CTARC Ragchew - July '25

Please find attached the latest issue of Ragchew.

Once again a fabulous issue from Charl ZS1ZZ ... I think Charl is a magician, it just gets better and better.

The input is fantastic. There is so much information.

Thank you Charl

Enjoy reading it everyone. Do use the flip book, it is a great way to read it too.

See you all at the lighthouse.

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 July 2025 Ragchew as a PDF file [here];

Read the June 2025 Ragchew in Online Flipbook [here];

Ragchew is also on our Newsletters Page

CTARC Ragchew - June '25

Please find attached the latest issue of Ragchew.

Once again a fabulous issue from Charl ZS1ZZ ... it just gets better and better.

Thank you Charl!

Enjoy reading it everyone. The flip book is a great way to read it too.

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 June 2025 Ragchew as a PDF file [here];

Read the June 2025 Ragchew in Online Flipbook [here];

Ragchew is also on our Newsletters Page

CTARC Ragchew - May '25

Please find attached the latest issue of Ragchew.

Once again Charl ZS1ZZ has done a brilliant job bringing us a great newsy info packed issue.

Do enjoy reading it.

Best wishes and keep warm, happy reading.

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 May 2025 Ragchew as a PDF file [here];

Read the May 2025 Ragchew in Online Flipbook [here];

Ragchew is also on our Newsletters Page

CTARC Ragchew - April '25

Here is your April 2025 issue of Ragchew.  Fabulous....Once again Charl thank you so much.

Don't forget you can also use the flipbook format to read this issue. See the link below.

The next CTARC meeting will be on Saturday, 24 May 2025, and details will be sent out by email closer to the time.

Till then, be safe, be warm, it's going to be chilly this weekend, the weatherman says, and enjoy your reading.....

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 April 2025 Ragchew as a PDF file [here];

Read the April 2025 Ragchew in Online Flipbook [here];

Ragchew is also on our Newsletters Page

CTARC Ragchew - June '24

The June 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 June 2024 Newsletter as a PDF file [here];

Ragchew is also on our Newsletters Page

CTARC Ragchew - May '24

The May 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 May 2024 Newsletter as a PDF file [here];

Ragchew is also on our Newsletters Page

CTARC Ragchew - April '24

The April 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 April 2024 Newsletter as a PDF file [here];

Ragchew is also on our Newsletters Page

Monthly Meeting: SKA MeerKAt Telescope

This Saturday, 22 April is the CTARC's Monthly meeting.

'A Brief History of the SKA MeerKAT Telescope, 

the challenges, the solutions, and some of the technical details'. 

CTARC member, Wesley New, ZS1NEW, an electrical engineer, will talk to us on this very interesting topic and we are expecting a full clubhouse for this one.

Wesley is currently working at the facility and has been with them 13 years. This presentation will be extremely interesting.

The meeting will start at 14:00 sharp, so come and get a good seat.

CTARC is on ClubLog - 28 Apr '21

 The Cape Town Amateur Radio Centre has now joined ClubLog!

ClubLog is an online database with a suite of powerful tools supporting active DXers. Once you have registered on ClubLog and uploaded your log, you will be able to: 

• Generate personal reports, showing which DXCC countries you have worked and/or confirmed, when you first worked them, which ones you still need, and which are the most likely to QSL;
   
• See how you stand relative to your peers in various league tables and challenges; analyze your log for possible/likely errors in the DXCC allocations;
  
  
• Predict the bands and times on which you are most likely to work almost any DX station, based on actual QSOs in the logs uploaded to Club Log, and draw great circle maps;
  
  
• Set up a personal DX Cluster feed that filters out the DXCCs you have already worked, leaving just the ones you still need. 

Once you have registered with Clublog, under settings and club you will see CTARC.

Please join our league table to encourage HF activity and promote some healthy competition between our members. Additionally our club group can be ranked amongst other clubs around the world. Chris, ZS1CDG.

Follow the link [here].

CTARC Report on Meeting of 24 April '21

On Saturday, 24 April 2021, some twenty-five CTARC members and friends attended an open-air meeting at the clubhouse in Rondebosch.

The usual Covid-19 safety precautions were in place and everybody cooperated with the face mask and social distancing requirements.

It was a very casual meeting, and Rob ZS1SA gave a short 20 minute report on what is happening behind the scenes at the clubhouse and decisions taken by the Committee. Thereafter we had the opportunity to chew the proverbial rag and socialise together. It was great to see old friends and everyone had a good time. At 14h00 the meeting ended. 

A more complete report, with photos by Tony ZS1TK, is in the 2021 May edition of Ragchew, which you can download [here].

We look forward to our next outdoor meeting at the clubhouse, which will take place 9weather permitting) on Saturday, 22 May 2021.

CTARC Committee Meeting - 19 April '21

CTARC Committee members are reminded of the committee meeting to be held online at 19h00 on Monday, 19 April 2021.

Please do make an effort to attend the online meeting.

(If you can't be there, please remember to send in your reports and apologies to Rob or Anne.). 

CTARC April Meeting - 24 Apr '21

We are looking forward to having a members' meeting at the clubhouse on Saturday, 24th April 2021.

At the forthcoming CTARC committee meeting the 19 April online committee meeting, the possibility and format of this meeting will be discussed. We will announce further details presently.

CTARC Ragchew - April '21

The April 2021 edition of the 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 [here].

Download the April 2021 Newsletter as a PDF file [here];

Ragchew is also on our Newsletters Page

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

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

CTARC Photos of SARL AGM of 13 Apr '19

The SARL recently held their Annual General Meeting and Awards Dinner in Stellenbosch on Saturday, 13 April 2019, following their Technical Conference the day before.

A number of CTARC members attended. Club member Una Karlsen ZS1UNA, who runs Karlsenheim Studios, kindly sent us a link to an album of the photos and videos he took while there.

Also well worth a look, [here]

CTARC Photos of SARL Technical Conference of 12 Apr '19

The SARL recently hosted a very interesting technical conference "Unlocking Amateur Radio Technology" in Stellenbosch on Friday, 12 April 2019.

A number of CTARC members attended. Club member Una Karlsen ZS1UNA, who runs Karlsenheim Studios, kindly sent us a link to an album of photos and videos he took while there.

Well worth a look, [here]

CTARC Ragchew - Apr '19

The April/May 2019 edition of the Cape Town Amateur Radio Centre's bi-monthly newsletter "Ragchew" is now published.

We have a bumper edition - TWO Ragchews this month!

Grateful thanks yet 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! Please e-mail your contributions and swops [here]

Download Part 1 as a PDF file [here]

Download Part 2 as a PDF file [here]

Ragchew is also on our Newsletters Page

CTARC Meeting - 27 Apr '19

Following the Fox Hunt at 11h00, the CTARC's April 2019 monthly meeting will take place at the clubhouse on Saturday 27 April at 14h00. Our speaker will be Rob Mansfield ZS1RDM, who will give a talk on military radios. More than a few of our club members will remember these green rigs well from back in the day...

Rob has much experience in getting these solidly-built radios back into service, and has worked on quite a variety of them. We were treated to a demonstration of some of them back in our January "Show and Tell" meeting.

Come early to secure your seat as this promises to be a most interesting talk.

After the meeting, we will also have our usual bring-and-buy SwopShop where members can buy, sell and swop equipment surplus to their requirements. You might even walk off with a green radio in your pocket! As always, we kindly request that all items brought along to the meeting be removed from the clubhouse afterwards.
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Note: This event has now taken place. A report-back will be published presently.

CTARC Fox Hunt - 27 Apr '19

Following on the success of our previous Fox Hunts, we have decided to hold another one!

The event will take place at the CTARC clubhouse at 11h00 on Saturday 27 April 2019, before the monthly April meeting which takes place at 14h00.

Bring you portable rig and a directional antenna along and test your radio direction-finding skills! Learn about how to find a hidden transmitter from others who have discovered just what fun it is!

Our June meeting will include a Show and Tell session on how to build your own DF antenna.

See you at the clubhouse at 11h00.

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Note: This event has now taken place. A report-back will be published presently.