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Author Topic: Ham radio transmission from Radio Australia site march 14th and 15th 2020  (Read 126 times)

VK3KTT

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Hi guys im excited to be participating in the operation of ham radio from the former broadcast side of Radio Australia which was closed down 3 years ago.
this will take place on the !4th and 15th of march 2020 keep and ear out for us as there will be a special call  VI3RA and a special QSL card.

Broadcast Australia, now known as BAI Communications, were for many years contracted to transmit the Radio Australia programs from several HF broadcasting locations within Australia, but predominantly from Shepparton. There were sites at Lyndhurst, Carnarvon, Darwin and Brandon which have all closed down – some quite a few years ago. Shepparton has been the longest continuously running station soldiering on after the closure of the other stations. Regrettably back in 2017 on the 31st of January the Shepparton station was also closed. This was a great disappointment to many people. Despite many representations to have the service restored this was not to be.

This provides an opportunity for amateur radio operators, who are only allowed a peak output power of 400 watts when compared to 100 Kw of Radio Australia transmitters, to hopefully achieve some remarkable communication outcomes. Amateurs have been experimenting with all sorts of communications systems but have never had the opportunity to use such high gain antennas.

This will allow amateur radio communications to gain an insight into how amateur communications would function in this unique situation. From the past Radio Australia was involved in moon bounce in collaboration with CSIR (predecessor to CSIRO) with a 50 kW transmissions on a frequency of 21.5 MHz and 17.84 MHz in November 1947. These were we believe the first successful moon bounce experiments in the Southern Hemisphere. With improved technology would this be possible to be tried sometime over the 14/15th March. What about trying some of the digital modes particularly if the Ionosphere says there is no propagation success likely on some bands. These modes and our ubiquitous use of Single Side Band and Morse Code promise to make this weekend a significant high light of amateur radio communications in 2020. Amateur Radio operators are experimenters into new communications techniques, what would we find out with the use of such high gain antennas that could be added to our communications knowledge of high frequency communications?

Thank you BAI, we are most grateful for this opportunity to work with you to achieve this remarkable weekend of opportunity, which I’m sure will be recognised worldwide.


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10m dx'er
is sdr the future i dont know

vk3ktt/k3ktt

VK3TEX

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Thanks to all the people who made this special event possible, it was truly a remarkable experience.
Thanks ICOM for the loan of the beautiful 7610 and 7300 transceivers they performed perfectly. And to all who supplied their fine amplifiers for the entire weekend thank you as well.

I have the 7300, but now I want to go out and get a 7610.... One day....
Using the Rhombic antennas and curtain array with 20 db gain was remarkable on 40 meters, truly amateur radio Nirvana....
Even moon bounce echo was achieved on 21 MHz.
Lots of DX was worked on 40 meters especially.

Was for most of us the Once  in a lifetime opportunity to use such large antennae, and the memory will stay with me for the rest of my radio life....

Vale Radio Australia, and VI3RA. YOU WILL BE MISSED....

Les, VK3TEX.
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