On 27 April 2022, Steve VK2KFJ and Dom VK2JNA headed up to Mt Coree (Summits on the Air VK1/AC-023, on the ACT/NSW border) to do a 23cm test with Dave VK2JDS at Gowan, near Orange, some 250km away.
Dom reports:
We drove our 4WDs in from the west & the east via Piccadilly Circus in the Brindabella Range west of Canberra. We then headed north on Two Sticks Rd (track) & then turned off & climbed the last 3km up to the top, 1400+m. Normally a great view, it was 10degC (still air) with rain, fog, wind & no view 🙂
We were in contact with people on 7045kHz including:
- Dave VK2JDS (near Orange)
- Horst VK2HL (Dee Why)
- Rod VK2ZZM (Gundaroo)
- Col VK2JCC (Beecroft)
- Carmel VK2CAR (Wahroonga)
- Richard VK2SKY (Hornsby)
We also talked with Dave VK2JDS on the Young 2m repeater (146.875!) which was 141km from us.
On the rough drive up for Steve, his 23cm bi-quad antenna broke off the driven element. No Soldering iron so we tried a few Macgyver fixes & the pictured one with a battery clip was the best – passable SWR & some directivity!
Contact direct was made with Dave VK2JDS (he has a 5m dish!) but he could only just hear us. Whistling my callsign in morse (on FM) was the only way he could hear us (but not really a proper contact). I’m sure I make Russell proud.
We had great fun & really appreciate all who dropped us a line on HF.
Update: Dave VK2JDS took some photos at his end of the link too:
Great article, as it so happens, I heard the guys talking on the Young repeater (Wagga linked system). New to 23cm, recently putting up a triband vertical antenna, I was keen to see if I could hear them, unfortunately not, but was fun trying. Definite incentive to improve the system here and join in next time they are out and about. Cheers, Bob VK2ADF Wagga Wagga.