VK4VCC and VK4FWCC

VK4VCC as at 20 Aug 2011

2011-08-20T14:36:00.002+10:00

Whats happened since my last post:

Picked up the Icom IC-706MKIIG from my brothers place
Cleaned up shack
Setup old laptop and N3FJP and N1MM logging software in shack
Reconnected shack to SteppIR BigIR (coax and controller cable)
Sold the tower
Sold the Array Solutions Powermaster
Sale pending on Yaesu FT-950 and Heil Pro-Set Plus headsets
Sent IC-706MKIIG off as trade-in on a Kenwood TS-480HX (box no longer required)
Commenced artwork on new QSL cards in GlobalQSL

My biggest problem is laying down radials. I went out today with shovel to start digging but the ground is so hard it would take me a decade of Sundays to finish. Need to come up with a simple solution (suggestions anyone). I wish I could lay my hands on one of these - EZ-Trench Wire/Cable Installer

Needed - Empty Icom IC-706MKIIG Box

2011-08-14T15:35:00.002+10:00

I have been searching everywhere for my Icom IC-706MKIIG box and for the life of me, can't find it anywhere. It's not like me to throw away a transceiver box. Inside is the box the hand mic came in and also the user manual.

If anyone has, or knows where I can get one, I would be greatly appreciated. I am more than happy to pay for the box, manual and postage.

I have emailed Icom Australia and will wait for a reply.

Edit: No luck from Icom Australia. At least they replied promptly.

Change of Heart

2011-08-12T20:03:00.000+10:00

Ok, a change of heart, I don't think I can give up everything so this is what I have decided to do.

What do I have left in the way of HF? I've sold the tower, FT-950, Array Solutions Powermaster and the 2 Heil headsets. Whats left is the SteppIR BigIR MKIII with 80m loading coil, 3 power supplies and an ICOM IC-706MKIIG (plus Heil Traveler headset).

The SteppIR BigIR will remain as my sole antenna and covers everything from 80m to 6m. What I need to do is lay down and bury a whole heap of radials. I have cleaned everything up and connected the coax and controller cable.

With regards to the 706MKIIG, I am going to trade it in for a Kenwood TS-480HX. That's if I get a descent price for the 706. (Still need to find the box). I obviously have enough power supplies to run at full power.

I'll probably also pick myself up a Heil Proset headset later down the track.

Whats for Sale

2011-07-29T13:37:00.006+10:00

Ok, just going through the shack to see what is up for sale.

One Man Tower - 12.5M midi tower, missing mast at top, requires 40NB (nominal bore) 3mm wall galvanised (blue end) of 3.25m, comes with hand winch, pad footing and OzSpid RAK rotator - sell $3000 (pick up only) **SOLD**
Yaesu FT-950 (boxed), slight scuffing on top - $1450 (delivered anywhere in Australia) **SOLD**
Heil ProSet Plus Headsets (for Yaesu) x 2 - $120 each **SOLD**
Array Solutions Powermaster with HF-6m 3kW coupler SO239 connector - $350 **SOLD**

All items have now been sold.

Leaving the Amateur Radio World

2011-07-26T17:04:00.002+10:00

I'm afraid I have lost the interest in amateur radio. I haven't been active on HF since mid 2009 and to be honest, I can't say that I have missed it. I am at the stage where I don't want to put anymore money into it and I do have other interests now.

I will keep my licence valid and the FTM-350R will remain in the car.

Other than that, I will be putting my gear up for sale. This will include things such as a 12.5M midi "One Man Tower" with OzSpid rotator (currently no 2.5M mast for it), a Yaesu FT-950, SteppIR BigIR MKIII, power supplies, Array Solutions PowerMaster, HEIL headphones, etc. I will need to do a full stocktake before listing the items.

Feel free to contact me at laurie(at)vk4vcc.com if you want to jump the queue before I list the items.

Once all items are sold, this site will go offline. My other interest is HDR photography and you will find me active at www.laurieporterphotography.net

Laurie

VK4VCC Update as at 25 April 2011

2011-04-25T18:15:00.006+10:00

Jeez, I have just looked at my last post and it was 13months ago.......not good. So I think it is about time I did an update here. So what's been happening?

Firstly, we have had a shed built in our backyard and I have decided to setup the station there. Why, mainly for shorter cable runs and also the wife won't be complaining that she can hear the radio from inside the house.

I have also purchased a Ya esu FTM-350R which has been professionally installed in my new Kia Sportage. It was installed by AutoXtreme in Acacia Ridge who did a great job at a reasonable price. (Excuse the dust, fingerprints, dirt in the car).

In regards to the tower, well, what I think I will be doing is installing first and then worry about Council. I'm pretty much fed up with Council as depending on who you speak with, you get a different answer. Still haven't purchased a tri-bander for the tower as yet but I am seriously considering the Bencher Skyhawk. I have yet to read any bad reviews of this antenna as yet.

From 2012, I am getting back into some serious photography. I will again be looking at photographing amateur radio events such as contest stations, hamfests, JOTA, field days, etc. All pictures will be uploaded to my website at http://www.laurieporterphotography.net

Tower - A Reply from the Dept of Infrastructure and Planning QLD

2010-03-16T16:06:00.003+10:00

Today I received a reply from the Senior Town Planner at the Dept of Infrastructure and Planning Queensland. I requested some information regarding installing a 12.5m antenna mast on my property for amateur radio use (hobby not commercial). The reply reads as follows;

"Thank you for your email dated 23 February 2010 regarding the required approval process for an antenna mast on your property. I apologise about the delay.

Based on the information provided by you, an antenna/mast/aerial of this height is assessable building work under the Building Act (see schedule 1 - item 2 of the bldg regulation 2006). As this is a 10b Structure as defined under the Building Codes of Australia, Schedule 4 would apply in this instance. You would therefore require a Building Approval which can be obtained from either a Private Certifier or a Building Certifier at Logan City Council.

I trust this information is of assistance."

Apple iPad Ad

2010-03-08T18:31:00.003+10:00

Ok, a little off topic but you never know, there are already quite a few amateur radio apps for the iPhone. I bet there are some hams out there now already thinking about apps and the new iPad.

Available in Australia at the end of April. Pricing yet to be confirmed. Thinking I might get myself a 16G Wifi version.

NZ TV Commercial about Amateur Radio

2010-03-06T08:59:00.003+10:00

Television ad broadcast in New Zealand to promote Amateur Radio. Google ZL3SV for more info.

RadioScope - HF Propogation Study Through Multiple Sites

2010-02-27T13:05:00.004+10:00

Welcome All interested in the further study of HF propagation

This new website is to generate interest in the extension of recent studies of backscatter radar and propagation on 50 Mhz by VK3OE and VK3AUU into the HF realm..

How could it work ?

The proposed concept is to create an aggregation of amateur radio stations around Australia to study the effects of propagation over the LF and HF spectrum; through a nationwide grid system of stations linked via broadband internet for real time analysis...

The proposed stations:

will have remote rural locations for low interference reception
exhibit high gain antennas for a variety of bands
have broadband internet access for real time information aggregation
ability to operate high power if needed for the conducting of tests

MEMBERSHIP IS OPEN TO ANY INTERESTED IN PROPAGATION

Link can be found here.

My SteppIR BigIR No Longer For Sale

2010-02-22T19:59:00.004+10:00

I was considering selling my SteppIR BigIR MKIII with 80m loading coil. I put a few feelers out there but have now decided to keep it. There was a bit of interest as they are great antennas.

I had it pulled down but have now done some maintenance and she is back in the air. I still need to wire it up and lay the radials again. This time the install looks much tidier and I won't be getting grass and weeds growing up through the radial plate.

Inverted V for 20M

2010-02-18T19:55:00.004+10:00

My brother Steve VK4VSP came over today to pick up the Icom IC-706MKIIG. Steve is a full time student and has to attend residential school a couple of times a year. He has made up an excellent portable station of which I am hoping that he will blog about it shortly. He intends to take the gear with him on his trips to Armidale, NSW.

We had a look around the shack to see if we could make one up from my bits and pieces. The end result is an Inverted V which is resonant at 14.175MHz. The pole is not mine and I have ordered a 7m heavy duty one from Haverford.

Cubex Quad Freight Charges

2010-02-18T08:50:00.002+10:00

I've just received the freight charges from Cubex to deliver a Cubex Quad MKII (3 band) to my door. I'm afraid that the costs have completely put me off. Essentially, door to door the charges are more than the cost of the antenna itself.

Time to look for an Australian sourced antenna.

Bummer

ZL4TY - Stewart Island (OC-203) - March 12 -22, 2010

2010-02-17T19:43:00.007+10:00

Respected DXer and friend Ray Crawford VK4DXA (ex VK4HDX) will be operating from Stewart Island, New Zealand (OC-203) from March 12th to March 22nd, 2010. Ray will be there with Paul ZL4PA and Paul ZL4M (ZL4PW). Ray will be using the callsign ZL4TY.

It is the first dxpediton for all of them and hopefully the first of many. It will be a 2-station operation using Spiderbeam-pole verticals for 160 - 30m and a Spiderbeam for 20 - 10m borrowed from Holger ZL3IO (ex-DL7IO). They intend running barefoot unless they can obtain a solid-state amplifier.

Grid locator: RE43bc

CQ Zone: 32
ITU zone: 60

160M - 1820 CW, 1845 SSB
80M - 3525 CW, 3580 RTTY, 3785 SSB
40M - 7025 CW, 7038 RTTY, 7165 SSB
30M - 10115 CW, 10145 RTTY
20M - 14025 CW, 14085 RTTY, 14260 SSB
17M - 18080 CW, 18105 RTTY, 18145 SSB
15M - 21025 CW, 21085 RTTY, 21295 SSB

12M - 24895 CW, 24920 RTTY, 24945 SSB
10M - 28025 CW, 28085 RTTY, 28475 SSB

We need a minimum of US$2 or 1 x IRC (please, 2010 issue) for a direct reply.
Any donation sent with your QSL request will be greatly appreciated.
Cards with insufficient funds or invalid IRCs will be sent via the buro.
All logs will be uploaded to LOTW following the DXpedition.

ZL4TY QSL Manager
Via VK4 buro or direct to:VK4DXA
Ray Crawford
53 Moore Street
Kingaroy, QLD 4610
Australia

Haverford Squid Poles

2010-02-17T12:55:00.004+10:00

There was an article in the latest Australian Amateur Radio magazine by Ernie Walls VK3FM regarding fibreglass telescopic poles.

They are made by Haverford who are based in Sydney. Poles range from 3m to 10m with some available with a heavy duty tip (8mm).

Heavy duty version available in 3, 5, 6 & 7m lengths

Heavy duty version, 8mm tip ends, black or white

Standard version, light weight, black or white, available up to 10m, 2mm tip

Pole Holder, hold up to 7m pole, 80cm in length

3m Standard in black or white - $8

3m Heavy Duty in black only - $11

5m Standard in black or white - $16

5m Heavy Duty in black or white - $19

6m Standard in black or white - $20

6m Heavy Duty in black or white - $23

7m Heavy Duty in black or white - $29

9m Standard in black only - $37

10m Standard in black only - $49

Pole Holder - $8

Prices in $AUD, freight extra.

Link here.

2010 Contests and Availability

2010-02-17T11:54:00.003+10:00

I've gone through this year's contests that I am interested in and checked them against my work roster. Available means that I am interested in competing either at home or as part of a multi-op station. Not Available unfortunately means I am rostered to work that weekend but may have a few hours before and after work to get a few contacts in.

March 2010:

ARRL Int'l DX Contest SSB (Mar 6-7) - Available

Commonwealth Contest (BERU) (Mar 13-14) - Available

John Moyle Memorial Field Day (Mar 20-21) - Not Available

CQ WW WPX Contest SSB (Mar 27-28) - Not Available

June 2010:

VK Shires Contest (Jun 5-6) - Not Available

July 2010:

IARU HF World Championship (Jul 10-11) - Not Available

RSGB IOTA Contest (July 24-25) - Available

Sept 2010:

All Asian DX Contest SSB (Sep 4-5) - Available

WAE DX Contest SSB (Sep 11-12) - Not Available

Oct 2010:

Oceania DX Contest SSB (Oct 2-3) - Available

CQ WW DX Contest SSB (Oct 30-31) - Available

Nov 2010:

JIDX Phone Contest (Nov 13-14) - Available

Dec 2010:

ARRL 10M Contest (Dec 11-12) - Available

Tower - Town Planning

2010-02-16T11:17:00.005+10:00

I called the Logan City Council again yesterday to clarify a few things. There is some confusion with regards to the maximum height of a mast before approval is required.

As I live in the old Beaudesert Shire Council, I fall under the Beaudesert Building Code which has a maximum height of 8.5m before approval is required. For others living in the Logan City Council, the maximum height is 10m.

I am considering only putting up 3 sections of the mast to begin with (7.5m) and then eventually get around to applying through council to extend the height. From what I gathered from the conversation yesterday, Logan City Council later this year may bring all building codes into line.

What I have learned so far;

Do not refer to the tower as a tower, it is a mast.
I will need a building certifier, no matter what
Max height is 8.5m before I need approval
Must be erected within the building envelope
My property is zoned as Rural Residential B

Thanks to the following for their input so far;

VK4TI, VK4KKD, VK4JD, VK4FEAT, VK7ZE

Tony Spies VK4HO has a great website showing the process (with pics) of installing a One Man Tower.

Any building certifiers in the area who are hams, I would love to hear from you.

Tower and Department of Infrastructure and Planning

2010-02-14T22:25:00.004+10:00

Thanks Trent VK4TI for sharing this info.

Qplan is Queensland’s new planning, development and building system. As stated in this document I gathered the following information;

This fact sheet outlines when development in a residential zone does not require a development permit for a material change of use.

A material change of use of premises for certain buildings and structures, defined in the Building Code of Australia, is now prescribed in schedule 4 of SPR as being exempt from assessment against a planning scheme in certain circumstances. This means that development permits from local governments will no longer be required for these types of development.

Building classifications that will now be exempt are:

Class 1(a)(i)—detached houses;

Class 1(a)(ii)—attached dwellings, comprising of no more than two dwellings (for example,duplexes); and

Class 10—non-habitable buildings or structures such as a private garage, carport, shed, fence, mast, antenna, retaining or free standing wall, swimming pool or the like.

More to follow as I find more info.

More on the Tower Situation

2010-02-13T16:53:00.002+10:00

I've had a bit of a read on the Logan City Council website and found the following;

Approval may not be required for certain buildings/structures if they are considered self-assessable building work.

Building work-self assessable:

Building work is deemed to be self assessable where:

The building work is for a Class 10 building or structure, and:

Part e)

It is a non-load bearing aerial, antennae, satellite dish with a maximum diameter of 600mm, flagpole, mast or tower, outside areas covered by airport Obstacle Limitation Surfaces Standards (OLS) of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and it is:

a) detached from a building or structure and not more than 10 metres above natural ground surface;

More to follow as I find more information.

Seeking Tower Approval

2010-02-12T20:05:00.002+10:00

Oh, the fun begins. I sent an email to the Logan City Council on Monday asking some questions with regards to erecting a tower on my property. I got a phone call from one of the town planners today.

Essentially, if the tower is 8.5m or less, I do not need to gain approval from council. (8.5m or double storey). If the tower is greater than 8.5m, which mine is, then the fun begins.

Why does it always seem that when it comes to an amateur radio tower (hobby, for personal use), no one at council really knows how to deal with it. I'm sure if I speak to someone else next time, I will get a different answer.

Ok, so what do I need to provide? This is what I was told to complete;

Material Change of Use form (MCU)
SPA 1, 5 and Checklist
Site Plan
Elevation Plan (pictures, etc)

I asked about costs and was told $700. After I picked myself off the floor, I questioned the cost and said that others have paid nowhere near that price. I was told that possibly others have applied for a Class 10B Structure (Ancillary to the House) which costs $250. I was also told that because I live in the old Beaudesert Shire Council, that rules are slightly different to those of the Logan City Council of which I am now part of.

See the problems I am having here. Maybe I should just put up 3 sections of the tower (7.5m) and not seek approval. However, I still need to know where my building envelope is.

If anyone lives in the Logan City Council area and could provide some advice it would be greatly appreciated. If you live in the old Beaudesert Shire Council then that's even better.

VK4HAM New Website

2010-02-07T21:56:00.003+10:00

If you have been a follower of Andrew's VK4HAM blog, Ham Radio & Bloke's Stuff, you will realise that the blog has been discontinued. However, even better, Andrew has created a new website called VK4HAM - Your Home for Contests, DXpeditions and More.

The new website can be found here. I highly recommend you take a look, become a member, uploads photos and videos, or join the forum.

VK4VCC as at 6 Feb 2010

2010-02-06T14:09:00.003+10:00

Again, very quiet from me but hopefully that will change over the next month. I am currently "downsizing" the shack. I had too much clutter in the shack and half of it I wasn't using. I was trying to create a SO2R type station but have now decided to keep it simple.

I have either sold or still selling the following items;

Yaesu FT-920

SteppIR BigIR with 80m loading coil

Array Solutions PowerMaster

Top Ten Band Decoders

Top Ten DX Doubler

Dunestar Auto BandPass Filters

All I plan on keeping is the Yaesu FT-950, one of the Array Solutions PowerMasters, power supplies, OzSpid rotator and tower. Chelsea and my main focus will be on the higher HF bands (20-10).

I'm looking at getting a Cubex Quad MkII (3 band) shipped in from the US. I've sent the email off to see what shipping costs will be.

Steve VK4VSP, my brother, will be borrowing the Icom IC-706MKIIG with all the accessories.

I'll be getting a quote shortly from the concretors so I can get the tower up. It will be great if I can get everything sorted for the CQ WPX contest.

ContestRank

2010-02-06T10:17:00.001+10:00

Welcome to ContestRank.com! The site was developed with a desire to acknowledge the participation and achievements of all contesters, worldwide, while providing a source of contest and contest-related information.

As we began developing this web site, we thought about how to best present contest result data in a way that would result in a meaningful contest ranking system. The number of contests each year and complexity of tracking and recording contest data presented us with a challenge. Ultimately, we elected to concentrate on results from worldwide contests that do not impose restrictions on participation, such as the CQ World Wide DX Contests and ARRL DX contests, and not include more regional or continental contests such as the European HF contest. Inclusion of these more regionalized contests would make it difficult for direct comparisons between contesters in other parts of the world who would not likely actively participate. Further, because of the number of contests each year – our current count is 71 – we had to limit inclusion to those contests that generate a high number of entries. We also knew that the site should be accessible in several languages to appeal to as many members of the global contest community.

In order to develop an effective rating model, we began collecting primary data such as final score, number of QSOs and number of major contests for each higher scoring operator/call sign, beginning with the 2000 contests. The development of our ranking model is a ongoing process and will be refined over time. Our team is planning on honoring the top contesters each year based on the final scores, the number of QSOs and number of contests entered.

We are also designing this web site as a meeting place for contesters worldwide, so we can get to know each other, share information about our stations, and make new friends. We also plan to develop related contest information pages covering equipment, amplifiers, antennas, and software, with information submitted by the contest community. We would welcome your comments and suggestions as the site develops. Please tell us what you think.

“Good Luck in the contest…”

Very 73,

The ContestRank.com Team

My Brother Steve VK4VSP First CW QSO

2010-01-31T17:30:00.002+10:00

You can read the blog here.

I think that is motivation for me to start learning CW.

Well done Steve.

VU2RBI Bharathi Prasad ( YL ) is Visiting Brisbane

2009-11-22T19:35:00.002+10:00

The famous VU2RBI Bharathi Prasad ( YL ) is visiting Brisbane for a few days with her husband who is here on business.

On behalf of members of Oceania Amateur Radio Dx Group Incorporated and members of City of Brisbane Radio Society Incorporated I am pleased to announce the following:

A very special meet and greet meeting has been set up for the 2nd Dec 2009 at 09.30utc at the following venue:

Murarrie Progress Association Hall, 10 Queensport Road Sth., Murarrie , 4172, Brisbane

Approx 75m north of Murarrie Railway Station,
closest corner is Railway Tce.

There is wheelchair access.

Lon: 153.10479 ( 153 6' 17" E )
Lat: -27.46424 ( -27 27' 51" S )

UBD 161 N 9 shows up as RSL Hall.

When heading South after crossing Gateway Bridge take Lytton Road exit, then right turn onto Lytton Road, left turn at lights Queensport Road Sth., before Mobil service stn., hall is located on right hand side before shops 50m before railway crossing.

When heading north on Gateway Motorway, take Wynnum Road exit, left turn at lights then first right into Murarrie Road, then right turn into Queensport Road Sth., cross railway line and hall is located ahead 50m on left after shops.

This is your one chance in a lifetime to rub shoulders with this very famous lady who recently whilst on a major dxpedition to an exceptionally rare DXCC found herself in the thick of a horrific tsunami. Bharathi will spend some time doing a presentation on her experiences over the last 25 years she has been licensed. There will be ample time for all to have a one on one few minutes with her before the end of the evening.

If you intend to attend please kindly RSVP to vk4fw@westnet.com.au by 00.01utc 27th Nov 2009. You are requested to bring a qsl card to swap with her for your eyeball qso. ( bring ur camera and please wear a name tag ) All attendees are also required to pay a token fee of $2 to cover coffee/tea and biscuits.

Please pass this onto as many of your friends as possible.

Thanks in Advance,

Bill Horner
President
Oceania Amateur Radio Dx Group Incorporated

Thanks Bill for the info.