[OZAPRS] Re: ozaprs Digest, Vol 13, Issue 13

[Terry Neumann]

G'day all, 

I'd better respond to this one :-)



Message: 1

Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 11:47:56 +1100

From: Ron Perry  <mailto:ronk at sunlinux.com.au> <ronk at sunlinux.com.au>

Subject: [OZAPRS] HF APRS

To: OzAPRS  <mailto:ozaprs at marconi.ics.mq.edu.au>
<ozaprs at marconi.ics.mq.edu.au>

Message-ID:  <mailto:403A9F3C.8030901 at sunlinux.com.au>
<403A9F3C.8030901 at sunlinux.com.au>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed



Hi APRSers,



The setup.

I currently have both my KAMs hooked up to the IC-735 on a 1/4wave 

vertical on the roof of the house.  I'm running UI-View, with one KAM+ 

doing both VHF and HF APRS, digipeating and Igating. The second Kam+ is 

on a terminal, running with PASSALL ON, so I can "see" all HF packets, 

good and bad. This gives me some idea to what is being heard at all times.



10 Meg Propagation.

At the moment, it doesn't seem to be very regular, but with only 3 weeks 

of operation, this may be a bit more predictable after more time has 

elapsed.



I have been hearing VK3MY-3 from about 1200 to around 2200 local the 

last few days. I have heard VK3MY-3 until midnight a couple of times as 

well and sometimes appears earlier than noon.



Is Terry VK5ATN on HF full time?  I did see him one afternoon, with 

excellent signals, but have not heard from him, either before, or after 

that one time.



VK4BBS-11 has been copied a few times at around 16.30 local, but I've 

only seen VK4DMI-1 once when I was listening a couple of weeks back, 

before I moved the Igate to UI-View.



It seems strange that	1) I hear VK4BBS-11 but not VK4DMI-1.

			2) I hear VK3MY-3 but not VK3BYD-(15?)

considering that the VK4 pair and the VK3 pair are a similar distance 

and direction from Mildura.





Comments welcome.

Regards,

Ron

vk3ecv/vk3wrm

  


1)  Firstly, my station (VK5ATN), like the owner is a bit erratic in its
appearance.   I usually switch over to  HF packet  at about 1030 hours
local.  The station usually stays there until about 1600 hrs when I either
turn off, or go to VHF packet.   It's usually there most days; there have
been exceptions - when I am not around the place, or as happened a cuppla
days ago, I had a WinCrash 98 event which occupied my spare moments for
most of the day.  (It's back after reloading Windcra$h, but with a very
loud protest from the on-board speaker when the windows screen first
appears).  

My station is an older MFJ-1278 driving a TS-50 and the antenna is a
dedicated mono band  inverted V at about 40 feet at the apex.  The station
has no other function other than as listening and beacon device (very
selfish).  

2) I've been sharing the same puzzling questions about 10 MHz propagation.
In my spasmodic observation of about 4 weeks, the most consistent station
is VK3MY.  It's there at all times and usually with a huge signal.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to respond to ping requests, at least not
in my experience, so I need to keep an eye on the S meter.   

VK3WRM/ECV has been there most of the time for the past two days Ron as
VK3WRM.  I did see you the one day as VK3ECV a week or so ago but there
was a long period in between when nothing was seen.

Warren's mobile  is there some days - nearly always about mid-day or an
hour either side.  We are coressponding about this  from time to time.
No sign of you either today or yesterday Warren ......

The VK4 stations are there most days with VK4DMI getting the most of the
screen.

I have a S3 or 4 background noise level most of the time on 30 metres.   I
need to see what it's all about - I've a feeling the culprit is the
computer I use for packet and APRS.   

It seems apparent that the biggest challenge is getting a good signal on
air, and then having a good noise free receiving setup to make the most of
it.  I speculate whether a V on my larger tower - 60 feet is available -
and it's further from the computer, would be worth the trouble.   I doubt
that I'll get the time or energy to do it - other projects demand priority
- like getting HF going on the tractor for this years seeding operations.

My honest appraisal of the situation at present is that despite the
comparative ease with which I could get a tracker station on 30 metres
once the HF tinyTrak module is out, I'm hard pressed to convince myself
it's worth the trouble. I'll probably give it a try because I perceive
that I'm somewhat unique in having the option of three gateway stations at
a generous sample of distances from my area of operations. The experiment
needs to be done.  However, I'm not optimistic, given what I've seen so
far.   I speculate whether other bands might be better.   I wonder whether
compressed beacons stand a better chance of surviving the hazards of HF
propagation and noise.     

I'll continue to watch and put out a beacon every 30 minutes or so,
however for various reasons you may not see much of me over the next three
days or so.   Other things will get in the way.  Hopefully gliding will be
one of them :-) 

73,
Terry
VK5ATN 


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