road trip to Wangi Wangi and surrounds of Lake Macquarie. I took 23cm all-mode, but no luck working VK2RAG or VK2RTZ 23cm rptrs.
I did go up to top of Mt. Sugarloaf to check out possibility of doing some portable microwave activity from here in the future. I gave some CQ calls on 1296.100 and 1296.150 from Sugarloaf carpark aiming up the coast.
VK2KFJ-9 APRS track
VK2KFJ APRS track
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
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.
Did a road trip, Sydney to Mudgee, via Singleton, Muswellbrook, then Mudgee to Young via Gulgong, Wellington, Molong, Canowindra, Cowra, then Young to Sydney via Monteagle, Boorowa, Rugby, Crookwell and Goulburn.
Heard Murray ZL3MH each day whilst mobile on 29.600MHz FM, I still getting RFI being generated by the car. I just not happy with noise levels on HF, 6m and 2m.
Some repeaters that I took notice of their coverage, 438.025MHz from VK2RCN Newcastle, could hear it do regular idents from Sugarloaf up to Singleton. Could also work VK2RZL 146.875MHz from north of Singleton up to Muswellbrook and out to Merriwa, it requires 91.5Hz ctcss.
Then on road to Young could hear activity from the Wagga guys on VK2RYG 146.875 MHz whilst I mobile from about Cudal through to Young, that repeater is part of the Wagga ARC network, situated near Young.
Here is my APRS track for the trip.
today is Net for RAOTC (Radio Amateurs Old Timers Net held on first Monday of each month at 11am local AU eastern time on VK-DMR network TalkGroup 5
WELCOME to the Radio Amateurs Old Timers Club Australia Inc (raotc.org.au)
also is Simon VK3XEM's Welfare Net, held Mon to Fri at 10am local AU eastern time, on the VK3 All Star Network and VK3RBA network, including Brandmeister TG50525 and P25 TG50525 and NXDN TG50525
VK3RBA - Callsign Lookup by QRZ Ham Radio VK3XEM on the Web – The truth is out there
also is the CCARC (Central Coast Amateur Radio Club) Morning Tea Net, held Mon-Fri at 10am on the VK2RAG repeater 146.725 MHz , noting it needs 91.5 Hz CTCSS tone to access.
I find Azerbaijan a very interesting and beautiful place and GP is on this weekend on Foxtel. I very impressed with this city.
VK2BLS and VK2HC playing WSPR on 1296.500 MHz today
A few things I have done to improve the Holden Jackaroo (aka Isuzu Trooper) UBS-26 4WD. Holden Jackaroo is built by Isuzu Japan, which is owned by General Motors. Hence, the 6EV1 engine designed by GM, but fortunately it is built in an Isuzu factory in Japan.
January 2023 - I finally got the Torque Pro OBD2 App to give me the Automatic Transmission information, most importantly, the Automatic Transmission Fluid Temperature (ATFT) data, I been mucking around with it for a couple years, but finally got it to work, I found some extra clues on the IzuzuPlanet discussion forum, there been talk for a long while, but some details were misconstruded, I guess some people quote details, as generalizations without making specific and exact references to specific models/year ranges etc.
For my vehicle, a 2002 build, with a 3.5litre V6 petrol (6VE1 32bit) built in Japan, with a Borg Warner 4speed (4L30-E 32bit) Automatic Transmission, built in Strasbourg, France, there were slight variations of the OBD2 codes. Anyway, I can now measure the ATFT and see how it behaves under different driving conditions. Under extreme 4WDing on very hot days, it was hard to tell if I pushing the auto to its limits or past its limits, but in testing during summer I got to do some road tests, put it under heavy load on hot days to get the tests results I needed to see, to then know what I needed to do to improve cooling performance of both engine and automatic transmission. I can now get the Air Fuel Ratio (AFR) data as well. You don't want unnecessary extra fuel being consumed.
Basically, I learnt from the specifications that this 4WD designed to cover a wide range, but realistically, in terms of engine cooling and auto transmission cooling, it is really meant to be used in cold climates, that running in hot climates like Australia, you pushing it to the limits and shortening the life of the engine and auto transmission and I think this is probably the case for most cars and 4WD's, the operating range and emissions controls are designed specifically for cold climates like Siberia, or northern Japan, or Canada, you can pick the deliberate things they did. So for running this in above Zero degree C conditions (0-50degreeC) is a good range for Australian conditions, then you can modify things to work better for this range.
What did I do:
1. cold boxing the air intake system to reduce manifold air intake temperature, running 20 degrees above ambient is ridiculous in Australia, pre-heating the air is great for Siberia, but is bad for Australian conditions causing the engine to chew more fuel.
2. replaced the ageing radiator, with a full aluminum radiator with dual tube, 40mm core, instead of 26mm core. Using two x 12inch high power Davies Craig fans (22amp @ 13.8V each) pulling air, giving 2500CFM, controlled via thermostat control box.
3. added Plate and tube oil transmission cooler from Davies Craig with 8inch fan pulling air, fitted in series with radiator feedline. This is recommended for towing, but equally important for 4WD'ing, as climbing mountain tracks causes a big load on the transmission and raises the fluid temperature very fast.
The engine temp sits in low 80's driving along open road, the fans kick in at 85 deg C, pulling it straight back to 80deg C within a minute, The ATFT runs in the 70's deg C on flat open road, the fan kicks in at 88deg going up hills and pulls the temperature back to the low 80's. Now I should not need to keep stopping when driving up mountains.
NOTE: depending on the Holden Jackaroo model and year, (same applies to Holden Rodeo) you may need to use Header code of 6c18f1 or try 6c10f1 (hex)
In summary, if you have a 4WD and using it for off road activity where you driving on bush tracks and mountains and doing a lot of low speed driving and it has a auto transmission, then I recommend you add an transmission oil cooler, preferably with a fan and thermostat control to reduce the heat build up. If the 4WD is older then radiator may have reduced efficiency due to clogging of tubes due to build up, then when its times to replace it, get a higher performance radiator with thicker core.
just heard Murray ZL3MH on 29.600 MHz FM simplex chatting to a whole swag of VK's between 05:30 and 05:45 UTC, s9, now that's not a big deal, but this was received on my quad band FM, using a 2metre 1/4 wave whip inside a cupboard in my shack. If it had been a 10metre external antenna, then I guess he would have been 20/9 +
The point here is, when 10metres is, then its OPEN.
Seems that over the last month there has been some good openings on 10metre FM (29MHz), it appears that JA like to use 29.200 MHz FM simplex, as well as the usual 29.600MHz FM simplex. There has also been some VK-Nth America contacts on 29.600MHz FM simplex.
