Subscribe Past Issues Translate View this email CQ QRS What happened Reminder e A new world RagChew last Tuesday, and a reminder for the next net. for 5Dec23 Headphones in your browser CQ QRS record that fail mid-way Lightning Gods at it again 300 Ohm TV ribbon Just who is that PZT character anyway? - surely not! Check this out! CQ QRS YouTube More thoughts about static crash Well well well... who’d have thought? fame! propagation Despite really tough static crash conditions on last Tuesday’s CQ QRS Slow CW least 20 people on or listening! new record for our net! many Practice net, | counted at Wow... 20 stations all enjoying slow CW -a Congratulations team; bloody fantastic to hear so people on, despite the crashes of lightning, the auroral buzz, etc. Although the mechanism of static crash propagation is very interesting and still a mystery to me (see later in this edition), it’s none-the-less annoying when the crashes occur exactly when those critical parts of the QSO are being sent - HI. There were a couple of apologies for last Tuesday as well - Donald VK6JDM our Doctor Home-Brew, Richard VK6HRC our Padbury listening post and the Birthday Boy, Peter VK7KPC - imagine that, foregoing our net to celebrate with friends - Happy Birthday mate! And while thinking of the West (which we weren't... but anyway), my thoughts go out to the people in the Northern suburbs of Perth affected by the terrible bushfires. | don’t think any of our WA team suburbs - but you never can tell with SWLs of course. live in those At one stage in my life | lived in nearby Edgewater WA and drove through the affected area daily when it was largely bush, paddocks and market gardens. people lost everything; puts some perspective on our own So sad that little and seemingly big problems! Anyway - on, on... here’s this week’s list of stations heard on last Tuesday’s CQ QRS Slow CW QSO practice net: v RSS 28Nov23 CQ ORS Net Total active stations this week: Total QS0 (note that this figure wort be comect - 505 may be counted twice ormore]| = Instructions: 20 BT Existing Users: Go down te the line with your callsign on the left (Colurnn A). Use the slider on the right hand edge of the screen to scroll down. If you can't see the lines, expand the spreadsheet downwards by cli 1é bottom of the window and dragging downwards Mowe across te OS01 (Cahur cell and select the ¢ fof the first G0 you had or heard Black text - 5Le heard but not worked, Blue t- incomplete G50 (nat OSLed). Repeat the QSO entry against the other station's row. Moving to the next cell to the right in your row for the second O50 ete. if you hear someone just calling 00, find them on the list in Column and then enter CQ in Column B. Ifyou hear or work someone notin the left hand column or drag-down list, contact Stuart or Mark and advise;need ta be copyypasted). - We'll then update the spreadsheet (the spreadsheet haa hidden formulas that need to be copy//pasted). Stuart: | stujenS5@gmail.com Mark: | mark. bosmadicloud.com Ctrl-S to cave the spreadsheet when done, If the spreadsheet is too confusing, send the list of your contacts and heard stations to Stuart ar Mark to update the spreadsheet (to make it easy, you could take @ phota of your log and send that). New Users: Contact Stuart or Mark (click on email address above] and ask for your callsign (or name if unlicensed) to be added. Inchude a list of callsigns heard or worked, and we'll add the QSOs. MY CALL Calling CQ. a gso1 Oso02 Qso3 gs04 VK7WW | VK3CLD VK6IS VEBIS VE3BTV | gso5 Os06 Qso7 Qs0 8 gso9 | Q5010 | QS011 | Q§012 | Q5013 | Q5014 | Q5015 VK5SFD VK5CZ tC, or Listening if na C150) VKITE/m VK2KI VRZAOE VE2BHO VE2BHO VK2GAZ VE2IK VE2KI | VKRACU | VK3BTV | VK5C2Z | VK3DBD | |VKITE/m| VK6PZT | VK6KD VE2NV VE2ZWEO VK3ACU | VETWW) VE2KI VE3ADX VK3BTV VK3ACU VK3BU VK3CLD/p VKTWW | VEGAAV | VK3DBD VK2KI VKGFN VK3KO VKSCZ VEQKI VESFD VKSET VK2K VESCZ VEKSFD VK5CZ VESIP VESKFG VKSPH Listening VK6ATB VEGAAV VKBFN | VK6PZT VKGBEK VKBKD | VK6PZT VK6CK VK6DEV/p VKGFN VK6PZT | VK6KD VEBIS VKBKD | VKGAAV | VKGPZT VK6GAL VK6HRC VK6IR VKE6IS VKGFN | WKGKHZ | VKGKO | VESACU | VKGPZT VK6IDM VK6KD VK6BEK | VK6GFN | VK6PZT | VKGKHZ VKGIS VK6IS |VKGDEV/p) VK2K |VK6DEV/p) VKS5CZ VE6IS VK6KQ, VEK6LD VEKGMK VEKENC VKGNT VKENW VRK6PZT VKBAAV | VKGFN | VK6BEK VK6Ql VK6IS VKGFN | VK6KHZ | VKGAAV | VKGPZT | VKGBEK | VE6KD VK2K VK6KD VK6TY VK6XU VE7TWW 'VK3CLD/p] VK2KI | VK3ACU VE7KPC VEIZA Reports And From Claude VKITE & Comments here’s this week’s from last week’s reports. net. [You may recall that in last week’s net, Claude was operating CW while mobile heading South from Canberra. Here’s his report from the previous week, including interesting comments about keying when mobile]: Thanks Mark. A bit late but here we go anyway, now that I’m back to civilisation in the ACT now. Managed just a few contacts and some monitoring for the rest. 1538 Ulira road | still copied you 599+ when | was /M parked at the farm. Could have been better and could have made more QSOs if | had positioned the ute about 2Kms away, up the hill on the block. | was tired and the ute with trailer both fully loaded. So, | kept listening and CQing until 1300z from where | parked in front of the shed. There was a lot of QRN-statics. As usual, an interesting experience. | just re-used a straight key (using one side of a paddle) and realised that | am more fluent with it and feel more comfortable than an iambic paddle. The paddle is good in some ways but | still prefer the straight approach for slow speeds up to about 25wpm. driving on bumpy mistakes, While roads,the use of a paddle often leads to weird results and mainly when you are tired... The paddle as such might be more useful when used in a fix station for speeds over 25wpm. Cheers, 73 k [Hi Claude. I’m pleased that we’ve now been able to use Near-Vertical Incidence Skywave propagation over this 100km path as expected. | was a bit worried with those previous QSOs where your signals were way way down in the noise. before too long! Hope you get to think about antennas for the property Recommend the ZS6BKW (the antenna | use for portable operation) as a good all-round multi-band doublet - John VK5ET agrees HI!] And for last Tuesday: Hi Mark, Last Tuesday, despite the rain, | didn't feel like staying home to listen to SDRs. While | was getting ready in the ute for the QRS, the only activity | heard was you with two others; | recognised you straight away from your accent and "CW flow" but did not pay attention to who your correspondents were as | was focussing driving under bad weather. As soon as | found a spot where to park, sprayed by heavy rain, | managed to catch you briefly, then scanned a bit, to no avail, followed by me CQing without any more success. You finally reappeared asking me if| had any luck. You then mentioned that there was lighting all over the place were occurring, which explained the dead situation we were in. | then kept CQing for a little while, but gave up all together as, even on other bands, the static levels and frequency were too annoying. Back home with more bucketing rain, wishing for a better next time! ;-) Thanks for risking you life last stormy Tuesday anyway, hoping to work you and others in better conditions next time. All the best, 73-k VK1ITE [Thanks Claude - | think it was you risking life and limb on Tuesday! Well done for having a go - and much better luck this week - either listening and reporting via the SDRs, or out and about making electro-magnetic radiation. From More from Claude below]. Ron VK6KHZ at Yangebup: Hi Mark if you are in contact with VK6IS could you please thank him for his time today and let him know that my RX on CW is non existent but improving | did look him up on QRZ.com Regards Ron but there were no contact details. VK6kKHz [What, no email address on QRS.com Peter? Tsk! And don’t worry Ron - practice, practice practice on the net... and ask the other stations to PSE QRS - that’s why From Craig VK3CLD/p Worked VK7WW NSW. we’re all here - HIi!] at Eden NSW: Nic, 53N and way too much QRM and rain here at EDEN, Being close to the sea has not helped whatsoever. New a 39 a Heard a QSO ~ 0. To ee Py as & toys. em) . “6 | mer all Perthrl Tay ee © between VK6AAV and VK6FN Le e (who had worked each-other before obviously) but had to rely on VK6QS to listen in. Band not in great shape tonight. Off to bed to the sounds of screeching winds hi hi. Cheers, VK3CLD/P [Hi Craig. Yes | heard you on with Nic even before the net kicked off - keen! You were a solid RST 599, but| didn’t get to chat to you. keys worked a treat? From Nic VK7WW Trust your new Where will you be next Tuesday do you think?] at Legana: Well, the static crashes appeared from nowhere and progressively increased to 10 over 9...is this the WX Anyway, in SA? it was nice to get on CW again. QSOs with Craig VK3CLD, VK2KI and VK3ACU (who’s CW has improved considerably since | last heard him!) Someone called me after my QSO with Jordan 3ACU, sorry couldn’t get to you. Anyway, it was a delight to get back on-air again, from having been absent! 73 to all, Nic VK7WW. [Thanks Nic. The delight is all ours - great to hear you back on. for info on where the storms See later were. More from Nic in the Other News Mark: | only got 2 tnite VK2KI VK5FD. below]. From lan VK5CZ at Clare: Tnx folks hpe Cu next week. 73 all vk5cz gn.. [Thanks lan. | was watching you on the one of the SDRs in WA - you had a good signal, but no-one over there caught you this time. ] From Richard VK6PZT at Dalyellup: Not a bad night considering the conditions Mark!! | don’t usually use my Noise Blanker and Noise Reduction on the Icom 7200, however it seems to work well when there is a lot of QRN thats what is best for ??? Seven contacts tonight VK6AAV-Mike-3555 VK6FN-Max- 579/577 3555 599/579 - Had a head phone fail during Max's over VK6BEK-Shaun-3558-559/579 VK6DEV-Phill-3555-599+20 from the end of my street. VK61S-Peter-3558-579/579 VK6KD-David-3555-589/599 VK2KI-Mark-3560-329/269 Also heard VK5CZ Richard VK6PZT but only just tonight. - | guess [Hi Richard. Good job - lots of QSOs And well well - using the radio’s capabilities to deal with the conditions - what will they think of next? 1 don’t have any modern equipment (my TS-50 was the duck’s guts when | bought it 30 years ago, but the noise blanker does nothing with modern-day QRN today). However, the VK6SR Remote (an FT-991A)’s signal processing doesn’t like CW possibly it’s the way it’s managed by the RemoteHams control system, or perhaps | just don’t know how to drive it (there isn’t any known written words on how to use the Remote emulation to drive the particular equipment connected).... but the Dynamic Noise Reduction seems to just do weird things to CW. From David VK6KD Gday Mark. Basic CW Lots more from Richard below]. at Ballajura: report from Tuesday 28 NOV 2023: (1) QSO: VK6BEK Shaun (2) 6.55pm QSO: (3) Listening: (4) QSO: 3562kHz VK6FN 7.22pm 7.25pm (5) Listening: 3.562MHz 6.34pm max 3558kHz VK6PZT de VK6BEK 3558kHz VK6IS peter 7.42pm 3558kHzZ VK6PZT & VK6IS (6)QSO ~~~7.50pm 3562kHz VK6DEV Phillip (7) QSO: ~~8.03pm 3555kHz VK6PZT Richard (8) 8.40pm QSO: 3555kHz VK2KI Mark Catch you on the talk back channel - the AllStar South West net, HI HI. Regards David VK6KD 73 [Thanks David - a great haul for a tough night]. From John VKS5ET at Hope Valley: G'day Mark, very quiet night except for the noise. | watched the VK5PH Ironstone Range SDR; the screen had nothing but hash throughout the whole time & only heard you, VK2KI & lan VK5CZ, 3553 at about 10:30z; Rx you 339 & lan only 449. Only other stations heard about an hour later was Allen VK5FD calling VK5CZ lan, both in the noise & very low down to copy on 3562; nothing heard back on 3553, so | turned off at 10:45z. 73's till next time, John , VK5ET... ee es , 7 [Thanks John - tough conditions! from home on the night? | gather that reception wasn’t any better Lots of the net team have found it’s quiet feasible to transmit QRS from home while receiving on a remote SDR. The latency delay actually produces a nice delay with Farnsworth Morse - send a /etter, wait for it to come through the SDR, send the next letter - depending on the latency, this sets a nice pace at around 8 wom, irrespective of how fast the letters are sent. You do need a way of listening to your side-tone at the same time of course - | use the little mixer to bring audio together in /eft, right or both ears from my receiver (side-tone) and two computers (the East and West SDRs and the VK6SR Remote) - but a speaker for the sidetone and headphones From Peter VK6IS Hi Mark. with an ear uncovered for the SDR works too]. at Wundowle: Tonight’s QSOs were with vk6ofn, vk6kd, vk6pzt,, vK6khz. It was very noisy with everyone worried about that storm - which didn't make it to this qth :) lt was good to hear Ron VK6KHZ again, with that great call-sign of his. Peter [Heh heh - thanks for the report Peter - and well done hanging in there under tough conditions. | also hear you trying to catch Jordan too early in the evening for the band to be open between guess. |. — L “th a ee i c. VK3SACU - but Victoria and WA | From Shaun VK6BEK at Quinns Rocks: Hi Mark, | tried to get clever last night and bent my end fed quite a bit to get more height. This promptly pushed the resonance on 80m up the band and | had to take it down and return to the original configuration. After that | managed to work David VK6KD good chat with both of them. Lesson learned. and Richard VK6PZT. Quite a Band was noisy with thunderstorms but the really narrow filter on the IC-7300 plus noise reduction removed the problem. which David normally has a good signal here but Richard was up to 579 made things a bit easier with the QRN. Regards Shaun - VK6BEK [Thanks Shaun - good try with the antenna. filter go? How narrow does the IC-7300 | assume it’s a software filter (rather than a traditional crystal / ceramic / mechanical filter). Do you know whether it operates at audio frequencies (after the detector), IF (before the detector) or right up the front end on the frequency in use, as part of the SDR system? More about Shaun below]. From Jordan VK3ACU at Meredith: Hey Mark, It was really difficult but a good challenge on Tuesday. Keiran VK3BTV and Nic VK7WW [Not a fun way to practice eh Jordan? got to work three stations. | worked you, before the noise completely took over. But I’m glad you hung in there and More from Jordan below and lots more next week about using a drone to put up wire antennas]. From Paul VK5PH at Glen Osmond: Hi Mark, Last Tuesday was fairly ordinary - | think that we were copping some Coronal Mass Ejections from the sun. 73 and keep up the good work Paul VK5PH... [Thanks Paul; great to hear you were listening, albeit under trying conditions. ] From me VK6QI at Bedfordale via the and the VK6QS VK6CRO The four channels of the VK6QS SDR at Brookton, Remote Remote at Carnarvon: SDR were tied-up for the net, | slipped across to the Aus Travel Safety Net KiwiSDR at Yarloop. Saw: the VK6SR Well this is what | Argh - the Lightning Gods were at it again! See This Week’s Topic of Interest below for more thoughts on static crashes. So by the time | got the SDR cranked up, Peter VK6IS at Wundowie VK6FN at Manjimup were chatting away happily; to work Ron VK6KHZ and Max | then heard Peter go on (Peter’s old callsign as it turned out), and Max worked Mike VK6AAV at Forrestfield. VK6PZT at Dalyellup. A while later | heard Mike chatting to Richard Then | heard Shaun VK6BEK at Quinns Rocks hook up with David VK6KD at Ballajura while Max and Richard chatted before | heard Richard working Shaun. So despite the prevalence of static crashes in WA, the evening saw a good number of QSOs over that way. But to add to the woes: Sure enough - auroral buzzing started coming band. However, up from the bottom of the even though the crashes and the aurora made for the usual Southern or Eastern States QSOs, certainly tried. one-way Around midnight Eastern time (1300z | tried testing for the propagation that we'd experienced both ends using the VK6SR sampling life difficult Richard, David and Peter in Winter - transmitting from Remote and my home station - but the slow rate on the Remote’s S-meter in combination with the static crashes made the test pretty useless this time. As | said in previous weeks, my repeated di-di-di-dahs usually stirred up someone from WA to say g’day - but it was all too noisy | suspect - and our team had | think found more interesting things to do. Aurora seen from Mandurah WA on December 1st bit of a yawn for Nic, Peter and Lance... but exciting for the Sandgropers: Also From me, VK2KI Extended Zepp at Bowning antenna from using home my TS-50 and Double- and also using the VK1CM SDR at Farrer: Even before the net started, our keen Tasmanian at Legana was calling CQ, and hooked QRP operator Nic VK7WW up with Craig VK3CLD/p at Eden NSW, after which | chatted to Nic - unfortunately, Craig had disappeared, | missed him. so Doctor QRP Nic was using an IC-7610 to get through the static crashes, but despite the high power, | was still having a bit of trouble - RST 479 and I’m guessing the more swept-up receiver allowed him to report RST 579. A while later, | was listening on the VK1CM KiwiSDR at Farrer (the Araluen Tecsun SDR was still out to lunch), and | heard Jordan VK3ACU at Meredith struggling to hear Peter VK6IS - too early, and too many static crashes to make a go of it. misery. However, luckily Nic came up and put Jordan out of his CQ Jordan then went on to chat to Keiran VK3BTV at North Ringwood while | worked lan VK5CZ at Clare, using his FT-991a. | then caught up with Jordan myself - but he was really struggling with the noise and QSB - he gave me an RST 229 versus my report of 589 - despite both using 70 Watts. | was wondering whether the feed-line to my double-extended Zepp was playing up in the rain (would you believe, as a strictly temporary proof of concept arrangement of course (yeah, sure!) I’m using just a 300 Ohm TV ribbon feed about 45m long, supported by a rope; the impedance to that soggy arrangement was different to normal - the settings on my Pi-coupler were quite different - and Jordan’s report made losing the plot somewhere me suspect that | was along the line (sorry about the mixed metaphors grammar fans). Anyway, | then worked David VK3DBD at Yakandandah chasing escaped goats - the things you do! lan VK5CA at Clare working Allen VK5FD Claude VK1TE/m out and about again. - who had been out While chatting to David, heard at Blakeview, then went on to work Although Claude was S8, the static crashes had built up to $9+, making things a tad challenging for us both. | then rounded the night out with attempts to work Richard VK6PZT at Dalyellup and David VK6KD at Ballajura. Richard and | were Q2 with each- other - but after about 110 repeats, | finally heard my report - thanks for your patience mate. 20 minutes later when | tried working David, we had to give it away before QSLing the reports - the crashes just made it impossible - so no banana for me this time. Other Other things From I’ve received Richard VK6PZT News from our 110-odd readers. at Dalyellup: [Continuing our theme of encouraging our team to talk a little about themselves Richard as a - including non-amateur radio things, here’s Richard VK6PZT - born in Stockton on Tees in 1973 UK. VK6PZT]: My profession is Radiographer/ Ultra sonographer, and | have been a licensed Ham since 2014. My interest in Radio started with an electronics club at school. was an astable multivibrator circuit with two flashing LEDs. First circuit | switched out the LEDs for relays and a step-up transformer to make a hand-held / electric shock device. | noted at the time the device caused inverter massive interference with my parents’ television as it generated a modest spark about 1-2cm across. | guess this was my first home brew transmitting project - unwittingly making a spark-gap transmitter (probably illegal of course). This was confiscated a few weeks later back at school, after the teachers noticed an orderly queue of kids taking turns to be given electric shocks. | have fond memories of waiting outside the teacher’s staff room and hearing a loud yelp followed by a lot of chuckling as they examined the device. Oh, happy days. Guglielmo Marconi tries to replicate Richard’s success with TVI and teachers: | did own a 27MHz CB radio back when work truck). | didn’t have much | was 16, (my dad’s old one from his luck with it - | was limited to a few watts, running it off an old car battery and using a metal whip antenna with a magnetic base. My first attempt to make a mains power supply for it with step-down transformer and a rectifier resulted in a small mushroom and a big hole in my bedroom carpet. cloud Turns out | had the transformer back to front with 240v in and 4-5KV out, oops. So, | gave up on radio for a bit. | think the movie CONTACT got me back into radio in my late 30s, so | signed up for a study CD rom from Ron Bertrand. my Standard, Regulations, and practical exam A, few months later | sat all in one day with Ham College in Perth. First proper radio was and still is my ICOM bought just before | was licensed. 208H 2m & 70cm, which | It also works well on the UHF CB frequencies limited to 5 w of course - but allowed me to listen in on local hams and satellite passes until | passed my exam. First HF rig was a kit from QRP Labs, a Rock-Mite 40. watt CW only, crystal-bound to two 40m frequencies. A whopping 0.5 - 1 | thought that | could make up for my lack of budget and power output with a bit of skill, along with the narrow bandwidth of CW. How wrong was I. | did occasionally pick up a bit of CW on my frequency but it was always going at 30 wom faster. or | tried calling CQ, using an electronic microswitch as a straight key, but | have still yet to make a contact with it (so far)! | still have the Rock- Mite stashed within a tea bag tin and its lid, with the antenna and transformer stored within the tin also. challenge for the future. Maybe, a contact on this rig is still a | finally got my hands on an ICOM 7200 100 Watt superheterodyne transceiver for my birthday, a couple of years a later. difference 100W and a VFO makes. | would recommend - whata | picked this one for the 100W, the built-in filters for CW and noise reduction functions. and looks like it would Wow HF Also, its built tough be at home out in the field. a 100W rig in a box type transceiver as a first rig. | certainly found the extra power made a massive difference in WA, where the number of hams on air at any one time is pretty small compared to the rest of the world (except of course during the CQ QRS nets). A local ham VK6ET gifted me an old manual antenna tuner, and | set about experimenting with centre-fed linked dipoles, off centre fed dipoles, and finally settled on the end-fed. 20 and 15 with no tuner. The end-fed long wire works great on 80,40, However, | suspect the radiation pattern on 80m is straight up, but that’s ok for local contacts, and I’ve managed to get into VK5 VK3 VK2 on 80m with good conditions. | upgraded my initial impedance transformer from a small T140 to a much larger one with two FT240s in a clear case for inspection; higher power much better. this handle the | did overheat a small transformer with CW on 80m once, noticing the SWR climb ever higher as it got hotter. | also run a smaller end-fed on the opposite side of my house for 20 and 10m with a single FT240 49-1 transformer for a better match on 20 and 10m. Finally, after improving my CW skills a bit with the QRS team, | got my hands on a Mountain Topper MTR4B. for 80, 40, 30, and 20m. It’s a great CW-only 5 Watt QRP rig | have had a chance to take it out in the field four times now, slowly improving from no contacts, to one, then 4. Like the Rock-Mite, | keep it with a battery pack, transformer and 80m 40m end-fed antenna in a waterproof case. 20m I’m still having trouble with my paddle in the field so | also pack a small straight key too. Other things of note. | have been a member of the Bunbury Radio Club for close to 10 years | think, and Club Secretary for several of those too. I've have appeared on HardQuiz, Series 8 episode 17, with Morse Code as my specialist subject and managed to take home the big brass mug. This is now kept at work, with a small 5W heating element in the bottom, warming lube for my patients. A big thanks to Mark and the QRS team is due, as helping Mark with the two International Morse Code Day Quizzes probably got me over the line with the harder questions at the end. 73 DE VK6PZT [What great stories Richard - thank you so much for taking the time to put this together. up with Ron Still laughing at the teachers! Hey perhaps you should hook VK6KHZ who has a crystal-locked 40m 49er - if not... perhaps head down to Phillip’s favourite beach with the Rock-Mite and yell out on our WhatsApp Group for a contact or two? Now, anyone else able to give us a word or three about their background, radio and non-radio interests, etc? More of these would be great for our team to get to know the face at the end of the key]. From George Dear Mark, VK2AOE at Kogarah: | just bought myself an early Xmas present! A j38 straight key! See below for more information in the YouTube video. 73 de VK2AOE George [Thanks George. What do you know about the history of that key? Lots more from George below]. From Claude VKI1TE at Pearce: Hi Mark, Re: "I've Spotted you on WhatsApp". Wondering How does it work? if we could try a QSO on 10M sometime. Also, are you QRV on 50MHz? The 6m band is quite large and | am wondering where | am more likely to find some traffic on it; | haven't heard anything on it yet. | even wonder if anyone bothers using it for CW. Yesterday day and night during a contest, stations from all over the world were going through the roof, of the Ute! ;-) and 10MHz. | rarely explored | was then focussing on 28, 21 10 and 15M bands before. | was quite surprised and pleased to see how well it worked. Thanks for the reports. Cheers, 73 Kw... [Hi Claude. The CQ QRS WhatsApp CQ QRS Group works really well - scroll all the way to the end of the newsletter to see the feed over the past week - lots of our team use it to liaise during the nets (ie to let everyone know who’s calling CQ and where for instance, or outside of the net, to arrange QRS or non-QRS contacts. WhatsApp works like SMS - text messages from your phone primarily - but it’s all replicated on your computer if you wish. And a side benefit if you travel overseas - if you don’t have a local SIM card (or can’t afford the ridiculous Global Roaming charges), even though it’s all based on your Australian mobile phone number, you can send and receive messages using any WiFi connection overseas. So to join the Group, just say the word, and I'll connect you - and if you don’t Iike it - it’s easy to disconnect from the Group and delete the App. try as well, please email me: If anyone else would like to mark.bosma@icloud.com / used to love 10m - but haven't used it very much of late - however, I’ve seen the bottom of the band full of CW signals in recent times. I’m not on 6m any more - used to be the only band | used back in the early 70s - so 1 can’t tell you about the calling frequencies any more (when | was on, we only had 52 to 54MHz). However, if you have a look at the band plans on the WIA website, I’m sure you'll find the CW and SSB calling frequencies in the first few hundred kHz of the band. Rolling into Summer we should be getting regular day-time inter-State Sporadic-E propagation; the VK6CRO Remote in Carnarvon thatI use is often used for FT8 - with propagation into Europe - amazing!] From Nic VK7WW at Legana: Here’s a pic of the key | normally use on a Tuesday night...(needs dusting) | bought it in the UK in 1986. The company still get spare parts! is still building them and you can httos://www.kent-engineers.com/index.htm nies But | may re-acquaint myself with the Bencher paddle...needs dusting, even though | cover it up... Then there are two others that | occasionally use @ one) (I recently restored this This one AWA...also needs dusting...(maybe | need to call in a “dust-off” Mark?@) It really is a marble base...| put that base on in 1984; a stonemason | knew had just the right size off cuts. Anyway, it was a delight to get back on-air again, from having been absent! 73 to all, Nic VK7WW. [Thanks for the baby photos Nic - c’est bon - Merci! Like the background information posts, photos of our members’ keys, equipment or antennas makes this a really interesting newsletter - for me especially!] From Jordan VK3ACU at Meredith: [I'd asked Jordan whether anyone had responded to his request for a QRS QSO during the week on our WhatsApp CQ QRS group]. No one came up, | did have contact with someone on 40 after calling CQ for a while but they were way too fast for me despite asking for QRS a few times lol. Still got some of it but it was a struggle. | have an old brass CW key that is on loan to me so | am reluctant to modify itin any way. The timber block it's mounted on seems to be quite dry and does not sit flat on the table anymore. | received an invite to join SKCC, now that | am a member mechanical key. within the SKCC I've been using my bencher paddles but | have read in the rules that it must be a | tried wiring my bencher as a "side swiper". This gets me rules but I'm now thinking | would like to purchase my own straight key. Just wondering if you have any pointers on what to look for ie style of key etc. [Pity you didn’t catch any QRS on 40m. come out of the blue. Try again - sometimes people will Bugger that that 40m operator didn’t slow down. | suspect that lots of CW stations use keyboard-type keying and decoding would you believe? Some can’t or won't slow down - oh well... move on - their bad luck - HI! | find that most of the VKFF PARKS and SOTA operators in Australia will happily slow down, if they aren’t already QSR operators. Great practice and very simple exchanges - more often than not on 7032kHz - good frequency to leave the receiver on during the day. I can give more info about using parksnpeaks.org to get SMS alerts of CW Spots etc if you're not already familiar with it. Can you send me a photo of your borrowed key? Richard VK6PZT Is a lover of key restoration - I’m sure he'll be able to help with the dry base problem, and others may have some advice as well - linseed oil (or linseed and kero) perhaps? Better to check with the owner before trying anything - HI! Perhaps he or she may be willing to part with the old brass, which might make a nice restoration project? Hopefully you'll get some responses from the team to your question about style of key. | feel that as long as there’s some leverage (ie the contacts aren't directly below the knob), you should be ok. The key | started with 50 years ago had the contacts just about below the knob - and it was hard work! Here’s my current key (I have two - one for home and one for portable - but for the last International Morse Code Day Slow CW Corroboree | set them both up in the shack, along with the high-tech labelling to remind me which key was connected to which transmitter).... Both keys have the contacts closer to the pivot than the knob (in this case, the contacts are at the back). The teal-coloured thing under the knob is one of Elizabeth’s button collection - it works really well as a rest for my thumb and index finger. | bought that key at a non-radio car-boot swap meet in Wantirna in Melbourne about 40 years ago; the second one | bought on VK Classifieds - at times you'll see lots of second-hand keys for sale there. Also below you'll see the YouTube video from George VK2AOE which talks about the art of CW, our CQ QRS net and some good thoughts about Morse keys. So any recommendations for Jordan from readers]? And from Jordan: Thanks for the reply. I’ve been working some of the Parks and SOTA operators as you said, simple exchanges and they do slow down this has been an easy way to get some usually, more CW contacts under my belt. | do wonder how many people are using keyboard type keyers. It makes me wonder when you see 20+ signals across a band that are (to me anyway) super-fast if they are actually hand-sending code. | realise there are some skilled operators on our net who can do so easily, but | do wonder if | will ever crack 10wpm my self - HI Most mornings before work, early | listen to the beacon on 3.699 and write down as | copy. | usually follow it up in speed until | just can’t copy it. | think trying to copy faster than I can by a small amount might be helpful occasionally. Nice key you have and great idea with the button, thanks for sharing. | will send you a photo of the key and my little portable paddle | 3D-printed for portable use. I’ve found with the 3D-printed paddle | can hold it in my left hand and operate it handy to keep the pen in my right hand! | was quite surprised that | was able to operate the paddle left handed quite handy as often | get RSI from work in my right hand. If anyone would like to make this 3D-printed key its downloadable from thingiverse.com - search for CW paddle. Anyway look forward to making some contacts later tonight. 73 Jordan [Great to work you last night Jordan. Bloody tough conditions - boy when things settle down storms-wise, you'll be in for a treat! beacon from Yes the 3699kHz VK2WI is a beauty - | understand it’s 30 Watts to a dipole - but It has a huge signal even into WA when the band is open. It’s a good propagation indicator and antenna tester here - about 300km away, so single-hop high take-off angle]. From Shaun VK6BEK at Quinns Rocks: Heard you on the WA broadcast. Hopefully some new QRS recruits are listening in tonight. | will polish my dots and sharpen my dashes. [Heh heh]. And check out what George VK2AOE at Kogarah | teach at high school....doing parent teacher ZOOMS Love this QRS initiative | made a Youtube that mentions the QRS net ....too. https://youtu.be/11zYzyjqsjO?si=C5WVASgZhrxpfpzg has been up to! as | type this:)))) Cheers and 73 George [This ts a terrific YouTube video featuring our net and the RagChew newsletter - and even our promotion on the WIA National News! Thanks for inviting your viewers to get involved in our net - terrific. The thoughts on hand keys was also very good - thank you - and | liked the image of Brains (my hero!) from Thunderbirds as well. Ha - another teacher! We have a number of teachers and ex-teachers among our flock - interesting! Glad you like the CQ QRS initiative George... and to make things even better - there’s about 110 subscribers and lots of stations on the net each week - 18 last week... so it’s unbelievably popular. By the way, do you know of any other CW fans among your circle who might like to get the RagChew and perhaps listen / join in too]? From Geoff VKG6HD at Erskine: Hi Mark | have been meaning to write to you for some time re your QRS group. | just managed to find enough time to read your latest missive from cover to cover - outstanding read and a real credit to your vision and determination to see more QRS CW. | make a commitment each week to try and make Tuesday evening, but what with meetings and everything else, | simply don’t have the energy. Lack of an 80m antenna is also an issue but | can hear you saying - | need to access the SDRs or remotes. We are just booking to go back to Holland next year so perhaps with the 6 hour time difference | will be able to make the net - but then again it would to be on 20m at that time! Anyway, mate, have Still, food for thought... BZ on what you have achieved - | am very envious of your apparent ease at taking up CW, particularly as we were both licensed about the same time and had to do the CW test at 10 wom. reduce my workload a bit, CW When | am able to is head and shoulders above everything else on the bucket Warmest list. regards to you both Ciao G Geoff Hart-Davies VK6HD [Hi Geoff. Terrific to hear from you - and thanks for your nice comments - I'll need to buy a bigger hat soon. Suggest you get yourself set-up for CW on a Remote before your disappear overseas mate - much easier to get it sorted here before you go - HI! For those who don’t know, Geoff used to be the President of the Peel Amateur Radio Group (I started the CQ QRS Net as part of that Group two years ago when I was on the Committee as well). Geoff is supposedly retired, but a few years back managed to establish a unique and muchneeded community service in the Peel region dealing with the causes of domestic violence - so he’s now busier than ever, and has very limited spare time for life or amateur radio. I’m looking forward to installing the Yarloop AllStar node soon, so that we'll be able to chat during your sparrow’s walks in the morning Geoff, and the PARG Remote HF station as well so you'll have no excuses. Cheers mate]. Mister Antennas - Shaun VK6BEK at Quinns Rocks. What will Shaun get up to next with his antenna experiments? Keep an ear out on the net, and an eye out on future RagChews to find out! Without antennas, amateur radio just wouldn't be the same. And from Garry VK2GAZ at Hobartville: Greetings, Garry VK2GAZ the SKCC Oceania Coordinator for the 2024 K3Y Event here. The K3Y starts on the 2nd of January and runs through until the 31st of January. The SKCC Annual K3Y event is only a month away, as a SKCC member you are invited to join in this yearly event. If you would like some more information about the event it can be located here: httos://www.skccgroup.com/k3y/k3y.phpo Please consider taking part, we are sure you will enjoy catching up with other SKCC members. To register for the 2024 K3Y event, please email me at vk2gaz.auz@gmail.com | hope you will participate to some degree and | certainly look forward to working you during the K3Y month. If you have any questions regarding the event, please do not hesitate to contact me. Very best regards, Garry VK2GAZ SKCC # 5460C SKCC K3Y OC Coordinator vk2gaz.auz@gmail.com [Thanks for the info on the Straight Key Month event Garry. By the way, what does K3Y stand for - it wasn’t clear on the website - or did | miss something obvious - HI/?] This Week’s Are Static Crashes Topic of Interest Propagated So continuing the theme the Same Way as our Signals? if the last few RagChews’ Topic of Interest - how come static crashes can be bending the needles on 80m in one place, yet not audible at other locations in Australia, despite the band between those places? being open For the previous week’s net, the storms were around the WA / SA border - and the ionospheric prediction showed that the 80m band was expected to be open between that area (Eucla WA) and Perth, but also open from Eucla to Canberra as an example - yet, the early static crashes were pounding into WA, but not here in the East. So last week | floated a hypothesis (ie an initial thought, that then needed to be tested) that what we’re hearing isn’t actually being propagated to us on 80m. e | proposed that perhaps: most of the electromagnetic pulses’ energy is down in the Very Low Frequency frequency region (eg 20KHz); e the pulses are say around 20kHz of electro-magnetic radiation - not the 20kHz of air- (or fluid...or lube for Richard!) propagated pressure waves of ultrasonics. I’m wondering whether: e the very strong pulses are actually driving the front-end of our receivers into non-linearity - generating harmonics of the pulse that then get mixed and fed through the IF, like normal signals; e the pulses generating or harmonics in some other non-linear medium in the environment (eg corroded joints in our antennas, other non-linear things in the environment such as corroded dis-similar metal joints or minerals in the ground. Are there any other thoughts out there that we could explore? So on Tuesday, there were static crashes everywhere - WA, SA, Tassy, NSW, etc. The offending storms this time were in the Northern NSW / Southern QLD area. Telstra al 470 34%8 =) 8:10 pm “= @ map.blitzortung.org ee eas) aca Reyer after: 57 s Ca) a) y C = + ~ Bs A laysia Indonesia Papua|New Guinea * Solomon Isla Cd 2000 km Gi) TCL Washing Machines < oH The lightning strikes were being detected but this time mainly in the East; mM Ff by the VLF Blitzortung detectors, note there were detections in WA, but it seemed when | looked just after 0900z, the signals were being picked up mainly to the East. | wonder why? ecm f ae eo 40 36% 8 @ map.blitzortung.org C 8:07 pm > Telstra al )4 Ud wea rela ta ala Ee Philippines i EVaie va j F if Indonesia Papua|New Guinea * Solomon Isla Cd 2000 km tcl.com Your Home Solution < 7 mM ol From what | read last week in the National Bureau of Standards publication lonospheric Radio Propagation by Davies, propagation at VLF is largely waveguide-like between the ground and the lowest layers of the ionosphere - including our 80m absorbing friend, the D-layer. would At the time, the D-layer be strong in WA (because it’s still energised by solar radiation), weakening in SA and very weak in the East. signals were getting ducted So! wonder whether the VLF mainly between the D and E layers to the West, and not getting to the ground? My recollection was that at the time when the images were taken, the crashes were stronger on the VK6QS SDR in WA than on the VK1CM SDR. e Note however, what appears to be dynamic variable gain in the e So what’s red on one SDR’s waterfall isn’t necessarily red on another’s KiwiSDRs may have made the waterfall displays mis-leading. for the same signal strength - and the dynamic displays vary from time-to-time. range of the waterfall e | think the S-meters would still be constant, closely last week - something However, but | didn’t look that else to look at in the future | guess! if the gains happened to be the same, and the static crashes were stronger in WA than over East - where does that leave my pulses causing harmonic generation hypothesis? enough to disprove the guess; more sampling VLF EM If true, that’s probably needed though before | dispel that theory and look for another one. Thoughts and alternative options anyone? So for info, if the propagation of the static crashes was at 3.5MHz rather than via ducting at VLF frequencies, the ionospheric propagation predictions from the area of the storms might be interesting again. GRAFEX See the image below. GRAFEX INPUT DATA Date: 28 11 2823 T index: 146 Tx name: Bourke Tx latitude: -30.08 Tx Longitude: 145.93 Rx name: Canberra Rx Latitude: -—35.25 Rx Longitude: 149.17 Circuit: Bourke Bearings: 153 331 First Mode 1F 37-52 1E 14 iT WE EME @@ 9.5 18.2 @1 9.718.5 @2 9.9 10.6 @3 10.8185 04 9.710.3 @5 9.3 9.9 @6 9.2 9.2 Q7 9.8 8.3 Qf 9.3 6.8 a9 9.5 3.5 1@ 9.4 1.5 11 9.4 1.5 12 9.3 1.5 139.1 1.5 14 8.9 1.5 15 8.3 1.5 16 7.3 1.5 17 6.4 1.5 18 6.8 1.5 19 6.1 1.5 20 7.2 6.1 21 6.3 7.9 22 8.9 8.9 2309.3 9.7 UT OWF EMUF |. |B |F |S (c) AF 5.3 5.4 5.4 5.4 5.3 5.1 4.8 4.4 3.8 2.2 @.@ @.@ 0.8 8.8 8.8 8.8 8.8 0.0 0.8 0.8 3.4 4.2 4.7 5.0 ALF Canberra Date: 28 November, 2823 Distance: 658 km —————— Frequency (MHz}-------—- | 1 5 18 15 «(28 25 «638 3548 [oes [acne] case duoss | andhiaedd ASMMMMM &.. SNMMMM %&. 2. SXMMMM Se. SKMMMM SA... ASXMMMM %... ASMMMMM &.. AXMMMMM &,. SMMMMM%& &,. AMMMMMM%& &,. AMMMMMMM%S .. MMMMMMMMM% MMMMMMMMMS MMMMMMMMMS MMMMMMMMM& .. MMMMMMMMM% .. MMMMMMMMAM% MMMMMMMMSs, MMMMMMM®, MMMMMMMis, MMMMMMM%, AMMMMMS, SMMMM&. .. ANMMMM%& ... AXMMMM® ... [...[..ca) cece)ecee] cecedecee] | ceee[ssss] | T-index: 2F 146 Second Mode 57-69 2E 28 OWF EMUF 8.3 6.8 H.@ 6.2 8.6 6.2 iL? 6.2 8.4 6.1 8.1 5.8 8.8 5.4 7.9 4.9 8.1 4.8 8.4 2.8 8.4 6.9 8.4 6.9 8.3 0.9 8.1 0.9 7.9 8.9 7.3 6.9 6.4 6.9 5.7 0.9 5.4 0.9 5.4 6.9 6.3 3.5 Bo a6 77 5.2 H.1 5.7 OWF EMUF ALF UT 4.0 80 4.181 4.1 82 4168 4.8 04 3.9 05 3.7 06 3.4 87 2.9 88 1.6 09 0.8 10 @.8 11 @.8 12 0.0 13 @.8 14 @.8 15 0.8 16 0.817 6.0 18 0.0 19 2.7 20 22 21 3.6.00 3.8 73 ALF UT USABLE LESS THAN 58% OF DAYS |% USABLE 50% TO 98% OF DAYS BOTH E and F MODES 98% OF DAYS |M MIXED FIRST AND SECOND F MODES FIRST F MODE ONLY JE E-LAYER PROPAGATION |P 9@% E and 58-98% F SECOND MODES ONLY |A HIGH ABSORPTION |X COMPLEX MODES 28-Nov-2873 BoM Space Weather Services, Sydney Australia +61-?-92713-B8008 At 0900z, F-layer propagation was predicted for the Bourke NSW to Canberra path; single-hop with a take-off angle of 37 to 52 degrees, and double hop with a take-off angle of 57 to 69 degrees; E-layer propagation at 3.5MHz may have existed for the single-hope path (the Maximum Frequency was 3.5MHz) 2MHz). below): but probably not for the two-hop mode Looking the other way from Bourke to Perth (GRAFEX Usable (EMUF was image GRAFEX INPUT BATA Date: 28 11 2823 T index: 146 Tx name: Bourke Tx latitude: -38.08 Rx name: Perth Rx Latitude: -31.95 Circuit: Bourke Bearings: 258 94 First Mode IF 3-11 16 8 Ut (WF EAUF ALF @@ 28.8 @.@ @1 21.1 0.8 @2 21.7 @.@ @3 22.0 0.8 0421.9 8.8 @5 21.5 @.@ 06 28.6 @.@ @7 19.3 @.@ @@ 18.9 @.@ 09 19.6 0.8 1028.1 8.8 1119.2 @.@ 12 18.8 @.@ 1317.0 @.@ 1416.7 @.@ 15 16.8 @.@ 1615.9 @.@ 1713.7 @.@ 1811.6 @.@ 19 11.8 @.@ 2011.9 8.8 2114.7 8.8 2217.3 0.0 2318.4 0.0 UT OWF EMUF |. |B |F |S ic} 13.5 14.2 14.5 14.7 14.6 14.4 13.9 13.2 12.1 10.4 6.5 @.@ @.@ @.8 0.8 @.8 @.8 @.@ @.@ @.8 0.8 8.9 11,3 12.6 ALF Tx Longitude: 145.93 Rx Longitude: 115.87 Perth Date: 28 November, 2823 T-index: 146 Distance: 2863 km ——— = requeincy (HHz)}-———-—- | Second Mode i 5 “18 i5 28 25 «638 3548 2F 17-29 2E 4 [wesdseca | seca |rcee| seeclises | aes paces | OWF-EMUF ALF OUT A SSXEMPFFPSs Sete aes 12, 415.8 9.7 08 A SSSMMMFFFF SSS\OOUFFF SSSSMMXFFF SSSXMMXFFF SSSXMMXFFF A SSSMMMFFFF S SSMMMFFFF% AS SSYMMFFFS%: ASS MMMMMFFFFS MMMM MMMMMFFFFF XXMMMMMMMM MMMMFFFFF% XXMMMMMMMM MMMMFFFS&& XXMMMMMMMM MMMFF PS XXMMMMMMMM MMMFFPSa XXMMMMMMMM MMMFFPSAAA XXMMMMMMMM MMPFPS&S. XXMMMMMMMM MPFR. XXMMMMMMMM Missle. . XXMMMMMMMM Sescietess. MMMMMMMMMM Facies.. SMM MFFFS%%.. SS XMMFFFFRA S SXXMFFFFS%: |...f....[ .os2[ssee] Fie. .... Fits. .... Fis... Fabs... Fat... Se... Se... Se... 0. Ses... Se... 4%... 2... .. 4 wees 2.0... cece [sees] 13.2 13.8 14.1 14.8 13.7 13.4 17.9 17.6 17.8 13.2 13.8 17.5 11.8 11.3 10.8 10.6 10.8 8.6 7.7 7.7 8.6 10.6 11.8 aes [eees] OWF 16.9 17.6 18.8 17.9 17.4 16.5 15.1 13.2 10.8 0.8 2.6 2.6 27.6 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.6 @.8 @.8 11.8 14.2 EMUF 10.8 @1 18.2 @2 18.2 83 18.2 04 18.1 85 9.9 86 9.4 87 8.8 88 7.9 89 6.3 10 0.0 11 @.8 12 0.8 13 0.0 14 @.8 15 @.8 16 @.8 17 @.8 18 0.8 19 4.2 20 7.1 71 8.4 22 9.133 ALF UT USABLE LESS THAN 58% OF DAYS |% USABLE 50% TO 90% OF DAYS BOTH E and F MODES 98% OF DAYS |M MIXED FIRST AND SECOND F MODES FIRST F MODE ONLY JE E-LAYER PROPAGATION |P 90% E and 58-90% F SECOND MODES ONLY |A HIGH ABSORPTION |X COMPLEX MODES 28-Nov-2023 BoM Space Weather Services, Sydney Australia +61-2-9213-8868 Bourke to Perth on 3.5MHz at 0900z was predicted to not be likely; single-hop, the absorption layer frequency was well above 80m and for two-hop, the ALF was 7.9MHz. fora at 10.4MHz, Again, this assumes that the transmitting and receiving stations are at ground level, and lots (possibly most?) of lightning actually occurs in the upper layers of the clouds (say 10 to 15 km up)... however, if the GRAFEX prediction charts were valid for higher altitude emitters, this supports the hypothesis that what we’re hearing isn’t propagated via the 80m So options? e e band. Interesting. Seems that: sometimes the static crashes we hear may be harmonics of the VLF EM energy generated locally (in our receivers’ front ends, or antennas or somewhere and else); sometimes the static crashes may be propagated via the ionosphere. Thoughts? Lightning Arrestors. Related to the static crashes, | was eavesdropping on Max VK6FN Manjimup the other day via the AllStar South West net. week day mornings from around 2200z. me, you’re not in WA, (As an aside rabbit-hole... if like but have an AllStar node or your local FM repeater has AllStar, you could use a DTMF net to the WA in Max is on most microphone to connect your local AllStar network by connecting to Node 42732. Echolink to connect to the VK6RX VK6-HUB). Or you could also use Hoy if you want more info on this to: mark.bosma@icloud.com Anyway, back to Mr Faulkner... dilemma on AllStar during the week. Max was discussing his lightning protection Max has two shacks - one inside, and one outside (three actually, if you count operating his AllStar Hotspot first thing in the morning from his bedroom with a 70cm handheld); and he said had so many coaxial feed-lines from so many antennas that it’d be a nightmare to try to disconnect them all. This got me thinking - perhaps it’d be wise for most of us to add a simple lightning arrestor to the feed-lines of our antennas? Emtron Mark (VK6MOA) at TET near Dongara WA makes coaxial arrestors that would work a treat. Mark has also made a beaut prototype balanced feed lightning arrestor, which is eagerly awaiting installation on my 80m double-extended Zepp; I'll be getting more for my other antennas too.... better to be safe than sorry. And if you're after something that isn’t on the TET Emtron website, give Mark a call during WA business hours - Mark enjoys a chat and may be able to help. Topics The aim of the This Week’s Topic of Interest segment of our RagChew newsletter is to float ideas not necessarily related to CW, that you might like to think about or discuss with other amateurs. don’t fully understand, something These are topics that | but | do like to think about and explore - so if there’s in particular you'd like us to chat about, please let me know so we can share more thoughts and ideas; Next week unless diverted somewhere email to mark.bosma@icloud.com else, | might start on a new topic about an apparent paradox I’m confused about with phased antennas. Of course, | intend to keep the existing questions alive with notes about what we found in the previous Tuesday’s net about: e auroral buzz, e apparent one-way 80m ® propagation of static crashes. propagation, and Tuesday’s CQ QRS Net Reminder. So back to the Slow CW QSO practice net. Our CQ QRS Net will be on as always on Tuesday from around 0900z; see below for details. Stations in the West, East and in-between will start coming up on various frequencies between 3540 and 3570kHz, calling CQ QRS and listening out for new and old CW operators - simple exchanges (eg callsigns, RSTs and perhaps names) for new stations, rag chews for old. So thank you so much to our outstanding team of 15 contributors this week - many of whom submitted several articles: VKITE, VK6KHZ, VK3CLD, VK7WW, VK5CZ, VK6PZT, VK6KD, VK5ET, VK6IS, VK6BEK, VK3ACU, VK2AOE, VK6HD and VK2GAZ. VK5PH, Thank you team - once again, a superb effort - it’s the thoughts of the team plus the photos that makes so interesting to the 110-odd (perhaps 110-plus would RagChew be safer) subscribers. So for everyone, please let me know by email to mark.bosma@icloud.com who you work or hear this coming week on Tuesday’s net, and also send me anything that you might think might be of interest to your fellow QRS fans. The reports are important - because during the netl can only attempt poorly to listen-in and log QSOs while having QSOs myself - so | really want your comments newsletter interesting. each week to make our RagChew 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; I'd like you to join in on the WhatsApp stujen55@gmail.com group if possible. Please let Stuart VK6MK or me mark.bosma@icloud.com 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: ASRS About “ae the CQ Here’s dah-dah dit! the QRS 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 Eastern 2000 - 2400+ WA time, 1930 - 2330+ Summer time. (I think!). SA Summer time 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 new, please match their sending speed - or slower. 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 letters that were right there half an hour ago, etc! So keep it slow and keep it simple for a start - just aim to exchange callsigns, RSTs and perhaps names if conditions are good. And if someone is sending too fast to comfortably copy - “PSE RPT PSE QRS” or “AGN? 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: httos://www.parg.org.au/ files/ugd/ebe236_3ca5ca08bb38429db4eee524bd a2f97a.pdf. 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. WhatsApp Traffic from the CQ QRS WhatsApp Here’s what went on on the CQ QRS WhatsApp [7:57 pm, 28/11/2023] Mark Bosma: VK7WW calling CQ [8:00 pm, 28/11/2023] Mark Bosma: VK3CLD/p chatting Feed Group. message group this week: on 3555. to VK7WW on 3555. [8:24 pm, 28/11/2023] David Potts: Hope to be on air by 7:30pm. Vk6kd [8:25 pm, 28/11/2023] David Potts: Sorry, [8:28 pm, 28/11/2023] Max Faulkner: See meant 6:30 u then David [8:29 pm, 28/11/2023] Mark Bosma: VK7WW on 3550. VK6KHZ calling CQ on 3555. pm wst. Vk6kd and VK2KI chatting on 3547. VK6FN and VK6IS chatting [8:41 pm, 28/11/2023] Mark Bosma: VK6IS and VK6KHZ chatting on 3555. [8:43 pm, 28/11/2023] Jordan VK3ACU: I'm calling on 3550 [8:48 pm, 28/11/2023] Peter Scales: Go Again [8:50 pm, 28/11/2023] Jordan VK3ACU: I've got crazy noise | can tell there is a station coming back way way way in the noise | wonder if that is you Peter? [8:50 pm, 28/11/2023] Peter Scales: Yes [8:50 pm, 28/11/2023] Jordan VK3ACU: Sadly | can't hear you yet just the odd faint dit heard I've got s9 static crashes big storm about to roll in but I'll keep trying [8:53 pm, 28/11/2023] Mark Bosma: VK7WW calling CQ on 3550.7 Jordan - just above u. [8:54 pm, 28/11/2023] Peter Scales: NoGo ? [8:55 pm, 28/11/2023] Mark Bosma: VK7WW [8:57 pm, 28/11/2023] Mark Bosma: and VK3ACU now chatting on 3550.7 Peter. Looks like the static crashes are pretty bad over there Peter - correct? [8:58 pm, 28/11/2023] Peter Scales: Qrn is S7 here [8:59 pm, 28/11/2023] Mark Bosma: Looks lots worse on the SDR. [8:59 pm, 28/11/2023] Peter Scales: better qth ? [9:00 pm, 28/11/2023] Max Faulkner: Back shortly Chaps..... [9:00 pm, 28/11/2023] Max Faulkner: Fn [9:00 pm, 28/11/2023] Peter Scales: Ditto [9:09 pm, 28/11/2023] Jordan VK3ACU: Sorry Peter | could just just tell a tone [9:10 pm, 28/11/2023] Jordan VK3ACU: No where [9:31 pm, 28/11/2023] Be amazed lan - VK5CZ: WoW noise near a copy is horrific. CQ QRS 3.553 vk5cz. if anyone hears me. [9:33 pm, 28/11/2023] Phillip Jubb: Was gonna go portable this evening [9:33 pm, 28/11/2023] Richard Ayre: hold on max my head phones have just failed [9:46 pm, 28/11/2023] Jordan VK3ACU: Shocking noise I've got the gain cranked way back but 20 over crashes now! [9:47 pm, 28/11/2023] Jordan VK3ACU: Calling on 3550 [9:50 pm, 28/11/2023] lan - VK5CZ: CQ QRS vk5cz 3.553 [9:58 pm, 28/11/2023] Richard Ayre: are you not?? [9:58 pm, 28/11/2023] Phillip Jubb: Just setting [9:59 pm, 28/11/2023] Richard Ayre: up where [9:59 pm, 28/11/2023] Phillip Jubb: It’s quite noise here still. At the surf club [9:59 pm, 28/11/2023] Richard Ayre: ok [9:59 pm, 28/11/2023] Richard Ayre: not in SA [10:00 pm, 28/11/2023] Phillip Jubb: No that’s next week. [10:00 pm, 28/11/2023] Richard Ayre: ah [10:00 pm, 28/11/2023] Jordan VK3ACU: But I’m struggling with weight restrictions yes im $1 with S5 crashes Wow thanks for hanging in there for that on Mark I see you copied me better than | was able to hear you but we got there in the end thanks [10:02 pm, 28/11/2023] Phillip Jubb: Beautiful evening at the beach [10:15 pm, 28/11/2023] Max Faulkner: Good everyone..Huge lightning flash here and one bloody big bang...pulling the pin. 73’s all. [10:16 pm, 28/11/2023] lan - VK5CZ: Nice chariot [10:16 pm, 28/11/2023] lan - VK5CZ: CQ QRS 3.553 vk5cz [10:19 pm, 28/11/2023] lan - VK5CZ: Sorry someone way way in qrn. No hope to cpi [10:19 pm, 28/11/2023] Phillip Jubb: @ [10:22 pm, 28/11/2023] Richard Ayre: can you here me?? [10:23 pm, 28/11/2023] Phillip Jubb: Yep, | can almost feel your signal [10:23 pm, 28/11/2023] Richard Ayre: gud [10:23 pm, 28/11/2023] Richard Ayre: im free if you need a token contact [10:24 pm, 28/11/2023] lan - VK5CZ: just shout loud Sri guys no sigs from vk6 even the waterfall is going yellow fron blue with the static crashes. [10:24 pm, 28/11/2023] Phillip Jubb: Yes there’s a big storm between us [10:26 pm, 28/11/2023] lan - VK5CZ: Nice drop of rain we go 38mm. 2am in morning big thunder bangs shook the house. [10:27 pm, 28/11/2023] lan - VK5CZ: | did not hook up my antennas until lunch time tday. [10:28 pm, 28/11/2023] lan - VK5CZ: Tnx folks hpe Cu next week Mark only got 2 tnite VK2KI VK5FD. 73 all vk5cz gn.. [10:29 pm, 28/11/2023] Richard Ayre: cu next week [10:34 pm, 28/11/2023] Richard Ayre: webare doubling up a bit [10:34 pm, 28/11/2023] Richard Ayre: on 3555 [10:38 pm, 28/11/2023] Richard Ayre: can you here peter in 3558 [10:57 pm, 28/11/2023] Richard Ayre: Im hearing VK2KI in vk6now [11:07 pm, 28/11/2023] Mark Bosma: Still there Richard? my computer went to lunch - most of the WhatsApp AN S OV Cele i a -1+3+5+7-9 1 Meee Se aie 3. 550. 0] 0 “Te)ap. 7 2 H H | can just hear some one 3555. Looks like reports | sent didn't go out apparently! a0 , BKIN 00 Sc ae = [11:10 pm, 28/11/2023] Jordan VK3ACU: Thank you all, I'm off also crazy noise now. ones ie [11:11 pm, 28/11/2023] sure! Cheers, mb Mark Bosma: Cheers Jordan. [11:13 pm, 28/11/2023] Mark Bosma: NSW to VK6KD and VK6PZT Good to work you - trying conditions tonight for Band might be starting to behave a little - listening here in chatting on 3555. Up and down but getting more up than down at the mo. [11:13 pm, 28/11/2023] Jordan VK3ACU: [11:13 pm, 28/11/2023] Mark Bosma: Whilst [11:13 pm, 28/11/2023] Jordan VK3ACU: GN all [11:13 mate. pm, 28/11/2023] Mark it's trying it was great practice Youbetcha! Bosma: GN [11:19 pm, 28/11/2023] Richard Ayre: sorry mark missed that msg lots of scrremong noise now [11:20 pm, 28/11/2023] Richard Ayre: bit quiter on 3560 [11:20 pm, 28/11/2023] Mark Bosma: I'll call on 3560. [11:22 pm, 28/11/2023] Phillip Jubb: Gn all. All packed up and on the way home. [11:29 pm, 28/11/2023] Richard Ayre: loosing you now mark [11:30 pm, 28/11/2023] Richard Ayre: time fir bed qsl my 269 cant here you att all now =might unplug the antenna tonight [11:33 pm, 28/11/2023] Mark Bosma: Cheers mate - yes the band was up and down and the static crashes were pretty nasty. Also, before the QSO with you, we had a shower of rain, and my Pl coupler wouldn't bring the SWR down low enough - so the TX power dropped to about 20 Watts. | suspect the temporary TV ribbon cable tied to a supporting rope that feeds the double extended Zepp doesn't like getting wet! Another job [11:34 pm, 28/11/2023] Richard Ayre: Roger that [11:36 pm, 28/11/2023] Mark VK2KI Bosma: [11:53 pm, 28/11/2023] Mark Bosma: - fix the feedline! calling CQ area. | kept getting the 89 without the R - HI! [11:53 pm, 28/11/2023] David on 3555. Sorry David - had t ogive it away with a thunderstorm Potts: Thanks in the Thanks for trying mate. Catch you on AllStar. Mark. Could hardly make u out from the QRM at this end. Vk6kd [11:54 pm, 28/11/2023] Mark Bosma: Yup - tough conditions tonight. [11:55 pm, 28/11/2023] David Potts: Thanks for giving it a good effort Mark. [7:58 pm, 02/12/2023] Jordan VK3ACU: Calling cq on 7.037 [8:06 pm, 02/12/2023] Matt Dhue: Try again? [8:10 pm, 02/12/2023] Matt Dhue: Can not hear anything over the s6 noise at willetton qth. Want to see if you can hear me? [8:12 pm, 02/12/2023] Jordan VK3ACU: Sure just dinneshed a qso [8:14 pm, 02/12/2023] Jordan VK3ACU: Nothing [8:14 pm, 02/12/2023] Matt Dhue: Ok you can 3550? [8:15 pm, 02/12/2023] Jordan VK3ACU: Calling pm, 02/12/2023] Matt Dhue: can try 80 call let me [8:15 pm, 02/12/2023] Jordan VK3ACU: [8:17 herd Similar noise know if you like frequency. level here so in and out sorry. | think the 40 m qso might have been just off frequency not sure? [8:18 pm, 02/12/2023] Jordan VK3ACU: Ah it was a little yes sorry. [8:18 pm, 02/12/2023] Jordan VK3ACU: Nasty [8:19 pm, 02/12/2023] Jordan VK3ACU: conditions at the moment but thanks for trying Matt I'll put a few more calls out on 7037 [8:19 pm, 02/12/2023] Matt Dhue: Yeah could go back to 7.037 to see again. Not sure where your qth is? [8:20 pm, 02/12/2023] Jordan VK3ACU: Meredith [8:20 pm, 02/12/2023] Jordan VK3ACU: Near vic Ballarat [8:20 pm, 02/12/2023] Matt Dhue: Ok well | could just heae that [8:21 pm, 02/12/2023] Jordan VK3ACU: I'll turn up the power a bit [8:21 Try this pm, 02/12/2023] Jordan VK3ACU: The opinions expressed The opinions Send in the do not necessarily comments RagChew newsletter are those of the individual contributors. reflect that of the editor or of the CQ about the RagChew QRS Group members. Newsletter. Copyright (C) 2023 CQ QRS. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences Es Ce INTUIT mailchimp or unsubscribe