CQQRS RagChew Newsletter 24/2026.

13/06/2026, 01:00

Past Issues

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View this email in your browser

ORS RagChew
Edition 24/2026

ary

sIyq=@

0502015

—

raaemscecxcumscer
WAVEFORM
s cenenaron

Zane tomneely

Link to our WeeklyCOORS Net Reporting Form

bit. lyiCQQRSNET
e

Dah-di-dah-di-dah

New Team Members

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o But Weight, There’s More
o Go Light, Go Anywhere: Revolutionizing QRP Power with USB-C
e

RT-11 Antenna Coupler Remote Control Accessory

e An Eico720 Goes Top Band
e QRZ? MONNK - Not Much of a Talker
e CW Practice

e Updated Call Sign Directory
e

Emails to the Editor - RSN vs RST

e 2026 VKFF National Get Together
e

Morse Training Net

e WhatsApp Member Tags

e Semi-Submersable Benreoch
e Green Men - Dual-Band Portable
e The Beechworth Telegraph Station

e There’s No Such Thing
e

Prosign of the Month

Di-dah-di-dah-dit

e Venus & Mars in the Ham Shack

e About the CQ QRS Group

Dah-di-dah-di-dah

So much activity this week on our CQORS Slow CW Practice QSO net on Tuesday...
busy, busy, busy!

There was a bunch of our team on 20m this time, including for the first time, Carlos
CT/BPFE from Lisbon Portugal who has been one of our CQQRS family for some

time.

Funny that the popularity of the DXperiment can make things challenging - c'est la vie
with skip distances on 20m; there were lots of our team on 20m who couldn't hear
each-other. So | was pleased to hear David VK3DBD send "DOWN 2 DOWN2" when
responding to a call from another Oceania station. Keeping the sked frequencies
clear of local QSOs is important - especially when the 20m propagation
characteristics mean that Oceania stations may not hear that there are others on
frequency, and of course, there will always be people listening out for our Europeans’

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—

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|

So our public transport travels continue - this week we returned to Lorne on the Great
Ocean Road West of Melbourne. We didn’t know that last weekend had a long
weekend public holiday - boy this place can turn into Bourke Street very quickly... and
back again just as quickly! Phew - we’ll know for next time :)

Our pub-packing will continue on Saturday - off to Melbourne for another Australian
Chamber Orchestra concert - woo hoo! So for Tuesday’s CQORS net, I'll be listening
on the KiwiSDRs from a pub in Culcairn NSW - | hope | hear you on air then, and |

look forward to reading your report.

And thanks again to the 31 contributors to this newsletter - fantastic work folks!

New Team Members

Welcome this week to Kevin VK6AFG who lives in North Perth. Kevin has just passed

the Foundation qualification and has been allocated his callsign. He does not have
any amateur gear as yet, but on Tuesday he got himself established on Echolink and
was pleased as punch to have a QSO with a station in Holland. Kevin will be getting
himself established on VBand next, and hopefully will be able to take his first CW
steps with our family members on that mode.

| hope that Kevin will be able to use

KiwiSDRss to join in on our net in the future as a Short Wave Listener, and perhaps
one of our CQQRS family in WA might lend him a bit of receiving gear so he can start
enjoying the pleasures of our net? | look forward to receiving his reports about the
net from him via our webform bit.ly(JCOORSNET and before long, hopefully he’ll be
reporting proudly on his first on-air QSOs. Welcome mate.

Atul VK2AXT from Dubbo was on 80m on Tuesday. He tells me that the Orana

Regional Amateur Radio Club at Dubbo is interested in starting a slow CW group.
Hopefully we'll be able to help make that happen and that soon we'll have a few
more from Central

NSW joining in. Welcome Atul and | hope to be able say g’day to

you on air when | return home in a week or so.

Website

If you’d like to find out a bit about our net, or would like to pass information to others
about our Tuesday get-togethers, here’s the link to our website.
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So here we go - on behalf of the CQORS Editorial team, please enjoy the newsletter.

dit-dit

Mark Bosma

VK2KI / VK6QI

John

Beautiful South Bowning

Patrick
VK2IOW

NSW

VK2RU

Milthorpe NSW

on a track somewhere

Lance
VK7TO
Margate TAS

cqgrsnet@gmail.com
non impediti ratione cogitationis

Nigel

Richard

G4RWI

VK6HRC

our other grey nomad

Padbury WA

Jordan
VK3ACU
Meredith VIC

Reports & Comments
Here’s this week’s reports.

Last Tuesday’s Group
With thanks to Nigel G4RWI’s clever software, and John VK2RU’s clever spreadsheet

work, here’s the 58 stations heard by 40 members of our team on Tuesday:

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CT7BPF

Heard on air

DL3YZ

Heard on air

IU4FLS

Worked 20m

IU4FLS

Worked 80m

MONNK

Worked 20m

VK3DRQ |

DL3YZ

MONNK

Tried 20m

CT7BPF |

ZL3TK

VK2AXT

Heard on air

VK2DLF

Heard on air

VK2EBN

Heard on air

VK2GAS

Heard on air

VK2JCC

Heard on air

VK2KI

Heard 20m

VK2KI

Heard 40m

VK6KHZ

VK2KI

Heard 40m

VK6TX/4 | VK2EBN | VK6NQL|

VK2KI

Heard 80m

VK7JZ/P | VK6POP | VKSFD | VK6KD

VK3DLO | VK3TK
| VK3DRQ

VK2KI

Heard 80m

VK6TX/4 | VK3KLE |VK3DRQ}

VK3ACU

Worked 80m

VK5A0O

VK5SET

VK3BWN

Heard on air

VK3DBD

Heard on air

VK3DRQ

Worked 20m

IU4FLS

| MONNK

VK3DRQ

Heard 20m

ZL3TK

VK3DRQ

Worked 80m

VK6MTF | VK3KLE | VK3KIN

VK3DRQ

Heard 80m

VK3BWN|

VK3KIH

Heard on air

VK2JCC | VK6MK | VK6NC | VK6FN

ZL3TK
VK6IS

VK21I0

VK2AXT | VK3ACU | VK3KIH | VKS5SET | VKSAO

VK1CT

FS5SPON | VKSET | VK6ITX
VK3ACU | VKSET | VK5AO

VK3KLE

Heard 40m

VK6NC

VK6FN

VK3KLE

Worked 80m

| VK3BWN]|

VK3DRQ |

ZL3TK

VK4BVM

Heard 40m

VK4CEG

Worked 40m

VK2DLF | VK6NC
VK7TO

VK4CEG

Heard 40m

VK3DXD | VK2TM |

VK2DLF | VK2GAS | VK5PH | VK6NC

VK4IM

Heard 40m

VK5AO

Worked 40m

VKSET

VK5AO

Worked 80m

VK3ACU

VKSAV

Heard on air

VK7TA

VK5PH

VK3XU | VK4O0P

VK7TZ

VK6BR

VKSET

Heard 20m

VK3DRQ | MONNK

VKS5SET

Worked 40m

VK5PH

VKSET

Heard 40m

VK2DLF | VK6MK | VK6FN | VK6ONC | VK6TX

VKSET

Tried 40m

VK7JZ

VKSET

Worked 80m

VK3ACU | VK5FD

VK5FD

Heard 40m

VK5NE

VK5FD

Worked 80m

VK5ET

VK5FD

Heard 80m

VK5LA

Heard on air

VK5PH

Heard on air

VK6FN

Heard on air

VK6IS

Heard on air

VK6KD

Heard 40m

VK5A0O

VK7JZ

YHOONN

VK6KD

Tried 40m

VK2KI

VK6KD

Worked 80m

VK6POP

VK6KD

Heard 80m

VK6MTF

VK6KHZ

Worked 40m

VK6AEZ | VK6MK | VK6RR | VK6OFN

VK6MK

Heard on air

VK6MTF/P

Worked 80m

|VK3BWN!

VK3DRQ!

VK6IS

VKSAV | ZL3TK

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VK6POP

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Heard 40m

VK6KHZ | VK6ONC | VK6FN

VK6POP

Tried 40m

VK6ONC

VK6POP

Worked 80m

VK6KD

VK6QI

Heard 80m

VK3ACU | VK6POP | VKSET | VKSAO | VK6KD

VK6RR

Worked 40m

VK6AEZ | VK6KHZ

VK6RR

Heard 40m

VK5ET

VK5PR | VK6FN | VK6NC

VK6RR

Tried 40m

VK6FN

VK6TX

Worked 20m_

| VK3DBD

VK6TX

Heard 20m

VK3ACU

VK6TX

Worked 40m

VK2EBN | VK2DLF | VK6NC

VK6TX

Heard 40m

VK2I0/P | VK7TA | VK3XU | VK5SNE

VK7JZ

Worked 40m

VK5AO

VK7JZ

Heard 40m

VK2DLF | VK6TDK | VKSNE

VK7JZ

Tried 40m

VK6FN

VK7JZ

Worked 80m

VK5LA

VK7TA

Worked 40m

VK4CEG

VK7TA

Heard 40m

VK3DBD | VK2EBN |} VK2DLF | VK7TO | VK3XU | VKSPH | VKSET

VK7TA

Heard 80m

VK3BWN|

VK7TO

Worked 40m

VK4CEG | VK3DBD

ZL3TK

Heard 40m

VK2DLF | VKSNE

VK2IO

VK3KLE
VK6TX

ZL3TK

Tried 40m

VK6NC

ZL3TK

Worked 80m

VK6MTF | VK3KLE

VK6FN

ZL3TK

Heard 80m

VK3DRQ | VK3DRQ |}

VKZ/JZ

ZL3TK

Tried 80m

CT7BPF | MONNK |

IU4FLS

VK5LA

Comments:

John’s spreadsheet above shows the known stations heard or worked on last
Tuesday’s CQORS Net (reported via our webform bit.ly/COORSNET ); the comments
in the team members’ reports follow. The comments were compiled for us by the

clever software built by Nigel GARWI and the layout was perfected by Patrick
VK2IOW.

Thanks again to Nigel, Patrick and John for the work, and to every team member who

submitted a report -

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[20m]
Manny VK3DRQ made my day despite a weak signal.
Mike DL3YZ almost blew my eardrums with his strong
signal from Germany. | could hear some VERY weak
CW which | think might have been Stan ZL3TK but |
couldn't make out the callsign. | tried calling Carlos CT7BPF but without success.
Then along came a rain shower and | got busy keeping my gear dry. A rewarding

session so "Thanks" chaps.

From Roy VK6RR at Geraldton
[40m]
Very poor conditions with the "sweeper" busily brushing
away, causing heavy QRM mixed with deep QSB. Pretty

hopeless at this location.
[80m]

Had a listen to our DX friends but nothing heard - again bad QRN. But had a
wonderful QSO with VK6AEZ, Ziggy. Ziggy and | were both radio operators on a
semi-submersible oil rig called the "Benreoch" going back to the early 1980s!!

Wonderful to hear him especially as he was only 5 watts & managing to get thru’ all
the noise. Great to meet up again after all these years.

From Fausto IU4FLS at Bologna, Italy
[20m]
Hello dear friends. Wx was sunny and warm in Bologna last
June 9th. Noise level was lower at 14042 kHz, bouncing

between S2 - S3, so | used this frequency for CQ. | got
ZL3TK Stan with pleasure, while others were either too weak
or overlapping one another. Just above noise floor | got
VK3DLO or possibly VK3DRQ I'm not sure, sorry about it.
Hope to hear you soon. Take care .73 de IU4FLS - Fausto

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[40m]
Noisy, some stations at RSN 595, QRM, then disappeared

or very weak to QSL. Good to hear more VK6 stations
tonight, although weak .
[80m]
NICE TO HAVE CAUGHT UP WITH ALLAN, VKSFD,
GOOD CHAT .

From David VK6KD at Ballajura WA
[40m]
High levels of QRM on 40m but appeared more active than
80m.

[80m]
80m was remarkably quiet from my QTH.

| heard a number of

stations but QSB and QRM drowned them out.
a CQ on 160m without response.

| also put out

| logged into a SDR on the

East of Australia and heard a Net being run on our landing

frequency of 1855khz.

| found a quiet spot and called CQ again but no response so

moved onto scanning 40m and 80m. 73s

From Jordan VK3ACU at Meredith
[80m]
Managed to sneak in

a POTA on the way home 20m

was great! Then a few 80m contacts on QRS night.
Nice long rag chew with Chris was fun discussing all

things portable.

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[20m]
Another no-go night.

Signal heard on 14.042

MHz too weak to ID and MONNK reported same
condition when | was calling him.6 kHz higher an
hour later.

No sign at all of CT7BPF.

[40m]
Very good signals coming from VK6 but neither

station | called heard me. All east coast VK signals unusually weak and no ZLs or
DX heard.
[80m]

Very nice first QSO with old-salt Morgan VK6MTF, who was briefly on terra firma.
Didn't think there had been much rain in Hobart, so it struck me as quite funny when

he said he was using a paddle ... on dry land.
[160m]
Called CQ a few times to no avail, but at least heard

a VK SSB net on 1.855 MHz,

which at least proved things here are working. A request, when someone is heading
to 160 m, could an alert be sent to zl3tk@qsl.net please?

[15m]
Nothing at all heard from Edi DO2ZEMR this
week on 15m;

Edi reported via Mike

DL3YZ's Runners Point website that he was
calling CQ - but the propagation gods

weren't smiling on 15m this week.
[20m]
| heard Fausto |U4FLS coming through RSN 531 into the VKSPH Ironstone Range

KiwiSDR network.

Manny VK3DRQ tried calling him and he responded, but it then

sounded like there was so many of our team members calling CQ (and apparently

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up.

Funny that the popularity of the DXperiment can make things challenging - c'est la vie

with skip distances on 20m. There were lots of our team on 20m who couldn't hear
each-other.

| was pleased also to hear David VK3DBD send "DOWN 2 DOWN 2"

when responding to a call from another Oceania station. Keeping the sked

frequencies clear of local QSOs is important - especially when the 20m propagation
characteristics mean that Oceania stations may not hear that there are others on

frequency, and of course, there will always be people listening out for our Europeans'
Calls.
| was pleased to hear Ross MONNK coming through this week from his QRP portable

station working Manny VK3DRQ.
Great that Carlos CT7BPF in Lisbon Portugal was able to join the net for the first time
this week. Carlos got on air two hours earlier than planned, and was coming through

nicely RSN 531 around 0800z. Stan ZL3TK tried to hook-up with Carlos without luck,
but where were all the other Oceania stations? Dinner time perhaps? Anyway, |

reported that he was coming through Q5 via Mike DL3YZ's Runners Point webpage,
and Carlos responded by calling me on CW;

I’m away from home, with no

transmitter this week, so our half-Internet QSO was the best we could do. So we had
a kind of exchange - he transmitted, | listened on the Ironstone Range KiwiSDR and

replied via the webpage chat! What fun.
[40m]

40m was working well again this week - lots of stations on air working across the
country well; mainly VK6s but no ZLs heard this time though.

Lin VK6NT was again

operating the Northern Corridor Radio Group's club station VK6NC at Whiteman

Park; the big 4 element yagi was thundering in to the Ironstone Range KiwiSDR
S9+-.

[80m]

Again this week | slipped down to 80m early and enjoyed listening to the goings-on.
Terrific to hear so many people on air enjoying the nice conditions as the band

opened up - fantastic!
[160m]

| had a listen around on 160m - unfortunately nothing heard.

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Northam WA.
[80m]
The Ironstone Range KiwiSDR kept me busy
this week - so | didn't get much opportunity to
listen from the West this time.

[40m]

Tried calling CW on 40m but no reply. There
were plenty of strong stations on 7.032.
[80m]
Conditions on 80m were quite good. Some

QSB, however the noise floor being winter
was very low. As Mark mentioned in our latest
newsletter it's a good time to explore 80m and 160m bands. | hope to be active on
non QRS Tuesdays on 80m.

Possibly on 3.529-32 give or take. | have some xtals

coming in the mail. My Eico 720 is about finished and ready to put onto the ham
bench. Regards Paul, VK3KLE

From Graham Vayro VK4CEG at Logan Village, Qld

[40m]
It is always good to get 599 reports from interstate using
just 5 watts and a dipole.

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[40m]
| didn't hear much on 40m, yet managed a QSO with VK4CEG

who was running SW.
[80m]

| had a listen on 20m but heard nothing. | couldn't Tx on 80m
but heard one CW QSO.

From Jim Semmens VK7JZ at Mount Nelson Signal Station (Hobart)
[40m]

lam a regular complainer about QRM at the QTH and
an impossible noise floor and over the last couple of

months | have been trying various parks and open
spaces around Hobart trying to find something better
for the Tuesday CQ QRS net.

Last night | think we found it, my wife asked 'Have you
tried the Mount Nelson Signal Station yet?’, then like a
pro she said, 'You have lots of elevation there, plenty of

sky, surrounding bush land, not boxed in by hills, no
major power lines.’ Right | said - good idea, why did | not think of that.’
| picked up Morgan VK6MTF who is currently /MM docked in Hobart and up to the

signal station we went. 40m band noise floor = Zero. 80m band noise floor = Zero,
why had | not thought of this location earlier.

| made a poor antenna choice (vertical) so could not flip between 40m and 80m
quickly, but enjoyed a fab QSO with Mait VKSAO on 40, then later a quick one with
Gerard VK2IO on 80 who was activating a park (Gerard don't muck around), then a

longer QSO with Andy on VKSLA on 80.
There were others | heard on 40 that were mid QSO and| listened a bit while tuning
around but as the evening moved on 40 seemed to drop out and | moved over to

sharing Morgan's 80m antenna (EFHW), so | heard more than | managed a QSO
with.

Either way, best spot, best CQ QRS night yet - will be going back to the same

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might possibly be a good portable spot - we found tt.
Thanks Morgan for the company.

From Morgan VK6MTF'IP at Hobart Tasmania

[40m]
No QSO’s on 40m tonight as Jim VK/7JZ was operating 40m

from the same location.
[80m]
Great night operating portable from Hobart with Jim VK7JZ.

Mount Nelson Signal Station was an excellent location for
portable operation with great trees for antennas, park
benches, and most importantly almost zero noise!
Working only 80m | had four great QSO’s with Manny, Ketut, Tim and Stan.
Jim allowed me to try my hand at sending with a paddle for the first time. Apologies

Stan for the rapid fire of mistakes! When | eventually invest in a paddle, | shall slow
down to practice. Good fun none the less.
Thanks all.

From Sava VK4PN at Mount Ommaney Brisbane

[160m]
First | want to apologise to anyone who was checking for my

activity on 1855 kHz. | was not on air or in Brisbane. My
brother-in-law was admitted to Hervey Bay Hospital and |
had to drive to Hervey Bay Sunday pm and | am still at

Hervey Bay. | hope to be back for the QRS Net next

Tuesday, but things may be different. Last Tuesday | did log on the Kiwi SDR at
around 11:00 UTC and checked 1855 KHz. To my surprise there was an SSB signal |

could see on VKSAGR and Ironside sites. Well these are the details of the new
owner of the frequency:

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Every Tuesday from 11:00 UTC
Net Controller VA3GSR

Net started 3 weeks ago.
Number of check-ins 15 mostly VK3 but some VK2 and VK95 as well.

Net finished at 12:30 UTC.
So next week (if | make it back to Brisbane) | will be on 1850 kHz + or — 1kHz in
case of interference. Use Ironside SDR to check for activity | Know my carrier is

visible on that site.
Few more details re 160m activity. | monitored FT8 a few nights in a row and
checked recordings. | was surprised to see that around 11:00 UTC good signals were

recorded from VK3 and YB (Indonesia). A few weeks ago again by fluke | stumbled
across VK5 and VK4 having a QSO so 160 is alive and active, have a go.

From Manny VK3DRQ at Blackburn
[80m]

It was nice to be able to work (just) VKG6MTF OM Morgan visiting
VK7.
Nothing was heard from OM Carlos CT/7BPF.

From Lance VK7TO at Hobart
[40m]

It's always a little special making contact with QLD
on 40 m, unfortunately the circuit was plagued by

QSB so was unable to hold the conversation with
Graham, 4CEG, for very long. That was followed
however by a nice quick chat with David and his ditty

callsign, 3DBD. We had guests for dinner, so after a
couple of QSOs it was time to QRT. See you all next week.

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From Richard VK6HRC.

Seven on the VK6RLM rptr and AllStar/Echolink hub this morning.

VK6QI

Mark

ZL3TK

Stan

VK6KD

David

VK6FN

Max

VK7JZ

= Jim

VK6HRC
VK6MRB Mulligan swl
Mark called in from Lorne on the Great Ocean road in Victoria where the weather
was fine. Making use of various Kiwi sdr receivers,nothing heard on 15 m and on
20 m heard eight. Nine on 40 m and eleven on 80 m, good to see more activity
here.

Stan reported the conditions as very flat, signals from the East coast very weak
better signals from VK6 and VK7 where Morgan VK6MTF was doing well. Stan
not having access to social media would like to be informed of activity on 160 m
etc during the evening via email.
David monitored 160 m for a while where it was quiet so tuned up on 80 m and

worked Bob VK6POP heard Morgan VK6MTF no contacts on 40 m but heard an
Indonesian station. Contemplated trying for a contact, maybe next time ?
Max had bit of a gremlin in his set up to start with but sorted that out and went on

to work multiple stations on 40 m.
Jim joined us at the tail end of the net comenting on the high noise levels at his

QTH and battling the weather to activate in the great outdoors.
It is great when we get the occasional check in from one of our group that are
normally busy with daily activities but make time to call in and say hello.
Thank you to all

Richard.

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After next Tuesday’s Group, please remember to send me a list of who you worked
and / or who you heard using our web form here:

bit. lyVICQQORSNET

Even if you didn’t hear anyone, we’d still like to know that you had a go. And to make

your report more interesting, please consider sending a photo:
cqgrsnet@gmail.com

So, please help attract new and old team members to have a go by submitting your
report each week. Submissions close 1300 (Eastern Australian Summer time)on
Thursdays.

Packing Light
Two Great Minds
Last week’s Editorial mentioned how successfully your editor

So this week our Pub-Packing travels have taken us
by coach and train to Victoria - Chiltern, Wallan and
Ballarat so far. As the rain pours down, Ms Elizabeth
and| are sitting in the Ballarat Library as we speak.

had procrastinated over not unpacking (let alone building) the

Perfect weather for compiling the RagChew
newsletter.

My backpacking radio kit - tr(u)SDX transceiver, coupler, four heavy 18650 batteries

ORP Labs QMX transceiver for the current pub-packing

and 5 Volt charger, key, antenna etc - just didn't make the backpack-packing cut this
time. The gear squashes down to a toiletry bag and one Kathmandu water-proof
pack, and weighs-in at 2.1kg. In some ways, I'm pleased that | hadn't rushed-in to
build the QRP-Labs QMx transceiver that I'd bought (er, six months ago!) for our

(public transport/pub accommodation/backpacking) adventure.

back-packing adventures. My procrastination has meant | can now appreciate why |
should build the kit in the 9 Volt configuration, rather than the 12 Volt arrangement hopefully, I'll be able to get away with just two 18650 (3.7V) batteries... and save a

The kit had actually been ordered six months earlier for the
previous expedition, and was still sealed in the postal
package.

And as an aside, you may also note my new
positive attitude to procrastination... having

just finished Alain de Botton's Procrastination
=

- How to do it Well book on this trip!

So for the next couple of weeks, I'm going to enjoy listening-in via the many
KiwiSDP receivers around the place

However that doscn't

| lamented that the procrastination was a positive thing - because as it turned out, |
couldn't fit any sort of radio in my backpack - too bulky... and the batteries were just
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Well, | was overjoyed when Warren VK3BYD and Geoff VK6HD both popped up this

week with some words of advice on the battery problem. Over to our readers...

But Weight, There’s More
From Warren VK3BYD

Since Mark had posted his thoughts around which voltage to build his QMX for, | felt it
worth sharing my experience.

| built my QMX Mid Band as a 9V (T501, 3:2 ratio) unit. Once the QMX was built and

working, curiosity got the better of me and | changed T5011 to a 3:3 ratio for 12V.

| measured the TX output power (Watts), supply current on TX (Amps) and receiver
stand by current (Amps) for both builds for the range of supply voltages | expected to
use.

3:2 Winding
7.5V
Band

8.0V

9.0V

Amps

% Eff

3.12 | 0.838

1.023

2.63 | 0.745

2.63 | 0.779

17
15

4.1

0.93

3.4

2.33 | 0.838

2.34 | 0.899
2.15 | 1.082

TX Average | 2.53

RX Current

5.39

0.825

4.51

0.918

3.45 | 0.861

4.76

0.966

3.28 | 0.943

1.046

35
26

3.13 | 0.989
2.84 | 1.187

40
30

4.18
3.32

1.082
1.256

43
29

3.36

4.42

0.139

0.127

0.116

3:3 Winding

Band

9.0V

10.0V

11.0V

12.0V

49 | 0.768 |

5.74

Amps

% Eff

Watts

Amps

% Eff

2.82 | 0.546 |

3.41

| 0.593 |

4.11

0.672

4.84

0.663

2.9

0.57

3.5

| 0.604|

4.2

0.62

4.88

0.674

3.19 | 0.651

3.78 | 0.697 |

4.55

0.733

5.21

0.768

2.7

| 0.663 |

3.2

| 0.697 |

3.78

0.733

4.47

0.779

3.97

| 0.918 |

4.78

| 0.972}

5.68

1.046

6.53

1.105

3.92

4.67

5.43

TX Average | 3.29
RX Current

0.116

0.104

6.65

0.849

57
0.103

Power was measured using a QRP-Ometer, and current via an in-line Amp meter.
The QMX was powered from the bench power supply for each range tested.

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So | have left it as a 12V unit, primarily for the slightly better efficiency and better

power output on 15mx. The 12V unit also increases the power supply options.

For powering in the
field, | generally use
either a 3x18650
(2500mAh) pack ora

USB-C battery bank/
phone charger

(5000mAN 18.5Wh)
which was on special

cheap at Jaycar about
6 months ago.

For the 18650 battery pack, | will either use it direct or | have experimented with 9 &
12 Volt Pololu DC-DC up/dwn convertors to get a constant voltage.

For the battery bank | use a 12V USB-C trigger board. | have since added a diode to
drop the voltage a

little for a bigger safety margin.

The advantage of the battery bank is easy field charging.

For the 3x18650 pack | picked up a USB-C to 3S1P (3 series Lparallel)

1 Amp

charging board from ebay, so the 3x18650 batteries are now field chargeable without
pulling the pack apart to charge each cell individually.

For the gram counters, the pack is 154g and the bank is 126g.

Go Light, Go Anywhere: Revolutionizing QRP Power with USB-C
From Geoff VK6HD

For those of us hooked on QRP and portable operating, the holy grail has always
been minimising weight without sacrificing performance. We obsess over the grams

of our antennas, the thickness of our coax, and the size of our rigs. Yet, for years, the
heaviest brick in our packs has remained the same: the battery.

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But if you are still hauling around a traditional, bulky LiFePO4 battery anda

dedicated charger just to power it, it is time for an upgrade.
By marrying the QMX with a modern USB-C PD (Power Delivery) power bank anda

clever little accessory called a trigger cable, you can create the ultimate featherweight
field station.

The Secret: USB-C PD and the Trigger Cable

Standard USB ports output 5 Volts—
well short of what the QMX needs to
achieve its full output power. However,
modern USB-C ports utilise a protocol
called Power Delivery (PD). This
allows the power bank to output higher
voltages (up to 12V) if the connected
device requests it.
Since our QRP Labs radios don’t yet
know how to talk USB-C protocols, we

use a USB-C PD Trigger Cable
(sometimes called a decoy cable).

This inexpensive cable contains a tiny internal microchip that mimics a high-power

device. It negotiates with the power bank, essentially saying, "Hey, give me exactly 12
volts,” and routes that clean 12v power directly to a standard 2.1mm DC barrel plug
(or raw leads for your Powerpole connectors).
The result? A perfectly regulated 12V power source for your QMX, straight out of a

pocket-sized battery.
Why This Setup Changes the Game

If you haven't made the switch to a USB-C setup yet, here is why you should consider
it for your next activation:
e Absurdly Lightweight: Traditional amateur radio batteries are dense and heavy.
A multi-voltage USB-C power bank slips easily into a pocket or the smallest

corner of a backpack, weighing a fraction of a standard radio battery.
e The Ultimate Multi-Tasker: When you carry a dedicated radio battery, it does

one thing. If your phone or tablet dies on the trail, you're out of luck. A highquality USB-C power bank, however, is a universal utility. It can power your QMX
for hours, and then seamlessly switch to topping up your phone, logging iPad, or
even a USB-C capable laptop. One battery rules them all.

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USB-C wall charger you already use tor your phone or computer.

Putting it Together: Tips for the Field
If you want to build this lightweight kit, keep a couple of things in mind:
1. Check the Power Bank Specs: Ensure your power bank explicitly states it can

output 12V under its USB-C PD profile (e.g. 12v - 1.5A). Mine actually also
supplies 9v - 2A.
2. Watch out for RF Noise: Some ultra-cheap power banks use noisy switching
regulators that can cause hash on the HF bands. Stick to reputable brands (like
Inui or Anker) which generally feature much cleaner circuitry and better shielding.
3. Get the Right Trigger: Order a trigger cable pre-set to 12V. Double-check the
polarity with a multimeter before plugging it into your pristine QMX!
Final Thoughts
The QRP Labs QMX has already rewritten the rules for how small an HE rig can be.

By ditching the traditional battery shack mentality and embracing modern USB-C
technology, your entire power system can finally match the sleek, lightweight spirit of
ORP operating.
See you in the parks or on the peaks—with a much lighter pack!

73,

Geoff VK6HD

[This ts amazing! Only a year or so back, | couldn't find a simple solution to series

charging of 18650s. | also couldn’t make either a phone-type powerbank or a
glovebox vehicle jump-starter deliver continuous power for a low-current load (my
(tr)uSDX portable CW transceiver).

And... before Warren and Geoff opened my eyes, | had no idea that USB-C chargers

could be controlled externally to provide different voltages. I'd looked at my MacBook
charger which has several different voltages listed on the case, and couldn't work out

that the external load tells the charger what to produce via the USB-C. Bloody
amazing!

Then again, not many years ago | was fascinated that on Thunderbirds, a “Calling
International Rescue” call from a small transmitter would be picked up by a space

station (think about that .... in about 1962, the idea that such a thing as a space
station could exist!). Or that Supercar could actually fly.

Or that Illya Kuryakin could

talk to Mister Waverley using a transmitter in a pen. Not to mention the personal
communicators carried by the Starship Enterprise crew.
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If you have an article or two that you think might be of interest to our readers, please

let me know so we can share more thoughts and ideas; for guidance on writing for
RagChew, see Articles below. Please email material to Mark VK2KI:
cagrsnet@gmail.com

On My Workbench
RT-11 Antenna Coupler Remote Control Accessory
Blimey, Why Would One Go to All That Trouble?
From Stan ZL3TK

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Such Is the burning question.

Translate v
Imagine two pieces of radio equipment, an IC-7300

transceiver and an LDG RT-11 automatic antenna coupler, both would supposedly be

perfectly happy working together without any operator intervention. So why would
one want to interfere with this established convenience they allegedly offer?
Because that combination poses a serious potential risk, and I’m not known for being

a risk taker!

The convenience of full automation often comes with a price tag, this is

one of those occasions. For only a slight loss of convenience, it makes sense to take
out an insurance policy, arranged with some creativity and bench work.

To achieve the highest level of convenience safely, in addition to the bare RT-11

antenna coupler, two additional small units are required, a wired remote control for
the RT-11 and a wired accessory for the IC-7300.
When the IC-7300 detects an unfriendly VSWR, it invokes RF-power fold back via its

efficient ALC circuit, limiting drive to the final transistors to prevent damage, but not
necessarily to a level below the 25 W power limit advised for the RT-11 coupler.

would be expedient to avoid the tedium of having to adjust transceiver power

manually by rotating the ‘Multi’ knob four full turns each way several times a night.
Now that the IC-7300 has been touted by sales count to be the most popular HF
transceiver of all time, the principles used in this small accessory could become
usefully deployed in hundreds of shacks around the world.

Reading the respective equipment manuals lists their specific requirements. Suffice
to say, in the past when manually activating the coupler and using an earlier iteration
in which only the transceiver’s ALC socket was involved, | would sometimes forget to

switch back to high power. Often it didn’t matter, but at times it was a time-wasting
oversight.

This small, simple, home-brewed accessory not only ensures longevity of

relays in the coupler, but also makes it impossible to forget to return to full power. If
one doesn’t switch the accessory off, the transceiver remains in TX mode with zero
RF output.

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tits the rear accessory socket and Is dployed like SO: when the DSU! switch Is

moved to ‘TUNE’, regulated minus 4 V
pulls the TX line low.

is applied to the ALC input, while the 2N7000

Now when the Morse key is pressed, output power will never

exceed a preset limit determined by the 10-turn potentiometer.

Then, with a

momentary press on the coupler’s remote control ‘TUNE’ button, the matching

process is set in motion. It’s all over in less than three seconds, often much less, at
which point one releases the key and switches the accessory off. You won’t forget

because the transceiver will remain in transmit mode with zero RF output if you don’t.
IC-7300 External Antenna Coupler Adapter

ZL3TK

April 2026

250 mA
a

a
— oT)

Pin 8

ACC Plug

poy

+13.8V

|
Pin 2

Pin3

ete Plug

|
|

ransmit

=
2N7000

470K

ACC Plug

Ground

Tune

DPDT

3TR 78L05

1 Switch

—IN OUT

oye

=
=

PP3 —_
T

Normal

+
1pF TL.

Pin 6

ACC Plug

10-turn
ea

ALC input

x.)

Oto-5V

To adjust the ALC voltage provided by the accessory, in CW mode with transceiver

power set to 100 W, connect a suitable 50 ohm dummy load.

My home brew dummy

load has two Schottky diodes and a 100 n reservoir capacitor in series, connected

across it, to provide peak DC voltage, ready for direct reading with a simple
voltmeter. Then by referring to the chart available at https://qsl.net/zl3tk/rf-power_dc-

volts.jog the RF PEP can be quickly determined. My 10-turn potentiometer is set to
give 40 V PeakDC, indicative of 17 W PEP, an adequate margin of safety for the
RT-11 coupler’s relays.

Physical installation of the LDG RT-11 antenna coupler at the top of my modest tower
has been subject to long gestation. Despite the manufacturer’s claim that it is

weatherproof and the O-rings and silicon rubber gasket lending plausibility to the
claim, to satisfy my risk aversion it is housed inside a stout, rectangular, empty plastic
10-litre water cask. Then belt-and-braces, it has a white-painted canvas cover, just to

be sure it inhabits a safe environment regardless of summer heat or when being
battered by driving rain and westerly winds from the nearby Tasman Sea.

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Top of

the Tower

Translate v

Strain relief
insulator

Antenna coupler

with weather
protection

RG-213
and remote

-) control cable

Although LDG, the antenna coupler’s manufacturer, provides an optional CBU
remote control module, one was not included with my second-hand purchase, so |
home-brewed one from workshop junk to the tune of an LDG schematic.

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“Ss

BYPASS

AUTO

TUNE

Home brewed remote control for
LDG RT-11 Automatic Antenna Coupler

With a nod to standard traffic light configuration, three 3 mm LEDs indicate the

operational status of the coupler.

Ared LED illuminates only after the ‘TUNE’ button

has been momentarily pressed, and stays on until

a match has been achieved.

yellow LED indicates stand-by mode with 13.8 V supply present, while the green
LED illuminates only when the VSWR is less than 1.5:1 and RF is present, so it
flashes faithfully in sync with Morse bits, even when only 1 W of PF is present.
Back to the original question: ‘why would one go to all that trouble?’

Simply because with the equipment configuration at this station, it is the most
efficient way to ensure the fulfilment of five very desirable parameters: small

footprint, near perfect antenna matching on all HF bands including WARC and 60 m,
longevity of equipment, ability to make very fast band changes and idiot proof.

73 de Stan

[Thanks Stan. Australian Foundation Class readers may be particularly interested in
the bottom half of your circuit diagram... to help solve the problem of how to legally
operate a commercial transceiver limited to 10 Watts output.

The simple 9 Volt

battery, regulator and potentiometer (arranged with positive to ground) would be a
simple way of applying a negative Automatic Level Control voltage to the transmitter,

to tone its output down to 10 Watts. Could | twist your arm for a follow-up article on
what ALC Is for, how it works and how Foundation licensees might build a power

control for a common 100 Watt transceiver perhaps?].

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From Paul VK3KLE

Been busy fixing my vintage Eico/20 tube transmitter.

It has had multiple tech revisions to get to the current circuit. The tube line up is now
a 6CL6 osc, 6BA6 buffer multiplier, 6BA6 driver, 6146B final and OD3 VR150 voltage
reg.

Feel the glow!
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dip on all bands except 15m, sometimes depending on line voltage variations and xtal
exhitation. Both buffer and driver have individual tuning ccts. The 6CL6 runs un-

tuned from the rock into the 6BA6 grid via an input choke and 4.7k resistor. It runs up
to -20v grid self bias depending on band and xtal activity.

The output tank is from a military transmitter that was MF band; therefore the
transmitter is now 160, 80, 40, 20 & 15m. Originally it had 10m, but triple-driving a
multiplyer doesn't give a nice CW tone.

| may in future when | get some 30m rocks

drop 15m in favour of 30m. Just one tap on the tank and wind new buffer and driver
coils (again).

So it has about 60W peak key-down and drops to 52watts solid key. The 6146B has
protective bias of 60v and the 6BA6 driver will lift the grid bias of the 6146 via
rectification of the drive RF to about neg 65-75 Volts. It's working Class AB1-AB2
depending on how you set the drive pot and tuning; without drive there is about
20mA of idle current on the plate.

This TX is a USA import originally in 1960 as new to Australia, and the wholesaler put
in an Australian HiFi 240 V transformer. It used to struggle to produce 15 Watts RF

from plate volts of 400V; it suffered from B+ rail sag on key-down. Some rework and
careful use of available taps and supply current was required.

My solution to this conundrum... a voltage doubler. There was an additional set of
300V AC taps on the transformer for the exciter stage and another for neg bias. So it
now sports -100V DC, 400V DC and 850V DC.

The big voltage regulator tube and a few heavy wattage wire wound resistors gives
the range of lower voltage for the exciter stage now.

The 850 voltage doubler has a double set of capacitors utilising the original power
supply filter inductor. It looks like a pi filter, with doubler first stage and it now doesn't

sag much on key-down with a single 6146B tube in AB1.

Ahhh... power supply sorted after all those years going light on volts.

Ow yea that's a lot of volts for a 6146. Same actually with slightly less screen volts
than a Kenwood or Yaesu hybrid. | have set my screen at 195v via a zener string. As
it's only going to be used for CW, | didn't have to use AM Class C voltages. Those are

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a

—

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The xtals are now plugged into a new socket at rear (close to the osc) with a trim
capacitor for xtal frequency adjustment. I’ve also added a neat circuit | designed to
un-key the oscillator, that | now keep running during my over. Constantly keying the
oscillator gave some chirp. The new seperate PTT line solves this and gives a quiet
receiver after the over is finished, when you can conveniently stop the oscillator. The
PTT line is then un-keying the oscillator, turning it off.

| fitted an RCA socket via a string of 4 green LED diodes to drop the cathode of the

oscillator to cut-off. | can un-key the 6CL6 with a foot switch or external keyer that
has PTT. | have enough xtals to run this transmitter in straight-though mode on 160,

80, 40 and 20m. So the CW tone should be very sweet on those bands.

I'm going to answer a question that readers may ask. Why the 6BA6 driver and
buffer? Well the 6CL6 is one of the lowest plate-to-grid capacitance tubes. Soisa

6AU6 - it does have enough volts for the grid of the 6146 as long as you’re not
thinking about Class C.

If it wanted a Class C final than I'd have used a 6CL6 or

12BA/ driver. That and the original supplier used a HiFi transformer. The AC
transformer is a little light on current. When it had the original 6AQ5 driver the power

supply had voltage sag when keyed in CW. It wasn't a happy setup.

The 6BA6 driver is only using about 10mA in Class A.

A 6CL6 more like another

30mA. The buffer tube I'm running at reduced plate and screen. About 210V and
125V with 100 Ohm cathode resistor for self safety bias combination. So it would be
running 6mA or so - that equals 16mA for two tubes - half of a Class C driver tube.

The 6BA6 is a remote cut-off version of the 6AU6 (sharp cutoff) tube. As crystals vary
in activity, | thought it would self-bias well, which it does as a buffer stage.

Class C needs a good amount of drive current (3 mA for the 6146). However you
need very little current for Class AB1. So at 250V plate 150V screen it's very stable in
Class
A and doesn't need neutralisation. The driver pot runs close to max, but it's all
voltage regulated and set for ClassA anyhow. The TX of course has no SSB mode.
For CW only in AB1-2 and a single 6146 it has enough drive (just) for this CW setup.
Clean, simple but with no excess drive current to be abused.

The 6146 if our readers check the photo does have a 10pF Russian nuet cap anda

tube screen strip too. The new driver circuit was designed by me so | could add
neutralisation which connects to the cold side of the driver coils array.

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And just yesterday | moved the plate supply for the 6CL6 to 150V from the OD3 tube. That
dropped about 25 Volts DC.

Also | added a capacitive divider T network from the oscillator plate to the grid of the first
buffer to reduce the 80m and 160m self-bias voltage, which was tending to send the 6BA6
towards cutoff. The oscillator signal looks much more sinusoidal on those bands now- It
previously showed a few harmonics on the sine wave via my CRO. They looked like a

little

squiggle hihi.

The grid input of the buffer has a shunt inductor and 4.7k resistor bypassed. A standard

voltmeter at that test point shows the crystal drive to the buffer tube.

It now runs around -5

Volts most bands and -12 to 18V on 160m where my vintage hand-made Max Howden
crystals operate.

He ran his crystal lab from home in his garage with help from his son. He

was one of the few suppliers of early Australian crystals to ham operators. The rocks are
slightly cushion shape, thicker in the centre.

The driver 6BA6 shows no grid leak bias voltage so it's just self biased via a 100 Ohm

cathode resistor.

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tried. The grid resistor is just 47 K ohms.

Regards Paul
VK3KLE

[Reminiscent of The Serviceman articles in Electronics Australia in the 70s, Paul’s articles

are just so much fun and educational to read; thanks Paul].

What’s going on on your workbench? If you have an article or two that you think

might be of interest to our readers, please let Mark VK2KI know; email to
cagrsnet@gmail.com
For guidance on writing for RagChew, see Articles below.

QRZ?
Who’s calling me? Who’s on the other end?

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From Ross MONNK

| have a confession to make. I’ve managed to progress

(obGey 2)

from a UK ‘Foundation’ license to ‘Intermediate’ and then

rom,

to a 'Full' amateur radio license without ever having had

= ae

any sort of exchange using SSB. Actually, I’m rather proud

[plese0)

of that achievement, for reasons I'll come to later.

Road

As part of my preparation for the Foundation license at my local radio club, | did
press the mic button and speak (closely supervised, and using the club callsign) over

VHF FM to a chap in the car park. A few weeks later, | took my shiny new license for

a test run on the local repeater. No-one answered. That turned out not to be unusual
- VHF repeaters don’t seem to get much use here these days. | felt a mixture of

disappointment and relief.
Undeterred, | sought out a local weekly VHF net and, after dithering around for a
while, nervously transmitted “Break, Break” into a gap in the traffic. The surprise of
the net controller was palpable and you could sense half-a-dozen computer mice

reaching for the QRZ.com button to find out where on earth this stranger had come
from. Having said that, | was then warmly welcomed into the fold. I’m not at my ease
in social situations but long professional experience means | can converse in public

as well as the next man when | need to, so it all passed off without me sounding like
an idiot.

| learnt an interesting lesson that day (reinforced by a number of other subsequent
net engagements): the 'Hub-and-Spoke' Round Robin format co-ordinated through a
net controller results in what | would call a "declarative” type of exchange. I’d made
notes of what other participants had said and how | wanted to respond so that when
it was my turn | could fire them off. It gave me something to say. But the opportunity

for dialogue just wasn’t there - you were invited to go up on stage; you said your bit;
and then stepped down out of the limelight. If | responded to something the previous
guy had said, it would be many overs later till he could get back to me, by which time
the conversion had usually moved on.
No, VHF nets were definitely not for me.
And all the while, | was honing my Morse skills by hesitantly chatting over the internet

using CWCOM (now possibly dormant). There were several kind and patient OMs on

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with CW. That is what I always wanted to do anyway, so there was no incentive to

repeat my VHF trials and tribulations on SSB HF (accepting that SSB is more one-to-

one than VHF).

feels he wants to explain something at length (like those CB-ers who keep holding

down the mic key and ramble on about nothing in particular, or give us the benefit of
their a/c whirring away while they think and belch). | have a VERY short attention
span, so those kinds of overs seem to go on forever.
But the conversations | enjoy most are the back-and-forth between two operators,

kind of like on the telephone but at the glacial pace of QRS Morse, which gives me
time to think. These can be done over radio so long as neither of you gets carried
away with all that 'c/s de c/s' malarkey at the beginning of each over. But internet
Morse has no such preambles and so really lends itself to this sort of style. There’s

an American chap on Vband who will break into my sending with a HI HI when he
can sense the punchline of my witticism coming up. | love that spontaneous
interrupting - it’s not rude, he’s telling me he’s right there with me. After all, that’s what

friends do in real life.
| appreciate that this sort of exchange will be far beyond the capabilities of half the

operators on our QRS Net. But | have finally, after years of hard work (and not a little
frustration), arrived at where | wanted to be - chatting using Morse code - and |
wanted to share the warm satisfaction of my achievement with you. | hope you get

there too some day. Thank you for listening.

QRZ? Who’s on the other end?

From your editor Mark VK2KI / VK6QI

Our net is afun get-together that people enjoy returning to each week. It’s really nice
to know who’s on the other end of the QSO. So, please share some thoughts about

yourself to cagrsnet@gmail.com for a future RagChew.

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w VW

FUuWwtivw&

This year we’re using Aesop’s Fables. These are short moral stories, often using
talking animals, that illustrate simple truths about human behaviour and character.

Aesop’s Fables originated in ancient Greece, traditionally attributed to the storyteller
Aesop who is thought to have lived around the 6th century BCE.

The fables are generally smaller files of two to three hundred words that have been

recorded at 15 wpm and run for about 15 minutes. If 15 wpm is a bit quick for you,
load it onto your phone and set the playback speed at 0.75 X or even 0.5 X —
whatever works for you. 0.75 X will play the MP3 at a bit under 12 wom.

It is suggested that you read the text file before listening to the audio file. That will
make it easier to follow the audio file and prepare you for any unusual words.

Any punctuation that is not usually used with CW has been removed.

This week’s fable is ‘The Partridge and the Fowler’, and the MP3 and TXT files are

attached here -

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httos://fkurz.net/ham/ebook2cw.html.

You can either play the MP3 files in any media player, or load the text file into the
Ditto CW: Morse Player app — https://dittocw.andro.io/.

Both options work well, however Ditto CW gives you complete control over all Morse

settings, while a normal media player only allows changes to playback speed, and
does that in steps (e.g. +1.25x, 1.5x, 1.75x).

Other News
Other things we’ve received from our 240-odd readers.

Updated Call Sign Directory
From Stan ZL3TK

LU
SS

VK1
|

TET

TAAF

|PETE

1DA

ANDRE

1CT

[CHRIS

JCANBERRA

_YASS

_[DIICKSONACT

|IAN
JOHN

[CANBERRA
‘AINSLIE ACT

[scott

RRA

SKEES
WIMAL

32
DAN

P
E

CANBERRA

VK4

MEREDITH

4ALE

BALLARAT

somers

[SCOTTY

_|JOHN

~4AW MARK

VK6

CARSELDINE

[SUNNYBANK

DEREK

4EK

[B08

GREG

lMuricea
IN

VK7

(VARIOUS)

_HMAS STIRLING

PETER

AV MIKE

_ORMEAU

4BVM |PHIL —_ GRIFFITH
—S»-—s«|-:s«ACEG
SCleRAHAM LL

sowers
| ADLP_ AN

sHAl
|

IFORRESTFIELD

7HH

perma

[GEOFF

_ERSKINE

ss GHC

HAYDEN

| 7JZ JIM
KPC

|QUINNS ROCKS
ME
IManimup =—Ssé‘Y#éSC7S#”’C

SANDY BAY

{

HOBART

7TAAN
LATROBE

7T0

7WW

[F308

VK2.24——«|

[ I

ELIOT

2ASG

ANDREW

2DLF | GEORG

2DSL_

SHAUN

2GAS

ARMIN

2GR__sALLAN
21K
PAUL

2IM

2KLJ

[MARK

MARK

_2NA DAVE

AMES

ST MARYS

_BALLINA

_|BLACKTOWN

|NORWEST

HONY

|NORTH ROCKS
[Moss VALE

VERMONT SOUTH

ER
|

D
EW

GEELONG
_STAWELL

BALLARA
BURWOOD
[HORSHAM
WONGA PARK

—_|MILLTHORPE

(A |ANDY

LYSTERFIELD

LAWSON

AEME

MT DANDENONG

OFF

BOXHILLSOUTH

|s BOWNING

P [DARRIN

[CHARLESTOWN

5ET

5FA
5FD

5IS

|5SKDO

SPL

Total

MARK

BATHURST

|
|

BLAXLAND

STUART

|MORGAN

|6MTF |

THUR

TLANI
EVOR
[IAN
JOHN

WKER

[Hope

valley

IBEETALOO

ALLEN

P BOB

T RICHARD
MARK

IKSIA P,
LDEN GI
[CLARE

WEST LAKES

IAN

PETER

~—|-8MC_—PHL__—_—(DARWIN
2

ORE!

[eLlensrook
= [| TAJY PAUL
|CHIDLOW (VK6IS)

N WAYNE |BRIDGETOWN

[REX

1CJB

BEN

[PETER

AUCKLAND

[TAURANGA

$ BOWNING

|2GD[GRANT

[OXFORD

RALD

_—_—_—FORRESTFIELD

[NORTHAM

CHRISTINE ICANNINGTON

MS MARTIN

[AUCKLAND

| 4PB PHIL

BUNBURY

1TSS

SULLIVAN BCH

CLIVE

1HJ MICK TE KUITI

[ALBANY

| 6XC

[BLAKEVIEW

|PETER

[Linc.us)

_[DUNSBOROUGH

BDG

4TE

|STAN

WAITARERE

BEN

UPPER HUTT

PETE

CAMBRIDGE

|KALAMUNDA

——~
| avic tony

vackanoanon | 4KLE pau ———istawen
"MELTONWEST

—s|_3FG —sMARTIN. _MELBOURNE

EMERALD BCH

—_VLADIMIR___(OCEAN VIEW

2I0W PATRICK

| 2K

ORANGE

WENTWORTH

2D1 |MARK |SYDNEY
| 2DVA [COLIN

avin

MANNY

[GEORGE — |KOGARAH

2A0G

| 2ASB ARTHUR

[ I

SDRQ

__|ANDY

ILLIAMSTOWN

SWB

|WINKIE

[MARINO

CHRIS.

|ADELAIDE

|
|

[|
|

G7 BED [cris

OKBJ|
Monn

|
|

MBKXZ

IU4LFS

W6JY

TUTTG:

NORTHAMPTON
|WOLVER'

[EXETER

PETE

BRIGHTON

FAUSTO

BOLOGNA

JAY

REDWOOD CA

CQOQRS FFA Call Sign Directory ZL3TK 30MAY2026

There are two sides to any coin though. While this update includes the call signs of

those who have been welcomed to the ORS FFA in the past 19 editions of Ragchew,

quite a few more have slipped away during the same time. It would be good to make
room for new members, after all, who wants the inconvenience of a second page? To

delete any listings without proper Knowledge Is foolhardy, so | request you do the
group a big favour. Sift through you logs and memories to figure out who hasn't been

active for a few months or longer and please let me know.

zl3tk (at) qs! (dot) net.

Flipping back again to this coin's positive side, likewise If you know of any further
new or regular operators who should be added.

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Emails to the Editor

Dear Mark,

Dear Mark

ars Mytting

Thank you for your wishes in the last edition of RagChew.

am pink, breathing and alive.

Best way to deal with post-op pain is to occupy mind and
body, so have redesigned one of my transmitters and gone for
frequent walks. Anne who is a nurse, has been remarkably

sympathetic. That is out of character for a nurse so | wonder if
she thinks | will not make it to the end of the week.

We head to mandurah tomorrow to buy an old car trailer which we need for just a
couple of long hauls to Broken Hill.

After it has done its job, it will be striped to the tray and become the floor of a radio
room on wheels. That way the local council can’t tell us what to build. We will mill our
own timber for the frame, use some nice old solid doors and jarrah framed windows
and put a pot belly stove at one end.

There are standards that should be met for a radio shack you know.

Now, | trust you have re-stacked your wood bark down.

Donald
VK6JDM

Mark.

Just on the RSN thing.

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--g

—

Translate Vv
—

WIS

WAG

INGLE

Ivo

Hever

cau

uscU

CIOCWIITIG,

alu

GAPCUL Upoiaturs

bunch of ??s in response to its use from the wider CW community. From my

re e O rt O N YO U l | O Cal N O | S e ? | Q U e SS M ay b e | M
1

of the RSN, being able to use the signal (S)trength and noise floor report to

perspective, (R)eadability is the key metric as to a QSO's viability. The stated aim of

determine how well the other station can copy you is not only redundant, but also
ignores a host of other factors affecting a QSO, such as flutter, QSB, QRM, desense

etc. The other factor I've found is that in very poor conditions (R=2,3) where multiple
elements aren't being received, the more markers (expected elements) in an
exchange, the easier it is to piece it together across multiple repeats. Knowing that
the third digit in the signal report is a 9 can be very useful.

My recommendation? If you want to be understood by the wider CW community,
stick to RST.

In defence of 599 contest exchanges

Operating in a contest at 30+ wpm is a hoot. It's a long way from rag-chewing, but if
you want to push your station, and your copying ability to the limits, it can be
tremendous fun.

What about those meaningless 599 signal reports though? Talk about redundant
ol lamante
st

ar raatic thara
Or, mnYata=¥ te it? Ps

Vai may by, 6S interactad ta

know

that

Stuff that doesn't always qualify for a good tone

Here's a good example (click on the
thumbnail), although | have a feeling | gave
Nic an RST 599 because | was so excited
anyway

Jordan
VK3ACU

2026 VKFF National Get Together
Friday 30th October - Sunday 1st November 2026 - Albury, New South Wales
From Paul VK5PAS National VKFF Parks Coordinator

Here’s an update from Paul VK5PAS on the VKFF PARK National Get Together.
Looking at the website, Paul and Marija have put in a huge effort to put together a
remarkable event with things of interest to Parks activators and others.

The event includes a Friday evening dinner, Saturday presentations, a raffle, various

displays, a Saturday evening dinner with a quiz & guest speaker, a Sunday morning
BBQ breakfast, antenna construction projects, Sunday afternoon VKFF park
activations, and a Sunday evening dinner.

Guest speakers this year include Dave G4AKC, Sands VK9OWX, & a member of the
VJ2L Lord Howe Island DXpedition Team.

Registration is required to attend the Get Together. Walk-ups will not be accepted.

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on the WWFEF Australia website at.....

https://www.wwitaustralia.com/2026-vkff-national-get-together.html

73,

Paul VK5PAS.

cmsN
:

VKFF National Co-Ordinator

2026 VKFF

NATIONAL GET-TOGETHER

Morse Training Net

Our team member Nic VK7WW runs an on-air Slow Morse training net every
Wednesday at 7om EDST on 3580 for 30 mins. He uses the callsign of the Northern
Tasmania Amateur Radio Club VK7TAZ on that net.

Many of our team 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 3580kKHz at 7pm Eastern time every Wednesday;

EEREEEBES CODE COURSE

Learn Morse Code - Slow Morse

you'll hear lots of the CQORS team on that net.

Course

Jordan VK3ACU has ralso ecorded the complete set

of lessons which you can now find here:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHSOmZz6fBXO
/swAfb TmutrbbEL1 /fUOL

Contact Nic VK7WW for more info nicholaschantler@hotmail.com including how to
join the NTARC DISCORD group to follow the action, or just come along and Join in

on Wednesdays.

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Sf
=

CQ QRS - Alerts
2 online

(l)

Sunday
ied
j

Ketut VKSBWN Wiadnyana
VK3BWN

Hi guys. | wonder if you all

already know about a new
feature in WhatsApp. It is called
member tag. Basically it shows

up below your name when
posting in a group chat. It is very
useful to show your callsign for
our purpose.

You basically tap on the group

(top line) and scroll to find your
name. There you can tap and

edit your group member tag.
So | probably do not need to
have my callsign next to my
name and it showing on all my

posts in my family group, etc. &
9:26am

& 5
oa

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the new Member Tag - this will help those who haven’t been adding this information
manually (either as senders or receivers).

| know some of our team don’t want to

have their callsigns in their name fields because they use WhatsApp for work and

other things as well; so this will now solve that problem. Note, each member will
need to add the tag for each of the CQQRS WhatsApp groups (Alerts, Rag Chew and
The RF Exchange) as three separate steps. ]

Home ClubInformation Courses The Radio Bulletin YouTube Groups Links MemberLogin Q
ict

oe) atta

Clu

EMDRC - Annual General Meeting

THE RADIO BULLETIN

12th June Friday - Doors Open 6:45pm - Meeting Start 8:00pm - Club Rooms

Burwood & Zoom

Updating Articles
14/10/2025 - 3:01 PM

USB Rig
programming cables

and Windows 11
21/04/2024 - 7:57 PM

Subaru Coax Install

Portable Power

15/04/2024 - 8:04 PM

10/11/2023 - 10:56
AM

EMDRC - IMPORTANT
DATES

12th JUNE 2026

MEMBERSHIP

APPLICATION FORM JOIN NOW

The required package of information for members will be in the ‘Member Login’
area, under EMDRC Administration Page of the website LINK. We need a quorum
and to make this happen, as an inducement and a thank you for your attendance,
pizza will be hot and waiting at 6:45pm prior to the AGM at 8:00pm on the 12th
June 2026 (moved a week due to the long weekend) We hope to see you there.

CLUB’S INTERNET
SPONSER

(7 KernWi-Fi

fe Wireless Solutions

KernWi-Fi - Refer a friend

Addendum to Peter's VK3QI Presentation - VK3ER

$50 Credit Code:

Semi-Submersable Benreoch
From Roy VK6RR

Just came across this photo of part of the radioroom of the Semi-Submersible offshore oil rig Benreoch, on which VK6AEZ (Ziggy) and myself served as Radio

Operators in the 80s. The R/O in photo is another operator.
13
Roy

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Green Men - Dual-Band Portable
From James VK/JZ

Mark,

A couple of photos for you from Mount Nelson Signal Station. Yes we were of course
wearing our warm clothes for being outdoors at night in the VK7 winter.

The operator on the paddle (green head torch) is Morgan VK6MTF/7.

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Translate ¥

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ww

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77

.
—

| chose wrong, that antenna does not do 80m! Next time | will bring one that does
both 40 and 80 m; | was foolish to not bring all my antenna options.

Jim VK7JZ

If you’ve read something that you think might be of interest to our readers, please
email to Mark VK2KI:

cgagrsnet@gmail.com

Readable Five
What have you been reading lately?
The Beechworth Telegraph Station
From David VK3DBD at Yackandandah

The Beechworth Telegraph station is open to the public and regularly sends real

telegrams by Morse for tourists for a nominal fee. There are of some museum
artefacts on display too. Not sure if you visited when you were in the area Mark?

The main Keeper for want of a better word is Leo Nette. He was, way back a

professional telegraph operator. | have met him several times.

Recently Leo gave a short talk in the Yackandandah Library on the history of the
Telegraph Station and its origin in the 1850s when Australia was a very far-off colony
from England the Mother country.

In those days, communications were unbelievably

slow around the world and even within any country.

Beechworth was one of a string of telegraph stations across the country where Morse
code was used 100% to pass news for newspapers and businesses in a matter of
minutes.

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\

Translate ¥
~

—

a copy from the local library and find it of great interest; as yet | am only about half
way through the book, which has over 300 pages and many illustrations.

Beechworth’s telegraph by Leo Nette ISBN 979-8-3694-8742-6

Yesterday | was in Beechworth;

| hoped to pop in and see Leo and take some photos

for the newsletter. Unfortunately | missed him, so perhaps | will manage that in the
near future.

In meantime, here is a pictorial record of his new book in appropriate

Surroundings!

os Mark, on your current travels as mainly a SW, | wonder if you have plans to visit
Bendigo, where | am sure there is a similar active tourist-related Telegraph office,

run, most likely, by the Morsecodians.

| am sure it would be worth looking-in if any of

Our readers are in the area. In fact, if you have the time, do not miss the reproduction
working Victorian town for tourists..... an excellent day out.

It is years since | went but

it will likely be even better now!

73 David

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~

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a

Bendigo. ]

If you’ve read something that you think might be of interest to our readers, please
email to Mark VK2KI:

cggrsnet@gmail.com

There’s No Such Thing...
This week’s questions.
| think the first lesson in Teachering 101 is to always tell students “There’s no such...”
(I’m sure you know the rest) and “...the only dumb questions are the ones not asked”.

John VK2RU reckons that there’s lots of questions out there among both our new and
our experienced operators - about CW, amateur radio operating and about theory.
So here we go...

Question:
Silly newbie question: is it possible to join in on the slow CW session via EchoLink?
Kevin VK6AFG

Answer:

There’s no such thing as a silly question around here mate!

However, unfortunately not easily is the answer!

You could send and receive to someone on Echolink by using MCW (modulated CW)
- ie using an external audio oscillator with a key - feeding CW in as audio. However,
you can’t put that to air unless there was someone using some sort of Echolink to HF
set-up - which I’m not aware of in Australia.

However, there are couple of alternatives.
e

First one I’d suggest for someone like you who hasn’t yet set up a station Is to

get started using VBand, which | know you’re on the way to (do you want me to
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member to have a go with - initially listening until you get yourself a resonant

antenna to transmit into.
e Third option is to use the many KiwiSDRs around Australia to listen-in to the net

on your computer.... which is exactly what I’m doing tonight while away from
home. The SDRs can be a

little tricky to use at first until you get used to the

display and functions, but they’re a game-changer. As we speak, our writer and
philospher Ross MONNK in the UK Is putting together a series of articles on how

to use the KiwiSDR system on our net - stay tuned for those articles.
e

Fourth option is to use one of the Remote HF stations set up for CW - but that’s
for another time!

[Do you have a question or two or a discussion starter worth sharing?
cagrsnet@gmail.com /f so./

Prosign/Character/Signal

of the Month
See if you can use this one on Tuesday?

Prosign:

gogo 2 oo

Meaning: End of Contact.

[Put it on a sticky note near your key as a reminder for Tuesday....
and tell us how you went!]

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UDI-dan-dai-dan-dqiv
Here we go.

So back to the CQORS Slow CW QSO practice net.

Next Tuesday’s Net
Our CQQRS Group will be on as always on Tuesday from around 0600z until about

details.

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Translate v

EEE
Ne
Coordinated Universal Time

0700z to 1300z

(Note - 20m DXperiments will be at different times to suit propagation)

Australie

Western Australia Time

UTC +8 Hours

1500 to 2100

Central Australian Time

UTC + 9.5 Hours

1630 to 2230

Eastern Australian Time

UTC + 10 Hours

1700 to 2300

Queensland Time

UTC + 10 Hours

1700 to 2300

NZ Time

UTC + 12 Hours

1900 to 0100

New Zealand

DXperiment times and

frequencies will be allocated

20m

14039-14051kHz

160m

1855kHz

by Mike DL3YZ prior to the
net.

7000

7020

40 rn pt

3500

one

3535

80 m|=

160

7040

ORO

m/>—

3560

COORSNet

——

Thanks to Lance VK7TO for the CQQRS trequency image.

&
Wednesday (VK/ZL time)

22002 - 2300z

On the WA FM AllStar Network

(Tuesday UTC)

(connect direct to AllStar Node 42482 or use Echolink to
connect to VK2KI-L or VK8MT-L from anywhere)

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 1200z - so keep calling in the segment of the
band designated in the table below until you catch someone.

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Please let us know via our Reports form bit.ly/CQORSNET who you work or hear on
Tuesday’s Group. The report form closes at 1pm (Eastern Australian time) on
Thursday. And how about helping to make the reports even more interesting by
sending a photo? If you have a photo that you’d be happy to include, please email it
to: cqgrsnet@gmail.com

And of course, we’re always on the lookout for more photos for the newsletter, so if
you have something that might be of interest aside from the reports, please send it
through as well. Email to cggrsnet@gmail.com please.

Oh and by the way, | recommend that you don’t keep the Reports Form website open
between submission of reports from one week to the next. If you’re unlucky, there’s
an undocumented feature in the software that could cause your current week’s report
to be combined with your previous report - it’s happened to your editor several times much to the chagrin of our Reports editor :)

Post Morsum

Richard VK6HRC will run our phone Post Morsum on Wednesday mornings 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). See hitos://bit.ly/JCOORSWebsite and

navigate to the Net Details page for details of how you can connect via Echolink from
anywhere in the world.

Articles

Could you write a short article or articles for RagChew? You bet! Writing not your
strong point? Don’t worry, I’m very happy to help as much or as little as needed.

Oh, and one more thing (actually two) - copyright material:
e please use your Own images - don’t use images copied from the internet unless
you have the producer’s permission, or they’re marked ‘Creative Commons’ or
similar;

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J

Translate v

similar), and you'll need to site the source and author.

For more guidance on writing for the RagChew newsletter (including how you might

even try using one of the new Artificial Intelligence tools), head to our website
bit.ly/COORSWebsite then click the menu on the top right and then click RagChew
Newsletter.

Material

A reminder; if you send me any information by email, our report form or WhatsApp -

unless you specifically state that material is not to be published, I'll assume that
you're happy to see your thoughts in the RagChew newsletter.

Thank you so much to our team of 31 contributors:

IU4FLS,

MONNK, VK2RU, VK3ACU, VK3BWN, VK3BYD, VK3DBD,
VK3DRQ, VK3KLE, VK4BVM, VK4CEG, VK4IM, VK4PN,
VK5AO, VK5ET, VK5FD, VK5PAS, VK6AFG, VK6HD,

VK6HRC, VK6JDM, VK6KD, VK6KHZ, VK6MTE/P, VK6POP,
VK6RR, VK6TX, VK7JZ, VK7TA, VK7TO and ZL3TK. Anda

special thank you to our editorial team, Nigel G4RWI (head
cryptographer), Patrick VK2IOW (image consultant), John
VK2RU (Mister Rows and Columns), Richard VKGHRC

(dumpster diver), Lance VK7TO (potential saviour), Jordan
VK3ACU (the thinker) and Ross MONNK (je ne parle pas).

Great work all!

CU CW on Tuesday,
mb
Mark Bosma
VK2KI / VK6QI

Beautiful South Bowning NSW

cqgqrsnet@gmail.com
non impediti ratione cogitationis

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Past Issues

ZBUNNINGS mez:
warehouse
——

F
‘aie

eS
Tt

—w

lig

——

fa a

wis

YEE

poues

BOLTS

I'm thinking

Seams

where we might
go for your
Birthday.

VK3ACU

About the CQ QRS Net
Here’s where you'll find the details.

For the current schedule and more information about the CQQRS net, please go the
the Net Details page on our website:

https://bit.ly/COQRSWebsite

The opinions expressed in the RagChew newsletter are those of the individual contributors.

The opinions do not necessarily reflect that of the editors or of the CQQRS Group members.

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The RagChew newsletter is considered to be exempt from the Australian Government’s ban on social media for
under 16 year olds because it is a service that has the primary purpose of enabling users to share information
about products or services, engage in professional networking or professional development services or of
supporting the education of users per the Australian Government eSafety Commissioner FAQ webpage “Which
platforms have been excluded from the age restrictions” dated 10Dec25.
The values, doctrine and guidelines for the Group and for the newsletter are published on the Principles page of

Our mailing address is:

Want to change how you receive these emails?

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