John Moyle Field Day Contest 2019

next weekend is the John Moyle Field Day Contest on starting 0100z Saturday 16th March, running 24 hours to 0059z Sunday 17th March,  contest operates across all bands and is focused on  promoting field portable activity, but contest open to anyone.

I am going portable again to Mt.Lambie QF46xm 1300m ASL

primarily to operate 2metres and above, (2m, 70cm, 23cm, 9cm and 3cm)
but also taking HF and 50MHz
This occasion will be first time to take 10GHz gear.

Contest rules for 2019 are here :
JMFD 2019 contest rules

DX Report 5th January 2018

I was out mobile today,  10metre FM and 6metre FM were buzzing, 28.620 Adelaide, 29.640 VK3RHF. and 29.680 presumably VK7 had a vk2 and a vk3 chatting on it, anyway, they were alive and active into Sydney, plus 52.525 FM into VK5, plus locals working interstate on 29.500 FM simplex and from the conversations it had been open on 6m and 10m into ZL solidly in the morning.

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.

Modifications for the TYT TH-9800 FM quad-bander mobile transceiver

These TH-9800  quad band FM transceivers  (a clone of the Yaesu FT-8900 transceiver) have an issue of blowing the transmit driver FET.  I have documented a modification to fix this, as it would be a considerable amount of work to replace the drive FET, or even the PA FET for that matter. Easier to do the mod and run at less output power, better than having a dead tx PA. It basically adding a 8v (7808) regulator into the supply circuit for the Driver FET,  which is fed hot from the 13.8v DC input.

http://www.qsl.net/vk2kfj/th9800.html

VHF/UHF Field Day Contest 14/15 Jan 2012

I didnt operate the contest, but I certainly had a listen, on 144.150 SSB, 146.500 Fm, 439.000 FM, 1294.000 FM, 52.525 FM, certainly plenty on 144.150 actiivity compared to the contest last November, I heard VK1BG in Canberra, and VK2ABP/p near Shooters Hill, not bad, considering I was listening to 2m SSB using a 1/2 wave dipole on 25m of RG58. Quite a few portable stations out, particularly up the Blue Mtns.

Heard four stations on 1294.000 FM making contacts, pretty good since I only had a Double-Quad sitting on the window sill beaming south across Sydney.

Dave VK2JDS worked VK1BG on 1296.150 which is a good haul.

I must make the effort to get organised this time next year to go up the farm and work the contest, maybe even the Spring Field Day contest in Nov.

6metre FM over Xmas break

Some good E's about over the Xmas/New Year period, I was active across 27,29 & 31st Dec.

On 27th worked VK4NT who was mobile near Ipswich via VK2RMP 53.650, VK4JV in Gold Coast via VK4RGO 53.800

On 28th worked only worked Jack VK2XQ on 52.525

On 29th receiving jack VK2XQ via the Auckland rptr 53.725, Jack was receiving it at s8 via a 1/2 wave vertical ringo with 3m of rg8, I was only receiving the rptr at s1 with 1/4 wave and 22m of rg213, at this point, I knew something wrong. This wasn't the first time, as a few weeks abck, Jack was working oen of the VK7 rptrs and I couldnt even hear it.

on 31st, started off speaking to Jack VK2XQ, he was working the Christchurch rptr 53.850, I couldnt hear it, then I was able to activate 53.700 VK4RSN, then 53.725 somewhere in VK4 (no ident), then 53.775 somewhere in VK4, (no ident), again, gave calls but no replies, then VK4RGO 53.800 , then found VK3RHV 53.625 Melbourne, but nobody around.
Then worked VK2HC and VK5RO via the Brisbane 53.725 rptr , then VK4UT via the Gold Coast VK4RGO 53.800 rptr. then found the VK4RBX rptr at the Knobby 53.925, but nobody around.

During that time, I kept hearing VK4HJS (I think it was) out at GinGin west of Bunderberg on 52.525, he was there for a couple hrs, working one after the other, 60/9 signal, whereas all the other rprts were in & out, his signal did not stray for a moment and he was working people all over VK2. I remember the same for a VK4LMB last year, up in in far north Qld being on 52.525 for a couple hrs and rock solid.

Jack was speaking to ZL's to find out that the Otago rptr should be on air, but he didnt find it, also Wellington 6m rptr should go back on air when the low band VHF TV transmitter goes off air for the digital switchover.

Also, Jack noted that 52.100 is also a good place to check out, when it gets too heavy on 50 MHz, switch to 52.100 to work the ZL's who are not permitted on 50 MHz due to restrictions against local NZ TV. Plenty ZL's sitting there looking for contacts, but who are not permitted below 52 MHz.

Noted on vlogger some good DX hitting VK & ZL for 50 Mhz, people working the U.S. and Mexico, A35 as well as E51EME was in almost all day everyday. 2013 looks promising.

Mountain top portable

Here is a photo of the new shed for the top of the mountain, the TH3 yagi is at top, mostly out of view, with 2metre horizontal yagi for 144 MHz weak signal DX. 70cm horizontal array still attach to the old garden shed. [ Grid square QF46 ]

The shed is approximately 3m x 3.5m, includes a bunk bed, desk, chairs, and rack for the radio equipment, battery cabinet at rear, plus 800mAHr solar panel on the roof.

APRS digi to go in soon on 145.175 MHz, maybe 70cm FM voice repeater too.

6metre FM activity 30th November

a good afternoon for 6metres, found a few FM repeaters open late afternoon, after Jack VK2XQ tipped me off that the band was open, found 53.550, 53.600, 53.625, 53.750 all strong and open, gave some calls but nil responses. Later that evening found 53.775 and 53.875 open.

Seemed to be VK3, 5 & 7. The unknown was the 53.550 it was not Lismore, so must be a new repeater.

6metre FM operation in Japan (JA)

here's a little snippet of information that's hard to find:

In Japan, the FM segment is 51.000 to 53.999 MHz in 20 KHz steps. There are no 6m FM repeaters. The 6metre FM calling frequency is 51.000 and most FM activity is from JA to HL. I think the JA's use 52.525 (or the equivalent channel) for data use.

Easter/Anzac holiday weekend

counting down the days until go portable DX'ing, location QF46pu (896mASL) and QF46pv, or known as Gowan which is n.w. of Bathurst NSW, across 22nd to 26th April.

Operating bands: HF, VHF, UHF, SHF
modes: FM, SSB and maybe digital modes,

Planning to make some contacts with other local MWRS club members, some of which will be also portable at Coolah Tops National Park (grid QF58) on 40m (daytime) and 80m (nightime)

check www.vklogger.com for operations.

Solar Cycle 24 & 25

a couple good articles to read on how Cycle 24 and 25 will proceed, basically the peaks have now been downgraded, so neither Cycle 24 or 25 peaks will be good.

The solar peaks are expected in May 2013 for Cycle 24 peak and somewhere in 2024 for Solar Cycle 25 peak.
What this means for working HF & 50 MHz DX, is that you will be working harder and require a bigger, better station to make good contacts.

As for the weather, expect even more worse droughts in the cycle lulls (e.g.. around 2018 and 2030).

Here are the various article to read up on:

S-Meter website's Past Cycles and Predictions for Cycle 24 page
http://www.smeter.net/propagation/sunspots/sunspot-cycle-forecasts.php

Current Solar Cycle predictions for Cycle 24 from NOAA Space Weather Prediction Service
http://www.sec.noaa.gov/SolarCycle/SC24/

Solar Cycle Prediction - NASA Marshall Space Centre for Solar Physics.
http://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/predict.shtml

Solar Cycle Progression from NOAA Space Weather Prediction Service
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/SolarCycle/

Solar Cycle Grand Minima and Solar Cycle Modulation article, some heavy theory about the effect of planetary movements within the Solar System and the inter-modulation effects on solar cycles
http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1005/1005.5303.pdf

6metre, 2metre and 70cm FM DX

plenty 6metre activity over Christmas/New year period, with only FM gear, it was restricted to just FM section above 52.500, worked into the Lismore VK2RSC rptr 53.550, that was good, as it quite short E skip and not found that often. Next contacts both via rptrs and simplex into VK4,
including a long qso with VK4XMC up central Qld via VK4RGA 53.725 and vk4NW in Sunshine coast via the Sunshine Coast rptr VK4RSN 53.700, also worked VK3ELV via the VK4RGA rptr.

And worked VK4XMC direct on 52.525 and 53.000 FM simplex. Could hear VK3ELB on 52.525 from Rockhampton in for quite some time working all states.

Even worked a local VK2BOW who I think was portable at Braidwood via the VK4RGA rptr at one stage

I think there were plenty others on 52.525, and the Brisbane rptrs, but most were quite weak when I tried them.

Next couple days, VK5 opened up, worked VK8RR/5 via one of the Adelaide 6m rptrs and VK5NLI on 52.525 for a chat, who was in & out for a good hour working many stations.

Been too busy working to be monitoring 6m FM most of the time.

Have heard the VK5VF beacon a few times, even on FM and off frequency for a 25kHz channelled radio.

All this on just a 6metre 1/4 wave, can only get better if build a 6metre 1/2 wave J-pole vertical.

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as for 2metres, the usual 147.100 Buladelah, 146.700 Ulladulla, 146.900 Newcastle, 146.950 Mt Ginini coming through on and off a regular basis, predominantly coastal ducting.
Heard Dave VK2AWZ on 146.500 simplex from Vincentia (near Nowra), which is a a good haul for FM simplex.

What I have seen is some localised enhancement affecting VK2RDX Mt Bindo 146.650, normally it is about s3, but seeing several days where it maybe s9 or even 60db/9, then a couple hrs later it drops off again, I guessing a local inversion.

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for 70cm rptrs, 438.325 Goulburn was in a couple days, that's quite rare, 438.050 Mt Ginini the same, also heard 438.025 from Newcastle which is also rare.