TYT MD380 DMR handheld radio update

 TYT MD380 DMR handheld radio update

I have not edited my codeplug for MD380 since Sept 2020, I needed to make sure it up to date in firmware, since my unit is old vocoder then it is 3.20 which is still current  and I still using CPS Programmer v1.41

Quite a few changes in VK-DMR talkgroups, several new TG's, and some old TG's removed

Gone are D-Star gateways TG541 and 542.  Pacific 153 also gone.

Some new ones I am interested in and that I have added are TG50589 for Fusion Repeaters gateway.

TG530 for ZL.

Also TG1910 for ARNSW DMR rptrs. 

and some of the State based  TG's such as 8/2 for VK2 Sydney and west. 8/3 for VK1-Goulburn-Yass and 8/8 for  Central Coast-Hunter Region.

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)

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.

P25 Repeater update for VK2 (Sydney and NSW)

 I been auditing which P25 repeaters  are still working on the 70cm band here, looks like 7 are now gone.

as of 3rd May 2022,

Operational :  

VK2RMB Terrey Hills but is standalone, waiting to be configured and linked to P25 network 

VK2RNS Asquith, currently standalone, as it not linked due to recent lightning strike

VK2RWK Kurrajong, standalone

VK2ROT Paddington, standalone

VK2RCG Sydney city (GPT) - linked into P25 network

VK2RHP Horsley Park, linked into P25 network

VK2RGN Goulburn - not sure if linked

Non-operational or redeployed :

VK2RWI Dural - now a VK-DMR rptr

VK2RHT Chatswood - now a VK-DMR rptr

VK2RAG Somersby - gone maybe redeployed

VK2RHR High Range - failed, getting fixed

VK2RCF Carlingford - gone

VK2RLE Heathcote - nothing

VK2RWS Berowra - gone

and possibly a P25 repeater for central west NSW (Bathurst-Orange region) being configured.

Talkgroups for these linked ones are typically TG10700 or TG10400

Pi-Star version for MMDVM hotspot as of 8th April, 2022

 Pi-Star version for MMDVM as of  8th April, 2022

I have updated my Pi-Star MMDVM nodes to Pi-Star v4.1.6 and Dashboard 20220401 (1st April 2022),

nothing noticeably different for me, as I just run DMR and P25 on my hotspots.

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.

update on VK2RWI Repeater facilities

 

Band	Output Frequency	Input Frequency
6 metres FM	53.850 MHz	52.850 MHz
2 metres FM	147.000 MHz	146.400 MHz
70cm FM	438.525 MHz	433.525 MHz
70cm DMR	438.600 MHz	433.600 MHz
23cm FM	1273.5 MHz	1293.5 MHz

WSJT-X FT8 update

 I ran this WSJT-X on my Linux Mint laptop on 50.313 in FT8 mode for a few days, amazed at what it decoded,  from here in Sydney (VK2)  decoding stations VK1,2,3,4,5,6,7, plus ZL1,2  this is not using a 5 or 6 element 6metre yagi, no, this is  from using my 40m HF dipole, through the Icom 756 Pro2's antenna tuner, with s5 noise level, the FT8 does the trick of pulling signals out of the noise.  Even a SWL can throw a bit of wire out in the backyard and decode these signals.  

It's not hard to think  what you can get with a couple phased arrays up a mast, in a low noise environment. No reason not to get the America's or Europe with proper 6metre setup. Great fun, I can't wait to go out in the country and try it from a low noise floor environment. It's too damned noisy in the city suburbs with all these damned houses with solar panels with noisy inverters running all day. Tired of listening to high noise level on HF  and 50 Mhz, thanks to fxxxing Greenies and their fxxxing solar panels polluting the RF spectrum.

WIA VHF/UHF/SHF Field Day Contests for 2022

 as mentioned earlier this year, the Summer VHF/UHF/SHF Field Day Contest has come and gone already

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 Wireless Institute of Australia (wia.org.au)

Beware when visiting Canberra - ACT Gov is stooping to low acts of money grabbing.

 This is a pic looking southbound on Northbourne Ave in Canberra,  just before Cooyong st, the speed limit drops from 60km/hr to 40km/hr with only these small signs to warn you that speed limit has dropped. This section was 60km/hr. This is a six lane major thoroughfare, that follows from the Federal Highway and becomes Northbourne Ave and continues across Canberra to Woden and onto Tuggeranong.  This is the "main" thoroughfare of Canberra.  The ACT Gov obviously strapped for cash, came up with this new cash grab. This must be recent, I don't remember seeing this last December (2021) but its now there is January 2022. The joke of these picture is the tiny speed signs  say "High pedestrian activity". High pedestrian activity in Canberra ?  

 If this ploy was for safety, then the  ACT Gov  should have put big 2metre high speed signs and flashing lights, and ripple strips on the roadway to get driver's attention. 

 Lucky, I was dawdling at less than 40km/hr looking for a particular address, if I had been coming down there at 60km/hr, then I would have been severely stung.

Addendum : 9th April 2022 - I just been to Canberra, one of the small signs (on the left side) has been replaced with a 2metre high  sign, plus a warning sign  of road changes placed ahead of the speed sign.   Somebody  in ACT Govt realised their whoopsie. Another of the 40km signs obscured by a tree.  I also took note of all the speed  changes  on this main road from above Watson through to Woden, 100, 80, 70, 60, 40, 60, 70, 80, 60. The speed limit is all over the place. 

The next dodgy speed trap is still southbound when crossing London Circuit, there is a speed camera to catch people accelerating towards the open space of the  huge round about ahead.