A VISIT TO MOUNT BEN NEVIS

A VISIT TO MOUNT BEN NEVIS

No DX tips in this blog post today! 

As I mentioned in my last post several weeks ago, I currently have a number of non-radio projects underway, some of which have taken me away from my "home-base".  Last week however, while working in the regional city of Ballarat (north-west of Melbourne, and about 160km away from Mount Evelyn), I had some time off one day to venture off into the bush.

Located in largely agricultural farmland, Mount Ben Nevis is part of the Mount Cole State Forest. To get to the summit was a bit tricky. The car's GPS system didn't cover the dirt tracks, so I resorted to the iPhone's Google Maps satellite photographs to visually find the correct track to the summit. Ben Nevis is around 800 metres ASL (above sea level), and provides fabulous views of the surrounding countryside. The site is also important for communications, providing four very different but important services.  I won't go into too much detail about these, as this post will be largely photographic in presentation.

NOTE:  Click on any photograph to enlarge the shot.

Main Communications Tower: This sits on Ben Nevis's highest point and hosts numerous antennas, microwave links and repeaters for the region. It is also the home of the local amateur radio repeater VK3RWA, a 30 watt transmitter that has its antenna sitting at 876 m ASL. It's input frequency is on 147.700 kHz and the output is 147.100 kHz.

Air Navigation Facility: AirServices Australia operates aeronautical beacons from Ben Nevis.

Bureau of Meteorology Post: A fully automated BoM station is situated near the main communications tower, relaying weather data back to Melbourne. The results are also posted on the BoM website and through an iPhone app.

Bushfire Observation Outpost: Back on the main tower, about one-third of the way up, you will see an enclosed square control room. This is used during the summer months and in periods of high fire danger for spotting any outbreaks of bushfire. From this location, specially trained observers have a 360 degree view of the entire region and can immediately communicate to the authorities any observed smoke across hundreds of square kilometres. These outposts are a common installation on many Australian summits.

Other comments: Ben Nevis is also known for bushwalking and rock climbing (with rather steep ascents and descents involved!!) and paragliding. The area has wildlife including kangaroos, wallabies (see below), possums and a variety of bird life.

Take a look at the photographs below for more information on Ben Nevis.

73 and have a great weekend everyone!

Rob Wagner VK3BVW

At the base of the main communications tower. Quite noisy standing there with the various cooling systems keeping the equipment in good shape!

The aeronautical beacon station just a short distance down from the main tower.

The door into the control room of the air navigation beacon site, with plenty of warning signs! The telephoto lens came in handy here!!

You have to search for this monument tucked away on the side of a rock face away from the main path. Four deaths and one survivor when a Royal Australian Air Force plane crashed into the side of Ben Nevis in 1942. Two years later, the surviving airman was then killed in action. Perhaps the existing air navigation beacon would have prevented this accident, if it had been built in 1942!

The Bureau of Meteorology's Ben Nevis site near the main comms tower. You can see the transmitter's antenna on the left, sending data back to Melbourne for processing.

My iPhone showing the weather report from Ben Nevis at 12:35pm. Rather cool  (6.4˚ actual temp but 3.2˚ apparent temp with virtually no wind). The weather station's monitoring box is in the background of this photo.)

BoM antenna.

Looks like the rain gauge cylinder has had a few well-aimed bird droppings, too!

This hut provides shelter for any travellers caught in poor weather conditions. Inside is a wooden table and seat and an open hearth fire place. Behind the hut is a 400 litre rain water tank.

Huge old heavy timber picnic table not far from the hut.

BELOW ARE SOME OF THE FABULOUS VIEWS FROM BEN NEVIS. 

(Using a Nikon D800 camera and a 28-300 zoom lens)

My zoom lens brings into view some of the 128 giant wind turbines (see close-up below) providing clean energy to 140,000 homes.

As I was coming down the mountain, this wallaby bounded across the track. I stopped, stayed in the car and he looked across at me, motionless for around two minutes. With my camera by my side, I took this photo. This is a red-necked wallaby, a native to the area. Wallabies are small kangaroos, with lovely soft fur ..... and very cute! But generally they are shy and timid. Read more about them at http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallaby


And finally.....

A small part of the Wind Farm shown in the photo above, shot just outside a tiny town called Waubra. I like this rural scene - Australian sheep grazing peacefully alongside clean-energy wind turbines. The way of the future!