FAMPARC Search

Antennapalooza 2026 – Our Tenth Year! Program for April 18 & 19, 2026 In 2026 the theme will be about POWER. We hope to get some guest speakers lined up to talk about our power infrastructure, power in the shack and in the field. The 2026 program is still being prepared, but you can check out what we did in 2025: Saturday    12:30 pm                      Welcome and brief introduction to the event for 2025 (5 min) ——————————————————————————— 12:35 am                      Klaus Illhart VK3IU Klaus has operated a HF6V 6-band HF vertical antenna (The Butternut) for several years. It is an effective antenna for a small backyard. Klaus is going to talk about this design, its advantages and some of the issues he has had to confront along the way. (approx 30 min) ———————————————————————————- 1:20 pm                      Ian Jackson VK3BUF Amateur Radio is a difficult hobby to accurately portray to non-Amateurs. Ian will use this opportunity to present a new initiative aimed at encouraging more people to embrace Amateur radio and to showcase ideas for established operators to try. This is the first time this concept has been presented to an audience. comments and suggestions will be appreciated. (approx 25 min) ——————————————————————————— 2:00 pm                        A Workshop (With Fred VK3FWR) Workshop at the Pavilion on the new TinySA Ultra pocket sized Spectrum Analyser. These are an amazing and inexpensive device with lots of features, good from DC to 6 GHz for around $200. We will have a play with a couple of these units and see how they can be used for tracking down sources of interference and other tasks.  (approx 35 min) ——————————————————————————— 6:00 pm If you are not preparing your own meal, orders will be taken for a run to a Pizza shop in Drouin (They are very good) Small pizzas are about $12.50 Large are about $16.00. It will help if you have roughly correct change at hand. ——————————————————————————— If it is not a high fire risk day, we will light a campfire in the fire pit around 6-7:00 pm in the forest area. ——————————————————————————— Sunday 10:00 am                   Jim Frances, VK3UFO Jim is a seasoned bush traveller.  Today Jim will show us how he stays connected with the rest of the world from remote locations using the Starlink satellite based internet service. (approx 30 min) ——————————————————————————— 10:30 am                      Ian Jackson VK3BUF This presentation will be a walkthrough of the 20 metre band demo curtain array. The discussion will examine some of the design choices that were made and challenges overcome to put it all together (and keep it in the air!) (approx 35 min) 1:10 pm                       Move to the Curtain Array transmitter site (bring a drink and a chair) After re-locating to the Curtain Array transmitter site (rather than the pavilion), we will have a walk-through of the antenna in action and see what activity we can hear and how well others can hear us on 20 metres. (approx 40 min) Stay at the site and try your luck with some DX. Use your own callsign or the official Antennapalooza event callsign of VK3AZA. ——————————————————————————— (Other presentations on Sunday, not yet confirmed) ——————————————————————————— Some of the topics presented at previous years: A beginners guide to Amateur Radio Why Amateurs still use Morse Code What to expect from Amateur Exams Vertical antennas for 20 & 40 Metre bands Setting up your first home station Demonstrating D-star OKA off-road vehicle inspection Mobile antennas Modulated light transmission Erecting wite antennas in trees Introducing Raspberry Pi projects Wire antennas for small backyards Rhombic antenna demo Humvee vehicle inspection Sark antenna Analysers DX Pedition antennas Installing your Amateur Radio in your car Australian Repeaters Dealing with radio interference Using ultrasonics for tracking power line noise DF Loop constriction Antenna launching into trees Tracking interference – a professional perspective Automotive Electrics challenges Setting up a portable station The importance of ground plane radials Overcoming difficulties for Maritime radio operations LETS SEE WHAT THIS YEAR HAS TO OFFER… More Details Here...

Click Here !! When - Wednesday March 4th from 7:30pm - QD Clubrooms and Streamed Heath VK3TWO/VK6TWO will be taking us on a tour of Meshcore. Remember Packet Radio in the 80’s well Meshcore is a modern equivalent on the 900MHz ISM band so, you don’t have to be a licenced amateur. MeshCore is developed by HAM’s, but available to all and is a decentralised text-based communications platform. It is designed to run on commodity, affordable development boards and uses LoRa radios to create a meshed network. MeshCore works well over long distances and sub-optimal RF conditions due to the underlying LoRa radios. It uses flea power and has a small physical footprint. It is ideal for out-of-band communications that don’t rely on traditional telecommunications or electrical infrastructure to support it. Great for the Preppers out there! Messages are sent from a Companion device, which are then relayed through Repeaters to reach the destination node. Guess what – there are even Bulletin Boards (BBS’) out there…LOL! Many of the Meshcore repeaters are stand alone solar powered so, look Mum no internet required – when all else fails the Meshcore nodes (like the cockroaches) will survive! Oh and for those hard-core packet radio users – you can run APRS over LORA on Meshcore! There are many different meshcore setups available and prolific documentation so, Heath will be decoding where and what information is available. When - Wednesday March 4th from 7:30pm - QD Clubrooms and Streamed https://wiki.meshcoreaus.org/ https://www.reast.asn.au/event/march- ... Huge thank you to Heath VK3TWO/VK6TWO 73, REAST Committee

Yes it's on again for 2026!!! Thanks to Stanley vk3bot.. Wednesday March 18th to Wednesday March 25th 2026. So.. Grab your Swag, Tent, Motorhome. Camper Trailer, Caravan, Panel-van... And have fun playing radio, camping, walking, resting, cooking, chatting, drinking, driving and more... Famparc Camp-out MARCH 2026. 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. NOTE: Drive along the Loch Valley Road, until the road turns to gravel, do not turn off the road, drive until you reach the end of the Bitumen, continue straight head, DO NOT veer right, simply continue straight on the gravel road as you will see the camp ground on your right within around 50 Meters... Simple! WHEN: Wednesday March 18th to Wednesday March 25th 2026. it's listed on our club calendar. Click Here. If you can't come along for a few days, come on down for just the weekend or perhaps even just one day.. Join in with your fellow club members and sit and relax of pring ya radio gear and have some fun. UPDATE: POTA SITE Great news!! After some research I have since found out that the Poplars Campground is located within a POTA Reserve. AU-8348 So the we can now gain points towards our POTA points by using the AU-8348 Park No. Noojee State Forest Vic AU-8348 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..

I'm sure you have heard that modern radios will automatically backoff their power output stage if the SWR gets "too high", due to a poor antenna match. I have occasionally wondered what a "too high" SWR actually is and by how much would the radio drop its output power? In this video I share my accidental discovery that at 2:1 SWR the Icom 7300 drops to less than half its maximum power! This is a much greater backoff than I imagined, so it caught me by surprise. High SWR backoff effect

Hello Famparc Family, As many of you are aware, we had our yearly AGM for 2026. The meeting all went well as expected and a new Administration and Committee has been installed for 2026. This is a overview of the latest and 2026 AGM: See details here. From the Chairpersons notes and comments: Craig vk3ncr Mick vk3vh also assisted me in the running of the AGM 2026 The AGM began at 10:30am at the Famparc Club rooms. Chairperson welcomes all members to the meeting. Apologies on behalf of members who were unable to attend. Michael (VK3UUU), Peter (VK3TQ) and John (VK3JCO) Reading of the minutes from the 2025 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: Coffee and cake mornings Camping trips to the Poplars and Flinders ranges New 2M repeater and Allstar Node 66111 Continuation of the club’s remote HF station Continuation of the ever-expanding club website Our club Baluns and Ununs Club guest speakers Approval of the Chairpersons report were by: Terry vk3bmx John vk3xm Chairpersons Future endeavours for the club: New 70cm repeater to also be connected to the Allstar system. More club trips and camp outs Club POTA/SOTA event Day trips Continuing the Coffee and Cake Mornings New project with Meshcore Club guest speakers Ian (VK3KO) mentioned about club DX contests Treasurer's Financial Report: Colin vk3cr being our previous Treasurer provided the report for all. The report was read by Colin vk3cr Since this is Colin's final year as Club Treasurer, we expressed our gratitude for his outstanding efforts. No comments were submitted from the floor concerning the report. Accepted By: Terry vk3bmx Roy vk3gb Officer Bearers: The chairperson declared that the administration and committee members are now vacant. Election of new Office Bearers and Committee. . Subject to section 43, 44 and 53 of these rules, the committee shall consist of: the Officers of the Club, and 4 Ordinary Members for Committee The Officers of the Club shall all be licensed Radio Amateurs and shall consist of: President; Craig VK3NR Vice-President; Ken VK3MJF Treasurer; Ian VK3KO Secretary; Mick VK3VH Ordinary Members: Colin VK3CR Peter VK3IJ Rakshit VK3DHR Paul VK3BV As the chairperson I wish to congratulate the members and the roles they have accepted. General Business: No General Business Close of General Business. 11:02am Note(s) : Additional notes and comments is available on the website Click Here . The suggested date of the 2027 AGM is Sat. 27th February 2027. Chairpersons comments: Hello fellow Famparc Members, My goal was to conduct the AGM in strict accordance with the rules (these are my thoughts). I appreciate the members for their feedback and corrections regarding the management of the AGM 2026. 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. Based on several comments from the attendees, which I greatly appreciated, I believe the AGM was conducted properly. This was my intention, and it was also supported by the members. I appreciate all your kind words, assistance, and support both during this AGM and throughout my previous role as an admin. Thank you ! Craig vk3ncr Famparc President 2026.

ABOUT: The Train and Hobby Show’s humble beginnings in 2007 are from a group of enthusiastic railway modellers that wanted to have a small model train show, to fill in a gap that was left by a cancelled major show. The first show had just over 40 exhibits in one room at Sandown. The show has now grown to over 80 exhibits  with more than 600 exhibitors, spread over 2 indoor levels and 3 outdoor spaces and expanded out to additional hobbies In 2016 we introduced radio controlled models with RC Trucks and RC Tanks on display and then in 2019 even more radio controlled models were added to the lineup including RC boats & RC drones setup in an exciting racing display.  That year also saw the addition of other hobby activities such as art & craft and Ham Radio. There is plenty to do and see including train rides, LEGO, radio controlled vehicles of sorts, interactive displays, club information stands just to name a few. With so much to see and do, there is a whole day of family fun at a price that even the most budget conscious families can afford. WHEN: 2026 Date & Time Saturday 14/3/2026 10am – 5pm Sunday 15/3/2026 10am – 4pm WHERE: Sandown Racecourse and Entertainment Centre 591-659 Princes Hwy, Springvale, VIC, 3171 Melways: Map 80 C10 Air conditioned and carpeted Free onsite car parking Elevator and Escalators available Sandown Racecourse is fully accessible venue. Dedicated parking spaces are available at Gate 2.  Further Details Click Here...

Where: EMDRC – 13a McCubbin St, Burwood Admission: FREE for buyers and ‘tyre-kickers’ When: Sunday 29th March 10am formal opening for selling Sellers: From your Car Boot (no trailers)         $10 ea Inside upstairs – per table                   $20 ea Please contact Peter VK3QI at vk3er@emdrc.com.au – click HERE for further information. Parking for sellers: from the McCubbin St access and spaces allocated on the gravel car park. This area must remain open to the public however ‘cone/bollards’ will be erected to assist to delineate public traffic routes. Vehicle Entry prior to event only. Indoor Tables : will be upstairs. Unfortunately we cannot offer disabled access upstairs due to steps but the north east corner stairs are less and will be open. Buyers: please note that vehicle access is problematic during the event, so if a bulky item is acquired, a trolley would be a useful addition to your planning. Parking for visitors – off-site:  consider using the adjacent shopping centre if closer streets are problematic. McCUBBIN ST may be an option but note that due to increased residential demand, spaces may be limited. REES St to the east of the club location allows for walking through the park on relatively level ground compared to the McCubbin St access. Shelter: The downstairs area will also be available with some seating. Additional outside seating may be available dependant on weather. Free pedestrian entry: via McCubbin Street or Rees St, Burwood East. Refreshments: BBQ – sausage sizzle and cold drinks available. Tea/coffee available. Please, NO food or drink upstairs . We look forward to seeing you on the 29th March.

MESHCORE Meshcore is a fascinating evolution in the amateur radio digital space. To help your club members understand it, you can think of Meshcore as the "bridge" that makes complex mesh networking accessible to the average ham. Note: Most of this informtion is taken and supplied by: https://github.com/meshcore-dev/MeshCore/blob/main/docs/faq.md#11-q-what-is-meshcore What is Meshcore? MeshCore is a multi platform system for enabling secure text based communications utilising LoRa radio hardware. It can be used for Off-Grid Communication, Emergency Response & Disaster Recovery, Outdoor Activities, Tactical Security including law enforcement and private security and also IoT sensor networks. ( source ) Meshcore Website Hey also... there is no Internet or Phone Cell's being used.. It is all your tiny less that a watt RF device sending and receiving.. No internet !!! and... if you are in a good location near a repeater.. you only need your tiny Companion device to send and receive, via Bluetooth on your phone. MeshCore is free and open source: MeshCore is the routing and firmware etc, available on GitHub under MIT license There are clients made by the community, such as the web clients, these are free to use, and some are open source too The cross platform mobile app developed by Liam Cottle for Android/iOS/PC etc is free to download and use The T-Deck firmware is developed by Scott at Ripple Radios, the creator of MeshCore, is also free to flash on your devices and use Some more advanced, but optional features are available on T-Deck if you register your device for a key to unlock. On the MeshCore smartphone clients for Android and iOS/iPadOS, you can unlock the wait timer for repeater and room server remote management over RF feature. These features are completely optional and aren't needed for the core messaging experience. They're like super bonus features and to help the developers continue to work on these amazing features, they may charge a small fee for an unlock code to utilise the advanced features. Anyone is able to build anything they like on top of MeshCore without paying anything. Hardware MeshCore is available on a variety of 433MHz, 868MHz and 915MHz LoRa devices (915Mhz for Australia, but can vary based on states) . For example, Lilygo T-Deck, T-Pager, RAK Wireless WisBlock RAK4631 devices (e.g. 19003, 19007, 19026), Heltec V3, Xiao S3 WIO, Xiao C3, Heltec T114, Station G2, Nano G2 Ultra, Seeed Studio T1000-E, Think Nodes M1, M2, M5 etc. More devices are being added regularly. For an up-to-date list of supported devices, please go to https://flasher.meshcore.co.uk/ To use MeshCore without using a phone as the client interface, you can run MeshCore on a LiLygo's T-Deck, T-Deck Plus, T-Pager, T-Watch, or T-Display Pro. MeshCore Ultra firmware running on these devices are a complete off-grid secure communication solution. Writers Input: Much of this information can be owverwelming however, it's really very simple. Off the shelf products to get you on the air. Thinknode M5 Click Here ThinkNode M5 [LoRa signal transceiver] Firmware adapts to Meshcore protocol, it can realize efficient transmission and reception of LoRa signals. [GPS positioning function] Built-in GPS module provides positioning capabilities, including GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, QZSS positioning. [Rechargeable lithium battery]  1200mAh large-capacity battery, can work continuously, meeting the needs of long-term outdoor use. [1.54-inch EPD display]  Real-time viewing of data and device status [RTC clock] Built-in RTC clock, realize faster hot start of the device, support interruption/wake-up; [Compatible with Meshcore APP] Can use the Meshcore APP to set device parameters, information management, etc. [❤️What you get]  1 Year warranty.1x ThinkNode M1,1x TYPE-C Cable,1x  User Manual re running on these devices are a complete off-grid secure comm Firmware MeshCore has four firmware types that are not available on other LoRa systems. MeshCore has the following Companion Radio Firmware Companion radios are for connecting to the Android app or web app as a messenger client. There are two different companion radio firmware versions: BLE Companion BLE Companion firmware runs on a supported LoRa device and connects to a smart device running the Android or iOS MeshCore client over BLE https://meshcore.co.uk/apps.html USB Serial Companion USB Serial Companion firmware runs on a supported LoRa device and connects to a smart device or a computer over USB Serial running the MeshCore web client https://meshcore.liamcottle.net/#/https://client.meshcore.co.uk/tabs/devices WisMesh Repeater Mini Repeater Repeaters are used to extend the range of a MeshCore network. Repeater firmware runs on the same devices that run client firmware. A repeater's job is to forward MeshCore packets to the destination device. It does not forward or retransmit every packet it receives, unlike other LoRa mesh systems. A repeater can be remotely administered using a T-Deck running the MeshCore firmware with remote administration features unlocked, or from a BLE Companion client connected to a smartphone running the MeshCore app. Room Server A room server is a simple BBS server for sharing posts. T-Deck devices running MeshCore firmware or a BLE Companion client connected to a smartphone running the MeshCore app can connect to a room server. Room servers store message history on them and push the stored messages to users. Room servers allow roaming users to come back later and retrieve message history. With channels, messages are either received when it's sent, or not received and missed if the channel user is out of range. Room servers are different and more like email servers where you can come back later and get your emails from your mail server. A room server can be remotely administered using a T-Deck running the MeshCore firmware with remote administration features unlocked, or from a BLE Companion client connected to a smartphone running the MeshCore app. When a client logs into a room server, the client will receive the previously 32 unseen messages. Although room server can also repeat with the command line command set repeat on , it is not recommended nor encouraged. A room server with repeat set to on lacks the full set of repeater and remote administration features that are only available in the repeater firmware. The recommendation is to run repeater and room server on separate devices for the best experience. Videos: You may come across Meshtastic, whiched kicked off a few years ago, this exploded arond the world because of the low cost of hardware and simple and affective means of communications, however early 2025, Meshcore was developed and now has surpassed Meshtastic, and because it can be used with the same hardware as Meshtastic, a simple software/firmware flash, has the user running Meshcore.. With the advantage of way more distance, being around 3-6 hops with Meshtastic and now with Meshcore and the use of peoples repeaters, can hop as much as 64. Simple search for Meshcore on Youtube or your search engine, and you will find both Meshcore and Meshtastic. This is via the Meshcore webpage showing live activity. Above is a live view of Meshcore Activity around Victoria. Click Here for more. When you send a message either on the Public or a Private encrypted network, your message will hop around the many Repeaters. You can also set specific routes if you want to get more technical. I could keep going about this, however if you are interested I would like to form a Famparc interest Mechcore Group. I have create a Mechcore Group on our website. Click Here. Hope you get onboard ! Craig vk3ncr

Remembering a Legend: The Legacy of Elwood Downey, WB0OEW S.K The amateur radio community is mourning the loss of a true innovator. Elwood Downey, WB0OEW , the brilliant mind behind the Clear Sky Institute and the creator of the ubiquitous HamClock , has passed away. For many of us, HamClock isn't just a piece of software; it’s the heartbeat of our shacks. Whether it was tracking greyline propagation, monitoring solar flux, or simply providing that iconic "tactical" aesthetic to our operating positions, Elwood’s work bridged the gap between complex astronomical data and practical amateur radio utility. The End of an Era, the Start of a Legacy With Elwood’s passing, the community faces a significant technical milestone. It has been reported that the original version of HamClock is expected to cease functioning at the end of June 2026 . While this marks the end of an era for the original source code, it also highlights the incredible impact Elwood had. His work was so vital that the community has already rallied to ensure it lives on. Introducing OpenHamClock To honor Elwood’s contribution and keep our shacks powered with real-time data, a community-driven initiative has launched OpenHamClock . This project is a dedicated fork designed to: Maintain Functionality: Ensure the software continues to run past the June 2026 cutoff. Community Support: Provide a central hub for bug fixes and future updates. Keep the Spirit Alive: Honor the minimalist, data-rich design that Elwood perfected. What This Means for You If you currently run a HamClock on a Raspberry Pi or an ESP32, you will likely need to migrate to the OpenHamClock version before mid-2026 to avoid service interruptions. It is a testament to Elwood’s influence that the "ham spirit" of collaboration has stepped in so quickly to preserve his vision. We owe a debt of gratitude to WB0OEW for his years of dedication to the hobby. His code may be transitioning to new hands, but his impact on every ham shack that ever flickered with his "big clock" remains permanent. 73, Elwood. Thank you for the time. On behalf of Famparc members, we extend our heartfelt thanks and thoughts to Elwood and his family. Information suppled by: EMDRC, Phillip vk3lro, and Google Gemini AI.

QMR-KWT-2 MR-KWT 2 QMR-KWT-2 is a 1U cubesat with Earth imaging capabilities (low-resolution camera) and FM transponder (amateur radio VHF to UHF linear transponder). It is expected to be launched in December 2025 on Soyuz-2.1b rocket from Vostochny spaceport in Russia's Far East.   QMR-KWT-2 is the successor of QMR-KWT which means "Moon of Kuwait", translated from Arabic which was launched in summer of 2021 and re-entered Earth’s atmosphere in fall of 2024. QMR-KWT-2 will continue the same educational objective of giving students the opportunity to learn about satellite technology. MORE: On February 1, 2026, from 06:50 to 19:20 UTC, the QMR-KWT-2 FM voice repeater is scheduled to be powered on for open amateur radio testing. NORAD ID: 67291 Uplink Channel Frequency: 145.920 MHz, CTCSS: 67.0 Hz Downlink Channel Frequency : 436.950 MHz Ascending Channel Frequency: 145,920 MHz, CTCSS: 67.0 Hz Descending channel frequency: 436,950 MHz LU3HAU

Ever wanted to build a Curtain Array antenna? In this documentary we put one up for the Antennapalooza field weekend in 2025. Ian, the man who runs the ever-popular Antennapalozza each year, is always busy and recently posted this video. Don't forget... the Antennapalooza 2026 event.. Click Here for more details.

My friend went to the Everything Open conference in Canberra and came across this article encouraging everyone to see radio as a universal asset, not just a nostalgic hobby for old folks! Bring on the revolution!