Dural Facilities
ARNSW Dural Facilities
Amateur Radio New South Wales provides a number of facilities from our Dural site to support ARNSW members and the wider amateur radio community across Greater Sydney.
- Site: Dural
- Repeaters: VK2RWI
- Beacons: VK2RSY
- Morse practice: VK2WI
Tip: If you’re using tone squelch (CTCSS), check the notes under each repeater for access requirements.
ARNSW infrastructure supports reliable access, experimentation and operating practice.
VK2RWI Repeaters
From our Dural site, the repeaters reach a large part of the Greater Sydney area.
The 6 m, 2 m and 70 cm repeaters transmit a 91.5 Hz CTCSS tone for operators who wish to use tone muting on their receivers. This can be helpful for reducing unwanted “birdies” and other noise that some mobile stations hear on VHF around Sydney.
The 70 cm VK2RWI FM repeater currently requires a 91.5 Hz CTCSS tone for access due to increased interference from nearby low-power devices (LIPD). The other VK2RWI repeaters do not require CTCSS for access.
| Band | Output frequency | Input frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 metres | 53.850 MHz | 52.850 MHz | — |
| 2 metres | 147.000 MHz | 146.400 MHz | — |
| 70 centimetres (FM) | 438.525 MHz | 433.525 MHz | 91.5 Hz CTCSS required for access |
| 70 cm (DMR) | 438.600 MHz | 433.600 MHz | Part of ARNSW RadNET |
| 23 centimetres | 1273.5 MHz | 1293.5 MHz | Standby antenna – reduced coverage |
Operating note: If you’re not hearing the repeater, double-check offset, CTCSS settings (where required), and your local RF environment.
VK2RSY Beacons
The beacons identify in Morse with VK2RSY QF56MH (the Maidenhead locator for the site) at approximately 40-second intervals.
Beacons serve two key purposes: they help indicate propagation (whether a path exists between you and the transmitter location), and they provide a steady reference signal for checking antenna and receiver performance.
| Band | Frequency | Mode | Power | Antenna | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 m | 28.262 MHz | CW | 25 W | Half-wave dipole | (1) |
| 6 m | 50.289 MHz | CW | 20 W | Half-wave dipole | (1) |
| 2 m | 144.420 MHz | CW | 20 W | 2-bay horizontally polarised crossed dipoles | (1) |
| 70 cm | 432.420 MHz | CW | 20 W | 2-bay horizontally polarised omni-directional crossed dipole array | (2) |
| 23 cm | 1296.420 MHz | CW | 20 W | Alford slot, horizontally polarised (currently off-air – antenna relocation) | (2) |
Notes
- (1) Turned off during the morning and evening Sunday news bulletins to enable call-back reception on that band.
- (2) Remains on air during the news bulletins.
There are currently no Dural beacons operating on frequencies higher than 23 cm. We hold the relevant licences and would welcome interest from members who would like to help develop microwave beacon projects. Please contact ARNSW if you’d like to get involved.
VK2WI Automated Morse Transmissions
The automated Morse practice transmission operates using the call sign VK2WI in the 80 metre band on 3699 kHz (see note below). It also serves as a practical band-condition indicator.
Transmit power is 35 watts into a half-wave dipole, approximately 10 metres high.
The content is generated by a programmable controller. The original text store of 1100 words (just over 2 hours) has been expanded to over 3700 words, providing almost 8 hours of varied content. Transmission speeds are also cycled to give listeners a range of practice combinations.
Download: VK2WI_Morsetext3.pdf (includes interesting background on the development of the Dural facility)
With thanks to Les VK2KYJ for the development of the Morse generator.
Signal Reports
If you would like to send a reception report (QSL card or written report), please use the details below. For fastest handling, include “Beacon Report” in the subject line (email) or on the envelope.
callbacks@arnsw.org.au
Subject: Beacon Report
Post
ARNSW
PO Box 6044
Dural Delivery Centre NSW 2158
Please endorse the envelope: “BEACON REPORT”.
A QSL card is available in exchange for written reports received for VK2RSY/VK2WI. Please send cards to the Dural PO Box address above.