Good Day from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland Australia and welcome to my bio.
I'm a keen radio operator with various intrests mainly centred on the HF bands.
CW is by far my favorite mode, although far from QRQ.
QRP
QRP and Weak Signal modes are what I like to operate with. Chasing DX with CW and some digi modes (JT65, PSK31) with 5w. I aim to achive DXCC running QRP.
SSB I try initially QRP (100mw-10w) but run up to 100w as required.
Working as a helicopter pilot to offshore oil and gas installations off the North West Shelf of Western Australia sees me operating portable from Broome WA (VK6) for 6 months of the year. I can occasionally be heard operating Aircraft Mobile over the Indian Ocean 20m / 15m.
Home base setup consists of the ELECRAFT K-LINE (K3/10, P3 and KPA500)
Mic -Kenwood MC-90
Dual Palstar SP-30Hs for diversity RX
CW Keys N2DAN (S/N 0081) Made by Steve himself in 1992
N2DAN MERCURY magnetic paddle #0081 (ex K5VT (SK))
This key was from the estate of Vince Thompson, K5VT (SK), and was purchaced new and unused, simply the finest key to operate and to look at!
Also use one of Toney Balenos' N3ZN ZN-5H key (Another fine piece of engineering)
Remote antenna switching is via an ameritron RC-8V
SDR rig is a Genesis G11 for 20/15 and 10m.
Antennas at the home QTH consist of a full size 80m and 40m dipole and a TET EMTRON TE-33 triband yagi at 50ft agl.
6m Vertical is a Duoro 5/8
Home VHF / UHF is a Kenwood V71A and a Diamond X3000.
23cm rig IC-1200 and 10el yagi
DV Dongle for DSTAR mostly monitor Reflector 001 (C)
I monitor our local VHF Echolink node via RF on node : 316084
And also the UHF IRLP node :6564
Please feel free to call on these nodes as I will allways respond if listening
Portable operations from VK6, VK8 are done using an Elecraft KX3 and enfed monoband wires.
NEW!! REMOTE OPERATION
Now up and running
In addition to my QRP operation from VK6 I now have my home QTH station 100% remote.
This is achieved using TeamViewer and SKYPE linked to the rig via HRD.
If you hear me calling '/remote' please say G'day.
I QSL 100%. I use Global QSL and upload my log to them on a regular basis. I also use and accept eqsl.cc my log to eqsl is updated directly from my logging software in real time.
Thanks for looking me up, more pics and info to come.
73 de Brendon.
Clubs / organisations I support -
Sunshine Coast Amateur Radio Club : www.vk4wis.org
