CTARC Report on Flea Market of 7 Mar '15

On Saturday, 7 March 2015, the Cape Town Amateur Radio Centre held its highly popular Annual Flea Market / Car Boot Sale. Sellers and buyers alike were there from early morning, to set up their stands and to get a sneak preview of what junk radio treasures were there for sale and (in some cases) up for grabs.

The sale began in earnest at 11h00 and there was an imperceptible rustling sound as banknotes changed hands, along with a simultaneous relocation of miscellaneous masses of metal, glass, plastic, etc. The discreet thump of car boots closing shortly thereafter signaled the securing of various treasures to be taken home.

Quite a number of hams were present. Some were there to buy and sell stuff, others to look and scratch through boxes with interest. All were there for the good fellowship for which our Club is known.

Catering was, once again, ably managed by Anne and her formidable team of ladies. The braai grids were manned by Tony / ZS1TM and Nick / ZS1ZD. Boerewors rolls, hamburgers and liquid refreshments were on sale to assist with club funds. Mike / ZS1FP kindly brought along his PA System for announcements. Noel / ZS1FW did bring along his massive morse key, but sadly it had a gremlin and so the planned CW competition could not take place. However, Paul / ZS1S set up his solar-powered loop antenna MW receiver, which worked flawlessly.

The event concluded mid-afternoon. A really great time was had by all. Looking forward to next year's event!

Photos of the event are available below:

Batch 1 * Batch 2 * Batch 3

CTARC Pictures of SAAO Meeting 2/2 - 28 Feb '15

Report - Photos Batch One  - Photos Batch Two

After the picnic, at around 19h00 we moved inside into the SAAO lecture theatre and Ruby kindly gave us a talk on the Meerkat and Square Kilometer Array radio astronomy projects. It was very, very interesting. Ruby deftly answred a number of texhnical questions about the project in particular, and radio astronomy in general.

After that talk finished around 19h30, the formal SAAO lecture and slide show took place. Those who wanted to sit in and listen to that could, while others had the chance to see the telescope itself and the adjacent Astronomy Museum.

Above: The talk started with a brief description of the various radioastronomy
projects under the auspices of the National Research Foundation (NRF)

Above: The very erudite and scientifically-supercharged Ruby!

Above: A control panel for an array of dishes, individually switchable (remotely)
as required

Above: Different dish designs in use at Meerkat and the SKA

Above: It may interest you to know that South Africa has its own Moon Mission
programme!

Above: The formal SAAO lecture, "In Search of Binary Central Stars of Planetary
Nebulea" followed Ruby's talk on radio astronomy

Above: A diesel engine used to power the raising floor

Above: A truly magnificent piece of optical equipment.

We discovered that the floor could be raised to meet the telescope's eyepieces!

Above: The hand (below left) gives a sense of scale

Above: In the telescope observation room

Above: The correct "top of the hour" was signaled to the harbourmaster, using this
signal pistol. Mariners could then accurately adjust their chronometers

Above: A very accurate chronometer

Above: A poster showing how accurate time is communicated

Above: Aneroid barometers and weather instruments

Above: Standard measurement bars, thermometers and instruments

A bucket of Leopard Toads, lovingly collected each dusk by a staff member
then released again after the guests have left, so the toads don't get squashed!

CTARC Pictures of SAAO Meeting 1/2 - 28 Feb '15

Report - Photos Batch One - Photos Batch Two

Here are some photos of the CTARC excursion to the SA Astronomical Observatory in Observatory, Cape Town on 28 March 2015. The afternoon started at around 18h00 with a picnic held on the patio outside the SAAO lecture theatre. It was a pleasant, sociable late afternoon before the lectures began at 19h00

Above: Shaun /  ZS1RA and his good lady

Above: Hans / ZS1HA enjoys his pan-galactic pizza!

Above: Matt / ZS1MTF, Rob / ZS1SA, Anne and other friends

Above: The picnic was a most sociable affair, held on the southern patio
outside the SAAO lecture theatre

Above: The Observatory has a number of very interesting-looking buildings,
the function of which is sometime mysterious!

Above: Left to right, Paul / ZS1S. Mike's ladyfriend, Mike / ZS1FP,
Hans-Jurgen / ZS1HJH

Above: Fred / ZS1FK and Rob /  ZS1SA

Above: The late afternoon sets on the nearby River Club's golf course

Above: While the play of sunset on the clouds was impressive, sadly the clouds
prevented us from observing stars or planets later on.

CTARC Annual Flea Market - 7 Mar '15

Don't Miss The CTARC Annual Bumper Flea Market

The date of the Annual Flea Market is easy to remember, always the first Saturday afternoon in March at the CTARC club house, off Laidlaw Lane in Rondebosch. This year it is on March 7 opening at 11h00.

There will be a small charge to sellers this year of R10-00 to help defray our costs but no charge to buyers and browsers. This small fee also allows sellers to park their vehicles on the grassy area directly in front of the club house. As this area is limited in size, buyers and non-sellers will be requested to park in the paved parking area of Laidlaw Lane, which is immediately adjacent to the flea market area.

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

Cold refreshments and boerie rolls and burgers will be available throughout the afternoon.

There is no time like the present to start sorting out the shack and boxing up those unused and surplus items. Bring them along to the CTARC Annual Flea Market and convert them into instant cash. Who knows, you may even find better or more interesting toys at the Flea Market that you can then take home with you and have great fun with. 

Start planning now and look forward to seeing all of those friendly smiles of our fellow Amateurs from around the Cape. See you there on the first of March at 11h00.

Below is a map of the area:

CTARC Report on February Meeting - 28 Feb '15

Report - Photos Batch One  - Photos Batch Two

The CTARC met for an extraordinary external meeting at the South African Astronomical Observatory, in Observatory suburb, on 28 March 2015 at 18h00.

It really was an enjoyable, sociable event. First of all we gathered on the southern side of one of the lecture halls, under a covered awning, to hold a picnic as the sun went down.

The wind, which had started off rather fiercely, was not too much of an issue even though we were outside.

At about 19h00, we cleared the tables and trooped indoors to the lecture theatre. There we were introduced to Ruby, a most knowledgeable lady who gave us a fascinating slide show on the various Radio Astronomy projects - the Meerkat and Square Kilometer Arrays - that are being built (and in some cases, already being used for scientific research) at Carnarvon in the Karoo. We had the opportunity to ask her questions, which were most adequately answered.

At 20h00, the main meeting of the South African Astronomical Association's Cape Town branch took place. Some elected to stay for this interesting meeting. Others were given the chance to take a look at the Observatory's main telescope.

Adjacent to the main telescope chamber is a fascinating museum, full of astronomical equipment, chronometers, models of the large SALT telescope at Sutherland, and other interesting displays. The main telescope is housed in a typically domed observatory building to the East of the main office building. It has a few tricks up it's sleeve! In order to reach the eyepieces of the instrument - a beautiful refractor telescope from the turn of the century - the entire floor in the observatory chamber can be raised up or down!

Sadly, the prevailing cloudy weather prevented us from seeing Saturn as expected, but there will be other opportunities further on. What we did get shown, though, was a bucket full of rare Leopard Toads, who are collected in a bucket each evening (and later released) by a kindly staff member, so that they don't get squashed by visiting vehicles...

The CTARC is hugely grateful to Ruby and the South African Astronomical Observatory for providing us with such an interesting evening.

Photos of this event are found in Batch One and Batch Two.