Here are a few interesting portable QSL cards I’ve received in the last couple of weeks.

The first is from the Zuid West Vlaamse Amateur Radio Club in BELGIUM.  They recently operated from the Tyne Cot cemetery.  I visited the cemetery last year in Jun 2014 during my Europe trip.  My good mates Marnix OP7M and Eddy ON6ZV took Marija and I all through Flanders Fields.  A very moving experience.

The second is from Inaki, EB2GKK who was operating from SOTA summit, Lapoblazion EA2/ NV-050 in SPAIN.

And the last is from Pedro NP4A in PUERTO RICO, who I have worked a few times now whilst I’ve been out portable (in Bullock Hill Conservation Park and Kenneth Stirling Conservation Park).

I received the following last night via email from Pit YO3JW.  A new Activator certificate for the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program for activating a total of 22 WWFF references.

On Thursday night (21st May 2015) I gave a quick presentation on the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program and the VK5 National and Conservation Parks Award.  It was just a quick 30 minute presentation to introduce the group to these 2 great park portable programs.

There were about 50 people in attendance including quite a few park activators and hunters, including John VK5BJE, David VK5KC, David VK5LSB, Doc VK5BUG, Greg VK5GJ, Norm VK5GI and David VK5AAH.

I took along my Yaesu FT857d, Yaesu FT817nd, a few antennas, a variety of power sources including SLAB battery, LiFePo, and 44 hour power pack, and also some certificates.

Photos above courtesy of John VK5EMI.

Hopefully it inspired a few more hams to get involved in portable activity.

Following the presentation, myself, John VK5BJE, David VK5KC, and Trevor VK5ATQ answered questions from the floor re our attendance at the recent 2015 WIA AGM in Canberra.

Last Thursday evening (21st May 2015) I attended the Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society (AHARS) general meeting.  I was to deliver a presentation that night on the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program, and the VK5 National and Conservation Parks Award.

But prior to my presentation I was called up by Barry VK5BW, the AHARS President, who gave me a very nice surprise.  It was a  ‘Certificate of Excellence’ from the WWFF Council.

Photo courtesy of John VK5EMI.

I learnt that the certificate had been sent all the way from Pit YO3JW in Romania, to Nick VK3ANL in Victoria and in turn it had been forwarded on to AHARS here in South Australia.  It came as a great surprise.

I would like to thank Pit and the rest of the WWFF Committee.  It was take great pride in my shack, along with my recent WIA Presidents certificate for my involvement in the WWFF program.

Here’s what appeared on the WWFF ‘global’ website……

And the WWFF Facebook site…..

I was very pleased to receive in the mail the other day, my certificate for the 2015 John Moyle Field Day (JMMFD).  I came first in the Single Operator, Phone Only, HF Band 6 hour operation (PORTABLE).

I headed down to the Coorong National Park for the JMMFD.  For information on the activation, please see…..

https://vk5pas.org/2015/03/23/coorong-np-and-the-john-moyle-field-day-2015/

Thanks to everyone that called me.

A few months ago, I announced that I would send out some participation certificates to the 41 amateurs who ventured out to activate a National and/or Conservation Park during the 2nd year anniversary of the VK5 National and Conservation Parks Award.  I started doing that today and they should all be emailed by tomorrow morning.

Here is what they look like…..

Again, thanks to all of the activators and hunters who participated.

There were a total of 111 park activations, and of those 81 were unique parks.  Not a bad effort.  And more than 3,000 QSOs were made.

Looking forward to next years event (the 3rd anniversary weekend).  The dates have not yet been finalised.

And here is another WWFF global certificate I recently received.  This is the DXFF certificate for working 30 different countries.

Whilst operating a few weeks ago in the Murray Sunset National Park I spoke with Andrew VK1DA who was portable on SOTA summit Mount Majura, VK1/ AC-034.  As a result of Andrew working me, Andrew has qualified for the Merit Award for the Keith Roget Memorial National Parks Award (KRMNPA), by working all 45 Victorian National Parks.

Other than the great certificate & plaque that Andrew will receive from Tony VK3VTH, I have also sent Andrew the certificate below to add to his ‘wallpaper’ collection.

Congratulations Andrew VK1DA.

I have received my most recent certificate for the World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) program.  This one is for working 220 different WWFF reference areas.

Thanks to all the park activators for getting out there in the field.

On Monday morning (11th May 2015), David VK5KC, Trevor VK5ATQ, and I were picked up outside of the motel by Andrew VK1NAM.  Andrew had organised with us the day before to take us up to Mount Stromlo, VK1/ AC-043 for a SOTA activation.  I was due to fly out of Canberra back to Adelaide later that afternoon.

Above:- Map showing the location of Mt Stromlo.  Image courtesy of mapcarta.com

Mount Stromlo, VK1/ AC-043, is 782 metres above sea level and is worth 1 SOTA point.  The summit is located just outside of Canberra and is the site of the Mount Stromlo Observatory, which is part of the Research School of Astronomy and Astrphysics at the Australian National University.  The observatory was established in 1924 as the Commonwealth Solar Observatory.  In January 2003, Mt Stromlo was devastated by the Canberra bushfires.  The summit was surrounded by pine forest at that time, which was totally destroyed along with five telescopes, workshops, seven homes, and the heritage listed administration building.  The only telescope to survive the fires was the 1886 15-centimetre Farnham telescope.

Above image courtesy of http://www.smh.com.au

For more information on the observatory, have a look at…..

http://rsaa.anu.edu.au/observatories/mount-stromlo-observatory

Above:- Map showing the location of Mt Stromlo.  Image courtesy of sotamaps.org

Andrew parked his car in the lower carpark, and we walked up the track to our operating spot, which was a little further on from the trig point.  Andrew had warned us that operating from the trig point would end in misery, as the noise floor at that location was extremely high.  So we continued on the path and set up at a high point with spectacular views in all directions.

One of the damaged buildings

Andrew VK1NAM setting up

David VK5KC started off first and he had soon bagged his 4 contacts to qualify the summit.  I then got my 4 qualifying contacts consisting of Gerard VK2JNG mobile, George VK4GSF, John VK2FAD and Markus VK2SK.  Trevor VK5ATQ then took control of the mic and appeared to have a lot of fun on his very first SOTA activation.

Whilst Trevor was on air, Andrew called me over for a 2m FM contact with Gerard VK2IO who was portable on SOTA peak, Mount Ainslee, VK1/ AC-040.

The four of us kept swapping the mic, and after the UTC rollover I managed another three summit to summit contacts: Gerard VK2IO/1 on Mount Ainslee on 2m FM, Onno VK6FLAB/1 on Black Mountain VK1/ AC-042, and Phil VK2JDL portable on Mount Kembla VK2/ IL-015.

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At the conclusion of the activation we walked over to the cemetery located on the summit.  A number of people are buried here including Walter Geoffrey Duffile, (1879-1929, who was the founding Director of the Commonwealth Solar Observatory.

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We then started walking back to the car and bumped in to Andrew VK1MBE and Onno VK6FLAB who had just arrived at the summit from Black Mountain.  They were in the middle of setting up.

We continued back to the car and had a quick look at some of the burnt out buildings near the carpark.  We were in desperate need of a coffee, but unfortunately the cafe was closed.  And we had timed the activation well, as it had just started to rain.  Poor old Andrew & Onno.  We did try to make contact with them via 2m once we had driven outside the activation zone, but could not get through to them.

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After leaving Stromlo we paid a visit to one of the local cafes where we enjoyed some nice hot coffee and a bowl of soup.  Fortunately there was a bottle shop next door, so I quickly rushed in there to buy a bottle of South Australian red for Andrew VK1NAM and Andrew VK1DA in recognition of their efforts in taking us out for some portable action.  It was a lot of fun.

I worked the following stations:-