VK6REX - EXMOUTH - 146.250
This repeater went into service 1982-83 on top of "Tower Zero" 
at the VLF site of the Harold E. Holt Naval Communication Station, 
at North West Cape on the far western side of Western Australia.
It became Australia's most famous and highest repeater, 
on a man made structure.
A converted FM828 designed and built by Graham, VK6ZAJ 
was installed on Tower Zero by Ed VK6AJR & Colin VK6ACT.
It was the major link for distant towns of Port Hedland, 
Wickham, Dampier and Karratha.
Communications with Perth was even possible via Coastal Ducting.
Because of it's height, 396m / 1300', 
it covered a large area for mobile stations.
VK6REX had a 6 metre long gain antenna right on top of Tower Zero 
and the repeater itself was about 30 metres from the top.
The antenna was donated by Scalar in Perth.
The power supply was a 110V battery charger which ran 
only when the Towers' navigation lights came on at night.
It was also a requirement of the then D.O.C. that the repeater could be switched off
remotely by a tone since there was only restricted access to the site.
This was done by transmitting a tone.
Unfortunately, Jim, VK6CA, of Carnarvon had the same
pitch in his voice and every time he worked through the repeater, it turned off.

At the time, there were around 30 active amateurs around the North West
and there were repeaters at Port Hedland, Dampier, Wickham, Mt Newman,
there was even one at Cockatoo Island for a while.
The VK6REX project was an attempt to work around the corner and south to Perth and beyond.

There were successful contacts on VK6REX when first installed
with contacts between Broome and Busselton being the best.
On the whole though it was a disaster from start to finish,
it was nigh on impossible to service and maintain, 
due to the restricted access and it was possibly too high for the
coastal duct signals that went underneath the repeater.

VK6REX was taken down in 1991 for maintenance and modification.
The antenna was fried by static discharge (St. Elmo's fire).
At the time of design, no one had any idea of the effects
of a 1 megawatt VLF transmission at the repeater site.

It remained down due to no Military type Amateur to act as Custodian.

Two years later in 1993, a new site was found 25kms south of Exmouth
at the Bureau of Meteorology's Weather Watch Radar Site on Cape Range
in the Cape Range National park.
The site is approximately 325m above sea level.
VK6REX was put into service
in July 1983 by 
Ed VK6AJR and Rex K6ARW.

At this time a 2m J pole was the repeaters' antenna and fed via LDF750 Heliax.

Later that year a new 
6 cavity duplexer, 
modified by Dave VK6DLB was installed.

Ed VK6AJR / WB4GDH/MM
Information and photos from:

Rick Kowalewski VK6XLR
[email protected]

Bureau of Meteorology's
Weather Watch Radar Site
Cape Range

40KM South of Exmouth
Standing on the roof of the Weather Watch building at the base of the mast that supports 
the VK6REX antenna, 

Rick VK6XLR on the left and Rex VK6ARW.
The repeater VK6REX and cavity duplexer,
a converted FM828.
1997 saw a new antenna installed. 

It is a 5/8 over 3/8 collinear ground plane designed by Dave VK6DLB.

The collinear was built and installed by Rick VK6XLR and Rex VK6ARW.
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