23cm activity from VK3 this morning 26th January, 2026

 The VK3's having a cracker of a morning on 23cm SSB

Microwave activity 18th October, 2025

my activity is from Buff Point, near Budgewoi on NSW Central Coast, aiming across Lake Budgewoi, it proved the point that can definitely get back into Sydney from here on 23cm FM, so would be easy on SSB and WSPR

 

23 on 23 Activity for 23rd August, 2025

Here in Sydney tonight, VK2HC,VK2ZIP,VK2ZIW,VK2BPG,VK2KQ,VK2TDN 

23cm portable QF43xe90 Porcupine Hill/Mount Trickett/Jenolan Caves/Kanangra-Boyd National Park

 Spent last week at Jenolan Cabins (QF46xe90) near Mount Trickett and Porcupine Hill in western Blue Mountains, whilst relaxing, I   worked 23cm stations  on FM and USB, using ic910 and a 23cm Bi-quad  antenna.

Noting working these 23cm repeaters:
VK2RWC Chatswood 1273.200MHz was 60/9 at 110km east
VK2RWI Dural 1273.500 was s9  at 99.1km east
VK2RAG Somersby 1273.400 was s7 at 131km nth east
VK2RMP Maddens Plains 1296.850MHz simplex parrot repeater was s3 at 100.5km sth east

Contacts:

Gary VK2KYP portable at Somersby via 1296.100 USB and FM, 10w signal 10/9,  and also qrp  both ways at with a few mW

worked Ivan VK2FUR, Ron VK2GO, Mick VK2CMP & Alex VK2KQ via Chatswood Repeater

and also called in on the ARNSW Broadcast on Sunday night on Dural 23cm repeater.

If looking for a good RF location to operate from, or operate nearby, then book a holiday at  Jenolan Cabins

New Zealand (ZL) Repeater Listing

 I stumbled onto this site whilst trying to check the status of the ZL 6metre repeaters.

The ZL's got a good set of repeaters spread across the two islands, including some 900Mhz,(33cm) and of course 23cm repeaters.

The only repeaters they don't have are 10metre repeaters (ie 29MHz)

Be nice if they tied some of their 23cm repeaters, or 900Mhz, etc, to their 6metre repeaters such as Klondike, Climie and Christchurch, that  would create some activity over in ZL when 6metres is open.

vhf.nz/maps/repeaters.html

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

23cm contacts with VK2KYP portable 29th July 2024

 tee'd up and made contacts on 23cm, 1296.100 USB and 1294.000 FM simplex, on Monday 29th July 2024 at approx 10.30am AEST, 

Gary VK2KYP was portable at Somersby, on Central Coast NSW  QF56po, using a gridpack

and I was portable at Porcupine Hill, up the back of Jenolan Caves, in Western Blue Mtns of NSW, QF46xe, using a bi-quad antenna,

 distance was 130km,  signal strength was s5 on 1296.100 and s6 on 1294.000 FM.

logged the contacts on vkspotter.com

Dave VK0DS / VK2JDS arriving at Davis Station (Antartica) on Saturday, 11th November, 2023

 Some Antartic photos from Dave VK0DS / VK2JDS arriving at Davis Station on Saturday, 11th Nov 2023 after cutting through much ice. Dave will operate on 2m EME, 23cm EME and HF as time permits between work duties over the next 14 or so months.

update on 23cm repeater systems centered around Sydney and NSW as of 22nd Oct 2023

 update on 23cm repeater systems centered around Sydney and NSW as of  22nd Oct 2023

OUTPUT / INPUT    Callsign    Location

1273.100 / 1293.100 VK2RTZ  Mt. Sugarloaf  - working,  it idents every hour, requires 91.5Hz CTCSS tone to access

1273.200 / 1293.200 VK2RWC   Chatswood  - working

1273.400 / 1293.400 VK2RAG  Somersby - working,  now linked to VK2RAG 6metre repeater, requires 91.5Hz CTCSS tone to access

1273.500 / 1293.500 VK2RWI Dural  -  working, carries Sunday WIA broadcast.

1296.850  VK2RMP FM Simplex analogue parrot repeater at Maddens Plains - working, it idents every 10 minutes with a CW message

All the above are Vertical polarised.

1294.000 FM Simplex, not heard anyone since July 2022.

23 on 23 Microwave Activity Day - 23rd September, 2023

 good showing today and tonight for 23 on 23,   silly me got my day wrong, thougtht 23rd was Sunday, but it was today.

extract courteousy of VKSPOTTER.COM

VK2RAG 1273.400 repeater back on air 2nd Sept 2023

The  VK2RAG 1273.400 repeater is back on air as of 2nd Sept 2023, after some refurbishment by Don VK2ZCZ, 

the 23cm repeater is now linked to the VK2RAG 53.725 repeater. This is to encourage more activity tieing 23cm users with 6metre users, both the 23cm rptr and 6metre rptr require 91.5Hz CTCSS to activate the repeaters and simultaneous linking.

VK2RAG 23cm 1273.400 repeater off air

news from CCARC  that  VK2RAG 23cm 1273.400 repeater is off air for replacement.

no ETA of when it will return.

update on 23cm repeater systems as of 10th May 2023

update on 23cm repeater systems centered around Sydney as of  10th May 2023

Here are the operational 23cm FM Analogue repeaters I can work:

OUTPUT / INPUT    Callsign    Location

1273.100 / 1293.100 VK2RTZ  Mt. Sugarloaf  - working,  it idents every hour, requires 91.5Hz ctcss

1273.200 / 1293.200 VK2RWC   Chatswood  - working

1273.400 / 1293.400 VK2RAG  Somersby - working, has beep on the tail

1273.500 / 1293.500 VK2RWI Dural  -  working, carries Sunday WIA broadcast.

1296.850  VK2RMP FM Simplex analogue parrot repeater at Maddens Plains - working, it idents every 10 minutes with a CW message

All the above are Vertical polarised.

1294.000 FM Simplex, not heard anyone since July 2022.

1296.500 MHz WSPR weak signal

 VK2BLS and VK2HC playing WSPR on 1296.500 MHz today

extract from VKspotter.com

23cm FM voice repeater systems centered around Sydney as of 9th April, 2023

 An update on 23cm FM voice repeater systems centered around Sydney as of  9th April, 2023

Here are the operational 23cm FM Analogue repeaters I can work:

1273.100 / 1293.100 VK2RTZ at Mt. Sugarloaf  - working,  it idents every hour, at 6minutes before the hour, requires 91.5Hz ctcss to access

1273.200 / 1293.200 VK2RWC  at Chatswood  - working

1273.400 / 1293.400 VK2RAG at Somersby - working, has beep on the tail

1273.500 / 1293.500 VK2RWI at Dural  -  yes, it is working again.

1296.850  VK2RMP FM Simplex analogue parrot repeater at Maddens Plains - working, it idents regularly every 10 minutes with a long CW message

Activity:  mostly found on Chatswood repeater, with some activity on Dural repeater on Sunday after the WIA NSW broadcast 10am and 7.30pm local time

1294.000 FM Simplex, not heard anyone on here since July 2022.

23cm / 1296Mhz Update - October 2022

 a recap on 23cm repeater systems centered around Sydney as of October, 2022

Here are the operational 23cm FM Analogue repeaters I can work:

OUTPUT / INPUT    Callsign    Location

1273.100 / 1293.100 VK2RTZ Mt. Sugarloaf

1273.200 / 1293.200 VK2RWC  Chatswood  

1273.400 / 1293.400 VK2RAG Somersby

1273.500 / 1293.500 VK2RWI Dural  - currently off-air due to antenna problem

1296.850  VK2RMP FM Simplex analogue parrot repeater at Maddens Plains

There are other known 23cm Repeaters, i.e VK2RRR Razorback and  others at Blue Mtns, Walcha, Muswellbrook, Lismore and Jervis bay,  all these have been unfortunately cancelled, scrapped or never completed.

23cm updates for 2nd August, 2022

I had 23cm transceiver scanning, I kept hearing a very weak female voice, looks to be a automated ident, kept trying to catch which frequency but eventually got it, so this good news, confirmed VK2RTZ is alive and still working. This is Peter VK2ZTV's baby.

 VK2RTZ in QF57SC                                  1273.100000 REP 51

Spotter: VK2KFJ in QF56OG @19° 97.5 Kmfrom Sugarloaf Range, near Newcastle, s0 weak, has a female voice for ident

I also in recent days seeing some weak signal digital activity,some guys doing JT65 on 1296.215 MHz between VK4'sand some WSPR on 1296.500 MHz between VK1 and VK3 stations
This is exciting, I need to get some more 23cm antennas up in the air.

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 FM Repeaters update

Update of 23cm FM voice repeaters for VK1/VK2

OUTPUT   INPUT      Callsign       Location

1273.100   1293.100 VK2RTZ      Mt Sugarloaf , Newcastle   91.5Hz ctcss

1273.200   1293.200 VK2RPW    Grundy Mtn,  Walcha  - defunct

1273.200   1293.200 VK2RWC    Chatswood,  Sydney (north)

1273.300   1293.300 VK2RPL     Mt Nardi,  Lismore  - defunct

1273.400   1293.400 VK2RAG    Somersby,  Central Coast

1273.500   1293.500 VK2RWI     Dural,   Sydney (north west)

Brisbane VHF Group VK4RBB Beacon Update

These UHF and microwave beacons repaired and on-air 

432.440 MHz

1296.440 MHz

2403.440 MHz

3398.440 MHz

5760.440 MHz

10368.440 MHz

24048.440 MHz