The weekend of the 5th and 6th of April was the one year anniversary of the VK5 Parks award, which encourages portable operation from South Australia’s National & Conservation parks. ‘Activators’ operate portable from within parks, while ‘Hunters’ make contacts with activators. Awards are available for both activators and hunters, and also for making park-to-park contacts.
Andy VK5AKH and Mark VK5QI decided to give the AREG club callsign (VK5ARG) a workout by activating as many parks as possible in a single day. They set off Sunday morning at 7:30AM, and by 8PM had activated 20 parks. Emphasis was placed on fast activations, with about 5 contacts made per park.
The parks activated were:
- Morialta Conservation Park
- Black Hill Conservation Park
- Montacute Conservation Park
- Giles Conservation Park
- Horsnell Gully Conservation Park
- Ferguson Conservation Park
- Clealand Conservation Park
- Mount George Conservation Park
- Kenneth Stirling Conservation Park
- Mylor Conservation Park
- Mark Oliphant Conservation Park
- “The Knoll” Conservation Park
- Belair National Park
- Marino Conservation Park
- Hallett Cove Conservation Park
- Onkaparinga River Conservation Park
- Moana Sands Conservation Park
- Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park
- Kyeema Conservation Park
- Mount Magnificent Conservation Park
Some pictures from the day are shown below:
- Antenna, Radio, Andy, FUIC.
- Minimalistic operation from Black Hill CP.
- Park signs make really good antenna mounts.
- Once again, the trusty park sign is used to hold up the antenna.
- In Horsnells Gully we set up on a small bridge.
- We got a few odd looks from the local “Friends of the Ferguson CP” group while we made a few contacts.
- “So many contacts!!”
- Everything you need to work portable HF: Parks sign (antenna mount), Squidpole + inverted vee, Elecraft KX3, ham radio operator.
- Parks signs also make handy seats.
- Andy making some contacts.
- Mark hiding in the shade at Marino.
- Andy working Ben VK5BB at the southern boundary of Onkaparinga River NP
- Trusty Elecraft KX3
- Working the dunes…
- Making some contacts as the sun sets.