Microwave activity 18th October, 2025

my activity is from Buff Point, near Budgewoi on NSW Central Coast, aiming across Lake Budgewoi, it proved the point that can definitely get back into Sydney from here on 23cm FM, so would be easy on SSB and WSPR

 

CCARC Wyong Field Day 2024 Cancelled

 Wyong Field Day – 2024 - Central Coast Amateur Radio Club (ccarc.org.au)

update on 23cm repeater systems centered around Sydney and NSW as of 22nd Oct 2023

 update on 23cm repeater systems centered around Sydney and NSW as of  22nd Oct 2023

OUTPUT / INPUT    Callsign    Location

1273.100 / 1293.100 VK2RTZ  Mt. Sugarloaf  - working,  it idents every hour, requires 91.5Hz CTCSS tone to access

1273.200 / 1293.200 VK2RWC   Chatswood  - working

1273.400 / 1293.400 VK2RAG  Somersby - working,  now linked to VK2RAG 6metre repeater, requires 91.5Hz CTCSS tone to access

1273.500 / 1293.500 VK2RWI Dural  -  working, carries Sunday WIA broadcast.

1296.850  VK2RMP FM Simplex analogue parrot repeater at Maddens Plains - working, it idents every 10 minutes with a CW message

All the above are Vertical polarised.

1294.000 FM Simplex, not heard anyone since July 2022.

VK2RAG 1273.400 repeater back on air 2nd Sept 2023

The  VK2RAG 1273.400 repeater is back on air as of 2nd Sept 2023, after some refurbishment by Don VK2ZCZ, 

the 23cm repeater is now linked to the VK2RAG 53.725 repeater. This is to encourage more activity tieing 23cm users with 6metre users, both the 23cm rptr and 6metre rptr require 91.5Hz CTCSS to activate the repeaters and simultaneous linking.

VK2RAG 23cm 1273.400 repeater off air

news from CCARC  that  VK2RAG 23cm 1273.400 repeater is off air for replacement.

no ETA of when it will return.

update on 23cm repeater systems as of 10th May 2023

update on 23cm repeater systems centered around Sydney as of  10th May 2023

Here are the operational 23cm FM Analogue repeaters I can work:

OUTPUT / INPUT    Callsign    Location

1273.100 / 1293.100 VK2RTZ  Mt. Sugarloaf  - working,  it idents every hour, requires 91.5Hz ctcss

1273.200 / 1293.200 VK2RWC   Chatswood  - working

1273.400 / 1293.400 VK2RAG  Somersby - working, has beep on the tail

1273.500 / 1293.500 VK2RWI Dural  -  working, carries Sunday WIA broadcast.

1296.850  VK2RMP FM Simplex analogue parrot repeater at Maddens Plains - working, it idents every 10 minutes with a CW message

All the above are Vertical polarised.

1294.000 FM Simplex, not heard anyone since July 2022.

6metre FM repeaters in and around Sydney

 Repeaters status as of 11th December 2022

VK2RAG, Somersby, 53.725 MHz  requires  91.5 Hz  CTCSS tone  - they run Sunday WIA b'cast and callbacks

VK2RWI, Dural, 53.850 MHz - working,  WIA Sunday b'casts will run through this next year

VK2RBM, Blue Mtns, 53.875 MHz - working  requires 123Hz CTCSS

VK2RMP, Maddens Plains, 53.650 MHz  - working  requires 123Hz CTCSS

VK2RSN, Mt Sugarloaf, Newcastle, 53.625 MHz    nil response, I tested yesterday when I was up that way

VK2RGN, 53.700 MHz, Goulburn,   off air according to the Goulburn ARC website.

my Radioddity GD-77 DMR handheld radio update

 today, I decided to update my GD77 handheld, as I noticed that  Brandmeister TG 50526 (VK2GWY-CCARC) had sprung into life yesterday, presumably a new gateway had been added by the CCARC club (aka VK2RAG), first I had to setup the GD77 Programming Software on my laptop, as when I last updated it, I was then using a WINXP PC. I installed the latest version 3.1.9, which is the same I had used on the old PC.

Checking  the Radioddity website I noticed there had been some firmware updates since last time, my GD77 was currently using  ver 4.02.08, and the latest is 4.03.09, so I downloaded the firmware, ran the firmware installer and updated the firmware (without bricking the device) successfully to  ver 4.03.09, which was confirmed when I did a Read of the device using the Radioddity GD77 Programming  Software. DSP version remains the same at HRC6000 ver 1.2

I made my changes doing a shuffle of some TG's and adding TG50526 (VK2GWY-CCARC) for my Brandmeister Group.

The updated GD77 codeplug is now installed and operational. 

I also updated my Motorola XTS3000 today as well, to remove some repeater channels that have been redeployed as VK-DMR repeaters and shuffle a couple P25 channels around and uploaded that new codeplug into the XTS3000.

CCARC 'Morning Tea' Net VK2RAG

 I discovered the CCARC (Central Coast Amateur Radio Club) Morning Tea Net on Wednesdays at 10am on VK2RAG 146.725 MHz FM repeater, which seems to run for about an hour.

TG10400 Pacific P25 Reflector activity - 8th August 2020

Big day of activity here on TG10400 P25 Pacific Reflector, 21 users  today

VK2PZ, VK2FAEU, VK2ERG, VK3VLA, VK2NMZ, VK3FKEN, VK3FJAY, VK7HSE, VK2FOX, VK3FXBR, VK3JMA, VK2MRC, VK3UT, VK2FPAR, VE7IOX, VK2PCH, K5TRA, VK2GP, VK4CWL, KD2EWE, VK3AS,
I noted VK2RAG has appeared as a gateway,  possibly on their P25 repeater 439.950 MHz

Also, VK2RMB 438.175 MHz P25 repeater, soon to also be linked into TG10400,  it is work in progress.

Noting some of the gateway repeaters :
VK2RAG, VK2RCG, VK2RGP, VK2RHK, VK2RHP, VK2RNS, VK3RBD, VK3RHD, VK4RDS, VK4RHG.

Pacific TG10400 P25 - NXDN Reflector

Central Coast Field Day 2020

its on again,  ......
    Sunday 23rd February, 2020,  the CCARC (Central Coast Amateur Radio Club) Field Day at Wyong racecourse,  I see from the APRS.fi page there are even VK5's doing a road trip to come to CCARC Field Day.  I going up early Sunday, see whats available in the boot sales,  ie. potential microwave bits and pieces.

Unfortunately, it clashes with the 23 on 23 Microwave Activity Day, which coincides with 23rd of the month, where we activate microwaves bands, which happens to be on a weekend this month.

https://www.ccarc.org.au/ccarc-wyong-field-day-site-layout/