Raising the public profile of Amateur Radio
/Kevin Crockett, VK3CKC, will take to the Axedale end of the O’Keefe Rail Trail which forms part of the old Heathcote Junction to Bendigo rail line. A radio-equipped, recumbent tadpole trike has been purpose-built for the event.
The Club callsign VK3CMZ, will also have an operating amateur station set up at the Axedale Market next to the hall where the public can listen in on 40m HF contacts around 7.090MHz being made. They will be able to directly communicate with the trike itself on 2m via the local VK3RCV repeater as the trike makes its way towards the town accompanied by children from the Axedale Primary School.
Automatic Packet Reporting System, or APRS, will be used to display progress on a laptop computer at a display stand at the Market.
Those who can’t attend should be able to follow the trike via www.aprs.fi/. An offer for Internet streaming communications audio via http://www.vk3cmz.com has also been received.
The City of Greater Bendigo is currently extending the Rail Trail to
Heathcote and this event is something of a shakedown for a larger event later in the year that will cover from Bendigo to Axedale or even beyond if any of the extension is ready by then. It may even be repeated for the WIA National Field Day next year.
The event has attracted proud support from the City of Greater Bendigo Eppalock Ward Councillors, Friends of the Bendigo-Kilmore Rail Trail, Axedale Primary School, Axedale Our Town Our Future Committee and Axedale Public Hall Committee.
