Wellington VHF Group, Inc: Online.

The following report by ZL2TGQ...

At their Group Meeting held on Thursday 25th March, Members were impressed with the inaugural transmission of digital ATV.

This project has now reached the stage where two sets of transmission equipment have been commissioned, one on 1284 MHz and the other on 430MHz. This result comes from the import of modules from a German supplier and a fair bit of work by, in particular, ZL2TAR, ZL2TVM, ZL2TGQ and with advice from ZL2TIQ.

The 1284 MHz transmitter was used for this test transmission, and had an output level of 5 mW, which was more than adequate for “across-the-room” communication. The signal was received on a commercial digital receiver, with a simple quarter-wave (55mm) whip antenna.

Left: Doug ZL2TAR with 1284 MHZ transmitter modules, Right: Members studying received picture quality.

The equipment was next displayed to over 200 Amateurs at the combined Branch EXPO 2010 held at Lower Hutt on Saturday 27th March. Here, in addition to a local digital receiver close by the transmission equipment, a remote digital receiver was located outside the main hall in the foyer to greet visitors arriving at the EXPO. On this occasion the frequency used was once again 1284 MHz, with the 5 mW power boosted to 300 mW by a linear amplifier constructed by ZL2TAR.

Transmission equipment, 1284 MHz transmitter (L), 430 MHz transmitter (R), with a local digital receiver and display to the right.

Many compliments were expressed, both on the progress of the DATV project, and the quality of the received video.

3 News Reports Daniel ZL1DFA assisting in finding information for those concerns about welfare in Haiti.

Well done Daniel, a simple thing but something that Amateur Radio is good at - and indeed valuable for.

[The following is paraphrased from an email sent to the Committee by Steve ZL2KG]

Congratulations to Mark (ZL1VMF) and Liz Foster, on the arrival of baby Benjamin, 7lbs on 22 December.
Wish you all the best.

ZL2KG

At their on-air meeting on Tuesday 3rd November 2009, NZART Council unanimously decided to appoint David ZL2SX to the position of Chairman, Frequency Management Technical Advisory Group (FMTAG).

We are fortunate that David’s skills and experience will now be available to benefit Amateur Radio at this national level. Congratulations David, from all your many friends in the Group.

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

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.

The President of the N.Z. Institute of Physics has presented Fred ZL2AMJ the Rutherford Trophy for 2008 for his work in developing the Radio Waves in Schools kits.

The Rutherford Trophy was established in 1973 by the Mathematics and Physics section of the Royal Society of N.Z., Christchurch Branch, to "stimulate the development and improvement of simple lecture and laboratory demonstrations". The keynotes are simplicity and "the string and tape approach". The trophy is so named because of Rutherford's emphasis on simple and clear demonstrations.

Well done to Rick, ZL2TVY. You made the front page of the Dominion Post today!. And well deserved too.

There's a second, more detailed article.

de ZL1VMF.