FAMPARC Search

ABOUT VK3RWN Reflector Connection Hardware Maintenance WHERE Located on Mount Dandenong Victoria The very popular DStar Repeater VK3RWN on Victoria's Mount Dandenong is currently operating as a stand alone DStar Digital Repeater as the hardware that allows it to connect to the Reflector Network is away for maintenance as well as other hardware such as power supply etc. DTAR & DIGITAL NET Each Thursday Night at 8pm Melbourne Time the Victorian DStar and Digital net is held. The net is professionally run by Terry VK3BMX, our DStar and Digital Guru. Until the Repeater is fully operational the Net will be held via Relfector 23C, so you will require a hotspot for your radio or computer to connect to relfector 23C. Seeing that the repeater is not connected to the internet and 23C, the net will not be repeated using the repeater. Hope that makes sense! APPROX. DOWNTIME As of the time of this post, we expect the maintenance to be around 3 weeks.. UPDATED: VK3RWN Port B/C is now up and running and connected to Reflector 23C. How's that for good news!! I missed it! VK3RWN Coverage:

ANOTHER YEAR Hello Famparc'rs .... Well, 2024 is almost over.. Yes, another year has passed quickly.. While our club has successfully attracted new members through word of mouth, our website, and the dedicated work of those managing the Foundation Courses, we've also experienced some sorrowful moments with the loss of our dear friends, Billy VK3MMM and, more recently, the legendary Bruce VK3UV . Plus.. Our dear friend Ken vk3mjf is currently in the hospital recovering from a recent motorcycle accident. We hope Ken can join us for our club's Christmas break-up. Get well soon, Ken! We all miss you. MONTHLY MEETING This is also our last monthly meeting for the year, so please do you best and come along. MEETING SPEAKER This month thanks to Phillip vk3lro, John vk3jco we have another guest speaker and demonstration. Mark Eddey is a new member of our club. Mark Eddey - With 27 years of service at Ambulance Victoria, Mark has worked in both rural and urban environments. He is currently a MICA Clinical Support Officer in Melbourne's metro west area. Mark is jointly responsible for clinical supervision and training in his region while also serving as a metropolitan clinician with Triple Zero Victoria. Mark will deliver a presentation to our club right after the meeting, discussing topics such as "What is a Heart Attack?," the function of a defibrillator, and basic CPR. With Mark's expertise, this promises to be an engaging presentation and demonstration. Mark also recently passed his Foundation exam. Congratulations! Mark's callsign is VK3MDE. CHRISTMAS BREAKUP Christmas is a time for gathering and celebrating, not just the holiday itself but also the friendships we share. So this year, 2024, our Xmas break-up will be at the Club rooms, Saturday Dec 7th. TERRY VK3BMX Another club legend, Terry vk3bmx, has graciously volunteered this year to organise our Xmas Break-up BBQ Lunch. Terry is coordinating a variety of meats for the BBQ along with salads. There might even be some cake... Yes, cake!! So in summary.. 2024 has experienced its highs and lows... Our last Meeting for the year, Presentation, and BBQ Celebration is an event you won't want to miss... So come along, bring your partner, a friend, or even a stranger you might meet on your way to the club. 10am Monthly Meeting.. 11am Presentation and Demonstration from Mark. 12 Mid. BBQ Lunch.

BRUCE BATHOLS I regret to inform that our dear friend and longstanding member of Famparc has passed away today, Sunday, November 10th, 2024. Bruce Bathols, VK3UV now Silent Key , who has passed away today, courageously fought health problems for sometime. Bruce was an essential and cherished member of our club. His expertise in Ham Radio, along with his vast knowledge, contributed significantly to the development of our club. You will be dearly missed by all of us, and our thoughts are with his family and friends. A Live Stream is available of the service. Wed. 20th Nov. 11:30am Click Here... From Peter VK3IJ Sadly, at the weekend we lost one of our  members, Bruce Bathols Bruce was born on 20th January 1941. Bruce had a long history in Ham Radio, obtaining his full call in 1972.  He was a valued member of Famparc Club having been our Treasurer until his health deteriorated. He had vast knowledge of Ham Radio and computers and was always ready to pass that onto club members Following terms as President and Secretary of WIA he was made a Life Member of WIA  in 1983. Bruce was heavily involved in Wicen in the early days of the Murray Marathon From Craig VK3NCR Famparc President I have only know Bruce for around 5-6 years, and during that time I found him to be a caring and gentle man. He always had time for me as well as the other members. I had great repsect for him, as he was not only very knoweldable but more important a wonderful human being. I enjoyed having a chat and found that I would always learn from him, as well as, I enjoyed making him a cuppa when he was able to pop into the club. I like many I will dearly miss this wonderful man.. R.I.P my good friend ! From Peter Clee VK8ZZ So very sad, he will be sadly missed. Bruce was an Honorary Life Member if the WIA an honour that was well deserved. He had a time as a Member of the WIA Board of Management including both as President and Vice President and was the editor of AR magazine for many years. He also contributed to the institute in so many ways.   Please let me know if his funeral will be streamed   Regards   Peter Clee        VK8ZZ  WIA Director and Company Secretary

Stanley vk3bot kindly brought to our attention this amazing event. ARISS SSTV Event Scheduled for Monday, November 11 at 11:50 UTC and to end Monday, November 18 at 13:40 UTC. WHEN: November 6, 2024 — Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) announces an SSTV event to be held next week. The event is scheduled to begin on Monday, November 11 at 11:50 UTC and to end Monday, November 18 at 13:40 UTC. SSTV transmissions will be paused during scheduled school contacts on November 15 and 16. Downlink transmissions will be at 145.800 MHz and the mode is expected to be PD 120 . DETAILS: Freq.: 145.800 Khz (2M) SSTV: Mode PD120 Times: Monday, November 11 at 11:50 UTC and to end Monday, November 18 at 13:40 UTC ABOUT: The transmissions will consist of 12 images featuring activities from the 2024 40th Anniversary Celebrating Amateur Radio in Human Spaceflight. If you are a past participant in our SSTV events, please note that we will be using our newly updated gallery at  https://ariss-usa.org/ARISS_SSTV/  .  ARISS has a new way to request a special certificate. When participants successfully receive at least one image and submit it at the new gallery, participants will be moved to a thank-you page. There, a person can read text about data protection, and press the button that says “I agree,” and receive an email in two weeks or sooner with a certificate. If a person submits additional images, the thank-you page tells them they have already asked for a certificate. Thanks to our user community for participating in ARISS. TRACK HERE: Click here to see the Space Station Location and Track More here... FROM STAN: https://www.ariss.org/   That is the web site for Amateur Radio on the Space Station. Periodically the Space Station transmits slow scan TV images. The next event runs from the 11th to the 18th of November. A series of twelve images celebrating amateur radio in space will be transmitted. The images will be transmitted on 145.800. What you need: not much actually. One 2 meter receiver. Some sort of antenna capable of receiving the pictures. Some sort of SSTV program to decode that awful noise. A basic computer with some sort of microphone will help. Obviously the more sophisticated your equipment the better you will do. A satellite tracking program will help so you can find out where the space station is and when it will be where you are. The space station goes round the earth every 90 minutes. Please give it a go. Thank you. 73 from, Stan - VK3BOT

NEWS: As of Saturday 2nd Nov. I have learned that VK3RSU is now fully functional and has been reconnected to the AllStar system via Node 50522. Repeater Details. Call Sign: VK3RSU Connected to AllStar Node 50522 Band: 70cm Modes: FM Transmission Frequency: 438.1MHz Reception Frequency: 432.7MHz Location: Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia FYI: There is a net held on the AllStar Network each weekday from 10am. The Welfare Net. You can connect via VK3RSU FM Repeater or via any AllStar connected Repeater or personal Node as well as your phone. (Via AllStar Node 50522)

Stanley VK3BOT, again arranged a terrific week away at the Noojee Poplars Camp Ground. WHERE: Loch Valley Road Noojee.. Poplars Campground Noojee. Click Here for Google Map WHEN: From Monday 21st October. Who Went: Stanley VK3BOT, Craig VK3NCR, Phillip VK3LRO, Gerard VK3GER, Ken VK3MJF, Daryl VK3HBP, Colin VK3CR, Greg VK3ND (Ring in) Rowdy SWL. Stanley and myself (Craig) turned up around midday on Monday, with the rest turning up either later in the day a day or so later.. We managed to set up some wire antennas and all played HF.. The noise floor is basically nothing in the bush. So we all enjoyed many contacts on HF. The camp ground also has reasonable 4G so we could also use HotSpot for DStar use, as well as AllStar. The weather was very kind to us with perfect conditions on Monday and Tuesday, however the rest of the week was very nice but with a few odd showers here and then. Facilities: Toilets, Camp Sites, Camp Kitchen & Shelter, Beautiful Grassed Areas, Walks, Beautiful Small Stream, Lots of Trees, Quiet Audio and RF. We had a few question at the club asking if there were the following ... BBQ - No... Power - No... Showers - No... Shop or Store - No... Fuel - No... McDonalds - No... Target - No...

Contests The Club runs QRP Contests on a formal and informal basis throughout the year. These contests give you a chance to test your QRP operating skills, your QRP equipment and to meet other QRP operators in a fun and challenging way. QRP HOURS Contest The QRP Hours Contest runs from time to time during the year. It is named because of the way it is structured: with one hour dedicated to CW and digital modes, followed by one hour of SSB. The QRP Hours Contest varies throughout the year, operating with slightly different conditions, predominantly what bands are permitted, conditions permitting. Schedule The next QRP Hours Contest has been scheduled for: Sunday, October 20, 2024 on 40M Please have a look at the contest rules: QRP Hours Contest 2024 Oct Rules The aim of the contest is to make as many contact in a one-hour period using your choice of mode. The contest is open to all Amateur Radio Operators. The results of past QRP Hours contests can be retrieved here in PDF format. DETAILS QRP HOURS CONTEST – 40m – Sunday, 20th October 2024 0400-0459 UTC – CW/FT4 digital 0500-0559 UTC – SSB/digital voice Sponsored by the VK QRP Club, the AIM of this contest is to make as many contacts as possible within two one-hour blocks. Whilst the event will be supported by QRP Club Members, it is open to all licensed amateurs. Output Power Limit: 5 watts CW/Digital, 10 watts PEP on SSB. Modes: First Hour – CW/Digital Second Hour – SSB/Digital voice Frequencies: CW 7.010 – 7.040 MHz Digital: FT4: 7040-7060. Suggested USB dial frequency 7047.5 You can operate on both CW and FT4 during the first hour if you wish. SSB/Digital voice 7.060 – 7.170 Avoid the digital modes around 7077 and if active, the AM net on 7125 (work them if you can). Exchange a three-digit serial number starting at 001 and incrementing by 1 for each new contact. If you are continuing from the first hour to the second (in a new mode) you can continue to increment your contact numbers if you like. There is no need to restart from 001 in the 2nd block. Score one point per contact. Logs are invited from QRP stations only. The following information is essential for each line of your log: Time UTC - Band - Mode - Callsign worked - Number sent - Number received Contacts should be listed in the order in which they happened and with the serial numbers actually sent. Include errors made as they need to be cross-checked against other logs. Signal reports are not required on air or in your log, but you are welcome to include signal reports in your contacts. VKCL assumes you are sending signal reports and a 3 digit serial number. N1MM logger assumes all reports are 59 or 599 Digital FT4. Every digital contact must be initiated and controlled by the operator, no auto-sequencing is to be used. Logging Software: 1. VKCL Logger has an option for this contest. It outputs in Cabrillo V3 format and is compatible with the VK Log Checker. After completing the contest, navigate the menu to export the Cabrillo file as that is the only file accepted by the log checker. Details below. 2. N1MM logger: go to Alan VK4SN’s website for his instructions on how to use N1MM+ with a user defined contest file, at https://www.vk4sn.com/Contests/N1MMVK and download the UDC file at https://vk4sn.com/downloads/QRPHRSRTTY-N1MM-UDC.zip 3. Another log capture option is to use Fast Log Entry (FLE) in contest mode so it will capture numbers sent and received. Read the user manual. Save log as Cabrillo. Can be used live or after the contest. You may need to edit the output file to be sure it has selected all the options you want. You can edit with any plain text editor – not Word! ADIF output available for upload to your station log. Logs (in Cabrillo format only) from QRP stations can be submitted to https://www.vklogchecker.com where you will find this contest listed. Select this contest, find the “log upload” option and upload your Cabrillo file. An automated receipt for the log will be emailed to you. If uploading the Cabrillo file fails completely and you can’t figure out what has gone wrong, please email contests@vkqrpclub.org . Do it early enough and you may find out what has gone wrong and you can complete it yourself. 4. If you cannot use one of those loggers, please send your log by email as a text file, or excel spreadsheet to contests@vkqrpclub.org . No PDFs please. Log deadline is 8 days after the contest. ie. 28th October, 2024 at 1200 UTC Good luck and have fun in the contest. Best regards, Garry VK2GAZ #121.

Hello Famparc Members.. Amateur Radio Digital has been around for many many years now, with modes such as DStar, DMR, Fusion and more.. A handful of Famparc members use these Digital modes especially the well known DStar system. There is also a regular DStar net held each Thursday night via the VK3RWN C repeater on Mount Dandenong as well as the 23C DStar reflector for those users that do not have the ability to reach the VK3RWN repeater. Our members use DStar to not only chat to Famparc members but also others local and around the world. What is D-STAR? D-STAR, which stands for ‘Digital Smart Technology for Amateur Radio’ is an open digital Amateur radio standard that offers users a number of ways to connect with other users globally via a worldwide network of digital amateur radio repeaters. Just like other forms of Amateur radio, D-STAR has a broad appeal from those Amateurs wanting to communicate just for fun to those who would prefer to push their technical expertise. The D-STAR protocol has rich, exciting opportunities for Amateur radio enthusiasts to experiment and build, utilising 21st century tools such as the web, networking, ethernet, TCP/IP and radio. D-Star is innovative and is keeping radio Amateurs at the forefront of communication technology - Amateur radio has a great future and is moving forward right now with D-STAR digital technology . Icom is reinvesting in D-Star technology and is now providing 4th generation D-Star radios with better codecs, better transmit and receive audio, better operational synergy and most of all, the same synergy and operational syntax is the same in all modern D-Star radios Before we start... For Melbourne users .. There are a few local Repeaters.. VK3RWN Sassafras Olinda Mt Dandenong QF22QD Port C 2M output 146.91250 input 146.31250 Port B 70cm output 438.30000 input 432.90000 Port A 23cm output 1273.90000 input 1293.90000 Port AD 23cm DD 1273.500 Simplex DD (Digital Data) The above Repeater VK3RWN is the most important repeater in Australia as it holds many hundereds of D-Star registrations nationally and around Oceania and Asia It is a very popular repeater and is connected via the international gateway Being connected to the gateway allows for connection to other users, locally, interstate, nationally and around the world via the internet. You can connect to other users directly via callsign routing and by REF reflectors developed by Robin Cuttshaw AA4RC You can do this with an Icom or Kenwood D-Star Radio via RF to Mt Dandenong VK3RWN or if you have one of the various types of modems, you can connect directly to Reflector 23C. The prominent Australian reflector or Reflector 91C, based in Tasmania as a backup and for news services. For other local and Repeaters further afield you can use your Smartphone using the App called Repeater Book . D-STAR Features Provides digital voice communication and data communication D-STAR gives users the ability to connect via digital voice, it gives clear, crisp audio, on simplex, 439.200 DV around the corner or through the repeater or device to another country, with the same great audio. There is no matter where you are. D-Star facilitates slow speed data. This runs on the D-Star signal at 4800bps This sends all the D-Star control data but also if your not using voice, allows slow data communication between ALL D-Star radios, when you hook them up to a PC using programs such as "D-Rats" You are able to send files, text messages and chat via keyboard, great for EM applications Slow Data can be used on all three bands... or modules C = 2m, B= 70cm and A-23cm Fast Data 1.2GHz 23cm In order to send and receive greater volumes of data and large files, D-STAR has the "DD Mode" or Digital Data Mode. The DD mode is only supported on the 1.2 GHz 23cm amateur band and is capable of sending a receiving data at a 128kbps rate. No special or additional data modem is required to send and receive high-speed data on D-STAR on a 1.2GHz D-STAR radio all that is required is a standard Ethernet cable connection to your PC, via a router, using D-Rats, larger files like word, excel, JPG etc can be sent via fast data. It's suprising to see how fast a 1Mb file take to send ...only about 5 seconds. Fast data was a hit with EM organisations after Cyclone Katrina in the US southern states, nearly all amateur radio EM units in the southern states are now using D-Star in their deployments You'll need an Icom ID-1 or IC9700 to realise this operation. Internet facilitated Global Connectivity You can easily contact your friend directly by putting in his/her callsign into your radio without knowing his or her current location or what D-STAR repeater they are on. D-Star will log and remember where to route your call. You can also use reflectors. Reflectors are essentially a server that links repeaters , and shack based modem types such as DV Dongles, DVAPs, MMDVM's Blue DV's Jumbo-Spots, Dura-Spots, the list goes on, and high powered simplex repeaters to the same reflector via the Icom backbone. D-Star is NOT proprietory , any analog radio can operate as a node with a non proprietory D-Star modem, Kenwoods TH-D74 was wholly produced by Kenwood, and in truth one of the best handhelds ever These days the cheapest and easiest modem to grab, if you not near a repeater is an MMDVM (Multi-mode Digital Voice Modem). Many hams use them if they live right next door to the repeater as it gives them control, to go to different reflectors of their choice without upsetting current convo's on the repeater. MMDVM's have developed quickly with the introduction of Pi-Star software written primarily by Jonathon Naylor G4KLX. MMDVM's have now gone to the next level as they allow your D-Star radio to connect to DCS and XLX reflectors. DCS reflectors work within the IRCDDB realm (VK3RMM) and XLX reflectors with these days are known as "Constellation" Reflectors XLX Constellation reflectors have the abilty to transcode your DV signal into other protocols such as DMR, Fusion or P25. As an example I can get on to the CQ-Wires UK Fusion Reflector by just putting XLX922 Module E into my D-Star Radio and bingo, I come out at the other end in the UK on Fusion A simple command XLX922EL in the UR field on the radio. ( The L means link command) Thats it. ! Its not hard at all. The evolution of D-Star has been massive, blinkers down and ignoring the noise from all the other agenda based groups. In fact the noise started literally the day after the first Australian international D-Star contact via VK3RWN and GB7IC Kent UK repeaters on the 7th of November 2007. Icom knew they had a game changer. Icom invited all manufacturers to produce D-Star radios, Kenwood came on board and others felt that their totally proprietry Wires X system were superior, in their own honest opinions and at this stage DMR was still a land mobile protocol When VK3RWN was setup up, one of the mantra's set was to have VK3RWN Module C (2m) the band for mobiles and bases. Module B 70cm was the same, but a little more attuned to base to Base communications broadcasts and various nets Repeaters can also be perma-linked together as needed by sys-admins to form a wider area conferences i.e the KB0ZSG international D-Star Net on VK3RWN B & REF 91C in Tasmania On VK3RWN you can also cross band a D-Star Repeater by for example talking in to VK3RWN Module B on 70cm and then coming out on VK3RWN Module C 2m Simple to program in your radio. If you've only got a mono band D-Star radio, like the clubs IC-2200H or a U-82 Handheld its a really handy feature. Open System As we said prior D-Star is an OPEN system Voice is converted to a digital format using audio encoding software referred to as a CODEC. The CODEC code is embedded on a microchip produced by DVI systems that ALL manufacturers may purchase. Part of the noise is that Icom produces it, This is incorrect. Most digital radio manufacturers purchase the AMBE chip which encodes and decodes the audio signals into and out as Icom does The only proprietory part of the D-Star system is the backbone. But do your research so is Fusion, DMR, P25 and most other minor protocols. Hopefully after reading this you'll be able to switch off the noise Good Quality Audio The quality of the D-STAR voice signal is better than FM especially with the clubs new IC-9700 There is no degradation in the signal quality that is found with traditional analogue voice modes and no squelch tail at the end of every transmission. Why is it better ? All digital protocols are written with an algorithm. The codec only understands voice, it does not understand extraeneos sounds like for examle wind I dare you to have a conversation with somebody in your car with the microphone in the wind at your window. It will be crystal clear at the other end Efficient Data usage Many data communications needs don’t require high-speeds, particularly for emergency communications. D-STAR combines voice and low-speed data into a single channel simultaneously. D-Star goes further D-Star and other Digital protocols will go 10% further than analog signals . Like any digital signal it will hold its signal to the 'Digital Cliff" Then disappear, rather than a slow painful analog signal's degradation. This was proven at the club with Peter VK3TQ doing a demo with Richard VK3JFK in Kyneton both on Icom IC-2820's. Peter was using the FAMPARC project 7 element Quad to Richards Diamond X-510 Richard is not favouring the Melbourne side of Kyneton. We set one side of the 2820 to 146.425 and the D-Star side to 144.750 on DV ...SIMPLEX We achieved a very doubtful simplex contact on FM, both at 50 watts. When we turned to DV or D-Star Richards signal was loud and clear. I believe we were in the 10% zone at the digital cliff. The contact was 120Km as the crow flies on simplex with virtually no height advantage and some possible shading from Mt Macedon. Spectrum Efficient If you’ve tried to use a repeater channel on 2-meters or 430- 440 MHz in any city, you know how crowded the bands can be. The D-STAR voice and low-speed data signal offers a significant improvement in spectrum efficiency, requiring only a 6 kHz channel instead of the 20, 25, or even 30 kHz of analogue wide-band FM. D-STAR repeaters can be interleaved between existing channels or multiple repeaters deployed in the spectrum of only one analogue FM repeater. How do I get involved with D-STAR? There are a number of ways that you can get involved with D-STAR. The first major requirement is that in order to use the D-STAR system is that you must be a licensed operator. If you aren’t a licensed Radio Amateur, the best place to start is with your local club, where you will find information about the hobby and how to get into it. Secondly you must register with D-Star, if your a club member, contact Terry VK3BMX. Terry manages registrations for VK3RWN.... So what now D-STAR (Radio only) You can use your handheld or mobile radio to connect with a local D-STAR enabled repeater and then use it to link to talk to people elsewhere in the world. You must be registered to do this . All digital systems, you must be registered, its a licensing requirement with the ACMA No D-Star Repeater? Dongles and DVAPs These modems are D-Star Old school, almost a decade old with little development, a dongle will plug into your PC and with the right FTDI drivers and Software "DV Tools" you'll be able to get on the gateway to any REF reflector and use your PC Mic and work the world, The beauty of Dongles is that its just a little plug-in for your laptop and if you've got WI-FI they work well. An absolute must for a "Stealth Traveller" DVAPS plug into a USB port, red ones are VHF and Blue ones are UHF, same deal with the PC and software. They are old school but extremely reliable, easy to set up, all you need is a D-Star radio of any type and they work well MMDVM An MMDVM, or Multimode Digital Voice modem is a vastly different device to the above devices. Its modern, cheap, well supported and the most popular offering. MMDVMs are far superior as they have moved with the times. Through Pi-Star Software you can program to do other protocols like DMR, Fusion, P25 but they do D-Star the best. That explanation for another day. They can link you to all the different REF, DCS and XLX reflectors. These days a neccessity. They are cheap, all you need is a Raspberry Pi 3B+ and a hat, that plugs into the GPIO connector on the Pi a 16Gb SD card and that's it Program the SD and you should be on the air in minutes. I run four here , I set them on low power and they are all on 70cm with no noise or interaction They are by far fantastic. If you want more infomation on MMDVM's contact Glen VK4NGA, look up "Dura-Spot" they are of high quality and you get aussie support. Otherwise just search MMDVM on Ebay. If you want one for DMR make sure you get a "duplex" MMDVM .. It will operate with two antennas, two time slots Hotspots Hotspots are very similar to the MMDVM although they are of different construction The PCB does not have a radio and antenna A hotspot is different to an MMDVM because an MMDVM outputs roughly 10mW. A node radio for a hotspot can have an output of "anything" depending on the RF abilities of the node radio They are a PCB that runs with a raspberry Pi The PCB has an assortment of cables to match your Node Transceiver Icom, Kenwood and Yeasu are normally DIN plugs that plug into a radio Motorola are like little PCB's that plug into the radio If you want to build a hotspot, check out www.bi7jta.com on the web, he sells kits for all types of amateur radio equipment as well as Glenn here in Australia, vk4nga.com.au . Glenn will also setup your Hotspot to minimise any headaches. The following is important..... *** So when you are creating a hotspot you are creating a repeater *** Repeaters simplex or duplex MUST be licensed and must have the appropriate frequency designation and filtration equipment If the repeater is not licensed it cannot be run unattended. Please read your LCD, if you don't understand contact the ACMA Foundation licencees cannot operate repeaters or hotspots Don't be an interference complaint Getting set up with D-STAR The absolute first step is to get yourself registered on the D-STAR network. D-STAR Gateways enable users to connect from a local D-STAR repeater, equipped with a D-STAR Gateway, to any other Gateway equipped D-STAR repeater. Once an Amateur is registered with a repeater gateway, it can connect to D-STAR users beyond the local repeaters. You do not have to be registered with a gateway to use a local repeater, only if you want to make use of the D-STAR network. You only have to register with one gateway as your registration information is propagated to all other gateways and reflectors in the D-STAR network. The second step is to make sure you actually have a local repeater that supports D-STAR. If you’re in an Australian capital city, you probably do, but there are repeaters all over the place, they maybe Icom G3 Repeaters, IRCDDB repeaters like Mt Macedon and elevated Hotspots Like VK3RCE in Nth Bendigo. Not all repeaters are ICOM, Like Micheal VK5ZEA / VK5LN at Port Lincoln SA, his D-Star repeater is built with Motorola GM300's Starting to question the noise ? If you not near a D-Star repeater Hey ! It Doesn't matter Just register your callsign say..with VK3RWN and away you go, Program your radio, program your MMDVM Your on air To find out which D-STAR repeaters are in range and active in your area go to http://www.dstarinfo.com . A TIP ON HOW TO USE D-STAR AND OTHER DIGITAL MODES. Who is that old fat guy in the video? How does D-STAR work? There are a number of ways you can communicate on the D-STAR network. These include using D-STAR enabled radios that are capable of 3 digital communication streams. 1. Digital voice2. Control data3. Data messaging The occupied bandwidth of the digital signal is smaller than that needed in analogue transmissions and therefore more digital channels can be provided in a given bandwidth. To enable the repeaters to communicate with each other over the internet the repeater is connected to a PC running a LINUX operating system and Gateway software. This software connects to other gateways and keeps the user lists up to date and connects the digital streams between repeaters. All of the information is distributed within a network that is managed by a ‘Trust Server’. We are currently in the same net as America,UK and Canada D-STAR repeaters can be operated in the same way as existing analogue repeaters except that they communicate using a digital transmission from the transmitting radio through to the receiving radio. Unlike other systems that have been developed that use the web for linking distant stations together, D-STAR treats all repeaters in exactly the same way. A local repeater is no different to a repeater 3000 miles away, you just have to route your call to the distant repeater. You can connect to a local repeater and a repeater across the internet and all participants will be treated as though they are on the same repeater. Components of the D-STAR Network D-STAR repeater system A D-STAR repeater system is typically composed of a repeater controller, 1.2GHz, 70cm or 2mtr digital voice repeater, digital data repeater and the Internet gateway PC. The D-STAR repeater operates similar to an existing analogue repeater. That is a simple relay of transmit and receive communication within or across the 2m, 70cm or 23cm bands. When D-STAR repeaters are connected with the Internet gateway, the D-STAR system relays the received data over the Internet. Your message will get through virtually to anywhere in the D-STAR system. D-STAR registry As authorised users make their initial transmission to a D-STAR system, the call sign information attached to the digitised voice packets is recorded by the repeater controller. The controller then shares the information with other D-STAR systems through the D-STAR gateway registry. The registry is maintained on gateway servers located around the world. When an authorised D-STAR user makes a call to a call sign not currently registered on that repeater system, the registry allows the repeater controller to route the call to the repeater on which the targeted user was last registered. D-STAR reflector? A reflector can be considered to be similar to a repeater, but with no RF capabilities. Reflectors are Internet connected servers, generally in data-centres, which receive a transmission from a connected gateway (via the Internet) and send it out to all other connected gateways for retransmission, via RF in the case of a repeater. Reflectors are basically a conference bridge for D-STAR. They allow multiple D-STAR repeaters and MMDVM, Dongle and DVAP users, from around the world, to be joined together and whatever information is transmitted across one of the repeaters is repeated across all of the connected repeaters of that reflector or constellations that link refectors Google 'XLX 500' Conclusion D-STAR provides a whole host of opportunities for the Amateur radio enthusiast to challenge themselves with tools from the 21st. Century. As with all forms of radio, you can dip your toe in the water for just plain old communication or delve further if you are interested in setting up repeaters and send data as projects. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea but this area of the hobby is growing with more and more repeaters and users being added all of the time... good luck in your digital journey! There are many websites to find further information, ideas and support on this fascinating new part of Amateur Radio. For more information, contact the Victorian D-Star Users Grop

Famparc now have available our new Famparc UNUN Transformer and 4:1 Baluns. The UNUN Transformer is designed from top quality components and fully built and tested for use with a End Fed Antenna. The 4:1 Balun also made from similar components, and fully built and tested for use with a Off Center Fed Antenna . Each are selling for $60.00 and be purchased from the Famparc Club Rooms.. We can freight only within Australia for an additional $20.00 see more information here: UNUN Transformer Click Here. 4:1 Balun Click Here. Famparc 4:1 Balun for use with either a 80M OCF or 40M OCF. Off Center Fed Antenna. Famparc 64:1 UNUN Transformer for use with a 40M End Fed Antenna.

The club has reached out to Marty from Mad Dog Coils, a local manufacturer known for producing a wide variety of HF antennas. Marty has generously extended a 10% discount to all Famparc Club Members on his range of antennas and more. To receive your discount, you simply add the Code into the Discount Coupon Area. Please contact the club for the required Coupon Code. From Marty: "Marty Nelson VK4KC the owner, designer, maker and tester of Mad Dog Coils. I've been a Ham since 1990. My fascination with coils started when I got involved in portable radio activation's. Mad Dog Coils started out as Maddog's Ham Radio YouTube channel providing D.I.Y. videos on how to make your own coil. The videos are still viewed regularly. I'm now semi-retired and have the time to make coils commercially and offer them to you if you prefer to purchase rather than make your own. I realise that there are many different manufacturers selling similar coils and the price varies significantly. I'm very proud of the quality products that I personally handcraft and happy that I can bring them to you at affordable prices." You can see Marty's excellent vidoes on Youtube and also visit his web site: YouTube Link Website

The club has had a few new members join of late, and also passed their Foundation Exam. We welcome all to our club. To help you get on the air, here is a some help in Radio Procedures. On-air procedures and giving signal reports Before you start: It is good practice to work through a check-list before you get on-air. Even the most seasoned operators make mistakes. Are all my power cables connected?   Is my feedline connected and have I selected the correct antenna for my band of operation? If I unplugged my feed-line due to storm activity yesterday, have I plugged it back in? Are all radio controls set correctly? eg. Power level, Mic gain, Mode switch Is my VSWR acceptable? Any tests prior to calling CQ should ideally be performed with a dummy load or on a clear frequency. The Phonetic Alphabet The Phonetic Alphabet is an internationally recognised set of words used to help communicate when language differences or band conditions are inhibiting effective communication. A typical example might be: “My name is Harry, Hotel, Alpha, Romeo, Romeo, Yankee”. This would help clarify where the other station might think your name is Barry, or is simply having troubles copying your signal. You are not required to know the Phonetic Alphabet for the examination, but a complete list of the Phonetic Alphabet is provided in the appendix. Note that you use the phonetic alphabet to spell your call sign and name completely. Do not use a mixture of plain language and the phonetic alphabet, as that will lead to confusion. Q-Codes Q-Codes are three letter codes beginning with the letter Q. They were originally used for Morse Code but have made their way into voice communications. Typical examples will include: “My QTH is Sydney” (QTH means location) “There is QRN affecting your signal” (there is storm static affecting your signal) You are not required to know the Q-Codes for the examination, but a list of commonly used Q-Codes is provided in the appendix. Calling CQ and making contacts There are two ways to initiate a contact. When starting out it may be easier to respond to another station calling CQ. Let us work through an example: You are tuning on 40 metres and you hear “CQ CQ CQ this is K0XXX calling CQ and listening”. You respond “K0XXX this is VK1ABC VK1ABC over”. If conditions are poor you may need to use Phonetics “ Victor Kilo wun Alpha Bravo Charlie”; repeat twice. K0XXX responds “VK1ABC this is K0XXX thanks for the call, My name is Bob, Bob and your signal is five, nine. Five and nine, over”. Alternatively you want to call CQ. You have already listened and confirmed the frequency is clear. You call “CQ CQ CQ this is VK1ABC VK1ABC VK1ABC calling CQ and listening”. Depending on propagation conditions you may need to call a number of times before you get a response. If you are operating on a calling frequency (a frequency reserved for calling CQ – normally on VHF and UHF bands) you should move to another frequency once you have established a contact. “VK9ABC this is VK1ABC thanks for coming back to my CQ, shall we move frequency? 146.550 is clear. I’ll see you there. QSL?” to which the other station would respond: “VK1ABC this is VK9ABC, QSL, see you on 146.550, this is VK9ABC clear”. Operating through a repeater You will be required to demonstrate the correct use of voice repeaters including the use of Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System (CTCSS) and Dual Tone Multiple Frequency (DTMF) access control systems. As with any frequency, always listen first to ensure the repeater is not already in use. When operating through a repeater leave adequate breaks between transmissions. This will allow other users to access the repeater if required. If you are likely to have an extended contact and the other station is within range, you should move to a simplex frequency and leave the repeater available for other users. You normally do not call CQ on a repeater – just announce that you are listening – i.e. “VK2ABC listening” To view videos about this topic click on these links Repeaters Repeater Tones Signal Reports Signal reports are a standard protocol for reporting signal strength and readability. Generally, each station will inform the other of their signal report. A signal report comprises two numbers, the first being readability, the second being signal strength. Readability is a subjective measure and rates the readability on a scale of one to five. The agreed protocol for readability is described below: Unreadable Barely readable, occasional words distinguishable Readable with considerable difficulty Readable with practically no difficulty Perfectly readable The signal strength is read from your radio’s signal meter, commonly referred to as an S-Meter. This number will be between one and nine. (There is no such thing as a signal strength of zero) Above S-9 meters have a decibel scale indicating the number of decibels over S-9. When on air and providing signal reports you will need to apply a level of subjectivity, and over time you will become proficient at determining how to best provide the other station with a meaningful signal report. A weak station which is perfectly readable might get a signal report: “you are five and two. Five, two, over” A strong station suffering a some interference with some difficulty might get: “you are three and nine. Three, nine, thirty-nine. Over” Operators will also want to know how their audio sounds: “you are five and seven and your audio sounds great” or “you are four and seven and your audio sounds distorted”. If a station has bad audio you should do your best to describe what you are hearing, even if you cannot offer a solution. Language and Decorum Amateur Radio is a hobby with a long and well respected tradition. When any of us are on-air, we are representing all of us. The LCD prohibits any offensive language as well as any commercial advertising or messages for personal financial gain. In addition, the amateur code discourages controversial topics, so stay away from religion, sex and politics. You won’t always be aware who is listening, and sometimes your humour may not translate well to other cultures. What you and your friends find funny or unoffensive may not be the case in other cultures, or even with other local listeners. When speaking with international stations, be aware that English may not be their first language, so keep your conversations brief and try to avoid colloquialisms or Australian slang; chances are the other station will not understand what you are trying to say. Dealing with Abusive Stations Amateur Radio is a reflection of society. You may experience inappropriate behaviour such as jamming or even outright abuse from other stations. Such behaviour is very rare, but not unknown. In all cases, ignore the jamming or abusive station. This is often not easy to do, however it is the best strategy for defusing the situation. Never, ever “bite”, as this just gives the abuser what he/she craves – attention. COMMENT FROM A CLUB MEMBER (Thank you) Please please do have pencil and paper with you. Write down the call sign and name of person you are talking to. Please please. 90% of the issues I see on our Tuesday night net is because people forget who is next in line. If you can’t remember who is next pass it back to net control. Don’t just leave it hanging . In my egotistical opinion it’s plain rude not to use proper procedures. Next…… if you don’t know the phonetic alphabet…….. learn it. It’s not rocket science. Next……. Even on the repeater use the phonetic alphabet for call signs when starting the contact. I got one of our member’s call signs wrong because I mixed up letters in his call sign. Leave A Break! Although mentioned above, please please.. Leave a Break Between Overs.. Around 2-3 seconds on HF, FM etc... But when using Digital Modes, Leave a Break for around 4 seconds.. This allows the connected network etc to reset. For FM Repeaters, leaving a break will re-set the timer. So you will not get timed out. You know all of this stuff was hammered into us as beginners when we started. As one bad tempered crancy of fellow said “we’re not chicken band operators round here”. Rant over. I’ll get off my soap box now. Our thanks to RASA and the amazing efforts in assembling the Foundation Guide. Click Here for more information. Have a question, feel free to drop into our club rooms or join in on our Tuesday evening Net.