Wellington VHF Group, Inc: Online.

ZL2JOTA & ZL4JOTA. The Group was invited to again contribute to the Jamboree activities of the Paparangi Scout Group during the weekend 17 – 18 October. Led by Mark Foster ZL1VMF, Rob Wallace ZL2WAL, and Tom Clarke ZL2TDD, a JOTA station was set up at the Paparangi Scout hall. A UHF radio was set up and many contacts were made throughout N.Z. via the National System. A VHF radio was used to contact VK, W and other overseas countries via IRLP on the local 730 repeater.

The 2008-2009 period has been a busy time for the Group, and as we approach another Annual General Meeting it is time to review our activities for the past year. Brian Fearnley ZL2BRF was President from November 2008 to April 2009, and then emigrated to Australia. Dick Greenbank ZL2TGQ was subsequently appointed for the period May to October 2009.

Membership The number of financial Members has grown steadily during the year as new people have joined, with now 161 in N.Z. plus 5 overseas, making a total of 166.

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.

Participation and Teamwork

In my last month report I appealed to members to get involved in projects and activities.

I was pleased to host a working bee recently where a team literally got their hands dirty on the Ngaio Reservoir repeater project. This involved stripping down, cleaning, sanding, painting, and finally reassembling a rack cabinet that will house our repeater. (This rack cabinet was donated to us some while ago, and has been in storage).

Here’s a snapshot of the team at work on a sunny Saturday afternoon, l to r, Ross ZL2UAC, David ZL4TAC, Jim ZL1TYF, Henry ZL2TUQ, Peter ZL2VK, and Joanna ZL2TJB.

By the time that you read this, a second team will have carried out some heavy maintenance at the Belmont site, re-running the underground mains, levelling the shack, and fitting the replacement door and frame. I will have further infomation about this in my next column.

Together these two activities have started off our summer season of work at repeater sites. If you want to get involved in the fun, please contact Peter ZL2VK our coordinator.

Training Classes commence

I am pleased to report that radio training classes have commenced, with six teenagers and two adults registered. Thankyou to our keen mentors/tutors for their time and effort with this.

Supporting KiwiSAT and small-signal activities

Last month I reported our plan to manufacture a portable beam antenna suitable for use with KiwiSAT.

Your Committee have agreed to underwrite the cost of development, including tooling and manufacture of components, and I am pleased to announce that John Andrews ZL2HD has taken the lead on this new project. This project will result in the design and production of a kitset, dual-band, crossed yagi, portable antenna. Further details will be reported by the team as work progresses.

Digital ATV

Our strategy document for introducing digital ATV has been published. I wish to record my thanks to Ralph Sanson ZL2TV, and Doug Ingham ZL2TAR, for the effort they have put into this and for their knowledge and experience in one of our more high tech areas of amateur radio.

See the “Brief and Strategy” paper elsewhere in this issue, and please also refer to “Digital Amateur Television Transmission Standards” Q-Bit, July 2009.

Support for IARU activities

Your Committee has approved a subsidy of up to $3000 for our three members of the IARU Liaison Committee to attend the full programme of the 14th IARU Region 3 Triennial conference which is being held in New Zealand this time, at Christchurch on 12-16 October. The subsidy is to cover travel and accommodation expenses for Don Wallace ZL2TLL (NZART ALO), Fred Johnson ZL2AMJ, and David Andrews ZL2SX, who are all members of the IARU Liaison Committee.

In granting this, your Committee recognises the strategic importance of the work of the IARU Region 3 organisation in relationships with the regional telecommunications organisations, and the Intenational Telecommunications Union, and culminating at the World Radiocommunications Conference, WRC-11.

We are reminded just how important this work is in maintaining our spectrum privileges, especially at a time when our own privileges are under direct threat by our N.Z. regulator, MED.

73,
Dick Greenbank ZL2TGQ
President

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.

Group Member to represent N.Z. at International Conference

I am pleased to note that N.Z.A.R.T. Council has chosen to distinguish one of our members to represent N.Z. Amateurs at this international conference. Doug ZL2TAR, long-time member and technical scribe, has been selected as the New Zealand delegate to the Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications (GAREC) Conference 2009, being held in Tokyo 24-25 August.

At their meeting on 11 June 2009 the executive committee of Wellington VHF Group Inc commissioned a strategy for the development of digital ATV for the Group.

The strategy document has now been released. We thank the two authors who have contributed Ralph ZL2TV, and Doug ZL2TAR, for their efforts.

We are arranging to publish this in the next issue of Q-Bit Journal. In the meantime, anyone who wants can obtain a copy in portable document format (PDF) on request from the President. Email zl2wa@clear.net.nz, or use the Automatic Email Form on our website.

The management committee has authorised the Contest Rules to be hosted and maintained on the VHF Group website. The rules can now be found in On The Air, Contests. The current Rules took effect in June 2006.