Wellington VHF Group, Inc: Online.

The results of the NZART Doug Gorman Memorial Frequency Measuring Contest 2011 are presented below. These results are provisional and have been checked carefully but if you think an error has crept in please let NZART HQ know as soon as possible.

This year was a very interesting turnaround from last year with several entries in the Norm Edwards category beating out Ultra entrants with Mike ZL4OL showing how it’s done. The four top scores were all better than the first place result from last year, no doubt a combination of better technique and propagation conditions.

A great contest thanks to everyone for their interest. This was the 59th running of the NZART DGMFM Contest and there were more check-ins with ZL6A after the event than ever. Thanks to ZLs 1AOX, 1AUA, 1VD, 1MR, 1DK, 1IE, 1TBG, 1FAV, 2BFY, 2MUR, 2CMC, and 2TNG for saying hello. I have already received one entry from ZL4OL via NZART HQ email so thanks Mike for being the first in with your results and showing it wasn’t just a North Island showing. I understand that Murray ZL1BPU who had been running some practice sessions. Stay tuned for more next week. John ZL4JY

Doug Gorman Memorial Frequency Measuring Contest Monday POSTPONED John ZL4JY apologises but for reasons beyond his control the contest will be run on Monday 12th September 2011 at 2100 NZST one week later than advertised. See earlier posting for rules.

Monday 12th September 2011 at 2100 NZST (0900 UTC)

My apologies but for reasons beyond my control the contest will be run on Monday 12th September 2011 at 2100 NZST one week later than previously advertised.

For the second year the contest will be a blend the old rules with improvements suggested by contestants. Please read the rules carefully.

Colonial Knob 7075 has become, at least temporarily, the first Amateur Radio P25 digital voice repeater in New Zealand! How has this happened? Read on…

The Colonial Knob repeater at 7075 has undergone a comprehensive upgrade and is now Project P25 capable as a result of the failure of the original repeater equipment. Unfortunately this has happened at the same time that on-going repairs to the power line that feeds the Belmont 710 site has meant that there is only sufficient power to maintain the UHF National System facilities at Belmont.

The provisional results of the NZART Doug Gorman Memorial Frequency Measuring Contest 2010 have been updated today, Thursday 23/9 (see below). The change alters the order of the first three placing of the Norm Edwards section.

The format of the results below are NAME CALL AV Hz SD Hz RESULT:

ULTRA

Wayne ZL2BKC 0.1142 0.077 1st in Ultra and 1st overall - GPSDO
Ian ZL1AOX 0.1524 0.107 2nd in Ultra - GPSDO
Peter ZL4LV 0.1888 0.080 3rd in Ultra - Rubidium

NORM EDWARDS

Brian ZL1IE 0.1343 0.144 1st in Norm Edwards

The Wellington VHF Group is pleased to announce the five frequencies for the NZART Doug Gorman Memorial Frequency Measuring Contest.

Calibration Frequency: 3895.000000 kHz (not part of the contest)

Frequency 1: 3899.942011 kHz
Frequency 2: 3890.100100 kHz
Frequency 3: 3897.099785 kHz
Frequency 4: 3893.599292 kHz
Frequency 5: 3894.351144 kHz

There is still some more work to do before provisional results for competitors can be published. Stay 'tuned'.

John ZL4JY

Expecting to battle atomic powered megacycle measuring maniacs and other assorted time nuts the 58th Doug Gorman Frequency Measuring Contest went to air at 9 pm on Monday evening 6th September 2010. That’s 2100 NSZT, 0900 UTC, 967798815 GPS time which is fifteen seconds ahead of UTC, or UTC plus 34 seconds for TAI* to you and 1283763600 Unix time**. Hey, you need to know these things when measuring frequency to a third of a part per billion. But enough of that already!

The contest is named after the late Doug Gorman MBE ZL2IY who filled various roles for NZART including that of General Secretary and Officer Commanding AREC. This year the Wellington VHF Group Branch 74 offered to take over the contest from long time organizers, Branch 63.

After taking a moment to remember those amateurs and their families in the Canterbury Area affected by the weekend’s earthquake, the contest rules were read out on 3895 kHz in voice before switching to Morse for the remaining formal parts of the contest proper. The rules are published elsewhere on the site and results will appear in the near future.

While contestants had the fun of first finding five frequencies at the top end of the 80 metre band and then measuring them it was the organizer’s job to radiate these frequencies with nothing less than atomic precision! And it turns out that even with today’s modern technology of high performance GPS disciplined frequency standards that's not easy. (More after the jump).

Sunday 1st November 2009

A large gathering of local dignitaries, Branch 46 Members, AREC, Police, SAR volunteers, and other well wishes attended the opening of the newly refurbished and extended Wairarapa Amateur Radio Club Branch 46 Clubrooms at the Hood Aerodrome Masterton. The original building dated from the early 1900’s and first came to be used as Clubrooms in the mid fifties at a site in Railway Road, Masterton. The building was relocated to the present site adjoining Hood in the early seventies. The remodeling has been very extensive; the old building was completely gutted, extended, and new lining put in. The building is now finished in a natural timber exterior cladding. A key feature is a new veranda added to two sides of the building.

The first picture shows the building alongside an enviable array of antennas. The Police SAR 4WD is parked next to a recently refurbished Airways NDB antenna installation now supporting broadband HF antennas. In the background on the tower is a donated tri-band Yagi along with VHF diploes.

The second picture show another view of the building with a visitor inspecting one of two portable SAR repeaters deployed for the occasion. Traditional South Wairarapa hospitality was in full evidence with a wonderful afternoon tea spread and tables groaning with food. Even the Mayor was on hand to greet visitors.

- ZL4JY, Section Leader