The Wyong field day is a major hamfest held at Wyong every February, with equipment exhibition and sales, a flea market for used equipment sales, a seminar room and supported by food and refreshments.

I have visited this event every year of the last 10 and have usually looked at the new equipment, passed through the flea market, sometimes buying something unique and desirable (such as the 3 element 6m yagi I bought one year)  but mostly just catching up with friends who I often see only at this event.  Some I never hear on the radio these days but they turn up at Wyong in February.

Having decided in advance to activate several summits on the way to Wyong, Andrew VK1AD (ex VK1NAM) and I set out from Yass at about 9am and reached the parking area in the vicinity of VK2/SY-002 Riley’s mountain at about 12:30, having stopped for coffee on the Hume Highway.

The walk from the carpark to the summit was signposted as 2.6km each way or 5.2 km for the round trip.  The track through the forest was in good condition and the forest was green and healthy, with chirping birds the only sound breaking the peace apart from the noise of our boots on the gravel and dirt track.  After about 30-40 mins steady walk we found a sign pointing left labelled “Riley’s Lookout”.  Taking the side path we were soon standing high above the Nepean River enjoying the view of the forest and river.

Considering where to set up our radio gear to activate this rather nice location, we decided to walk the 50m or so back to the main track and set up there, using the sign as a support for the antenna pole.  In no time we had the antenna up in the air, the radio connected to the antenna and power and the microphone and key paddle plugged in.

We posted spots on SOTAWATCH  to be sure chasers and other activators looking out for S2S contacts knew we were on the air and where to find our signals.  A good session of contacts ensued with reasonable signals into Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, as well as some closer contacts in various parts of New South Wales.

One of the contacts made was with Marek OK1BIL/VK2 who was operating  at Mt Alexandra with Compton, VK2HRX.  We met Marek at Wyong the next day and had a good chat with him.

Leaving Riley’s mountain after about an hour of operation, we headed northwards to the Great Western Highway and then towards Sydney, onto the Newcastle freeway and eventually turned off the highway near Ourimba, to reach Mt Elliott VK2/HU-093.  Again this was a very pleasant and easy place to operate from, with picnic tables, expanses of grass inviting sevevral poles supporting antennas.  Here we used a 20m quarter wave vertical on one pole and a linked dipole on the other.  On 20m we made a few CW contacts into Europe and some into other parts of Australia.  Conditions were not good enough on 20m to make long distance SSB/voice contacts.

Shortly before sundown we closed down and made our way to Wyong where we had booked accomodation for the night (two months earlier, or more).  We had a meal and some cool drinks at Panarotti’s at Tuggerah Westfield.

In the morning I woke early and decided to observe the International Space Station’s pass which was almost directly overhead.   I lost sight of it to the northeast when it was over New Caledonia according to the tracker.   It was brighter than most other things in the sky apart from the moon.

At the Field Day there was a good collection of second hand goods for sale in the flea market, some new items but it was strangely quiet in the corner where one of the larger traders usually is found.   At the VHF seminar, some discussion about the rules for VHF/UHF contests prompted me to make some unplanned comments about operating practices in these events, specifically about the practice of callinq CQ, making all contacts and listening all on 144.150, which many field and home stations appear to do.  A straw poll of those present revealed that while a number of people operated in that event, only a small number of them had made contacts into VK1, only 250km away from the Sydney area.  I suggested that this was due to being stuck on the calling frequency and it would help everyone to make more contacts, make more points in the contest and increase activity if they could move to other parts of the band during these events.  Let’s see whether a direct appeal to the operators has the desired effect.  I wish the contest rules did not specify a calling frequency.

We departed Wyong at about 12 noon and headed homeward. After a lunch break at Pheasants Nest we continued to the turnoff for Mt Wanganderry, VK2/IL-003.  Setting up there we were able to make contacts on 40m using SSB and CW, we did try 20m without any success.  This was a new summit for us both.