Category: Meetings

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Learning morse code in 2024

Eben ZL2EF provided an insightful introduction to morse code at our June 2024 regular meeting. He gave us t he history of morse code (known in amateur radio circles as “CW” or “Continuous Wave”), and pointers on how to learn the code – both for speed and for real world amateur communications. He also demonstrated his QRP CW transceiver and a range of different types of keys. Thanks also to George ZL2AG for bringing along his collection of “bugs” (mechanical automated keys).

Some key websites he referenced:

https://lcwo.net

https://morsecode.ninja/ (Kurt Zoglemann)

https://cwops.org/cw-academy/ (CW Ops Academy)

https://morsecode.world/

https://longislandcwclub.org/ (Long Island CW club)

http://www.k1usn.com/sst.html (Slow Speed “Contest”)

https://www.skccgroup.com

http://www.reversebeacon.net

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CW Presentation from Eben ZL2EF - 18 June 2024

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Blackwood Cup Winner for 2023

Since 1930, the Blackwood Cup has been awarded by the Wellington Amateur Radio Club to a deserving member. In recent years, the cup has been awarded to the winner of a competition for homebrew equipment. This year’s Blackwood Cup run-off was held at The Collective Hub in Johnsonville from 1pm – 3pm on 1 October 2023.

Four members (Daniel ZL2DTL, Eben ZL2EF, James ZL4JOCO and David Marshall) brought along a presentation on their homebrew construction project(s) to have a go at winning the Blackwood Cup. Note that an entry can be a presentation on any electronic or radio related project completed over the last 12 months. Voting was by secret ballot of all club members attending the meeting. The voting was very close, but Eben ZL2EF won the day with his presentation on the construction of two VHF/UHF yagi antennas for different purposes. Eben’s presentation went into some of the theory behind spacing and number of elements. One of his antennas had no reflector.

George ZL2AG was the 2022 holder of the cup.