AREG May Meeting: FT8 DXing Q&A – This Friday 7.30pm ACST

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The May meeting of the Amateur Radio Experimenters Group will again be held online this month due to the COVID-19 social distancing limitations. It will be held on Friday May 15th starting 7.30pm ACST using the Zoom video conferencing platform for AREG members. A YouTube Livestream via Hayden VK7HH’s HamRadio DX Channel will also be available.

The subject this month will be “FT8 DXing – How to get Started, Tips and Tricks” and will be presented by Grant VK5GR. The format will be based on a live look at FT8 on the air with interaction from members welcome. We will discuss the basics including getting the software installed, but will also explain how you read and position your signals on the band to maximize your chances of a successful QSO, showing you on air as we go.

Non Member Access Planned!

This month, we will be introducing an extra dimension however, with the Zoom meeting also being Live-Streamed to Hayden VK7HH’s Ham Radio DX Youtube channel: (CLICK HERE – Hayden’s YouTube Channel).

This way we hope to make the evening accessible to a wider audience, not just AREG members. So if you are interested in some hints and tips for getting the most out of FT8 when DXing on HF why not tune in at 7.30pm ACST (1000 UTC) on Friday May 15th.

 

VK5RSB 70cm Repeater Service

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14 May 2020

Note: VK5RSB is still on air – but its tail is now VERY short. We will rectify the problem with the tail as soon as we can.

5 May 2020

Further update regarding the VK5RSB operations.

In the exuberance of the repeater service crew to see VK5RSB running with the AREG repeater controller, the repeater’s operations in conjunction with access to the IRLP network was overlooked.

IRLP node 6214, is accessed via the VK5RSB 70cm repeater.

The IRLP network managers do not like local repeaters sending “Roger Beeps” and repeater idents out into the IRLP system. This is because such idents etc will be transmitted elsewhere in the world, which is certainly not appropriate!

Under the previous setup of the VK5RSB 70cm repeater, the CW ID was generated within the Motorola Quantar but was transmitted without CTCSS, therefore not keying the IRLP unit and not being transmitted over the IRLP system, which needs CTCSS to be keyed for operation.

Therefore, with this in consideration, the “Roger Beep” has been turned off and the repeater “Tail” has been shortened to 1 second.

The Voice indent will remain for the short term, as any ident generated by the AREG repeater controller will still be transmitted with CTCSS.

The current final solution to this oversight, is to remove the AREG repeater controller and reset the Quantar code plug as had been previously.

The repeater service crew are sorry for any issues that came about from this exuberance.

We trust that all will continue to enjoy and take advantage of the VK5RSB repeaters.

4 May 2020

Just a quick update on the VK5RSB 70cm repeater.

This morning Paul VK5BX, myself Ben VK5BB and the Covid 19 Supervisor, Alesia (harmonic) attended at the VK5RSB site.

Purpose of the visit was to,

  • change over the VK5RSB 70cm repeater Motorola Quantar,
  • one out, one in, setup for operation with the AREG repeater controller,
  • re-fit the AREG repeater controller for the 70cm repeater,
  • check the site installation operation.

The equipment change over was without issue and the operation is successful with the new configuration of the repeater working well.

Noticeable operational changes,

  • 5 second long tail
  • a “Roger beep”,
  • the time out timer resets on the “Roger beep” (so no need to wait for the tail to drop)
  • voice ID
  • on long overs, a low level CW ID will play over top of the QSO.

Many thanks must go to Paul for his perseverance and time in setting up the replacement Quantar and mating it with the AREG repeater controller.

Reports and feedback would be much appreciated please.

AREG Nets: On Line and On Air!

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To help keep our members connected during this time of social distancing and COVID-19, the club is moving to increase the amount of on air contact opportunities. We are planning on holding an alternating on air net one week and a Zoom round-table chat on the alternate weeks.

The next event will be held this coming Friday, 8th May. Starting at 7.30pm it will be held on the club’s VK5RSB repeater 439.900 which will be linked to the IRLP network via node 6214 to reflector 9558 (which is also linked to the EchoLink node *VK3JED*

This will help to keep our interstate members connected too!

VK5RSB 70cm Coverage Map

The following dates will also have an on air net:

  • May 22nd
  • June 5th

Visitor check-ins are most welcome on the on air nets. The net control station is VK5ARG.

In between the on air weeks, there will be a separate video round table using Zoom Meeting online for members only.

The club just held one of these which was hugely successful as everyone got to see, hear and participate in the free discussions that en-shewed. Members will be provided details of the Zoom logins for each of these on our internal mailing list.

Currently the next scheduled Zoom round table for members is May 29th, also starting at 7.30pm.

Details of our monthly meeting for this month are in a separate post.

We hope to see you all on the air!

AREG Lecture: April 2020 – Online !

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This month the AREG will be taking it’s monthly lecture Online due to COVID-19.  Dave VK5FDAN will be talking to us about Solar Cycle 25 and what we can expect HF to do as we come out of the current Solar Minimum.

While we experiment with various Online meeting platforms we have elected to limit our initial lectures to members only.   I’m sure that once we have found our feet and have ironed out the bugs in our chosen system we can once again look at opening our doors to other interested Amateurs or groups in some form.

I know within our group we’ve wanted to look at online meetings and lectures since we have both international and interstate members, but for reasons it’s never happened.  Times are certainly changing and the impetuous to do so is now.  So please continue to watch this space…

From everyone within the AREG we wish you all the best, please maintain your social distance and stay safe !

USA Exams planned for Adelaide April 4th: CANCELLED / POSTPONED

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UPDATE: March 22nd 2020 – Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the South Australian government now restricting interstate travel (requiring forced isolation for those arriving in the state), the VEA team has regrettably had to cancel the planned FCC exam session for April 4th in Adelaide.

VEA and AREG hope to reschedule this opportunity for later in the year once the restrictions have been lifted.

Next AREG Meeting (March) – Cancelled !

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The next meeting of the Amateur Radio Experimenters Group has been cancelled due to concerns regarding the COVID-19 virus.  Dave VK5FDAN’s talk on the ionosphere will instead be held over until our April meeting, please continue to check our website for details closer to the date.
In lieu of our usual monthly meeting members and friends of the AREG are encouraged to join us on VK5RSB 70cm at our regular meeting time for a Net and a chance to catch up for a chin wag.
Again our apologies to all members and friends for the short notice of cancelling this months meeting, I’m hoping to catch many of you on VK5RSB 70cm Friday night at 8pm.

Next AREG Meeting POSTPONED: Hello Solar Cycle 25! –

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Due to the cancellation of our March meeting, we are now hoping we can bring this topic to members in April. Stay tuned for further details

Always of intense interest to Radio Amateurs is what is going to happen to the ionosphere. More recently, the big question on everyone’s lips has been, when is Solar Cycle 25 going to get underway and how strong (or weak) is it going to be.

AREG is pleased to announce that we have a preeminent expert in this field coming to speak at our Friday 20th of March general meeting. Dr David Neudegg (VK5FDAN) from the Defence Science & Technology Group will give us a radio amateur perspective on what is happening with Solar Cycle 25.

The meeting will be held at the Fulham Community Centre, off Phelps Court in Fulham. The meeting will start at 7.45pm. Doors open from 7.15pm. Visitors are most welcome to join us!

We hope to see you there!