Cape Town Amateur Radio Club: march

Showing posts with label march. Show all posts

Thursday, 11 April 2024

CTARC Ragchew - March '24

The March 2024 edition of Cape Town Amateur Radio Centre's monthly newsletter "Ragchew" is now published. Grateful thanks to our editor, Charl ZS1ZZ, for another fine edition.

Thank you to those numerous contributors in this edition!

You are also welcome to send Anne ham related things that you would like sent out to members, if appropriate, she will gladly do so for you. To do so, please contact Anne at zs1ct@ctarc.org.za

Download the March 2024 Newsletter as a PDF file [here];

Ragchew is also on our Newsletters Page

Thursday, 30 March 2023

CTARC Ragchew - March '23

The March 2023 edition of Cape Town Amateur Radio Centre's monthly newsletter "Ragchew" is now published. Grateful thanks to our editor, Anne, for another fine edition.

Thank you to those numerous contributors in this edition!

After 10 years of being Ragchew editor Anne has decided to step down and let someone take it over. Until then, every month Anne will be sending out information emails to keep you all updated on Club News.

You are also welcome to send Anne ham related things that you would like sent out to members, if appropriate, she will gladly do so for you. To do so, please contact the Anne at zs1ct@ctarc.org.za

Download the March 2023 Newsletter as a PDF file [he
re];

Ragchew is also on our Newsletters Page

Friday, 4 March 2022

CTARC Ragchew - Mar '22

The March 2022 edition of Cape Town Amateur Radio Centre's bi-monthly newsletter "Ragchew"is now published. Grateful thanks to the editor, Anne, for another fine edition.

Remember please, Anne is always needs articles to publish in Ragchew! This is especially the case during the lock-down. Thank you to those numerous contributors in this edition!

You can advertise ham-related items - for sale, swop or wanted-to-buy - in Ragchew, including colour photos, details and prices. To do so, please contact the editor at zs1ct@ctarc.org.za

Download the March 2022 Newsletter as a PDF file [here];

Ragchew is also on our Newsletters Page

Monday, 7 February 2022

CTARC Forthcoming Mega Flea Market - 5 Mar 2022

Diarise the date NOW.

On Saturday, 5th March 2022, the CTARC will hold its annual Mega Radio Flea-Market and Car Boot Sale. The starting time for buyers and visitors is 12h00 SAST.

The venue, as always, will be the lawn in front of the clubhouse in Rondebosch.

This popular event has grown over the years into the biggest ham radio flea market in the Western Cape, so don't miss it! It's great opportunity to dispose of your surplus equipment, components and , accessories, and to pick up bargains galore.

Where the past two years have put a damper on the event with Covid anxieties and restrictions, we hope, as the situation appears to improve, that this year's flea market will be a good one. Even now, numerous radio amateurs are ransacking their piggy banks and assessing which rigs in their radio shacks must find a new home. And devising creative excuses for their better halves as to why they will have returned home with more items than when they left...

Further details will be announced, but certain requirements hold:

Sellers may set up their wares on their tables / car boots at the clubhouse lawn from 10h00;
A barrier tape cordon will define the selling area. Buyers are requested to wait for the official starting time of 12h00 before they plunge into the fray!...
The event is open to all radio amateurs and interested parties (not just CTARC members) to attend, buy and sell radio-related items;
Sellers must bring their own tables and chairs. The CTARC will use all its tables to display various donated club items for disposal;
All sellers must please pay a modest Seller's Fee to the Committee; Monies collected will go to CTARC club funds to offset expenses;
Parking in the market area in front of the clubhouse is limited to sellers only. There is plenty of other parking available on the tarmac off Laidlaw Lane, to the north-west of the clubhouse (see aerial photo)
Because of Covid precautions, food will not be on sale. Bring and braai your own food, please. Braai fires will be available. Ice-cold liquid refreshments will be on sale at the usual reasonable club prices;
Any and all equipment brought to the flea market and not disposed of must be taken home at the end of the meeting. The clubhouse cannot store any such equipment.

More details will be announced presently via WhatsApp, the Sunday Morning 08h30 bulletins and pn the CTARC Blogspot. We look forward to seeing you there!

Wednesday, 7 April 2021

CTARC Report on Flea Market of 27 March '21

On Saturday, 27 March 2021, the long-awaited ham boot sale / flea market took place at the CTARC Clubhouse.

At first the weather threatened rain, and indeed there was a small shower early on, but it cleared up sufficiently for the flea market to go ahead without further disruption.

Committee members pitched up early to set up the event, barrier-tape the perimeter to ensure compliance with Covid-19 requirements. Other folk started arriving and by 10h30, the official start of the flea market, browsers were champing at the bit.

All people at the meeting had to wear a mask, maintain social distancing and sanitise their hands appropriately. They also were required to sign a Covid declaration form, which process was capably managed by our indispensable club secretary, Anne. She also sold fine embroidered CTARC face masks, setting new standards for sartorial elegance at our club meetings. While we all are getting tired of face masks by now, at least where we do need to wear them we can represent our Club with pride!

We're glad to report that everyone cooperated with the Covid safety requirements, which gives us hope for the possibility of further clubhouse meetings, subject to the official lockdown re-assessments.

In contrast with previous flea markets, catering and liquid refreshments were not provided this year, but members brought their own food and flasks of coffee.

While current circumstances reduced the number of vendors and attendees compared to previous years, the event was most successful. Tony ZS1TK counted fifty-two visitors in all. Around fifteen people were selling items. A number of happy campers walked away with nice bits and pieces, components, rigs and antennas. There were, as always, some great bargains to be had.

At around 14h30 the fleamarket started winding down and was done by about 15h00.

Most grateful thanks to Rob and Anne for managing the event work so well, and to all committee members for their contributions. And to all the buyers and sellers who were there too!

A more comprehensive report (with photos) is included in the April Ragchew here.

Monday, 23 March 2020

CTARC All Club Meetings & Events Cancelled - 23 Mar '20

Dear CTARC Members

Reminder: This Saturday, 28 March, Monthly Meeting Cancelled.

I am sure you will have heard by now either on the Sunday bulletin or on our blog spot that this Saturday's meeting has sadly been cancelled due to concerns over the current Covid-19 virus outbreak.

The Chairman and his Committee have decided that all CTARC events, workshops and meetings will be cancelled; this will include Committee meetings and work parties, until this current crisis is over.

Update: With the recently announced national lock-down from 26 March to 16 April, any club-related activities that would take people out of their homes are restricted anyway.

We wish you all well and please be safe, looking forward to chatting with everybody over the air.

Kind regards & 73

The CTARC Committee

Sunday, 15 March 2020

CTARC Committee Meeting Cancelled - 23 Mar '20

CTARC Committee members please note that the committee meeting scheduled for 19h00 on Monday, 23 March 2020 has now been CANCELLED owing to the Coronavirus situation.

The decisions that need to be made will be done by e-mail & WhatsApp instead.

With apologies for the sudden change in plans, but we live in interesting times...

CTARC Forthcoming March Meeting Postponed - 28 Mar '20

Following a considered decision by the CTARC Committee, the planned members' meeting for Saturday 28 March 2020 at the clubhouse at 14h00 has been POSTPONED. We apologise for the last-minute decision.

It is believed that the rapidly spreading Coronavirus is reaching the stage where it would be too risky for many of our members, many of whom are in the "target zone" age profile, to attend the meeting in the closely-packed clubhouse.

Also, large gatherings are now a potential risk too.

When the meeting does indeed take place, Lem ZS1LEM will do a presentation on Satellites and the equipment radio amateurs use to work them. It promises to be very interesting.

Further details will be published via the usual channels presently.

Tuesday, 10 March 2020

CTARC Ragchew - Mar - April '20

The March / April 2020 edition of the Cape Town Amateur Radio Centre's bi-monthly newsletter "Ragchew" is now published.

This edition is a bumper one, with three separate PDF files:

The CTARC Newsletter "Ragchew", edited by Anne;
A supplement on Operating the Morningstar Remote-Controlled Station, by Tjerk ZS1J, with Alan ZS1LS contributing;
Another supplement on Operating the QO-100 Satellite via the CTARC's Morningstar station, by Tjerk ZS1J, comissioned and mentored by Fred ZS1FZ and Alan ZS1LS, as well!

Very grateful thanks once to our editor, Anne, for all her excellent work in putting together this month's bumper edition, and to all the other contributers.

Remember please, Anne is always on the look-out for articles to publish in Ragchew!

You can advertise ham-related items - for sale, swop or wanted-to-buy - in Ragchew, including colour photos, details and prices. To do so, please contact the editor [here].

Download the March / April 2020 Newsletter PDF file [here];

Download the Operating the Morningstar Remote-Controlled Station PDF file [here];

Download the Operating the QO-100 Satellite PDF file [here]

Ragchew is also on our Newsletters Page