On Saturday 25 April 2015, The CTARC's members met at the clubhouse at 14h00 for their monthly gathering. In spite of overcast weather as we approach Autumn, the meeting was well attended.
After a welcome and a few administrative announcements by our chairman, Rob /ZS1SA, we were given a most interesting talk and professional PowerPoint presentation by Mike / VK2UCT. He is a consulting engineer on a visit to Cape Town from Sydney, Australia. Mike grew up in Cape Town and worked for the University of Cape Town for a number of years. He was also a member of the Cape Town Amateur Radio Centre, and editor of Ragchew. When in South Africa, he held the call sign ZS1MO and operated the University of Cape Town Amateur Radio Station, ZS1UCT. We're most grateful to Mike for his excellent contribution, and wish him a safe journey back home and good DX when he departs from Cape Town on Tuesday.
After the meeting, the club's members stayed for the usual chat and discussions. We look forward to the next CTARC meeting, which will take place at 14h00 on 23 May 2015 at the usual venue.
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Daver / ZR1FR and Tony / ZS1TM look particularly concerned that the Club's video projector
is about to explode spontaneously! Fortunately, it didn't. |
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Our club chairman, Rob / ZS1SA, reads out some administrative announcements
before the main part of the meeting. |
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Mike is a member of the Wireless Institute of Australia, the main body that represents
the interests of Australian radio amateurs and their individual radio clubs. |
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| Mike /VK2UCT's original shack when he was first starting out in ham radio. |
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| ZS1UCT goes on air! |
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| Mike's shack in Sydney, Australia |
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| Mike's current operating position at his Australian QTH |
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| VK2MB is Mike's radio club in Sydney |
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| The well-equipped operating position at VK2MB |
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| Just as we do in South Africa, the Australian Hams get involved in the annual Lighthouse Weekend activities. |
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Using the CTARC's unique Lecture Pointing Implement (a whip antenna...), Mike indicates
Sydney area's repeaters on a map |
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The above map in more detail. Sydney and surrounding areas
has a sophisticated repeater network. There are around 27 repeaters in the area,
some of which are linked to ECHOLINK. Some are 2-metre repeaters,
some work on 70 cm and there also a number of D-STAR repeaters. |
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Extremes of weather, natural disasters (e.g. droughts, bush fires) and long distances
between remotely located farms in certain cases, have made the development of
efficient emergency communications a necessity. Austrlia's WICEN
is their equivalent of RSA's Hamnet. |
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| WICEN operators in action |
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The sacrifices made by Australian and New Zealand's military forces in the First World War
and in subsequent conflicts are remembered on ANZAC Day, which recently held its
Centenary commemoration. |
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VK2MD also commemorates Marconi Day on 25 April, in celebration of early radio
experiments done between Sydney and the UK in 1918 |
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Mike was also the Edtor of Ragchew when he was active at the CTARC.
Here he holds a couple of editions he produced! |
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| After the meeting we had the usual discussions over coffee and biscuits |
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Paul / ZS1S, shows a slide with the committee members of the CTARC when Mike was
serving on the committee. |
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| Richard / ZS1RIC and Paul / ZS1PXK |
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| Barry / ZS1FJ |
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| Gerald / ZS1GRM and our newest CTARC member, Geoff / ZR1GFT |
