Yesterday afternoon/evening (Friday 28th April 2017) I ventured out to the Monarto Conservation Park 5CP-138 & VKFF-0828, using the special call of VK5WOW.
All contacts with VK5WOW count towards the 2017 WIA AGM & Convention Award. More details can be found at…..
http://www.wia.org.au/members/wiaawards/agm2017/
This was the third time I have used VK5WOW. More times as an activator than I have logged the station unfortunately, due to close in propagation being non existant when others have used the call.
Monarto Conservation Park is just a short 20 minute drive down the South Eastern Freeway for me. The park is situated about 62 km east of Adelaide, and 30 km east of my home.

Map showing the location of the Monarto Conservation Park, east of Adelaide. Map courtesy of Protected Planet.
I have activated Monarto Conservation Park many times in the past. For information on those activations and more information on the park, please see my previous posts at…..
https://vk5pas.org/2016/10/16/2016-vkff-team-championship-and-monarto-cp-vkff-0828/
https://vk5pas.org/2015/04/27/monarto-conservation-park-vkff-828/
https://vk5pas.org/2015/01/31/monarto-cp-and-the-2nd-activation-afternoon/
https://vk5pas.org/2014/12/04/monarto-conservation-park-3/
https://vk5pas.org/2014/05/18/monarto-conservation-park-2/
https://vk5pas.org/2013/06/01/monarto-conservation-park/

Aerial shot showing the park with reference to my home QTH, 20 minutes down the road. Image courtesy of Google maps
I activated the park from my normal spot, the carpark in the north western corner of the park. I ran my normal portable station for this activation, consisting of the Yaesu FT-857d, 40 watts output, and the 80/40/20 m linked dipole, inverted vee, supported on the 7m heavy duty telescopic squid pole.
It was a dull and overcast afternoon with the temperature being 19 deg C. There were some dark clouds in the sky but no forecast of rain.

Aerial shot of the park, showing my operating spot. Image courtesy of Protected Planet.
I started off on 7.134 on the 40m band. I could not get onto my nominated operating frequency of 7.144 as there was an EA5 operating there. Although he was a good strong 5/8 signal, sadly he was unable to hear me. My first contact was a Park to Park contact with Greg VK4VXX/2 in the Sturt National Park VKFF-0470. You can always count on some amateurs giving you a shout during an activation, and Rick VK4RF/VK4HA is one of those. Rick was next in my log with his normal strong 5/9 signal. I worked 11 contacts into VK2, VK3, VK5 and VK7, and was then asked to QSY as I was causing interference to a European net on 7.137.
I QSYd up the band to 7.170. It was very hard to find a clear frequency on 40m, with good signals from VK and Europe. The first station logged on 7.170 was Brett VK2VW. This was followed by Danny ON4VT in Belgium who was calling in amongst the VK’s. Danny had a good 5/5 signal and gave me a 4/4 into Belgium. I went on to work a total of 26 stations on 7.170 from VK2, VK3, VK4, VK5, VK7 and Belgium. This included Gerard VK2IO/p, Park to Park, who was in Karuah National Park VKFF-0596. I was pleased that a handful of VK5’s appeared in the log, with close in propagation (within 50 km) possible.
I then headed off to 14.310 on the 20m band where I logged 14 stations including a little bit of DX from France, Czech Republic, Italy, and England. Long path conditions into Europe were less than ideal. I also had three Park to Park contacts: Gerard VK2IP/p in the Karuah National Park VKFF-0596; Neil VK4HNS/p in the Connondale National Park VKFF-0109; and Simon VK6MSC who was on SOTA peak VK6/ SW-036 in the Helena National Park VKFF-0645.
I then headed back to 7.170 on 40m where I logged a further 22 stations from VK1, VK2, VK3, VK4, VK5, VK6, VK7, VK8, and the USA. This included my good wife Marija VK5FMAZ who had just arrived home from work, and Mark AF6TC in California USA. Mark was to be my only North American contact for the activation.
I was also called by Simon VK6MSC, for a second band, on SOTA peak VK6/ SW-036 in the Helena National Park VKFF-0645. It’s always nice to log Western Australian stations. Here in Australia we take these sort of contacts for granted as local contacts. Although for me this is a distance of around 2,500 km.
It was now approaching 6.00 p.m. local time and it was almost dark, so I decided to try 80m again. This time I logged 22 stations on 80m, from VK1, VK2, VK3, VK4, VK5, and VK8. I was pleased to log my mate Greg VK8GM in Alice Springs who was a strong 5/9. I also made contact with Gerard VK2IO, for a third band, who was in Karuah National Park VKFF-0596.
As it was nearly 7.00 p.m. local time, I headed back to 40m for the commencement of the 7130 DX Net. Sadly, band conditions on 40m were less than ideal, and Roy VK7ROY the net control was struggling to hear me. I made just 6 contacts on the net into VK2, VK6, New Zealand and French Polynesia.
I decided to give 80m one last go before packing up and heading home for dinner. I called CQ on 3.610 and this was answered by Bill VK4FW, followed by Danny VK4SD/2, and then Zorro VK3ZIP. Next up was John VK3TCT who was in London in the UK, and was operating remote from his home station in Mildura Victoria. I logged a further 7 stations, and despite numerous CQ calls I had no further takers. The temperature was now down to 10 deg C and it was well and truly time to pack up and head home for something to eat.
I had a total of 113 contacts in the log and another successful park activation using VK5WOW, considering pretty average band conditions.
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK4VXX/2 (Sturt National Park VKFF-0470)
- VK4RF
- VK4HA
- VK2NEO
- VK3GGG
- VK3PMG
- VK5FAKV
- VK5ST
- VK7VDL
- VK2QR
- VK2SWL
- VK2BN
- ON4VT
- VK5GI
- VK4PDX
- VK5KLD
- VK5PET
- VK3PAT
- VK5KLV
- VK3ARH
- VK2NP
- VK7CW
- VK3FORD
- VK5FMLO
- VK3MCK
- VK3VKT/m
- VK3GMC
- VK4TJ
- VK2IO/p (Karuah National Park VKFF-0596)
- VK4ARW
- VK3FOWL
- VK3SRC
- VK3ZMD
- VK5HS
- VK5FANA
- VK4FW
- VK3VEF
- VK3YSP
- VK5FMAZ
- VK4FMAX
- VK7ZGK
- VK7JON
- VK2ZH
- VK7VZ/p
- VK1AD
- VK3FRAB
- VK4KUS
- VK7DW
- VK6MSC/p (SOTA VK6/ SW-036 & Helena National Park VKFF-0645)
- VK6QM
- AF6TC
- VK7FOLK
- VK3ZD
- VK3NCC/8
- VK4FAAJ
- VK3HKK
- VK7VDS
- VK4FAID
- VK4GMH
- ZL2ASH
- VK7ROY
- VK6VZZ/m
- FO5JV
- VK6WB
- VK2NED
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-
- VK5YX
- F4FEP
- VK6MAC/p
- OK2TS
- IK2ZJN
- IK8FIQ
- IU3FBL
- VK2IO/p (Karuah National Park VKFF-0596)
- VK4RZ
- VK4HNS/p (Connondale National Park VKFF-0109)
- VK6MSC/p (SOTA VK6/ SW-036 & Helena National Park VKFF-0645)
- VK2ZH
- F1BLL
- M5JON
I worked the following stations on 80m SSB:-
- VK3FQ
- VK5FMLO
- VK4ZD
- VK3ANL
- VK5KLV
- VK5ST
- VK4MAX
- VK4DI
- VK8GM
- VK5FANA
- VK5FMWW
- VK2NED
- VK3PKY
- VK5FWMT
- VK3FLAK
- VK4RZ
- VK3FPHG
- VK2IO/p (Karuah National Park VKFF-0596)
- VK3ERW
- VK3LDB
- VK5ALR
- VK1DI
- VK3PAT
- VK4FW
- VK4SD/2
- VK3ZIP
- VK3TCT
- VK5FRSM
- VK6VCK/p
- VK4QS
- VK6VET
- VK6VNZ
- VK2NCS
- VK2NEO