VK6KZ

THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN - INTERSTATE-OVERSEAS VHF/UHF STORY

by Dr Walter J Howse VK6KZ

Recent events on VHF/UHF included the bridging of the Perth Adelaide path (2137 km) on 432 MHz for the first time ever. The author owes his interest and activity on VHF/UHF to the late Rolo Everingham VK6BO who made the first contacts in 1951 and 1952 on 144 MHz to Clem Tilbrook VK5GL and Reg Galle VK5QR. Rolo, as well as the author and others, frequently looked to repeat his feat. This article is an attempt to bring together information on the bridging of the VK6/VK5 and VK6/VK3 paths over the period 1951 to January 1985 as well as other interstate and overseas "firsts" on 144 MHz.

50 MHz - 6 November 1948

The first VK6 to work interstate on the 50/52 MHz band was VK6HM in Kalgoorlie who made his contact at 10.35 UTC on 6 November 1948 by working VK5GB (1). He was closely followed by Wally Green VK6WG in Albany who worked VK5GH at 10.45 UTC. At 11.09 UTC Wally worked Reg Galle VK5QR - the first of many VHF/UHF QSO's between these two amateurs as will emerge later 2. Another Wally - the late Wally Peterson VK6LW chalked up the first interstate QSO on 50 MHz from Perth in December that year (3). By April 1949, the stage had been reached where Don Hawksworth VK6DW at Bruce Rock needed to work a VK6 before he could claim the "Worked All States" award for 50 MHz. Don finished with Certificate No 3 (4). It was not until l963 that the second such award was made to a VK6 amateur and that was the author as VK6ZAA (5). The long gap was due primarily to the lack of activity in the Northern Territory.

144 MHz - 30 December 1951

On 144 MHz, the log of Rolo VK6BO shows that on 30 December 1951 the 50 MHz band was open at 01.08 UTC when he worked VK5MK. This was the first of a continuous stream of 50 MHz contacts until at 07.05 UTC Clem Tilbrook VK5GL was worked for the fourth time that day on that band. The next entry in Rolo's log was for the 144 MHz band. Rolo gave VK5GL a 5/5-8 report and he received a 5/6-7 on AM with the contact concluding at 07.12 UTC. At 07.18 Rolo resumed working VK2,3,4,5,7, ZLl,2, and 4 on 50 MHz until 13.30 UTC. At that time the log shows "called CQ CW ZS till 12.00 midnight (ie. 16.00 UTC)". In all, Rolo had 86 interstate contacts that day on 50 MHz. This contact of 2164 km was just short of the then world record distance of 2253 km.

9 February 1952

On the 9 February 1952. Rolo called CQ at 02.45 UTC on 50 MHz and worked VK5GL at 02.45 and VK5HD at 02.50. The next entry at 03.12 UTC was VK5GL on 144 MHz with report sent 4/2-8 and received 5/6. At 02.23 UTC Reg Galle VK5QR made his contact with reports of 5/5-8 sent and 5/5-7 received. Rolo called CQ on 144 MHz "on and off till 11.45 (ie. 03.45 UTC)" and from 04.00 onwards worked VK5HD, VK5GL and VK5QR on 50 MHz with the final six metre contact recorded at 06.45 UTC (6).

The equipment used at that time gives an idea of the changes now evident in technology. Clem Tilbrook VK5GL used an RL7 tritet oscillator with an 8 MHz crystal, a 6V6GT doubler to 48 MHz, and RK34 tripler to 144 MHz with an 832 final with 18 watts input. The amplitude modulation resulted from a modulator using a pair of 6V6's in Class A push pull. The receiver comprised a crystal locked converter with a 6J6 push pull rf amplifier, 6J6 push push mixer with a 6C4 cathode follower. The oscillator section used an 1852 tritet fifth harmonic from 9.4 MHz driving a half 6J6 trebler to 141 MHz. The band tuning from 3-7 MHz was done "on a conventional 12 tube receiver". Clem's antenna comprised a four over four with the bays spaced a full wavelength apart with the top 28 feet (8.5m) high. Folded dipoles were used as radiators fed with 300 ohm open line (7). Clem commented on his QSL card "look forward to many more contacts with you. Who knows that it won't be 288 MHz soon - here's hoping. Clem".

Reg Galle VK5QR commented "Clem and I intend watching each time the weather map indicates a possibility viz cold front from West to East near coast plus a parallel isobar close to it. Both breakthroughs showed this oddity on weather maps .... we are very keen to test one metre gear!"(8)

Rolo's equipment is not so well documented. His colleague Don Graham VK6HK agrees with the author that the antenna on 144 MHz was a five over five array spaced a wavelength apart and the transmitter had an 815 valve in the final.

The input power on AM was 45 watts and his converter used a tunable oscillator. Because of the length of the run between the shack and the tower Rolo constructed his own open wire line.

Near Misses From Perth

In many six metre openings in the period to 1976 when Rolo died, VK6BO could be heard on 144.22 MHz, on the key, seeking to repeat his 144 MHz contacts. The nearest he came to this was probably on 1 January 1967 when Col Moore VK5RO heard Rolo at 04.35 UTC (9). The Perth 144 MHz beacon was heard that day at 03.05 UTC in Adelaide by VK5ZBR and VK5ZMW (10). Another near miss for Rolo was on 15 February 1970 when he recorded in his log "At last! 07.15 heard VK5VF on 144.8". At that time the Mt Barker two metre beacon was 5/9+ off the side of Rolo's beam. Kevin Bicknell VK6ZCB (now VK6AB) also heard VK5VF at that time at 529. These observations immediately followed Rolo's daily early morning checks with Wally Green VK6WG on 144 MHz. Wally was in Norseman at that time. VK6WG's signal was 5/2-5 in Perth at 06.45 WAST (11).

Western Australian VHF Group (Inc) and Beacons

However to revert to the general story of 144 MHz, a significant event had occurred on 30 April 1955 when thirteen amateurs met at the home of Ron Mould VK6FM in Mt Pleasant in Perth and decided to form the Western Australian VHF Group. Following an application for a permit in January 1958, this Group established the first amateur beacon in Australia on 50 MHz. This had the callsign VK6VF and was placed on air in January 1959 in Kalamunda at the QTH of Bob Elms VK6BE (Bob now lives in Albany). On 14 July 1961, the Post Master General's Department approved an application from the VHF Group and the Group established a beacon on 144 MHz in addition to its six metre one. In 1962. the Group built a six metre beacon for operation on Cocos Island which was operated under the care of Lionel Allen VK9LA. The beacons were to facilitate detection of band openings. (12)

Near Misses from Narrogin

On 3 January 1961, Kevin Bicknell VK6ZCB who was living in Narrogin (165 km south west of Perth) worked Doug McArthur (now VK3UM), and then VK5KK, crossband from two to six metres. The six metre band had been wide open with rock crushing signals. David had no problem in receiving Kevin's AM signal on 144.18 MHz. However Kevin had chosen that day to rebuild his two metre converter so preventing a two way contact on 144 MHz. The crossband contact continued until 15.10 UTC, ie. nearly midnight local time! (13).

Bunbury/Adelaide - 8 January 1965

During a six metre opening to the Eastern States, Andrew Martin VK6ZCN (now VK3KAQ) in Bunbury (150 km south of Perth) worked Colin Hurst VK5ZHJ (now VK5HI) in Adelaide on 144 MHz at 05.20 UTC on 8 January l965. The Adelaide beacon VK5VF On 144.8 MHz was heard at 06.12 UTC by Andrew but no other two metre contacts eventuated (14). The commonly accepted theory was been that Rolo and Andrew had achieved their contacts via sporadic E. However a new phenomenon was about to emerge to dramatically alter the thinking about east-west VHF/UHF DX.

Weapons Research Establishment Propagation Tests 1966-68

The Weapons Research Establishment of the Australian Defence Scientific Service turned its attention to the anomalous propagation over the path between Albany, Western Australia and Salisbury, 25 km north of Adelaide, South Australia. In December 1966, a VHF transmitter on 135.5 MHz, a power output of 5 kW and yagi antenna of gain 12.2 dB was installed at Albany. A second transmitter on 1769 MHz at 1 kW and parabolic dish antenna of gain 35.7 dB was added at Albany in October 1967. Received signals at Salisbury over the 1890 km path indicated frequent openings on both frequencies. Signals on 135 MHz reached as high as 10 dB below free space and 25 dB below free space on 1769 MHz. An early report of that research published in May 1969 showed that from October 1967 to April 1968 there were 60 openings on 135 MHz of at least two hours duration, 18 openings of 24 hours duration and one which lasted for a fortnight in January 1968. The openings on 1769 MHz were not as frequent (12 occasions only) nor did the signal reach the same high level as at VHF. Further the VHF signal was always present when a UHF signal was received (15).

Spurred on by the success of these tests, the West Australian VHF Group (Inc), (urged on by the then president Don Graham VK6HK) obtained a licence for a two metre beacon which was installed in October 1968 at Mt Barker, 50 km north of Albany under the care of Tom Reed VK6TR. Initially operating as VK6VF/P and later VK6VE, the beacon was heard in Adelaide and the first of many 144 MHz contacts between Albany and the Eastern States was achieved by Wally Green VK6WG and Mick McMahon VK5ZDR on 3 January 1969. (16).

After a power failure in July 1969, the beacon was rebuilt and reinstalled at Mt Barker in December l969, In May 1970, the beacon was sold to the Southern Electronics Group based in Albany (17) and it was moved to Albany as it was thought that the inland location of Mt Barker was a great disadvantage.

The award for the unluckiest pair of amateurs might go to Rod Graham VK6ZDS (now VK2BQJ) and Charles Kosina VK6LK (now VK3BAR) who for the three summers of 19~4 to 1966 operated just east of Albany with equipment for the six and two metre bands and worked an extensive amount of DX on six metres but none on 144 MHz. Maybe six metre conditions were too good! (18).

Other Near Misses 1969-1970

Back in Perth things were also happening. Kevin Bicknell VK6ZCB was now living in Lesmurdie, a suburb about 20 km east of Perth (and about 300 metres higher!) On 17 January l969, Kevin copied the VK5VF beacon on 144.8 MHz from 22.03 to 22.27 UTC (ie. 06.03 to 06.27 WAST l8 January l969) at signal strengths peaking 5/9. Wally Green VK6WG in Norseman also copied that beacon at this time. On l5 February l969, Kevin again heard the VK5VF two metre beacon at strength 3 at 07.05 WAST. Reference was made earlier to Rolo Everingham hearing VK5VF on l5 February l970 and Kevin's confirmation of receiving it. Kevin tells how at 06.25 WAST (ie. 22.25 UTC on l4 February 1970) he first heard the beacon at S/9+. Frantic calling for a QSO was unsuccessful. The beacon was still audible when Kevin went out at O9.52 WAST and again at l0.25 WAST when he returned home. Kevin expressed regret that he did not record in his log when he lost the signal completely. (By the way. the dates l5 February 1969 and l5 February l970 were double checked to confirm that the events described were one year apart!). On each of these occasions there was no evidence of a six metre opening (l9).

Early in l970 there was a lengthy opening from 30 January to 4 February when Bernie Gates VK6KJ made 66 contacts to the Eastern States including the first VK6/VK3 contact on 144 MHz. This occurred on 1 February 1970 at 00.50 ~T Bob Halligan VK3AOT over a 2441 km path for a Western Australian distance record (20).

Inland Contacts

At that time Wally Green VK6WG was in Norseman and during the opening he had difficulty in attracting the attention of the Adelaide stations but on 30 January l970 at 22.25 UTC Wally worked Gary Herden VK5ZK for the first Norseman/VK6 contact (21).

On 3 January 1972 at 12.06 and 13.40 UTC Bob Pine VK6ZFY/P feeding 10 watts AM to a five element yagi at the north east corner of the Stirling Ranges worked Kerry Adams VK5SU at Ceduna. Bob was one of the earliest, if not the first amateur from an inland location north of Albany to achieve a two-way contact on 144 MHz (22).

Exploration of the 144 MHz path between West Australia and the Eastern States has been a strong interest of the author who was first encouraged to investigate the VHF/UHF regions by the late Rolo Everingham VK6BO who had had the early successes on 144 MHz. The author missed two important periods described earlier, by him being absent from Western Australia in 1968-70 and 1972-74. Beginning in December 1976. he has operated portable during each summer period along the south coast of Western Australia.

In 1976, the equipment used was limited to 144 and 432 MHz and the antenna depended on an adjacent post or tree or, on one occasion, one tall son for support! Contacts was made from Albany to VK5 on both 144 and 432 MHz. Learning from that experience, the author has developed a comprehensive system which enables him to set up a complete portable station for all bands from 1.8 to 3456 MHz at very short notice. This has permitted waiting in Perth until the conditions for DX appear promising before venturing to the south coast.

In 1977-78, heavy QRM in Albany resulted in a shift 20 km west to Torbay Hill. From there, many VK5 and VK3's were worked on 144 and 432 MHz. A contact on 8 January 1978 at 13.16 UTC with Mike McDonald VK3ZQY (140 km east of Melbourne) resulted in a new Western Australian distance record of 2614 km for the 144 MHz band.

In 197~-79, Walpole (85 km west of Albany) was selected to see if the two metre path extended further west. Signals were heard and they resulted in contacts on 144 MHz with VK5 and VK3 over paths up to 2571 km.

Also in 1979, two-way 144 MHz contacts were achieved on SSB from inland points. On 28 January 1979 from Mt Burnside, stations as far east as Hatherleigh, near Mt Gambier (VK5MC) were worked on two metres. Mt Burnside, halfway between Walpole and Manjimup, was 35 km from the coast but the direct track to Adelaide had to cover 160 km of land before reaching the Great Australian Bight.

On 4 March l979, the author VK6KZ mobile worked to Peter Smith VK5ZPS whilst returning to Perth from Albany. From roadside locations he was able to work Peter until at 13.10 UTC when he was 10 km north of Kojonup, ie. 150 km inland from Albany and 225 km from the Bight in the direction of Adelaide.

The first contact between VK6 and VK4 occurred on 3 May 1983 at 2150 UTC by John Harlock VK6GU at Wyndham and Steve Hutcheon VK4ZSH portable at Camooweal using meteor scatter (23). The contact required about one hour to complete.

First VK6 to Indonesia Contact on 144 MHz - 2 October l982

This was achieved on 2 October l982 at about 04.00 UTC. The Port Hedland repeater (1330 km north of Perth) on l47.0 MHz was opened intermittently with occasional Indonesian word.

Mark Dunning VK6WV was the first to make contact when he got a call sign and broken English coming back to his call. Harry YD9BC and Gede YD9BR in Denpasar in Bali asked them to QSY off their official Police frequency! Contact was continued direct on 146.5 MHz FM. (24)

First VK6 to Japan Contact on 144 MHz - 23 April 1982

John Harlock VK6GU in Wyndham worked Yuki JH4JP0 at 105Z UTC and then JH4XTN at 11.03 UTC on 23 April 1982 for the first WA to Japan two metre contacts. The characteristic flutter of transequatorial signals was observed by him. The distances involved were 5509 km and 5501 km respectively. (25)

FM Contacts Through Repeaters

There have been VK6 and VK5 contacts made on FM through the Wagin two metre repeater (146.40/147.00) from Wagin and Katanning and also from these locations through Adelaide repeaters as well as direct on simplex. On 9 February 1979 some FM contacts were made to VK5ZCT via the Bunbury repeater (146.30/90). Detailed data on these contacts is not available to the author.

144 MHz Distance Record from Cape Leeuwin - 23 January 1980

In the 1979-80 season, VK6KZ operated from Cape Leeuwin, the most south western portion of Western Australia. This was 260 km west of Albany. On 23 January 1980. over 48 contacts were made on 144 MHz with VK5 and VK3 stations with the longest path being 2785 km to Andrew Martin VK6YLR (formerly VK6ZCN) who was operating portable at Ross Hill, 80 km east of Melbourne. VK6KZ was using 10 watts SSB to a five element yagi.

However, whilst the author was operating at Cape Leeuwin, the long awaited event was happening. The Perth/Adelaide path on 144 MHz was bridged - this time by four amateurs - Wayne Dowie VK6WD, Jack Borthen VK6ZEL (now VK6KDX), Phil Casper VK6ZKO, and Ron Mould VK6FM who all worked Les Wood VK5ALW in Adelaide. Wayne made the first contact at 00.03 UTC on 23 January 1980 following a phone call from Don Graham VK6HK who had heard the VK5VF beacon on 144.8 MHz after a contact with VK6KZ/P at Cape Leeuwin. Poor Don did not receive his report from Les VK5ALW to complete his contact. Other Adelaide stations worked from Perth were Ken Yates VK5RP and Reg Galle VK5QR. Signals to Perth from Adelaide disappeared at about 0l.10 UTC.

This opening extended to Katanning (250 km south east of Perth). Ken Thompson VK6ZFQ worked into Adelaide over a l933 km path to Les VK5ALW at 00.25 UTC. Ken had two further contacts to Adelaide on SSB during the opening viz at 12.55 UTC with Col VK5RO and at 23.05 UTC with Eric Jamieson VK5LP. Ken reported hearing VK6KZ/P (237 km away) working Eastern States stations but he was unable to hear the other end of the contacts. (26)

Perth/Adelaide Again on 144 MHz - 28 December l980

During a six metre opening to VK1, 2. 5 and ZL, on 28 December l980, the 144 MHz band opened briefly to Adelaide. Don Graham VK6HK at last achieved two-way contacts. He worked Mick MacMahon VK5ZDR and Col Moore VK5RO. Ron Mould VK6FM also worked these two stations. The author (at home this time) heard VK5RO and was heard by him but in frantic efforts between 22.45 and 22.57 UTC was
unable to complete a two-way exchange of reports.

Receptions of beacons in Adelaide and Perth were reported on 2 January 1981 when VK5VF on 144.8 MHz was heard by Phil Casper VK6ZKO at 22.28 UTC and on 3 January 1981 when T Power VK5ZPE reported hearing VK6VF on 145.00 MHz from 21.07 to 22.18 UTC.

First Perth/Adelaide Contacts on 432 MHz - 10 January l985

On 10 January l985 Bob Blinco VK6KRC in Perth was in contact with Max Faulkner VK6FM in Manjimup (250 km South of Perth) on 144.100 MHz and Max asked "who broke in", Bob listened and heard a voice. Thinking it may have been Peter Grumball VK6ZPG (210 km north of Perth), Bob swung his beam only to hear unfamiliar voices to the east. He proceeded to work Brian VK5KBU at 22.47 UTC exchanging 5/9 reports. Bob then rang a number of Perth amateurs alerting them to what was going on. At 23.02 UTC Bob made the first ever 432 MHz contact between Perth and Adelaide with Brian VK5KBU with reports of 59 and 53. The author was thrilled to work (from the home QTH in Perth) at 22.58 UTC VK5KBU on 144 MHz and then VK5ZRO and VK5ZTS before working VK5ZRO at 23.04 UTC and then VK5ZTS on 432 MHz. Other 144 MHz contacts by the author between 23.04 and 00.14 UTC included VK5ZDR, VK5NY and VK5ZPS. Tests on 1296 MHz between VK5ZRO and the author were unsuccessful.

First VK6/VK5 Contacts on 432 MHz - 11 December 1972

The Perth/Adelaide contacts in 1985 were not the first between Western Australia and the Eastern States. The first VK6/VK5 contact on 432 MHz was made by Wally Green VK6WG on 11 December l972 with T Bellim VK5ZDY.

Wally later worked Les Jenkins VK3ZBJ in Frankston near Melbourne for an unclaimed world record distance of 2440 km. That distance was extended to 2460 km on 8 January 1978 by VK6KZ/P at Torbay Hill working Les VK3ZBJ and this contact was recognised as the world record. Then Aub Keightley VK6XY in Albany worked Mike McDonald VK3ZQV at Carrajung over a 2593 km path to gain the world record,
We in turn lost the record when on 18 July 1979 contacts on 432 MHz were established between California and Hawaii. On 23 January 1980, VK6KZ/P at Cape Leeuwin regained the Australian distance record by working Les VK3ZBJ over a distance of 2717 km.

1296 MHz - 25 January 1977

On 1296 MHz it was once again Wally Green who made the first interstate QSO for a world record distance of 1885 km to Reg Galle VK5QR in Adelaide on 25 January 1977. This distance was extended on 29 December 1978 at 11.38 UTC when the author VK6KZ, portable at Walpole, worked Chris Skeer VK5MC at Hatherleigh near Mt Gambier in South Australia over a distance of 2107 km. Reports exchanged were 559 to VK5MC and 55 to VK6KZ/P. On 23 January 1980 at 00.57 UTC, the 1296 MHz 2146 km path was bridged by two-way SSB between VK6KZ/P at Cape Leeuwin and Reg Galle VK5QR in Adelaide. Later that day at l2.02 UTC, Chris Skeer was worked by VK6KZ/P from Cape Leeuwin. This path was 2290 km long.

2304 MHz - 17 February 1978

On 2304 MHz it was again Wally Green VK6WG and Reg Galle VK5QR who made the first VK6/VK5 contact. This occurred at 06.50 UTC on 17 February 1978. Signalstrengths ranged between S1 and S7. Reg used SSB which was processed in a divide by 6 circuit and mixed to 28 MHz. The 28 MHz signal with processed SSB was then transverted to ~4 MHz and then tripled and doubled to 2304 MHz. This multiplication by 6 restored the original SSB. Wally used a modified World War II SCR522 which from a 7 MHz crystal produced 128 MHz. This was then multiplied to 384 MHz with a BAY96, varactor tripled to 1152 MHz 1n a modified Microwave Modules MMVl296 and then doubled in a 2C39 which drew 90 mA at 600V. No other amateurs have had a VK6/VK5 QSO.

3456 MHz - Year to Come

Tests have been carried out on this band between Wally Green VK6WG and Reg Galle VK5QR since the 1979-80 summer period but as at 15 January 1985 no contacts had been achieved.

So there is the story of the VK6 Interstate and overseas VHF/UHF contacts on AM, CW and SSB in the period 1951-1985 as researched by the author. So far as is known no contacts from VK6 have yet been made with amateurs in VK2, VK7 and VK8. Will FM operators please write their story or inform the author to complete the picture? Little comment has been made of the possible modes of propagation but this is another story to be told.

The higher frequency bands have yet to be exploited.

In summary, the first VK6/VK5 contacts were achieved as follows:

50/52 MHz band    VK6HM/VK5GB       6 November 1948
144             VK6BO/VK5GL       30 December 1950
432                 VK6WG/VK5ZDY      11 December 1972
1296              VK6WG/VK5QR       23 January 1977
2304              VK6WG/VK5QR       17 February 197
3300 MHz and up   yet to be achieved

The first VK6/overseas contacts on 144 MHz have been

VK6/Japan        VK6GU/JH4JPO
VK6/Indonesia   VK6WV/YD9BC

23 April 1982
2 October 1982

REFERENCES

(13 (2) ~3) (4 (5) (Ç) (7) (8) (9)
"Fifty and up" Amateur Radio January 1949 p.27

as for ~1) Personal communication to the author from Mr Graham
"Fifty and up" Amateur Radio April l949 p.20
"Worked All States on 50/52 MHz" Certificate No 47
Log Book of the late Rolo Everingham in the custody of the author
QSL card to the late Rolo Everingham VK6BO from Clem Tilbrook VK5GL
QSL card to the late Rolo Everingham VK6B0 from Reg Galle VK5QR
Log book of the late Rolo Everingham VK6B0
(10)"VHF" Amateur Radio March 1967 p.27 (see also WA VHF Group
Bulletin June 1967 p.3)
(11) Log book of the late Rolo Everingham VK6BO
(12) Records of the WA VHF Groups Inc
(13) Personal communication to the author from Mr Bicknell
(14) Personal communication to the author from Mr Martin
(15) L G McAllister "Radio Ducting at 135 MHz and 1769 MHz between
Albany (WA) and Salisbury (SA)", Technical Note CPD(T) 173,
Department of Supply. Australian Defence Scientific Service, May
l969
(16) WA VHF Group Bulletin May 1969 p.3
(17) WA VHF Group Bulletin May 1970 p.3 and the records of the WA
VHF Group (18) WA VHF Group Bulletin January 1967 p.7
(19) Personal communication to the author from Mr Bicknell
(20) Personal communication to the author from Mr Gates (see also
Amateur Radio March 1970 p.27)
(21) Personal communication to the author from Mr Green
(22) Personal communication to the author from Mr Pine
(23) "VHF UHF - An Expanding World" Amateur Radio October 1983 p.55
(24) "VHF UHF - An Expanding World" Amateur Radio June 1983 p.38
(25) "VHF UHF - An Expanding World" Amateur Radio June 1982 p.48
(26) Personal communication to the author from Mr Thompson