YJ0VK DXpedition to Vanuatu, South Pacific - August 2024

 

Dx-pedition to Vanuatu as YJ0VK this week, from 20th August 2024,

includes Patrick VK2PN and other team members.

YJ0VK – Vanuatu

Reducing RFI from your vehicle for operating mobile

I have documented the modifications to my 4WD  vehicle that I use for mobile and portable operation. It was only that in past year I have decided to operate HF, whereas in the past I only ever had VHF and UHF equipment, so RFI radiating out and also from within the vehicle was not so much of a problem, but is more so for HF.  My web page includes photos.

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

RF site testing at QF46qu on Easter Sunday, 16th April, 2017

Doing some site testing at a friend's farm at QF46qu at Gowan, north west of Bathurst NSW.
my GPS estimated 950m ASL mostly cleared, with almost 360degress of clear horizon, good for playing radio. As it was Sunday morning I made use of the fact that the WIA morning broadcast was one reason to listen for it on various known frequencies including 2metres, 70cm and 6metres.

I could hear 146.775 Newcastle, 146.725 Somersby, 146.850 Maddens Plains, 146.975 Knights Hill,  53.650 Maddens Plains, 146.950 Mt Ginini.   Could not hear anything from Dural. This was using quad band radio (TYT TH-9800) and quad band vertical from the vehicle. Should be much easier with some yagis up a mast.

Looks to be excellent site to run microwave equipment from (23cm and upwards).

 a little bit of trees to north east,

 looking to north coast & mid north coast NSW, all clear.

 looking to Newcastle through Sydney, all clear

Looking back to Bathurst

 Looking to south and VK1

Looking to VK3 & VK5 all clear.

Looking west, a couple trees

Facing to north west, highest point where these pine trees are.

 Looking north, a few sparse trees, but nothing Roundup or a chainsaw can't fix

Good flat area, for parking, camping, whatever.

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.

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.

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.

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.

VK9NA Norfolk Island DXpedition 2011

the VK9NA team heading to Norfolk again and will be operating from 9th to 20th Jan 2011
on band 50MHz to 10GHz. Modes operated will include SSB, CW, FSK441 and JT65.

Need to find out if they can do 23CM FM simplex