Hombrew 2m Halo antenna for 144.2 MHz SSB and WSPR weak signal propagation. Polarisation is horizontal while the radiation pattern is omnidirectional. Radiator and gamma match are 3/8 inch copper tube. 🙂 Dimensions: Loop diameter: 340 mm Open end spacing: 40 mm Gamma rod: 200 mm length of 16 gauge AWG solid copper insulated wire.…
I have moved my homebrew ADS-B 1090 MHz 1/4 wave ground plane antenna from indoors to outdoors above my garage roof. The Raspberry Pi SDR running PiAware is now located within three metres of the ADS-B antenna. The coax cable feedline is low loss 50 ohm RG58 Cell Foil approximate three metres in length. I…
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…
Saturday 16 June 2018. The weather around Canberra is cold wet and windy as a deep low, 994 hPa passes over south-east Australia. Today’s top ambient temperature is 9 degrees C while the feels-like is a chilly 2 degrees C. Tomorrow’s forecast is for a chance of snow down to 800 m ASL. My QTH…
VK1AD 23cm (1.296 GHz) 6el Yagi – Construction of a rugged solid brass DL6WU yagi ready for the SOTA backpack! My collection of 23cm SOTA antennas includes two DL6WU homebrew folded dipole yagis, 6 and 12 elements. While both antennas offer excellent gain, their lightweight design means they are limited to summits with limited scrub bashing,…
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…
How do you get on 23 cm 1296.2 MHz USB for SOTA activations without forking out loads of dough for an ICOM IC-910 or IC-9100? Answer a lightweight all mode 2.5 watt 23 cm transverter from Hristiyan LZ5HP in Sofia Bulgaria. The current unit on offer is version 2.3. The 23cm transverter’s default configuration is…
Wednesday 11 January 2017 – 8:00 am (21:00 UTC) joining the VK VHF DX Net from Tuggeranong Hill 855 metres ASL for VHF Aircraft Enhancement propagation (AE). Purpose of today’s SOTA activation is to: experiment with low power 500 mW (QRP); qualify Tuggeranong Hill with the FT-817ND power output set to 500 mW for QSOs…
Thursday 12 January 2017, Andrew VK1MBE and Andrew VK1AD activating SOTA peak Mt Budawang VK2/ST-015, grid QF44XM. Surprising success at working ZL1 on 6m 50.120 MHz at 5 watts QRP SSB, that’s right not CW or digital modes, yep voice mode SSB from SOTA summit Mt Budawang VK2/ST-015 for two ZL1 QSOs over 2340 km…
Get out of the Radio Shack and Live Life 