Wellington VHF Group, Inc: Online.

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

The AREC AGM was held in conjunction with the Wellington VHF Group's AGM on Thursday 29 October. After the minutes of the last AGM were read and confirmed, the Section Leader presented his report. Particular thanks were recorded for Rick ZL2TVY and John ZL2HD. Thanks were also extended to neighbouring sections or their assistance and cooperation. There was only a single nomination for Section Leader and John ZL4JY was appointed for another year. Deputy Section Leaders will be Rick ZL2TVY and John ZL2HD.

More than 70 people gave more than 3,000 hours to this successful and enjoyable SAREX. About half the effort was in field team work with the balance in the initial track laying, AREC, Incident Management Team (IMT), and planning.

Operating from the Kapiti Coast District Council purpose built Civil Defence and Emergency Management Centre in Paraparaumu the event was to provide training for Land SAR Wellington for both field teams and the headquarters’ IMT. For field teams the skills to be exercised included tracking and clue awareness, processing, search methods, navigation, and radio communications. For the IMT team we wanted to practice the setting up and operation of the computer and communication systems, IMAN, TUMONZ, downloading GPS and giving exposure of some IMT tasks to members new to IMT.

The SAREX kicked off on Friday with Kapiti Branch Section leader Len Blackley ZL2GO heading out to install an ESB band portable repeater. Operations on VHF used the KCDC ESB fixed repeater and the portable repeater. HF was also deployed to give teams practice with the Polsar radio. AREC messaging logging and dispatch was maintained using IMAN connected to the main IMT area over the LAN.

John ZL2HD operating under the watchful eye of Kapiti Section Leader Len Blackley ZL2GO

Being held in conjunction with Kapiti Branch 69 AREC. The SAREX location will be the Tararua State Forest Park, Reikorangi, Waikanae. The SAR HQ will be at the Kapiti Coast District Council Emergency Management Centre, Fytfield Place, Paraparaumu. We'll be using HF and VHF radio communications working with teams in the field who will be practicing communications, off track navigation, GPS usage, SAR team leadership and team work, SAR procedures, first aid, and day and night search methods.

Location: Otari School and neighbourhood (no parking in school)
Time: 1800 to 2100

AREC will be providing comms for this exercise which will be similar to the Navigation and Radio SAREX held 6 June (see below) but on a smaller scale. This time the training is firmly focused on suburban search. Contact John Yaldwyn ZL4JY if interested in helping with comms for this event (limited numbers required).

Operating from the Te Marae o Tane Information Centre at the Otari-Wilton’s Bush Reserve this evening event provided training for Land SAR Wellington in navigation and communications. The venue was kindly made available by the Wellington City Council.

The SAREX kicked off at 1700 with John ZL4JY, Dick ZL2TGQ, and John ZL2HD on site. Operations on VHF used the Wrights Hill EE band LandSAR repeater maintained by AREC and a Police ESB band portable repeater deployed on nearby Tinakori Hill. Two Icom F110s were used at base. HF was also established to give the teams HF practice with an Icom F7000 and autotune antenna setup for 5680 kHz. Event logging was maintained by AREC using IMAN.

Event Manager Rowena Johnstone talking to a team on VHF.

IMAN is the incident management software that LandSAR Wellington uses for search operations. It is the alternative to paper based systems and works on both stand alone and networked computers.

There will be a Branch 74 AREC Section meeting to be held at the special interest group meeting slot on Thursday 4th October at the Tawa Community Centre commencing at 7.30pm. All members are welcome. The topic of the meeting in an update on AREC matters and discussion of a development programme for the Group's AREC section.

- ZL4JY, Section Leader

The Annual General Meeting of New Zealand Land Search and Rescue Incorporated was held in Wellington on Saturday 29th September. The Minister of Police, Hon Annette King, opened meeting with Deputy Commissioner, Rob Pope, representing the Police.

Attending for AREC were Jeff Sayer, ZL4JS, AREC National Director and John Yaldwyn, ZL4JY, AREC Area 2 Manager.

A family tramping party headed in the Tauherenikau intending to stay overnight at either Cone or Tutuwai, to return Tuesday afternoon. After failing to return by next day and with a significant spike in the river flow the Westpac helo was tasked with one Police SAR Squad observer to search the area. The missing party were located just as the Westpac lifted off from Camp Kaitoke. With the Mt Climie SAR repeater temporarily off the air I sought permission from DoC to use their Cone ESB repeater as an alternative channel and made arrangements for programming SAR radios.