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VK7AX > BCAST 18.05.25 03:46l 400 Lines 24963 Bytes #295 (0) @ WW
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Subj: VK7 Amateur Radio News 18May25
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VK7 Amateur Radio News 18May25
Text edition:
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VK7 AMATEUR RADIO NEWS BROADCAST
FOR SUNDAY 18th May 2025
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Welcome to the VK7 Amateur Radio News.
This was first broadcast on Sunday, May 18th, 2025 and we bring you the latest from the world of amateur radio in VK7.
This week, joining you from the Tasmanian Amateur Radio News desk is Peter, VK7PD.
Tune in as we share updates and insights across VK7, broadcast through an array of platforms and frequencies:
On DMR Talk Group 5 and D-Star Reflector 91C, managed by the digital group.
On Medium and high frequency rebroadcasts thanks to our dedicated operators:
1.862 MHz by Graham, VK7GS
3.670 MHz by Dale, VK7DG
7.140 MHz by Ross, VK7ALH
14.130 MHz by Any Takers
28.525 MHz by Garry, VK7JGD and
UHF CB Channel 24 in the Hobart area, hosted by Mark, VK7FMAC
If you missed todayâ€Ös broadcast then you can catch the replay on Tuesday night at 8:00pm on repeaters VK7RAA in Northern VK7 and VK7RHT and UHFCB24 in Southern VK7.
Thank you for tuning in and enjoy the broadcast!
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Contest News
John Moyle Memorial Field Day Results
A huge congratulations to all the VK7 who participated in the John Moyle contest in 2025.
The following is a summary of the 12 VK7â€Ös who participated in the contest.
We start with Portable VK7 Stations:
In the 24 Hour – Single Operator – Phone – HF category - Catherine VK7C made 400 contacts with 800 points and got 1st place.
In the 6 Hour – Multi Operator – Phone – All Bands category - the CHannel Menâ€Ös Shed VK7CMS with 27 contacts and 68 points came 2nd in category.
In the 6 Hour – Single Operator – Phone – All Bands category Matt, VK7MAT made 58 contacts with 558 points and came 1st in category and Andrew VK7DW with 66 contacts and 262 points came 3rd and Justin VK7TW with 41 contacts and 90 points came 4th.
In the 6 Hour – Single Operator – Phone – VHF category, Tom VK7TOM came second with 1 contact and 4 points.
In the 6 Hour – Single Operator – Phone – HF category, Adam VK7AJP made 39 contacts, 78 points â€ö 4th place
Moving to the VK7 Home Stations section in the 24 Hour – Home – Phone – All Bands category there was Lionel VK7ZLB with 122 contacts and 388 points in 3rd place.
In the 24 Hour – Home – Phone – HF category Linda VK7QP with 61 contacts and 90 points came 5th place.
In the 6 Hour – Home – Phone – All Bands category Eric, VK7EV with 52 contacts and 87 points came first in category and Keith VK7KW with 11 contacts and 18 points came sixth in category.
And in the 6 Hour – Home – Phone – VHF category Peter VK7PD with 3 contacts and 15 points came second in category.
As you can see most of the VK7 who participated came in with a top three place which just goes to prove that even if you only make a few contacts you could still be in the running for a podium placement.
73, Justin, VK7TW
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Digital News
Worldâ€Ös Largest D-STAR Net
Join the Worldâ€Ös Largest D-STAR Net – Every Sunday on Reflector 91C
The International D-STAR Net, hosted by Steve (KC9SIO), is the largest of its kind and welcomes check-ins from around the globe every Sunday at 7:00 PM US Central Time (which is Monday 00:00 UTC during Daylight Saving Time - 10 AM AEST).
To participate, connect to D-STAR Reflector 91C (REF091C). Early check-ins are encouraged and begin an hour before the net starts.
This wide-reaching net is a great opportunity to engage with fellow D-STAR users, share updates, and connect internationally.
For more information, check the QRZ page for KC9SIO.
73, Phil, VK3PG
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WWFF, SOTA, POTA and IOTA
Weekly Wrap-Up
On Wednesday, Angela, VK7AMP, and Tony, VK7LTD, activated two WWFF references. Their first activation was at Gellibrand Point Nature Recreation Area, a 116-hectare reserve situated at the northern tip of the South Arm Peninsula on Hobart's eastern shore. They then moved on to their second location, South Arm Nature Recreation Area, a serene coastal reserve known for its scenic walking trails and cultural heritage. Contacts were made on both 40m and 20m bands at each reference.
Also on Wednesday, Al, VK7AN, and Peter, VK7ZPE, made their way north to Low Head Conservation Area, about 6 km from George Town. The area is home to Australiaâ€Ös oldest continuously operating pilot station, with historic buildings dating back to 1838. Al and Peter set up and operated on the 40-meter band during their activation.
Since January 2025, VK7 activators who've uploaded their logs have made a total of 2,736 contacts while out activating. That includes 702 for SOTA, 797 for WWFF, and 1,237 for POTA â€ö thatâ€Ös a whole lot of airtime!
If you havenâ€Öt jumped in as an activator or hunter yet, why not give it a go? Check out the program rules, fire up the radio, and get on the air â€ö it's a great way to have fun and connect with the amateur radio community.
73, Matt, VK7MAT
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Statewide SSTV Nights
A busy net night that saw the following participants, VK7s – ZSB, EV, ZGK, AAR, TW, SYL, OO, AX, ZAB, ZBX, NB and KT all sharing sixty photos.
The main themes were:
Safety communications and rider tracking for the TQ25, the National Tom Quilty Equine Endurance ride held at Sassafras last weekend. Including photos of Sundayâ€Ös presentation of the winners
Holidays at Luna Park, the Great Scenic Railway, on a cruise ship and in Poland
SSTV decodes but not from the ISS. This time from a Cubesat UMKA-1 RS40S. This is a small educational satellite assembled by a Russian High School. These broadcasts were held between 7th and 9th of March 2025
Other highlights were:
The setup for an Earth-Moon-Earth contact on microwave
Snow covered mountain peaks and a car
Another addition to the “Gender Symbols” set, this time itâ€Ös for an engineer
Vintage space junk at a shop in Deloraine
An experimental desktop VHF SDR setup
Sponsorship of a toilet block at TQ25 by a local politician
And test cards from the refurbished REAST studio
Again Tony VK7AX interconnected VK7RJG to his SSTV International Gateway but there were no contacts. Tony will connect the gateway again next week at 7:30 pm.
Note - Ken VK7KRJâ€Ös and Steve VK7OOâ€Ös fully automatic 24/7 monitoring sites allow anyone who has sent SSTV pictures the ability to check them on their pages almost immediately, any time, both South and North Tasmania.
If you missed the net there are archives of these SSTV nights on Kenâ€Ös and Steveâ€Ös SSTV websites or on NTARCâ€Ös website under blogs. Please remember to use your own photos or those that are copyright free.
SSTV VK7OO Tasmania Australia (tasme.com)
VK7KRJ's 2m SSTV scrolling web gallery
Blog 3 â€ö NTARC Inc.
73 from Andreâ€Ö VK7ZAB
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NEWS FROM THE NORTH
SOTA/WWFF PARKS GROUP
The Summits On The Air/World Wide Flora and Fauna parks group meets twice weekly – Mondays and Fridays 10.30AM till 12.00 at the Glebe Gardens Cafe, Henry Street, Launceston.
For more information contact Al on 0417 354 410.
73, Al, VK7AN
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Northern Tasmanian Amateur Radio Club Incorporated
www.ntarc.net
We start off this weekâ€Ös broadcast with an update of last Wednesdayâ€Ös Club room technical night.
Firstly cast your mind back a month, when Colin VK7ZCF brought in his “Shack in a Backpack”, everything that was required to set up a portable station contained in a backpack, it was a work in progress.
Unlike standard backpacks his was very innovative and opens very similar to a tool roll. When opened an aluminium backing panel dominates the centre section and provides the mounting for the electronic equipment. Most notably an Icom IC7000, an automatic antenna matching unit model AT100 and an 18 Amp Hour Lithium deep cycle battery. You may remember that power distribution was the last missing component in the system. The aluminium panel now sports an extra enclosure, needless to say it was 3D printed by Colin. The enclosure houses all power distribution and provides blade fusing to individual equipment items plus an external switch for overall power on–off and charging options. The enclosure also provides externally accessible sockets for powering extra equipment, very neat. No doubt we will soon hear how the field trial results go. An excellent construction and to a very high standard Colin.
Ross VK7ALH brought in a very newly acquired Swan 140 Single Sideband Transceiver. Manufactured by Swan Engineering in California USA, Circa early 1960â€Ös. It was in excellent condition for a rig with sixty year under its belt. This unit is a 40 Metre mono-band transceiver, meaning it only covers one amateur band and in this case only one mode is also supported namely Single Side Band. It requires an External power supply unit as well as external speaker. This is an all Vacuum Tube unit with approximately 80 Watt PEP output. One nice touch was that all valve sockets had the corresponding valve designation printed on the chassis next to it. It will be interesting to see if and how well it fires up on the work bench Ross.
Stuart VK7ES had a little ripper of a USB Cordless Micro Soldering Iron, about 200 mm long and 15 mm in diameter. 1000 mA hour capacity and is recharged via a USB type-C socket. It has three levels of temperature control between 300 and 450 degrees Celsius. It even incorporates an auto turn off after 10 minutes of being on. The instructions hint towards 8 Watt capacity, it is intended for small printed circuit board work. Soldering an XL-R connector would most likely be outside its capacity for a quick solder joint. It comes in a plastic carry case with space for solder etc. If you wanted the deluxe version with LCD display pay the extra $2 and for $22 Australian you have a very cost effective emergency iron for your kit. Thanks Stuart.
Andrew VK7DW had his newly received “Amateur Radio on the International Space Station” certificate of participation or more specifically his “ARISS SSTV Award”. To quote the award you must have, “Received SSTV images from the ISS, broadcast on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the End of World War II. The images were sent via an amateur radio system installed on the Russian Segment of the International Space Station”. Andrew also had a selection of images he decoded from the dozen that make up the 27th series featuring Russia. Laminating the images certainly does make it easier for group pass arounds, thanks Andrew.
Stuart VK7FEAT had his newly acquired Victron Smart MPPT Solar Regulator with Bluetooth connectivity. Victron certainly have proven to be a reliable product in the solar marketplace. This very versatile 400 Watt solar regulator should mesh in well with Stuartâ€Ös “Off Grid” and substantial mobile battery capacity. One more job for the dryer weather Stuart.
As always pictures will be available on the NTARC Web site under “Blogs” for this broadcast. NTARC Blogs
https://www.ntarc.net/blogs
UPCOMING EVENTS
TestNet and TechNet session - Every Wednesday, TestNet/CW course on 3.580 MHz from 7 pm, then a TechNet on 3.567 MHz from 7.30 pm till 8.30 pm. Your host for the evening is Nic VK7WW.
Club Room Technical night session - The next session will be on Wednesday the 28th May, at the usual time of 6.30 pm at the Club Room Archer Street, Rocherlea.
Coffee Morning - held every Friday in the NTARC Club rooms. Time is from 10 am to noon and we look forward to seeing you all there. So why not pop in check the QSL cards and join us for a cuppa, there is endless tea and coffee along with biscuits available for a donation.
Finally - A reminder to all members that if you have any items of news you would like added to our weekly roundup, no matter how trivial, then please email them to the Secretary at the following address news(at)ntarc.net all items to be received no later than 5 pm on the Friday prior to the Broadcast.
Thatâ€Ös all folks,
73 from Stefan, VK7ZSB, Secretary NTARC Inc.
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NEWS FROM THE SOUTH
Radio and Electronics Association of Southern Tasmania
https://www.reast.asn.au/
https://www.facebook.com/reasttas/
https://www.youtube.com/reasthobart/
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International Recognition
Thanks to Dale Hughes VK1DSH who is currently in Geneva attending ITU Working Group meetings for passing on the following.
The ITU RadioCommunications Working Group 5 on Amateur and Amateur Satellite Services which Dale chairs presented as report that included reference to the Tassie Ham-E-Con and I quote from the report….
“Scientific, educational and technological activities
The biennial Ham-E-Con Amateur Radio Conference was held at the University of Tasmania, Australia in November 2024 and focused on innovation in Amateur Radio. The event showcased a compelling lineup of keynote speakers and diverse presenters including academics and amateur radio experimenters exploring themes like space weather analysis, innovation process, propagation experiments, programming tools, electromagnetic radiation safety, microwave transceiver designs, among other topics. The event was hosted by the Radio and Electronics Association of Southern Tasmania (REAST) and included a visit to the Grote Reber Museum and Mount Pleasant Radio Telescope (UTAS).”
Thanks Dale for passing on the information.
73, Justin, VK7TW
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REAST Forum Night – Antenna Confessions Edition!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwnciUKmWPg
Our May Forum night covered many antennas good, bad and ugly. We structured the night with three questions namely your favourite antenna and why, your worst and why and your dream antenna (no restrictions) and why.
We had input from Martin VK7GN and Linda VK7QP, Steve VK7OO, Lee VK7LEE, Harry VK7HXT, Rod VK7TRF, Garry VK7JGD, David VK7DBX, Matt, VK7MAT, Ray, VK7AAX, Hayden VK7HH, Justin VK7TW, Steve ZS6SHN, Richard VK7ZBX and Darrin VK4GEO.
The antennas included Quads, Verticals, Yagis, Fan Dipoles, Linked Dipoles, Hexbeams, Magnetic Loops, Flowerpots, Dipoles, Deltas, EFHW, Active Mag Loops, Inverted L, G5RV Dipole, WHS Oscar Hunter Cross Yagis and Cobweb loops.
After the forum night REAST interstate members Peter VK3MV caught up on the recording and sent Justin an interesting email which is worth sharing. Peterâ€Ös preference is a dedicated receiving antenna and living in suburbia where there is a high RF pollution situation.
Peter supplied some interesting background, up until the early 1950â€Ös amateurs used a separate transmitting antenna and a dedicated receiver antenna. Transmitting antennas are designed to achieve maximum transfer of electromagnetic energy into the ether. Receiving antennas are designed to achieve the best signal to noise ratio. After WW2 came the advent of coaxial cable for feeders and coaxial relays to go from Tx to RX. The two roles are in conflict, but the compromise is overcome by convenience of only having one antenna. Yes, there is reciprocity, but add noise into the equation alters signal to noise situation RF electromagnetic energy is both the H field (magnetic) and the E field (electrical). Noise (QRM) is primarily E field radiation but not always. Peter works on the principle – if you canâ€Öt hear them, you canâ€Öt work them. Hence, how does one eliminate the interfering E field? Build an antenna that primarily responds to the H field. The first choice would be a loop antenna.
Starting with a loop antenna; how does one make it broad band? Donâ€Öt try and match it for a start. First, I started with a voltage amplifier which not very good, then I hit upon why not a current amplifier. Consequently, I build a balance current amplifier and use a step-down RF transformer that matched the coax feed. Power was fed up the coax etc. The results were ok but not that good. More thinking: what if I used some relays on the amplifier board to switch different configurations of antenna and matching arrangements. This became very complicated, and I ditched the idea for a while.
Then I questioned why I used coax cable to feed the amplifier as it turns out there are circulating currents in the coax screen that introduces QRM. I saw an article about ethernet cable pairs that are twisted (reduces cross interference) and has a frequency response up to 100 MHz So, I used ethernet cable instead. Now I use one pair to feed voltage to the amplifier with an onboard voltage regulator, other pairs to switch relays and a change in matching transformer turns ratio. For the antenna loop I just use different sized loop wire tacked up to the back fence as well as a loop on the ground for LF/MF. The results: 20 dB improvement in signal to noise. I have used this arrangement for a couple of years now and can now hear DX station I could not hear before.
I am currently looking at using low noise OP amp chips for the current amplifier. Hard to get with low intermodulation performance. For those that donâ€Öt want to homebrew LZ1AQ has a kit available with a control box included. Good service and fairly quick turnaround.
For my transmitting antenna I use a homebrew 80 mtr OCFD at about 40 feet, with a 4:1 balun and a 1:1 in tandem at the antenna. Really just a modern version of the Windom antenna – which was my first antenna 60 years ago.
Thanks Peter, great insight.
Thanks to all involved in the Forum night and we hope you learned something. The recording of the night c an be found on the REAST YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwnciUKmWPg
73, Justin, VK7TW
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REAST Presentation / Q&A
The Class Licence Q&A
https://www.reast.asn.au/event/class-licence-qa/
This June presentation night will be a little different and be driven by those that come along and online.
Justin VK7TW and Peter VK3MV will be doing a short presentation on the Class Licence.
Then we will open it up for questions and we will attempt to answer them.
There is still much mythology out there about the Class Licence and we will attempt to do some myth busting along the way.
Bring along your questions - curly or not and we will attempt to answer them.
When - Wednesday June 4th 2025 from 7:30pm AEST.
Where - Queens Domain Clubrooms
See you there.
https://www.reast.asn.au/event/class-licence-qa/
73, REAST Committee
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REAST Training and Assessment Update
https://www.reast.asn.au/information/amateur-licence-assessments/
Are you looking to join the world of amateur radio or upgrade your license? REAST has you covered with regular Training and Assessment Days for all license levels!
Key Dates:
Standard, Advanced, and Regulations Assessments: Held on alternate months, next is 31st May 2025.
Foundation Training and Assessment Days: Held every two months with the next one on 28th June 2025.
Stay updated with the full schedule on the REAST Events Page.
https://www.reast.asn.au/news-events/upcoming-events/
Do you need to secure your spot or ask a question - email: reast.assessor(at)gmail.com and your inquiry will go directly to the Learning Organiser, who be in contact.
We have learning resources available including our Foundation Licence Training Videos that are a must-watch for beginners. Find them on the REAST YouTube Training and Assessment Playlist.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsnsP_zjw831mdC6sY4XqavRUY-53ZWUn
Practice Makes Perfect so, prepare with the WIA Foundation Trial Exams and the link can be found on the email edition of the broadcast.
https://www.wia.org.au/licenses/foundation/onlineexams/foundation.php
Whether you're starting your journey or leveling up, REAST is here to guide you every step of the way.
73, Reg, VK7KK
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Technology News
Drone Yagi-Uda Antenna
Deploying wireless systems on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarms presents significant challenges, particularly the need for precise synchronization and positional accuracy among multiple UAVs. This article introduces a novel solution that leverages passive elements and a magnetic connection design to address these issues. By using passive elements, the requirement for frequency and phase synchronization among each UAV node is eliminated. The magnetic connection design ensures accurate and stable positioning of the flying UAVs, mitigating positional errors. This approach is used to develop large Yagi-Uda antennas operating at 500 MHz, with antenna elements carried by multiple small UAVs. The systemâ€Ös reconfigurability allows multiple flying UAVs to dock and form a high-gain Yagi-Uda antenna. Experimental results of a three-UAV-based Yagi-Uda antenna validate the proposed designâ€Ös effectiveness in reconfiguring antenna gain, reducing system complexity, and ensuring stable gain during UAV flights. This design provides a practical and efficient solution for various UAV swarm-based wireless communication applications.
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/10818494
Abstract sourced from IEEE Web E-Zine.
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Regular VK7 gatherings and events over the coming months:
Regular gatherings:
Sewing Circle Net – Daily on 3.640MHz commences at 6:30pm AEST.
Statewide SSTV Net - held every Thursday night via the North/South Link on VK7RAF/VK7RJG from 7:30pm. In the North and North West - VK7RJG on 438.55 -7MHz and in the South - VK7RAF (146.650 -600kHz) CTCSS tone 141.3Hz to link RAF North-South.
State-wide – MICROWAVE QSO Party – following the Sunday broadcast call-back on 1296.15 MHz FM. One group in the greater Hobart area and another in the greater Launceston area.
Then North-south digital contacts on 1296.2MHz using Q65-60B.
Stations in the Launceston area transmitting on the odd minute. Southern stations on the even minute.
REAST - WAGs - Wednesday Afternoon Group from 12 noon in the REAST Clubrooms Queenâ€Ös Domain.
REAST - WEGs - Wednesday Experimenterâ€Ös Group on the third, fourth & fifth Wednesday nights of the month from around 6pm in the REAST Clubrooms Queenâ€Ös Domain and streamed.
REAST - 6m AM Net on 53.1MHz Everyday from 4:30pm
SOTA/WWFF Group – Meeting Mondays and Fridays 10.30-12.00 midday at Glebe Gardens Cafe, Henry St, Launceston.
NTARC TestNet and TechNet session - Every Wednesday, TestNet/CW course on 3.580MHz from 7 pm, then a TechNet on 3.567MHz from 7.30 pm till 8.30 pm. Your host for the evening is Nic VK7WW.
NTARC Club Room Technical night session - The next session will be this Wednesday the 28th May 2025, at the usual time of 6.30 pm at the Club Room Archer Street, Rocherlea.
NTARC Coffee Mornings are held every Friday in the NTARC Club rooms. Time is from 10am to noon in the Rocherlea Clubrooms.
NW VK7 – Wednesday from 8:00pm local – NW Tassie Amateur Repeater Group Net on 2M VK7RMD and Allstar Node 56780
NW VK7 - Thursday commencing at 8:30pm local - N.W. Tassie 2m DX Net 144.190 USB
Events:
REAST - 4th June - Class Licence Q&A from 7:30pm in the Queens Domain Clubrooms and streamed.
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A reminder to those people rostered for next weekâ€Ös broadcast:
Newsreader: VK7TW
Repeaters: REAST, NTARC and in the NW thanks to NWTARC, WCRG, NWCRRA, VK7AX, VK7JH and VK7DC
160m: VK7GS
80m: VK7JGD
40m: VK7DG
20m: VK7ALH
10m: VK7VKT
UHFCB24: VK7FMAC
DMR: Talk Group 5 and D-Star Reflector 91C - Digital Group
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A huge thank you to all people and organisations that assisted with this broadcast.
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That wraps up this week's edition of the VK7 Amateur Radio News. We hope you found it informative and enjoyable?
You've been listening to VK7WI, or if youâ€Öve just tuned in, you've just missed our live broadcast. But donâ€Öt worry if itâ€Ös not Tuesday night then you can catch the rebroadcast on Tuesday night at 8:00pm on repeaters VK7RAA in Northern VK7 and VK7RHT and UHFCB24 in the South.
We encourage you to share your news, stories, and updates with us. Email your contributions to vk7arnews(at)gmail.com.
For more information about the broadcast and to join the discussion, visit our VK7 Amateur Radio News Groups.IO Group.
groups.io/g/vk7arnews.
Remember, the deadline for submissions is 21:00 on the Friday before the Sunday broadcast.
Stay tuned for callbacks on the frequency youâ€Öre currently listening to. Relay stations will use their own callsigns during this time.
On behalf of the entire VK7 Amateur Radio News Team, this is Peter, VK7PD wishing you 73 and good DX to all.
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(Posted to the packet network courtesy Tony VK7AX)
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