FM REPEATER DX

 Some of Australia's repeater site's are found in isolated and lonely places, such as this picture to the left of VK6RTH, Tic Hill, near Perth. The reason? well, most of Australia is isolated and lonely, but more to the point, a lot of these repeater locations are this way because they are often the best spots for transmitters and will provide good coverage over the local area and beyond. Many repeaters around Australia are rather quiet most of the time with today's busy lifestyle, but many have a good community of locals who monitor these devices.

The great thing about repeater DX is that when it happens over a very long or rarer path, the people at the local end are always very pleased and interested to talk and hear from you and both parties can wonder at just how that little FM signal has managed to go so far!

Repeater DX is working a very long radio path to a repeater station. The actual 'DX' is made by the distant station who is able to access the repeater from a remote location, not considered to be in the repeaters general coverage zone. The station in the general coverage zone is classed as 'local to the repeater'. At times both parties can be working DX paths to a repeater, perhaps you may even find multiple stations accessing a repeater talking in a 'group', this could consist of a number of DX and local stations all together.

Repeater DX can be a very satisfying form of VHF UHF DX operation, and because you may only have an FM type licence (Novice) or an FM only radio with low power and an omni directional antenna, you can still enjoy the fun and excitement of FM Repeater DX. How can this be? Its because low powered FM signals on 2m and above are quite easily propagated long distances in ducts. You need to be in a duct friendly location though.

You may be interested in viewing the FM DX Distance Records list which gives you an idea of the top 4 repeater and simplex distances in each division.

A duct friendly location is one which has no nearby obstructions along a signal path and is in an elevated location. You don't have to be on a hill, but it does help. Rarely do ducts dig signals out of hollows and low areas, but it does happen. Particularly bad spots have been noted at towns along rivers with hills and mountains all round.

Other good things about repeater DX is that if you key a repeater and then announce your callsign and that you are listening, if no one is available to reply, at least you have an indication of what conditions are like and can gauge this with repeater signal strength. Also whilst speaking to a station on a repeater its very easy on most modern radio's to check for a reverse or simplex (direct ) signal. If the two stations can hear each other on reverse you can QSY to a simplex freq and make contact there also.

The table below is a list of known DX repeaters. These are repeaters regarded as the better ones to listen for when a duct opening is immanent. They are often the first to come in, the strongest and then the last to go out.

VK1RGI 146.950 Canberra VK3RMM 147.250 Macedon VK5RAD 147.000 Crafers, Adelaide VK4RSP  146.825 -   Springsure (Roddas Lookout)  
VK2RAO 146.700 Orange TX only. VK7RAA 147.000 Mt Barrow VK6RMS 147.250 Boddington VK4RGT  146.625 -   Gladstone  
VK2RYL 147.225 Rylstone VK5RMB 146.825 Murray Bridge VK4RAT 146.700 Mt Stuart, Townsville VK4RHR  146.925 -  Hodgson Range  
VK3RWA 147.100 Ararat VK5RAE 146.975 Port Augusta VK4RMK  147.000 +  Mackay