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Famparc is the place to be! We have many activities planned this year, including a members' trip to the Flinders Ranges in SA. It's actually Terry's vk3bmx Holiday, but we're joining in on the adventure. Stay tuned here and on the members' forum for updates. 17 Incredible things to do in the Flinders Ranges that will put it on your bucket list

Noojee Day Trip From Daryl vk3hbp Hello, Last week I obtained my TZ-OCF-40 wire antenna and I would like to erect it at the Poplars campground (the same place we had the camp).on Thursday 10th April 2025. The campground is at Loch Valley and the road passes through Noojee Township and is signposted. It is an off-centre dipole and I will attempt to set it up with the two squid poles and some macrame cord and a nail or two. I might even bring my surf rod to throw a line over a branch. I’ve never done this before. Then I’ll connect my Icom 7300 and see how I’ll go. It is a 1.5 hour drive and my plan it to arrive around 9-10am and after a successful morning, have a counter lunch at the Noojee Hotel around 1pm. Perhaps have some yummy smashed pavlova. Daryl vk3hbp Plan B is the Little Red Duck cafe which closes at 2:30 or the cafe at Neerim South. If anyone wants to join me you’re welcome to do so. Thursday was selected due to the warmish weather forecast. I haven’t booked anything at the pub and times are rubbery. People not going to the campground could just go to the Noojee Hotel at 12pm. Details may be discussed at the Famparc club rooms on Wednesday. I’ll suggest we can use the simplex frequency of 146.500 MHz. That's 146.500 Mhz FM Simplex Noojee Pub Noojee

Hello Famparc Family, As many of you are aware, we have faced some challenging times lately regarding the recent AGM and administrative issues. Unfortunately, it was noted that the AGM was not conducted in accordance with AGM regulations and the constitution. This is a overview of the latest and AGM 2.0, which refers to our second and revised AGM. From the Chairpersons notes and comments: Craig vk3ncr Mick vk3dh also assisted me in the running of the AGM 2.0 The AGM began just after midday on Saturday April 5th 2025 and the Famparc Club rooms. Chairperson welcomes all members to the meeting. Apologies on behalf of members who were unable to attend. Colin vk3cr Mark vk3mde Peter vk3ij Reading of the minutes from the 2024 AGM, read by Mick vk3vh No business or comments were raised from the said minutes. Chairpersons Yearly Report: For the past year we have moved forward with many areas of our hobby. Example: Famparc Coffee and Cake Mornings Famparc Camping trips Train Hobby show demonstrating our hobby the the club The running of Foundation Courses allowing for new members to join our club and hobby. Continuation of our Club Balun and UNUN projects. Club Guest Speakers. Club Discount Cards for both Jaycar and Altronics It was also noted from the floor that: Repeater Project for all members. Remote Station for all members. FT8/Digital Station Continued growth and updates to the club website. www.vk3frc.org.au Approval of the Chairpersons report were by: Jerry vk3vce 2nd Rakshit vk3dhr Chairpersons Future endeavours for the club: Completion and full operation of the Repeater Project. 50th Year Club Celebrations Further Club Camp-outs Club POTA/SOTA activations for interested members. Day Trips such as what Daryl vk3hbp has organised. Speakers foe the occasional monthly meeting. Example.. It was suggested a club trip to the Australian Synchrotron Melbourne. Treasurer's Financial Report: Colin vk3cr being our previous Treasurer provided the report for all. The report was read by Mick vk3vh No comments were submitted from the floor concerning the report. Accepted By: Ken vk3mjf 2nd Mani vk3ir Officer Bearers: The chairperson declared that the administration and committee members are now vacant. We now hold an election of new office bearers and committee members. Following the club constitution's guidance: The Officers of the Club shall all be licensed Radio Amateurs and shall consist of:-     a President;     a Vice-President;     a Treasurer;     a Secretary;     a Assistant Secretary. Subject to section 23 of these rules, the committee shall consist of:-     the Officers of the Club (above) , and     2 Ordinary Members - for Committee Nominations were receive via both on-line and in writing for the above positions.     a President Craig vk3ncr;     a Vice-President Ken vk3mjf;     a Treasurer Colin vk3cr;     a Secretary Mick vk3vh;     a Assistant Secretary Rakshit vk3dhr. Nominations were receive via both on-line and in writing for the above positions. Committee: Terry vk3bmx Peter vk3ij As the chairperson I wish to congratulate the members and the roles they have accepted. General Business: It was observed that the administrators should consider appointing a subcommittee to review and update the club's constitution. The raising of hands from the floor further indicated that this task should be carried out. Close of General Business. Note(s) : Additional notes and comments from the AGM will be made available as soon as possible. The suggested date of the 2026 AGM is Sat. 7th March 2026. The formal meeting was closed at 12:30pm 5th April 2025. Chairpersons comments: Hello fellow Famparc Members, With all what has happened.. It was my intention to run the AGM as close to the rules as possible (these are my thoughts). It was noted to all in attendance that I was open to any comments concerning the AGM proceedures. This I made clear at the start and during the entire AGM. From a few comments from the floor, which I will say were greatly appreciated, I feel that the AGM was run correctly. This was my intentions and was also backed up my the floor and from individuals. I feel thet we are now able to get the club and it's members back to how it has been run for many years.. My own idea on how to run a club or busniess is to engage all, and not to be some type of a dictator. I thank you all for your kind words, assitance and help both during this AGM and during my past position as a admin. Thank you ! Craig vk3ncr Famparc President 2025.

Hello Members, On my 2025 Wish List is a club Repeater, and now it's here... There's still a lot of work to be done. Note: This is a year long project to learn and have this repeater running for our club. UPDATE 3RD JAN 2025 Today (Friday, January 3rd, 2025), a group of us went to the Moorabbin Club to pick up our Club Repeater and Cavities. We are thrilled to implement our own club Repeater, which is a fantastic project for everyone to learn not only how a repeater functions but also how it is assembled. A few items that are required are: Power Supply (Done - Sort of) Power Supply Cable (Done) Programming Cable (Done) I believe we have other required components at the club: Coax and Coax Connectors, Antenna. I will utilize this blog page to showcase the build project. Club Repeater Donated by Moorabbin & District Radio Club Inc Club 2Mtr Cavities / Duplexers More fun to come... Cheers.... Craig vk3ncr THANK YOU! On behalf of Famparc and its numerous members, I would like to express gratitude to the Moorabbin & District Radio Club Inc for their generous donation of the aforementioned hardware. https://mdrc.org.au UPDATE 6TH JAN 2025 After collecting the hardware, I dropped it off at the club rooms on Saturday 4th Jan 2025. Everyone looked to be very impressed by the hardware and are excited in this new club project. A while back I managed to find and download many PDF for the MX800 Repeater, as well as the Windows Software to program it. With the amazing knowledge of Rakshit VK3DHR, he managed to get the software running on a PC at the club rooms. On Saturday I emailed to companies that I understand offer asssitance and parts for the repeater. I sent a request for the Power Cable, as it is quite unique. I will also make enquires for the programming cable. That's about it at the moment. Issues we face: Most of us within the club have either none or little experience in setting up a VHF Repeater, that includes me. Issues : Procurer Power Cable (DONE) Procure or make Comms Cable to communicate with Repeater to setup. (DONE) Setup Repeater (DONE - SORT OF) Find a suitable set of frequencies Re-Tune Cavities once we work out how to setup Repeater Looking for a clear Duplex Repeater Frequency. The one I looked at was 147.950/147.350, however I was told by Ken from Moorabbin Club that these frequencies are close to 500 watt Pages which are near by. The Cavities that we have, have been tuned for the Moorabbin Clubs own local repeater. The new frequencies I am looking at are: 147.275 147.875 Which is used by Repeater VK3RMP Caveat North Central Vic. If we find these frequencies perhaps suitable, we then need to setup the Repeater, and also get the Cavity Filters tuned for those frequencies. Summary : Find a suitable Frequencies. UPDATE 7TH JAN 2025 I have received a quote for the Power Cable and Comms Cable and requested a invoice so we can pay for the items. The quote was approved by the Committee. The supplier is Spectra Engineering WA. I am researching available and perhaps potential Frequencies for our Repeater. So far... 146.875 146.275 No go! 146.775 146.175 Possibility 147.025 147.625 147.200 147.800 147.275 147.875 If you would like to suggest a frequency, or check the above, feel free.. Please Post below. UPDATE 10TH JAN 2025 The Repeater Power and Serial Comms Cable have arrived.. We will begin doing to testing on Saturday 11th Jan. Look out! there could be blue smoke escaping LOL UPDATE 11TH JAN 2025 A fun morning at the club rooms with both Colin and myself learning and playing around with the Repeater. Now that we have the new Power Cable and Serial Comms Cable, we plug it into power and to our surprise it fired up. I then installed the programming software on our old PC near the fridge, and managed to get the software to talk to the repeater. After a while searching for a password so we could properly log into the repeater, Rakshit turned up and got stuck in to getting the software to adjust frequencies etc. After lots of fun and learning, we managed to use our radios to test the operation of the repeater and to our relief it looks to be working ok. Lots more steps to go yet. Colin was also playing around with the cavities. These will need to be changed to another frequency group. I think the next step is to connect the repeater to the Cavities and continue testing and learning. UPDATE 15TH JAN 2025 During the Wednesday at the club rooms, I managed to find some cables and connectors to be able to connect the Cavities to the Repeater unit, After some frustration trying to find the parts, I connected the Cavities to the Repeater and Cavities to the Diamond X200 Antenna above the front door of the club. Did some testing using my hand held.. So far looks to be working fine. Rakshit did do an amazing job of programming the repeater last Saturday which not only included setting frequencies of the Repeater for the Cavities frequencies, but also setting the power output, 91.5 Hz CTCSS, and to my surprise the Repeater Ident. The next step is to make or procure some better coax patch leads between the Repeater, Cavities and Antenna. I believe based on the sockets on both the Repeater and Cavities, this is what leads we require. After further research concerning Coax, I received this reply from a fellow Repeater Builders. Update Concerning what Coax to use: "As the author of the Repeater Builder website - please don't use RG213, RG58 or LMR type cables in duplex service.  Use double-shielded - silver plated cables everywhere possible.  RG214, RG400, and RG142 are excellent choices.  Please don't be tempted to use LMR400 or similar tinned braid over aluminum foil construction cable.  These make noise in duplex service - as in a repeater." Update Concerning Connectors: Rg214 crimp N connectors, be careful with modern T connectors, some of the cheap units have a spring that makes the connection from the leg inner conductor to the cross (top of the T) inner conductor. At 2m and 70cm this spring can act as an inductor, this has been known to cause issues with the tuning of the system. The old T connectors have a straight soldered connection inside! Cheers Stu VK4SDD. Update Concerning Antenna's: Also don't use a dual band antenna, I tried using a diamond as a test antenna for a 2m repeater and the desense was huge, swapping to a 2m only antenna, the desense disappeared. Don't know why there was a problem, did not really want to waste time on it. I found the Diamond F23H Monoband antenna for 2M could be a solution for this. Strictly ham show them on his website. https://www.strictlyham.com.au/diamond-f23h Small update.. After some basic testing and reviewing the many Repeater Frequencies, I think setting the Repeater and Cavities to : 146.775 146.175 As the closest repeater at these freq.s is as above. A good distance away. Of course this all depends on the ACMA. UPDATE 17TH JAN 2025 After much research and help from fellow Famaprc Members, the 3 Repeater to Cavitiy Cables have been ordered from https://www.eyou.com.au These cables are built using RG400 Coax which was suggested as above. I could not get a cable made with N Type to SO239, so we need a Gender Changer which will be for the cable that connects the Cavity to Antenna. A Website for working out Line of Site for RF Propagation. RF Line-of-Sight The RF Line-of-Sight tool allows users to easily drag-and-drop locations and obtain point-to-point line-of-sight information anywhere using Google Maps. This map is useful in planning and troubleshooting cellular networks for IIoT / SCADA monitoring applications . SCADACore’s Industry 4.0 solutions include true 3D HMI / Digital Twin and Web HMI that works over the web. This free online tool takes antenna height and the topographical formations of the earth to calculate the line-of-sight of a radio path. Note that buildings and other obstructions is not taken into consideration when calculating line-of-sight using this tool. https://www.scadacore.com/tools/rf-path/rf-line-of-sight/ UPDATE 20TH JAN 2025 Our ordered Patch leads have arrived as of Monday Morning.. With amazing service from https://www.eyou.com.au I found a brilliant video from W6NBC on Youtube concerning Cavity / Duplex devices for repeaters. John talks about an article that he has produced which I have also created a link below. The Cavity Duplexer Book Anyone interested in our clubs 2M Repeater Project Build, I suggest you watch this excellent video by John W6NBC.. Our thanks to John Portune W6NBC for both the article and video. UPDATE 25TH feb 2025 Our Some of our very clever Famparc Members have been working on the Repeater duing February.. The Repeater itself looks to be working just fine, however we are facing issues with, we believe is the Cavities (Duplexers), having.a high SWR and lack of filtering. We are trying different Antenna' using one for receive and one for transmit to see if this helps.. However if the Cavities are not up to thr task, there are two options, give up on the project, or find another set of more suitable cavities. Perhaps even make some. The Repeater on the test bench and Cavities (Duplexers) connected. The Repeater is currently in test mode operating with very low power and with compromised antenna(s). Set your Radio to Receive on: 146.775 Set your Radio to Transmit on: 146.175 With a CTCSS Tone of 88.5 hz UPDATE 7TH APRIL 2025 It's been a while since an update... Colin vk3cr is the best person to update the project, however at the moment Colin is away so I will put my 5 cents worth. Colin and others have been doing much testing, and to our disappointment the Cavities that came with the Repeater just are not up to the task. Colin did come across a chap in W.A with a setup of Cavities, but after some testing, they were also not up to it. So.. although the repeater is working in test mode and very well I must say, and without any cavities, (Well done Colin).. The receive sensitivity is not the best, so any weak signals into the repeater are being drowned by the repeaters own output. So.. we need a good set of 2M Repeater Cavities (Duplexers).. Paperwork: Ian has the ACMA paperwork in hand working also corresponding with the WIA to procure a Repeater License. That's it for now.. Cheers.. Craig. vk3ncr Any suggestions please make comment below.

Hi Fellow Members, Come and join our Monthly Famparc Members Coffee and Cake morning? Monday 14th APRIL. 2025 10aM. This is good for all of us and allows us to chat about all aspects of life not just Amateur Radio. Have a good laugh! Roundabout Cafe. Roundabout Cafe 1/19 Shaxton Circle Frankston VIC 3199 (03) 9785 6091 Monday 14th APRIL. 2024. Hope to see you there ! Please make a comment below..

Matt vk1mhz, one of our club members who lives near Geelong, have a shack clear-out of Ham gear. Matt is wanting to sell off the gear on behalf of a mate. So from the images below, if you see something that you may wish to purchase, you can contact Matt via matt@mattomeara.com

2025 MDRC Hamfest Information WHEN: Saturday the 10th of May Doors open at 10.00am WHERE:   Kingston City Hall 979-985 Nepean Hwy, Moorabbin VIC 3189 . The MDRC Annual Hamfest is held in May on a Saturday. The 2025 MDRC Hamfest will be held on Saturday the 10th of May.  The MDRC Hamfest is widely renowned as the Biggest Hamfest in Victoria, with a huge turnout each year. Many attendees travel great distances to attend the MDRC Annual Hamfest from Interstate and overseas. In 2025 the MDRC Hamfest will be held at the Kingston City Hall 979-985 Nepean Hwy, Moorabbin VIC 3189. Ticket sales from 9.00am. Doors open at 10.00am Traders can purchase tables from the M&DRC Shop . 70 car spaces on site and more parking behind shops on Western side of Nepean Hwy.

Join the Bendigo Technology Festival, hosted by the Bendigo Amateur Radio and Electronics Club. This exciting event will bring together enthusiasts, experts and hobbyists from all over to celebrate and explore the world of amateur radio, electronics, and technology of all types. Event Information Date, Time and Location Sunday May 4, 2025.Gates open at 10:00 AM. Fosterville Gold Pavilion,Prince of Wales Showgrounds, Bendigo, VIC 3550.Google Maps: 777F+3F North Bendigo, Victoria Admission is $7 per person, sold at the gate. NO food or drink is permitted on-site. Outside vendors will be accessible on the day. For more information, email techfest@barec.net.au , or phone our secretary, Peter VK3PWJ on Click to reveal, or Mark VK3PDG on Click to reveal. Vendors Tables are $25 and this fee includes 2 admissions. Additional persons required are available at $7 each.Table bookings are processed in the order they're received. Powered tables are limited so please ensure to register as soon as possible.Table booking will only be confirmed when payment is received. Vendors registration click here: Bendigo Technology Festival Vendor Table Registration Form .

WHO: Gippsland Gate Radio & Electronics Club WHAT: Hamfest WHEN: Saturday, July 5 2025 WHERE: Longwarry Community Hall in Longwarry On Saturday, July 5 the Gippsland Gate Radio & Electronics Club will be hosting a Hamfest sale. the venue is at the Longwarry Community Hall in Longwarry, approx 60km East of Dandenong, Vic. The venue is easy to find. It is just 3 km South of the freeway interchange, 150 metres South of the Longwarry train station and level crossing. Tea / Coffee and sausage sizzle will be available on the day. OTHER DETAILS: For Buyers: at 1:30pm. Doors open at 10:00 for buyers. Entry fee is $7 Entry includes a ticket for a Door Prize drawn For Sellers: Doors open at 8:30 for stall holders. Fees are $18 per table. Tables are approx 1.8 x 0.8m Tables must be paid for in advance of the event via EFT. A maximum of 30 tables are available. Table hire includes entry for two persons. EFT use BSB 633000 Account 146016746 Bookings are not confirmed until a booking number has been issued by the booking coordinator. No trading before 10:00 am please. Direct enquiries to lan Jackson VK3BUF via: hamfest@ggrec.org.au or call 5644 3118

A few weeks ago I gave a quick demonstration of HamSmith - an app I have written for impedance matching design by tracing a pathway through the Smith Chart with your finger. HamSmith is now available for iPad and iPhone in the Apple App Store! I hope to also have it in the Google Play Store soon. It has been an interesting and fun project.

Yes it's on again.. Thanks to Stanley vk3bot.. Famparc Campout March 2025. WHERE: Poplars Camp Ground The Poplars Follow Loch Valley Road from the town of Noojee, stay on the road and you will drive straight to the camp ground. WHEN: From Wednesday, March 19th to Wednesday, March 26th, 2025. This period spans from Wednesday to Wednesday, enabling other members to camp over the weekend. If possible, try to arrive by Friday afternoon, as weekends tend to be busy. You can see further dates listed on the Clubs Calendar here . Stans setup with the Camp Kitchen The camp ground is called The Poplars which is around 10k from the tiny town of Noojee. It's an easy and enjoyable drive via Neerim South, Noojee FACILITIES: Not much, but there are drop toilets , small camp kitchen and stunning scenery. There are plenty of campsites, but no power or showers. This is a free camping area. There are plenty of trees for wire antennas, and the best part is there's almost no RF noise. The campsite is approximately 10 kilometers from Noojee, and the road is paved, making it suitable for any vehicle. Noojee features two pubs, the Noojee Hotel and The Toolshed, along with a café. There is no supermarket, but the café offers a limited selection of basic items. The campground is suitable for all types of camping, including caravans, camper trailers, motorhomes, tents, and swags. Fire pits are available. Dog's are allowed. Telstra service was limited, and we were unable to connect to any FM or DStar repeaters. However, by using a DStar hotspot, we were able to access the DStar system. Join us to spend some time with other Famparc Members, and remember to bring your radio gear..

For the many of you that are blessed in having an Icom IC-705 rig, here is another trick for you to experiment with. Say you are not within range of a DStar Repeater, and you still want to access the DStar network using your IC-705. Well.. after a little bit of playing, I managed to get my IC-705 to connect to DStar Reflectors without the need of a Repeater, or a DStar HotSpot on a Raspberry Pi. However, you will need a Raspberry Pi, any model I understand will be fine. So.. even a Raspberry Pi Zero will work. Raspberry Pi Zero W WHAT YOU NEED: You will also need the Pi-Star OS.. Pi-Star_RPi_V4.2.1_17-Feb-2024.zip Check here for any updates... Pi-Star UK Raspberry PI Mother board. Raspberry Pi Zero W SD Card for the operating system, 16Gig is fine You will also need two USB Cables: 1x to power the Raspberry Pi. Usually USB Micro to USB A if you have a power supply that has USB A power outlets. 1x USB Micro to USB Micro for the data, one end connected to the Raspberry Pi Zero and the other end connected to the USB Micro port on the IC-705. My 705 connected to the RP Zero, Orange cable Power, Black Data to and from the 705 Note: the Raspberry PI does need a WIFI connection or course! Pi-Star Dashboard running in DStarRepeater Mode There are a few small changes you need to make to the Pi-Star Software... I found this brilliant Youtube Clip from K9SWX. If you follow his steps to the letter as they say, you will get it up and running in no time. I have been testing it and it works a treat, and with out the cost of buying a Hotspot. You can also see and use his text to step through as well. Click Here. One trick you need to be aware of, when he says, "Now Connect you IC705" DO IT.. Other wise the Radio Modem Type will NOT show the Icom Terminal Mode selection. And yes.. I know... this is not real Amateur Radio.. And I suppose in one way it's not as the 705 is not transmitting RF, as a matter of fact you don't need an antenna of course. But.. you are still using your callsign and also the Amateur Radio Network. Note: This setup will only allow you to connect to the Reflectors, like REF023C for example and not directly to a DStar Repeater. But as you know, many DStar Repeaters are connected to Reflectors. Have fun... if you need help or have a question, leave a comment.. Cheers. Craig vk3ncr