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

[Ron Perry]

Hi,
Terry thanks for your reply.

Terry Neumann wrote:
> Oh dear - it doesn't like HTML.   Neither do I frankly, but I'm prepared

> to recognise the universal lanuage of the internet.
> 
> So here is is again in plain old ordinary boring text (sigh).
> 
> G'day all,
> 
> I'd better respond to this one :-)
> 
>> Message: 1
>> Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 11:47:56 +1100
>> From: Ron Perry <ronk at sunlinux.com.au>
>> Subject: [OZAPRS] HF APRS
>> To: OzAPRS <ozaprs at marconi.ics.mq.edu.au>
>> Message-ID: <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.
> 

I was using VK3ECV when I was mainly listenning/testing to find if I was 
on frequency.

> 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 ......
> 

Still no sign of Warren here.

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

> screen.
> 

I now am rxing both VK4DMI-1 and VK4BBS-11 signals in the afternoon, and 
occasionally in the morning.

> I have a S3 or 4 background noise level most of the time on 30 metres.
I have S3 sometimes..local...sounds like powerline insulator..a decent 
drop of rain might fix it. :-) But the noise level sometimes drops to 
nil, but then there is no packet heard either.

> 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.
> 

IMHO the extra 20ft probably wouldn't really make a lot of difference.


> 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'd think if I was heading "Outback" then it could be a useful tool.

> 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 :-)

Good stuff.

Regards,
Ron
vk3ecv




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