Broadcast - 1 May 2022
As previously promised, an update on the Wattlewood Equine Endurance Ride. This was an extra ride added to this year’s calendar and contained a 160km event. This event was a pre-requisite for anyone wanting to enter the National “Tom Quilty Gold Cup” to be held in NSW in June. Well, things didn’t quite start out as smoothly as anticipated. The NTARC Safety Communications Team was one person down, this meant the inability to permanently crew one of the checkpoints, all thanks to Covid 19! We arrived Friday to finish setting up and start testing communications to the checkpoints. Even this didn’t go our way as things were delayed because the ride organisers were still deciding on check point locations! There was a new main checkpoint at Skirving Farm at about mid distance of the 45km loop. The main ride organizer drove out to the location with the comms crew closely following behind taking note of landmarks and directions. This was backed up by creating a GPS tracking trail, so hopefully the location could be found later in the evening. Bush tracks have a habit of looking completely different once darkness has fallen, especially when there is no moonlight. The crew managed to find their way back and establish a checkpoint before the 160km riders who started at 03:00 came through. The remainder of the ride events started from noon and were 85, 50 and 25km. The final details of one checkpoint were being decided after the midday riders had started. Peter VK7SP managed to get to the location, setup communications, test and was ready before the first rider came through. Well done Peter. One crew moved four times between check points during the entire event, managing to keep ahead of the riders. Thanks to Peter VK7SP, Roger VK7ARN, Idris VK7ZIR, Andre’ VK7ZAB and Stefan VK7ZSB, our side of the event went off without a hitch.
Looking forward in the year a bit to the 19th of November and the proposed Ham Fest at Miena. In the words of one of the great men of our decade “we need to make it a truly VK7-wide supported and organised event.” It has been a number of years and, not to mention Covid 19, since the last Ham Fest, this could be an excellent coming together of Hams supporting Hams. Remember there is always a good “pre-loved” equipment section, so now is the time to start thinking about a shack “spring clean” and any no longer needed items earmarked for November, so you can make space for more equipment you will purchase at Miena. Let one of the committee know if you would like to sell items, assist or be involved in the event in any way.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Club Tech night – Wednesday 4th May. Held at the NTARC Club rooms, 7.30pm until whenever.
TestNet and TechNet – Wednesday 11th May. TestNet/CW course on 3.580MHz from 7pm till 7.30pm….and a TechNet on 3.567MHz from 7.30pm till about 8.30pm. Your host for the evening will again be Nic VK7WW.
Malcolm White Presentation – 15th June about 20:00 Apart from being a licensed amateur at an early age, and a CW aficionado, the major topic is to be his association with Ray Naughton VK3ATN at the time of Ray’s pioneering Earth Moon Earth (EME) achievements in the 1960s on the 2 metre band.
Coffee Morning – held every Friday in the NTARC Club rooms. Catch up time is from 10am to noon and we look forward to seeing you all there. These coffee events represent a good opportunity to collect your QSL cards. We currently have cards awaiting collection, so why not pop in and check the QSL box and join us for a cuppa and chat.
FINALLY – A reminder to all members that if you have any items of news you would like added to our weekly roundup, no matter how trivial, then please email them to the Secretary at the following address news@ntarc.net all items to be received no later than 5pm on the Friday prior to the Broadcast.
That’s all folks from,
Stefan, VK7ZSB, Secretary NTARC inc.
First 160km rider approaches on a daylight leg.
First 160km junior rider
