2m Voice (FM) Repeaters

VK3RCA - Located at Torrumbarry Estate between Echuca and Gunbower. VK3RCA is used by WICEN for Southern 80 Ski Race communications in February each year and its general amateur use at this time should be avoided. If you are within range, 146.6MHz should also be avoided. This repeater does not have a great deal of height above ground level as the surrounding terrain is essentially quite flat.

Output Input ERP HASL Site Timer Ident
146.675MHz 146.075MHz 40 Watts 120 Metres Torrumbarry Estate 3.0 Mins Voice

VK3RMK - Located on Mount Kerang, near Wedderburn. The receive antenna is shown in the left thumbnail and the transmit on the right. The antenna on the boom to the left of the transmit antenna is used for APRS. Click the thumbnails for a larger view.

Output Input ERP HASL Site Timer Ident
147.025MHz 147.625MHz 80 Watts 500 Metres Mount Kerang 2.5 Mins Morse

VK3RCV - Located on Mount Alexander. Situated at a high vantage point, VK3RCV provides general coverage of the Bendigo area. Click on the image at the left for a larger view. The repeater antennas are in there somewhere amongst others on the tower in the foreground.

Output Input ERP HASL Site Timer Ident
147.150MHz 147.750MHz 40 Watts 730 Metres Mount Alexander 3.0 Mins Morse
2m Packet Repeaters
VK3RCU - Known as VK3RCU-2 and located on Mount Moliagul. In addition to normal packet traffic, this repeater has a DX Cluster connection.

Output Input ERP HASL Site
144.925MHz 144.925MHz 25 Watts 527 Metres Mount Moliagul
70cm Voice (FM) Repeaters
VK3RBO - Installed on Specimen Hill, Bendigo on June 11th, 2006 to provide coverage for Bendigo proper and IRLP Node 6063.

The repeater also has Echo Link (Node 274610) connection facilities. You can now call out to another echo link node by sending a * (star) and the echolink node number..

Output Input ERP HASL Site Timer Ident
438.025MHz 433.025MHz 150 Watts 335 metres Specimen Hill 3.5 mins Morse

The hosting of the tower, antenna and repeater housing is kindly sponsored by Bendigo Community Telco at http://www.Bendigotelco.com.au.

Information on IRLP and other operational aspects of this repeater can be found at VK3EME IRLP Node 6063 web site.
VK3RCU - Located on Mount Moliagul. This repeater is in line for an upgrade and is destined to be replaced by a repeater similar to VK3RBO.

Output Input ERP HASL Site Timer Ident
438.425MHz 433.425MHz 40 Watts 120 Metres Mount Moliagul 3.0 Mins Morse
ATV Repeater
VK3RBO - Situated on Specimen Hill in Bendigo. The transmitter is running 100 watts vision and about 17 watts audio into an antenna with a gain of 10dBi minus any loss in the waveguide feeder.

More information, and other things, are available from the VK3FCE web site.

A simple way of viewing the signal is with an old Austar 'gridpack' antenna. The 'gridpack' contains a gasfet preamp mixer and down converter all contained in the plastic arm which has to be power fed. The output of this comes out at around 460Mhhz and this can be tuned with a modern television receiver. There is a very strong signal around Bendigo. Graeme, VK3JGL, gets a picture inside his tin shed waving a 'gridpack' around and Graeme, VK3AGS, does likewise in his lounge room.

Output Input ERP HASL Site
2415MHz 1250MHz 100 Watts 335 metres Specimen Hill


Created 2005 by Kevin Crockett. Comments and suggestions may be e-mailed to