News 23.06.2019
Listeners are reminded that progress is being made on the VK2EHQ packet BBS. There is too much detail to be included here, but it works as it used to, and in a nod to progress it is also available from the Internet. Members will have received full details via the usual channels. However, Peter is quite sick right now, so the project is on hold until he recovers.
Yesterday’s “Special Solstice Lecture” was on the secrets of SMD soldering, desoldering, and recognition of those tiny devices.
The next General Meeting will be held on Saturday 6th July, and all are invited.
All meetings of the Central Coast Amateur Radio Club are held at the Club rooms in Dandaloo St, Kariong, just past the fire station. Meetings start at 1pm, preceded by the famous sausage sizzle run by master chef Steve VK2SKC from noon, followed by Karen VK2AKB’s home cooking, especially her cakes and pikelets. The Club rooms are accessible by bus, with a stop just opposite Dandaloo St, serviced by the route 34 bus from Gosford railway station every hour (and one can usually obtain a lift back). The Club rooms are usually open from 10.30 am on Saturday, for general chit-chat and access to the Club workshop and library; the Club also conducts Foundation training on an as-required basis, and a new course is coming up soon, depending on the new arrangements with the Australian Maritime College.
The Club relays VK2WI News broadcasts every Sunday morning and evening. Callbacks are taken after the morning news only, on the Somersby 6 and 2m repeaters VK2RAG on 53.725 and 146.725 MHz respectively; please note that both repeaters require the standard sub-audible tone of 91.5 Hz.
The Club also runs a mixed-mode repeater VK2RAG on 439.950 MHz, which is connected to the P25 digital network; a 91.5 Hz tone is required for analogue access, and is highly recommended for receiving. Also, both IRLP and EchoLink will become available soon. Along with these, there is a packet radio BBS on 147.600 MHz, as VK2EHQ; it can also be accessed via the digipeater VK2RAG-1; old-timers will know how to use it.
There is a net held every Thursday on the 2m repeater VK2RAG on 146.725, starting at 8pm; all members are encouraged to join (especially if Club news for the ARNSW broadcast is involved). There is also an experimental HF net on 80m, but it is difficult to find a free frequency so it will be announced on the VHF net. Club news is happily accepted at “publicity@ccarc.org.au”, preferably by 12 noon on Friday. Listeners may “join” the net by email to “netmaster@ccarc.org.au” and their comments will be read out.
The Club also has a Facebook page: just look for “centralcoastarc”, so be sure to “like” it to receive further updates. There is also a Twitter account on @ccarclub , and a YouTube channel of the weekly streaming news via several modes which is proving to be quite popular, especially with Amateurs both interstate and overseas.
Further information about the Central Coast Amateur Radio Club can be found on the web site www.ccarc.org.au.
— Dave VK2KFU, Publicity Officer, Central Coast Amateur Radio Club
