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We all love new toys... I am considering one of these neat little hand-helds. Baofeng UV5R Mini. Click here for the page.. I am not sure where Hayden gets the $20.00 from, plus the link he supplies on his Youtube clip will only ship 1x per customer/order. However at the time of this posting, the link I have found is for $38.79 with free shipping and almost no limit on quantity buy. As you know these prices can change by the hour. Watch the video and if you are interested, I can add to my order. Cheers. Craig. vk3ncr Note: I or Famparc cannot be held responsible for the product delivered or being lost in transit.. Any orders and payment is at your own risk. NOTE : Order placed for 12 units.. Sorry if you missed out but ya have to be quick! The final price with freight and GST $39.50 Latest shipment details:

Check out Hayden's recent Youtube clip talking about the Icom IC-705 Transceiver. Is the IC-705 still worth buying in 2025/2026 ? As an owner of the IC-705 for many years now, it is still my goto radio and is used every day, for FM/SSB/DStar and more, it's great for portable use, as this is what it was built for. For example our club's recent camping trip to the Poplars near Noojee, I took along my 100 watt IC-7300 rig, and never got it out of the carry box, yet I still managed over 50 contacts. Is it still worth buying today ? Yep.. I think so.... Craig vk3ncr

DETAILS: Saturday December 20th 12:00pm Xmas BBQ Breakup ANOTHER YEAR Hello Famparc'rs .... Well, 2025 is almost over.. Yes, another year has passed quickly.. This year has been fantastic for the club, with new members joining, successful Coffee & Cake days, Camp-Outs, Travel, and our New Club Repeater and Remote HF Station benefiting all members. Let's hope we can continue enjoying the fun and club improvements in 2026, and most importantly, good health to everyone! DETAILS: Saturday December 20th 12:00pm Xmas BBQ Breakup TERRY VK3BMX Our club legend, Terry vk3bmx, has graciously volunteered this year to organise our Xmas Break-up BBQ Lunch. Terry is coordinating a variety of meats for the BBQ along with salads. There might even be some cake... Yes, cake!! So in summary: The year 2025 has seen its ups and downs... Our final gathering of the year, with our last meeting and BBQ celebration, is an event you definitely shouldn't skip... So join us, and feel free to bring your partner, a friend, or even someone you meet on your way to the club.

Thanks to Stanley vk3bot for this information and continuing to supply articles for our website.

Hello all, I have added and updated our clubs Event Calendar Page. This is a new interactive layout.. So take a look and see what's happening at Famparc. Click Here. There also now a Button on the Home Page. New FAMPARC Club Event Calendar

Rosebud RadioFest 2025 — The Big Ham Radio Gathering on the Peninsula Every November, radio enthusiasts from across Victoria converge on the Mornington Peninsula for one of the friendliest and best-organised events on the ham calendar — the Rosebud RadioFest , hosted by the Southern Peninsula Amateur Radio Club (SPARC) .This year’s event will be held on Sunday, November 16th, 2025 , at Eastbourne Primary School , Allambi Avenue, Rosebud , with doors opening at 10 a.m. 🎪 What’s On The Rosebud RadioFest is much more than a swap meet — it’s a celebration of amateur radio, electronics, and communication technology . Visitors can look forward to: A bustling traders’ hall filled with both new and pre-loved equipment . Commercial dealers showing off the latest rigs, accessories, and test gear. Displays and demonstrations covering digital modes, antennas, and emergency communications. Technical forums and presentations for both new and experienced operators. Outdoor exhibits including emergency services and portable setups. Whether you’re hunting for a rare component, testing your Morse skills, or simply catching up with old friends, there’s something for everyone. 🍔 Community, Coffee, and Conversations SPARC’s RadioFest is proudly a community-driven event .The Rotary Club of Rosebud-Rye once again lends a hand, providing delicious catering and managing parking — so you can focus on the important things, like chatting about antennas over a sausage in bread! Free off-street parking makes bringing gear easy, and the friendly local atmosphere keeps regulars coming back year after year. Entry: $7 per person (children under 12 free) Table bookings: $15 each (contact SPARC to reserve early) 📍 Location & Details 📅 Date: Sunday, November 16, 2025 🕙 Time: Doors open 10 a.m. 📍 Venue: Eastbourne Primary School, Allambi Avenue, Rosebud, VIC 💲 Entry: $7 (U12 free) 🌐 More info: sparc.asn.au/rosebud-radiofest Google Maps link 🤝 Why It Matters Hamfests like Rosebud are the lifeblood of the amateur radio community — places where knowledge, gear, and friendships are exchanged.SPARC’s dedication to keeping the hobby vibrant on the Peninsula shows how much passion exists in the local ham scene. So, dust off your callsign badge, pack some cash for those irresistible bargains, and get ready for a great day surrounded by like-minded radio amateurs. ✍️ Closing note If you’ve never been to a hamfest before, Rosebud RadioFest is the perfect introduction — friendly, informative, and full of energy.SPARC and the volunteers behind the scenes deserve full credit for creating an event that celebrates both the technical and social sides of amateur radio. See you there — 73 from the SPARC team!

Where: Poplars Camp Ground Noojee Vic. When: 23rd to 29th October 2025. What a fantastic event, thanks to Stanley vk3bot and the members who dedicated their time to camp or visit for the day. The Poplars is a camp ground around 7ks from Noojee via the Loch Valley Rd. Originally scheduled from the 22nd to the 29th of October, the event was rescheduled to the 22nd to the 23rd, Thursday, due to storms predicted by the Weather Bureau. Craig was the first to reach the campground and noticed that the area hadn't been mowed for several months. However, this didn't affect any of us because of the designated camping spots. Over the next few days, many of our members arrived and set up camp, while a few from our club decided to drop in for the day. Most days, the weather was quite pleasant, featuring some cloud cover and occasional showers over a day or two. The best part was the near absence of wind, which made it very comfortable. Many of the members also took the opportunity to explore the area and visit the Toolshed, which is an excellent venue offering amazing meals and more. We also visited the local Cafe, The Little Red Duck for some Coffee and Cake. In total, we have 15 people who either camp or visit during the days spent at the Poplars Camp Ground. Everyone agreed that this was the best Famparc Camp-Out yet, and I must admit, I've never laughed so much. It was an incredible experience, with activities like playing radio and having chats around the campfire. With some wonderful people from our club. We were fortunate that numerous amateurs were heading to Canberra for the VKFF awards, resulting in dozens of enthusiasts on the air activating parks. This provided us with numerous opportunities to establish many contacts over the days. Craig managed to work over 50 contacts... Another enjoyable aspect was the guys listening to other amateurs using the ISS onboard repeater during the many passes. We were also able to use both our Repeater Phone App and Craig's AllStar Hotspot to communicate with the club's repeater. As well as DStar nets. The campout faced a few challenges, as Matt VK1MHZ and his son Finn had a head-on collision on their way to the campground. Fortunately, neither of them was injured. Although his 4WD sustained significant damage, it was inspected and deemed safe to drive. Greg, vk3qsl, began feeling a bit unwell, and after being persuaded to go home, it took him a day or two to recover from food poisoning. Overall it was an amazing time with lots of fun, radio and antenna play etc.. Good friends and good times. Ask Patrick about this image. Anyway.. thanks to: Stanley vk3bot Craig vk3ncr Colin vk3cr Gerard vk3ger Patrick vk3apl and Corryne Bernie vk3??? Terry vk3bmx Jerry vk3vce Greg vk3qsl Pamela vk3hxx Tony vk3an Matt vk1mhz and son Finn Wayne vk3xf Harry vk3gqk and Kerrylyn

OCTOBER 18TH GUEST SPEAKER TOPIC: Portable amateur radio PETER VK3PF Parks On The Air extraordinaire DONE! Thanks to Peter VK3PF for his time at the club.. Peter covered many areas of Portable Amateur Radio operation and setup. Again.. we thank him for his time and effort. Peter VK3PF We have another amazing guest speaker and event at the Famparc Club Rooms. We are pleased to welcome Peter vk3pf, a leading parks activator enthusiast. Peter will be sharing his extensive knowledge about this wonderful hobby of working from the thousands of parks, peaks, and silos scattered across Australia. Discover numerous ideas and suggestions to enhance your Amateur Radio hobby. Peter possesses extensive knowledge about park activating, including essential requirements and excellent tips. What you need! Featuring: The basics How do I start? Software Posting Setup & much more.. Peter VK3PF is located in the Latrobe Valley, about 140 km ESE of Melbourne CBD. My home station has only simple antennas: a 80/40 m fan inverted V plus a vertical with an IC AH-2 tuner at the base. ABOUT Peter: I enjoy chasing/hunting SOTA and WWFF stations, mostly around Australia due to the antenna situation. I occasionally get out into the field to activate SOTA summits, VKFF Parks and Silos. In fact, almost any outdoor radio activity! Most VKFF Parks also count for POTA. And for something different to SOTA, there is HEMA. We also have SiOTA - Silos On The Air. Earlier in 2022, I spent quite some time studying digital mapping for the eastern third of Victoria to develop a list of candidate HEMA summits. That list is currently being checked by the VK3 coordinator, so hopefully I will have some HEMA summits to activate closer to home in the future. The typical SOTA station has been an FT-817 (5 W) to an inverted V link dipole held up with a squid pole. Of late, I have been using an Elecraft KX-2 or an IC-705 and a ZS6BKW doublet. Park activations may use the SOTA station, an IC-7300 with a portable antenna, or occasionally I use the IC-706MKIIG mounted in my vehicle with a ZS6BKW doublet. Visit Peter's website, which showcases the numerous parks in operation. Click Here Explore Peter's website for insights into park activations, featuring a report on the WWFF August Activity Month 2025, highlighting an impressive 200,000 QSOs achieved by 614 activators and 37,000 hunters. Additional images of Parks in action:

Jamboree On The Air this coming weekend. Melbourne Region JOTA - Oct 18-19, 2025 JOTA Calling Frequencies: Please QSY off the Calling Frequency once you have established a contact. Jamboree-on-the-Air, or JOTA, is the largest Scouting event in the world. It is held annually the third full weekend in October. JOTA uses amateur radio to link Scouts and amateur radio operators around the world, around the nation, and in your own community. This Jamboree requires no travel, other than to a nearby JOTA site. World Scout HF Calling Frequencies As per www.jotajoti.info/jota , 3rd September 2020. Australian Scout HF Calling Frequencies: Band SSB (phone) 80 m 3.650 MHz 40 m 7.090 MHz 20 m 14.190 MHz 15 m 21.190 MHz 10 m 28.590 MHz 6 m 52.160 MHz Scout Amateur Radio Victorian Repeaters: VK3 ScoutNET: The VK3 ScoutNet is an ongoing project built by dedicated amateur radio operators involved with the SRESU. They have made the network available to assist amateur radio licensed Scouts and friends of Scouting to communicate via relatively simple amateur radio equipment across the Melbourne metropolitan area and beyond. Please remember to leave a 2-3 second break between your overs and invite new operators to join your conversations. VK3 ScoutNet – Linked Repeater Network Callsign Location Rptr Output Rptr Input CTCSS Notes VK3RSU Mt View 439.925 434.925 91.5 Hz VK3RAJ Upwey 439.750 434.750 91.5 Hz IRLP 6372 VK3RSA Emerald 439.650 434.650 91.5 Hz VK3RSB Mt St Leonard 439.550 434.550 91.5 Hz Jota Flyer:

Hi Guys, At the meeting the other day, my recently built Aursinc Allstar Node was on display and connected to the club repeater through the AllStar system, using my iPhone hotspot. As you're aware, our club's repeater is linked to the AllStar system, Node 66111. This connection enables you to use the repeater not just through the standard RF method, but also with a suitable device, like a phone with the appropriate app, or via RF into a HotSpot Device, such as an Allstar Hotspot. (Below) All you need if a FM UHF Radio. Aursinc Allstar Device attached to a Raspberry Pi3B... These AllStar HotSpots can be bought on several websites, but I was able to purchase one for a discounted price of $76.00, along with a small shipping fee. Even though I already have a high-powered Hotspot Node at home, it's not very portable. Therefore, I created this one for portable use, like camping and other activities. .. You can connect it to a AllStar node such at our club repeater 66111, or any of the over 40,000 nodes around the world. What you need: Aursinc Allstar RF Device $76.00 (approx). Click Here Raspberry Pi 3/4/5 $63.00 plus (depending on the model) 3B is just fine. Click Here ASL3 OS Free. Click Here Available from AliExpress Click Here Setting it up can be quite challenging, but there is plenty of help available on YouTube. I'm more than willing to assist. The videos below can also be found on the Video page of our club's website. I have managed to get a Water Proof Box to enclose my device in.. A couple of leads off Ebay, one for the antenna and the other is the USB Power feed... Any questions.. drop in a comment below.. Cheers.... Craig vk3ncr

What's on in October 2025. LOTS! OCTOBER 11TH GUEST SPEAKER TOPIC: 3D PRINTING (presentation all done thanks to Paul) Paul VK3BV Paul vk3bv, will be demonstrating his talents with 3D Printing, from design to finished and printed product. Paul will demonstrate how to start from nothing, then using specific software for 3D Printing, design a product. He will then use the clubs new 3D Printer to create a finished item. We hope to make something that all attending members can take home and use along with the Radio gear. We do ask for a small donation towards the club. TOPIC: HOTSPOTS If time permits during Paul's presentation, he will also showcase and demonstrate his various Hot Spots for Amateur Radio. He might also be able to construct one or at least assist in its construction, and he could provide a 3D printed case, among other things. Sample Image Only OCTOBER 18TH GUEST SPEAKER TOPIC: PARKS ON THE AIR PETER VK3PF Parks On The Air extraordinaire Peter VK3PF We have another fantastic guest speaker and event at the Famparc Club Rooms. We welcome Peter vk3pf, one of Australia's top Parks on the Air enthusiasts. Peter will be sharing his extensive knowledge about this wonderful hobby of working from the thousands of parks, peaks, and silos scattered across Australia. Featuring: The basics How do I start? Software Posting Setup & much more.. Peter VK3PF is located in the Latrobe Valley, about 140 km ESE of Melbourne CBD. My home station has only simple antennas: a 80/40 m fan inverted V plus a vertical with an IC AH-2 tuner at the base. ABOUT Peter: I enjoy chasing/hunting SOTA and WWFF stations, mostly around Australia due to the antenna situation. I occasionally get out into the field to activate SOTA summits, VKFF Parks and Silos. In fact, almost any outdoor radio activity! Most VKFF Parks also count for POTA. And for something different to SOTA, there is HEMA. We also have SiOTA - Silos On The Air. Earlier in 2022, I spent quite some time studying digital mapping for the eastern third of Victoria to develop a list of candidate HEMA summits. That list is currently being checked by the VK3 coordinator, so hopefully I will have some HEMA summits to activate closer to home in the future. The typical SOTA station has been an FT-817 (5 W) to an inverted V link dipole held up with a squid pole. Of late, I have been using an Elecraft KX-2 or an IC-705 and a ZS6BKW doublet. Park activations may use the SOTA station, an IC-7300 with a portable antenna, or occasionally I use the IC-706MKIIG mounted in my vehicle with a ZS6BKW doublet. OCTOBER 22ND CAMP-OUT TOPIC: FAMPARC CAMP-OUT It's on again.. The best event of the year.. The Famparc Camp-out. Located at the Poplars Camp Ground around 10k's from Noojee Vic. Join your you famparc friends for a wonderful relaxing time away in this tranquil location amongst the beautiful Noojee bush. To find out more about this amazing event, Click Here for More. Well... What a month! Meetings, Guest Speakers and best of all the Famparc Camp-Out. Ensure you participate in this fantastic event organised for your enjoyment by the best club ever. Remember to visit your club's website for the latest updates and news!

Introducing a new CW award for 2025 Unfortunately a we missed the Phone version of this event. Been and gone ! However the CW event is still coming on the: 11th Oct 2025 CW Contest A new plaque, sponsored by Klaus VK3IU (ex 4F1RWW and ex member of DX1RPI Inc) is being awarded for the highest scoring entrant from Indonesia, the Philippines, East Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, or East Timor in any of the CW Single Operator LOW Power categories.We wish all contesters in these regions the best of DX luck in their efforts to be the inaugural winner of this new award! You can find further details Here!! Thanks to Peter vk3ij