GippsTech Conference update

 I keep checking the VK3BEZ website to see if any updates for a future GippsTech Conference, but unfortunately, nothing.

Just keep monitoring the VK3BEZ website.  GippsTech (vk3bez.org)

GippsTech 2021 now postponed until 2022

 The GippsTech weekend aimed for  6/7 Nov 2021 has now been [postponed until 2022,  expecting it be back in the normal time of July 2022

GippsTech 2019 post mortem

I went to GippsTech 2019 last weekend, drove down Friday,  left home at 5.30am, met up with others collectively at different stages of trip, had breakfast with Steve VK2XDE, Garry VK2KYP and Roger VK2ZRH at Maccas Exceter,  then  continued on to Canberra, where Lindsay VK2AMV, Bob VK2AOR, Brad VK2NMZ met us at a servo in Hume, continued on to Cooma with Dave VK2JDS and Gary VK2GLJ and Rex VK2AZG close behind, we did rendevous in Cooma, bumped into VK2QV on his way to ski fields. Then we travelled in convoy of 5 cars through to Morwell via Nimmitabel, Bombala, stopping for lunch at Cann River, we kept in touch car to car on 2metre simplex, as well as doing some HF on 40metres. Weather was pretty wet crossing VK3 to Morwell.

Met up with everyone else at Morwell Friday night, then at the conference on Saturday. Some great lectures again,  10GHZ EME, reference locking rigs, GPDSO stability and locking  Grid Square accuracy for portable operation, the VK5 Road Trip  to VK3,1,2,4.  Saturday night dinner and Sunday morning continuation of lectures.  Sunday was still raining so we could not do the usual microwave party on local hills after lunch, so we retired to local pub for drinks and dinner.

Monday morning left at 5am for trip home, very windy and raining, 4 cars travelling together again, breakie at Maccas Bairnsdale, morning tea at Cann River, weather fined up crossing border into VK2, lunch in Canberra before we split off heading to our respective QTH's.

Overall, 12 hours travelling Sydney to Morwell, about 10 hours actual driving.

Can't wait to do it again next year.

http://www.vk3bez.org/gippstech.html

latest ramblings

what's been happening lately ?
WIA AGM was in Sydney this year, couple weeks ago,
GippsTech registration announced, you can register your attendance now.
http://vk3bez.org/gippstech.html
VKspotter  site now active, its the replacement to VKlogger.com which has been retired,
https://www.vkspotter.com/
Central Coast ARC VK2RAG  6metre repeater back on air,  it re-appeared again a couple days ago,
Illawarra ARC VK2RMP 6metre repeater still dead,
VK2RWI 6metre repeater still alive and well.
World Super Bikes from Spain this weekend, watched a couple races.
Fixed my internet at home, damned ADSL was so flakey, one minute it 6Mbps, then drops below 1Mbps,  the speedtest graphs looked like a saw-tooth pattern, it was internal cabling problem, bypassed it all, now I getting 10Mbps down consistently, the old 600ohm transmission line just wasn't behaving itself.

GippsTech conference 2019

the 2019 GippsTech conference dates have been announced,  it will be 13th/14th July 2019 at the usual venues in Morwell/Churchill  in VK3 land.

VK3BEZ GippsTech page

Registrations for GippsTech Conference 2018 now open

Registrations for GippsTech Conference 2018 now open,  July 7th & 8th .

http://vk3bez.org/gippstech.html

2018 Events

Easter Holidays  -  30th March to 2nd April -  going to Central West NSW for portable VHF, UHF and SHF portable.

WIA AGM  - 18th to 20th May  -  up on the Gold Coast QLD, at SeaWorld Conference Centre.

GippsTech Conference (VK3BEZ.org)  - 6th to 8th July at Morwell, VIC.

October Longweekend - 29th Sept to 1st October - going to Central West NSW for portable VHF, UHF and SHF portable.

Mobile phone coverage comparison

when travelling to and from GippsTech noticed there a gap where there is no mobile phone coverage, I had known that was case for Optus on previous trips, but this time took note to see how Telstra handled the same segment of road, as can bee seen comparing my APRS versus VK2JDS APRS using Telstra. They both not covering that segment of road.

GippsTech wrap-up

Enjoyed the lectures at GippsTech this year.  Enjoyed the drive down and back, managed to work a few SOTA stations on 40metres, whilst mobile. Met new people and caught up with old acquaintances. This year was interesting in terms of 3.4 GHz as several attendees brought their completed 3.4 Ghz panels, so we did some carpark tune-ups and then headed in different directions  to make some  contacts on 3398.200 Mhz. Lou VK3ALB, Matt VK3PP, Bernard VK3AV, Mark VK5AVQ, Gary VK2KYP, Dave VK2JDS and myself all had operational panels, plus several others with non completed panels were there to see these panels in operation, which in turn inspired them to get their panels completed. Tim VK5ZT gave a lecture on modifications for these panels so there some new alternative methods for modifying these down to 3.4 GHz and some added features to enhance the panels functionality. Next year we bring  gear to run on other microwave bands to have an even bigger activation.

here is extract off VKlogger showing some of the contacts:



here is Mark VK5AVQ and Dave VK2JDS at "The Ridge" in Morwell (QF31ER) we did some receive signal comparison testing of our panels using the VK3RGI  beacon some 30km away on 3400.434 MHz



Bernard VK3AV setting up his panel below at Federation University in Churchill (QF31FQ)



Dave VK2JDS and his panel



Lou VK3ALB and Matt VK3PP setup their panels



Mark VK5AVQ setting up his panel