Past

Issues

Translate

View this email

CQ QRS
What happened
Reminder

Max combs

Peter gets told where

David

First world transceive

Keiran

Wow

RagChew

last Tuesday, and a reminder for the next net.

for 170ct23

packs

in your browser

CQ QRS

the personal

columns

to go

his swag
problems

strings Christmas

lights

- another ripper night last Tuesday.

waterfall displays at both the VK6QS

Really pleasing to watch the

SDR at Brookton and the Tecsun SDR

at Araluen - lots of parallel QSOs going on.

| counted

19 stations this time!

By the way, if your email system doesn’t recognise this RagChew’s value
(or email address)... and you found it in your Junk email box, please add the
From address to your computer and phone’s Contacts, so it gets sent to
your Inbox.
Here’s this week’s

list of stations

heard:

RSS

My cau]
é

Calling ©
ert Oder Latesing

VWEKITE

O50 1

O50 2

Qs0 3

oso 4

oOs05

Oso 6

oso7

oso 8

O509

| O5010 | O5011 | aso 12

VEZBTV | VE2GAZ | VK6Q)

| VK6P2ZT

VEEKD | VEKENT

# ra Ged]

Listening

VK2BHO
VE2GAZ

VWE2KI

VE2IK
VE2KI

VESFD

VK2NY

WRSCE

VKIBTY

VK2KI

VEFEPC

VWESC2

VKIDBD
VEKIKO
WESCZ

VK2NV | VKGFN

WESFD | VK3BTV | VKEP2T

WKSET
VKSFD

VEK2KI

VKSIP

WKSC2 | VKGPZT

VESKFG
VEGATB
VKGAAW

VKGEFN

VKEBEK
VKGCK

VKEDEV

WEGEFM | VEGP2T

VKGFN

VKBDEV | VKGAAV |

VKENT

VKGFN

VEENT

WKSC2 | VKGPZT |

WK6EED

VKSFD

VK6O)

VEGGAL
VEK6HRC

Listening

VKEIR
VK6IS
VKRIDM
VKEKD

VK2KI

VEELD
VEEME
VEENC
VEKENT

VEGKD | VEKGFN

VKGNW

VWKEPZT

VKGFN

WKSC2 | VKEDEV |

WEZKI

VKEQ!

WR2KI

| WK6PZT

WKETY
VKGKU

VK7WW
VKFKPC

VE2KI

VEFZA

Reports

& Comments

So here’s this week’s
From

Peter VK2NV

at Beverley

Hills:

Hi Mark, | had a short session with lan VK5CZ.
SDR, but | was using my second
minutes, then | would

reports.

| was listening on VK2AAK's

iPad and it would

loose the receive and | would

lock out after about 3
have to log in again. |

hope to get things organised for next week and use a different computer
with some auto switching between transmit and receive.
73 de Peter VK2NV
[Thanks Peter - great to hear you on and good luck with the first-world
transceive problems - HI!
From

Keiran VK3BTV,

More from Peter in Other News below].
still at North

Ringwood:

Glad to have 489 contact with Mark VK2KI and 579 with lan VK5CZ tonight
using 70w. Since my 12m
low and very short LOADED

mast had to come down,
80m

| now have a TEMP very

dipole hanging amongst the trees on one

side and barely clearing the roof on the other. | concocted a loaded 80m
loaded dipole that’s barely 16.2m
high at one end and 2.5m

long, 4.5m

high at the feed point, 3.5m

high at the other. The 3.5m high end is strung up

amongst about 6 lilly pilly trees: the 2.5m high end is free of trees, but
barely clears the roof. It seems to get out reasonably well, but hears
bugger all.
My first experience of winding antenna

loading coils by the way, and | can

safely say that neither the loaded antenna

program

winding

up with an antenna that’s

program

matched

reality. | ended

| found, nor the coil

‘resonant’ on 3.880MHz with an impedance of 68ohms.
sitting on the ground!

Mind you it’s almost

air and then taking measurements

once there.

And not much you can do with 8m on one side, 11m

on the other side, and

very little height ©
Cheers VK3BadTemperedVictorian...
[Excellent job putting up an antenna, just to join the net - head’s in the
right place - H/!]
From

Shaun

Hi Mark.
off.

VK6BEK

at Quinns

Rocks:

Apologies | missed the session tonight.

| did get to listen on and

It was

very noisy here with bad QSB.
Vertical is currently half down for major tree removal to stop structural
problems around the house.
something worse.

What started as fire preparation turned into

| have to lift the radials so no one trips over them and

also remove the entire antenna.
actually get removed.

| currently have no idea when the trees will

It is a big job and we have to fit in with their

schedule.
Meanwhile

| got the end fed resurrected tonight but it was too unstable in

the windy conditions.

My front driveway gate (which holds the end pole) is

broken due to subsidence which did not help,

hopefully fixed in a couple of

weeks and | can return to the normal working end fed, possibly in an
inverted V configuration.
| still have the coil loaded vertical if things get delayed and | can solve its
mysteries.
Hopefully back on next week....
[Hi Shaun. Interesting night - lots of static crashes in WA from a storm up
near Exmouth - coming into the South via tonospheric propagation I’m
guessing. Bugger - tree roots affecting the foundations... and subsidence on
the gate - there’s always something eh?
foundations?

Is the house on a slab or on

Hope it gets sorted... does that mean you'll loose those nice

looking conifers along the driveway? Take care mate and thanks for the
heads up.]
Slab construction.

All casuarinas go. Big Norfolk pines go.

conifers stay we hope.
driveway?”.
Me - @.
[Bugger.

2 smaller

My Wife said “Did you notice that bump

Good for antennas though!]

in the

From

Richard VK6PZT

at Dalyellup:

Hi Mark. Six contacts for me tonight:
e VKOFN

- Max - 3560 599 both ways - 1830hrs

e VK5CZ

lan 3550 599 rcv 579 sent - 1850 hrs

e VK6DEV - Phill 599 both ways 3555 - 1920hrs
e VK5FD Allen - 3555

449

e VK2KI - Mark 3555-559

both ways 1925hrs
sent

469 rcved

e VK6QI - Mark from the VK6CRO

Carnarvon

Remote - 559 rcved 569

sent 3555 2010 hrs
Best 73s, Richard.
[Thanks for the two contacts Richard - nice to give Carnarvon a try again lll use it again more often | think].
More from Richard in Other News below.
From

Nic VK7WW

Legana:

Hello Mark. The draft RagChew was beautifully presented

in Mail Chimp!

Apologies for being absent last night, visitors...
73, Nic
VK7WW
[Visitors not interested in CW - tsk - HI!]
From

Terry VK6CK

at Geraldton:

Hi Mark. | called several times last evening

but got no response. There

weren't too many VK6 stns on at that time - 2 or 3 | think.

| heard Lin and

Max chatting - good sigs into Geraldton.

and VK6AAV

think.

Also heard VK6FN

| was very interested in a VK2 talking to a VK3 | think it was, So was

hoping for a eastern states contact. My noise level was up a bit so that but
paid to that.
Look forward
Cheers

Terry

to next week

NOT ALL HAMS
RE CREATED EQUAL
SOME KNOW CW.

[Thanks Terry - sorry | couldn’t get to you while in a QSO - not enough keys
apparently!

Actually I’ve tried keying my home transmitter and the

Remote at the same time during one of our Slow CW practice contests - not
pretty!

May have been Keiran and me that you heard - just a matter of

time until conditions / noise / propagation gods align - HI].
From

Richard VKG6HRC

at Padbury:

Hi Mark. Not much time monitoring the net last night conditions not that
great at the start with QSB and QRM

but on the improve later on. Only

three stations logged before | had to head off :
VK6FN

599

VK6NT

599

VK5CZ

559

Cheers
Richard VK6HRC
[But did you have

Sure did!

fun Richard?

Thanks for being there mate!]

Max was keeping me on my toes with rapid fire prosigns flying

about !!!
Cheers
From

Garry VK2GAZ

Good

morning

Mark VK2KI.

Hobartville:
Thank you for the contact last night. | could not

stay around to listen for others but it was very nice to contact you. Maybe
able to stay around

longer next week.

Best regards,
Garry VK2GAZ
[Thanks Garry;

appreciate that you’re not usually able to get on on

Tuesdays - so terrific when you can.

Cheers].

Awards

From

Allen

VK5FD

L8'"

Manager

October

2016

at Blakeview:

Hi Mark. | worked VK2KI, VK5CZ, VK6PZT,

Heard VK6KD, VK6NV, VK3BTV.

Allen VK5FD
[Thanks Allen - good signals over here in NSW;
From

Peter

VK7KPC

thanks for the rag chew].

at Evandale:

Hi Mark. Went QRT after QSO with you last night - still recovering from flu
symptoms.

Got most of the QSO tnx

Cheers
Peter
[You probably got more than me mate!]
From

Phillip VK6DEV

at Dalyellup:

Only a couple last night. Going to try some portable next week as the local
noise is too much.
VK6PZT and VK6FN.
Phillip Jubb
VK6DEV - Bunbury Western Australia
[Wow - |! look forward to you operating portable mate.

Portable ops away

from switch mode power supplies can be a real eye-opener - good luck.
Maybe

we could get several out portable at the same time as we head into

Summer?].
From

David VKG6KD at Pottsville

Gday Mark.

Ballajura:

It is a challenge will a noise floor of S-8 here in Ballajura WA,

but really glad | was able to work you from NSW.

| was experiencing signal

fade as well - however strangely enough, a letter missing here or there
didn’t change the content of my QSO that much.

| get more distracted

when there is a station transmitting near by and | cannot filter them out
with the narrow band filters.
Report from Tue 10/10/2023
3560khz 6.49pm wst
1.

6.49pm wst

vk6éfn

Max

7.07 pm

vk2ki

listening only

Mark
7.20 pm

----- vk6nt calling vk2ki and response heard.
4.

7:26 vk6nt LIN
7:38pm finish

7.48

| went QRT

Regards
David VK6KD

--... ... --

[I'd love an S-8 noise floor David;

here it’s S9+10dB,

but I can usually

knock it down to about S4 to 7 with my phasing type noise canceller - which
also knocks the signal down a couple of S-points], but improves the Signalto-Noise ratio a bit.

Agree about the missing letters (words and sentences

sometimes here - | blame QSB... but it’s often that I’m having such a nice
time enjoying the CW that my brain forgets to pay attention).

Interesting

about the distraction of nearby QRM on CW - ditto here... bit like my
inability to read if someone's talking in the vicinity.

Have you tried:

headphones

/f your transceiver has really narrow filtering, IF shift or notch filtering

turning on a front-end attenuator or turning off the front-end preamp?

Thanks for the report David, and nice to chat to you an Max on the SW
AllStar net in the mornings].

From

lan VK1HF

at Denman

Once again, | didn't get on.

Prospect:

| am

not good at at joining your net!!! BUT..1

want to still...keep on my case.. please.

Could get the EFHW

up | reckon.

In other news..| feel my CW is still going well.. slowly. How would you
describe your CW competence

level etc?

73,
lan - VK1LHF
[Thanks lan - | look forward to you joining the fun on our weekly gettogether. My CW is pretty crappy - receive about 10-12wpm
it’s just a wham-bam

only - faster if

QSO - which is about what | qualified at when | did my

AOCP in the early 70s.

But! really enjoy the slow CW

not have to concentrate too hard!

- it’s very relaxing to

I'll listen out for you from &pm ACT time;

the band starts opening up around then - SA then WA stations start coming
through around 9pm.

If you don’t hear anyone or no-one responds to your

calls, send me an SMS and I'll have a listen for you, and will advise others
via WhatsApp that you’re there too if 1 can].
From

Max VK6EFN

at Manjimup:

Hello again Mark and others.

Tuesday night's effort:

1st contact for the night was 6dev. The Sigs between

us were very weak.

RST 359 and | did not copy my report. To add to my frustration is the fact
that | have misplaced
2nd

my Cheat Sheet with names etc.

Stn worked was Mike 6AAV.

RST Both Ways was 599. Great copy.

3rd was Lin RST 599 both ways. Nice copy Lin.
Ath Was lan 5CZ. RST 459. My report was RST 599. Some QSB was causing
some trouble between

us.

5th being Richard with a very good signal. RST 599 in both directions. Very
nice Morse Richard.
6th And last but not least was David 6KD. RST was 579.

My report was RST

599.
Tks chaps for a most enjoyable evening.
| am looking for a regular nightly sked once or twice or whatever per week
to get some

more practice in. Any speed

is fine.

73'S All. fn
[When talking with Max this morning on AllStar, he told David VK6KD that
he wanted to get more practice on CW during the week and was looking for
a mate to have a regular sked.

Anyone interested?

Alternatively, as David

sald, just post a notification on the CQ QRS WhatsApp group if you're
available for a QRS QSO outside of net times.

A third alternative ts that we

consider running a second net each week on a different day, time and
band.

Thoughts anyone?]

From John VKS5ET at Hope

Valley:

Busy with other chores tonight. Did occasionally listen in but quiet
than normal.
73's John.
[Thanks John - we missed your cheery key on Tuesday.

Report much

appreciated mate].
From

VK6QI

at Bedfordale

via the

and

| heard Max VK6FN

the

VK6QS
VK6CRO

SDR

at Brookton,

Remote

the VK6SR

Remote

at Carnarvon:

at Manjimup out there calling on his own-some from

around 0900z while | was calling CQ from VK2 - the band wasn’t open from
NSW to WA yet, but | could & see hear traces of my VK2 calls on the SDR
and 6SR Remote.
hooked

By about 0920, Max and Phillip VK6DEV at Dalyellup had

up, and a while later | noted Max working

Forrestfield.

Mike VK6AAV

| also noticed Terry VK6CK in Geraldton calling CQ - no

answers, and | was tied-up in a QSO from VK2, so Terry’s calls just went to
the ether gods.
| got busy in NSW and | lost track of who was talking to whom

on the WA

receivers, but | next heard lan VK5CZ at Clare working

Later when

Max.

probably should have been tucked up in bed, | connected to the Southern
Electronics Group’s VK6CRO

remote at Carnarvon and worked

VK6PZT at Dalyellup - he was RST 599 into Carnarvon,
was 579;

Richard

and reported that |

| also noticed that Claude VK1TE was having a late night listen to

us on the Brookton SDR.
Also From

me, VK2KI

Extended

Zepp

at Bowning

antenna

from

using

home

my TS-50 and

Double-

and also using the Tecsun

SDR

at Araluen

NSW:

My early CQs were answered

by Allen VK5FD at Blakeview at 0925 and we

had a nice long rag chew with RST 599 both ways.
watching
known

as VK2EMU

at Beverly Hills.
coming

Meanwhile

lan VK5CZ at Clare having a chat with Peter VK2NV
- of the Don Edwards
| then hooked

Memorial

| was
(who is also

Slow CW Contest fame)

up with Peter VK7KPC

Evandale who was

in nicely at RST 589 with his 10 Watts output power.

At the same

time | saw lan VK5IP at Kadina coming through on the Tecsun SDR calling
CQ.

By the time Peter and | and finished our ragchew,

anyone

lan had gone;

does

have an email address for lan - | have an old one but now don’t

have a way to contact him and give him information about the CQ QRS net;
if anyone works him, please ask him for an updated email address.
| then hooked

up with Keiran VK3BTV who had put up a temporary

long loaded end-fed long wire at 4.5m among

the foliage;

16m

Keiran reported

that he’d made the loading coil to a design.... but it turned out to be
resonant on 3880kHz;

keep winding

Keiran!

Keiran, who is in the process of moving
doublet down for the move.

It was really good to hear

house, and had taken his ZS6BKW

While working

Keiran, | saw lan VK5CZ working

Allen, before Allen went on to work Richard VK6PZT.
worked Garry VK2GAZ

Meanwhile

| heard and

at Hobartville - Garry looks after the SKCC Oceania

Slow CW Saunter that we advertise regularly in RagChew.

Meanwhile,

VK6FN

and David VK6KD

nicely to the

SDR.

| worked

at Ballajura were coming through

David and sent RST 579 - and he reported the same.

Tecsun SDR showed

Max

The

Keiran chatting to lan at Clare as well, and | went on to

work Lin VK6NT at Hamersly;
but | was 449 to him.

interestingly, Lin was pounding

While chatting to Lin, | watched

working Allen, then watched

Lin working

in RST 589,

Richard VK6PZT

David before | hooked

up with

Richard (sent RST 469 and received 559).
| noticed the static crashes were coming through thick and fast in WA on
the Brookton SDR and checked the BOM
were actually up in the Exmouth

national radar plot - the storms

area - so | wondered

if what we were

hearing was actually being propagated over the 1200 or so km between
Exmouth

and the South West?

Shortly after, | tested the path from the

Bedfordale Remote and my home - RST 579 West-to-East and 599 East-toWest;

this was about normal with the loss of a couple of S-points through

my noise canceller in NSW.

Other
Other things
From

David VK3DBD

I’ve received

News
from

our 100-odd

normally from Yakandandah,

readers.
but currently

touring the UK:
Hi Mark. Well you spend as much
on with keyboard
errors of my
paddle ??

- or perhaps more- time than me waffling

( mine is long time then as long again correcting the

2 fingered

typing.

Perhaps there is a way | could type with a

Might be less errors.

Hern the old country Things have not really gone to plan this year
am

ready for

fortune- | will)

return journey
The

(if i can make

it sooner

QRP as worked with reservations as | have had a

a first not realised with the little KX3.
retired from car starting

and

and |

without costing a

struggling

fault

12 volt battery,

but capable of supplying an amp or two at nearly

12.5 volts mostly but the KX3 will perform down to 8 volts... .. The low

antennas enforced

because of lack of suitable trees

share supports with

one poor specimen and a borrowed Alloy pole of about6 m,
height of the wire around 4 m
The 40m dipole is resonant
surprising 1:1

SWR (according to my analyzer).

Some days | shorten it to

14Mc But strangely the superb auto 30tuner in the Kx3
"17m.20m

40m.30m

and 60m

band too.

average
supplying a

will quickly "match

( Latter is a superb one that VK

is sadly lacking).
My best DX has been my Regular weekly Sked with fellow (FOC and Fists)
member
beam

IKOIXI on 20m

579 x 2

with my qrp 8-10w

but Fabio does have a

and a KW avail !

As iam typing, ---My return flight has just been confirmed

for 17 OCT.

Thanks to my lovely Daughter in the Bay of Islands Yippee. Another stress
point removed.

my luggage will contain a few goodies - one my TS-50

which has been dead for several years

due to no one in VK prepared to

even look at it..
A small firm
post a few
73 from
Watch

"home

based" in Kent

fixd it. "Kent-Rigs"

overweight items like lathe
cool and autumnal

out for the

designs Attached

Wandering

and mill tools

and

I may have to

to keep it down.

UK.

David VK3DBD/G3SCD

soon.

Depicted on one of my QSL

for you Picture Gallery-. He does Exist with A VK call Too

[Evening David. Sorry to hear that you haven't been quite living the dream
expected. Bad for you, but your early return will be good for us! And just
think of all that mowing

waiting for you at Yak?

Would recommend a SOTABeams squidpole if you have room in your
luggage and would like a strong portable antenna support. After breaking
two Aussie-made ones, | took the recommendation of one of the prolific
SOTA dudes here and bought one of the expensive but strong SOTABeams
ones.

You might indeed need to take that lathe out to fit it though.

Leaking SMD capacitor in the TS-50? Seems to have become a problem that and trouble with the in-line fuses dropping volts causing wavering
power on

TX.

Cheers, and safe travels David.]

635SCD

G'Day Folks | /
_

Dunn

G3SCD

Since

VK3DBD

Since

P.O. Box

1963

1999

Or-

Sonawhere in UK

Tackandandah
Victoria

Australia

3748

Confirming QSO

(CU

tit

with

Member of
FISTS, FOC,
MEGS, SKCC,
G-QRP, RAOTA,
RSGB

)

RAOTC-(VK),

' (y=

_.lMo Fixed Abode....|

dd/mm/yy

‘Mostly CW

~ Email: vk3dbd@gmail.com

Thanks QSO , enjoy the CW. The Gentleman's mode

Thanks for your comments

UTC

Mark.

Luggage

Band

RST

Mode

“ae

- pavid

is already over-weight - spent

$100's already on mailing tools and books back to VK...and my packets will
be full too. The KX3 is packed and will be on its way to California tomorrow.
The TS-50 had a lowpass filter fault - | was sure it was the PA that had
snuffed it.

£175 down

incl the

horrendous postal costs everywhere.

weighs nearly same as my K3s and is 1/6 the size. First time | have had a
fault with these (I have two!) in the circa 27 years that | have owned them.
Great radios to use.

| had not heard about the leaky caps and without

removing the casing to look | would have thought the age of the origin
(1995 perhaps?) would
Dunno.

be "pre" the days of Surface Mounted things.

| think my home

brew mobile whips (on a vehicle) will beat the

Sota pole and a wire but not quite for the same task | admit.
saltwater ground whatever you have up

top!

Can’t beata

| have several 6 or 7 metre

long telescopic fibreglass poles (in VK) but the fragile top section might as
well be left at home.
by the menu

Tomorrow

| will dismantle the antenna as | am

in the TS-50 without the mic that | did not bring... it has 4

buttons on it which enables
certain items in memory.

choice of programming

them to operate

One is the 3 power steps 10, 50 100 Watts and

mine is stuck on 100W - too many amps to get from this
power lines on the TS-50:
resistance

beaten

yes a very valid comment..

to reduce the full current flow.

powered via Anderson
should be judged.

battery. On bad

it needs so little

One reason why all my gear is

PP connectors -the standard

by which all others

They do not even get warm..

Fuses are another matter - end contacts need soldering!!

Or polish the

surfaces of the clips frequently - perhaps? Must go horz now - 8 Days to lift
off.

David.

[Thanks David - terrific burst.

Yes the leaky SMD capacitors are apparently

a Challenge in the TS-50 - | agree - such a lovely little transceiver to use.
The capacitor that leaked in my transceiver was in the vertical board
behind the display - the discharge ate through a nearby plated-through
hole in the board and the display back-lighting and On Air LED stopped
working.

| can point you at how to change the menu settings to change the

output power... but it’s too late now;
your way just about.

by the time you read this, you’ll be on

The voltage drop in the in-line fuse in the TS-50 Is a

challenge - | completely removed the fuse from the negative line, and | use
large crimped terminal lugs to connect to the power-supply - and the tricky
bit is that the dial lights were fed from a regulator (through the platedthrough hole) so that even though the voltage was dropping on key-down,
there was no indication on the transceiver;

| found out about this problem

on the internet after completely pulling the transceiver to bits and trying to
chase around the internal ALC loop - HI].
From

Owen

VK2OMD

at Bowral:

Hi Mark, You might enjoy Origins of the PIK (PIC lambic Keyer).

73, Owen.

[Thanks Owen - nice project write-up - like all of your work.]
From

Peter VK2EMU

Hi Mark.

Between

and VK2NV

about 8:45pm

at Beverley

and 9:15pm

Hills:

on the previous Tuesday,

was calling on or near 3536. | was transmitting from the QTH - Beverly Hills
Sydney and listening via a couple of on-line SDRs.
give it another go on Tuesday
[Ah ha!

Now | see

| hope to

10th. 73 de Peter VK2EMU

what the problem

frequencies - 3540 to 3570kHz!
Remote

No response.

ts Peter.... you

were below the net

And at that time | was on from the VK6

working VK7WW and VK7KPC on 3555kHz - both of them should

have been pounding in to you if your noise level wasn’t too high;

and not

long after you left, the VK5s and 6s were rolling into NSW.

Try again on

Tuesday mate - send me an SMS if you don’t hear anything.

By the way,

does the St George ARS have a newsletter?

I’d like to send something

about our net to advertise it more widely.

Are you in any other Amateur

Radio groups that | could send the info to?]
I'll give it a try again tonight above 3540 - but | couldn't see anything on
the sdr waterfall. i have S9 +20dB of RFP (Radio Frequency Pollution) at
home, so | was using VK2AAK's
on 3540 and a pair of gentlemen

kiwisdr.

A year ago or so | was calling CQ

kindly informed

me that 3540 was now a

voice frequency and THEIR net frequency, so that | should bugger off. St.
George doesn't have a magazine anymore,

but send us something

and |

should be able to get it sent to our members. The Port Macquarie club have
a bi-monthly news letter, so they may be interred in an article. Also | may
be able to get an item on the VK2WI weekly news broadcasts.
[Thanks Peter - glad you made it on Tuesday... and that no-one told you to
bugger off - HI!]
Peter is the organiser of the Don Edwards (VK6NV (SK) Memorial

Slow CW

Contest that we promote in RagChew:

President

From

Shaun

VK6BEK

Contes

at Quinns

A new video dispelling some

nager

Rocks:

myths about simple antennas.

https://youtu.be/3Y/IOlaG8mk?si= I381Hedieg7KWET
[Thanks Shaun].
From

Dale VK5DC

Hi Mark.

at Littlehampton:

10m this morning on my Flex (split listening to W8S on Swains

Island Samoa) ... haven’t work him yet though @

My meagre
combined

log for the last few weeks.. and my megre

Main (Fs) || Recent Q50's(F7)
‘Qso Date
i

10m and 6m

horizontal dipoles © in the pic below. | do love 10m CW
Chistar (F8)| Propagation (F9}| Worked before (F109)|

Callsign
it)

08/10/2023 10:36:17

08/20/2023 09:53:59
07/10/2023 09:40:34
05/10/2023 22:14:02

05/10/2023 07:08:40
03/10/2023 10:50:21

Dxicc

Country

Name

Bicaera)

Freq

Rst

Rst Revd

how

| European Russia | Alexander Burenkow

|2g018.98

12k

jam

|cw

_Zambe

280

tom
jiom
liom

few
jew
cw

Nepal
United States
lAsiatic Russia

Robert Kasce
| Philip Barsky
(| Vasily V. Zhadan

28027.94
2e023.02
28021.36

| Samoa

Livia Matogovie

iniie.a7 «= [599/509

7x60

ONTAA
KBE
UAGIBO

| BISEX

SWoLM

| NORV

kKBEW

29/09/2023 00:53:31
2oyos/2023 00909:21

NW7E
| KAW

25/09/2023 01:36:27

| VEZACP

WEEARL

| WASMDC

|i0m =| ew

liom

|ew

| Qatar

| e002

Franch Polynesia | DI7dF
And Crew Dxpedi... 280

[tom

|chna

fiom

low
ew

\30m

[tom

| cw
| ew

tom = [cw
jiom
jew
\tom

liom

|ow

tom = [ew

Comme

| Anton Navnychka

Brent

[ssa
(539

559
(559

china Tamm Hae dxe... /28030.01

[53a

|samoa

|Livia MatoSovie

2eo6.99

[599

500

‘|Unred states

[patrick M Barkey

fpeov3ias

[sso

seo

|United States
United States
united states

|Unitad States.

|eenads

lunited States

Cg Zone

}10m

29/09/2023 01:21:58

25/09/2023 01:30:04

Mode

A7I/RNIB =

| SWOLM

25/09/2023 01:40:29

Band
y

03/10/2023 00:15:01
02/10/2023 22:06:10

Hi.

| Phillip Barsky

| Michael E Krah
|Richard D Goodwin

| Richard Hyde

| Gerald Ruest

JamesD Vander Wer

28021.99

loggog.98
lapoze.01.
2e027.99

beov7.09
|28027.99

(559

559

Qu
|

[549

[599 «=| 559
[ssa
ao

(559

|sso

(539

/|439

sso]

(16

38
las

| 22
[5
\17

[aa
|32

|33
‘5
[3
5
is
\4

Regards
Dale Cavies
VK5DC
[Wow,

thank you Dale!

Claude

VKITE

Donald

at Esperance:

will be interested in your 6m

halo /

think].
From

RagChew

VK6JDM

received. | had a lot on this week so did not manage to bring a

radio to Kalgoorlie as planned. Progressing well with modifying the rig for
CW.
73 VK6JDM.
[Hey Donald.
way,

Thanks mate - and good luck with the modifications. By the

with just a laptop, iPad or a phone, you could listen into one or more

of the KiwiSDRs around the place if you don’t have your gear while you're
up in Kalgoorlie.

Happy to point you in the right direction if you want.

Take

care mate].
From

Richard VK6PZT

at Dalyellup:

Hi Mark. Busy day for me today. Woke early at 6am

... 30mins early so

called CQ on 80 40 20 10m to test the bands...whist watching the RBN
network.
20m.

| was surprised to get spotted in Scotland for the first time on

| was even more surprised when

LY4T returned my call a minute or

two later. | nearly fell of my chair and then had to hunt around to find a pen
'1!

My first CW contact to Europe.... what a good start to the day...

So naturally | checked the BOM
X shape made

ionospheric map, see below.. | noticed a big

up by the mid grey section in the middle, this relates to the

7MHz value for the F2 layer. | also notice that the short path to Scotland
follows this 6-7MHz contour almost exactly. | was wondering
lucky.

if i got

A 6-7MHz FOF2 would probably be high enough to reflect my signal

if the angle was low enough,

and low enough to allow my relatively low

power of 80 Watts to get half way round the world with less attenuation.
The low absorption and high altitude of the F2 layer would
the long skip right. Or am
when you suggested
would

have much

it may have been long path.... surely the long path

more absorption?

Thoughts ????
Richard
See the images below...
1 - FOF2

LAYER AT 630 WA TIME 2230 UTC

2 - RBN SPOT FOR VK6PZT AT SAME TIME
3 - CONTACT WITH

have help with

| completely wrong.. | was surprised yet again

LY4T AT THE SAME TIME

06:47

a) ?

19 Oct 2023 22:30 UT

a
lergiireiies POPS,

Baste

of Materoieery

Sws.bom.qov.au

21:43 &

€ Lookup

anil
> GE)

QTH for LY4T

[Outstanding analysis Richard - | gather your contact to Lithuania was on
40m?

There was a time during the last sunspot cycle when I'd get up at

Sparrow’s and have fun on 40m (phone) - the band just worked so well into
Europe at that early time.

| believe that FOF2 is the critical (highest)

frequency that the ionosphere will reflect vertically - so yes, higher
frequencies that FOF2 may be refracted at lower take-off and incidence
angles;

so / guess the propagation may follow the lines on the plot,

because the second hop will also be refracted. Reason | suggested long
path was because | thought the dark blue line was the one being followed,
rather than the dark grey.

And yes, long path may have more attenuation

because it’s slightly further, but sometimes it works just as well as short

path.

Turn your 40m

Yagi and test - H/!]

This Week’s

Topic of Interest

One-Way

Propagation

You may have read previous weeks’ thoughts about possible reasons for
the Eastern States 80m signals being received more strongly in WA as the
so-called grey-line moved

across the continent, compared to signals

received over East originated in WA.

As | said last week, we’re now

heading out of Winter toward the equinox, which means the E-layer may
start getting stronger and the F-layer may strengthen even more (peaking
around the equinox) as depicted visually last week.
So for the second week in a row, we had different results to the previous
month

or two on our net.

Signals both ways were about the same, and if

anything, some of the West-to-East signals were stronger than the other
way.

So l’ll keep an eye out to see if the one-way propagation comes

again over the next year - and if you have similar experiences,
me know so we can share more thoughts and ideas;

back

please let

to mark.bosma@icloud.com

Tuesday’s

CQ QRS

Net

Reminder.

So back to the Slow CW QSO
always on

practice net.

Tuesday from around 0900z;

Our CQ QRS Net will be on as
see below for details.

Fingers

crossed that we’ll keep attracting more Easterners and that they'll stay up
late to catch the fun as the band opens from the East to the West once
again.
So thank you so much to our outstanding team of 19 contributors this
week:

Peter VK2NV,

Keiran VK3BTV,

Vk7WW,

Terry VK6CK,

VK7KPC,

Phillip VK6DEV,

David VK3DBD,

Shaun VK6BEK,

Richard VK6HRC,
David VK6KD,

Owen VK2OMD,

Richard VK6PZT,

Nic

Garry VK2GAZ, Allen VK5FD,

Peter

lan VK1HF,

Dale VK5DC

Max VK6FN, John VK5ET,

and Donald VK6JDM.

Thank

you team - once again, a superb effort - it’s the thoughts of the team
the photos that makes

RagChew

so interesting to the 100-odd

plus

(perhaps

100-plus would be safer) subscribers;

so for everyone,

by email to

who you work or hear this coming

mark.bosma@icloud.com

week on Tuesday’s net.

please let me know

As always, | can only attempt poorly to listen-in

and log QSOs while having QSOs

myself - so | really want your comments

each week to make our RagChew

newsletter interesting.

And again for those who | work on Tuesday night, please accept my
apologies in advance for the pauses,

repeated dah-di-di-di-dahs etc while |

attempt to pick up and log callsigns that | hear in parallel, send WhatsApp
notes, do one-way propagation tests, etc.
And don’t forget our CQ QRS group on WhatsApp - a terrific way to
exchange alerts and comments

during the net and also to spot QRS

stations at other times.

The feed from last week is below;

join in on the WhatsApp

group if possible.

I'd like you to

Please let Stuart VKOMK

(stujen55@gmail.com) or me know your mobile phone number, and we'll
add you to the group.

Cheers,

mb
Mark Bosma
VK2KI / VK6QI
Beautiful South Bowning NSW
mark.bosma@icloud.com
non impediti ratione cogitationis
“Without antennas, amateur radio just wouldn't be the same” - author:

About

the CQ
Here’s

the

QRS

dah-dah dit!

Net

details.

The team will be on again for our usual Tuesday arvo / evening

Practice

QSO

This

Net.

CQ QRS will start at 0900z until about 1100-1400z+.

translates to 1700 - 2000-2230+
and

2000

2400+

Eastern

WA time, 1930 - 2330+

Summer

time.

SA Summer time

(I think!).

So tune around and call anyone you hear, or find yourself a quiet spot in
the 3540kHz to 3570kHz segment and start calling CQ QRS at about 75% of
the speed you're comfortable receiving at;

hopefully responders will match

(or send slower to their comfort level).
When

you hear someone

slower.

new, please match their sending speed - or

The person you're replying to may not be as deft on the decoding

as you - it may be their first ever CW QSO - remember your first?

Lather of

sweat, key that refuses to send that you tell it, brain that refuses to decode
those complex
someone
“AGN?

letters that were right there half an hour ago, etc!

And if

is sending too fast to comfortably copy - “PSE RPT PSE QRS” or

PSE QRS” will make

life easier for everyone.... and might just

encourage other listeners to have a go themselves.

The other thing to

remember - most operators are writing down what they hear... so when you
put it back to them, expect a delay while they read your words of wisdom,
before replying.
The aim is to give everyone a go at contacting others - no-one owns their
calling frequency on this net... even Monsieur trois cing cing cing :) So
unlike working

DX, if you hear someone

signing of - jump in and call -

doesn’t matter who was first on the frequency - we’re all good

mates on

this net.... and besides, at the speed we’re sending, after a QSO
will have forgotten who was first!

most of us

If you really want to move off frequency

(eg because of a spurious switch mode

power supply signal that’s just

drifted into the conversation), you could try sending an abridged callsign of
the person you’re after, followed by “UP 5” or “DN 5” then K;

then call that

person on the designated frequency and keep your fingers crossed, they
may have understood you and followed... or not.

As always, for newbies, operating suggestions are available from the
operating hints link here: https://sites.google.com/a/parg.org.au/www-pargorg-au/training-and-practice-sessions/cq-qrs---slow-cw-qso-practice-net.
There's usually people around until after 1330z - so keep calling until you
catch someone.

| should be on as usual from home

in NSW and via the

Remote at Bedfordale WA, and I'll also be watching the proceedings using
the VK6QS

and Tecsun SDRs in WA and NSW

CQ QRS

respectively.

Traffic from the CQ QRS

Here’s what went on on the CQ QRS WhatsApp
[11:45 pm, 09/10/2023] Lin Jacob: DX Alert: 5WOLM

Feed
Group.

message group this week:

at 7.016 UP 1.3KHz, working split, loud in Perth!!

[9:53 am, 10/10/2023] Richard Ayre: Just got my first contact to Europe

20m

LY4T

[9:55 am, 10/10/2023] Richard Ayre: Seems to be a continuous fof2 of 7mhz between my house and
europe

at the mo

[11:05

am,

10/10/2023]

Mark

Bosma:

Congratulations

Richard

- CW

| trust?

Long

path

presumably

from the prediction.
[11:06 am, 10/10/2023] Stuart Cumming:
[11:27

am,

10/10/2023]

Richard Ayre:

Well done . Now for 10m

cw yes

[11:27 am, 10/10/2023] Richard Ayre: longpath
[11:32 am, 10/10/2023] Mark Bosma:

no idea

From Dale VK5DC - 10m CW - band open!

[1:55 pm, 10/10/2023] Phillip Jubb: Congrats Richard
[8:16

pm,

10/10/2023]

Mark

Bosma:

VK6FN

calling CQ

on 3560

and VK2KI

calling CQ

on 3555kHz.

[8:18 pm, 10/10/2023] Mark Bosma: VK6DEV and VKG6FN chatting on 3560.
[8:27

pm,

10/10/2023]

Phillip Jubb:

Sorry

max,

in and

out like a yo-yo

at the moment.

[8:27 pm, 10/10/2023] Mark Bosma: Yes, Max wasn't as strong as usual into the Remote tonight.
[8:28 pm, 10/10/2023] Mark Bosma: VK5FD and VK2KI chatting on 3555kHz.
[8:29

pm,

10/10/2023]

Mark

Bosma:

VK6FN

calling CQ

on 3560.

[8:31 pm, 10/10/2023] Mark Bosma: VKGAAV and VK6FN chatting on 3560.
[8:35 pm, 10/10/2023] Mark Bosma: VK6CK calling CQ on 3556.
[8:49 pm, 10/10/2023] Mark Bosma: VK5CZ and VK2NV working on 3557kHz.
[8:55 pm, 10/10/2023] Mark Bosma: VK7KPC chatting to VK2KI on 3555kHz.
[8:57 pm, 10/10/2023] lan - VK5CZ: What's vk2nv name anyone know.
[8:59 pm, 10/10/2023] Mark Bosma:

2NV is PEter.

[8:59 pm, 10/10/2023] lan - VK5CZ: Tnx
[9:01

pm,

10/10/2023]

Mark

Bosma:

VK3BTV

clling CQ

on 3558..5kHz.

[9:05 pm, 10/10/2023] lan - VK5CZ: CQ QRS VK5CZ 3.550
[9:09 pm, 10/10/2023] Mark Bosma: VKSIP calling CQ on 3540.
[9:15 pm, 10/10/2023] Mark Bosma: VK3BTV and VK2KI chatting on 3558.5kHz.
[9:20

pm,

10/10/2023]

Mark

Bosma:

VK6FN

and VK5CZ

chatting

on 3550.

[9:46 pm, 10/10/2023] Mark Bosma: VK2GAZ and VK2KI chatting on 3558.5kHz.
[9:57 pm, 10/10/2023] Mark Bosma: VK6PZT and VK5FD chatting on 3550.
[10:14

pm,

10/10/2023]

lan - VK5CZ:

Might grt after Keiran

zzzz been

up since 4 am

brain

is sizzling.

73 Cu next week. vk5cz..
[10:18 pm, 10/10/2023] lan - VK5CZ:

Sri Mark snoozing on the job. See you all next week vk5cz gn ..

[10:19 pm, 10/10/2023] Keiran Blyth: Tnx for the qso Budh
[10:23 pm, 10/10/2023] Mark Bosma: VK6PZT calling CQ on 3555. VK6NT and VK2KI chatting on
3560.
[10:26

pm,

10/10/2023]

Lin Jacob:

Heavy

QRN,

Mark.

crashing

noise now.

[10:28 pm, 10/10/2023] Mark Bosma: VK6PZT and VK5FD chatting on 3555.
[10:30 pm, 10/10/2023] Mark Bosma: VK6KD and VK6NT chatting on 3560.
[10:37 pm, 10/10/2023] Mark Bosma: VK2KI calling CQ on 3550kHz.
[10:39 pm, 10/10/2023] Richard Ayre: i have lots qrm on 3550 will call on 3555 for a bit

[10:43 pm, 10/10/2023] Phillip Jubb: 2KI and 6PZT on 3555 PZT 539 into Victoria KI is 559
[10:43 pm, 10/10/2023] Mark Bosma: VK6PZT and VK2KI chatting on 2555.
[10:43 pm, 10/10/2023] Mark Bosma: er 3555
[11:01 pm, 10/10/2023] Richard Ayre: qrx ing
[11:03 pm, 10/10/2023] Max Faulkner: Good night all .. Tks
[11:03

pm,

10/10/2023]

Mark

Bosma:

Sorry

[11:08

pm,

10/10/2023]

Mark

Bosma:

Got Carnarvon

mate

fer the contacts tonight. 73’s

- | couldn't key up the TX at Carnarvon!
keying

Richard

if you're still around.

[11:08 pm, 10/10/2023] Richard Ayre: yup
[11:08 pm, 10/10/2023] Richard Ayre: freq ??
[11:09 pm, 10/10/2023] Richard Ayre: 3555

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