The annual post-Christmas trip to the Victorian High Country was kicked off by Andy VK2EAH and Geoff VK2WA, with Dom VK2JNA in hot pursuit. Dom caught up by Jindabyne and we headed down the Barry Way. We paused at Ingeegoodbee to take in the first scenic lookout: After a quick swim in the fast-flowing (and […]
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Author: Geoff Van der Wagen
Nov 2023 – 5th Wed – Computer based gear or projects
“Bring out your Raspberry Pi’s, computer or microcontroller based projects that are related to our fine hobby” said the invite! There is a special prize for the people’s choice award this month, kindly donated by our member The book “Raspberry Pi for radio amateurs” published by Elektor Electronics. https://www.elektor.com/raspberry-pi-for-radio-amateurs Phil VK2BDF presented his room temperature controller, based […]
70cm coverage test for ATV
MWRS hosted a test for the Sydney ATV group, as they have lost their Lawson repeater and are trying to find another site. The initial test used a 9dBd 6-element Yagi, pointed SSW, and 20W FM. FM was used for convenience (equipment is easy to access). The Yagi was located on our tower, below the […]
FT-897 Suburban QTHenator
(and an exploration into local noise sources) After moving out of a tiny unit into a house I finally had the opportunity to throw a bit of wire into some trees and connect it to my radio. Easy interstate contacts were now available, but there was something nearby making obnoxious noise every 60kHz on HF: […]
WebSDR is back!
After a lengthy hiatus the WebSDR is finally back online! All Asus Xonar U7 sound cards needed the primary CMedia CM6632 ICs replaced, seems to be a known weakness with these devices. 20m and 15m frequencies have also been tweaked up the band for some variety. Head over to http://websdr.mwrs.org.au:8901 and start listening again! We greatly appreciate […]
Repeater hut gets A/C
Our repeaters have been chugging along faithfully but the hut they live in – although well insulated – has been at the mercy of ambient air temperature. With hot summer days reaching 40C at times the gear has to swelter through it with only fan-forced cooling (which also dragged in high levels of humidity and […]
September 2017 Lecture – CREST and Portable Radio Networks
Des is the State Director of CREST, and shares with us the equipment and methods for setting up a portable radio system (repeaters and crossband links) in challenging terrain. www.crest.org.au Watch the lecture here!
JOTA 2017 Prep!
We are getting a head start* on JOTA prep this year with a few club members dusting off the irons and filling the air with the familiar smell of rosin flux. The task: prepare some electronics kits for JOTA. Well done guys! *Wed 20-Sep-2017 3rd evening – the programming (4-Oct-2017)
Collaroy Plateau Cubs – May 2017
Collaroy Plateau Cubs paid us a visit this week! Our usual programme of Spycraft and Ciphers, Morse Code, HF, and Build-A-Station went very well. Another great group and the Cubs all enjoyed themselves!
March 2017 Lecture – Software Defined Radio
Geoff Van der Wagen VK2AVR gives a run-down of what SDR is, how it works and how to choose your next radio: Watch on VK2MB-TV
28-Nov-2016 – VHF UHF Field Day – Spring 2016
It’s been a little while since we activated for a VHF UHF field day, but last weekend gave us perfect weather and no excuses! Nick VK2FS, Ian VK2ZIM and Geoff VK2AVR set up at the playing fields just behind our club location for some portable operating. 6m was open fairly early into VK3, and our […]
14-Nov-2016 Elanora Cubs
Elanora Cubs were our most recent guests, finishing up a very successful 2016 Scouting program for us. This group were particularly energetic and really enjoyed their visit, and it was great to finish the Scouting year on a positive note. Many of this troop were already familiar with the Phonetic alphabet so it was a great opportunity to […]
JOTA 2016 Wrap-Up
JOTA has come and gone for another year! We put on another high quality event testament to the enthusiasm of our volunteers Sat/Sun 15/16 Oct 2106. Approx 160 Scouts and Guides came through this year, with the following activities: Electronics kit building (at the Narrabeen campsite) Battleships HF Build-a-station Morse Code Geocache Echolink This year […]
MWRS WebSDR Build Completed
The MWRS WebSDR is now online! After a year-long effort by generous volunteers, all the bits are connected together, a linear power supply has been built and the loop antenna is professionally installed. A huge thanks to everyone who has helped with this project, it’s great to see it online. Matt VK2RQ, Phil VK2BDF and Horst VK2HL helped […]
Mon 19-Sep-2016 – Terrey Hills Cub Night
We had another great Cub night, Terrey Hills troop (resident in the hall next door) walked down the hill to see what we could offer. We could hear them gearing up in their hall and they sounded like (and proved to be) an energetic bunch. We must be doing something right because they left with even […]