VK Logger Ham Radio Forum Archive

I use an Oricom UHF CB in my motor vehicle, no issues at all.
It does the job it needs to do, which is all I want it for.
I use it on Channel 40 when I'm towing my caravan or if I'm heading out to somewhere where there are call points for narrow bridges etc on road-train routes.

We are grey-nomads and travel extensively most of the year. I contacted ACMA and they changed my wife's and my licence with a note stating that we are travelling portable and included car and caravan rego numbers. All done. I can stay away from the home QTH as long as I want and don't have to worry...

With the exception of 4 or 5 local area amateurs, VHF / UHF non FM operation in FNQ is a bust guy's, so good luck with your WSJT experiments down south. The only guy's up here that are regularly on VHF & up SSB or CW here are VK4's DMC, ZDP, APN, BKS, AFC & a couple of others and of those, D...

G'day Wayne, I've used the VK5DJ calculator software for 6M and up Yagi's from 3 elements to 10 elements with great success. Alot of my 5 element 6M beams (On a 4.5M boom) that I have built for people in the past are still going strong and they provide good gain with a pretty good F/B ratio as well....

there is NO duty on the purchase of Amateur Radio gear from the US of A. if however the goods you are buying (including the freight) costs more than AU$1000 then GST IS payable. My advice, order the KX3 on its own, thereby saving GST as it is under AU$1000, then order the extra's you want on a separ...

If I may, i'd like to suggest the Yaesu FT847, with 50Watts output on 2m & 70cm, a damned good VHF/UHF receiver, cross band repeater capability, 6M and HF thrown in it makes good sense. Sure, it doesn't have an IF DSP but it's AF based DSP is one of the better ones out there. Price is usually so...

Just curious regarding the discussion re the FT857D RX coverage above 470mhz - has anyone successfully modified one to go beyond 470mhz ? - a lot of reviews on a Google search say RX coverage to 512mhz - I only want the RX coverage to about 480mhz - & do not want to open up the TX range. The on...

G'day folks, Gary - VK1ZZ and I activated Mt Surprise, Far Nth QLD as VK4XA/p for the JMFD this year. Equipment used was an Elecraft K3 and a 4 element Tri - Band Yagi @ 10 metres + a G5RV at the same height. We operated in the HF, Phone only category and ALL our contacts but for 3 were on 40 & ...

I had an unannounced visit from a Radio Inspector about 2 weeks ago, he said he was in the area doing a few jobs and had some time left over, so he called in on a few Amateurs. He had come up from Melbourne and were doing a few inspections on both commercial and amateur radio stations he said. No bi...

Well, My 6M antenna has pretty much been been decided upon, it will be either a 6 or a 7 element LFA Yagi. Now all I have to do is to find a rig to match up with the antennas performance. Listening to my own advice, maybe I should go out and maybe look for another FT847 too! :D (Pity it's not a 'cu...

Well, My 6M antenna has pretty much been been decided upon, it will be either a 6 or a 7 element LFA Yagi. Now all I have to do is to find a rig to match up with the antennas performance. Listening to my own advice, maybe I should go out and maybe look for another FT847 too! :D Or maybe a K3 with a ...

I'm also looking for a rig with SSB/CW/FM on 6m and 2m. But I'm looking in the sub $1000 bracket. I have heard good things about the FT847 and will grab one if I see one for the right price. Other than that, options are FT897/857 or IC706. How do these radios compare with the market in general? I h...

Hi everyone, I'm going to open a can of worms here and ask the question: What is the best current model HF/6M transceiver under AU$3000.00? (With the emphasis on 6M performance) My reason for asking? I am in the market for a new radio and I want: 100 watts output on HF + 6M at least. Have a decent (...

Based on my (somewhat limited) experience of propagation in far northern VK4 (I've only lived here for 20 years and been an amateur up here for 7) pick any date in January or February it wont matter to us up here, propagation on 6m, 2m and 70cm is going to be crappy. Not to mention the weather, Janu...

Another vote here for Bill VK4FW's cards, his prices are fairly reasonable and the quality is excellent.

Hmmmmm, the best radio I have ever owned, that a hard question to answer. In my short life as an amateur I have had: 1 x Yaesu FT757GXII 1 x Alinco DR590T 2 x Yaesu FT847 1 x Yaesu FT7800 1 x Yaesu FT897D 1 x Yaesu FT857D 1 x Kenwood TS480SAT 1 x Elecraft K-Line 1 x Alinco DX70TH Now, out of all tho...

Most if not all of us up here in Far North QLD will not bothering with the Field Day. Basically, we have all pretty much simply given up on the VHF/UHF field days due to the lack of scoring opportunities. TREC (Tablelands Radio & Electronic Club) has in the past put in some fairly decent efforts...

The gang at TREC (Tablelands Radio & Electronics Club) will NOT be operating in this or any other VHF / UHF field day, we are sick and tired of throwing masses of RF at the RF black hole called Townsville and further south for no reward year after year. Good luck to you all, we'll stick to HF th...

This is my old portable/mobile tower. It is now owned by Tablelands Radio & Electronics Club. Its mast is 13 metres high to the rotator mount, it's 3 stages and the entire trailer weighs 180Kg all up. There are two winches, one to raise the mast to the vertical and a braking winch to raise the m...

The VK4WAT team will be operational from Hallorans Hill, Atherton Nth QLD (QH22RR) again this year. Bands will be 6M, 2M, 70cm, 23cm, 3cm. Power outputs of up to 400 watts are available on selected bands. Team members will be: John VK4TL, Jeff VK4BOF, Dale VK4DMC, Stu VK4SDD & Gary VK4FD. (Or i...