CTARC Meeting - 25 May '19

Our forthcoming May monthly meeting takes place at 14h00 [promptly!] at the CTARC clubhouse on Saturday, 25 May 2019.

Barry ZS1FJ, who has participated in many DX-peditions in his long and interesting amateur radio career, will show us a video on the Scarborough Reef DX-pedition of 2007. It promises to be a most interesting show.

We will also have the usual bring-and-buy SwopShop after the meeting.

Further details of this forthcoming meeting will be announced on the CTARC blogspot, in our Ragchew Newsletter, and on our Sunday morning bulletins at 08h30 on the 145.750 Mhz repeater.

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

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 Report-Back on October Meeting - 27 Oct '18

The CTARC October 2018 meeting commenced promptly at the clubhouse on Saturday 27 October 2018. Standing in for our club chairman who couldn't attend that day, the meeting was opened by Noel ZS1FW.

At this meeting members were shown the official VK0EK Heard Island Dx-pedition video, by kind courtesy of Paul ZS1S.

After the meeting, members had the opportunity for eyeball QSO's over a cup of coffee and a biscuit or two.

Thanks to Paul ZS1S for showing the video, and to all who attended.

Our next club meeting of the CTARC, and the final one for 2018 will be the End-of-Year function held at the end of November. More details to follow.

Paul ZS1S introduces the video

Afterwards, chairs are packed away, the coffee urn is switched on...

Dennis ZS1AU, Fred ZS1FZ, Celso ZS1MYG and Deon ZR1DE

CTARC Forthcoming October Meeting - 27 Oct '18

The CTARC will hold it's next monthly meeting on Saturday 27 October 2018 at 14h00 at the usual clubhouse venue in Rondebosch.

At this meeting, the main topic will be presentation of the official video of the VK0EK Heard Island DxPedition put together by Bob Allphin, K4UEE,  Bob Schmieder KK6EK  and hosted by Paul, ZS1S

The VKOEK team assemble on the bridge
just prior to their departure from Cape Town

Members will recall that the DxPedition assembled at Cape Town harbour before setting off on their epic adventure in March of 2016. Many of you met the Heard Island Group when they were here in Cape Town and this is the video of the entire trip.

 It promises to be a good video and, who knows, some of our CTARC members may see themselves immortalised in deathless video! Certainly, the CTARC and a good number of local hams were there to assist, helping to establish Cape Town as a very useful staging post for future DxPeditions.

Do go along early to get your seat.

Don't forget the usual bring-'n-buy Swop Shop of amateur radio gear that takes place after the meeting.
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Note: This event has now taken place.

CTARC International Lighthouse Weekend Video - 20 Aug '17

Chris / ZS1CDG has kindly shot a video of the International Lighthouse / Lightship Weekend event held recently by the Cape Town Amateur Radio Centre at the Green Point Lighthouse.

See it on YouTube [here].

CTARC Work Party Video - 29 Jul '17

On Saturday 29 July 2017, CTARC members met at the clubhouse to do some urgent repair and maintenance work on the clubs antennas.

More details will be added presently.

In the mean time, Chris / ZS1CDG shot a video of the work being done. Thanks so much, Chris!

The video is [here].

CTARC Report-Back on Work Party 1/2 - 26 Mar '17

On 25 March 2017 at 09h00, club members met at the clubhouse for an Antenna Work Party, under the direction of Noel, ZS1FW.

About 17 people attended, Rob /ZS1SA, Noel / ZS1FW, Barry / ZS1FJ, Fritz / ZS1FZ, Danny / ZS1BL, Paul / ZS1S, Pieter / ZS1PGC, Hans-Jurgen / ZS1HJH, Wolfgang / ZR1WLH, Chris / ZS1CDG, Lem / ZS1LEM, Mike / ZS1PE, Elsabe & John / ZS1AGH, Skippy & his buddy, and Nick / ZS1ZD. Thanks to all who contributed to make the work party a successful one.

We took down the main Cushcraft Tribander beam, which had been giving poor SWR readings and was clearly in need of attention. Due diligence was applied to the 10m traps. SWR measurements were made, adjustments made to the elements, measurements re-taken, further adjustments made to tune up the antenna. On raising the beam again that afternoon, we got significant improvements in the SWR readings, especially in 10, 15 and 20 m bands. (SWR of 1.06 : 1 on 15m) We’re very grateful to Pieter / ZS1PGC and Paul / ZS1S, for taking readings with their broadband antenna analysers. Also to Hans-Jurgen / ZS1HJH for bringing his network analyser along too.

Simultaneously, Noel, Chris and Lem tackled the Force 12 antenna which had been under-performing since the Lighthouse Weekend. Its individual elements were diligently re-measured cleaned and re-assembled and re-riveted. We hope to see a similar improvement in that antenna’s performance in due course.

Skippy and Nick tackled the longwire antenna which had become entangled in trees and infrastructure.

Hans Jurgen and Wolfgang started assembling  the MFJ vertical multiband antenna, which has been kindly donated to the club. It will, in due course, provide backup coverage of the HF bands. The feedline for this antenna was also routed into the clubhouse. We will hold a further mini-work party to erect this vertical once it has been fully assembled and tested, Our club will be on the air shortly.
   
It was really great to see new club members pitching in and helping the old timers with the work. Thanks also to Elsabe and John/ ZS1AGH, who very kindly brought along a scrumptious platter of gingerbread to sustain the workers.

We finished work at around 14h30 after a most productive day.

Chris / ZS1CDG has produced this fine video of the event on YouTube [here].

Photos are [here].

CTARC Report-Back on 4 March '17 Fleamarket 5 of 5

Chris / ZS1CDG shot a great video of the CTARC Fleamarket on Saturday.

Look at it on YouTube [here].

CTARC Lighthouse Weekend Video - 20 Aug '16

Matt / ZS1MTF shot a time-lapse video of the CTARC members assembling their rotatable beam antenna at the International Lighthouse / Lightship Weekend on 20 / 21 August 2016.

Watch the video on YouTube [here].

CTARC Forthcoming October Meeting - 24 Oct '15

The October meeting of the Cape Town Amateur Radio Centre will be held on Saturday 24 October at 14h00 at the clubhouse.

At the meeting, a video will be screened of a DX-pedition to Chatham Island that happened in 2014, runing the callsign ZL7AAA. This interesting video, which also gives some interesting insights into life on remote Chatham Island, comes to us by kind assistance of Barry / ZS1FJ (who took part in the DX-Pedition, where they flew in by light aircraft from Auckland in New Zealand) via Paul / ZS1S.

Further details will be announced presently here and on the Sunday morning CTARC bulletins.