LAST UPDATE 12.07.08

Welcome to the Australian National VHF DX Group web site

This site has been produced to cater for the interests of Australian Amateur Radio Operators who are interested in DX activity at VHF and beyond. Mainly centered around 2m and 70cm and over. The ANVDG caters for all modes FM, SSB, CW and digital weak signal modes like WSJT.

The ANVDG site is also intended to act as a gateway to VHF UHF DX in Australia, to give others an insight into just what is possible using the Very High Frequency bands and above in Australia. Showing what excitement and success can be had using the various, interesting propagation techniques, of which each can be utilised at different times to make contacts, depending upon local and space weather conditions.

07.07.08  Got an update from Dave VK5MRD recently about some new antennas he has put together for FM DX work on 2m, here is some info and photos.

With my new antenna system which is now 2x 7 element co-phased yagi`s vertical polarized I am having a ball with the local repeaters and I notice my footprint on simplex FM is also awesome now.

My beams are only about 30ft off the ground. I can almost 100% of the time work Mike VK5MCB at Pt Pirie on simplex. I quite often listen on the input of the repeaters to see if I can hear the station direct, most times I can. I can usually access the VK5RAC Pt Lincoln repeater 146.750 in the mornings and evenings and sometimes during the day. It is not there 100% of the times that I try and work it but it is fairly easy for me. So too is the VK5REP repeter at Cowell. Infact I can usually hit that one when I can`t hit VK5RAC. Not every morning but most mornings on a regular basis I can hit VK5RAE at Pt Augusta (around 320KM) and I have hit VK5RMN at Pt Pirie.

Thanks to Dave for letting us see what he has been up to, its excellent to hear. By the way, Dave's QTH is only 39 masl.

22.03.08  A number of new records have been set on the Records pages, especially on sporadic E for 2m this summer. Congratulations for those involved. Matt VK2DAG has also added quite a few good Tropo digital contacts to the list.

04.11.07  A major update of the ANVDG site has been done. The main work has been the modification of the main Long Distance Records page. The 12 month long distance competitions have been scrapped and the best contacts from the long dist comps have been reviewed and incorporated into the Long Distance Record page. I think it looks quite good and more meaningful and easier to view. Some big contacts in there, lets get a few more on the microwaves. 

04.11.07  Unfortunately I have found myself with a problem with the network connection for the computer that holds the data for the ANVDG website. This and a lack of time on my behalf have cause the end of the Long Distance competitions for the time being, and made it difficult to up date the site.

02Nov 13:21 VK8GF My 2m and 6m station packed up today for the move South, no more activity from VK8GF in the Alice Springs, Cheers Jeff VK8GF.

Its a sad day in the history of VHF Amateur Radio in Australia and around the world, with the announcement that the station from the centre of Australia is now no more.

Jeff VK8GF from Alice Springs PG66WG, has packed up his amateur radio station equipment after many years of operation from the red centre and is heading south. Jeff has been able to provide many stations in Australia and around the world with contacts from Alice Springs and has been the only active 2m and 6m DX station for many years.

Without Jeff being there, much excitement from Australian 2m operators would not have ever been experienced. Jeff has been there over the years to make contacts from a rare state (VK8) in a rare grid square. Jeff has been able to provide us with some very rare 144 MHz Sporadic E contacts, Jeff has given a number of stations the ability to be able to say they have worked all states of Australia on 2m. Jeff has also given many around the world of 6m this opportunity too.

Jeff is also one of the few stations to make some of the longest (and rarest) contacts ever out of Australia on 2m (besides EME). In April 1991 VK8GF was able to work stations in Japan on 144 MHz transequatorial propagation, distances in the area of 6500 Km!

Thanks Jeff your signals will be missed, hopefully someone else will take up the challenge of VHF DX from Alice Springs.
VK2KRR

11.06.06  Well the 2005/2006 VK DX season is drawing to a close. Great to see more and more active stations enjoying the fun. What a great group of real DX we have accumulated in the long distance competition for the year, well done to all. The new season will start July 1st so its time to wipe the table clean and start over again.
We also have a new DX'er Profile added to the list and thats that of Gary VK4ABW. See the link on side bar to DXer Profiles.

25.04.06  What an array! Check out this mean looking array of yagis located near Townsville. Built owned and operated by Gary VK4ABW, thats Gary (the crazy man) standing in amongst it all. The array consists of a group of 50, 144 and 432 MHz yagis. Gary has been giving EME and meteor scatter a good workout after creating this monster.

11.02.06  I am lucky enough to have been granted permission to use some fantastic articles to help promote the Microwave bands. These articles have been written for the ROCHESTER VHF GROUP (USA) by Dave Hallidy K2DH. Dave has kindly allowed me to use his articles to help microwave activity grow within Australia. Dave has written the articles to help answer questions which beginners to these bands may have, also answer questions more experienced operators may not have known. So for all operators who have always pondered the microwave bands but just never really knew where to start, there is much valuable info here thanks to Dave K2DH. Please click on the titles below to bring up word documents for each. Alternatively, right click and press save as on each to save to your computer for future reference. Hope to hear you on the microwave bands, enjoy. vk2krr

24.01.06  20 Year old distance record broken: On the 2nd of January two new Australian 144 MHz distance records were set between Wayne VK6JR at Dunsborough and Leigh VK2KRR at The Rock. The two were lucky enough to make a simplex contact on 144.080 MHz, which re-set the Australian Tropo record and also the 20 year standing NSW (VK2) record and also the WA (VK6) record. The distance achieved was 2933.3 Km. What an amazing feat. You can read more about this contact at http://www.users.bigpond.com/vk2krr/new_years_record_setting_duct.htm

Photo below  Some of the meanest VHF UHF radio signals from the Eastern side of the Adelaide Hills are currently emanating from the QTHs of Peter VK5ZLX and John VK5PO who are located around the Barossa Valley area. But I warn unwary operators in the south east to be careful with your S-meters as the best is yet to come from these two.

Meanwhile, not far over the top of the ridges, just over the western side is Brian VK5UBC, who has to have one of the best QTH's for VHF UHF in Australia, recently being heard in Canberra, Melbourne, Tasmania, Queensland, Alice Springs and Perth. Brian has the best of both worlds, being able to work east and west paths and seems to also attract Sporadic E.

Are you an Australian VHF UHF DXer? Please submit your DXer Profile at your next opportunity. 

THE ANVDG SITE IS MAINTAINED BY LEIGH VK2KRR