VK2/CT-001, CT-031 and CT-043, July 2018.
July school holidays had us making a short trip to visit my daughter, who is studying at CSU Bathurst. Not wanting to miss an opportunity, I planned to do a few easier/quick summits in the area.
VK2/CT-001 Mt Canobolas 15/07/2018
This is my second trip here (having visited at the same time last year). A 1-hour 20-minute drive from Bathurst is fog, with the car thermometer reading -2ºC when I left the hotel.
On the last trip I parked in the main car park and walked my gear a little down the hill. This time, I parked on a small side road about 50m before you reach the summit marker. This leads to a another set of comms towers, and is quieter than the main parking area, which sees a lot of tourist traffic.
Summit marker just to left of toilet block. Bush is obscuring the main car park.
Operating desk, during set up.
Thankfully it had warmed up by the time I reached the summit (about 6ºC), but there was little wind and as the photos show it was a beautiful day.
Station was the usual KX3, with OCF Dipole, supported by a Haverford pole tied to a bush. First contact was 23.09z and finished just before the rollover at 23:59. I could have stayed after the rollover, but needed to get away in order to manage a second summit and be back in time for family activities in the afternoon. band conditions seemed good, and even managed a DX contact with JH1MXV on 15m CW.
VK2/CT-031 Mt Bulga.
Ophir Road, Banjo Patterson Road, turn right on the dirt Kinross Road, keeping forest on the right and pasture on left.
At the area marked with a triangle, make sure you keep left. As the pasture on the left turns to forest, you will see a sign for Mt Bulga Reserve (see below). I parked here (red circle on map) and followed the trails up hill.
The summit is only about 300m away, but the trail is quite steep (about a 60m climb in total). There is a trig marker at the summit, but no views.
Started operating at 01:35z with first contact and S2S with VK2CAT/p on VK3/VC-006. 13 contacts in total, including another S2S with VK1MCW/p.
Conditions again seemed OK, but short skip was missing and I had to switch to 80m to work a few local chasers. This is not ideal as I only had the 40m dipole, but thankfully the KX3 tuner, will handle this (although I assume the efficiency is pretty hopeless).
VK3/CT-043 Mt Tomah, 17/07/2018
The trip back home was planned along the Bells Line of Road, which passes through the AZ of Mount Tomah. Again I had been here before, but this time thought I would set up just off the main road, where it joins with Rainbow Ravine Rd. I had the family in the car, so this was going to be a quick in and out activation. There is a small park here with tables, which was where I set up the dipole, and station.
I had heard this was a relatively high QRM area, but though it would be OK for a quick stop. Well, I was wrong. S9 QRM all bands...
On a normal day would have packed up and moved, but with the wife giving me a cold stare from the car I persevered, and finally managed 5 contacts, all CW on 40m and 20m. I did try SSB, but the noise made it impossible, and apologies for the chaser I missed (I knew there were callers, but just couldn't make them out).
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