10 Years of the 23cm QSO Party

On 7 December we reach a VK7 microwave milestone with the 10th Anniversary of the 23 cm QSO party. We are trying to get as many stations as possible on to celebrate this milestone with hopefully record numbers. It is proposed that we write up an item for AR to record the history of the QSO party and the results of the 7 December event.

The QSO Party is conducted at 10 am each Sunday after the broadcast on 1296.15 MHz using FM, with one group in the greater Hobart area and a second group in the greater Launceston area. After this Hobart to Launceston contacts take place 1296.2 MHz using the digital mode Q65-60B. Hobart stations first period and Launceston stations second.

A brief History: Nearly ten years ago, a few Hobart stations started dusting off rigs and pointing quirky 23cm homebrew antennas toward Mt Wellington, just to see what might happen. At a REAST BBQ, between sausages and signal reports, someone tossed out a simple idea: run a 23 cm QSO party straight after the Sunday broadcast. Use it to test coverage, compare notes, and nudge everyone to lift their game on antennas and systems. Challenge accepted!

On Sunday 6 December 2015, Murray, VK7ZMS, hauled gear up to Kunanyi/Mt Wellington and took the helm as the first control station. Three days later at the DATV night on 9 December, the debrief was clear: it worked, it was fun, and it deserved to keep going. The plan formed: aim beams at the mountain each Sunday and make it a habit. Stations with 23 cm gear dragged it out of cupboards, warmed it up, and joined the net.

That inaugural report reads like a rollcall of early adopters: VK7ZMS, VK7MO, VK7BEN, VK7KAJ, VK7ZL, VK7OO, with a surprise cameo from the north, VK7JG. RX-only at first were VK7TW and VK7HRS. By the very next week there were nine stations up, plus a new voice, Danny VK7HDM. The only hiccup? Our control op, Murray, was off on essential duties: his daughter’s birthday took priority. Quite right too.

Fast-forward to today and the little post-broadcast experiment has grown into a community, with around 15 stations operating each Sunday. We now count forty-seven, 23 cm capable operators in the South, with more in the North. The QSO party has mapped paths, sparked antenna builds, and quietly raised the bar for what’s possible on 23cm in VK7.

73, Rex, VK7MO