Noumea 2metre FM repeater FK8ZHA 146.800 MHz off air

when I visited Noumea at end of December 2019, I took 2m/70cm handheld with me to work the local FK8's but found 146.800 repeater not responding, had it monitoring all day but nothing. Checked the other frequencies, I heard the FK1ZBR 439.950 digital node being used.
Anyway, the 146.800 repeater may have been damaged along with the FK8SIX 6metre beacon last year.   Looks like FK5ZBY operating a Echolink node on 145.300 MHz

But I did find there are stations active based on the APRS.fi map.
APRS near Noumea

WIA Summer VHF/UHF/SHF Field Day Contest 12th/13th January 2019

check for latest status  here   on the day    https://www.contestradar.com/

or vk2kfj-9 on aprs,  or vklogger.com

of course the following are tentative, Wx permitting, failures, etc

Saturday afternoon QF46XM  1200m ASL
Sunday morning  QF46XE  1300m ASL
Sunday afternoon  back to QF46PU  900mASL  (non-contest mucking around if people need Ross Hull contest numbers)

50.150 USB Horiz
52.525 FM Vert
144.150 USB Horiz
146.500 FM Vert
432.150 USB Horiz
1296.150 USB Horiz
1294.00 FM simplex Vert  (or Horiz if reqd)
3398.150 USB or FM  Horiz     (or could be  .100 or .200  whatever!)
10.368.1xx USB (or FM if reqd)  (.100 or .150, or  somewhere there

Actually Ross Hull Contest runs whole of January and overlaps Summer contest.

Summer VHF/UHF Field Day Contest - 12th / 13th January 2019

almost end of 2018 and just realised that it only two weeks until the 2019 Summer VHF/UHF/SHF Field Day Contest.   I missed the Spring Field Day for 2018, so more effort required to ensure I go portable to operate VHF through SHF, obviously a mountain in the western side of Blue Mtns. The plan is to go Saturday morning setup for 12noon start, do 6 hrs stint will be enough. Not serious to win, it's about just getting out portable to give out some numbers to others and build up microwave skillset. I got everything for 6metres and above, but primary focus is on microwave bands.

DX Report 19th December 2018

another opening to ZL yesterday from VK2, on 2metres  and FM broadcast band across Tasman Sea.
ZL2WHO beacons heard into Sydney and Newcastle areas. Interestingly, Hepburn didnt predict much tropo for the day.
For the day before (18th December) good opening  on 2metres between VK4 and VK5 a few contacts.

Field Portable QF46pu Gowan NSW

For Easter weekend, April 2017, was visiting QF46pu, to get on 2m,70cm, and 23cm AE nets in the mornings. Did some testing on 23cm gridpacks and dish against the Dural beacon 1296.420. Did not hear any other 23cm beacons.

 This is small gridpack looking back towards Newcastle.

 This is a larger gridpack, certainly slightly better than the small gridpack

 IC-910H was hooked up to 2m yagi, 70cm yagi and 23cm  running from solar panels and batteries

 The 3metre diameter mesh dish with 23cm feed, aimed towards north coast NSW

 Smaller gridpack aimed at Sydney Dural 23cm beacon (approx 180km)

Looking towards Melbourne in the gap between trees

 Looking toward VK1, worked VK1KW and VK1DJA on 2m SSB

 2metre and 70cm yagis

I took 3.4Ghz and 10GHz  but did not get time to flash it up.

Best activity was working Compton VK2HRX who was SOTA portable up the Warrumbungles, worked him on 2m SSB, 70cm SSB and 1294.000 FM

Aiming to the right of the big tree to work Compton VK2HRX/p at QF48mr SOTA spot CCW001 a distance of 209km, not bad on 1294 MHz FM as Compton was using a 1w handheld.

and screenshot from VKLogger

For next time,  remember take my portable generator.

Motorola GM-339 and Tait 8110

Just some ex-commercial radios  we playing with for 2m and 70cm

Motorola GM-339 UHF mobiles, and Tait 8110 VHF mobiles.  Excellent radios.

GippsTech symposium 2016

this coming weekend is GippsTech 9th/10th July at the Federation University in Morwell Victoria.
Lots of  good technical discussions to listen too, meeting microwave gurus and top it off with some on-air activity on sunday afternoon on 3.4 Ghz

2m & 70cm FM activity

the sticky weather of summer has started, with the N.E. breezes hitting Sydney yesterday, creating coastal ducting, some rptrs that were enhanced last night, to the north we had 147.100 Buladelah, 146.900 Newcastle, 146.775 Watigans up to s7 normally s1, 438.025 Newcastle, 438.075 Somersby was up to s7 normally s1, the south 146.700 Ulladulla, 146.975 Robertson up to s9 from s1, then from south west 146.950 Mt Ginini was less than s1, nothing found inland, so looked confined to coastal ducting. Noted that 146.650 Mt Bindo was s1 instead of its usual s9, maybe an inversion, as I noted the Dural 23cm beacon was missing, but re-appeared this morning.

Nothing this morning from any of the distant rptrs, but did hear Dave VK2AWZ talking to Brian (VK2BX) on 146.500 FM simplex from Vincentia (near Nowra) approx 10am. Just checked again for 2 & 70 rptr at 2pm, but nothing. 30deg with 80% humid with thunderstorms approaching from west. Will go see if anything on 52.525 FM simplex.