Category Archives: Working Bees

Working Bees

RF Equipment Acquisition

Thanks to a lead via the WA VHF Group, a large amount of surplus supplies have been purchased which will significantly assist in WARG’s current and coming activities/projects. Items include LDF4-50 and LDF5-50 coax, Andrews Connectors to suit, Cavities, Mast Cable standoffs, Amalgamating tape, Folded Dipole arrays and all kinds of other RF equipment. The equipment will most certainly be put to good use.

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Coverage much further afield…

In cooperation with the Geraldton Amateur Radio operators/clubs, WARG’s plans to provide Voice and APRS coverage from Perth right through to Geraldon are well underway. A few sites around Ocean Hill and north of Jurien bay are being considered as potential key sites to provide services. Cataby Repeater VK6RCT will be integral to providing the linking/coverage for the project. Upon completion of the project, we should see coverage most of the way from Geraldton right the way down to Albany, some 1000km’s in the mid/south west of WA, the equivalent of driving from Melbourne to Sydney.


In addition to spreading coverage north and south, WARG also have plans to extend Voice and APRS coverage towards the East as far as possible, with the hope of reaching Kalgoorlie and beyond. We should see coverage of the first 1/3 of the East leg by early 2011. Once completed, this will be the equivalent of coverage from Melbourne to Canberra, through to Sydney and half way to Brisbane!!!


WARG members have also been heavily involved with new repeaters in the Pilbara area, which are also in the process of being linked to cover the area from Tom Price to Exmouth, Karratha, Paraburdoo and the surrounding areas. VK6RTP is the highest repeater in WA with an antenna height at around 1150m HASL. Check out the Southgate, VK6NDT, and WA Remote Amateur Radio Repeater Network sites.

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Kellerberrin 2m/APRS

Kellerberrin repeater site has been secured thanks to the hard work of Peter VK6FUN. The Kellerberin shire council have granted us permission to install and operate a 2m voice repeater and APRS node up their tower at the top of the hill. A recent site survey indicated it is a prime site in providing coverage over the great eastern highway between Perth and Kalgoorlie. It’s expected the site to be fully operational early 2011

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Wundowie APRS

APRS coverage around the Northam and York areas has been introduced thanks to a new Digipeater hosted by VK6TNC. This APRS Digipeater relays APRS packets to Tic Hill. Equipment, configuration and drive were enthusiastically provided by Craig VK6FLAM, Peter VK6FUN, Chris VK6TNC, and Joe VK6ZTN.

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Cataby (VK6RCT)

Cataby VK6RCT saw a site visit from half a dozen WARG members last year bringing the 2m repeater back on air, and a second weekend long working bee was planned. Work will consist of replacing all guy wires, re-instating the 70cm link back to Perth, installing new deep cycle batteries and a general tidy up. Photos of the previous visit can be found here:

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Lesmurdie repeater (VK6RLM)

Lesmurdie repeater VK6RLM and DSTAR repeaters (VK6RWN) have had some bad news and had to vacate the prominent site up at Walliston. This has seen DSTAR relocated to an excellent site at Roleystone, and RLM is searching for a new home. A new site has been proposed as it’s new home, and preliminary suitability and coverage tests are in progress. VK6RLM photos during the DSTAR project here:

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Tic Hill (VK6RTH)

There have been a number of recent working bee’s up at Tic Hill VK6RTH. New solar panels have been installed, new WiFi equipment installed allowing remote control and Video Surveillance, A new wind generator, New LDF4-50 coax to the main antenna, APRS, a new DC Distribution board, new batteries, new solar regulator…. The plan is to get Tic hill fully operational on 2m, 70cm and APRS with adequate self sufficient power by the end of the year. Photos can be found Here: and Here:

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