Friday 28 February 2020

CTARC HF Assessments

Here's a request from Chris ZS1CDG, who runs the CTARC Radio Amateur Examination classes:

Please remind members to help with the on-air HF assessments.

Tune in to 7.070 MHz on Saturday around 11h30 SAST and listen out for candidates calling CQ. We have a large group. If everyone can help we can make a lot of new amateurs!

Thanks in advance

Chris ZS1CDG
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Note: this event has now taken place.

See some photos of this event [here].

Thursday 27 February 2020

CTARC Ragchew - Feb '20


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

Grateful thanks once again to our editor, Anne, for all her excellent work in putting together this month's edition, and to all those who contributed articles.

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

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

Download the current Newsletter PDF file [here];

Ragchew is also on our Newsletters Page

Monday 24 February 2020

CTARC Forthcoming March Flea Market - 7 Mar '20

Just to give all CTARC members and interested parties a notification of the date of the forthcoming CTARC Annual Flea Market. It is easy to remember, being always the first Saturday in March at the CTARC clubhouse, just off Laidlaw Lane in Rondebosch.

This year it takes place on Saturday, March 7th, 2020.

This announcement is being made early to give sellers time to find, organise and prepare their goods for sale. Remember that the flea market is specifically for electronics- and amateur radio-related equipment, components, antennas and tools.

The CTARC Annual Mega Flea Market, as it is becoming known, has grown into the largest radio amateur-related flea market in the Western Cape of the year. It is an ideal opportunity for sellers to dispose of radio-related equipment surplus to their requirements, and for keen buyers to acquire such equipment, components and items they would like to buy or swop.

There will be a small charge to sellers to help defray our club's costs, but no charge to buyers and browsers to attend.

Sellers are reminded to please bring their own table/s if they do not intend to sell out of their car boot as the CTARC has only a very limited amount of tables available.

All are welcome!

Further details will be announced here on this blogpot, in Ragchew and on our Sunday morning bulletins on 2 metres in due course.
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Note: This event has now taken place. See photos [here].

A scene from a previous CTARC flea market



Sunday 16 February 2020

CTARC Field Day Report - 8 Feb '20

This February’s SARL Field Day was a chance to experiment with members’ radios, antennas and power systems, to see what works and to learn from each other.

Field stations were setup by Lem, ZS1LEM and Matt, ZS1MTF and Chris, ZS1CDG setup a demo of QO-100 as well, although this was not classed as a field station as some elements required AC from the clubhouse.

Lem’s setup was a vertical dipole for 40m HF and he began working a number of stations. Matt brought along ex-miltary B25 and setup a Dipole on 20m.

The bands seemed quiet but Chris, ZS1CDG worked ZS6J after a few calls of CQ on the B25. Both Matt and Lem had good DC power systems, with a number of solar panels providing auxiliary power to the main batteries.

James ZS1RBT, Paul ZS1S, Celso ZS1MYG, Barry ZS1FJ, Elsabe and John ZS1AGH, all popped in to have a look at how we were doing. After we had had our fill of playing radio the braai was lit and we shared a meal and some fun stories around the table.

Chris ZS1CDG


Here below are photos of the Field Day station.

This report and some more photos of the event appears in Ragchew of February 2020.
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Sunday 2 February 2020

CTARC Forthcoming Field Day - 8 Feb '20

 
The next meeting at the CTARC will be an activation of a Field Station on the lawn outside the clubhouse for the SARL Field Day competition, starting at 10h00 on Saturday, 8 February 2020.
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Note: This event has taken place; read the report-back [here].

Saturday 1 February 2020

CTARC No February Meeting - 22 Feb '20

Usually the CTARC Committee holds its monthly member's meeting on the fourth Saturday of the month at 14h00.

However, please take note that there will be NO MONTHLY MEETING at the CTARC clubhouse on Saturday, 22 February 2020.

The reason for this is that date is sandwiched neatly between the SARL National Field Day on Saturday 8 February [where we will operate a field station from outside our clubhouse] and our forthcoming Mega Flea Market on Saturday 7 March 2020.

Please also note there will be no formal CTARC Committee Meeting for February 2020 either.