Licensing
First got my amateur radio license in January 2008 with the callsign VK4FSJL. I upgraded about 6 months later, and have held the callsign VK4MSL since then. I am looking to upgrade in the more distant future.
Privileges
- Band access on
- 80m (3500kHz to 3700kHz)
- 40m (7000kHz to 7300kHz)
- 20m (14MHz to 14.350MHz)
- 15m (21MHz to 21.450MHz)
- 10m (28MHz to 30MHz)
- 6m (52MHz to 54MHz)
- 2m (144MHz to 148MHz)
- 70cm (430MHz to 450MHz)
- 23cm (1240MHz to 1300MHz)
- 13cm (2400MHz to 2450MHz)
- 6cm (5650MHz to 5850MHz)
- Modes:
- All modes including CW, AM, FM, SSB and digital modes
- Power Output:
- 30W average output power
- 100W peak output power
Equipment (in order of acquisition)
- Kenwood TH-F7E (now off air)
- Receive:
- 100kHz to 450MHz: CW, AM, SSB, FM
- 450MHz to 1300MHz: CW, AM, FM
- Transmit:
- 137MHz to 174MHz: FM 5W
- 410MHz to 470MHz: FM 5W
- Notes:
- Has a faulty antenna connection, and thus no longer in active service.
- Receive:
- Kenwood TS-120S:
- Transmit/Receive:
- 3500kHz to 4000kHz: SSB/CW 100W
- 7000kHz to 7500kHz: SSB/CW 100W
- 14MHz to 14.5MHz: SSB/CW 100W
- Receive only
- 15MHz to 15.5MHz: SSB/CW
- 21MHz to 21.5MHz: SSB/CW
- 28MHz to 30MHz: SSB/CW
- Notes:
- The TS-120 is normally able to transmit on the 15 and 10m amateur bands, however my unit has a fault in the ALC circuit that leads to instability above 14MHz. It is a little glitchy on 20m, getting progressively worse as the frequency increases… 10m is unusable.
- Transmit/Receive:
- Yaesu FT-290R II (with 25W linear option)
- Transmit/Receive:
- 144MHz to 148MHz FM/CW/SSB 25W
- Transmit/Receive:
- Yaesu FT-897D
- Transmit/Receive:
- All amateur bands between 1.8MHz and 54MHz: AM/FM/SSB/CW 100W
- 144MHz to 148MHz: AM/FM/SSB/CW 50W
- 430MHz to 450MHz: AM/FM/SSB/CW 20W
- Receive:
- 100kHz to 470MHz: AM/FM/SSB/CW/WFM
- Options:
- LDG AT-897 Automatic tuner
- 2x Yaesu FNB-78 4.5AH NiMH battery packs with charger
- Transmit/Receive:
- 2x Wouxun KG-UVD1P
- Transmit/Receive:
- 137MHz to 174MHz: FM 5W
- 400MHz to 480MHz: FM 4W
- Receive:
- 70MHz to 108MHz: WFM
- Transmit/Receive:
Antennae
- Homebrew 2m vertical
- “G5RV”-like antenna:
- Inverted V with 16m legs, 300ohm ribbon fed, 1:1 voltage balun near transceiver tuner.
- Apex at gutter line of 2 story house, ends about 6ft off ground.
- Good for 80m/40m bands, a little low for 20m and above.
- Homebrew 2m dipole antenna
- Constructed from two ~50cm solid copper wires soldered to a BNC connector.
- Good for 2m/70cm
- “Squidpole” antenna
- 8m of speaker wire strung up the squid pole itself, twisted onto the end of a length of RG-213
- 2x 2.5m long radials soldered to braid of RG-213
- PL-259 termination at opposite end of RG-213
- Results dependent on installation, but usually good without tuner on 10m/6m, works well on 20m.
- Considering more permanent connections (as opposed to twisting cables together)
- 27MHz 6ft CB stick
- Appears to work on 6m/10m. Will try it bicycle mobile sometime with the FT-897D.
- Hand-held/portable antennas:
- Stock Kenwood rubber ducky antenna
- Comet SMA3
- 2m homebrew whip (VK4MSL design)
- 2m/70cm homebrew whip (VK4FSTC design)
- 2x stock Wouxun rubber ducky antennae.
Activity
I participate mostly on the 2m band these days, but will also lurk on 80m, 20m, 10m, 6m and 70cm. Frequent spot frequencies include:
- 3595kHz LSB
- 28.450MHz USB (for Brisbane Amateur Radio Club 10m net; Monday 2000 UTC+10)
- VK3RHF 29.640MHz FM (when propagation permits)
- VK4RBX 53.925MHz FM
- 144.300MHz USB (mainly for Ipswich & District 2m SSB net; Thursday 1930 UTC+10)
- VK4RBS 146.875MHz FM
- VK4RAI 146.900MHz FM (most mornings for Ipswich & District 2m nets at 0800 UTC+10 and Tuesday evening 1930UTC+10 for “Feather Duster” net)
- VK4RBN 147.000MHz FM (mainly for Brisbane Amateur Radio Club 2m net; Wednesday 2000 UTC+10)
- VK4RBC 438.525MHz FM
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