2019 Summer VHF-UHF Field-Day Contest

[VK4OE]

Greetings to all readers!

This event is coming up this coming week-end.

Weather permitting, on the Sunday morning I propose to be operating from Kamarun Lookout near the Lamington National Park (QG61NU) using all bands from 50 MHz to 76 GHz inclusive. In a different way from my usual pattern of FD operation, this time I will only be operating on the Sunday morning.

I am planning to commence operating from there around 6:00 a.m., through until the end of the contest period. That means quite an early start from home that morning!

I try as much as possible to keep 146.500 MHz and 439.000 MHz FM simplex open for getting in touch and for liaison for the higher bands. Of course, from time to time I will be operating on the usual SSB calling frequencies -> .150 in the 'busy bands'.

Here's hoping that the weather for going portable is looking good, and that many of us have many contacts over the week-end!

And if one or other reader has not tried going out portable, it is one of the real highlights of operating amateur radio just waiting to be discovered!!

Cheers and 73,

--Doug Friend, VK4OE.

[VK4UH]

Brisbane VHF Group will be active in the Summer FD using VK4IF/p from QG62jv (Ocean View). Planning on the 8 hour, multi-op, 4-band (50-1296MHz) distance based sections in both Phone and Digital sub-categories. Will be active on logger and contest radar - assuming mobile Internet works

Kevin VK4UH for BVHFG

[VK4EA]

Saturday is my wedding anniversary, needless to say, given I like being married I won’t be going portable that day.

However, I’ll be active on 24 and 47GHz from Mt Cootha looking South on the Sunday morning. Primarily to make contact with VK4OE but sure am open to others having a go. Unfortunately all other microwave bands are in various states of rebuild and the venerable IC970 is now strictly a home based radio hence no portable 2m/70cm/23cm/13cm either.




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[VK4JAZ]

I will set up my portable station (FT-817 and VHF Packer 6m 30W amp), SSB and CW on Saturday from 0100 UTC Saturday morning on Mt Coot-tha. I will be in the 8 hr section but probably won't be there all that time. I will also have 2m/70cm FM hand held listening on the usual calling frequencies.

[VK7HH]

Will be operating my remote/portable station from home tomorrow during field day from QE37LD.

2m to 23cm

Regards
Hayden VK7HH

[VK3ZAZ]

high coming
will be there looking.
hope for activity and beams to the west.
baptism sunday so not around.

[VK2XAX]

Myself and VK2AZ , Hilary are on for the duration QRV from 6m to 2.4Ghz in QF56IF

regards

Tim

[VK3MAT]

Good to work a couple on the ghz from qf12dc best contacts to vk3alb/vk3acg on 2.4ghz just over 200km!

Shame I couldn’t get some of the Melbourne stations point out west.





Matt Vk3pp


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[VK3ALB]

Thanks Matt. Another fun contact on a couple of watts. On 1296 the transverter is a SG Labs and the antenna is a measly Bi Quad inside a biscuit tin. Pictures is my small portable system pointing towards you (not very informative) that I've designed to be quick to deploy. I don't really expect more than 100km range from it so yesterday was a great bonus. Read all about it on my QRZ page.

On 2.4 and 3.4 We used a bit more power. 2.4 is my MiniKits transverter feeding a PyroJoe 30W amp into a grid pack. On 3.4 we have the ex VK4GHZ transverter now owned by VK3ACG. This is a XDK transverter with a Tosh 60W PA. No big antenna for it yet but a 3.4GHz panel helps it along nicely.

[VK2XAX]

Thanks to everyone who made the effort to join in the fun and double thanks to those who made it out into the field !

A great turn out with good conditions for both weather and radio.

cheers

Tim

[VK3BA]

G'day All,

I was fortunate enough to be invited along to be part of the VK3KQ/P station at Enfield, south west of Ballarat. Damian, Ralph and the rest of the gang have spent quite some time planning & building quite a substantial array of equipment and automation for this activity. It blew my mind, to say the least. It was a very slick operation and we all had an extremely good time. We came away with some entertaining memories, most of which won't be able to be disclosed in a public forum such as this! But all I can say is, that there were numerous laughs all around

We ran all bands from 6m up to 24GHz, operating from four workstations, being 6m, 2m, 70cm and the last one for 23cm to 10GHz with the 24GHz system being separately operated on a tripod outside of the main operating tent.

Involved in the VK3KQ/P operation were:

Damian VK3KQ
Ralph VK3LL
Peter VK3PH
Marshall VK3MRG
Steve VK3ZH
Shaun VK3VLY
Dan VK3VRX
Steve VK3UJ
Nik VK3BA

Below is a brief selection of photos of our field day site.

2m and microwave systems

70cm and 6m

Generator farm by Honda

Radio tent

Cheers,

[VK3BA]

And a couple more pics...

Damian VK3KQ with 24GHz

Chief of Entertainment - Ralph VK3LL

Cheers,

[VK3BA]

Good to work a couple on the ghz from qf12dc best contacts to vk3alb/vk3acg on 2.4ghz just over 200km!

Shame I couldn’t get some of the Melbourne stations point out west.





Matt Vk3pp


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Matt, looks like you should take the ride-on mower next time...!

[VK3MAT]

I’ll need a bit more than the standard push mower.... maybe you can come up and help me push it haha

Matt - Vk3pp

[VK4UH]

VK4IF/p Summer FD 2019
Brisbane VHF Group portable from Ocean View SE Queensland

[ZL2WHO]

Who forgot the chainsaw... I guess there is a gap between the trees ?

[VK3BA]

And make sure it's a battery-powered saw... the ultimate weapon in cutting down trees quitely in the middle of the night and unlike a petrol-powered saw, no-one will hear you covertly drop a few branches while the neighbours or local tree-huggers sleep...

An essential item to take along with the VHF/UHF FD kit:

[VK3QI]

Whilst we are all posting pictures of the recent Summer FD, here is the image for the VK3ER/p microwave setup.

The bottom dish is 1.8 metres diameter with a 5 band (RF Hamdesign) feed at the focus with masthead preamps for each band (1.2, 2.4, 3.4, 5.7 & 10.3)

These are fed with individual LDF2-50 heliaxes from the large box which hangs on the mast and contains transverters and amplifiers for 2.4 through 10Ghz and a 1.2Ghz amplifier.

From the control box in the tent the system is fed with 145Mhz IF and 1.2Ghz and a 28 volt DC power feed. In the box, there is a 28/13 volt DC/ DC converter as required.

Power amps in the box are 150watts on 1.2 (VHF Design) 120 watts on 2.4 (pair of Spectrian boards) 20 watts on 3.4 ( currently a Stealth amp) 50watts on 5.7 (DK6JL) and 30 watts on 10.3 (Kuhne)

Also GPS built in to the box for 10Mhz locking.

The box weighs about 25 Kg, so is quite a task to lift it into position - something I need to work on before the next FD!

********************

The dish above is for 24Ghz and uses a Kuhne transverter and 3 watt amp and is controlled from the large box as well with GPS locking.


Cheers

Peter VK3QI (VK3ER/p)