Release of WSJT-X 2.6.0-rc2

 Dear WSJT-X Users,

We are pleased to announce that Release Candidate WSJT-X 2.6.0-rc2 is
ready for download by beta testers. A list of its essential changes from
previous releases can be found in the Release Notes:
https://physics.princeton.edu//pulsar/k1jt/Release_Notes.txt

Links for downloading WSJT-X 2.6.0-rc2 can be found on the WSJT-X Home
Page, https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/wsjtx.html
Scroll down to find "Candidate release: WSJT-X 2.6.0-rc2".

We hope you will enjoy using this beta release of WSJT-X 2.6.0. As a
beta tester you should report on your experiences with its new features,
successful and otherwise, on one of the relevant WSJT forums. Bugs
should be reported by following instructions found here in the User Guide:

https://www.physics.princeton.edu//pulsar/K1JT/wsjtx-doc/wsjtx-main-2.6.0-rc2.html#_bug_reports

WSJT-X and MAP65 are licensed under the terms of Version 3 of the GNU
General Public License (GPLv3). Development of this software is a
cooperative project to which many amateur radio operators have
contributed. If you use our code, please have the courtesy to let us
know about it. If you find bugs or make improvements to the code, please
report them to us in a timely fashion. Additional licensing details can
be found here:
https://physics.princeton.edu//pulsar/k1jt/devel.html

73 from the WSJT Core Development Team
Joe, K1JT; Steve, K9AN; Nico, IV3NWV; Chet, KG4IYS; Uwe, DG2YCB;
Brian, N9ADG; and John, G4KLA

23cm activity 26th July 2022

 found that I can key and hear myself noise free via the parrot repeater, as per my VKSpotter entry

VK2RMP in QF55LR1296.850000  53

Spotter: VK2KFJ in QF46XE @119° 100.9 KmFM parrot rptr
then spent 25mins chatting with Brian VK2AH at Bulli via the parrot.
Brian advised that IARC would like to convert the parrot to a proper 23cm FM repeater in the future.
gave some CQ's on 1294 MHz FM simplex. nothing heard.

VK2TDN in QF56ME1294.000000 FM 51

Spotter: VK2KFJ in QF46XE @89° 99.8 Kmqsb, and rain squalls in between

VK2RWC in QF56OE1273.200000  59

Spotter: VK2KFJ in QF46XE @88° 109.8 Kmworking dave vk2tdn via the rptr

23cm Update 25th July, 2022

 

Made contact with VK2JDS at QF46pu, height 920mASL from my location on HorseshoeBend Rd, near Edith, QF46xe at 1340m ASL, on 1296.100 SSB and also FM, signals rcvd varied from  s0 from a handheld, to 30/9 for 8w into 5m diam dish with ic-910, Dave also tested loop yagi and  a gridpack about s9, distance between us was 95.6km

I was using ic-910 into a gridpack antenna, portable..

Later testing operational 23cm FM Analogue repeaters worked today:

1273.200 / 1293.200 VK2RWC  at Chatswood  40/9 from Porcupine Hill, QF46xe
1273.400 / 1293.400 VK2RAG at Somersby  s5 from Porcupine Hill, QF46xe

Worked Ron VK2GO, Lew VK2ZIP and Dave VK2TDN via VK2RWC Chatswood rptr.

For next year, I will bring 3.4GHz and 10GHz equipment.

Mallanganee Lookout - Bruxner Highway, Mallanganee, west of Casino, NSW (QG61JC)

 on recent trip I found Mallanganee Lookout, it is just off the Bruxner Highway, near Mallanganee, which is west of Casino, NSW. The Grid location is QG61JC, it is just over 400m ASL, not real high, compared to say the New England plateau, but what attracted me to this site is that it is easily accessible from the highway via  short dirt track for normal car. the top is almost clear of  trees, it is a mountain so relatively unobstructed. I came across this site about 20 years ago and found it great for accessing distant repeaters,  hence  it could be useful for a VHF/UHF Contest, without having to fight with trees.

REAST - Ham Radio Conference and Expo - November 2022

 the Radio and Electronics Association of Southern Tasmania Inc (REAST) is holding an event on the Amateur Radio calendar – the Tassie Ham Radio Conference & Expo to be held in Hobart at the University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay Campus on Saturday, 5th and Sunday 6th November, 2022 in Hobart, Tasmania (VK7).

If you have the opportunity to take a vehicle across to Tasmania via the Spirit of Tasmania from Melbourne, then do it, do the conference weekend and take a week to do a drive around Tasmania (and don't forget your radios), I have done the drive tour around Tasmania and it is definitely worth it !! The VK7 VHF/UHF repeaters are located in excellent sites and give great coverage across Tasmania. Plenty of accessible mountains across Tasmania to take weak signal gear and work DX back to the mainland.

Tassie Ham Radio Conference and Expo | Welcome to REAST

Gold Coast amateur radio activity

 visiting Surfers Paradise again, last visit was around 20th-22nd March 2020 just as Covid was ramping up. 

I brought my scanner,   listening on  146.700 VK4RGC Springbrook belonging to the GCARC    and there is 438.100 VK4RZA also at Springbrook, hearing it ident in CW regularly, it is linked to 70cm rptrs at Brisbane and Sunshine Coast.

Hearing  147.225 VK4RGX, located at Springbrook, which is linked to 146.650 VK4RMC Mt.Cootha, Brisbane which I can also hear.  Also 146.875 is active.

the GCARC have their morning net at 8am, certainly seems a lot more activity here on Gold Coast than there is back in Sydney, the rptrs here are  quite active day and night. On past visits it seemed very quiet when I brought 2m/70cm hheld, I think it was probably my cheap Baofeng desensed by local RF.   

And Microwave band, they have 23cm rptrs up here too. I wish I had brought my ic910 now.

these pics are from 56th floor of Soul Building (Peppers),  top left is towards ZL, top centre is Coolangatta,

top right is Springbrook,  just to right of QT building is Mt.Warning  in NSW, and over the top of it is direction of Sydney.  

From a microwave DX perspective I think Coolangatta is better and aim north to work the VK4's in Brisbane and up the coast.

 

release of WSJT-X 2.6.0-rc1

 Dear WSJT-X and MAP65 Users,

We are pleased to announce that Release Candidate WSJT-X 2.6.0-rc1 is ready for download by beta testers.

This release has new capabilities beyond WSJT-X 2.5.4. A full list of enhancements can be found in the Release Notes:

https://physics.princeton.edu//pulsar/k1jt/Release_Notes.txt

Links for downloading WSJT-X 2.6.0 can be found on the WSJT-X Home Page, https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/wsjtx.html
Scroll down to find "Candidate release: WSJT-X 2.6.0-rc1".

We hope you will enjoy using this beta release of WSJT-X 2.6.0 and MAP65 3.0.0, and exercising the new mode Q65. As a beta tester you should report on your experiences with new features, successful and otherwise, on one of the relevant WSJT forums. Bugs should be reported by following instructions found here in the User Guide:

https://www.physics.princeton.edu//pulsar/K1JT/wsjtx-doc/wsjtx-main-2.6.0-rc1.html#_bug_reports

WSJT-X and MAP65 are licensed under the terms of Version 3 of the GNU General Public License (GPLv3). Development of this software is a cooperative project to which many amateur radio operators have contributed. If you use our code, please have the courtesy to let us know about it. If you find bugs or make improvements to the code, please report them to us in a timely fashion. Additional licensing details can be found here:
https://physics.princeton.edu//pulsar/k1jt/devel.html

-- 73 from Joe, K1JT; Steve, K9AN; Nico, IV3NWV; Chet, KG4IYS;
Uwe, DG2YCB; Brian, N9ADG; and John, G4KLA