Today's activity day

Dave VK6KV

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Sep 20, 2025, 8:37:56 AMSep 20

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Hello List!

Some highlights from today's Activity day.

One new member, and another likely to sign up

Constructed some DC and RF patch cables.

Combined the Codan DC supply, Martin's donated 2m transceiver and the fibreglass whip recently removed from the tower (and cleaned up), into a working shack rig. Final step is to set the antenna up permanently on the shack roof / chimney...

Supported two new people with their radio gear and related questions - with more to follow I hope!

Wide ranging discussions on many topics and a generally glorious day, weatherwise.

Cheers, Dave VK6KV

Martin VK6ZMS

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Sep 24, 2025, 7:45:58 AMSep 24

to Dave VK6KV, VHF group

Hi Dave

Did anyone get a chance to check the power output on the beacons ?

Normally 23cm is S8 here but over the past week its S3.

Cheers

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Regards

Martin

VK6ZMS

Dave VK6KV

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Sep 24, 2025, 8:17:05 AMSep 24

to Martin VK6ZMS, VHF group

Hi Martin,

Sorry, no. I had a quick look for signs of smoke or other obvious damage, (eg. one of the three diode-or'd PA supplies off line) but nothing gave any hint.

Had a number of other tasks show up as various people did and afraid it got too far down the list.

Some people will probably be up there again in this coming weekend, but not sure how much time we'll have to get to it. We -might- need to consider (again) powering them off to preserve what little life remains, and then doing a proper diagnosis and repair.

I do have the records of the last set of measurements I made which I think included the exciter output power levels too, so we do have something to compare with. I might also be able to borrow a FieldFox from work and do a gain/S21 measurement through the various PA stages. That would at least tell us where the latest power loss is coming from.

Cheers, Dave VK6KV

Denis Brown

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Sep 24, 2025, 9:05:37 AMSep 24

to Dave VK6KV, Martin VK6ZMS, VHF group

Hello Dave, Martin

I may be wrong but I thought that Martin's email said the output of *all* 2, 70 and 23 were down. Sounding like a common factor of the triband antenna. Water ingress?

Just a thought,

Denis

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Dave VK6KV

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Sep 24, 2025, 9:16:40 AMSep 24

to Denis Brown, Martin VK6ZMS, VHF group

Hi Denis, all,

Yep, my second thought after confirming that all three PSU switches were on, was the triplexer in the rack. Especially since on at least two prior occasions I've "borrowed" that triplexer and the triband feedline, to light up four bands on the TX2000, and then restored it to the beacon rack thereafter.

But also, no dice, the feedline and its connector were soundly home in the combined side of the triplexer.

But yes, it's possible that the tribander itself has suffered in some of the recent bluster after the Open day (Aug 31) and until now. If my plan to remove it from the shack roof (independently of whether I replace it with the 2m whip) comes to fruition soon, that'll give us a good chance to inspect the tribander on the comfort of the ground, and see if it is still in business.

Cheers, Dave VK6KV

Denis Brown

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Sep 24, 2025, 9:28:23 AMSep 24

to Dave VK6KV, Martin VK6ZMS, VHF group

I thought that you'd have a plan! I'd bet on moisture in the antenna on the heels of what I've been told Mother Nature threw in your direction recently.

Cheers,

Denis

Martin VK6ZMS

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Sep 24, 2025, 9:32:54 AMSep 24

to Denis Brown, Dave VK6KV, VHF group

Just a thought, has anyone else noticed the beacons are down in signal strength ?

Cheers

Regards

Martin

VK6ZMS

Dave VK6KV

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Sep 25, 2025, 6:26:03 AMSep 25

to Martin VK6ZMS, Denis Brown, VHF group

Hi Martin,

Yes, Alasdair echoed your description...

Cheers, Dave VK6KV

Martin VK6ZMS

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Sep 30, 2025, 6:47:05 AMSep 30

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Tonight 6RPH 23cm is back to S7

On 25 Sep 2025, at 6:25 pm, Dave VK6KV <vk...@daves-domain.com> wrote:

Hi Martin,

Yes, Alasdair echoed your description...

Cheers, Dave VK6KV

On Wed, 24 Sept 2025 at 21:32, Martin VK6ZMS <vk6...@gmail.com> wrote:
Just a thought, has anyone else noticed the beacons are down in signal strength ?

Cheers

Regards

Martin

VK6ZMS

Dave VK6KV

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Sep 30, 2025, 9:24:27 AMSep 30

to Martin VK6ZMS, VHF group

Hi Martin,

Oh great, I must've fixed it!! Pity I didn't do a darned thing to it other than power cycle it on Saturday to see if it was the source of some interference we were seeing on an Oscilloscope...

As Denis suggested, it might've been a temporary poor SWR due to weather... a much more likely scenario than a simple power cycle but you never know...

Cheers, Dave VK6KV

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