Vanuatu (YJ8) - Port Vila - FM broadcast stations list

I was visiting Port Vila, could not find a squeak of any amateur activity on 2m/70cm in Port Vila,  but did a scan of the FM broadcast band  to see what I might find, surprisingly there are quite a few  stations available.  I also did a scan when I was down at Mystery Island, I could detect two FM stations but they were too weak to make out what they were.   They were something around 100 MHz.   Unfortunately, I forgot to do a scan from Tanna Island.    Being back at Port Vila again, reminded me of old friend from back in Packet Radio days, Ron Graham, was YJ8RG for when he worked in Vanuatu, he had worked for our Dept of Communications and did a stint working  in YJ8, I rember he was VK4BRG when back in Australia. He has since become silent key.

Anyway, here is the list for FM stations in Port Vila as of 2nd Jan 2020, this is for the benefit of weak  signal DXers in Oceania region, ie. VK and ZL to look for distant FM stations as indicators of E and tropo propagation :

90.0  music, modern
96.3  music, 80s pop
98.0 modern music
99.0 classics
100.0 local Vanuatu language station
102.0  China Plus Radio, an english broadcast originated from Beijing, lots of news and talk
103.0  ABC broadcast originating from Australia.
104. 0  BBC broadcast originating from BBC England
107.0  music, modern

Unfortunately, I didnt think to check for FM broadcast stations from New Caledonia, or Lifou Island, or Isle of Pines.

Also, Vanuatu, serviced by two  mobile phone companies, good coverage across island, even Mystery Island  has 4G.   New Caledonia only has one mobile phone provider, but they do a good job even on the islands.

Noumea 2metre FM repeater FK8ZHA 146.800 MHz off air

when I visited Noumea at end of December 2019, I took 2m/70cm handheld with me to work the local FK8's but found 146.800 repeater not responding, had it monitoring all day but nothing. Checked the other frequencies, I heard the FK1ZBR 439.950 digital node being used.
Anyway, the 146.800 repeater may have been damaged along with the FK8SIX 6metre beacon last year.   Looks like FK5ZBY operating a Echolink node on 145.300 MHz

But I did find there are stations active based on the APRS.fi map.
APRS near Noumea

VK2RCC-1 APRS digi back on air

looks like its back on air,  I keep tabs on activity from it  and when I up near Gowan, noticed it had been off for a few months, but appears it back on since start of December.
And I spotted a new APRS digi for Gunnedah VK2ZSI-1

https://aprs.fi/#!mt=roadmap&z=9&call=a%2FVK2RCC-1&timerange=604800&tail=604800

vklink repeater linking project

INTRODUCING VKLINK, THE VK REPEATER LINKING PROJECT

For a couple of years now, VK3VS, VK7DB and VK7HH have been working on a project to link the countries repeaters without the problems associated with poor audio, limited connections, and "drive by" operators from other countries that connect, listen, hear nothing and then disconnect again.

The idea behind it was to use something cheap, readily available and open source software to connect repeaters via the internet, and make it work. 

2 Years in the making, it is finally at a stage that can be released to the Amateur population.

All you need is a Raspberry Pi, a radio and a CM108/CM119 sound card to start. A riser board is coming to make an "out of the box" solution.

Look at the current nodes in operation, see status.vklink.com.au

The version of VKlink for the Raspberry Pi 3B+ has now been released

 the main vklink website

Post mortem of WIA Spring Field Day Contest 2019

Roger VK2ZRH  and myself operated an  8hr section of the contest from Gowan QF46pu, which is n.w. of Bathurst in NSW. On a hill at 920m ASL.
We took gear to cover 6m, 2m, 70cm, 23cm, 9cm and 3cm, all yagis for 6,2,70,23  and panel for 3.4GHz and dish for 3cm. 
We chose this location on basis of working local microwave stations of VK2CU and VK2DAG who have all bands up to an including 122GHz versus trade off of operating back towards Sydney to pickup on stations on the low bands from Sydney and coast.
We had a few contacts on 6,2,70 with various locals from Central West ARC, but the long distance contacts we hoped to get didn't happen,  eventhough we receiving fhe VK4RHT Atherton Tablelands 52.280 beacon coming in solid for hours, plus hearing VK2RWI Dural 2m, 70cm and 23cm beacons, which proved antennas are working, we just didnt hear anything.
What i learnt from this is we just can't try and work everything, its either go to Gowan to work microwave bands, or locate closer to Sydney for the contest, i.e. up in the Blue Mtns, i think it better do special trips to Gowan just to do microwave activity,such as MAD 23 on 23 days and operate from different hills to test our abilities at operating microwave portable. On side note, one of the locals from Central West, Doug VK2XLJ operated portable from Mt Canobolis and worked a ZL on 2m SSB as part of the contest, thats pretty impressive as tropo path from ZL rarely extends inland or over the Great Dividing Range.

Converting Codan 8528 Remote Head backlighting from globes to LEDs

I noticed the remote head for my Codan 8528 HF xcvr getting, ... is hard to see at night, i thought maybe a globe blown, so opened it up and removed the pcb to see where the globes are for front panel key backligting. Well, surprise all the globes are working when plugged in on the bench. I thought, well, they going to fail one day and they work poorly as us, so let's see about making it better. 

Made some measurements  across globes solder pad, running about 4.3volts across globe, that's an odd number,  did more checking to find they running three globes in series.  Checking globes behind LCD display shows six globes.  This means three sets of three globes, if one fails, you lose a good part of your backlighting.

Next what can we replace these with, I have some rolls of LED strings, I tried some blue, but poor backlighting of the keyboard, found white LED  giving best keyboard backlighting., same for the LCD display, which yellow backing.

Next cut some strings of  white LED ribbon and connect to the 12v and gnd points on the board. Removed old globes.  Now Codan remote head  much better at night. I will document on my web pages sometime.

Spring 2019 VHF UHF SHF Field Day Contest discussion forum

If you intending to operate in the upcoming contest 23rd, 24th November, 2019, then add your operating details in this discussion forum to maximise activity

http://www.vklogger.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=13975&p=63877#p63877

2019 WIA Spring VHF UHF SHF Field day contest

Its fast approaching the next contest, which is Sat 23rd and Sun 24th November, 2019

2m and 70cm opening to ZL1 from VK2 and VK4

Yesterday afternoon  was first opening for  spring 2019 across the Tasman, contacts made on both 2m and 70cm, via tropo,   calls active were ZL1IU, ZL1RQ, ZL1SWW,  VK2ZT, VK2MAX, VK2VL, VK4UH, VK4CZ, VK4MIL, VK4KSY, VK4OX  and possibly others.  And the FK8ZNB 2m repeater also heard in far nth Qld.   Activity is a little earlier than normal, as it usually the first week of October that we get the tropo ducts across the Tasman Sea. Period of opening was approx 5.00 UTC to 10.00 UTC 16th Sept.

6metre repeater update

53.650 VK2RMP Maddens Plains is back on air,

Others
53.625 VK2RSN Newcastle,   still unknown.
53.675 VK2RMB Terrey Hills,  still off air.
53.725 VK2RAG Somersby operational, seems stronger now in signal strength
53.850 VK2RWI Dural, operational
53.875 VK2RBM  Blue Mountains,   can not key it lately.