VK2XB- Indy - truck mobile missing from APRS

 When I occasionally  look around on APRS, I often spot Indy VK2XB mobile somewhere in his big rig (semi-trailer truck), but I havent had time to look around for past 6months, except for my own travelling between new home  in Yass Valley and back to Sydney and have been doing that each week for a few months.

Anyway, back to VK2XB,  I had a look on APRS to see where he travelling and I noticed he hasnt been on APRS since January. I thought, oh I hope nothing bad happened. I did some searches and spotted an article in March on Brisbane Radio Society but not much else. 

40m VDSL filter for your NBN (FTTN)

 Geoff VK2WA  pointed me to a blog posting from Andrew VK3FS

for filtering the VDSL signal hitting 40metre band for NBN FTTN connections.

A 40m VDSL filter to stop Internet drops. Works with TP-link Archer modem
 

I having the same plus more, not so much noise  eminatiing from the VDSL mode, but my RF crashing my VDSL, 

but first, the trick I did to crush the RFI radiating  from my VDSL connection and  my VDSL modem, I just add some clip-on  ferrites cores on the VDSL cable as it popper out of the wall heading to the VDSL modem, I just added the camp over ferrites one at a time, each time checking the internet download and upload speeds, I was getting 55Mbps download, for a 50Mbps NBN service, I hit a point where the dowblaod and upload speeds dropped, then removed that last ferrite, returning to a 555Mbps download and 19Mbps upload> now I could not detect any RFI from my VDSL FTTN service. 

Next problem,  crashing the modem, if ran on any HF band,  I only needed 5watts  to reset the modem, from any HF band,  so I started adding ferrites on the cables coming from the modem internally,  winding multiple turns on large size clampon  ferrites yielded good results, now I can safely run 50w on Tx on any HF band.  To improve on that, if I isolate the internal copper pair wiring within the house I can then run the 100watts.

End of 2024, full FTTP arrive in our street, just a matter of switching over to FTTP service to see what happens then.

APRS tracking on 14-15-16 Feb 2025

 my APRS track on the weekend 14-15-16 Feb 2025
Just some casual looking at possible future places for an antenna farm

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.

Silent Key - David VK2AYD

 David VK2AYD passed away this week,  in his mid 90's,

top CW Contester, sadly missed by all.

Originally from England, lived in US for some time, then Sydney and later retired to Wauchope.

Held management jobs here in Utiliux, Ferguson Transformers and Huber and Suner

Road Trip 12th - 14th May 2023

 Sydney - Orange - Gowan - Sydney

return trip late Sunday night, with low temperatures 6 to 10deg C yielded fuel consumption of 9L/100km from my Jackaroo. Only used a tank of 95 octane, usually it consumes 3/4 of a tank in warm weather.

3.5Hrs via Katoomba  return trip, compared to 4hrs via Bells Line Rd for previous similiar late night returns

APRS VK2KFJ-9 is RF  145.175 MHz  and VK2KFJ is TCPIP

Whilst at Gowan QF46pu, did some RF testing, accessing VK2RYL 147.225 MHz requiring 91.5Hz ctcss, VK2RCD 146.725 at Dubbo, VK2RYG 146.875 MHz requiring 91.5Hz ctcss at Young, VK2RKG 146.900 MHz Bathurst, VK2RCW 146.900 MHz at Gowan, VK2RCC 146.800 MHz at Coonabarabran, VK1RGI 146.950 MHz Mt. Ginini, plus contacts on 146.500 FM simplex.  I could hear WIA broadcast  via VK2RAG 146.725 MHz, VK2RMP 146.850 MHz Maddens Plains, VK2RWI 147.000 at Dural.

Also heard on Sunday morning at 7.30am, two U.S. stations talking on their local 29.680 MHz 10m repeater for 30mins.  Later that day could hear the WIA broadcast on a 29.680 repeater.either in vk7 or vk6, plus activity on 29.600 MHz including Murray ZL3MH,  plus Indonesians on 29.120 MHz

Web SDR map

here is the link to the KIWISDR Web SDR map  map.kiwisdr.com

I can see Terry VK2KTJ operating one. I hope it is low noise site as promised.

I would like to run a Web SDR out at QF46pv,  it is definitely low noise floor site.

RFI/EMI from solar panel inverters

 Well, it had to happen, the increase of people  installing f%$#ing solar panels on their roof, because they "think" they are saving the world, has wiped out my HF reception. There are a couple  houses across road from me, but I haven't had an issue with them, even the Tesla driver with his whole roof covered. But a couple weeks ago I noticed noise level on 40m jumped to s6 and pretty consistent each day, it can seen on the spectrum display on my HF, it is inverter noise,  

I spent a day turning off and unplugging everything in the my house to see if I was the source, nope. Got up on roof, spotted a house  diagonally over back fence with a brand new set of f#$%ing solar panels, they weren't there, when I last up on the roof a few months back. Here's hoping the inverter isolation safety switch malfunctions and burns their house down.

Now I understand why the big push from ACMA to introduce a Class license system for Amateur Radio operators, the ACMA knows what is going to happen, lots of RFI/EMI complaints from faulty or cheap solar panel installations, once we are a Class license, then we can't complain about interference, it becomes  "your problem, you deal with it!"

Another problem the Greens have inflicted on society. Having done work for govt corruption bodies, I know what the Greens do and how they operate. It's a shame nobody will take steps to shut them down and put them in prison for their criminal activity. I can assure you The Greens are not the smiley faced do-gooders they make themselves out to be.

update on WIA Contests for remainder of 2022

 VK Trans-Tasman Contest is on 16th July 2022

 RD Contest is on 13th August 2022

These are the remaining two WIA VHF/UHF/SHF Field Day Contests for 2022.

  Winter 2022 - 0200 UTC Saturday 25 through 0159 UTC Sunday 26 June (0400 / 0359 in VK6). 

  Spring 2022 - 0100 UTC Saturday 26 through 0059 UTC Sunday 27 November (0400 / 0359 in VK6).

the full WIA 2022 Contest Calendar is here :

New release of VK 2022 Contest Calendar (wia.org.au)

John Moyle Field Day 2022 - postmortem

 I went to QF46pu with the intention of  working VHF and above, however after the first hour  of calling and finding nothing and hearing nothing,  (except for  VK2LE/p on 146.500, but they could not hear me). Dave VK2JDS was tuning around 40metres and found lots of stations calling CQ Contest,  so I started working the contest on 40metres, it was great fun, lots of strong signals, easy to work them. There were some serious stations out there, but also many casual contesters who liked a bit of a chat, which I was very obliging with. 

I was not  doing the contest seriously, just give out some numbers.  There seemed like there were many club groups and family groups, one op had his daughters doing the CQ calls while he made the contacts, so I was surprised by the number of young operators, both genders present, some of which had picked up the contest bug and operating very professionally and proficiently, which was great to hear. 

Over the 24 hour period I racked up 50 contacts, in between other projects,  while realistically just having a bit of fun in the contest.  I was operating under my other callsign VK2ABP,  running the Icom 756 Pro2 into a 80metre horizontal wire loop, strung out among the trees. 

Now that I had fun on a HF contest, I think I need to have a go at the RD Contest in August. I think I leave the VHF and above for the WIA VHF-UHF Field Day Contests.

John Moyle Field Day Contest 20th-21st March 2021

 the heavy rain and wind has made a mess of going contest portable on eastern seaboard,  

but at least two groups out there portable :

Manly Warringah Radio Society (MWRS) gone portable  to Gundaroo NSW QF45oa just north of VK1

to operate HF to 23cm   as club callsign VK2MB/p

and  also  the 

Eastern & Mountain District Radio Club (EMDRC)  operating portable  near Blackwood (n.w. of Melbourne)  QF22dm15  operating as VK3ER/p  160m to 47GHz

HF APRS iGates for VK

 just throwing a list together here for the 30m/40m iGates operating  300bps APRS  here in VK.

If you seriously going to be travelling the outback, or maritime mobile around VK, then HF APRS is good for your safety,  it is 300bps APRS,  10.147600 MHz USB, 7.036 MHz LSB 

VK1IAN-1 30m ACT

VK2NA-11 30m Newcastle

VK2OL-10 30m Sydney

VK4AB-4 30m  Brisbane

VK4MQ-4 30m Toowoomba  (Direwolf)

VK4MQ-5  30m Toowoomba  (UIview-32)

VK5ARG-3  30m & 40m  Balaklava

VK5DW-5  30m  Berri

VK5RM-4  30m  Adelaide

VK5THB-4 30m Waikerie

VK6LD-4 30m  Perth

VK7KPC-4 30m Launceston

VK7ZRO-4 30m & 40m Hobart

VK8KMD-10  30m Alice Springs

VK8JG-5  30m & 40m  Darwin

Surprisingly, the ZL's don't appear to have any HF APRS iGates, with all that mountainous country, I thought their VHF APRS would have a lot of coverage holes.

And places like New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and Tonga  don't have any HF iGates, considering the maritime mobile traffic from visiting hams in that region.

post mortem summary of the WIA Summer VHF/UHF/SHF Field Day Contest 12th/13th January 2019

here is summary of the weekend:

operated  from Mt.Lambie (QF46xm) on Saturday afternoon, 2m SSB, 23cm SSB,  9cm SSB, 6m (52.525) FM, 70cm (439.000) FM.   At last minute we didnt take 6m yagi or multimode.  The 70cm yagi for SSB did not work, later finding a damaged centre pin in connector, and did not take 10 GHz unit as too big to fit it.  It was clear skies, so solar panel & battery adequately provided power, so did not need to run generator. Packed up and left Mt.Lambie at 5pm.

Saturday night at QF46pu, we did some portable microwave contacts with Dave VK2JDS (QF46pu) across to Justin VK2CU's location (QF46qu), worked all 11 x bands 50 Mhz to 76 GHz until midnight.

Sunday morning did not go to QF46xe, instead stayed at QF46pu to operate all bands again, then continued on after lunch  doing contacts for Ross Hull Contest. Also did some driving around looking for possible portable sites, ie. high spots that can be cleared.

DX report 8th December 2018

driving yesterday, had the quad band FM (TH-9800) scanning it stopped on 29.640 MHz repeater, hear a couple fellows chatting, it was a a VK2 and a VK3 via the VK3RHF 10m rptr,  so first 10m E's opening I have had this summer, nice signals up and down a bit, but peaking at 60/9 that was around 12noon.
Later at night I went out and had  it scanning again, this time  stops on 146.750 Mhz rptrs, a couple fellows chatting, at first I thought it might have been Tamworth repeater, but as qso progressed they were talking about hearing ZL's on 2metres and then realised they were on the Bega 2m rptr, on the far south coast of NSW, this was whilst I driving to Forestville and the signal peaking at time around 20/9 so definitely some coastal ducting.