Saturday 16 May 2019. I am joined by Andrew VK1DA for a joint activation of Booroomba Rocks VK1/AC-026 at 1382m ASL in Namadgi National Park. Starting from Booroomba Rocks car park, the ascent to the summit is 267 vertical metres over 2.4 km taking one hour. Andrew plans to qualify the summit using CW in…
Homebrew 2m/70cm duplexer for 23 and 13cm SOTA activations. Why buy one when you can make your own? All components are mounted on a single sided copper clad board. I will use my FT-817 at 1 watt to drive the 23 and 13cm transverters via the duplexer. The duplexer will permit instant band chages. SG-Lab…
SG-Lab supply a HB9CV PCB yagi antenna with each transverter purchased, it’s a great deal. 🙂 The supplied antennas offer the user the ability to get on air quickly and without a major investment in other antennas and expensive low loss coax. I use SG-Lab’s 23 and 13cm transverters for the amateur radio…
I’m enjoying the challenge of 23cm 1296 MHz homebrew antenna construction for SOTA purposes. My 23cm portable antenna collection includes: 12el DL6WU Yagi 12dB gain – lightweight boom construction using a folded dipole; 6el DL6WU Yagi 9 dB gain – ruggedised all brass construction gamma matched, ideal for the Australian scrub bash; and 2el HB9CV…
Homebrew 23cm (1296 MHz) HB9CV yagi antenna for SOTA To get the 23cm amateur started, SG-Lab’s 23cm 1296 MHz transverter is supplied with a PCB 23cm 2el HB9CV antenna.   I am very happy with the performance of the PCB version, having worked Rod VK2TWR in Nimmitabel from Mt Taylor in Canberra, that’s a 130 km…
I have started a new 23cm SOTA blog dedicated to reporting on 23 cm 1296 MHz activations. blog address is: https://vk1sotaon23cm.wordpress.com/ If the hobby of amateur radio, low power (QRP) transmissions at 1296 MHz, Summits on the Air (SOTA) combined with VK mountain expeditions interests you, please follow or subscribe to the blog. 73, Andrew…
Saturday 8 July 2017. Thee enthusiastic SOTA activators Andrew VK1MBE, Al VK1RX and myself have plans to activate three summits Bald Mountain, Big Badja Hill and Dampier in the Gourock and Deua National Parks, 2.5 hours south-east of Canberra. Our plan is to rotate two SOTA stations between Bald Mountain VK2/SM-052 and Big Badja Hill…
This week I received three SOTA 23 cm Microwave Certificate Awards from Barry GM4TOE, SOTA Awards Manager, UK. SOTA Microwave Awards – Simplex Operations on 23cm 17 June 2017 SOTA 100 km 23 cm Microwave Award – Operating on 23 cm SSB from Mt Taylor VK1/AC-037, I worked Rod VK2TWR in Nimmitabel, over a 131…
Sunday 18 June 2017. I recently purchased a new 2.5 watt 23 cm 1296 MHz transverter from SG-Lab in Sofia Bulgaria. The package includes a 2el HB9VC PCB yagi which has turned out to be a great addition for portable work, particularly from a hilltop with a good uninterrupted view of the horizon. Today from…
I recently purchased two 23cm WA5VJB PCB 3el yagi antennas without SMA connectors, that was a deliberate decision as I wasn’t sure how I would use or mount the PCB yagi. For a recent SOTA activation I quickly soldered a short length of RG174 to the PCB pads which served its purpose for two activations,…
Get out of the Radio Shack and Live Life 