On Friday afternoon at about 4.00pm local time I travelled to Scott Creek Conservation Park in the Mount Lofty Ranges to join with other park activators in a late afternoon/early evening activation. Scott Creek Conservation Park is ‘our’ Park.  We are members of the Friends Group for this Park. I also do quite a bit of walking in the park to try and enhance my general level of fitness, or more likely keep what I have already! It is about four kilometres from our place to the Park. It is not the closest park to us: that park is Mark Oliphant Conservation Park which I can see from our family room right now. But Scott Creek Conservation Park, is in my opinion, the more interesting location. I set up at my usual operating point near Gate 8. I managed to find a little shade and established my station there. I was pleased with the set up and took the extra precaution of guying my squid pole at 45 degrees to the linked dipole as there were a few gusts on wind, but nothing too severe. I have activated this park two times previously.

I also packed only lithium chemistry batteries. I decided to leave the ‘slabs’ at home. I switched on my radio and tuned across the middle portion of the 40 metre band. On 7.100 I heard VK5ZAR/P5, Arno, at 06:25z, in Black Hill Conservation Park working another station. Arno’s signal was quite strong, 5 and 7, but I did notice that the signal was fading. I called him a few times without success and then wondered about whether everything was working at me end.

My operating position: FT897, LiPo 4000 mah, diode voltage drop in Altoid tin

I noticed the VSWR was reading high on my transceiver. I checked the antenna with my analyser and changed the coaxial feeder. I was still not satisfied with my setup. I persisted with the activation and worked the following stations:

0628 VK5PAS/P5, Paul at Monarto Conservation Park, S5 & 7, R5 & 7

0631 VK5HCF/P5, Col at Naracoorte Caves National Park, 5 & 7, 5 & 8

0634 VK5KLV/P5, Les at Dutchmans Stern Conservation Park, 5 & 8, 5 & 8

0638 VK5ZAR/P5, Arno at Black Hill Conservation Park, 5 & 7, 4 & 3

and

0640 VK5NQP/P5, David at Sandy Creek Conservation Park, 5 & 7, 5 & 5

It was the contact with VK5ZAR/P5, or rather the variation is signal strengths between us, which persuaded me to close down. I decided I would quit the 40 metre band and change antennas and go to 30 metres as VK5LY, Larry had posted that he would try this band. I posted my intention to QSY on ParksnPeaks. I have a home brew half-wave end fed antenna for this band. I had checked it out previously at Spring Gully Conservation Park near Clare and was pleased with its performance. Tuning across the band I noticed a fairly strong CW signal (too fast for me) and a RTTY signal which was very strong. I called on 10.130 MHz a few times without success.

I have subsequently checked my antenna at home for continuity (it is fine although it has been used over 120 times in the field) and when the weather improves will do some careful checks outside to try and establish the reason for the high VSWR.

It was a beautiful afternoon and I enjoyed my time in the park despite the equipment failure.

A view of the Mount Lofty Ranges looking North

This photo shows Mount Lofty in the distance. Expand the photo and two peaks emerge. Mount Lofty is the second and smaller of the two in the centre of the picture.

Mum and teenager

My walking track in Scott Creek CP

Track profile: Scott Creek CP walk

Upgraded fire trail: on my walk

The last image shows the walking track I use. The photo does not do justice to the steepness! The track here is between three and five kilometres from the start: see profile image above! The loop starts at the at the car park at gate three: in the picture just under the name of the park. Take the Bandicoot Track, then Currawong Ridge Track then Cup Gum Track to Gate 8. At this point take the Mount Bold Track (in the Park near the boundary), then Stringbark Track to Neville Road, turn North (right) and take the Currawong Ridge Track to Bandicoot Track and down the hill to the car-park. I take the clockwise walk of just six kilometres and it takes me about one hour 20 minutes to complete the loop. There are some very steep hills! Gate 8, my activation spot is on Mount Bold Road in the right hand corner of the image. I have completed this walk quite a few times now and will provide more information in due course. The track is taken from a Garmin Forerunner 910 XT. This GPS is designed for monitoring fitness programs and is worn on the wrist. Coordinates are only available after the data is transferred from the unit to Garmin Connect. I used the same unit for my walk in Scheyville National Park, VKFF-444, on 21st December 2014 and also at Mt Bryan, VK5/SE-001 on 29th September 2014.

I have also walked the track with my old Kenwood TH-D7 set at five watts with an extended antenna. The highest point on the track is approaching Mount Bold Road, over 400 metres, and my signal was received at the VK5RSC-1, the South Coast Amateur Radio Club’s digipeater on 145.175.  I could only access the digipeater at one spot. The upshot of this is that to have a APRS station at Gate 8 is feasible with a more powerful radio and a gain antenna on a mast. Something for the future with a more extended activation!

The 4th, 5th and 6th of April were set aside to celebrate the first anniversary of the SANPCPA award. It was a week end of exceptional activity especially on the 40 metre band. There were lots of activators, including some for the first time, and many chasers. My first contact was with VK5PAS/P5, Paul, who activated the Cox Scrub Conservation Park. I worked Paul from home. My last contact, from my home station, was on Sunday afternoon at 05:21 with VK5ARG/P5 (Amateur Radio Experimenters Group Inc.) Andrew at Belair National Park, 59 contacts later. These contacts included a number of new parks for me.

On Sunday morning local time, UTC 22:48 5th April 2014, I went back to Scott Creek Conservation Park, which I last activated on the 19th May 2013. I returned to Gate 8 on Mount Bold Road (See map on Friends of Scott Creek web page – link below). My equipment this time was a home made linked dipole for 20 and 40 metres and the Ten Tec Argonaut V1 (model 539).  Power was drawn from a 8.4 amp hour LIfePO4 battery, which was more than adequate for this activation. About one hundred metres inside the park there is a plateau which makes a fine activation spot. I enjoyed 52 contacts, including a number of new Parks and also with VK3PF/P3, Peter, on VK3 VC 001, Mount Matlock.

Here are my contacts: VK5NQP/P5, David at Cromer CP; VK5KET/P5, Andrew at Telford Scrub CP; VK5KC, David; VK5WG, Nev; VK3FQSO, Amanda; VK5GJ, Greg; VK5FMID, Brian; VK5LY/P5, Larry at Lowan CP; VK5PAS/P5, at Deep Creek CP; VK5AV, Tim; VK2AWJ, John; VK5IS, Ian; VK3AMB, Bernard; VK3UBY, Col; VK3CAT, Tony; VK3VIN, Ian; VK4FR/P5, Chris; VK5JP, Peter; VK5KRF/P5, Peter at Winninowie CP; VK5KGP, Graham; VK5KLV/P5, Winninowie CP; VK5DT, Darren;  and VK5FTRG/P5, Tom at Furner CP.  Then after UTC rollover, VK3VTH/P5, Tony at Carpenters Rocks CP; VK5FTRG/P5, Tom at Furner CP; VK5PAS/P5, Paul at Deep Creek CP; VK5ARG/P5, Andy at Horsenell Gully CP; VK5KLV/P5, Les at Winninowie CP; VK3CAT, Tony; VK5VCO/P5. Paul at Clinton CP; VK5KX/P5, Peter; VK5AV, Tom; VK5DJ, John; VK5LY/P5, Larry at Ridley CP; VK5TRM, Rob; VK2UH, Andy; VK5FMID, Brian; VK5NRG, Roy; VK5KET/P5, Andrew at Nene Valley CP; VK5LY/p5, Larry at Ridley CP; VK5NQP/P5, David at Charleston CP; VK5MJP, Patrick; VK5NE, Paul; VK5ZGY/P5, Greg at Naracoorte Caves NP; VK5ZAR/P5, Arno at Black Hill CP; VK3LY/M3, Bill at Yannack; VK3PF/P3, Peter at VK3 VC001, Mt Matlock; VK5MR/P5 Andrew at Tandappa CP; VK5HCF/P5, Col at Hacks Lagoon CP; VK5FTRG/P5, Tom at Reedy Creek CP; VK5PAS/P5, Paul at Eric Bonython CP and VK5STU/P5, Stu at Port Gawler CP.

Thanks to all those amateurs who gave me a call. It is greatly appreciated and I didn’t think Scott Creek Conservation Park would be so popular as the park has been activated three times: twice by me and once by VK5PAS, Paul.

Scott Creek History

Marie Steiner’s excellent book, published in 2000,  contains a wealth of research about the various sections of land which were incorporated into  Scott Creek Conservation Park, gazetted in 1985. ‘The Land Acquisition Act, passed in 1969′ (Steiner, 2000, p. 7), provided the basis for the State Government to pursue the long-term water needs of the community by purchasing the private land in the area now included in the Park. Not all of the land was in private hands but clearly the majority. Steiner’s (2000) book traces the challenges and hardships of trying to make a living on rocky, steep and, in places, infertile land.

The land was acquired to extend the catchment for the Mount Bold Reservoir, including the size of the dam. The plan was later modified because of unstable geological features which could lead to failure of a larger water holding.

The Twisted Chimney, Scott Creek CP

The Twisted Chimney, for example, was on a holding of 17 and a quarter acres, Section 1190.  Steiner (2000, p. 53) sketches the history of the occupation of this section and others.  Such a long history, of 150 years of human occupation and endeavour, is reflected in the challenges of living in the area and the gaps in knowledge. She asks how could such a large parcel of land with this history, come to be created a conservation park (Steiner, 2000, p. 55)? Her answer is that ‘Scott Creek Conservation Park contains some of the most diverse and interesting areas of indigenous vegetation left within the Mount Lofty Ranges’ and that much of it ‘survived the impact of settlement’.

Remains of a tractor

The picture shows the remains of a tractor, ‘discovered’ following a spraying of blackberries by the Friends of Scott Creek Conservation Park. http://www.users.on.net/~dld/Friends%20of%20scott%20creek/Website/

SA Water land (left) and Scott Creek CP (right)

This picture shows the two fire breaks, one each side of the fence, separating the Park from SA Water land.