29 MHz / 10metre FM DX frequencies

as we approach Summer for southern hemisphere, here is a reminder to those in Oceania and South Pacific of 10metre FM frequencies to monitor if you are chase 10metre DX

 29 MHz / 10 metre FM Simplex channels :

29.200  used by JA

29.300  JA National Call channel

29.400  used by UK

29.450  used by UK

29.500  JA secondary Call Channel and used by UK

29.600  International Call Channel

29 MHz / 10 metre FM repeaters channels :

Output       Input

29.610       29.510

29.620       29.520

29.630       29.530

29.640       29.540

29.650       29.550

29.660       29.560

29.670        29.570

29.680        29.580

29.690        29.590 

VK3 MAD (Microwave Activity Day) 2nd November, 2024

 

VK3 MAD (Microwave Activity Day) 2nd November, 2024

VK3's having some fun for the MAD, plus some VK4 activity.

as per extract from vkspotter.com

VK0DS APRS reports as of 12th September, 2024

 last APRS reports of VK0DS APRS reports as of 12th September, 2024

VK2RKG DMR repeater Bathurst - go-live August 2024

 News from Josh VK2MES:

As of 18th August, 2024, the ARNSW VKDMR RadNet Digital Voice Repeater is operational from West Bathurst, running 10W. The first of the new Motorola SLR1000 repeaters for the ARNSW RadNet network, which is the more compact version of their DMR repeaters.

Frequency is 439.875 MHz Output with a -5.0 MHz input. Callsign is VK2RKG and DMR ID is 505115

Reports can be sent to Josh VK2MES

There is also a VK2RKG 2metre analogue voice repeater 146.900 MHz with -600kHz input, no CTCSS tone required.

Nearby NSW Central West DMR repeaters : VK2RAO Orange 438.725 MHz with -5.0 MHz input VK2RBT Wyangala Dam/Cowra area 438.825 MHz multimode DMR & analogue FM, 9.1.5HZ required

VK2RDD Dubbo 439.950 MHz with -5.0 MHz input

VK2RDX Mt.Bindo/Oberon area 438.150 MHz with -7.0 MHz input

VK3GWY digital gateway still missing.

 

I still looking around to see if anyone talking about why the VK3GWY gateway disappeared which tied BrandMeister DMR TG 50525 with P25 TG50525 and NXDN TG50525 and YSF 06015

while looking around I stumbled onto the VK3RBA 70cm digital repeater dashboard connected to Brandmeister DMR Network, from the dashboard we see BM TG505 TS1 and a local TG9 TS2, I will keep this in mind for the next time I visit Ballarat.

What I noticed from this dashboard is P25 and YSF showing as Not Linked.

vk3rba-d.vk44.net

FK8SIX 6metre Beacon is back on air (50.080 MHz) from New Caledonia

 news from our amateur radio friends in New Caledonia (ARANC club FK8KA)

that the FK8SIX  6metre Beacon is back on air (50.080 MHz) as of October 2024, after a long outage of several years.

You can read about it on their blog 

FK8KA: Beacon FK8SIX

VK2RHR 146.825 MHz High Range Repeater back on air

 VK2RHR 146.825 MHz High Range Repeater in southern Highlands  is back on air, it requires 91.5Hz CTCSS tone to access it.

It belongs to Goulburn and Southern Highlands  ARC. Plans to link it with Goulburn repeater and to Yass repeater

VK3GWY disappeared

 the VK3GWY gateway seems to have disappeared, I haven't heard the VK3 network activity on Brandmeister DMR, P25, NXDN and YSF networks, not hearing the daily and weekly nets held on the VK3 network.
I noticed it disappeared off the various dashboards and checking Brandmeister dashboard it looks to be 26 days ago, so that is around the 14th September.

DMR Stats and Dashboards

 here are the dashboards again plus Matt VK2FLY's Statistics pages for VK-DMR

IPSC2 Dashboard Index (vkdmr.com)  VK-DMR Repeater List

IPSC2 Dashboard Index (vkdmr.com)  VK-DMR Hotspots List

IPSC2 Dashboard Index (arec.info)  ZL DMR Repeaters and Hotspots List

VKDMR Information - From VK2FLY  VK-DMR Information page from VK2FLY

VKDMR Information - From VK2FLY weekly stats for VK-DMR  from VK2FLY

VHF and above portable site Cape Hawke, Forster, NSW, QF67gs

 

I recently visited Cape Hawke (QF67gs)  lookout near Forster on the NSW Mid Coast, I had not been out to the lookout on previous visits to Forster, but after visiting the lookout I realised it is a great spot for VHF,UHF and SHF portable DXing, you can drive most of the way to the lookout, it has a 15minute walk to reach the summit, it is a National Park, so it is covered in dense vegetation and trees, but there is a large 20metre high lookout tower, stairs and platform at top, solid structure with metal posts for temporary connecting antennas too. Ground level is dense bushland, you want to do microwave you have to go up the lookout tower. It is a triangular platform  approx 3m x 3m

this photo is looking north west towards Forster.

this photo looking south west towards Newcastle, Sydney etc, it just catches the tops of trees.

looking west

looking north east up the coast