Club Activities

Lighthouse qsl
  SECTIONS (Click to select)
     Calendar - events for 2011 and 2012
     Meetings - 3rd Wednesday monthly
     Project Day - 1st Saturday monthly
     Club Auction - July
     Other activities - Mondays & Tuesdays
     Contests - various dates
     International Lighthouse W/E - August
     Amateur Classes & Exams - see calendar
     JOTA/JOTI - Jamboree of the Air - October   
     Outside visits - occasional
     President's Reports - annual

Calendar of Events

This list covers not only our own activities, where outside or portable activities are identified in green, but events of other radio related organisations in red that may be of interest to our members. WARS refers to the Waverley Amateur Radio Society, HRSA to the Historical Radio Society of Australia meetings at Winston Hills and ARNSW to Amateur Radio NSW functions at Dural.

2012 2011
January 2012
7th 13:30 - WARS Project Day
18th 19:30 - WARS Monthly meeting - Presentation by Robert Brand VK2URB "High Altitude Balloon Experiment"
26th 09:00 - Buildathon for your unfinished kits at Rose Bay
29th 10:00 - ARNSW Trash & Treasure, Dural
January 2011
8th 13:30 - WARS Project Day - Note changed date
19th 19:30 - WARS Monthly meeting
26th 08:00 - WARS goes portable in Centennial Park for Australia Day
30th 10:00 - ARNSW Trash & Treasure, Dural
February 2012
4th 13:30 - WARS Project Day
4th 10:00 - HRSA meeting - Winston Hills
6th 19:30 - WARS Committee Meeting
11/12th Foundation Course & Licence Assessments
15th 19:30 - WARS Monthly meeting
26th 08:30 - Wyong Field Day
February 2011
5th 13:30 - WARS Project Day
5th 10:00 - HRSA meeting - Winston Hills
7th 19:00 - WARS Committee Meeting
12/13th Foundation Course & Licence Assessments
16th 19:30 - WARS Monthly meeting
27th 08:30 - Wyong Field Day
March 2012
3rd 13:30 - WARS Project Day
17/18th 12:00 - John Moyle Field Day at Cataract Scout Camp
21st 19:30 - WARS Monthly meeting
25th 10:00 - ARNSW Trash & Treasure, Dural
March 2011
5th 13:30 - WARS Project Day
16th 19:30 - WARS Monthly meeting
19/20th 12:00 - John Moyle Field Day at Cataract Scout Camp, organiser Allan VK2VEC
27th 10:00 - ARNSW Trash & Treasure, Dural
April 2012
2nd 19:30 - WARS Committee Meeting
7th 13:30 - WARS Project Day
7th 10:00 - HRSA meeting - Winston Hills
18th 19:30 - WARS Monthly meeting.
April 2011
2nd 13:30 - WARS Project Day
2nd 10:00 - HRSA meeting - Winston Hills
4th 19:00 - WARS Committee Meeting
20th 19:30 - WARS AGM and presentation "SMD soldering" by Monte Chan, VK2TWO.
May 2012
5th 13:30 - WARS Project Day
5th 20:00 - 80m Trans Tasman Contest
12/13th Foundation Course & Licence Assessments
16th 19:30 - WARS Monthly meeting
25/27th - WIA AGM in Mildura
27th 10:00 - ARNSW Trash & Treasure, Dural
May 2011
7th 13:30 - WARS Project Day
7th 20:00 - 80m Trans Tasman Contest
14/15th Foundation Course & Licence Assessments
18th 19:30 - WARS Monthly meeting
27/28th - WIA AGM in Darwin
29th 10:00 - ARNSW Trash & Treasure, Dural
June 2012
2nd 13:30 - WARS Project Day
2nd 10:30 - HRSA meeting - Winston Hills
4th 19:30 - WARS Committee Meeting
20th 19:30 - WARS Monthly meeting
June 2011
4th 13:30 - WARS Project Day
2nd 10:30 - HRSA meeting - Winston Hills
6th 19:00 - WARS Committee Meeting
15th 19:30 - WARS Monthly meeting - presentation on "Bletchley Park during WWII" by David Searle, VK2DWS
July 2012
7th 08:30 WARS Annual Auction
18th 19:30 - WARS Monthly meeting
29th 10:00 - ARNSW Trash & Treasure, Dural
July 2011
2nd 13:30 - WARS Project Day
9th 08:30 WARS Annual Auction
20th 19:30 - WARS Monthly meeting
31st 10:00 - ARNSW Trash & Treasure, Dural
August 2012
4th 13:30 - WARS Project Day
4th 10:00 - HRSA meeting - Winston Hills
6th 19:30 - WARS Committee Meeting
11th 18:00 - Remembrance Day Contest
15th 19:30 - WARS Monthly meeting
18th - International Lighthouse W/E - Macquarie Light
August 2011
1st 19:00 - WARS Committee Meeting
6th 10:00 - HRSA meeting - Winston Hills
6th 13:30 - WARS Project Day
13th 18:00 - Remembrance Day Contest
17th 19:30 - WARS Monthly meeting - Presentation on "MicroSat" by Tony Monger, VK2KZ
20th - International Lighthouse W/E - Macquarie Light
September 2012
1st 13:30 - WARS Project Day
8/9th Foundation Course & Licence Assessments
19th 19:30 - WARS Monthly meeting
30th 10:00 - ARNSW Trash & Treasure, Dural
September 2011
3rd 13:30 - WARS Project Day
11th Licence Assessments
21st 19:30 - WARS Monthly meeting - Presentation on "Quick PCB Making" by Ben Buxton, VK2XUF
25th 10:00 - ARNSW Trash & Treasure, Dural
October 2012
1st 19:30 - WARS Committee Meeting
6th 10:00 - HRSA meeting - Winston Hills
6th 13:30 - WARS Project Day
17th 19:30 - WARS Monthly meeting
20/21th 16:30 - WARS hosts JOTA

27/28th - Hawkesbury Canoe Classic
October 2011
1st 10:00 - HRSA meeting - Winston Hills
1st 13:30 - WARS Project Day
3rd 19:00 - WARS Committee Meeting
15/16th 16:30 - WARS hosts JOTA
19th 19:30 - WARS Monthly meeting - Presentation on "Picaxe" by Eric van de Weyer, VK2VE
22/23rd - Hawkesbury Canoe Classic
November 2012
3rd 13:30 - WARS Project Day
10/11th Foundation Course & Licence Assessments
21st 19:30 - WARS Monthly meeting
25th 10:00 - ARNSW Trash & Treasure, Dural
November 2011
5th 13:30 - WARS Project Day
12/13th Foundation Course & Licence Assessments
16th 19:30 - WARS Monthly meeting - talk on "Packet Radio" by Raffy, VK2RF.
27th 10:00 - ARNSW Trash & Treasure, Dural
December 2012
1st 13:30 - WARS Project Day
1st 10:30 - HRSA meeting - Winston Hills
3rd 19:30 - WARS Committee Meeting
19th 19:00 - WARS Xmas party
December 2011
3rd 13:30 - WARS Project Day
3rd 10:30 - HRSA meeting - Winston Hills
5th 19:30 - WARS Committee Meeting
21st 19:00 - WARS Xmas party - Daikoku Restaurant, Double Bay


High voltage

Monthly Meetings

Monthly meetings are held at our clubhouse at 7:30 pm on the 3rd Wednesday of every month, though recently the Annual Xmas dinner has taken the place of the December meeting. The AGM is usually part of our April or May meeting.

Details of the topic for the month are shown in the calendar above. A number of us have a meal at the bistro in the adjacent RSL Club before meetings (at about 6pm) where the food is good and reasonably priced.

Our premises are at Rose Bay Scout Hall, Vickery Avenue, Rose Bay. See the interactive map showing our location. A frequent bus service from Edgecliff station to Watson's Bay passes the end of the road - ask the driver to drop you off at the Rose Bay RSL Club.



O1920 radio

Project Days

Project days are held on the afternoon of the first Saturday of every month, starting about 1:30 pm. Call up on the Paddington repeater that day to see what is going on. This is a good occasion to help with clubhouse improvements, operate the club station, get advice on faulty rigs and have a ragchew with other members.

Clubhouse improvements include updating equipment, erecting antennas and generally improving club amenities.



Club Auction

The club holds an annual auction on a Saturday morning early in July to coincide with school holidays with items for sale consisting of useful radio and electronic equipment. For full details of the auction, go to the auction web page and save up your surplus gear to bring along and your spare cash to buy.


Other activities

The club radio net operates every Monday at 8:00 pm on the local Paddington repeater (147.025 MHz+ CTCSS 123 Hz). All welcome to join in.

Most Sundays at 0800 gathering in Centennial Park at the coffee kiosk on Parkes Drive near the Duck Pond - email Brad (vk2lr at vk2bv.org) for details or call on the 2m repeater.

On Tuesdays there is often a working bee at the club during the day from around 10:00-16:00, for details or to check if anyone is there, call on the 2m repeater.


Ops

Contests

For the past few years the club has had increasing involvement in contests. Some of these involve portable operation including the John Moyle Field Day which takes place during the 3rd full weekend in March and recently the Spring VHF/UHF contest. The Lighthouse weekend is not a contest.

Other contests such as the RD Contests in August, are often run from the club station. See our calendar for details of future contests that the club intends to participate in.

For details of particular contests refer to the contest pages on the WIA website.

Contesting at Waverley is co-ordinated by Laurie VK2GZ.

There are photos of previous events in our photo gallery.



International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend

For the past few years the club has taken part in the International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend, which takes place during the 3rd full weekend in August. This is a world-wide event co-inciding with open days for many lighthouses, some with radio amateurs listed on the above site operating portable stations nearby. The club generally operates from the Macquarie Light in Vaucluse and also has operated from the Hornby Light at Sydney Harbour entrance. The Macquarie Light is located on Old South Head Rd opposite the junction with Macquarie Rd. See calendar above for dates. The operation is co-ordinated by Laurie VK2GZ. Visitors are welcome to visit the light and see a ham station in operation.

There are photos of earlier weekends in our photo gallery


Amateur Licence Classes & Exams - Foundation, Standard & Advanced Theory & Regulations

The Foundation licence is a quick way to get on air for those without any previous experience in radio or electronics. The club runs training sessions for this licence quarterly subject to demand. Each session occupies a single weekend and results in successfully assessed attendees being able to apply for their licence immediately. Details of this licence can be found on the WIA web site under "Become a Radio Amateur".

See the calendar above for planned dates. For further details, please email us at "education".

We understand that Ron Bertrand, VK2DQ, the presenter of the Gladesville Video Tape Course and a long-time Amateur Radio Instructor, runs a theory class via his web site. For details of the classes, web page and timing, please contact Ron directly.

All levels of amateur assessment can be arranged with us.


JOTA

JOTA/JOTI - Jamboree of the Air/Internet

Each year on the 3rd full weekend in October, the Scouting movement holds a world-wide "Jamboree of the Air" and "Jamboree of the Internet" where amateur radio clubs provide the facilities for scout and guide groups to get on the air and contact each other.

The Waverley Society is host for scout groups from the surrounding district, with the clubroom usually open from the Saturday afternoon up to midnight. Scouts are given the opportunity to operate our internet and radio equipment to contact other groups and enjoy a variety of activities. Some may stay overnight, sleeping in the Scout Hall.

For further details on the event, which has provided our Society with a number of new members who have gone on to become licensed amateurs, please see the Scout web site for details of this year's event. For a description of an earlier JOTA when the group at Waverley were in contact with the International Space Station click here. Pictures of the 2008 event can be seen in our photo gallery.


MV Cape Don

Outside Visits

From time to time the club arranges visits to places of interest for our members and families, but these may occur at short notice to take advantage when an opportunity arises.

A visit has been made to the MV Cape Don (illustrated), an ex-lighthouse tender being restored in Sydney Harbour by a charitable organisation for humanitarian work. The club has lent the ship a working Marconi Apollo receiver to help restore her radio room to its original 1960s configuration.


Museum card The Kurrajong Radio Museum was another popular destination. This recently opened museum, which has been set up by Ian O'Toole VK2ZIO an enthusiastic collector, contains a huge range of radio exhibits, many of them working. Pictures of these locations can be seen in our photo gallery.

Our members often get togther to visit other events of interest to amateurs. These include the annual Wyong Field Day and visits to other club events such as Historical Radio Society meetings and the ARNSW Trash & Treasure sales.



Presidents Reports

You may view Presidents reports for the following years which give a good idea of the activities undertaken by the society. Note that although the club's year is a calendar year, the Presidents reports cover the 12 months preceding the AGM in April or May. 1996 1998 1999 2000 2001 2005 2006 2007 2008 2010


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Page maintained by Simon Buxton. Created: 19/11/95 Updated: 21/11/11