Barandudah – summit and Park

Mount Barandudah VK3/VE-189 775 m 4 points
VKFF-0959 Brandudah Regional Park

29 December 2016

The weather in Wodonga had been hot and humid for several days, followed by some very wet and windy weather including thunderstorms. The forecast for Thursday was for a dry day with temperatures in the mid-20s.

Early in the afternoon I decided to head out to Mt Barandudah, primarily because I had not been there since the Park was added to the WWFF system. A bonus was the added attraction for SOTA Chasers in addition to the WWFF Hunters.

I approached via Burgess Lane, Cobs Track and Barandudah Range Track – really 4WD, but managed with care and a few scrapes under the car. I set up near the eastern communications site.

I was set up just after 0300 UTC and soon worked Compton VK2HRX/p on VK2/ST-010 on 40 m. Contacts were a little slow in coming – only 11 contacts in the first 30 minutes on 40 m. The last of this group was Brian VK3MCD/2 on VK2/SW-021. I changed to 20 m and managed to work Nick VK3ANL/4 in VKFF-1522, followed by VK4, VK2, ZL1, ZL3 and VK3. I tried 10 m, working Paul VK5PAS and Rick VK4RF/VK4HA. I tried 30m, working one station from each of VK1, VK2 and VK3.

Back to 40 m for another 10 contacts over 54 minutes – the last being a S2S with Warren ZL1AJ on ZL1/WK-138. I again tried 20 m, working Warren again, but with no further calls once I found a clear frequency. So back to 40 m, this time yielding 10 contacts in 10 minutes.

Time was moving on, so a started packing up at 0625 UTC and headed back to Wodonga.

A total of 47 contacts in the log, which should qualify the Park for WWFF thanks to the new Rules which allow a callsign to be counted again on new bands or modes.

Thanks to all who worked me.

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