John Moyle Fild Day, March 19-20, 2016

[VK2JUB]

With JMFD getting closer, it time to start planning for this year, just wondering who is heading out portable in NE NSW or SE Qld.

I will be heading the the usual site Vista Point Lookout (QF69FU) (1350m ASL) with great takeoff from the West around to the East, line of sight to the QLD boarder, take off to the South is not perfect but I have worked Kempsey before, I planning to setup for 24HR 6M, 2M, 70cm & 23cm, I should be setup Friday night for testing.

Hope the weather is better this year, couldn't get much worse last year with storms, wind & rain all weekend.

Graeme

[VK4ABW]

I'd like to buy a vowel...just an 'e' will do

[VK4ADC]

I will up you to a spell and grammar checker for the word boarder.... Although it may not detect the error.

The RULES : http://www.wia.org.au/members/contests/johnmoyle/

To business, I will probably be set up portable somewhere around the top of Beechmont (540M ASL) for the JMMFD, QG61OV or similar, and I have worked you from up there at least once before in a VHF/UHF FD. The main criteria I have is the weather forecast a few days before as I have been out in too many stormy FDs now to want to participate in a lot more. I will either go up there, stay closer to home and still run portable or run as a home station - all depending on the weather. I only ever operate the 6 hour period starting Saturday morning/lunchtime, depending on when I have completed the station setup.

My typical JMMFD setup covers 3.5, 7, 14, 21, 28, 50, 52, 144, 146, 432, 439 and 1296 MHz - without venturing up to 2.4 and beyond for this event.

Hopefully we will have better weather plus a multitude of stations to work....

[VK2JUB]

My bad, boarder or border, I'm sure most people know what I meant & yes the spell checker didn't pick this up as the spelling is correct, just the
wrong border.

Yes Doug we have worked before, hope to catch you this year.

Station numbers were very slim last year due to the bad weather.

I'll be out there battling the elements again this year.

[VK4BZ]

Well this year I won't be with my beloved Redcliffe Club for the John Moyle - coming back from Singleton for the weekend really should involve staying at home and attending my wife, not giving her a peck on the cheek and rushing off to Murrenbong. Bad juju! Anyway, I will be operating portable from a free camping area at a tiny hamlet called Broke, down here in the Hunter. The plan is to throw a dipole up in the trees and work 40m CW and SSB, but only using 10 watts from my KX3. I guess I'll only work the 6 hour contest, but I should be able to stick around for much of the wider contest, if only to give out numbers, have a glass or two of some of the local produce...and relax for a while.

[VK2ZIW]

Our BMARC team will be going to Katoomba Airport, Medlow Bath.

991M ASL. not 'head and shoulders' above anything. Sites in the Blue Mountains eastern area are
not readily available.
We will be active on 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6, 2, 70cm and 23.
Maybe 160m and VHF FM.
On that point. Ive asked the contest manager to consider VHF and 10m FM contacts using
separate antenna and radios to be additional points on that band.
This would encourage mobile stations with vertical polarised FM gear to participate.

As it stands here in NSW, no field stations use FM. (Period) So, mobile stations are more or less locked out.

Alan VK2ZIW

[VK3ANL]

Any advice from others on managing a changing Grid Square in JMMFD?

I plan to operate from several locations during the course of the contest, in the manner of a 'rover' station, which is not a category in John Moyle.
As I will be operating some V/UHF, the changing Grid Square will require management.

Repeat contacts with others - I will need to tell them, and they will need to be on their toes, not to rely on auto-fill from the previous contact.

It's my own log which will be the real issue. VKCL and the manual contest log XLS template are based on a single GS, which will not be the case for me.
(Yes: avoiding the problem by operating only HF would be one work-around.)

Any thoughts or experience out there?

73 de VK3ANL Nick

[VK3QI]

Nick,

Send an email to Mike VK3AVV (VKCL log) and se what his advice is. vk3avv@wia.org.au

Cheers

Peter VK3QI

[VK3MEG]

I will be up on mt macedon with VK3CNE (nerg) should be a fun weekend all bands up to 23cm. first time with a group portable so it should be different and fun. keep and ear out for us.
cheers

[VK3ANL]

Send an email to Mike VK3AVV (VKCL log) and se what his advice is. vk3avv@wia.org.au
I

Thanks Peter.

[VK2YW]

Wagga ARC will again be out on Mt Flakney QF34RR10 under vk2wg/p. 160m-70cm. If you can please put your location up on contest radar. I will look on Friday night and grab the locations for entry into Air Scout. Looking forward to a great weekend...rain in Wagga Friday but clearing ..here's hoping for 6m openings along with some great 2m and 70cm dx.

John Vk2YW

[VK4ADC]

The current forecast for the Brisbane area for Saturday is:

Min 21 Max 34 Showers. Possible late storm.

Brisbane area
Partly cloudy. Medium (50%) chance of showers in the morning and afternoon. The chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening. Light winds becoming southerly 15 to 20 km/h during the morning then tending southeasterly 20 to 30 km/h during the day.

It looks like another one of those FD weekends here in SEQ'ld so it will be a last-minute decision as to whether I go out to do a portable setup - or whether I operate from home in lieu.

Either way, I will be on all bands 3.5 to 1296 for the 6 hour stint starting around lunchtime Saturday..

[VK2JUB]

Heading out portable Friday afternoon to Vista, looking like possible rain Saturday & Sunday again this year, at least no storms forecast.

Temperature 10min to 23max

All going well I should be working all VHF/UHF bands from 6m to 23cm with a few new antennas to try.

Hope to catch some of you on air over the weekend.

[VK3QI]

Greetings,

It is looking increasingly likely that weather conditions in VK1/VK3/VK5 are going to be quite pleasant for this weekend with rain clearing late Friday.

see: http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/charts/ ... ndex.shtml

A high pressure ridge is coming in from the west, so (hopefully) we will have some excellent conditions on VHF/UHF/Microwaves well as low static levels on HF. Just like last year when VK3 to VK1 was easy on 1296.

VK3ER/p will be at their usual location 100 Km. northwest of Melbourne at QF22DM15BA and look forward to working as many stations on as many bands for as many times allowed in the contest.

There are a number of club stations planning to be out in the field in VK3, so activity should be up on last year.

Cheers

Peter VK3QI (VK3ER/p)

[VK3LL]

VK3KQ/p will be out at usual location QF12VG, around 25km south of Ballarat in the Ross Creek State Forest.

Just two operators this time. Ralph (myself) operating on 6m-70cm and Damian on 1296 up to 10GHz.

We have spotted ourselves on Contest Radar.

Cheers,
Ralph VK3LL

[VK3PY]

VK3LL wrote:

VK3KQ/p will be out at usual location QF12VG, around 25km south of Ballarat in the Ross Creek State Forest.

My self-preservation instincts tell me that I should acquiesce to my XYL's wishes on the FD weekend. However, I may be able to sneak out Saturday with some gear. Failing that, I can do 6/2/70/23 from home.

Good luck, chaps.

Chas
VK3PY

[VK3QI]

Thanks Chas - discretion is the better part of valour!

We will certainly be looking for you from your home qth.

Conditions are looking better by the minute for microwaves - I only hope that Andrew 1DA can get out again and take 2.4GHz with him this time.

Cheers

Peter VK3QI (VK3ER/p)

[VK4BZ]

Forecast for the Hunter Region looks good - possible showers on Friday (no worries!) fine, cool and cloudy on Saturday (couldn't want better wx), and the possibility of rain on Sunday (but, after we've finished up). Sure wins hands-down over last year's storms in SEQ!

[VK4EA]

Redcliife & Districts Radio Club will operating 80 to 10 metres, mixed mode 24 hour section. Don't care about the weathef as I will have shelter and plenty of cold beer

Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk

[VK4BZ]

Redcliife & Districts Radio Club will operating 80 to 10 metres, mixed mode 24 hour section. Don't care about the weathef as I will have shelter and plenty of cold beer

Some things never change...and why should they? I've just cracked my bottle of Bundy choc liqueur as part of my preparation for Saturday. The goodness of the Bundy will be inversely proportional to the quality of the CW as the evening unfolds...