2013 Winter VHF/UHF Field Day

[VK4OE]

Greetings to all.

This posting updates my earlier one from several weeks ago.

Subject to the challenges of the weather, I propose to be operating for a couple or three hours from Mt Gravatt in Brisbane (QG62MK) on the Saturday evening after about 6:00 p.m, then re-commencing on the Sunday morning from the Border Ranges National Park (QG61NP) in Northern VK2 from around 6:00 a.m through to the end of the contest period.

All bands from 50 MHz to 24 GHz will be available for use. SSB operating frequencies, as usual, will be the main calling frequency of .150 on each band with frequent QSY'ing to .175 or other places in part of each band close to there. I will usually also be keeping an eye on 146.5 MHz and 439 MHz FM simplex channels, which often also serve sometimes as liaison frequencies for microwave operating.

All QSOs will be appreciated and enjoyed!

Cheers and 73,

--Doug Friend, VK4OE.

[VK3PY]

Whist I struggle with the words "winter" and "field day" in the same sentence, it is likely that David VK3QM and I will hike to the top of Flinder's Peak in the You Yangs this coming Saturday for a few hours' operating.

We'll definitely take 2m, 70cm & 23cm SSB, albeit at low power (FT-857D on battery power and a 10W transverter for 23cm). Antennas will be a 3-el yagi on 2m, 5-el yagi on 70cm and 23-el yagi on 23cm. Should anyone want to try for a microwave contact, David is prepared to lug his 10GHz transverter and 30cm dish up the hill. Here's a chance to work a SOTA summit on 10GHz, for those who are interested. Email me at "vk3py at bigpond dot com" if you wish to try for 10GHz. If there are no takers, we'll leave the microwave gear at home.

All this is subject to the weather being kind (or at least DRY). We expect to be QRV from 0200Z to whenever the batteries give out, or it gets too cold, or too dark.

Chas
VK3PY

[VK2KRR]

Chas, sorry I haven't had a chance yet to work on the 10 GHz unit here or else I would have given it a go for sure. If anyone else has time to set it all up feel free to get it touch! Having a hard enough time time sorting out 2m SSB system, though due to poor manufacturing. Also working on the house extention

I'll be available from home as usual with -
2m FM - 4 x 13 ele vertical
2m SSB - 1 x 17 ele horiz
70cm FM - 2 x 19 ele vert
70cm SSB - 1 x 38 ele horiz
23cm SSB - 3.8m dish horiz

I cant sit in near the radio all day, but will be now and then.

[VK3PY]

FB Leigh. Looking forward to catching up. Don't expect the same signal levels from us that you normally get when we're on our usual hilltop. This is very much a cut-down operation - small antennas and rather QRP. Still, we'll ne 25km closer to you!

OK on the 10GHz stuff. It'll happen. We will definitely have 10GHz as I've had a response from Gavin VK3HY who wants the contact. Looks like my mule (David VK3QM) will be loaded more heavily!

73,
Chas
VK3PY

[VK4EA]

Anybody going to Mt Gravatt or Howells Knob?

[VK3HY]

VK3HY will operate from John's Hill Reserve near Kallista in the Dandenong Ranges 12:00-16:30 AEST Saturday and probably again on Sunday morning from 08:00 until it's over.
Will be operational on 50/144/432/1296MHz &10GHz. Contact phone number is 0427 372 277. Location and equipment details on VK Logger under 'Op Info' VK3HY/P

[VK3MEG]

I should be around sunday morning may be a little bit saturday hoping to be on the jackhammer to get my tower hole done.
qrv 6/2/70 fm and ssb 6m chances are I'll be listening to 146.500 late for

[VK4ALH]

Sorry for the late posting.
Sunshine Coast Amateur Radio Club will be at Howells Knob for the 24 hour stint. We have 6m to 23cm.
Good luck to all!
73
Leicester
VK4ALH

[VK2ZRH]

Now the winter of our discontent
Will bloom to glorious summer
And all the clouds that frowned upon our homes
In the cleavage of our memories, buried.

Have fun on the Winter Field Day people !

Posted in the interests of amusement.

73, Roger Harrison VK2ZRH
. . . with acknowledgement to William Shakespeare (SK)

[VK2GOM]

I will be out on the lookout at Kings Tablelands, nr. Wentworth Falls, with 2m 7ele / 70cm 13ele / 23cm 40ele all homebrew Yagi's.

Please give me a call if you hear me on the bands, or if you're in the area, feel free to call by and say hello.

73 - Rob VK2GOM / GW0MOH

[VK3FJEN]

I'll be operating from home QF21GT for the full 24 hours.

[VK2GOM]

Well the first round of operating from contest open was ticking along reasonably, tapering off to the +3hrs in point, then it got very quiet indeed once everyone in earshot had worked eachother.

VK2BCC managed to track me down, and came to my operating spot to say hello. Great to meet you Colin And thanks for the assistance disassembling my mast.

Quite cold up at Wentworth Falls, I'm guessing it must have been around 5 or 6°C, with plenty of drizzle on and off.

I heard very few /P station; most were operating from home.

Looking forward to more activity for the Spring FD!

Edit: Things I will change next time:

1. Give my IC910 an RF front end tuneup as per the W6PQL instructions.
2. Use my Yamaha 4 stroke generator and 13.8V PSU for more power rather than relying on the 4x4 battery.
3. Fit some sort of T handle to the mast for simpler rotation.

73 - Rob VK2GOM / GW0MOH

[VK2ZRH]

Rob

I like the mast setup. So: 2m/70cm/23cm . . . no 6m. Three out of four can't be bad

Aiming to join the fray some time soon-ish [first, get my driver's licence - they tell me an Amateur licence doesn't come under ROPL - recognition of prior learning; damn!]

73, Roger Harrison VK2ZRH

[VK2GOM]

Hi Roger, thanks for your comments.

No 6m - at least not without bringing another radio. And I gave my 6m Yagi away to a local where it will be put to better use up on a tower. Plus it's a big antenna to try and carry for 1 point per QSO

If you fancy any /P ops before you obtain a driving license, just shout. I am happy to head out together to a hilltop somewhere and you can play microwaves while I play on the lower bands.

Your name did come up in conversation with Colin. We were both wondering when we would be hearing you on 2m

73 - Rob VK2GOM / GW0MOH

[VK2ZRH]

Hi Rob,

Your name did come up in conversation with Colin. We were both wondering when we would be hearing you on 2m

That would be some time before I get my driver's licence
Transceiver - Tick!
Microphone - Tick!
Cable - Tick!
Connectors - Tick!
Rotator - Tick!
6m flagpole for a mast - Tick!
Aluminium for antenna - Tick!
Assorted tools - Tick!
Free weekends to assemble - Cross

Going to Gippstech first

Thanks for the offer to go hilltopping some time. I will likely take you up on that

73, Roger Harrison VK2ZRH

[VK3YE]

I mounted possibly the quickest, shortest, lowest and smallest portable expedition in the contest, operating only for the last hour.

Location: Chelsea Beach
Antenna height: 2m ASL
Equipment: FT817 (5w)
Antenna: horizontal 2m dipole (2/70), magnetic loop (6)

12 contacts were made to 3 squares. Evenly split between 2 & 70 - nothing heard on 6m.

The highlight was working VK3CM on both 2m/70cm in QF33, ie 265km from a handheld setup at sea level.

I'd be curious as to what Brenton was using since he was stronger than Geelong stations despite there being no water between us.

[VK4OE]

Greetings to all!

There's a classical saying that starts: "The best laid plans of mice and men....." Well, that seems applicable to my situation as far as operating in this W/E's event is concerned.

OK, Saturday evening's operating from Mt Gravatt in Brisbane was a fair bit of fun with forty-two contacts had in four hours on all bands from 50 MHz to 24 GHz (excepting 5.7 GHz where a still-unexplained equipment failure has arisen), and it was a superb clear night, and not oppressively cold (though I was wearing two pairs of socks and a lined coat that I use when it's snowing in the UK!).

As planned for the Sunday morning, I left home about 3:00 a.m. to drive the two and a half hours down to the Border Ranges National Park, as I have done twice before. When driving at night it seemed like an especially long journey, but the moon light was beautiful and the sky clear (until just across the border where it had been raining - but that's not the point right now).

In my mind I had everything planned right and it would have come off well, except that about 5:40 a.m. and just 2 Km from the final look-out destination (1+ Km altitude and North-facing) I faced a large metal bar across the road declaring that it was closed to all traffic! Suddenly my plans ended with no immediate alternatives.

I quickly wondered about 'bigger' options and, knowing that there aren't any alternative sites near there plus the fact that I was a long drive from anywhere, I started to feel depressed about the remainder of the Winter FD event and my chances of spending maximum hours operating on this Sunday morning.

So, instead of planning to operate, I made a snap decision to abandon my contesting efforts and to check out something that I had been wanting to do, and that was to compare the alternative way (distance, road quality, traffic, etc.) of getting to this superb microwave site that had been my goal. That took me a long way further, returning to Brisbane via Murwillumbah and Coolangatta. All along the way I thought several times of the possibility of diverting to one or other familiar elevated place to make a few contacts but, after already having driven for 5+ hours I reckoned that I was just not ready to do all the setting-up of the gear for just a couple of possible hours of operating. And even on the drive up the highway I was fighting fatigue - potentially dangerous - and it would have been even worse had I exerted myself even more.

I have subsequently noticed that the NSW Parks and Wildlife Department does have an "Alert" on their website for the Border Ranges National Park saying that the part of the park road I was wanting to use was closed but, I think understandably in view of my previous history of just going there without any problems, I never even thought to check this website. Lesson learned!

Despite the loss of Sunday morning's activity - and I apologise to those folk who were looking for me - I prefer to remember the fun that was had on the Saturday evening. It's a good antidote for the depressing influence of Sunday's experiences!

Looking forward now to the VK4 Microwave Activity Day at the end of July, as well as the Spring VHF-UHF Field Day Contest later in the year!

Cheers and 73,

--Doug Friend, VK4OE.

[VK5ZD]

It was a bit damp in Adelaide during the contest...

[VK3BA]

Unfortunately all I could do for the Winter FD was install work on 11GHz & 18GHz with terrible views like these...

[VK5KK]

Hi All

VK5KK/P sitting under that rain band on Iain's Radar shot about that time. About 25mm fell during the contest, All wheel drive came in handy to get to a couple of sites, car is still clean at this stage!

Cheers

David Vk5KK