CTARC Heard Island DXpedition Departs Cape Town - 10 Mar '16

This afternoon, at around 14h30, the m/v Braveheart departed from the Victoria Basin at the Cape Town Docks. Following extensive preparations and final packing, which had already been completed by this morning, the sturdy vessel loaded its crew and passengers for the 10 day journey through the southern Indian Ocean to Heard Island.

A number of South African radio amateurs, as well as harbour officials. were there to wish them well and see them off. Paul / ZS1S, who is on the CTARC committee, has been heavily involved with assisting the team with their preparations. He will now be able to heave a sigh of relief as his duties there (other than working VK0EK, of course) are now complete.

The team have erected a Hustler 4BTV multiband vertical antenna on the vessel, and we expect to hear and hopefully work them as they proceed to Heard Island. The DXpedtition team face a bumpy journey across the ocean, followed by the interesting task of transferring tons of equipment and antennae by inflatable boats from the Braveheart across to the island when they arrive. Followed by the DXpedition itself, removing everything they brought with them back to the Braveheart , and the remainder trip across to Australia thereafter.

Follow the DXpedition's progress and get the latest news from their website: vk0ek.org.

Photos by Nick / ZS1ZD

Bob / KK6EK

Paul /  ZS1S makes his farewells to the team

The m/v Braveheart - loaded, provisioned and ready to go. It was formerly a Japanese research vessel

The team pose for a group photo just before departure

CTARC Fleamarket Post-Script - 7 Mar '16

At the recent CTARC March flea market, somebody purchased a Curtiss 8044 series Morse Keyer IC from Mike / ZS1PE, whose photo appears below. Unfortunately, the purchaser forgot to take the documentation for the item, so we include both sides of the info sheet below for his (and others') convenience: (Documentation is copyright of Curtis Electro Devices, Mountain View, CA, USA.)

Above: Mike / ZS1PE, and his car boot stall at the flea market.

CTARC Report Back on 5 March Flea Market 4/4

More photos are in Batch 1, Batch 2 and Batch 3

Some very solid green radios of a bygone era were on offer

Some homebrew test equipment...

ZS1AG and his good lady displayed their wares on their car bonnet

Two standard dachshunds (both very well-behaved) caused the dog-deprived
among us to feel huge envy...

ZS1OSK, ZS1GRM and ZS1FP

Andre / ZS1AN, Mariska (who kindly drew the raffle tickets) and Dirk / ZS1VDP

The weather cleared up later on in the afternoon

Danny / ZS1BL and Rob /  ZS1SA organised the three Raffle draws.
Mariska selected three numbers at random for the winning tickets

This and the following photo by kind courtesy of Mike / ZS1FP

While ham car boot sales offer a bewildering variety of items for sale, swop
or display, few can boast the presence of a woolly mammoth!
This one pitched up unannounced... Can winter be far off?

Back to Batch 1 of the photos

CTARC Report Back on 5 March Flea Market 3/4

More photos are at Batch 1, Batch 2 and Batch 4

Ham flea markets are definitely occasions for the whole family!

More boxes of interesting stuff!

Tony / ZS1TK acquired this magnificent Heathkit linear amplifier and PSU.
No wonder he looks pleased !

The polite enquiry, the discreet negotiation, the nod of confirmation, the soft rustle of
folding stuff, and another rig will very shortly disappear into the new owners car boot

For those fatigued with the strenuous pace of swopping Stuff
(and for those who's stations are now perfect and complete)
there was the option to sit and chew the rag with other hams.

Left to right: Dirkie / ZS1X, Avron / ZS1LA, Andrew / ZS1SBM and Dave / ZS1DFR

Miscellaneous mystery boxes for sale

ZS1PT (in red cap) had an assortment of interesting VHF antennae for sale

"Let good digestion wait upon appetite!" The hamburgers were a hit with all who attended

ZS1CM, ZS1MF and ZS1HA in conference

Cables, tables, antennas and lables !

Some test equipment, a decade switching box, a signal generator, a frequency counter,
a large coax balun. Of these things is excitement made...

On to Batch 4 of the photos

CTARC Report Back on 5 March Flea Market 2/4

More photos are in Batch 1, Batch 3 and Batch 4

Gerald / ZS1GRM unpacks his wares

Tom / ZS1AFS and Sue / ZS1AFR had a variety of items for sale

Pierre / ZU1DX brought along a whole trailer-full of stuff

Hylton / ZR1HPC and Michael /  ZS1PE

Boxes of power supplies, bits of power supplies, PSU components, transformers, etc

Karl / ZS1KC's table of interesting items

Dennis / ZS1AU and Noel / ZS1FW. Richard / ZS1RIC balances on ZS1AU's hand.

If you look carefully just to the right of Raoul /  ZS1C (on right), you may notice
a matched pair of two homebrew 23 cm rigs that later on went for a song!

From a certain perspective, big boxes of technology may look daunting. However,
continued exposure to radios and electronics brings familiarity, and thereby
are the seeds of Amateur Radio fruitfully sown. Start 'em young!

Great interest was shown by the visitors to the items on display, be they on tables,
in car boots or in crates on the ground

ZS1TM (on right) was generously allowed to peruse the wares on offer
once the burgers had all been cooked!

ZS1WHL looking very proprietorial. And well he might -  the goods on that particular
table are of the highest quality indeed.

 Wolfgang / ZS1WHL, Hans-Jurgen / ZS1HJH, Tom / ZS1AFS and Danny / ZS1BL
"See - it's actually very simple... You turn it through 180 degrees, press it in and then
pull it out, twisting it backwards gently while simultaneously engaging the
Chuffer Sprocket - and Bob's your uncle!!"

On to Batch 3 of photos