Notes for the participation in the 2016 JMFD, from Sawyers Valley Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade station.
| Radio | Owner | Bands | Modes | Power Supply | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IC-706MKIIG | VK6NK | 160m-70cm | All Mode | 12VDC RX: 1.8A TX: 20A | |
| FT-897D | VK6NK | 160m-70cm | All Mode | 12VDC RX: 1A TX: 20A | |
| IC-7400 | VK6WK | 160m-2m | All Mode | 12VDC RX: 3A TX: 20A | |
| IC-718 | VK6WK | 160m-10m | SSB | 12VDC RX: 1.3A TX: 20A | |
| SRM9200 | VK6NK/VK6WK | 2m | FM | 12VDC |
| Radio | Owner | Bands | Modes | Power Supply | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| X1M | VK6NK | 80m-10cm | SSB | 12VDC RX: 0.35A TX: 1.2A | 5W TX |
| IC-720A | VK6NK | 160m-10m | SSB | 12VDC RX: 0.9A TX: 20A | |
| TYT TH-UVF9 | VK6NK | 2m/70cm | FM | Battery | HH, 5W TX |
| RTL SDR Receiver | VK6NK | DC-Daylight | All-mode | Laptop | Able to monitor an entire band May require additional shielding around up-converter Will need antenna to suit |
Multi-band doublet, fed using ladder-line to an ATU. Suitably sized (>20m per side) should provide good performance for 80/40/20/15/10m. At tree height, this should also work well as a NVIS antenna for local to medium range contacts.
Multi-band vertical, using an ATU. This will need a substantial ground plane to achieve efficiency, however should provide a low radiation angle suitable for DX. If longer than 5m it should cover 20/15/10m. It may be possible to increase the length by hanging a wire from a tree or combining some aluminum tube with a pool-pole. Alternatively, a 9m fibreglass squid pole may also make a suitable support.
| Antenna | Band | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Station folded dipoles | 2m/70cm | |
| Yagis | 2m | Need mounting somehow |
| Yagis in vk6wk's shed | various | Need poles and guys |
The current draw will be up to 40A if both radios are TXing concurrently. This doesn't include powering other systems, such as laptops. It may be worth running the 706 and 718 at lower TX power and ramping up to full power if the QSO requires it.
Both Icoms use the same 6 pin power connector. Power leads (with fuses) should be constructed to allow for a quick setup on the day.
| Power Source | Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Station batteries | 12V heavy | condition is unknown; may contravene field day rules? |
| Bobcat batteries | 2x6V large | condition is unknown |
| Wheelchair battery | 12V 74Ah | condition is unknown, takes a charge |
| Brigade generator | 240V large | use via batteries to smooth supply if needed |
| vk6wk's generator | 4kVA sinusoidal | use if necessary |
| Vehicle (Light Tanker?) for charging |
| Bands | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| any | RG213/U12V heavy | ex shed stock, N Type fittings, various lengths; need adaptors |
JMFD rules state that multi-operator stations much maintain a separate log for each band. This implies a separate laptop for each radio, although paper-logging could be utilised for low volume bands (2m?).
VKCL should be used for recording logs entries where possible. It can be downloaded from http://www.mnds.com.au/vkcl/.