Solar Cycle 24

Solar Cycle 24 not looking real good ...  I think this certainly points to the fact that there is little hope for Cycle 25,

http://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/images/ssn_predict_l.gif

(update graciously provided by NASA.)

I think the move to microwave terrestrial DX and EME  looks more inviting everyday.

23cm repeater

a new 23cm FM repeater went live here in Sydney recently, VK2RWC on 1273.200 o/p 1293.200 i/p a top of a high building in Chatswood. It is co-sited with aanother WICEN 2m repeater on 147.150 o/p 147.750 i/p  and requires 91.5 Hz CTCSS tone. Both giving good coverage.

It must be 10 years since we had a WICEN repeater at Chatswood. The site is still missing its 70cm counterpart, but that is on its way, expecting to be on 438.350 o/p 433.350 i/p and presumably a 91.5 Hz CTCSS requirement.

the most important fact of all this was that we now have another 23cm FM voice repeater for Sydney, to compliment the WIA 23cm FM voice repeater at Dural on 1273.500 o/p 1293.500 i/p, which unfortunately is suffering issues due to broken antenna,  one day it is good, the next day it can be near impossible to access, depending on which way the wind blows.

Other 23cm repeaters ? some more that are planned or under construction in NSW:
1273.100 / 1293.100 VK2RZL for Westlakes ARC, in the Sugarloaf area near Newcastle
1273.200 / 1293.200 VK2RPW for Walcha area.
1273.300 / 1293.300 VK2RBM  for  Blue Mountains ARC , west of Sydney
1273.300 / 1293.300 VK2RPL Mt Nardi, Lismore area
1273.450 / 1293.450 VK2RRR at Razorback in Sydney's south west (Camden/Picton area)
1273.700 / 1293.700 VK1RJB in Jervis Bay on the South Coast  

plus some D-Star rptrs exist on 23cm too.