Setting up one of the CREST repeater trailers in bush land

CREST NSW is providing safety communication support for next weekend’s Convict 100 mountain bike marathon. On Saturday 26 April 2025, as yet another excuse to get out portable and play radio, several MWRS members assisted setting up fixed and mobile repeater sites to provide reliable coverage for the 100km event.

Teams were deployed to several sites to set up repeaters overlooking the course, as well the operations base at St Albans.

Helping out from MWRS:

  • – Des VK2TGJ (who is also a member of CREST)
  • – Dom VK2JNA
  • – Geoff VK2WA (also in CREST)
  • – Richard VK2SKY
  • – Stuart VK2BMX (also in CREST)
“Cafe 2JV” – John VK2JV preparing lunch for the repeater setup team
Dean VK2DAC adjusting the guy ropes
Dom VK2JNA sweeping the antenna
Another mast is up!
Second bush cafe in operation at the other repeater site

As an unexpected cultural element, this weekend St Alban’s was hosting a folk festival, so there was plenty of local colour, music of questionable quality, and some strange concoction being sold under the guise of being ice cream HI!

Richard VK2SKY took the opportunity to do some portable 40m Winlink tests, demonstrating the mode to several people who showed interest.

The Convict 100 event is on 3 May, and MWRS members will be there too. If you’d like to have a day out doing radio stuff, contact Dom VK2JNA or Des VK2TGJ. If you do, remember to cast an early vote, as activities start before the polling booths opens.

Flashback to setting up for Convict 100 in 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ynvg5jTnJYM