Category Archives: Meetings

Next Meeting: Friday Nov 25th: Live Balloon Imaging System

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Note: Changed meeting week this month – 4th Friday (not the normal 3rd)

SSDV Experimental Payload – ‘Wenet’

Mark VK5QI and David VK5DGR have been working on a slow scan digital image payload for the balloon system which transmits at 115kbit/s on a new downlink channel. This system makes uses of the UKHAS SSDV server to stitch together images from packets uploaded by multiple receivers. You can read more about the system on Mark VK5QI’s blog.

Unlike analog SSTV, SSDV sends down compressed JPEG images via some form of data link. Written by Philip Heron, the SSDV software converts a JPEG image into a set of packets which can be transmitted via a radio link and then re-assembled on the ground. Unlike regular JPEG images, if a packet is lost, SSDV will still produce a full image, albeit with some portions missing.

Wenet RX software running within a Ubuntu Virtual Machine

At the meeting Mark and David will give you an insight into how it works. This system will be demonstrated in the field as well during coming Horus flights.

Meeting Time

The clubrooms will be opened from 7.45pm with the presentation starting at 8.00pm. Visitors are most welcome! You will find us here:

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Next Meeting: 28th October – Digital 70cm ATV

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NOTE: CHANGED WEEK THIS MONTH – 4th Friday – 28th October

The next meeting of the Amateur Radio Experimenters Group will be held on Friday October 28th, at the Reedbeds Community Hall, Fulham in Adelaide. The meeting time has been moved back one week in October and November this year due to the availability of the hall.

Digital Amateur Television on 446.5MHz

pm5544_with_non-pal_signals-cqatv

Steve Adler, VK5SFA will be giving a presentation of his experiments this year setting up a DVB-T ATV transmitter on the 70cm band. The discussion will include how others can get involved in these experiments, including how to receive the 446.5MHz Digital TV signals.

The system that Steve is experimenting with is using the same modulation standards as the main broadcasters. This means that at least some current TV sets can directly tune to the channel, while for others, the purchase of a cheap set top box from one of several retailers (for <$100) will get you access to Steve’s signal.

So why not come along and find out all about digital ATV?

The hall will be open from 7.45pm with the meeting starting at 8.00pm. Visitors are most welcome

Next AREG Meeting: Microwave Equipment and Operation

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The next meeting of the Amateur Radio Experimenters Group will feature an introduction to Microwave Amateur Microwave Equipment and Communications, presented by guest lecturer, Iain Crawford VK5ZD. Iain will be talking about the gear he uses and some of the basic operating tips involved.  This will provide the ideal opportunity to whet your appetite for these bands just as the sunspot cycle draws to a minimum on HF, and coincidentally right before the VHF/UHF contest season!

http://www.vk5zd.com/Images/Blog/IMGP4702.JPG

http://www.vk5zd.com/Images/Blog/IMGP4702.JPG

Iain has been experimenting with these modes for many years, and has constructed transverters for 23cm, 13cm, 9cm, 6cm and 3cm.

The meeting will be held at the Reedbeds Community Hall, Phelps Court, Fulham on Friday 16th September. Doors will open at 7.45pm with the presentation starting at 8.00pm.

After the talk, there will be coffee and cake and an opportunity to socialise with fellow amateur radio enthusiasts, followed by a short AREG business meeting.

All amateur radio operators and people with just an interest in radio in general are welcome to attend! We hope to see you there!

Next Meeting: August 19th – HF Digital Modes for Beginners

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The next general meeting of the Amateur Radio Experimenters Group will be held on Friday August 19th. Doors open 7.45pm with the meeting starting at 8.00pm.

The topic for the evening will be “Introducing Digital Modes on HF – how to get started – from a beginner who just has”. I will be taking you through what can be achieved on a fairly modest HF station using digital modes, including what software you can use, what hardware you need and what some of the more “exotic” modes are that you can play with on HF digital, including:

Feld-Hell-decode

Feld Hellschreiber Signals on 20m

  • RTTY
  • PSK31/63/125
  • MFSK16
  • Olivia
  • Contestia
  • Hellschrieber
  • JT65/JT9 and WSJT
  • SSTV
MFSK16-VK2YQA-with-images-2

MFSK16 from VK2YQA/4 on 20m

I will also discuss calling techniques, frequencies and contesting on HF as well as logging on rig integration.

I don’t profess to be an expert on these modes either – this is all relatively new (apart from RTTY) to me too (despite being licensed since the 1980s) as until March this year I had never had my own HF station. Having said that, even with a modest 100W station I have managed to work 62 countries using a variety of these modes, even in the relatively poor conditions on HF that we have seen over the last 6 months.

sstv-MMSSTV Program

MMSSTV Software

VK4LHD on 14230kHz SSTV
VK3OHM on 7171kHz SSTV
VK3OHM on 7171kHz SSTV

SSTV Pictures on 40 and 20m.

After the presentation there will be a light supper followed by the monthly business meeting.

VK2YQA/4 MFSK16 Picture from QLD on 30m

VK2YQA/4 MFSK16 Picture from QLD on 30m

Welcome to the AREG Committee for 2016/17

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The Amateur Radio Experimenters Group held it’s Annual General Meeting last night, Friday July 15th. At the meeting, all positions were declared vacant and Chris VK5CP presided over the process of selecting a new committee for the forthcoming year.

Nominations were received and in the absence of any competition, the following people were elected to the committee for 2016/17″

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Welcome to the new members on the committee in Kim and Theo!

AGM – July 15th – Topic: Road Traffic Control Systems

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AGMThe committee wishes to formally advise members that the Annual General Meeting for 2016 will be held on Friday 15th of July starting at 8.00pm.

The location will  be the Reedbeds Community Hall, Phelps Court, Fulham.

After the formal part of the AGM meeting, there will be a guest presentation by Rod Baker, VK5ZTV. Rod will speak about the technologies used to manage Adelaide’s road transport system. This will provide a fascinating insight into this very complex system.

Visitors are most welcome. Doors open at 7.45pm and there will be a light supper after the presentations. If you need help finding your way to the venue, give VK5ARG a call on 439.900 via the Summertown repeater.

Next Meeting: Parks ‘n’ Peaks Operations with Paul VK5PAS

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AREG is always looking for avenues to encourage amateurs out into the field to operate their stations. One of the unique ways to do this is to go and operate from a conservation park. Several awards systems have been established to promote this type of portable operation. These have been very effective in stimulating activity on the HF bands domestically particularly during daylight hours on 20 and 40m.

There are various forms of these awards including Summits On The Air, World Wide Flora and Fauna and other National Parks awards both in Australia and abroad. Paul VK5PAS has been a major champion of this type of operation and in particular is the founder of the VK5 National & Conservation Parks Award.

http://www.vk5parks.com/about-the-award.html

Sample VK5 Parks Award Certificate

At AREG’s next meeting on Friday June 17th, Paul VK5PAS will give a presentation on the Parks ‘N’ Peaks movement and the VK5 award in particular.

Everyone is most welcome to attend. The meeting will be held at:

Reedbeds Community Hall
Phelps Crt, Fulham

The doors will open at 7.45pm and the presentation will get underway at 8.00pm sharp.

After the meeting a short debrief will be given on the outcomes from the River Paddling Marathon that many AREG members are involved with this weekend.

Log Book Of The World

In addition to Parks n Peaks, Paul is now able to assist with the certification process for LogBook of the World. We hope to hear more about how to become registered for LOTW from Paul during the meeting as well.

Next Meeting: Transmitting Magnetic Loop Antennas for 160-40m

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The AREG is pleased to announce that our guest speakers for our next regular monthly meeting will be Steve Adler VK5SFA, Leigh Turner VK5KLT and Paul Lawson VK5SL. They will be talking about their work on Transmitting Magnetic Loop Antennas for the lower HF bands including both the theory and practical aspects of their operation and construction.

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VK5SFA 160-75m Transmitting Magnetic Loop Antenna

Steve has been using one very successfully on 160m and was kind enough to loan the AREG SPDX RTTY contest team his 40m one for use up at Morialta this past weekend.

stf002

VK5SFA 40m TMLA (used by AREG in the SPDX RTTY Contest)

These are fascinating antennas in the way they work and in the way they perform. Their noise immunity is something in particular to consider in urban environments where amateurs are space and electrically environmentally challenged.

Full details of how to build these antennas and the theory behind them are available via Steve VK5SFA’s website.

When and Where?

You can meet Steve and the team who designed and built them in person at our next meeting on Friday May 20th, starting at 7.45pm (for an 8.00pm start). You can find details of where the AREG meet on the contacts page.

Visitors are most welcome to come along! A short business meeting will be held after the presentation.