Duct 2nd and 3rd March 2005

Good conditions were experience at my QTH (Gawler) this morning on 2m & 70cm from Victoria and southern NSW. Geelong 2m & 70cm beacons were both good strength. Managed to work the following stations:-

VK3AUU - Drouin  740km     5/3 on 2m SSB
VK3HZ - Melbourne 660km,  5/9+ on 2m SSB, 5/2 on 70cm SSB
VK3II - Coronet Bay 710km,  5/9 on 2m SSB
VK2KRR - The Rock 760km,   5/9 on 2m SSB, 5/5 on 2m FM, 5/2 on 70cm SSB
VK3RW - Benalla area 710km,  5/7 on 2m FM (Ron was only using a Diamond Vertical)
VK3ANP - Hansonville 715km,  5/5 on 2m SSB
VK3AXH - Ballarat 565km,   5/5 on 2m SSB
VK3LY - Nhill 300km, 5/7 on 2m SSB
VK5OM/p - Naracoorte Caves   5/5 on 2m SSB
VK1ZQR - Canberra 945km 5/1 on 2m SSB (my 1st VK1 simplex contact on 2m)

Many 2m repeaters were heard & several contacts were made on them. These repeaters heard included the following:-

VK3RGV Mt Wombat
VK3RWM Mt Arapilies
VK3RWZ Mt William
VK3RGL Mt Big Ben
VK3RWA Ararat
VK3RCV Bendigo
VK3REC Olinda
VK3RWG Mt Baw Baw
VK3RMM Mt Macedon
VK2RWB Yarrawonga
VK2RWG Wagga
VK1RGI Mt Ginni

All in all a good morning to the east.

73's Brian
VK5UBC
PF95JJ

Hi Guys,

Conditions have been exceptional in the southern states of the past
few weeks.

I'm not really logging everything down here except exceptional
contacts or new contacts.

144 MHz has been quite good but higher bands have not been the best.

I'm getting quite tired at the moment as the conditions keep going
and going. Been staying up too late I think.

Conditions were quite good here yesterday 2nd March in the morning,
before I had to leave I saw Albany on Spectran on 2m.

I dropped back home at about 10.30am and quickly worked VK5NY, VK5JL,
VK5UBC (5/9+10), VK5ACY Kangaroo Island 900 Km, VKUSB. All on 144.100.

Wednesday night I almost worked Colin VK5DK in Mount Gambier on
1296.120 MHz JT65b digital. I was decoding Colin at my QTH but Col
was having dramas getting enough audio into his computer, therefore
the program audio was too low and would not decode, though he could
here my tones audible.

This would have broke the VK2 1296 Digital record, but alas, we will
try again soon.

There is so much good DX going on its hard to keep up.

Today Thursday I believe Chris VK2DO near Canberra worked VK5PO and
VK5UBC 144 MHz.

I worked VK5PO on the Canberra repeater while I was mobile, yesterday
I worked Brian on the same.

Have to go. 73

Leigh VK2KRR

Further to Leigh's note in ragard to conditions this morning Thursday 3/3/05
VK2DO east of Canberra was worked by Phil VK5AKK, John VK5PO, Brian VK5UBC
and I think Roger VK5NY. I also think Gary VK5ZK almost made it, not sure.
Chris VK2DO varied in strength with Phil making it at 5/4, he was only 3/1
at my QTH a distance of 962km.

John VK5PO also worked stations via 1RGI rpt and several VK3's. I  also
worked Terry VK3ATS Mildura at 5/9 and VK3II Coronet Bay (733km) at 5/1.

Interestingly not many rpt's heard this morning.

73's Brian
VK5UBC