I am very pleased to advise that I am on the air from our suburban home in Marion, South Australia. This was made possible by assistance from Grant (VK5GR) and Paul (VK5PH), two of my very long term amateur radio friends. My vertical is end fed wire, (51 feet long, yes US measurement), fed through a 9:1 balun and is supported from the very top of a large gum tree in our small back yard. The vertical was erected in April 2024 and I used it ‘back-yard’ portable on a few occasions. My shack is a combined music/radio room and I only have one HF transceiver on the desk (an Icom 7300). I have a VHF/UHF amateur transceiver as well and I am aiming for a dual band vertical antenna just above roof height – this will make my signal more authoritative (louder and stronger).
Hunter Award 175 CW contacts as VK5PF
I have successfully chased a few weak signal stations participating in the WWFF program and have recently obtained two awards for CW (morse code, hand keyed) contacts. I do have a higher level of background noise at this location compared to when we were located at Scott Creek, but it is manageable. I am tempted to try a headset and boom microphone. Any suggestions about suitable gear for the Icom 7300 will be appreciated.
Hunter Award 10 Murray River Parks CW mode, VK5PF
| Reference | DX Entity | Activator | My Callsign | Date | Band | Mode | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VKFF-0372 | OC / VK (VK-SA) | VK3PF | VK5PF | 2023-10-27 | 40m | CW |
| 2 | VKFF-0373 | OC / VK (VK-VIC) | VK5LA | VK5PF | 2022-07-29 | 40m | CW |
| 3 | VKFF-0767 | OC / VK (VK-VIC) | VK3BYD | VK5PF | 2016-06-25 | 40m | CW |
| 4 | VKFF-0831 | OC / VK (VK-SA) | VK2IO/P | VK5PF | 2023-10-30 | 40m | CW |
| 5 | VKFF-0911 | OC / VK (VK-SA) | VK2IO/P | VK5PF | 2023-11-01 | 40m | CW |
| 6 | VKFF-0929 | OC / VK (VK-SA) | VK5CZ | VK5PF | 2023-10-29 | 40m | CW |
| 7 | VKFF-0980 | OC / VK (VK-VIC) | VK2IO/P | VK5PF | 2023-03-31 | 40m | CW |
| 8 | VKFF-1174 | OC / VK (VK-NSW) | VK2IO/P | VK5PF | 2023-10-25 | 40m | CW |
| 9 | VKFF-1723 | OC / VK (VK-SA) | VK2IO/P | VK5PF | 2023-10-30 | 40m | CW |
| 10 | VKFF-1729 | OC / VK (VK-SA) | VK5LA | VK5PF | 2023-05-13 | 40m | CW |
My VK5PF log for 40m CW
I have enjoyed chasing the activators shown in the log for the Murray River Parks and thanks to them and all the other activators, who visit our parks, set up their stations and call CQ. The last year has been tough with the move, fighting Parkinson’s Disease and too many medical appointments. My next milestone is December 2026 which is the 50th anniversary of becoming an amateur radio operator. I describe my CW sending as hand keyed – but strictly speaking I do not use a hand key. I use a Bencher dual paddle and a Begali single paddle key. I can manage this style of sending as compared with using a traditional hand key (with up and down movements).
vk5bje 