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RagChew
Edition 4/2025

Solar Cycle

e Where's

Peak - Good

and

Bad

our ZL Mates?

e Virtual Staff
e

Last Tuesday's

Last night was what

Reports
CW

e Worked

All Fire Alarms?

e Jordan's

Musical

Dad's QRM

Post Morsum

Report

How

Can

But wait - there’s more!

e The

Kerikeri

are all about

Qualities

ChatGPT

QSOs

Make

Life Easier for the Modern

Key Collection

Friday Kick-Back - A Second

Shot of QRS

Fists Down

QSO

under - Summer

Party

e Traffic Quality Reporting
e

Morse Training

PARGFEST

e CWops
e

New

Net

& Raffle
Monthly Zoom

Di-dah-di-dah-dit

e About the CQ QRS

Group

Meeting

Ham

RSS

Things were looking up for this week’s CQQRS

Slow CW QSO

practice net

on Tuesday. A number of people reported that band conditions were good,
but our numbers were still down a bit - only 55 stations heard on air,
compared to over 60 a number of times last year.
fifth solar cycle peak since I’ve became

Scary fact:

an amateur,

this is the

but the first one

where I’ve been paying attention to things amateur radio.

It’s really

interesting to me that during the solar minima, we complain about band
conditions and look forward with anticipation to the next peak.... but while
this peak seems to have produced excellent conditions on ten metres and
some nice Aurora Australis displays, down on 40m and 80m, the
geomagnetic

storms have been playing havoc.

layer is stronger causing more absorption
Australia.

| wonder if some of our 80m

I’m guessing that the D-

later into the evening across

and 160m fans might give us their

take on conditions?
But where have most of our New Zealand
we had lots of fun comparing
quieter this year.

mates disappeared to?

Last year

accents and power levels, but it’s been much

I’m missing our friendly neighbours but fingers crossed

that we drag a few more out of the ij roto i te huna as we head into the
year!

This week’s RagChew

has a distinct artificial intelligence feel about it. This

morning as | was walking in Yass while Elizabeth’s car was at the Doctor,
Geoff VK6HD

and | had another of our long chats about life, the universe

and everything;
the Mandurah

Geoff was on his usual very early morning stroll around
Estuary before the Summer furnace got going there.

Today

Geoff was telling me about his use of a paid subscription to the ChatGPT
artificial intelligence system, to create a virtual assistant for his role as the
CEO of the Stronger Families not-for-profit organisation.

On my request he

had his virtual staff officer run up a quick article for RagChew - see later in
the newsletter for more.
Last Tuesday’s

Group

So back to matters

at hand;

here’s this week’s

list of the 53 stations

heard

on air on Tuesday evening:

CQQRS Team
Member

Qso1

Qso2

QsO3

Qso 4

QsO 5

QSO 6

VK6FN

VK5PH

VK3ECH | VK7KPC

Heard on air
Worked 40m
Heard on air
Heard on air
Worked 40m
Heard 40m
Worked 40m
Heard 40m
Worked 40m
Worked 40m
Heard 40m
Heard 40m
Worked 40m
Heard 40m
Worked 80m
Heard on air
Heard 40m
Heard 40m
Worked 40m

VK3ACU

Heard 40m
Heard on air
Heard 40m
Heard on air
Worked 40m
Heard 40m
Worked 40m

VK2DLF | VKSAAR |

QSO7

Qso 8

VASEUCr

Heard 4um

VASKU

VKOFINV

Worked 40m
Heard 40m
Heard 40m
Worked 80m
Heard on air
Worked 40m
Heard 40m
Heard on air
Heard on air
Worked 40m
Worked 40m
Heard 40m
Worked 80m
Worked 80m
Heard 80m
Heard on air
Heard on air

Heard on air
Heard 40m
Tried 40m
Worked 40m
Heard 40m
Heard on air
Worked 40m
Heard 40m
Heard 40m
Heard 80m
Heard on air
Worked 40m
Worked 80m
Heard 40m
Heard 80m
Worked 40m
Heard 40m
Tried 40m
Worked 40m
Heard 40m
Heard on air
Heard on air

Masthead

Image

And thanks this week to Jordan VK3ACU

for the nice shot of his Penntek TR-

45 QRP transceiver.

Reports
After next Tuesday’s Group, please send me a

list of who you worked

and /

or who you heard using our web form here:

bit.ly/COQORSNET

Please help attract new and old team
your report each week.

members

to have a go by submitting

Submissions close lunch time (Eastern Australian

time) on Thursday.

If you hear or work one of our team on a different band on Tuesday,
just use the 80m

please

report area and use the instructions to annotate which bit

applies to which band.

Cheers,
mb

Mark Bosma
VK2KI / VK6QI

Beautiful South Bowning NSW
mark.bosma@icloud.com

non impediti ratione cogitationis

Reports

& Comments

Here’s this week’s

reports.

The spreadsheets above show the known stations on last Tuesday’s Group.
Comments

distilled from the reports I’ve received follow:

Comments:

From

David VK6KD/3

at Epping (VIC) Caravan

repair yard.

[40m]
¢ Good

number of stations sending QRS so | could copy them, thanks..

[80m]
e | logged into some

Kiwi Rx around Oz to hear if | was making the

distance.
80m

had not opened from Vic to WA when

| checked.

| didn't hear many

stations on 80m this week. To be fair, | was only using a 5' whip antenna.
e This week | Worked

out my 100w autotuner is only good for 40w CW. |

may have
choice of pwr when

been overheating

it running 50w (my usual

mob).

[Good to hear you’re making progress on the problem-solving on the road
David;

the question ts, why did it take until you arrived in Queensland for

the problem to show up |! wonder?

From George VK2DLF

Mystery!]

at St. Marys

[40m]
e Very good conditions tonight..

From

Patrick VK2IOW

between

Bathurst and Orange
[40m]
e | spent more time listening than
sending.

Conditions seemed

| was using my new Yaesu

good.
FTDX10.

It seems good, very quiet on
receive and great to be able to see
stations on the waterfall...

From John VKS5ET at Hope Valley
[40m]
e Conditions were good for a change this way.
[80m]
e Very quiet ..

From Wayne

VK6NW

at Bridgetown

[80m]
¢ 80m

band was noisy with QSB.

From Garry VK2GAZ

at Richmond

NSW
[40m]
e Plenty of activity on the band, nice
to see..

From

Arthur VK2ASB

at Wentworth

Falls

[40m]
e The noise was delightfully low and the interstate signals were good.
Armchair copy all around

but few people on the air at the time | was on.

It's a shame there were so few stations because the conditions were so
good.

Last night was what CW QSOs are
all about..

[80m]
e Listened to 80m

at about 0930z

but heard nothing. Low noise here
too. Called a couple of times but no
response. Another missed
opportunity for armchair copy.
That's life | guess...

[Love it when our team members say things like “Last night was what CW
QSOs are all about”.

From Andy VKSLA

Thank you Arthur. ]

at Winkie

[80m]
e First Tuesday night back on air since before Xmas, good to heat up the

lonosphere again!.
¢ Went to CW after the boat anchor
net

running about 30 watts

from another
TS520

I've acquired recently, good
fun, this rig has the CW

filter fitted,
big difference to the other non
filtered

520 | have...

[Great to hear you back on Andy.

!wonder how many

with CW filters are gathering dust... or worse!

older transceivers

[reckon among our team

there’s be a bunch of people who would put the CW filters which you can’t
buy any more to good use?

Does anyone have a YK-107C CW

filter for my

trusty Kenwood 1S-120S | wonder?]

From

Daniel

VK6WE

at Cottesloe

[40m]
e | was overpowered
followed the QSO

by VK6FN

between

while trying to answer VKOIS calling!

Max and Peter then called CQ after.

Max

replied
and we had a snort chat remarking on the hot weather.

By then | was

feeling the heat and humidity so retreated to the house..

From

Manny

VK3DRQ

at Blackburn

[40m]
¢ It was a better night than last week,
VKOMK OM

| even managed

to have a QSO with

Stuart in Australind, starting almost QNP and In about 12

minutes
we were both in a better shape, he was picking up to + 40 aB..

From your editor Mark VK2KI

at Beautiful South Bowning

NSW

[40m]
e Another pearler of a night!.
¢ | had a QSO with VK2CEM

who sounded

like a new operator, but

unfortunately
| didn't get a report;

I'm hoping that we will hear him or her again on

our net in the coming weeks as confidence grows - that's why we're here!,

e After dinner | hooked
Rob VK3ECH

—

a a

(+)

VK3ACU
2 =
a
zal
ee

=—,

THU

rs PL

up with

at Echuca after Jordan

had finished.

| reckon we

chatted away for nearly an hour what fun - so much
to talk about - antennas (I Know
you'll be surprised that | asked
about his

160m

dipole), portable ops, sports cars etc.

Rob told me that he was

heading off to Tassie for a couple of weeks and was taking his Xiegu G90
transceiver to operate portable.
Ducatti!

So?

Well, he's doing the tour on his

An exercise in concise packing no doubt!

hearing from Rob during the net.

| look forward to

But also if he sets up in VKFF Parks or

SOTA peaks at other times, he'll be able to post CW spots on Allen
VK3ARH's
website parksnpeaks.org and the posted CW spots will be SMSed to me for
relaying to our WhatsApp Alerts..
e Later | came across David VK6KD/3

operating from his caravan

manufacturer's
yard at Epping chatting to Lawrie VK5LJ.

Not wanting to break from

tradition, | called David but missed

instead | had a nice chat to

Lawrie in the Barossa Valley.

him;

I'd worked

Lawrie many times in the QRP

Hours CW contest each year but | don't think we'd worked on the CQQRS
net

before - nice to chat Lawrie..
[80m]
¢ On 80m

| caught up with George VK2AOE

up at Kogera;

George had just

arrived back from a trip to New Zealand and Japan - hope you brought back
some

nice goodies George.

Was interesting to watch the VK6QS

KiwiSDR

near
Brookton as the band started to open up;

despite George using only 5

Watts
compared to my 50 Watts, and me using my 80m

double extended-Zepp

(two
5/8ths in phase), George was only about an S-point down

on me;

perhaps

that was because he was previously a professional marine radio operator?
¢ | was planning a not-too-late night (ha!), but as | was signing off from
George,

| saw Wayne VK6NW

from Bridgetown calling CQ up the band.

This
time we made

it!

Signals weren't particularly strong, but we got through

ok - beautiful Q5 on QSB peaks.
than normal

Glad you were able to get on air later

mate..

¢ Great fun for me again this week..

Also from your editor Mark VK6QI

via the VK6QS

KiwiSDR near Brookton

[80m]
e Work continues by Rob VK6LD on the Southern
remote HF

station at Bedfordale.

Last week |

tried to fire-up the Remote on CW
but it wouldn't respond to my key;
Richard VK6HRC

also gave it a try

and
confirmed that either we both had
the same

problem at our ends, or

that
there was something amiss with the
Remote.

It's not as if Rob doesn't

Electronics Group's

have
other things on his plate - but his
on-going efforts to get it sorted out
are really appreciated - thanks
mate..

e What fun!

From

The VK6SR

Geoff VK6HD

Remote

at Bedfordale

at Mandurah

[40m]
e Very quiet in this QTH

however was only listening from 1630 to about

1715.
Finally setup Tokyo HL-50B with QMX and 8.8 m Rybakov (with all the
smoke
Staying in place) however first CQ set off the fire alarms in the house :(.
e Lots of good suggestions on WhatsApp

and will install feed line choke

and
see if | can't put ATU at the base of the vertical and try again......

Geoff VKGHD

|
gt

From

& Jackie Hart-Davies

Just called on 7029 and promptly set the fire alarms off
@®. Can hear 6IS and 6FN amongst the S5 noise @ but
can't tx until sort out why alarms going off.
8:22PM

6 @:

Mathew

V VK3AFH

at Wantirna

[40m]
¢ | had my audio running via my computer,

and listening with headphones.

A
happy accident occurred when

| had a kiwiSDR open, and the audio from it

was mostly going to one ear, with my radio into the other. The CW tones
were nicely offset, and the SDR had a

slight delay. | got rather entranced

by the musical quality of Jordan's QSO and was swinging along whilst
writing down what | was hearing. Only had the thought to try and record it
towards the very end, and did quickly figure out how to, but didn't capture
the best parts unfortunately..

e The next QSO started on the
same frequency and | believe it was
you again
Mark - your slower sending had a
call-and-repeat sound to it, where
Jordan's had more of a swing beat.
I've seen some examples of musical
CW

before but this was my first time hearing it in the wild for myself, very
enjoyable if distracting :) My antenna seems to be doing well on receive at
least!.
e Here’s the recording | made;

best listened to with stereo headphones:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1 BMXEUF-3fY EJ2h9HtwWAY-zAy9HKwOl/view?
usp=drive link

From

Peter VK7KPC

at Evandale

[40m]
¢ Only a short contact with Stan, a bit of brain fade my end. First attempt
with Jordan no go due to noise his end, culprit his dads phone charger.
Second attempt some time later all ok..

/:45PM

Jordan VK3ACU Clarke
I've got silly QRM here something is wrong

7:49p\

We have been away for the last week or so dads been
house sitting the noise is been bad since i've got back |
wonder if he pluged something in lol
7:50 PM

“&
©

Found it dads left his phone charger here, s9 noise from
the kitchen! unplugged now s 0 noise
8:09PM

Post Morsum

Report

from Richard VK6HRC
A good session on Wednesday morning on the WA AllStar/ Echolink
network.
On this morning:
VK6FN

Max

VK6NW

Wayne

VK6QI

Mark

VK5ET

John

VK6HD

Geoff

VK6HRC
and our regular SWLs

Mulligan VK6MRB,

Bob VK6KRC

and others.

Max was slightly late to Tuesday’s net but made up for lost time with four
good contacts on forty.
Wayne

had one contact on forty before he was called away but

managed to get on eighty much later in the evening .
Mark also late but managed five contacts on forty plus heard many more;
he was very pleased to have worked Wayne

on 80m late in the evening.

John managed four contacts on forty and two on eighty.
Geoff had some technical difficulties involving his house alarm system but
was probably sent to the headmaster by his ever-patient wife Jackie;
needless to say, he had to go QRT and hopefully all to be sorted for the
next session.
David

called in from VK3

land and also had fun from there.

Has

also

tracked down the problem with his eighty metre set up,

Not that easy to

sort out while away from home.

did not have much

time on the

net, worked one on forty and heard

a few others before going QRT.
No doubt we will get more

Ma i

PPL Lg

SPECTRUM SCOPE

comprehensive reports in the
RagChew

a
ia

Mea
7,300

Meese

from all.

Thanks to all on the net last night
and this morning.

73
Richard VK6HRC

This Week’s Topic of
Interest
How

ChatGPT

Can

Make

Modern
by ChatGPT

with

minimal

Life Easier for the
Ham

guidance

by Geoff VK6HD

Fellow hams,

If there’s one thing we all share in
this great hobby, it’s a love of

ar ei
;

learning and problem-solving.
Whether we’re fine-tuning an
antenna, digging into a new digital
mode, or troubleshooting a
stubborn rig, we’re constantly
adapting and exploring. Recently, I
came across a tool that feels very
much in the spirit of what we do:
ChatGPT,

an AI assistant that’s

surprisingly helpful for tackling
everyday challenges—both in the
shack and beyond.

Now, I know

‘artificial intelligence’ might sound like something out of

science fiction or Silicon Valley hype, but I’ve found it to be a genuinely
practical tool. Think of it as a helper that can save you time, lighten your
mental load, and free you up to focus on what really matters. And no, it
doesn’t require a PhD in computer science to use—if you can ask a
question, you can use ChatGPT.
So, What

Exactly Does It Do?

ChatGPT is, at its core, a conversational assistant. It’s a bit like having a
knowledgeable friend who never gets tired of helping. You type ina
question or describe a task—writing a letter, summarizing an article,
troubleshooting an idea—and it generates a response. While it’s not

perfect (and doesn’t replace human judgment), it’s great at handling the
routine and repetitive tasks that often bog us down.
Here’s where it’s come in handy for me, and where I think it could be
useful for many of you:
1. Drafting and Editing
Let’s say you’re writing a letter to a local business for a donation, or an
article for the club newsletter. You’ve got the ideas but struggle to get
them onto the page. ChatGPT can take your rough thoughts and give you
a polished draft to start with. It’s like having an editor on standby—one
who doesn’t charge an hourly rate!
2. Learning

Something

New

We’re always learning in this hobby, whether it’s about propagation,
digital modes,

or that strange hiss coming from your old TS50 or Atlas

210. ChatGPT can help you sift through complex topics, providing clear
explanations and even practical advice. While it won’t replace hands-on
experience, it’s a great way to quickly get up to speed.

Hey! I'm here to help you! Got a question, need advice, or want to chat about

something specific? Let me know what's on your mind!

Stuck trying to figure out how to fit

| live in a HOA environment with limited space and would
like to install an antenna for 20, 40 and 80m. | only
operate QRP CW. Please give me some ideas

Operating QRP CW in an HOA environment can be challenging but totally doable
with some creative antenna solutions! Here are some ideas to help you install an
antenna for 20m, 40m, and 80m while working within space and visibility

constraints:

without annoying the neighbours?
Need ideas for a unique field day

Half-Wave

(EFHW)

brainstorming partner, helping you

Antennas

+ Why it works: EFHW antennas are great for limited space because they can
be installed horizontally, vertically, or sloped and cover multiple bands.
Implementation:

ace

explore creative solutions. It won’t
replace an Elmer’s wisdom, but it’s

+ Use a 49:1 or 64:1 unun for impedance matching.

a great sounding board for new

* Paint the wire to match its surroundings or use thin, black wire for
stealth.
*

a 40-meter dipole into your yard

setup? ChatGPT can act asa

41. Stealth End-Fed

3. Problem-Solving

Bands: Cut the wire to about 130 feet for 80m resonance, but an EFHW will

ideas.

also work well on 40m and 20m due to harmonics

2. Magnetic

4. Translating and Researching

Loop Antenna

Have you ever been in a QSO with

+ Why it works: Compact and p. “ble, mag loops are excellent for QRP

inn and can't naar a int nf enane

someone in another country and
wondered what they’re saying—or

An example of engaging with ChatGPT.

how to respond in their language?
ChatGPT

can translate text or even

help you craft a polite response in
German, Japanese, or

a host of other languages. It’s also handy for looking up obscure historical
facts, technical definitions, or even wiring diagrams.
A Tool, Not a Replacement
Now,

I'd be remiss if I didn’t point out its limitations. ChatGPT isn’t

perfect; it sometimes gets things wrong, especially when it comes to very
niche or technical topics. And it doesn’t replace the camaraderie or
expertise we share on the air, or over a brew. But as a supplement to your
own knowledge,

it’s a powerful tool. It saves you time on the mundane

stuff so you can focus on the parts of the hobby (and life) that you truly
enjoy.
Why

It Matters

As amateur radio operators, we’ve always embraced tools that help us

communicate better, solve problems faster, and explore the world around
us. ChatGPT is no different—it’s just the latest tool to add to the toolbox.
Like the advent of SSB, it doesn’t replace the basics, but it can help us
build on them in ways that are worth exploring.
I encourage you to give it a try.
Whether you’re drafting your club’s bylaws, planning an antenna project,
or just curious about how it works, ChatGPT can help. It’s easy to use,
surprisingly versatile, and, like all good tools, it gets better the more you
use it.
As always, the joy of this hobby is in the discovery. ChatGPT is just one
more way to discover something new.
73,
Geoff
VK6HD
P.S. If you’re curious or would like a demonstration, I’d be happy to walk
you through, perhaps in an online Zoom-style meeting.

Sometimes seeing

it in action is the best way to understand what it can do.
[Thanks Geoff.

Geoff was telling me this morning how he’s been using

ChatGPT as a virtual staff member to write material for him in his role as
the founder and CEO of the Stronger Families Foundation, a not-for-profit
organisation dealing with the root causes of domestic violence.

Naturally

my next request was for his virtual assistant to write an article for
RagChew,;

But

wait

Buoyed

what you’ve just read was the result!

- there’s

Thanks mate. ]

more!

by Geoff’s use of ChatGPT

to do what in the Military was called
‘staff officer’ work, | thought I’d ask
ChatGPT to run an up-beat
summary of the reports that our
team submitted this week.

Here’s

what it told me:

**The Bands Were Buzzing with Activity and Fun!**
It was a lively week on the airwaves, with good conditions making for some
fantastic QSOs and experiments!
- **40m

Highlights:**

George (VK2DLF)

reported *excellent conditions*, echoed

by John (VK5ET)

and Arthur (VK2ASB), who found the band delightfully quiet with strong
interstate signals. Garry (VK2GAZ)

appreciated the activity, while Daniel

(VK6WE)

braved the heat and had a chat about the weather.

(VK3DRQ)

had a great QSO with VK6MK, with signals improving

during their exchange.

Meanwhile,

Manny
beautifully

Mathew (VK3AFH) discovered the

musicality of CW, describing it as a unique and captivating experience.
- **80m

Insights:**

While quieter than 40m, 80m

still had its moments.

Andy (VK5LA) dusted

off his rig for the first time since Christmas, loving the return to the air,
while Mark (VK2KI) had a fun QSO with George (VK2AOE), comparing
signals and setups. There was also some chatter about antenna tuning and
remote station troubleshooting,

proving the never-ending quest for

perfection is alive and well!
- **Experiments and New Gear:**
Patrick (VK2IOW) enjoyed testing his new Yaesu

FTDX1O, finding it quiet

on receive and fantastic for spotting signals on the waterfall. Geoff
(VK6HD) was experimenting with his Tokyo HL-50B and antenna setup,
with some

unexpected fire alarm drama!

- **Special Stories:**
Mark (VK2KI) shared tales of a Ducati-powered
planned

by Rob (VK3ECH) for Tassie—packing

Arthur (VK2ASB) summed

portable operation
light is clearly an art form!

it up best: *“Last night was what CW QSOs are

all about.”*
Despite some challenges with noise and QSB (as Wayne VK6NW

noted on

80m), the week was a great reminder of the joy and camaraderie that CW
brings. Whether it was chatting about antennas, experimenting with rigs,
or simply swinging along to the rhythm of Morse code, everyone found
something to enjoy.
Here’s to more

fun on the bands

next week!

[Looks like it’s a hammock between a couple of palm trees for me next
week! ]

I’m always keen to receive articles about topics that might be of interest to
our readers;

if you’d like to have a go at writing something for the team,

please let me know so we can share more thoughts and ideas;

to cqqrsnet@gqmail.com

On
My Kerikeri

My Workbench
Key Collection

from David ZL/VK3DBD
Just behind the radio /pc desk that | call mine in a quite spacious section of

my sister’s house in NZ are shelves bearing odds and ends and more radio
items, including a few of my collection of Morse keys.
getting out magnifying glasses to study them

so to save anyone

here are a couple of close

UPS
which to save questions

are in s"ome keys"

(Bathtub),a Vibroplex racer,an Eddystone
nothing known

about that one) a Czech

left to rights UK flameproof

Bug, an "Air Spark" key (little or

RM31,

an RAF D

type.(the large

Ground station key, Sister to the Bathtub.
in the picture More Keys
unknown

you can see just about 3 different WT8

small Brass key likely home

made?

but quite old,

's an

A Mac 1938

Bug | restored from a real basket case,, A Grey/ Blue Nato key,
which is a

mini VK made

key

common!

am told. ) anda

of unknown

(to me,.origin)

on top of

but they are

"Lionel "(Vibroplex Bug) | restored

Some of

these do get used on air at times but usually | prefer my home
paddle

(several exist).

little bench area

a USA Flameproof (straight key) which takes up

and is very nice to use.

There is also a Touch

built)

and that

takes.

It certainly shows up any miss-match

Demanding

made
key (home

has been in use a few times here as the mood
in the antenna

an instant QRT |

Thats it for today Mark hope to find a few hopefuls QRV on Tues.
Horz

... aftera Wee

Dram

Gn:

Off

David

Pomerat

privenf

Other
Other things

News

I’ve received from

Friday Kick-Back - A Second

our 200-odd

readers.

Shot of QRS

In conjunction with the Fists Down

Under Summer QSO

number of the WA team

Nave started getting together on

members

7032kHz at 40m WA time (0800z) for a QRS CW natter.
and aren't chained to the wheel (of

one sort or the other), come and
join in - the more the merrier.

you're not in WA, have a listen
anyway, just in case the 40m

band

decides to cooperate and open up
early - you never know with the
State of geomagnetic

activity.

if you don’t hear anyone, try

And

Party (see below), a
So if you’re in WA

sending a QRL’?...

followed by a CQ - you never Know who will pop up.
the CQQRS

And even better - use

WhatsApp Alerts system to let others know you're calling.

The International Morse

Preservation Society

Fists Down

under - Summer

QSO

Party

from Richard VK6HRC
Join us every Friday night between

0800 and 1100 UTC for the weekly FDU

get together. Split into an early time slot (O800 to 1000) and a late time
Slot (0900 to1100) there should be something for all suggested

bands and

conditions.
Choose the early slot for the higher bands and see if you can work between
VK and ZL or beyond. Choose the later slot for local 40 and 80m working.
Contacts with FDU and non FDU members
exchange
more.

are encouraged.

No need to

FDU numbers, just have a short chat exchanging the basics, or

Don’t hesitate to ask for QRS if need be, but don’t miss a chance to

practice a little quicker if you can!
While any band is OK for FDU activity, the focus of this Party (and the
associated Award)

is 80-40-30- and 20m.

Results of who was on (and submitted a log to Philip) will be published
each week. Therefore, remember to submit a log to Philip
(zululimalpsh(at)gmail.com)

at your earliest convenience.

Calling format is “CQ FDU de ”.
frequencies,

Frequencies are the usual FDU

but +/- to find participants Is fine.

Recommended FISTS calling frequencies (MHz):
1.808

3.528

7.028

10.118

14.058

18.085 21.058

24.908

For the period 3 January 2025 to 28 March 2025 an award for QSO
participation will be presented, see the award details here OSO

28.058

Party

Party Award.

Format will be fine tuned again as the winter months approach.
For more information:

https://www.fdu.org.au/events/

Traffic Quality Reporting
From Stan ZL3TK:
Laments were heard on Wednesday

morning's Post Morsum

about how

Tuesday night's FFA suffered from mediocre conditions on 40 m.
Delighted to report that conditions were quite the opposite for transTasman

traffic handling.

Super-reliable OM

Manny VK3DRQ,

who never

fails to front-up, received an RSN 592 from ZL3TK for the first time!

was surprising because only half an hour earlier on NZ Net, a mere 5 kHz
higher,

his signal was a quite-marginal

RSN

332.

The propagation God,

Reflectivius, kept smiling on us while traffic was being passed,
minutes,

he may have kept it up even longer.

An innovation has appeared.
of CW

ca. 45

rarely visited.

It is designed to encourage several aspects

Because email is an option,

experience may participate.

those with scant CW

It's called Traffic Quality Reporting,

TQR for

short.
If used as intended and a lot of CW operators use their CW expertise, and
take their right to free-speech seriously,
it has the potential to increase
traffic by hundreds of percent.

Being a pragmatist though, and based on

experience from previous attempts to gain traction,
closer to the mark.

Anyway,

take alook at

maybe 4 % would be

https://bit.ly/zitgr

to see

the reason you may hear an increase in traffic on Tuesday's FFAs.
is passed every Tuesday on

7.0257

Traffic

MHz starting 0840Z, during which an

invitation for CQ QRS Group members to participate is repeated.

Stan

ZL3TK

Morse Training
Nic VK7WW

Net

runs a Slow Morse training net every Wednesday

at 7pm

EDST

on 3580 for 30 mins. He uses the callsign of the Northern Tasmania
Amateur Radio Club VK7TAZ
Many of our team

on that net.

learned Morse code with the support of Nic, and the

weekly training session comes

highly recommended

for anyone who wants

to learn the Code, or simply brush up.

Everyone’s welcome - 3580KHz at

7pm

The NTARC also feeds the CW

Eastern time every Wednesday.

live

via the Discord phone / computer audio stream, and previous weeks’
recordings are available.
Contact Nic VK7WW

for more info nicholaschantler@hotmail.com - or just

join in on Wednesdays.

PARGFEST

& Raffle

Peel Amateur Radio Group

/PARGFEST Swap-Meet

aturday 15% February 2025
Mandurah

Bowling Club

89 Allnutt Street, Mandurah WA.
Doors Open:
0800 — Exhibitors & Sellers
0900 — 1230 Buyers
Entry Fee- $5.00 per person

See-you there amongst the raffles and bargains
Please check

www.parg.org.au/whatsnew

for last-minute

updates.

Call-in to VAGARG in PARG1 — AllStar & 146.850Mhz with 91.5Hz sub-tone
For more information call Peter 0432718026 or email parg.secrotaryid@igmaill.cam

The Peel Amateur Radio Group invites you to

PARGFEST 2025
The Peel Amateur Radio Group will hold PARGFEST on Saturday Feb 15* 2025, We'll again
be holding a huge Raffle with big prizes, a swap-meet, displays and guest speakers.

Our major annual raffle has prizes which include ICOM vouchers for $2000, $700 and $ 300
plus six other major prizes. The combined prize pool is worth over $3400!
Roffle tickets are on sale now and you can buy tickets from your own phone, computer or in

person on the day. Tickets are selling fast - secure yours now!
https://rafflelink.com.au/parg2025
We'd love te see as many of you there as we can, so come along, grab a bargain, have a chin
wag, and maybe you'll win-.a shiny new bit of amateur radio kit.

Call in to VRGARG in PARG1 on your way or during the event. We re on the South West AllStar
network and on VAGRMH 146.850MHz with 2 91.5Hz sub-tone
PARGFEST is again proudly supported by Mark Rawlings am

So even if you can’t make

it to Mandurah,

the line for that new bit of kit:

TET Enrein of Port Dennison

here’s an opportunity to get over

PARG’s mega

raffle:

httos://rafflelink.com.au/parg2025

\ | ops)
CWops

New

Celebrating the unique

SUZ”

art form

Monthly Zoom

Meeting

of Morse

Code

from Chris VK3QB

CWops

brings together Amateur Radio operators who enjoy communicating

by Morse Code (CW).
communications,
CWops

CWops

encourages the use of CW

and it supports CW activity through

promotes goodwill among

in Amateur

planned events.

Amateurs throughout the world, and it

fosters the education of young
Amateur Radio.

people and others in matters related to

We also offer free CW training to those who want to learn

this special skill that reaches back to the very beginning of ham

radio and

remains vital today.
As a part of my ongoing efforts to promote and encourage CW
of the world, I'll be trialling a monthly Zoom

in our part

session to discuss all things

Morse Code. | intend these sessions to be inclusive, to provide
encouragement and support, and promote self improvement.
| hope to have guest speakers covering all manner of topics from:
e the basics of a QSO
e contesting - the pros and cons and why?
e chasing DX
e improving code
e using bugs
e using apps
e Head copy
the list goes on.
Perhaps just as important,

is a forum for building a sense of community,

putting faces to callsigns and hopefully an environment where people can
obtain support to help them overcome whatever hurdles face them

in their

pursuits to be active on-air.
So the events will be on the 3'4 Monday of month at 0830Z;
Zoom

Good

wishes!

Yours

I'll provide

in CW

73, Chris VK3QB

CW Ops # 2949
WWW.CWODpS.OTg

[Absolutely!

Sounds like a great idea.

We've been running the Annual

International Morse Code Day quiz via Zoom and recently a couple of our
European members organised a combined 20m / Zoom Happy New Year
even

which

went really well.

The CQQRS

team also uses

for

message Alerts and Rag Chew during our Tuesday evening net and other
times during the week - these have been very popular, and we've built a
great team spirit among our 200-plus members - just like
without the politics :)
Similarly the Northern

huge Club - but

Tasmania AR Club has Morse training then a

technical natter session with a parallel DISCORD phone messaging
system - which again has built excellent rapport among the participants
around Australia.
So I reckon your initiative will be terrific - I reckon the CW crowd here
has become just as sociable if not more so than any other AR group in this
part of the world - and Zoom get-togethers will add to that, especially if
there's value-add from guest speakers etc.

I'd be very happy to support the initiative with regular promotion and
updates Chris. ]

Di-dah-di-dah-dit
Here

So back to the Slow CW QSO

Next Tuesday’s
Our CQQRS

go.

practice net.

Net

Group will be on as always on Tuesday from around 0700z until

about 1300z;

see below for details.

Doesn't matter whether you’re brand new and want to try just exchanging
callsigns and RST reports, or you’re ready for a good old rag chew.

We'll

have fun.
There's usually people around until after 1300z - so keep calling in the
segment of the band designated
someone.

in the table below until you catch

| should be on as usual from home

in NSW or via the Remote at

Bedfordale WA, and I'll also be watching the proceedings using the VK6QS
and Tecsun SDRs in WA and NSW

respectively.

Hope to hear you there.

Reports
Please let me know via our Reports form bit.ly/CQOQRSNET who you work or
hear on Tuesday’s Group.

The report form closes at lunchtime (Eastern

Australian time) on Thursday.

Post

Morsum

Richard VK6HRC

will run our phone Post Morsum

on the South West AllStar

net (via repeaters and hotspots all over WA) from 0600 WA time, then from
0700 WA time on 80m

(3605 LSB).

For the 0600 (2200z) net, if you’re in WA all you need is an FM 2m or 70cm
transceiver and an AllStar node nearby.

If you’re elsewhere in the world, if

you have an AllStar node (or you may be able to connect your local AllStarenabled

repeater to the net via DTIMF codes), connect to node 42482,

51077 or 42732 - these are the hubs that tie the network of repeaters and
nodes together in WA.

If you don’t have access to AllStar, you can connect

to the network via Echolink.

On Echolink, search for one of the following

Nodes:
e VK2KI-L
e *VK6-HUB*
e VK6ZGN-L
e VK6RMH-R
e VK6NRA-L

When

you connect to one of those stations on Echolink, you'll be

automatically connected to the WA AllStar network, and you should hear us
on soon after the hour;

let me know (cggrsnet@gmail.com)

with connecting via AllStar or Echolink.

if| can help

If you’re in WA and can’t connect,

give Richard a call on 3605kHz SSB from 0700 (23002).
Friday Kick-Back
And if you can, have a listen and join in on Fridays each week at 0800z
when some of our WA team
QRS fun on 7032kHz.

members

will be getting together for some

And if the band isn’t open where you are - why not

call QRL? then CQ on the frequency and see who pops up;
on the CQQRS

and if you post

WhatsApp Alert system, there'll be an even better chance of

hooking up with one of the team.
Teamwork

Thank you so much to our team of 24 contributors: VK2ASB, VK2DLF,
VK2GAS,

VK2GAZ, VK2IOW,

VK3DRQ,

VK3ECH, VK3KEV, VK3QB, VK5AO, VK5ET, VK5LA, VK6HD,

VK2TIG, VK2WP,

VK6HRC, VK6KD/3, VKENW,

VK3ACU,

VK6WE, VK7KPC

VK3AFH, VK3DBD,

and ZL3TK.

Thank you team.

€U CW on Tuesday,

Mark Bosma
VK2KI / VK6QI

Beautiful South Bowning NSW
mark.bosma@icloud.com
non impediti ratione cogitationis

An Ode to CW - thanks to David VK3RU:
In days of old, when ops were bold,
And sideband was not invented,
Words were passed by pounding brass,
And all were quite contented.
- Unknown

author

About the CQ QRS
Group
Here’s

the

details.

The team will be on again for our usual Tuesday arvo / evening Practice
QSO Group.
Frequencies

and Times

IRS

Coordinated

{

es,

Sorina

ket

Daviiaht

Cmirmnm

Saving

Universal Time

Western Australia Time

mtalla

Timetable

0700z to 1300z
UTC

Hours

1500 to 2100

Australia

Central Australian Time

UTC + 10.5 Hours

1730 to 2330

Eastern Australian Time

UTC

+11

Hours

1800 to 2400

Queensland Time

UTC

+ 10 Hours

1700 to 2300

NZ Time

UTC

+ 13 Hours

2000 to 0200

New Zealand

Frequency
0700z to 0900z

40m
40m

0900z to 1100z

80m

0900z to 1300z

7020kHz - 7040kHz
3540kHz - 3570kHz

80m

Wednesday (VK/ZL)

Post Morsum

7020kHz - 7040kHz

3540kHz - 3570kHz
2200z - 2300z

WA FM AllStar Network (direct or via Echolink)
Friday

Friday Kick

Back

0800z

7032kHz - hosted by Richard VK6HRC
and Max VK6FN

QRL?

So tune around and call anyone you hear, or find yourself a quiet spot in
the designated segment,

send “QRL?” and if the frequency is quiet, 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).

And if you are already having a QSO and someone

sends “QRL?”, respond

with “R”, “C”, “Y”, “YES” or QRL to let the caller know that the frequency is
in use.
If we’re on 40m

and you can hear that the band

is open outside

Australasia, perhaps consider calling 500HzZ above each

1kHz slot - to

minimise the chance of having to copy our team through QRQ QRM

that’s

often dead-on the kHz markers.

Speed?

Rhythm?

If you’re proficient at CW and can race along at 20 or 30wpm - terrific, but
please remember, the Group’s aim is to encourage

participation and

learning, not show how fast you can hammer the key.

Please send slowly

where you can and concentrate on rhythm - listen to your side-tone, get
that wrist action going and make a special effort to make
perfect CW;
how many

it sound

the longer we go with our Group, the more | understand just
non-transmitting

listeners we have - and they will most likely

appreciate your QRS!
So, if you’re an experienced operator, please try to send nicely balanced
slow CW to give them a chance to practice and gain confidence.... they’
reward you one day by coming
good

up on air to say g’day and thanks - how

is that?

And if you’re new or like me, just rusty.... ignore the above... just have a go
- the lather of sweat will be worth it and there’s plenty of time to get the
details sorted out as you practice.

Matching

And also for the oldies like me, when you hear someone
their sending speed - or slower.

new, please match

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!

PSE

QRS

And if someone

is sending too fast to comfortably copy - “PSE RPT PSE

QRS”

PSE

or “AGN?

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,
Whose

frequency

before replying.

is this anyway?

The aim is to give everyone a go at
contacting others - no-one owns
their calling frequency in this Group.
So unlike working
someone

DX, if you hear

signing off - jump in and

call - doesn’t matter who was first
on the frequency - we really are all
good

mates in this Group.... and

besides, at the speed we’re
sending, after a QSO

most of us will

have forgotten who was first!

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.
Landing

Zone

If the band goes really quiet, call and listen on 7032KkHz (7028kHz
secondary) or 3555kHz.
enjoy the frequency.

If you catch someone, there’s no need to QSY -

But don’t forget to tune around if it’s quiet - we have

lots of operators with crystal locked transmitters - and they could be
anywhere within the segments.

For those who are locked, or can only

transmit outside the segments,

send a message on our WhatsApp

CQ QRS

- Alerts group advising of your current frequency.
And of course, put the frequencies in a memory so outside of the Group,
you’re not tuning around, leave your receiver on one of the primary
frequencies - you never know who you'll hear (7032

is used in VK and ZL

for SOTA/ PARKS during the day so you'll often hear activity there).
CW Tips
As always, for newbies, operating suggestions are available from the

operating hints link here:
https://www.parg.org.au/
files/ugd/ebe236 3ca5ca08bb38429db4eee524b
da2f97a.pdf.

VK2KI / VK6QI

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opinions expressed

The

opinions

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in the

RagChew

do not necessarily

comments

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of the individual contributors.

reflect that of the editor or of the CQ

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