23cm operating

As of 20th December, I now have 23cm FM gear, an FT-223R with 10w and a Double-Quad antenna, did some testing against VK2RWI Dural beacon (1296.420) and repeater (1273.500 o/p and 1293.500 i/p) after wasting a couple days trying & monitoring the rptr on the wrong freq.[note: this rptr has been listed incorrectly in past callbooks as 1273.750]

The Double-Quad antenna works well, you can really tell the difference of both the beacon and rptr signal and their respective polarisations when switching between horizontal and vertical for each device.

Playing with the 23cm is interesting, totally different to 2m & 70cm, I found trying the antenna in different places around the house that the best signal from the beacon & rptr was by aiming at the city, which is at a beam heading of 180 deg, whereas the Dural site it is a beam heading of around 280 deg, which appears to indicate that a large lump of steel, glass & concrete is providing a better path than aiming through trees and over a ridge.

Made my first 23cm contact with Keith VK2ZZO on Sunday 27th Dec at 12.20pm local EDST to Lane Cove direct & via the Dural rptr. I heard a few people call back on the WIA broadcast.

Dave VK2JDS reported he could hear the Dural beacon (1296.420) from out near Hill End (QF46), but the rptr was way down, but still interesting, as he couldn't hear the 2m or 70cm from Dural rptrs, which is about 180kms, but over the Great Dividing Range.

Dave VK2JDS (QF46pv) worked Bob VK2MRP/p operating at Mt Ginini (sth of ACT) using the same radio and antenna with 1w on FM.

In summary, I am monitoring either 1294.000 FM simplex call freq or 1273.500 VK2RWI Dural rptr. Hope to try some coastal ducting soon.