Summerland Amateur Radio Club vk2src

19/10/2026

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Australian Amateur Chris VK2YUS Returns to Vanuatu as YJ0CA

18–30 October 2026 | Port Vila, Efate Island, Vanuatu

Australian radio amateur Chris VK2YUS is returning to the airwaves from Vanuatu, operating under the callsign YJ0CA from Port Vila on Efate Island between 18 and 30 October 2026.

The operation provides another opportunity for Australian and international radio amateurs to work Vanuatu, a popular Pacific DXCC entity, using traditional voice communications.

SSB Only, From 40 to 10 Metres

Chris will operate exclusively on SSB, with activity expected across the 40 to 10 metre amateur bands.

His operating hours are expected to be mainly between 2100 and 1000 UTC, providing opportunities for contacts across Australia and further afield, depending on propagation conditions.

The station uses straightforward, effective antenna systems, demonstrating that successful DX operation doesn't necessarily require elaborate equipment.

Traditional DXing and QSL Cards

Unlike many modern DXpeditions that rely heavily on digital modes and automated logging, Chris is concentrating entirely on SSB contacts.

QSL confirmation will be available via his home callsign, VK2YUS, with no Logbook of The World (LoTW) confirmations.

Listen Out for YJ0CA

For Australian amateurs, Vanuatu is geographically relatively close, but propagation and band conditions will determine the best opportunities to make contact.

The WIA wishes Chris VK2YUS every success with his Vanuatu activity and encourages Australian amateurs to keep an ear out for YJ0CA over the coming days.

Source acknowledgement: DX-World, 17 October 2026, reporting Chris VK2YUS's forthcoming YJ0CA activity. 425 DX News is included as an additional DX news resource.

18/10/2026

Our Gold Coast Cousins are holding there HAMFEST Sunday 8th November.

29/09/2026

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Ready for ARISS SSTV this weekend?
☐ 437.550 MHz programmed
☐ SSTV software tested
☐ Robot 36 selected
☐ ISS pass times checked
☐ Doppler tuning ready
☐ Receive, decode, and submit your images!

07/09/2026

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THE 5TH EDITION FOUNDATION LICENCE MANUAL IS HERE!

The WIA's Foundation Licence Manual – 5th Edition is now available, providing an updated, high-quality learning resource for the next generation of Australian radio amateurs.

And there's a significant change in how you can get it.

The WIA has moved to Print-On-Demand.

Through the new service, individuals and WIA affiliated clubs can order manuals online and have them printed and posted directly to them.

Need one manual to start your amateur radio journey? No problem.

Running a Foundation training course? Clubs and trainers can order 5, 10, 20 or more copies in bulk.

Order the new manual here:
https://booksonlineaustralia.com.au/shop/the-wireless-institute-foundation-manual/

The WIA websites will also be updated over the next few days to direct visitors to the new Print-On-Demand service.

A very special thank you goes to Phil Wait VK2ASD and his production team for the considerable work involved in producing the 5th Edition and delivering another high-quality learning resource for Australian amateur radio.

For decades, the Foundation Manual has helped people make that first step from being interested in radio to actually getting a callsign and getting on air. The new edition continues that tradition while making it easier for individuals and clubs across Australia to get the manuals they need.

Learn. Get qualified. Get a callsign. Get on air.

26/08/2026

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What happens when you turn a giant radio telescope into part of a radar system?

An international research team has demonstrated how existing radio telescopes can become extremely sensitive radar receivers, allowing satellites and potentially much smaller pieces of space debris to be detected and tracked in real time.

As reported by Lauren Davis in Critical Comms, the Long Baseline Multistatic Radar project combines powerful radar transmitters with geographically separated radio astronomy antennas. Instruments such as the 76-metre Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank are designed to receive incredibly faint signals from deep space, making them rather good at detecting weak radar echoes as well. Researchers say the technique can improve radar sensitivity by more than tenfold.

During a recent demonstration:

* Radars in the United States transmitted the signals
* Objects in orbit provided the reflections
* Radio telescopes in the United Kingdom received them
* The signals were processed and displayed in real time

The international project includes partners from the UK, US and Australia.

The next step is particularly interesting: using multiple radio telescope antennas simultaneously to improve the measurements and potentially determine where objects are located in 3D space.

It's radio science on a formidable scale, but the underlying lesson is one amateurs have known for generations: you don't necessarily need a stronger signal if you can build a better receiving system and become cleverer about extracting information from the noise.

Full credit to Lauren Davis and Critical Comms for the original story and image.

Read the full Critical Comms article - https://www.criticalcomms.com.au/content/industry/article/radio-telescopes-enable-real-time-tracking-of-orbital-threats-944413348

31/05/2026

MAD DAY (Microwave Activity Day)

Sunday 24th was set aside for another Microwave Activity Day. Andrew VK2XI and Paul VK2AMT joined up at St Helena. We were joined by Kevin VK4UH and Colin VK4UV. Kevin and Colin are active members of the Brisbane VHF Group and Andrew and I were very grateful that they came down to join us for some Microwave fun.

The weather at St Helena was much the same as we have had for weeks. Fresh south easterly winds driving showers onto the coast and nearby hills. The plan was to set up 10gHz and 24gHz which Kevin and Colin had brought down to test signals down to Graeme VK2QJ who was set up on Vista Point.

The initial setup to align the dishes was done with CW followed by USB. There was a rapid flutter on the signals which made readability near zero. Kevin soon diagnosed this as the effect of rain scatter. A slight adjustment to the dish position avoided the worst of the showers and Q5 readability was achieved. A test was made on 24gHz but the weather absorbed and scattered the signals, so that didn’t work. Andrew’s 5.7gHz signal was received well by Graeme but his signal was too weak to be read from St Helena. Col put up a very basic 10gHz dish antenna and this received CW from Vista Point, over 196 k’s so that was very good. Col said that a dish antenna would produce a much stronger signal than the panel antenna Andrew was using. We were showed the centre of a dish antenna which supports multiple feeds, different bands on the same dish. Amazing. We decided to move to Scarrabelotti’s Lookout, along the Coolamon Scenic Drive, for more testing.

Graeme QJ said that the signals from the lookout were 4 -5 S points better to Vista Point than the St Helena spot, so guess where Andrew will be setting up in future? It was disappointing that the 24gHz effort didn’t work, but considering the horrid weather and that we were transmitting into rain clouds, it was very satisfactory all round. Kevin and Col didn’t set up at the lookout but there was enough gap between the showers for Andrew to prove that his 5.7gHz gear worked. Andrew was a very happy operator. Graeme QJ was very pleased also that the two locations’ radio paths were tested and his 10 and 24gHz systems were field tested. A very successful Mad Day considering the conditions. Thanks again for Kevin and Col for coming down from Brisbane to join us. Andrew and I were very appreciative
de Paul VK2AMT

14/04/2026

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🚨 BIG NEWS FOR THE HAM RADIO COMMUNITY! 🚨

📡 WSJT-X 3.0 Stable Has Arrived!

The wait is over! The legendary weak-signal communication software WSJT-X has reached version 3.0 Stable — and it's a game-changer, especially if you're operating under challenging band conditions!

🔇 WHY WSJT-X 3.0 SHINES IN HIGH-NOISE ENVIRONMENTS:

✅ Enhanced FT8 & FT4 decoding algorithms — pulls signals out of the noise floor
like never before, achieving decodes at -24 dB SNR and beyond.

✅ Improved multi-decoder engine — simultaneously processes more signals in a
crowded, noisy band, reducing missed QSOs.

✅ Better RFI rejection — smarter signal processing helps filter out man-made
electrical noise and QRM from nearby stations.

✅ Optimized AP (A Priori) decoding — uses known callsign data to decode signals
that would otherwise be lost in the noise.

✅ Refined frequency calibration — tighter frequency accuracy means cleaner
decodes even when propagation is marginal.

✅ Low-power DXing made easier — work the world with just 5W even when the bands
sound completely dead!

Whether you're dealing with urban QRM, solar flux challenges, or just a noisy shack,
WSJT-X 3.0 gives you the edge to make those contacts happen! 💪

Download it now at https://wsjt.sourceforge.io/wsjtx.html
and get on the air!

We really appreciate the support! ❤️ Help us pass the torch by following our Project page: https://www.facebook.com/dv1kproject

73 de 🎙️
#73

27/03/2026

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Here's the latest on SSTV Series 31 from the ISS. This 5 day event will start April 10.

More details as we get closer to the start date.

02/03/2026

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Contact upcoming with Australia!

Students at St Joseph’s Primary School in Bombala NSW will talk with Jack Hathaway, KJ5NIV, live via ham radio.

Scheduled Thu. 05-Mar at 08:53 UTC | 3:53 AM ET | 7:53 PM AEDT via VK6MJ telebridge.

Listen on 145.800 MHz FM.

22/02/2026

It is with our deepest sympathy that we share the news of Roger VK2LRB becoming SK.
Roger was a longtime member of the Summerland Amateur Radio Club, serving on the committee and holding the position of Vice President for three years.

SARC extends its heartfelt condolences to Roger’s wife, Anne, and their children during this difficult time.