Our first park for Sunday 11th November 2018 was the Welshmans Plain Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2482, which is located about 71 km east of Murrayville, and about 487 km north west of Melbourne.
This was again, to be a brand new park for all hunters in the WWFF program. It had never previously been activated.
Above:- Map showing the location of the Welshmans Plain Nature Conservation Reserve. Map courtesy of Protected Planet.
The Welshmans Plain Nature Conservation Reserve is about 2.34 km2 in size. It is located on Welshmans Plain Road south of Underbool. I was unable to find very much information on the park on the internet.
During our visit to the park we spotted two Rainbow Bee Eaters. Unfortunately they were quite skittish, so I wasn’t able to get all that close. I was relying upon the zoom lens for the 2 photos below. Were we set up, the gum trees were alive with Swallows.
We set up on the eastern side of Welshman Plains Road, north of Lynch Road.
Above:- Aerial shot of the Welshmans Plain NCR, showing our operating spot. Image courtesy of Protected Planet.
There was a cleared area here, where we could drive off the road and get underneath the shade of some gum trees.
Marija started off the activation, logging Alan VK3ALN/p who was activating the Point Nepean National Park VKFF-0628. After logging Alan, Marija moved up to 7.160 and started calling CQ. This was answered by Peter VK3PF, then Brett VK2VW, and then Keith VK2PKT. Marija soon had 10 contacts in the log, with a QSO with Les VK5KLV in Port Augusta. Marija’s final contact, was another Park to Park, with Tony VK3XV/p in the Gunbower National Park VKFF-0740.
I then jumped on the mic and started calling CQ. Peter VK3PF was first in the log, followed by Greg VK2EXA, and then Andrew VK7DW. Contact number 10 for me was a QSO with Cliff VK2NP. I logged 22 stations on 40m, before the VK4 WIA broadcast came up on 7.158, 2 kc below me. The signal was so strong, that I moved up to 7.165 where I logged a further 4 stations, including special event station VI2LWF, and a Park to Park with Tony VK3XV/p in the Gunbower National Park VKFF-0740.
Whilst I was on air, Fred VK4FE phoned and spoke with Marija, and gave me permission to use VI100PEACE.
Marija and I took some time out at 11.00 a.m. local time for 2 minutes of silence for Remembrance Day.
I then operated as VI100PEACE for about 45 minutes and logged a total of 34 stations on 20m, 40m, & 80m. This included a Park to Park on 40m with Alan VK3ALN/p in the Point Nepean National Park VKFF-0628, and a Park to Park on 80m with John VK5FLEA/p in the Giles Conservation Park VKFF-0884. I also logged Geoff ZL3GA/p who was activating SOTA peak ZL3/ CB-806. Geoff was running QRP 5 watts and was a good 5/5 signal. He gave me a 5/9 to his New Zealand summit. Below are some photos which Geoff took during his activation.
Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-
- VK3ALN/p (Point Nepean National Park VKFF-0628)
- VK3PF
- VK2VW
- VK2PKT
- VK4SMA
- VK2IO/m
- VK3TNL
- VK2KYO
- VK2HHA
- VK5KLV
- VK3XV/p (Gunbower National Park VKFF-0740)
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB as VK5PAS:-
- VK3PF
- VK2EXA
- VK7DW
- VK2KYO
- VK2HHA
- VK2PKT
- VK3HSB
- VK2SR
- VK5KLV
- VK2NP
- VK4TJ
- VK4/AC8WN
- VK4/VE6XT
- VK7FRJG
- VK2KEL
- VK1DI
- VK4SMA
- VK3FIAN
- VK5PL
- VK2XXM
- VK3MAB
- VK2FBKR
- VI2LWF
- VK3LTL
- VK3XV/p (Gunbower National Park VKFF-0740)
- VK3HOT
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB as VK5PAS:-
- ZL3GA/p (SOTA ZL3/ CB-806)
I worked the following stations on 40m SSB as VI100PEACE:-
- VK3ALN/p (Point Nepean National Park VKFF-0628)
- VK2VW
- VK2PKT
- VK3FLEZ
- VK3PF
- VK3LTL
- VK2NP
- VK5KLV
- VK3LJD
- VK2UXO
- VK3UH
- VK3MKE
- VK3CWF
- VK3MET
- VK2NN
- VK3TKK/m
- VK5KPR
- VK5DW
- VK3JDA
- VK5HS
- VK3FIAN
- VK3NCC
- VK3PZ
- VK2EXA
- VK7KT/m
I worked the following stations on 80m SSB as VI100PEACE:-
- VK3MKE
- VK5HS
- VK5FANA
- VK3SQ
- VK5FLEA/p (Giles Conservation Park VKFF-0884)
I worked the following stations on 20m SSB as VI100PEACE:-
- ZL3GA/p (SOTA ZL3/ CB-806)
- VK4TJ
- VK2YK
- VK6ADF
References.
Protected Planet, 2018, <https://www.protectedplanet.net/welshmans-plain-f-f-r-nature-conservation-reserve>, viewed 15th November 2018
VK5PAS 