Branch 50 (Wellington) NZART – Known as the Wellington Amateur Radio Club
Out came the steaks, chops, chicken kebabs, salads, and cake at the annual summer BBQ at the QTH of club chairman, Mike ZL1AXG, on 20 January 2016. Attendance was similar to previous years, but several XYLs came along for the first time.
Please note that the February and March meetings are on the 3rd Tuesday, NOT on the Wednesday as per usual.
A total of 23 people were paid up to attend the 2015 Christmas Dinner (including a number of XYLs) held on Wednesday 9 December at the Evans Bay Yacht Club. Four people were, in the event, unable to attend, but those who turned up had an enjoyable time of socialising and feasting on the traditional “ham” main course and wonderful cream puffs for dessert. Mike ZL1AXG welcomed everybody and gave a few updates. He provided a “soft” sell on the mesh kitset (including cabling, Wifi Access point and phones) available for purchase through John ZL2HD and himself! John suggested that we shouldn’t make Christmas too commercial, so no profits are being made – just a small contribution from every sale goes to mesh infrastructure around the region.
Ralph Sutton ZL2AOH, our oldest member, mentioned during his talk on CW and FISTS at the November 2015 branch meeting that he conducted regular skeds with three hams, the Three Morseketeers! (Mack JE1CLH, David G3KMG and Jonathan W0XO/7J1AWL.).
In 2009, all three of them happened to be in Mack’s shack in Kimitsu, a city just across Tokyo Bay from Yokohama. Jonathan recorded their QSO with Ralph ZL2AOH and posted it on YouTube. It’s a fine example of an enjoyable rag-chew in very good conditions.
Wellington Branch 50 NZART (WARC Inc) won the inaugural trophy for the most active branch in the Sangster Shield Contest.
This award, in memory of Tony Fletcher ZL2ALJ – a long-time Branch 50 NZART member, was presented to the Chair by the Sangster Shield contest coordinator, Glenn Kingston ZL2KZ at the Wellington Branch meeting on 18 November 2015.
WARC Inc thanks Tony’s wife for the gift that enabled the trophy fund to be established.
While Wellington Branch won the trophy this year, it is to be hoped that other branches will encourage their members to participate in the NZART Sangster Shield contest held each May. The contest involves contacts over two evenings in early winter on QRP CW.
