VK3FS

VK3FS Australian Amateur Radio Station based in Mount Martha on the Mornington Peninsula. More recently, well in December 2012 I became VK3FS.

First licensed in 1981, I began my radio life as VK3XFQ – what was then known as a limited call. It took less than a year to get my combined Novice and Limited call and I became VK3KIR for the next 30 odd years. I held both calls for a couple of years until moving to the Mornington Peninsula in 2016. In my uni days, foxhunting was my passion. Homemade yagis with lashings of velcro holding jerry-rigged hot carrier diode wideband 2m receivers to inflexible booms was the order of the day. It was the 80s, so the nanny state wasn’t what it is today. Legends of the sport and good friends to this day include Geoff VK3VR, Greg VK3VT, Paul VK3PW, Richard, VK3XRG and Ron VK3EHF to name just a few. I was working in the TV industry so amateur television was another aspect of the hobby I spent a lot of time perfecting. I spent many long nights working from Mt Waverley to Geelong on 426MHz simplex as well as through the Melbourne ATV repeater VK3RTV. This was a time of boxy but good 4×3 analogue TV.

Today's park was VKFF-5789 AU-5560 Rosebud Bushland Reserve. Found a nice spot in the shade and managed 48 in the log. A...
29/09/2026

Today's park was VKFF-5789 AU-5560 Rosebud Bushland Reserve. Found a nice spot in the shade and managed 48 in the log. Also got to try out the new beach trolley and table.

50 in the log today. Marty VK3MRT and I went in to battle with monster mozzies at VKFF-2135 Main Ridge Nature Conservati...
24/09/2026

50 in the log today. Marty VK3MRT and I went in to battle with monster mozzies at VKFF-2135 Main Ridge Nature Conservation Reserve (POTA AU-0344) 40m was almost noise free at this location with big signals from most. Ended up on 20m with an EU dogpile which was lots of fun. Thanks to all the hunters that worked us.

Great weather for a Friday afternoon activation. Pity 40m wasn't in great shape. This was VKFF-5242 Kirton Bushland Rese...
18/09/2026

Great weather for a Friday afternoon activation. Pity 40m wasn't in great shape. This was VKFF-5242 Kirton Bushland Reserve. No park bench so ended up being creative with the road cases. I'm reliably informed by Gary VK3PWR that this is the old Mornington-Tyab road before the new road went through many moons ago. 46 in the log today. Thanks to all the hunters in what could only be called very trying conditions.

Last Friday (7/8), Gavin VK3HY and I made the journey to Mt Strzelecki (QF21WP) which is about an hour and a bit south e...
08/08/2026

Last Friday (7/8), Gavin VK3HY and I made the journey to Mt Strzelecki (QF21WP) which is about an hour and a bit south east of Melbourne to see how we'd go getting 23 to 3cm back to the west. Rob VK3KRD and Neil VK3BCU were at Mt Kororoit (QF22HI) and the path was 134km. Best band was 6cm wit S9+ signals.
The weather was cold and still with no enhancement.

1296.1 VK3JMA VK3FS VK3KRD VK3IE
2403.1 VK3IE VK3TWO VK3HY VK3KRD
3398.1 VKIE VK3BCU VK3HY
5760.1 VK3JMA VK3FS VK3IE VK3KRD
10368.1 VK3JMA VK3FS VK3IE VK3KRD.

We also managed to activate 2 parks on the way - AU-11146 Nyora Railway Station Historic Reserve and AU-7525 Great Southern Rail State Trail on 40m. It was a day of using both ends of the spectrum.

Yesterday , Gavin VK3HY and I activated AU-11146 Nyora Railway Station Historic Reserve and AU-7525 Great Southern Rail ...
08/08/2026

Yesterday , Gavin VK3HY and I activated AU-11146 Nyora Railway Station Historic Reserve and AU-7525 Great Southern Rail State Trail. The rail trail begins at the station platform. AFter lunch we headed up to Mt Strzelecki for an afternoon of microwave.

This touch screen is a new addition to the FT-891 I use for parks. It makes the radio much more user friendly and is mad...
20/07/2026

This touch screen is a new addition to the FT-891 I use for parks. It makes the radio much more user friendly and is made by Chris ZL1CVD. In his latest firmware released today (20/7) he's added a screen called DVS (Digital Voice System) which brings the FT-891's voice recorder and player to fat finger friendly buttons making it super easy to call CQ as well as freeing up a function button on the radio. Now to give it a run in the field...

Great conditions continue this morning in the southern states with a 1040 hpa high now stationary over Victoria.
15/07/2026

Great conditions continue this morning in the southern states with a 1040 hpa high now stationary over Victoria.

Great 2m conditions this morning into VK5 from Mt Martha. VK5RBV and VK5VF both very strong (S6-7) over 700km thanks to ...
14/07/2026

Great 2m conditions this morning into VK5 from Mt Martha. VK5RBV and VK5VF both very strong (S6-7) over 700km thanks to this big high.

It stopped raining long enough yesterday for Marty VK3MRT and I to activate AU-7615 Coolart Historic Area & Wetlands Par...
05/06/2026

It stopped raining long enough yesterday for Marty VK3MRT and I to activate AU-7615 Coolart Historic Area & Wetlands Park and AU-11079 Coolart Historic Reserve which are located near Balnarring on the Mornington Peninsula. These parks are within walking distance of each other. The kit consisted of a FT-891 and a Mad Dog coil on 40m.

Another magnificent day on the Mornington Peninsula. 2 parks… Saint Andrew’s Beach AU-10305 part of the MP national park...
15/05/2026

Another magnificent day on the Mornington Peninsula. 2 parks… Saint Andrew’s Beach AU-10305 part of the MP national park (VKFF-0333) and Fingle Reserve AU-4555 VKFF-4988. 46 in the log for Fingal. Even worked F5PYI on 40m. Tried and failed at Gunnamatta Beach. The noise on 40 was horrendous.

Winter starts on Sunday, so 1 day to go.

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Red Hill South, VIC

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