

DEWNR offices exist at Murray Bridge and Berri.

Screenshot 2014-06-18 23.18.03

South East

The South East region covers an area of about 28,000 square km.  It is bounded by the Victorian border to the east, the Southern Ocean to the south, and the Coorong to the west.

The region has three Districts:

  • Southern
  • Central
  • Northern.

Three parks in this region overlap with the SA Murray-Darlling Basin.  They are: Carcuma Conservation Park, Coorong Conservation Park, and Ngarkat Conservation Park.

There are a total of 57 parks in the South East region, comprising 2 National Parks, and 55 Conservation Parks. They are as follows:

  1. Aberdour CP
  2. Bangham
  3. Baudin Rocks
  4. Beachport
  5. Belt Hill
  6. Big Heath
  7. Butcher Gap CP
  8. Calectasia CP
  9. Canunda NP
  10. Carpenter Rocks CP
  11. Christmas Rocks CP
  12. Custon CP
  13. Desert Camp CP
  14. Dingley Dell CP
  15. Douglas Point CP
  16. Ewens Ponds CP
  17. Fairview CP
  18. Furner CP
  19. Geegeela CP
  20. Glen Roy CP
  21. Gower CP
  22. Grass Tree CP
  23. Guichen Bay CP
  24. Gum Lagoon CP
  25. Hacks Lagoon CP
  26. Hanson Scrub CP
  27. Jip Jip CP
  28. Kelvin Powrie CP
  29. Kungari CP
  30. Lake Frome CP
  31. Lake Hawdon South CP
  32. Lake St Clair CP
  33. Little Dip CP
  34. Lower Glenelg River CP
  35. Martin Washpool CP
  36. Mary Seymour CP
  37. Messent CP
  38. Mount Boothby CP
  39. Mount Monster CP
  40. Mount Scott CP
  41. Mullinger Swamp CP
  42. Narracoorte Caves NP
  43. Nene Valley CP
  44. Padthaway CP
  45. Penambol CP
  46. Penguin Island CP
  47. Penola CP
  48. Piccaninnie Ponds CP
  49. Pine Hill Soak CP
  50. Reedy Creek CP
  51. Talapar CP
  52. Tantanoola Caves CP
  53. Telford Scrub CP
  54. Tilley Swamp CP
  55. Vivigani Ardune CP
  56. Woakwine CP
  57. Wolsley Common CP

A DEWNR office exists at Mount Gambier.

Screenshot 2014-06-18 23.24.30

Image courtesy of http://www.senrm.sa.gov.au

In summary.

So there you go.  I have probably completely confused you.  But I do hope it has shed some light on the parks system here in South Australia.

Finally, do not rely on all the information that you find on some of the ‘official’ websites on the internet.  I have found some of them to be incomplete.  For example I found a total of 20 Conservation Parks in the Adelaide & Mt Lofty Ranges District that were not recorded on the list on the NRM website for that Region.

Also, do not rely on Google maps.  It does not show up all of the Conservation Parks  Try using one of the following…..

http://mapcarta.com http://www.naturemaps.sa.gov.au

http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/haveyoursay/fire-management-assessment

For more information on parks in South Australia, please see the National Parks South Australia website at…..

http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/Home

Or the Natural Resources website at…..

http://www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/home

National Parks South Australia also has a Facebook site should you be interested…..

https://www.facebook.com/ParksSA/info

They also have an app called My Parx, which I will review in an upcoming post.

http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/marineparks/home/media/articles/130201-my-parx

Resources.

Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/Home Natural Resources, http://www.epa.sa.gov.au/soe_2013/main/intro-overview-of-south.html

WorldWide Flora and Fauna (WWFF)

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This blog is just a quick reminder to all about the…..

World Wide Flora & Fauna (WWFF) program.

The WWFF program encourages portable operation from designated nature parks and protected nature areas around the world.  There are currently 39 participating countries in the WWFF program, in Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Asia, & Oceania.

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The WWFF program commenced in late 2012, after being re-named and ‘rebadged’.  It was previously known as World Flora Fauna (WFF).  The Australian (VKFF) program commenced in March, 2013.  I am the Australian co-ordinator.

In Australia, the qualifying areas for WWFF are National Parks.  There are currently over 730 National Parks recorded on the Australian (VKFF) list, so there is certainly no shortage of available parks here in Australia.  Over 100  parks were added to the VKFF list earlier this year.  These parks had initially been left off the original list compiled at the commencement of the WFF program.

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More information on the WWFF program can be located at the WWFF global website at…..

http://www.wwff.co

And for information on the Australian (VKFF) program, please have a look at…..

http://www.wwffaustralia.com

What parks can you activate in Australia?

As mentioned, qualifying parks in Australia are National Parks.  You can view a list of all qualifying Australian National Parks on the VKFF website mentioned above.  You can also download a list from there as well.  Or you can download the entire WWFF Directory from the global WWFF website.  This will show you all qualifying parks around the world.

Please note, that only Australian National Parks established and gazetted before 2008 qualify at this stage.  As more parks are activated, I will be allowed to add the newly established parks.

What do you need to do to qualify a park?

There are two distinct areas in WWFF.  They are the global rules and awards system, and then there is the relevant National rules and awards system.

Why two systems?  Some countries do not have National representation.  However, this does not preclude amateurs from activating designated parks that appear in the WWFF Directory, that are located in those countries.  So in those instances the global WWFF rules and apply.  Basically this means that you require 44 QSOs over a 2 hour operating period.  This can be accumulative.  The WWFF global council, of which I am on, offer WWFF global awards.

However, some countries have National representation and have their own National rules and offer their own National awards.  This is the case with the Australian (VKFF) program.  To qualify an Australian National Park for the VKFF program, you only need 10 QSOs over a 30 minute activation period.  Again, this can be accumulated.

Sof if you are lucky enough to operate for 2 hours (includes establishing the station) and get your 44 + QSOs, then not only have you qualified the park under the global rules, but you have certainly well and truly activated the park under the VKFF rules.  The bonus is that you are well on your way to at least 2 different award certificates…a global one, and also a VKFF National certificate.

So once you’ve activated a qualifying National Park, what do you need to do?

You need to send me a copy of your activator log in either ADIF format or by using the csv file template (mentioned below).  The log will then be uploaded to the WWFF LogSearch.  Please send the log to my email address at…..

simmopa@iprimus.com.au

What do you need to do as a park Hunter?

The answer is nothing.  Unlike some other programs, you do not need to have anything uploaded to LogSearch if you are a Hunter.

So what is LogSearch?

A pivotal part of the WWFF program is the LogSearch facility, which enables activators to have their logs uploaded electronically by WWFF National co-ordinators.  Through LogSearch, WWFF Activators and Hunters can view their progress in the WWFF program, and apply for awards on line.

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There are currently 3,890,424 QSOs in the LogSearch database, from 5,255 different references in 80 DXCCs.  It is a big data base!

LogSearch can be found at…..

http://logsearch.wwff.co/index.php

For more information on LogSearch and its features, you will find a file in the FILES section of the WWFF Australia Yahoo group.  The file is called ‘What is WWFF LogSearch?’ which I compiled on 27th March, 2014.  It explains LogSearch in full and is a good reference.

How do I send a log?

I need an ADIF file of your activation.

Or you can send your activation log to me as a csv file.

Option 1.  ADIF.

ADIF stands for Amateur Data Interchange Format.  ADIF is an open standard for exchange of data between ham radio software packages available from different vendors.

If you submit an ADIF file for upload to the LogSearch facility, please see the required information below…..

Required

o DATE
o BAND
o MODE
o CALL Hunter call-sign

Optional

o TIME_ON Not used
o STATION_CALLSIGN Activator station call-sign used on the air
o OPERATOR Activator operator’s personal home-call
o MY_SIG Reference eg VKFF-xxx

Option 2.  csv file

If you do not run an electronic log, then the second option is to send me a csv file (comma-separated value, or sometimes called character-separated value).  All csv files are supported by all spreadsheet programs such as Excel, OpenOffice, Google Docs spreadsheets, etc.

Andrew 2E0GFF (formerly M6ADB) has placed a template Excel file in the FILES section of the WWFF Australia Yahoo group, that can be used to submit for LogSearch.  It needs to be saved as a csv file prior to sending it to me for upload.  A single log file can be used for multiple activities/references!

You may see some abbreviations in the Excel file.

EOH = End of Header

EOR = End of Row

EOF = End of File.

Screenshot 2014-06-23 17.00.53

 

WWFF global awards.

As mentioned, the WWFF global council offers ‘global’ awards.  These are available for FREE as a PDF files via the WWFF LogSearch facility.  For more information on these awards, please see the WWFF global website.

H 132 VK5PAS 2014 532

The WWFF global team have also recently initiated some new awards and there are others on the drawing board.  Again, further information on these awards can be found on the website.

Other National awards.

The participating National programs in WWFF also maintain various national award programs for hunters and activators.  For details on these, please check out the ‘WWFF National Awards’ page on the WWFF global website.

WFF UK Gold Award

VKFF Awards

The Australian (VKFF) program also offers their own special certificates.  For Activators and Hunters there are five levels:

  1. Bronze (10 different VKFF areas)
  2. Silver (20 different VKFF areas)
  3. Gold (30 different VKFF areas)
  4. Platinum (40 different VKFF areas)
  5. Diamond (50 different VKFF areas).

The certificates can be applied for online via LogSearch and are sent for FREE as a PDF.  Or if you do not have a printer, I can print the certificate and mail it to you at a coast of $5.00.  The certificates are printed on A4 high quality photo paper on my Epson Artisan 730 printer.

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I have also just recently introduced the VKFF DX Hunter award and the VKFF Worked All Australia award.  More details on these two new awards can be found on the WWFF Australia website.

Thankyou.

I would like to say thank you to two active VK1 amateurs: Andrew VK1NAM and Ian VK1DI, for their efforts in promoting the WWFF program.

Andrew has been regularly submitting his logs to me for upload to LogSearch, and has also mentioned the WWFF / VKFF program a number of times on this WordPress site…..

http://vk1nam.wordpress.com

Ian has also been regularly submitting his logs and has also mentioned WWFF / VKFF a number of times on his blog.  Ian has also done some excellent work with mapping all of the VKFF reference areas.   These files can be downloaded from the FILES section of the WWFF Australia Yahoo group.

http://vk1di.blogspot.com.au

And also to two active VK3 amateurs: Tony VK3VTH, and Peter VK3ZPF, who have both been busy activating VKFF parks in Victoria, and working lots of DX along the way.  Both have regularly supplied their logs and their tallies on LogSearch are looking very healthy.

And there are many other Australian amateurs who have now embraced VKFF activations.  Thanks to all.

Summary.

So there you go.  If you would like to combine your love for great outdoors and enjoy travelling to beautiful locations around Australia, whilst combining the hobby of amateur radio.  Then WWFF may be for you.

Many SOTA peaks are located within National Parks.  Mapping files & spreadsheets showing a correlation between peaks and parks can be located in the Files section of the WWFF Australia Yahoo group at…..

https://au.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/wwffaustralia/info

Additionally, you can combine WWFF with the Keith Roget Memorial National Parks Award and the VK5 National and Conservation Parks Award.

Happy park activating and hunting!

New VKFF Worked All Australia certificate

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Other than the recent VKFF DX Hunter award, I have also introduced the following VKFF award…..

VKFF Worked All Australia.

The certificate is issued to amateurs around the world who make contact with VKFF areas in all Australian States and Territories.

There will also be an equivalent VKFF Activated All Australia certificate on offer.

Worked All Australia example

The qualifying Australian States and Territories and the minimum number of contacts required by VK operators are as follows…..

  • VK0 (Australian Antarctica, Heard Island, MacQuarie Island) – 2 VKFF areas
  • VK1 (Australian Capital Territory) – 1 VKFF area 
  • VK2 (New South Wales) – 5 VKFF areas
  • VK3 (Victoria) – 5 VKFF areas
  • VK4 (Queensland) – 5 VKFF areas
  • VK5 (South Australia) – 5 VKFF areas
  • VK6 (Western Australia) – 5 VKFF areas
  • VK7 (Tasmania) – 5 VKFF areas
  • VK8 (Northern territory) – 3 VKFF areas
  • VK9 (Christmas Island, Cocos Keeling Islands (includes Pulu Keeling National Park), Rowley Shoals, Lord Howe Island, Willis Islands, Mellish Reef, Norfolk Island) – 2 VKFF areas

That equates to a total of 37 different VKFF areas.  Hard, some of you are saying?  Well maybe not.  Check out the WWFF LogSearch facility and you might be surprised whose log is uploaded there.  I have been chasing down a lot of the DX petitions that have activated VK0 & VK9 locations over the years, and there are many logs recorded there.  So you may be closer than you think.

 

The qualifying Australian States and territories and the minimum number of contacts required by overseas operators are as follows…..

  • VK0 (Australian Antarctica, Heard Island, MacQuarie Island) – 1 VKFF area.
  • VK1 (Australian Capital Territory) – 1 VKFF area 
  • VK2 (New South Wales) – 2 VKFF areas
  • VK3 (Victoria) – 2 VKFF areas
  • VK4 (Queensland) – 2 VKFF areas
  • VK5 (South Australia) – 2 VKFF areas
  • VK6 (Western Australia) – 2 VKFF areas 
  • VK7 (Tasmania) – 2 VKFF areas
  • VK8 (Northern territory) – 1 VKFF area
  • VK9 (Christmas Island, Cocos Keeling Island, Lord Howe Island, Willis Islands, Mellish Reef, Norfolk Island) – 1 VKFF area

That is 16 different VKFF references for the overseas operators.

New WWFF global award now available.

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The World Wide Flora Fauna program (WWFF) are pleased to announce a new WWFF award aimed at activators working from different DXCC entities.  It is the DXFF Activator Award.

The certificates have been designed by Pit YO3JW and has been coded into the WWFF LogSearch award application module by Andrew 2E0GFF.

The certificates are issued in increments of 3.  In other words, activate a WWFF reference area in 3 DXCC entities, 6 DXCC entities, 9 DXCC entities, etc.

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There are a number of other new WWFF global award certificates under development for both Activators and Hunters.

Keep updated via the WWFF global website at…..

http://www.wwff.co

These new awards will be on top of the WWFF global award certificates already issued, namely the WWFF Activator and WWFF Hunter certificates.

Remember, that these awards are issued by the WWFF global Committee.  They are separate to the National awards on offer by many participating countries in the WWFF program, which includes Australia (VKFF).

New VKFF DX Hunter certificate

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I have started initiating some more certificates for the VKFF program of the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program.  One of those is the VKFF DX Hunter certificate.

The VKFF DX Hunter certificates will soon be available on-line via the WWFF LogSearch.  As such it will be available for free via a PDF, or I can print it out for you for $5.00 and mail it.  The certificate will be printed on high quality gloss photo paper.

It is issued to Australian amateurs only, for making contact with amateurs operating in various WWFF areas located in different DXCC entities.  The certificates will be issued in increments of 5 DXCC entities.

It is hoped that this award will encourage more Australian operators to make contact with overseas WWFF activators.

VK5PAS VKFF DX Hunter 20

SOTA and balloons

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Yesterday, I had a listen for Larry VK5LY and Ian VK5CZ who activated Mount Cone, VK5/ SE-002, in the mid north of South Australia.  They were up there to track the progress of the Wilkins1 balloon and act as a VHF relay station.

Larry and Ian had hoped to activate the summit a lot earlier than they did, but they were held at bay by ‘Hughey’ and had to wait for a break in the weather.  Larry had given me a call and Ian had sent me a few e-mails to advise that the rain was quite heavy and it was blowing a gale.  Not much different to when I activated Mount Cone with Ian last year.  It is a very windy exposed summit, overlooking Burra.

Larry is big into his APRS and he helped me also set up APRS on my tablet.  It was interesting to track Larry’s progress on his way to the summit.  Below is a screen shot of Larry’s progress, parked just down below the summit.  I am going to get my head around APRS, and start using this a lot more often.

Screenshot 2014-06-16 10.12.37

It was also very interesting to track the progress of the Wilkins 1 high altitude balloon which was launched from the Burra Community School as part of the UniSA Connect program.  The ballon was fitted with a high definition camera and tracking system.   The balloon weighs 500 grams.

I tracked the progress of the balloon on…..

http://spacenear.us/tracker/

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Below is a screen shot showing the flight path of the Horus test balloon which was released first, and then Wilkins 1.

Screenshot 2014-06-16 15.05.11

Click on the link below to view some pictures of this balloon launch…..

https://imgur.com/a/XBs8f

For information on Project Horus, which is a high altitude balloon project based in Adelaide, have a look at…..

http://projecthorus.org

Latest WWFF certificate

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Here is my latest certificate for the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program.  And no that’s not me on the certificate!

This certificate comes from The Romanian Amateur Radio Society and is DXFF.  It is issued for making contact with amateur radio stations from various nature reserves located in 20 different DXCC entities World Wide.

It is an excellent example of how the WWFF system works.  WWFF offers global awards, and then on top of that, many of the National representative countries offer their own awards.  The Romanian Amateur Radio Society being one.

More information on WWFF can be found on the global website at…..

http://www.wwff.co

Or on the Australian (VKFF) website at…..

http://www.wwffaustralia.com

Should you more information on the Romanian DXFF award certificates, here is the link…..

http://wff-yo.blogspot.com.au/2010/06/o-noua-diploma-oferita-de-yoff.html

DXFF 20 VK5PAS 2014 N006 M

My portable antenna/s

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I have been sent a few emails in the past few weeks, and asked on air many times about what antennas I use whilst I am out portable.  So here is a short blog about what I use out in the field.

The very first antenna I used on a SOTA activation was a Chinese version of the Buddistick, called the PMSA-12, which has a multi band loading coil.  The antenna comes in a nice fabric bag and its total weight is just 1.4 kg.  The antenna is rated for maximum power of 100 watts and its total set up length is 410 cm.  I purchased this antenna via ebay.

I had heard about this vertical antenna from Marshall VK3MRG who had used it, and continues to use it, with success.

The first time I used this antenna was whilst I was operating portable on VK5/ SE-016 on the Fleurieu Peninsula of South Australia in March 2013.  This was an un-announced activation and my first ever SOTA activation.  In fact it was my first ever portable activation.  I managed to get 7 contacts whilst running the Yaesu FT-817nd and QRP 5 watts.  Signal reports were okay into the eastern states.

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Although the antenna was quick to deploy, I found that the ground radials were a bit of an annoyance and impacted heavily on the VSWR.  I had to use my Rig Expert antenna analyser to get things just right.  So for me it was not the perfect portable antenna which allowed me to get on air quickly.

On my second SOTA operation, this time from Mount Lofty summit, VK5/ SE-005, in March 2013, I again used the vertical.  The vertical performed well, with 14 contacts including 2 QSOs into Western Australia, 1 into Queensland, 1 into Tasmania, and the remaining were in VK5.  Considering I was running QRP, just 5 watts, the signal reports were very good.  But again, getting the radials just right was an annoyance.

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On my third SOTA activation at Mount Gawler, VK5/ SE-013, in April 2013, I again used the vertical.  But half way through the activation, I changed over to a linked dipole which I had purchased a week or two earlier, from SOTABeams in the UK.  The antenna is called a Band Hopper II which is designed for use on 40 metres and 20 metres.  It is power rated for 125 watts.  Although I have never run anywhere near that amount of power through the antenna.

The linked dipole was supported by a 7 metre heavy duty squid pole and in an inverted vee configuration.  The signal reports I received back from the eastern states, were no comparison to the vertical.  They were much better.  I have never looked back since.

So, what is a linked dipole?

A linked dipole is a very good portable antenna that gives you a very efficient dipole on certain bands.  To select/change bands, you simply need to connect or disconnect sections of the dipole, depending on what band you are operating on.  This lengthens or shortens the antenna to make it resonant on a particular band.

IMGA0129

I have never used a tuner with this antenna.  The coax simply plugs straight into the transceiver.  I have found the VSWR to be about 1.1:1 across the SSB portion of both the 40m and 20m bands.  It is lightweight and has a total weight of 450 grams.

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The SOTABeams Band Hopper antenna uses RG174 coax and comes with a 10 metre feeder.  RG174 is very thin and needs to be treated with a degree of care.  However I have found it to be very good and because it is light weight it does not place any strain on the squid pole.  Personally, I’ve found RG58 to be okay if you are park portable.  But some of the summits I have activated from have been incredibly windy and the RG58 has placed just that extra bit of strain on the squid pole.  To prevent the coax from flapping around in the wind I always use a piece of velcroe strapping to secure the coax to the squid pole.

IMG_07951__87370.1347951973.1280.1280

The SOTABeams antenna comes preterminated in a BNC plug, which is handy for use with the Yaesu FT-817nd which comes with a front BNC connector or a rear UHF SO-239 connector. If not simply use an adaptor plug.

ft817nd

Minolta DSC

The ends of the antenna each have sufficient lengths of rope with plastic wire winders.  The ropes are nylon braided and are 4 metres (13 feet) in length each.  The ends can be tied off to nearby trees, pegged to the ground, or you can use rocks to weight down the wire winders.

There was a recent straw poll on the SOTA Yahoo group and this showed that the linked dipole was the favoured antenna by SOTA activators.  Since that time, I’ve found that most of the park activators are also using linked dipoles.  They have a number of advantages including:

  • easy to change bands
  • easy to repair and maintain – including in the field
  • the antenna provides two of the guys for your mast (squid pole)
  • no ATU required
  • packs up easily – no parts to loose.

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Images courtesy of sotabeams.

What squid pole do I use?

I use the 7 metre heavy duty squid poles that can be purchased from Haverfords in Sydney.

http://www.haverford.com.au/telescopic-poles.html

The Haverfords squid poles come with a rubber knob on the top.  However these can be removed if desired.

telescopic1

Image courtesy of http://www.haverford.com.au

These squid poles are very strong.  I have only snapped one, and that was whilst I was activating Hallet Hill VK5/ SE-003, with Ian VK5CZ.  The wind was well and truly above 60 kph on the top of that summit and the squid pole snapped at the weakest point where I had attached it to the trig point.

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How do you secure the antenna to the squid pole?

There are a variety of different methods of attaching the antenna to the top of the squid pole.  I use a piece of velcroe string which is tied to the top of the squid pole and inserts through a hole in the perspex centre piece.  Ian VK5CZ uses a wall plug with a hook inserted into the wall plug, which neatly slides into the top of the squid pole (with the knob removed).

Which direction to I erect the antenna?

I normally don’t get too flustered about what orientation the antenna is in.  At this height, the antenna is pretty much omni directional.

As a club, we at the Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Club (AHARS) are planning a construction day, when a group of us can construct some linked dipoles, and then try them out in a park or on a summit the following day.

Want some more information on linked dipoles?  Here is a link to Peter VK3ZPF’s blog re his linked dipole…..

http://vk3zpf.com/link-dipole

And Andy VK5LA’s WordPress site about his home brew linked dipole…..

http://vk5la.wordpress.com/2013/10/07/putting-together-a-link-dipole-for-sota/

And here is John VK5BJE’s blog…..

http://vk5bje.com/2013/08/14/my-equipment/

And finally Peter VK3PF…..

https://vk3pf.wordpress.com/2013/11/16/a-lightweight-link-dipole/comment-page-1/

If you google linked dipole, there are hundreds of sites that should provide you a lot of information on these very good performing antennas.

 

References.

SOTABEAMS, https://store-qc1afpvf.mybigcommerce.com/linked-dipoles/