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Tower 1

Tower 1
Tower 1: Main tower supporting 50MHz 6M2WLC yagi, 14MHz 5 element yagi and 75m full wave loop.
Please note that all times are in UTC. As such comments relate to the next morning/day AEST unless otherwise stated.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

A new day and a new start at VK4UC... but band condx seem to have maintained their lackluster performance.

40m on LP to EU provided a few extra entries into the log. 15m has started (as predicted) with good runs being maintained towards W. 20m is a hard slog - good signals from W stations, but their antennas are (as they always are) beaming towards EU or even JA... making it very hard to snare unique Qs or even the odd multi on 20m.

We've set up another 10m station. And hopefully we'll see the band open up soon. I'm hitting the 'call' button while I type here and no responses. More later!
CQWW is now well and truely underway. 10 hours in and the VK4UC teamis about to log our 1,000th Q. Band condx overall are poor to say the least. 10m provided some good daylight prop, and 15m continued to after sunset but with strong signals on the EU end it proved impossible to get runs, let alone unique Qs. More tomorrow!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Three days until CQWW.... shack at home station has been 'decimated' to support this coming weekends operations. But is all in a good cause... we're going to have fun, and hopefully I might get motivated again!

The VK4CZ 6m and HF stations have been packed to support the MM operation from VK4UC.

I have to admit that this time of year is always exciting. The lead-up and anticipation of CQWW is always great. But this time it's probably even better. It's not just for the challenge and thrill of operating a SOAB HP station and establishing a strategy and setting goals to close the gap on the KH6s and KH2s for top Oceania positions (one day I'll get top 3!).

Rather this time the opportunity to join in with some of VK's and a couple of W6's best contest operators and the opportunity to learn and share our experience which can only mean bigger, better results next year makes it that much better.

50MHz MS operations will have to wait for another week!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Fantastic condx this morning for 50MHz MS. Good enhancements experienced, with a number of QSO's completed.

At 1943z Norm VK3DUT was first worked (RS58). then Brad VK2QO @ 1943z (RS51), Frank VK7DX @ 1946 (RS53), VK2QO again at 2012z (RS52 - but QSO not a complete), Peter VK5PJ @ 2032 (RS55 - and then to RS59), Glenn VK7AB @ 2046z (RS51 - always great to hear Glenn, our southern most participant) and finally Michael VK2OT @ 2047z (RS54 - RS51 via ground wave).

Brian VK5BC was a good signal via MS enhancements with short burns delivering signals between RS51 and RS58, but no complete QSO's made. Both Alan VK4WR and I made many calls in response, but with no luck. Compared to VK5PJ, the opportunity to complete with VK5BC is much less... this is worth investigating considering their relative proximity to each other!

Progress towards CQWW op's continued. Laptop now 'talks' with radio and Writelog is feeding audio for the DVK function. Happy days!

Friday, October 22, 2010

An interesting morning on 50MHz MS... even if just a little bit bleary eyed from 4WD'ing until the early hours (~1AM) of the morning.... was great fun and good tracks found!

Norm VK3DUT was the first contact for the morning @ 1958z (RS52), followed @ 1959z (RS59), and then again @2005z (RS54). Then Brad VK2QO @ 2008z (RS54), Frank VK7DX @ 2016z , Brian VK5BC @ 2035z (RS51), David VK3AUU @ 2051z (RS54, Brand VK2QO again @ 2057 (RS52) and finally Peter VK5PJ @ 2105z (RS51).

Brian VK5BC was heard regularly in QSO with a local VK5 station between 2015 and 2030z - signals between RS51 and RS59. Calls to Brian failed to break, until the complete @ 2035z. During this time, few other signals from VK2, 3 and 5 were rx'ed.

Work has started this morning in preparation for next weeks CQWW. This year I'll be participating in a Mult-multi operation @ VK4UC with 6 operators from VK and W in an attempt to take a leadership position in Oceania for this category.... should be fun, and a lot less stressful than my usual preference for SOAB cat operating.

Laptop USB/serial interface and audio connectivity to radio for DVK will be finished today... then tomorrow prepare equip for transportation to the operations site.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Some activity on 50MHz MS today, with three completes.

Frank VK7DX worked twice @ 2047z (RS55) & again @ 2109z (RS54) and Brad VK2QO work just once @ 2043z (RS57). With the very high wind and strong levels of noise op's were brought to a hault quickly by 2100z!

Sunday, October 10, 2010

A better start to the morning today. 50MHz MS condx proved to deliver quickly. At 2017z Norm VK3DUT was worked (RS52) at the same time Frank VK7DX called (RS52). Soon after @ 2027z Glen VK7AB was worked (RS51) and immediately after Frank VK7DX worked (RS55). Norm VK3DUT was again worked @ 2034z (RS51).

Greg VK2GJC joined the sked for the first time today, and whilst he didn't posts of hearing anyone on VKLogger, he was copied twice @ 2024z and again at 2031z by myself. Welcome Greg!

With the moon again rising within the MS sked window, my attention switched over to monitoring for signals off the moon. Today Clay W7CE was received, but no two ways completed. Trace from WSJT below:

212100 0 -30 2.0 207 3 * CQ W7CE CN87 ? 0 4

Saturday, October 9, 2010

50MHz MS started well this morning. Not long after my first call completed with Brad VK2QO @ 1934z (RS55). This would be the last contact for the morning.

Mario K2ZD came into 'range' via the moon on 50MHz. I QSY'ed to JT65 and monitored for his signal. At 2010z Mario's CQ call's were rx'ed. And at 2018z Mario was received calling me (see snippet below), and then again at 2026z. Then nothing else.

201800 5 -25 2.5 156 3 * VK4CZ K2ZD FN21 0 10

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Disappointing condx for 50MHz MS this morning. Although a few stations were heard only one complete made. Frank VK7DX was worked @ 2127z (RS51).

It's October - when this radio amateurs thoughts should be moving to contesting!

Monitoring 15m this morning and the band alive with big signals out of Nth America many over RS59in ODXA and California QSO Party - many stations with RS59+20 signals.

I should be in ODXC in prep for CQWW, but motivation for entering from this station this contest season is low!

As the VK4CZ station is currently without 10m capabilities, I will be operating CQWW SSB this year as part of a multi-multi operation being established at VK4UC to challenge the leadership position in the MM category within Oceania. This is to be operated by some of VK's and W6's top contest operators and is being coordinated by Trent VK4TI.

Given my preference to SOAB operating, this will be a great learning experience that hopefully will be applied back to my SOAB style operatons. More details later and photo's after the event.

Friday, October 1, 2010

The start of October (UTC) and interesting condx... but not that they're correlated in any way!

The morning started with low level signals being rx'ed without MS enhancements of Brad VK2QO @ RS41 at best, and without the usual copy of Wayne VK4WTN via groundwave (Wayne was active due to reports appearing on VKLogger).

The first completed MS contacts were with David VK7DD @ 2033z (RS55), Frank VK7DX @ 2033z (RS52) followed at 2036z by VK2QO (RS51) and Norm VK3DUT @ 2045z (RS57).

Following this burst of activity, the continued rx of low level signals continued with Norm VK3DUT being rx'ed at RS41/RS51 nearly every call without MS enhancement, with other SSB signals present but too low a level to identify.