On Wednesday 31st July 2024, I activated the Manning Flora Reserve VKFF-4044 for World Ranger Day.

Each year on the 31st of July, World Ranger Day is held to commemorate Rangers who have been killed or injured in the line of duty and to celebrate all of the hard work undertaken by Rangers. A total of 140 Rangers from 37 countries have lost their lives whilst on duty. (IRF 2024)

It was a short 30-minute drive to the park. This was to be the first time that I had activated this park.

It was a beautiful drive to the park into the McLaren Flat wine-growing region.

The park is located on the corner of Kays Road and Whitings Road.

Above:- An aerial view of the park showing its boundaries. Image c/o Google Earth.

The reserve is owned by The Field Naturalists Society of South Australia Incorporated and is about 45 hectares in size. The reserve was bequeathed to the Society by Sydney Britton Henry Manning upon his death in December 1955. He was a keen bird watcher and very interested in natural history and astronomy. Due to his love of birds, the reserve was known as the “Bird Sanctuary”. (Birds SA 2024)

Above:- An aerial view of the park looking north towards the city of Adelaide. Image c/o Google Maps.

Birds SA have recorded about 97 species of native birds in the park including Adelaide Rosella, New Holland Honeyeater, Red Wattlebird, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Spotted Pardalote, Striated Thornbill, Australian Magpie, Black-winged Currawong, Grey Fantail, Little Raven, Red-browed Finch, Silvereye. (Birds SA 2024)

The park is also home to Western Grey Kangaroos, Echidnas, and various reptiles.

I set up along the walking trail off the Whitings Road entrance. I ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole.

I ended up with 125 QSOs in the log, including 7 Park to Park contacts.

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK5MAZ
2. VK5BJE/p (Belair National Park VKFF-0022)
3. VK2VW
4. VK2HFI
5. VK2AKA
6. VK2BUG
7. VK3SQ
8. VK2BD
9. VK5AEC
10. Vk3APJ
11. VK5AAF
12. Vk3FRC
13. VK3ZSC
14. VK3CEO
15. VK3AMO
16. VK3PF/p (Traralgon South Flora & Fauna Reserve VKFF-2464)
17. VK3HJW
18. VK5LA
19. VK5KAW
20. VK5WU
21. VK3CA
22. VK3RM
23. VK3YE/p
24. VK3PWG
25. VK5KVA
26. VK2EXA
27. VK3TKK/p (Organ Pipes National Park VKFF-0627)
28. VK2VAR
29. VK2GOM
30. VK3KRL
31. VK3KGW
32. VK5FB
33. VK1DI/p (Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve VKFF-0855)
34. VK2MOE
35. VK1MO
36. VK3VIN
37. VK5FANA
38. VK7FEAT/m
39. VK2SLB
40. VK2BRN
41. VK2KBT
42. VK5VZ/m
43. VK3VMM
44. VK5TR
45. VK2GRB
46. VK2GDX
47. VK2ALY
48. VK2IO
49. VK2GEZ
50. VK5YL
51. VK1AO
52. VK2MET
53. VK2YW
54. VK5LKJ
55. VK3BAP
56. VK4FDJL
57. VK5PE/m
58. VK7PJM
59. VK3PAH
60. VK5HS
61. VK5HAA
62. VK5MSA
63. VK4NH
64. VK4DXA
65. VK3ACZ
66. VK7IAN
67. VK3CJN
68. VK3WQHU
69. VK5FBIC/p (Anstey Hill Recreation Park VKFF-1683)

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

1. VK1AO
2. VK2MET
3. F5PYI
4. VK5MAZ
5. Vk2IO
6. VK2GEZ
7. KG5CIK
8. ZL1HIM
9. ZL2EF/p (Tararua Forest Park ZLFF-0069)
10. VK2ALX
11. VK2VAR
12. VK2GOM
13. VK4EMP
14. VK4TI
15. VK4GKO
16. VK3PF/p (Traralgon South Flora & Fauna Reserve VKFF-2464)
17. SQ9CWO
18. VK2DML
19. EC4AT
20. VK2EG
21. SP7MW
22. I5JFG
23. OH1CM
24. K5OHY
25. IU2IDU
26. IW2BNA
27. F1BLL
28. Vk7XX
29. IK4IDF
30. VK2MOE
31. VK1MO
32. VK5HAA
33. IK1GPG
34. EA1GIB
35. G0VWP
36. VK4EW
37. Vk4BT
38. VK4KTX
39. VK4IO
40. OH1MM
41. VK4NBP
42. VK2SLB
43. VK2BRN
44. VK2KBT
45. VK4NH
46. VK4DXA
47. VK2HAK
48. KK7RHF
49. OH6GAZ
50. DK4RM
51. ZL3MR
52. VK2VH
53. VK4AAC
54. IW2NXI
55. VK2XD
56. F5NZO

References.

1. Birdssa.asn.au. (2015). Manning Fauna & Flora Reserve, McLaren Flat – Birds SA. [online] Available at: https://birdssa.asn.au/location/manning-fauna-flora-reserve-mclaren-flat/ [Accessed 26 Aug. 2024].
2. ‌International Rangers Federation. (n.d.). 2023 World Ranger Day. [online] Available at: https://www.internationalrangers.org/world-ranger-day/. [Accessed 26 Aug. 2024]‌

I headed out into the field for National Tree Day on Sunday 28th July 2024 and activated Heritage Agreement (No. HA 1362) VKFF-4056. The Heritage Agreement is about 65 km (by road) south of Adelaide.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Heritage Agreement. Map c/o Google Maps.

The heritage agreement contains the Heysen Trail and that part of the park is accessible to the public. This beautiful piece of native scrub is located adjacent to the Mount Magnificent Conservation Park and is on the northwestern side of Blackfellows Road.

A Native Vegetation Heritage Agreement is a conservation area on private land, established between the landholder and the Minister for Climate, Environment and Water on the recommendation of the Native Vegetation Council (NVC), which contributes to protecting and/or restoring indigenous biodiversity. (Environment SA 2024)

The Heysen Trail is about 1,200 km long and passes through some of South Australia’s most diverse and breathtaking landscapes, traversing coastal areas, native bushland, rugged gorges, pine forests and vineyards, as well as rich farmland and historic towns. (Heysen 2024)

Above:- Map showing the Heysen Trail. Image c/o heysentrail.asn.au

The Heysen Trail was first proposed in 1969 by Charles Warren Bonython (b. 1916. d. 2012) an Australian conservationist, explorer, author and chemical engineer. The proposal was stalled due to politics and issues with private landowners. In 1978 the first 50 km of the trail was laid through the Mount Lofty Ranges. The trail was completed in 1992 with the main designer being Tery Lavender. (Wikipedia 2024)

The trail is named in honour of Sir Wilhelm Ernst ‘Hans’ Franz Heysen (b. 1877. d. 1968) an Australian artist. (Wikipedia 2024)

Above:- Sir Hans Heysen. Image c/o Wikipedia.

Operating spots are limited here. I set up on the edge of the trail, with the 20/40/80m linked dipole not being able to be completely stretched out. I ran the Yaesu FT857 and 40 watts.

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

1. VK3PF/p (Mullungdung Flora & Fauna Reserve VKFF-2406)
2. VK5MAZ
3. VK5FANA
4. VK3APJ
5. VK5LA/p (Murray River National Park VKFF-0372)
6. VK3SQ
7. VK2BD
8. VK3HJW
9. VK7MAD
10. VK3AMO
11. VK5KVA
12. VK2EXA
13. VK3GJG
14. VK3VIN
15. VK3PWG
16. VK3CEO
17. VK3ACZ
18. VK3CWF
19. VK3ZSC
20. VK3ZPF
21. VK3JW
22. VK2VW
23. VK2HFI
24. VK2AKA
25. VK2BUG
26. VK7MAT/p (Tamar Conservation Area VKFF-1154)
27. VK5TN
28. VK5PCM
29. VK5JW
30. VK3BEL
31. VK2VAR
32. VK2GOM
33. VK5WU
34. VK3SO
35. VK3SFG
36. VK5IS
37. VK3ZDK
38. VK2YW/m
39. VK3SPG
40. VK2HAK
41. VK2JKN
42. VK3YV/p (Cape Liptrap Coastal Park VKFF-0745)
43. VK3TNL/p (Cape Liptrap Coastal Park VKFF-0745)
44. VK3FCC/p
45. VK2TER/p (Brisbane Water National Park VKFF-0056)
46. VK2IO/p (SOTA VK2/ SY-001 & Marramarra National Park VKFF-0307)
47. VK2GEZ/p (SOTA VK2/ SY-001 & Marramarra National Park VKFF-0307)
48. VK3IFT
49. VK3EST
50. VK3BSJ
51. VK2PKT
52. VK5MSA
53. VK3ZK
54. VK3KEV
55. VK7PJM
56. VK2SLB
57. VK2BRN
58. VK2KBT
59. VK2OKR/p (Port Stephens/Great Lakes Marine Park VKFF-1410)
60. VK5AAY
61. VK2MOR
62. Vk3CA
63. VK3ABI
64. VK3GB
65. VK3NBL
66. VK1AO
67. VK2MET
68. VK4HMI
69. VK3GCM/p (Silo VK-CLW3)
70. VK3SMW
71. VK4NH
72. VK4DXA
73. VK4DNO/p
74. VK5PE/m
75. VK2MFW
76. VK4EW
77. VK2QEW
78. ZL3MR
79. VK3SX
80. VK3PF/p (Bruthen Flora Reserve VKFF-2282)
81. VK3SKS
82. VK3JFR
83. VK3DSR
84. VK2IO/p (Maroota Ridge State Conservation Area  VKFF-1348)
85. VK2GEZ/p (Maroota Ridge State Conservation Area  VKFF-1348)
86. VK5JOB
87. VK3UAO
88. VK5GY

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

1. VK5KLG
2. VK1AO
3. VK2MET
4. VK4CZ
5. VK7AAE
6. F5PYI
7. OH1MM
8. IK1GPG
9. IK4IDF
10. VK6JK
11. OH1XT
12. ZL1HIM
13. VK2VAR
14. VK2GOM
15. VK1DI/p (Molonglo River Nature Reserve VKFF-3184)
16. KG5CIK
17. VK4NH
18. VK4DXA
19. M0TTQ/p (GFF-0123)
20. PA3HLE
21. IW2BNA
22. KO4GAR
23. DL2ND
24. VK4SMA
25. OP7M
26. EA3MP
27. F5RAB
28. LZ5R
29. ON5VR
30. EA3HFS
31. G5XV
32. M0CHK
33. VK2SLB
34. VK2BRN
35. VK2KBT
36. UT5PI
37. UT5EL
38. IU0SPU
39. DM3KP
40. F4HZR
41. I5JFG
42. DH4PSG
43. EA5JMN
44. DK4RM
45. M7GWJ/m
46. SQ9CWO
47. EA3IM
48. DL1SF
49. DL4BBH
50. HA7ML
51. EA1GIB
52. VK6EK
53. VK7EK
54. VK2MOR
55. DK7LV
56. F4GYG
57. SP1C
58. DK9HN
59. G5O
60. G0VWP
61. S52KM
62. VK3PF/p (Welshmans Plain Nature Conservation Reserve VKFF-2482)
63. SP9RX/p
64. VK2TER/p (Brisbane Water National Park VKFF-0056)
65. DJ1SD
66. PD4US
67. VK4JT
68. KH6KW
69. VK2HAK
70. KA4KOE
71. VK2IO/p (Maroota Ridge State Conservation Area  VKFF-1348)
72. VK2GEZ/p (Maroota Ridge State Conservation Area  VKFF-1348)
73. VK6LK
74. VK3TKK/p (Organ Pipes National Park VKFF-0627)
75. EA7JXZ
76. PA8RVD
77. IZ5JMZ
78. VK4EW
79. G1IZQ
80. AI6AQ
81. EA2ERT
82. EA4M
83. EA4GJP
84. SQ9FMC

References.

1. Dcceew.gov.au. (2023). Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database (CAPAD) 2022 – DCCEEW. [online] Available at: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/land/nrs/science/capad/2022.‌
2. The Friends of the Heysen Trail. (n.d.). The Heysen Trail | South Australia’s Long Distance Walking Trail. [online] Available at: https://heysentrail.asn.au/heysen-trail/. [Accessed 25 Aug. 2024]‌
3. ‌Wikipedia. (2021). Hans Heysen. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Heysen. [Accessed 25 Aug. 2024]‌
4. ‌Wikipedia Contributors (2024). Warren Bonython. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Bonython [Accessed 25 Aug. 2024].
5. ‌www.environment.sa.gov.au. (n.d.). Heritage Agreements. [online] Available at: https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/topics/native-vegetation/protecting-enhancing/heritage-agreements. [Accessed 25 Aug. 2024]‌

At about 1220 UTC on Thursday the 15th day of August 2024, I tuned in to Radio Ergo, broadcasting on 21595 kHz in the Somali language.

Radio Ergo produces and broadcasts humanitarian news and information across Somalia and the Somali-speaking region.

The signal was coming from the Al-Dhabbiya 250 kW transmitter in the United Arab Emirates. (Short Wave Schedule 2024)

Above:- Map showing the location of Al-Dhabbiya. Map c/o Google Maps.

The overall reception of Radio Ergo was good. The signal strength was good and there was no interference from other stations. There was only slight fading of the signal.

My equipment used:-

• Yaesu FTdx101MP
• Dipole antenna

Below is a short video showing my reception of Radio Ergo.

References.

1. Radio Ergo, 2023, <radioergo.org/en/about-radio-ergo/>, [Accessed 15 Aug. 2024].
2. Short-wave.info. (2023). Short-Wave Radio Frequency Schedule. [online] Available at: https://shortwaveschedule.com[Accessed 15 Aug. 2024].‌

At about 1520 UTC on Wednesday the 14th day of August 2024, I tuned in to Radio Cairo, broadcasting on 9410 kHz in the Albanian language.

The signal was coming from the Abis 125 kW transmitter in Egypt. (Short Wave Info 2023)

Above:- Map showing the location of Abis. Map c/o Google Maps.

The overall reception of Radio Cairo was fair.   The signal strength was fair and there was moderate fading of the signal. There were moderate static crashes on the band.

My equipment:-

• Yaesu FTdx101MP
• Dipole antenna

Below is a short video showing my reception of Radio Cairo.

References.

1. Short-wave.info. (2023). Short-Wave Radio Frequency Schedule. [online] Available at: http://www.short-wave.info/index.php [Accessed 14 Aug. 2024].‌

At about 1445 UTC on Wednesday the 14th day of August 2024, I tuned in to Voice of Wilderness, broadcasting on 9330 kHz in the Korean language.

The signal was coming from the Tashkent 100 kW transmitter in Uzbekistan. (Short Wave Info 2023)

Above:- Map showing the location of Tashkent. Map c/o Google Maps.

The overall reception of Voice of Wilderness was fair.   The signal strength was fair. There was no interference from other stations. There were static crashes on the band.

My equipment used:-

• Yaesu FTdx101MP
• Dipole antenna

Below is a short video showing my reception of Voice of Wilderness.

References.

1. Short-wave.info. (2023). Short-Wave Radio Frequency Schedule. [online] Available at: http://www.short-wave.info/index.php [Accessed 14 Aug. 2024].‌

At about 1243 UTC on Wednesday the 14th day of August 2024, I tuned in to WRNO, broadcasting on 7505 kHz in the English language.

The signal was coming from the New Orleans 50 kW transmitter in the USA. (Short Wave Info 2023)

Above:- Map showing the location of New Orleans. Map c/o Google Maps.

The overall reception of WRNO was poor.   The signal strength was poor. There was some interference from USB signals possibly from South East Asia.

My equipment:-

• Yaesu FTdx101MP
• Dipole antenna

Below is a short video showing my reception of WRNO.

References.

1. Short-wave.info. (2023). Short-Wave Radio Frequency Schedule. [online] Available at: http://www.short-wave.info/index.php [Accessed 14 Aug. 2024].‌

At about 1215 UTC on Wednesday the 14th day of August 2024, I tuned in to WWCR, broadcasting on 7490 kHz in the English language.

The signal was coming from the Nashville 100 kW transmitter in the USA. (Short Wave Info 2023)

Above:- Map showing the location of Nashville. Map c/o Google Maps.

The overall reception of WWCR was excellent.   The signal strength was very strong and there was no fading of the signal. There was no interference from other stations.

My equipment used:-

• Yaesu FTdx101MP
• Dipole antenna

Below is a short video showing my reception of WWCR.

References.

1. Short-wave.info. (2023). Short-Wave Radio Frequency Schedule. [online] Available at: http://www.short-wave.info/index.php [Accessed 14 Aug. 2024].‌

At about 0732 UTC on Wednesday the 14th day of August 2024, I tuned in to Radio France International, broadcasting on 21580 kHz in the French language.

The signal was coming from the Issoudun 500 kW transmitter in France. (Short Wave Info 2023)

Above:- Map showing the location of Issoudun. Map c/o Google Maps.

The overall reception of Radio France International was excellent.   The signal strength was very strong and there was no interference from other stations.

My equipment used:-

• Yaesu FTdx101MP
• dipole antenna

Below is a short video showing my reception of Radio France International.

References.

1. Short-wave.info. (2023). Short-Wave Radio Frequency Schedule. [online] Available at: http://www.short-wave.info/index.php [Accessed 14 Aug. 2024].‌

At about 1159 UTC on Tuesday the 13th day of August 2024, I tuned in to CNR7 Radio The Great Bay, broadcasting on 7345 kHz in the Cantonese language.

The signal was coming from the Huhhot 100 kW transmitter in China. (Short Wave Info 2023)

Above:- Map showing the location of Huhhot. Map c/o Google Maps.

The overall reception of CNR7 was excellent   The signal strength was very strong and there was no fading of the signal.  There was no interference from other stations.

My equipment used:-

• Tecsun S-2000
• Alpha Delta SWL sloper antenna

Below is a short video showing my reception of CNR7.

References.

1. Short-wave.info. (2023). Short-Wave Radio Frequency Schedule. [online] Available at: http://www.short-wave.info/index.php [Accessed 13 Aug. 2024].‌

At about 1000 UTC on Tuesday the 13th day of August 2024, I tuned in to the Voice of Korea, broadcasting on 13650 kHz in the English language.

The signal was coming from the Kujang 200 kW transmitter in North Korea. (Short Wave Info 2023)

Above:- Map showing the location of Kujang. Map c/o Google Maps.

The overall reception of the Voice of Korea was fair. The signal strength was good but there was distortion on the audio. The music was easily readable but the commentary was very difficult to understand. There was also occasional Over The Horizon Radar on the frequency.

My equipment used:-

• Tecsun S-2000
• Alpha Delta SWL sloper antenna

Below is a short video showing my reception of the Voice of Korea.

References.

1. Short-wave.info. (2023). Short-Wave Radio Frequency Schedule. [online] Available at: http://www.short-wave.info/index.php [Accessed 8 Aug. 2024].‌