SATANG BESAR ISLAND 2019 DX-PEDITION

Event: Satang Besar Island Dxpedition 2019 by ARCS

Date: 27th -28th July 2019

Station Involve:

1. 9M8DEN (Station Master)

 2. 9M8ADX (Techinical Director)

3. 9W8ZZK (Lead Dxers)                           

4. 9W8CH (Dxers)

5. 9W8MAD (Dxers)                           

6. 9W8GEO (Dxers)                           

7. 9W8VYY (Dxers)                           

8. Tan Yee Wen (SWL)- helper                           

9. 9M8WAT -helper                           

                           

This year is the fifth year ARCS doing the dx-pedition to Satang Besar Island (OC-165) since 2011. For this time the propagation is up and down. The window only slightly open for 40m band. For 12hrs operation we manage to get 27 station and mostly in 40m band. The weather is fine from early 27th till midnight and follow with heavy downpour.

Our setup for the station is hex beam (10m,15m and 20m) and end feed antenna (10m-80m).

The rig, we're using Icom- 7300 and Icom - 718.

Photo's of Satang Besar 2019 DX-pedition

61st WORLD SCOUTS JOTA 2018

ARCS assist Padawan Scouts District to participate in 61st World Scouts JOTA (Jamboree On The Air)
Date                  : 19th-21st  October 2018
Venue                : Kg Gayu Primary School
Station Involve : 9W8CH,9W8JIP,9W8GAD,9W8HKL,9W8JAM,

JOTA Station Info:
Callsign              : 9M4CPW
Station Master    : 9M8WAT (Aldrin)
Station Manager : 9W8ALI(Mohd. Halmaiza)
Participant           : 120 scouters 
Station activity     : HF, VHF, Fox Hunt, Semaphore, Morse code

For JOTA this year, ARCS assist 9M4CPW (Padawan JOTA station) to handle an activity like HF, and Fox Hunt. The scouters fell very excited to participate in all activity seems this is the first time JOTA being held at Padawan District. 
The propagation for HF was not very supportive and only few minutes before heavy downpour the station manage to do some QSO's to other JOTA station from Sabah and Penisular Malaysia. 
Activity like Fox hunt, Morse code, VHF and semaphore can continue as if can do locally. 
This is the 9th year ARCS assist JOTA station in various venue for the last 9 year in Sarawak, and will keep assist for any JOTA station that request club to assist. ARCS President (9W8CH) express his happiness as club can contribute a small part to succeed such event like JOTA, he also hope in time to come, more members will assist this such activity and explore what amateur radio can do.

Fox Hunt preparation by 9W8GAD & 9W8HKL

9W8JAM & 9W8GAD briefing participants how to find the beacon

At last, they found it after an hour looking for it.

 

Decoded message at beacon, one of the task to complete the challenge

 

Fox hunt in action, just before heavy downpour

HF station, manage to get few JOTA station

One of scout tried communication on at HF station. It was the first time ever.

  

9W8JIP, looking for any station, QRG keep busy with a lot of JOTA station

Lunch time

Semaphore station

Morse code station, handle by Scout Leader

Tent collapse after heavy downpour

VHF station, scouters try to pass a message using international phonetic

Taking a rest

Boy scout receive a message in phonetic and decode it to real message, to complete the task

Camp site during night time

Padawan Scouts District wish thankful to ARCS for assistance them to run a JOTA station and hope will help them in few years to come. 

ARCS trip to Telok Melano, Sarawak.

Date: 17th September 2018
Station involve: 9W8CH ,9W8PTS, 9W8JJJ, 9W8MED, 9W8JAM, 9W8GAD, 9W8JIP, 9W8LIM, 9W8TIM,9W8LWM, 9W8ECO,9M8WAT

ARCS short trip this time went  to Telok Melano Village in Sematan District. The location not far from Tanjong Datu, the farthest west point of Sarawak land. The group was gathered at Moyan Square before going up to Bau Town, then meet up with our guide for the trip (9W8GAD & 9W8JAM). The journey took 2 hours and 180km distance. All the way, all station tried do simplex from time to time, because distance among vehicle, the respond was very good.

From SematanTown, the distance to Telok Melano was 25km, the road still 30% under construction and mostly already been asphalt. All station really enjoy the trip and rag chew in frequency.

The main purpose of this activity is to gathered few station and meet new club member. During at Telok Melano, we set up a HF station for test 9W8CH homebrew  wyre dipole 40m antenna. Running with 'barefoot' , he manage to contact one station from 9M2 land (cannot remember the call sign) with report 3/3. 9W8JIP, manage to contact with YB7IJM from Kalimantan Selatan with report 5/9, +10bd. 

Set up station only takes 30 minutes with few station working together and know their role when to set up, this also one of indirectly emergency exercise from time to time. By 1330hrs, we're packing up all the station and move to Sematan to have a late lunch.

During journey back to Sematan Town, 9W8JJJ jalopy had a problem with the fuel station, and luckly 9W8JAM already stnby all the way if any jalopy had a problem along the journey. 9W8JJJ jalopy can driven all the way back home without any arise problem along the way . The group separate, after the lunch and going back to Kuching city with small group of vehicle. 

The one day trip was very interesting for those who first time to Telok Melano, this is because the road just open to user from mid of this year. The scenery by the beach was awesome and we cannot wait till sunset. The village had provided a home stay for visitor who want to stay overnight.

9W8JAM & 9W8PTS , once arrive at the beach

Resting before set up a HF station

Setting up wire dipole antenna (40m wire antenna)

As always, 9W8GAD, our strong man when come to setting up antenna. Thank's GAD

9W8JIP, 9W8CH & 9W8MED.

9M8WAT tunning the antenna using LDG auto tunner. get 1:1 SWR

9W8CH under a very hot & shinning sun that day

9W8MED secure the portable pole. Very easy to set up 

9W8CH, trying to make some contact

Few kilometers of the road still under construction 

9W8JJJ jalopy, had a problem on the way back, thank's to 9W8JAM and group to make a short repair. Not a major problem

Crossing Samusam river

ARCS committee wish thank you to member club who join this program. We hope in future, will be more member club this kind program.We hope in future ARCS committee will organize a big convoy to others part of state in way to introduce this hobby to public 

LAYAR CYCLING CARNIVAL 2018

Date: 30th August - 2nd September 2018

Venue: Betong Division

Stations Involved : 9W8CH ,9W8KIF, 9W8JJJ, 9W8ROT, 9W8MAD, 9W8STK, 9W8LTZ, 9W8SIM, 9W8JSJ, 9W8GAD,  9W8JIP,  9W8LTC,  9W8CTT, 9W8JAM, 9M8WAT, 9W8MED, 9W8PTS

This is the second year that ARCS is involved with Layar Cycling Carnival. ARCS provided communication support for this cross country cycling event of approximately 100km. After setting up our temporary repeater for the event, all stations carried out signal checks along the cycling route. The terrain was challenging with many hills and valleys making signal coverage challenging. After some adjustments to the repeater position and identification of locations that could reach the repeater, we appointed one station to stay as a relay & report station during event. With 15 stations involved, we manage to cover the entire area and assisted the organizers along the race. This event also trained amateur stations how to handle big events and any emergency situations in future.

Set up a temporary repeater lead by 9W8CH, assisted by 9W8PTS, 9W8KIF, 9M8WAT. Location, highest ground not far from the cycling route
 

Time to setup, less than 30 minutes

Repeater antenna (F23H) on pole height 34 feet

Stations drive off from Kuching, 250km from the event location

Happy faces and ready to serve (Thank's 9W8JJJ, for photo)

ARCS mastermind for the event (9W8KIF)

Briefing session and distribute station to the location and mobile station 

The most important moment, refill energy after run a signal test for three times , the day before event. Thank's to the Gengsurai long house

Before start the event.....ready to serve

At start & finishing line

9W8JIP with his slim jim homebrew antenna, 5,9 all the way

9W8JJJ, also with homebrew slim jim at his mobile station. middle in the jungle

9W8JAM, with his mobile station, at Sg. Langgit junction. 150m ASL

Podium team after 2 hours cycle through hilly terrain

Pit stop at 9W8JAM point

ARCS strong man , 9W8GAD, after disassembling the repeater 

Happy faces after duty, 9W8GAD,9W8ROT,9W8CTT, James

9W8KIF with event organizer

see you in 2019....73....

  ARCS committee wish thank's to all station that involve in this event ,especially to YB Gerald Rentap Jabu and Tuai Rumah Gensurai for provide us place to stay and meal along the event . We hope in years to come, there will be many more stations that will join for such activities. This activity, will train amateur station indirectly how to coordinate in many situation. Feedback from organizers - they really appreciated what ARCS had done during the event, and hope will assist again in years to come.

FRIENDSHIP THROUGH AIRWAVE