RF site testing at QF46qu on Easter Sunday, 16th April, 2017

Doing some site testing at a friend's farm at QF46qu at Gowan, north west of Bathurst NSW.
my GPS estimated 950m ASL mostly cleared, with almost 360degress of clear horizon, good for playing radio. As it was Sunday morning I made use of the fact that the WIA morning broadcast was one reason to listen for it on various known frequencies including 2metres, 70cm and 6metres.

I could hear 146.775 Newcastle, 146.725 Somersby, 146.850 Maddens Plains, 146.975 Knights Hill,  53.650 Maddens Plains, 146.950 Mt Ginini.   Could not hear anything from Dural. This was using quad band radio (TYT TH-9800) and quad band vertical from the vehicle. Should be much easier with some yagis up a mast.

Looks to be excellent site to run microwave equipment from (23cm and upwards).

 a little bit of trees to north east,

 looking to north coast & mid north coast NSW, all clear.

 looking to Newcastle through Sydney, all clear

Looking back to Bathurst

 Looking to south and VK1

Looking to VK3 & VK5 all clear.

Looking west, a couple trees

Facing to north west, highest point where these pine trees are.

 Looking north, a few sparse trees, but nothing Roundup or a chainsaw can't fix

Good flat area, for parking, camping, whatever.

Field Portable QF46pu Gowan NSW

For Easter weekend, April 2017, was visiting QF46pu, to get on 2m,70cm, and 23cm AE nets in the mornings. Did some testing on 23cm gridpacks and dish against the Dural beacon 1296.420. Did not hear any other 23cm beacons.

 This is small gridpack looking back towards Newcastle.

 This is a larger gridpack, certainly slightly better than the small gridpack

 IC-910H was hooked up to 2m yagi, 70cm yagi and 23cm  running from solar panels and batteries

 The 3metre diameter mesh dish with 23cm feed, aimed towards north coast NSW

 Smaller gridpack aimed at Sydney Dural 23cm beacon (approx 180km)

Looking towards Melbourne in the gap between trees

 Looking toward VK1, worked VK1KW and VK1DJA on 2m SSB

 2metre and 70cm yagis

I took 3.4Ghz and 10GHz  but did not get time to flash it up.

Best activity was working Compton VK2HRX who was SOTA portable up the Warrumbungles, worked him on 2m SSB, 70cm SSB and 1294.000 FM

Aiming to the right of the big tree to work Compton VK2HRX/p at QF48mr SOTA spot CCW001 a distance of 209km, not bad on 1294 MHz FM as Compton was using a 1w handheld.

and screenshot from VKLogger

For next time,  remember take my portable generator.

Motorola GM-339 and Tait 8110

Just some ex-commercial radios  we playing with for 2m and 70cm

Motorola GM-339 UHF mobiles, and Tait 8110 VHF mobiles.  Excellent radios.

23cm portable 8th to 10th December, 2016

I did  a trip to Canberra on 8th December, 2016,  first stopped at the carpark at southern end of Federal Highway, (QF44qu) where it rises up from Lake George, so I could try to work Dave VK2JDS at QF46pu, it was extremely windy and difficult to keep grid pack still or even hear the radio, so we were unsuccessful. It probably should have worked and I was aiming up the lake, above the water.
On 9th December 2016, I visited Mt Ainslie (QF44nr) to try and work Rod VK2TWR at Nimmitabel, but he already packed up, but I did hear Gordon VK3EJ at Cobram on 1296.150 MHz via AE, working Rob VK1KW, nice strong signal from Gordon before quickly fading out. At least this proved my IC-910H and 23cm Gridpack were working.

on 10th December 2016, came up to Mt Ainslie (QF44nr) again and tried on the northern side of the hill, to try and work Grant VK2MAX at Kempsey via AE on 1296.150 bu to no go. Also tried to receive Dural beacon 1296.420 but no go.

Then I moved around to western side of Mt Ainslie (QF44nr) to try Grant VK2MAX again but no good AE path available.