VI5ANZAC Activation Saturday 25th/Sunday 26th April – Wrapup

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11148551_10152850687341188_1061654771402084287_nThe Amateur Radio Experimenters Group (AREG) had the pleasure of co-operating the VI5ANZAC special event callsign on ANZAC day 2015 commemorating the 100th anniversary since the landing at ANZAC cove at Gallipoli in World War One. The AREG crew for these two days was based at a location ~100km east of Adelaide on the banks of the River Murray.

The operators of this activation were:

Chris VK5CP
Mark VK5QI
Matt VK5ZM
Andrew VK5AKH
Gary VK5FGRY
Grant VK5GR
Theo VK5MTM

Bob VK5FO

Ray VK5RR

AREG operated two stations at this location covering most HF bands. The primary station setup was as follows:

  • Rig: Icom IC-7700 (200W)
  • Antenna: SteppIR MonstIR – 4 element beam (3 full-size elements on 40m)

There is a webcam setup on the MonstIR boom, giving us a wonderful view of wherever the antenna is pointing! A live view is available here.

The view from the MonstIR Yagi!

The view from the MonstIR Yagi!

The MonstIR Yagi

The MonstIR Yagi, with the (tiny!) HB35 in the background.

The second station consisted of a:

  • Rig: Elecraft K3
  • Antenna: Werner Wulf HB35 Yagi

Over 1000 contacts were made including to many of the other VI%ANZAC stations, plus VI100ANZAC, ZL100ANZAC and also to the special event stations operated by the Turkish Radio Amateur Club.

Theo even managed to film some of the action while working Europe on Sunday morning!

Not to mention the pileups he encountered on 10m!

Full details, log extracts and graphic visualisations of where we worked will be added as soon as they can be post processed.

– Mark VK5QI & Grant VK5GR

AREG VI5ANZAC Activation Plans

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As previously advised, the Amateur Radio Experimenters Group will be activating the special event callsign VI5ANZAC to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the landing of the ANZAC force on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey during World War One.

The AREG activation window is between 1200 ACST 25th April through to 2359 ACST 30th April

VI5ANZAC is based in South Australia which was also the home state of the 10th Battalion which was raised in August 1914. On 25 April 1915, the 10th Battalion took part in the Landing at Anzac Cove, coming ashore during the initial stages of the operation as part of the covering force. Members from the 10th Battalion penetrated the furthest inland of any Australian troops during the initial fighting, before the Allied advance inland was checked. AWM_C01101_Australian_10th_Bn_Gallipoli_1915

Photo: 10th Battalion Troops at Gallipoli – August 1915 (Information sourced from Wikipedia)

To work this special event callsign AREG will be active during the following times:

  • Saturday 25th April 0230UTC (1200ACST) – Sunday 26th April ~0830UTC (1800ACST) 
    • 7.150MHz (+ QRM) (Primary)
    • 14.150MHz (+QRM) (Primary – Beaming Long Path Europe)
    • 21.250MHz (+ QRM) (Secondary)
    • 28.450MHz (+QRM) (Secondary)\
      • Operators: VK5CP + Many others

        MOnstIR @ VK5CP

        40-6m MonstIR Beam – part of the VI5ANZAC station on Saturday25th/Sunday 26th April 2015

  • Tuesday 28th April 0830UTC (1800ACST) 1200UTC (2130ACST) – QRP Portable from Morialta Conservation Park 
  • Wednesday 29th April 1030UTC (2000ACST) – 1430UTC (0000ACST)
    • 14.150MHz (+QRM) Beaming LP Europe (subject to leaving work early)
    • 7.150MHz (+ QRM) Beginning 1030UTC (40m dipole)
    • 14.263MHz (+QRM) Beaming SP USA (2el Hexbeam)
    • 14.150MHz, 18.145MHz, 21.250MHz, (+QRM) Beaming SP Europe (2el Hexbeam)
    • With only two element Hexbeam I should be heard in Japan when beaming SP USA and Europe
    • Operator: Matt VK5ZM
  • Thursday 30th April – 0830 UTC (1800ACST) – sometime before 2359 UTC
    • SSB: 28.450, 21.250, 14.150, 7.150
    • RTTY: 28.085, 21.085, 14.085, 7.040
    • PSK63: 28.120, 21.070, 14.070, 7.070
    • CW (maybe…): 28.025, 21.025, 14.025, 7.025
      • Note: Obviously I won’t be able to work all of these bands and modes on the night but if I can these will be the frequencies you will find us on.
      • Operator: Theo VK5MTM

Members of AREG may also activate the callsign at other times during the club’s operating window. QSL will only be via CLUB Log, EQSL and LOTW –  No hard copy.

We look forward to working you all using this historic callsign!

VK5RSB 6m Repeater Update: New Antenna has Arrived

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LcK75XpcaUPDATE: April 17th 2015: Users of the VK5RSB 6m repeater will be pleased to learn that AREG has finally received the new antenna from Polar Industries.A big thank you to all of the donor’s who have helped fund the replacement antenna.

The club is still happy to receive additional donations so that the maintenance funds can be replenished, so if you are a regular user on VK5RSB 6m, please consider making a contribution! Donations can be made via the PayPal button on the left hand side of the screen.

Planning for the replacement antenna’s installation is now underway as well as the repairs to the 6m transmitter amplifier. We will advise when the system has been restored!

IRLP Node 6214 now locked with a PIN!

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Due to inappropriate activity where the IRLP node 6214 sadfacehas been maliciously interfered with and manipulated to the point of triggering lockout responses from other IRLP network nodes, AREG has been forced to require operators to register for access to the node, and for registered operators to use a PIN code for access.

 A most unfortunate side effect of this is that we have now locked out incidental travelers from the system and this is not in the spirit of Amateur Radio Operations. ( I am very sorry that this has had to occur, I held out as long as I could!)

Amateur radio operators who wish to use the IRLP node 6214, are requested to apply via email, with a valid email address and call sign, so as to be issued with the PIN. All applications will be recorded for administration purposes.

Applications may be made to either,

vk5bb@wia.org.au  or vk5qi@wia.org.au

Security of the issued PIN is paramount and it shall not be passed on verbally to any other interested parties.

All inquiries for the PIN shall be referred to the AREG web pages.

73, Ben, VK5BB

IRLP Node 6214 Administrator

Next Meeting 17th April: Using Pan-adapters in your HF Station

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The next meeting of the Amateur aregmapRadio Experimenters group will be held on Friday 17th April. The venue as always will be the Reedbeds Community Hall, 19 Fitch Rd, Fulham SA 5024.

The meeting will start at 7.45pm with a short business meeting, and will be followed by a technical presentation by Andy VK5AKH on installing and using SDR radios as pan-adapters on your HF station. Andy will also give some insight on the benefits of using this technology when working HF.

iOE1VKA

HF Pan-adapter display captured from the 20m HF band

After the meeting there will be cake and coffee available as well as many members ready for a chat.

If you want directions to get to the meeting give VK5ARG a call on the Summertown 439.900MHz repeater (91.5Hz CTCSS).

River Paddling Marathon: AREG Communications Update

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rpm15

Attention all club members – the radio operator registrations are now open for this year’s event. Please access the registration form link e-mailed to all members via the mailing list and complete your details for 2015 as soon as possible so that checkpoint planning, accommodation and catering can all be finalized. Note: the AREG home base this year will be the Kingston on Murray Caravan Park.

AREG activation of VI5ANZAC 25th – 30th April 2015

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The Amateur Radio Experimenters Group will be participating in the WIA organised special event callsign activation of VI5ANZAC. The major commemoration is on the 25th April 2015, which is when Australian and New Zealand troops landed at Gallipoli, marking 100 years since our nation’s involvement in WWI.

The club has secured the window from 0000UTC (9:30am CST) Friday 24th April through to 2359UTC 30th April (9:30am CST Friday 1st May) to activate the callsign. After interest was also expressed from the Elizabeth Amateur Radio club to operate portable from an RSL hall on ANZAC day, AREG has cooperated and agreed to EARC operating the callsign up until 12.00pm CST on April 25th, so that operators from both clubs can share in the experience.

The principle goal of AREG with the callsign is to contact Turkey on HF after 12:00pm CST (0230UTC) on the 25th of April (Anzac Day) as well as provide an easily reachable signal across VK/ZL (and all points in between). A large construction project is underway at one of the club members stations aimed at installing a 3 element 40m beam and 4 element 20m beam in time for the event. The AREG also intends for it’s members to activate it as often as possible from AREG members stations thereafter within the club’s operating window on HF and VHF/UHF as far as possible.

More details of AREG’s exact plans will be released closer to the event. At this stage, members are asked to contact the committee to place their details on the club roster for activating VI5ANZAC between Sunday 26th April and Friday 1st May 9:30am.

CQ WPX & VK5 Parks Award activity underway!

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The VK5ARG activation during the CQ WPX Contest and the VK5 Parks award activation by VK5QI and VK5AKH are underway now from the Coorong National Park. The bands are jumping and the team is having lots of fun camping out under the stars.

iOE1VKA20m is alive with activity during the contest, as can be seen from Mark’s SDR screen capture here. Not a lot of room on 20m when this was captured!

All the best boys and enjoy yourselves.