Branch 50 (Wellington) NZART – Known as the Wellington Amateur Radio Club
The 15 February regular monthly meeting was held at the Lutheran Church Hall, King St, Mt Cook.
Frank ZL2TTS spoke on selecting a linear amplifier. This gave rise to a fair bit of discussion on the relative merits and problems with different types of high power amplifiers that amateurs in New Zealand are using, and the merits of homebrew and commercial equipment.
The BBQ planned for our regular meeting date in January was postponed due to the incoming weatherbomb (and just as well!). It was then rescheduled for 1 February. Unfortunately, the weather is not looking too great for the rescheduled BBQ date.
Please note that the February meeting will be held as per usual at the normal club meeting rooms (Lutheran Church Hall, King St, Mt Cook) at 7.30pm. See you there!
Club member Yan ZL4YY (also F1TUJ and XV4Y) talked about his operations from South-East Asia, where he lived for many years with his wife and son. He talked about the way amateur radio callsigns are obtained, licensing requirements, descriptions of other Vietnamese operators, and equipment at his home QTH (left outside on the verandah to reduce moisture damage). Yan demonstrated an impressive list of countries worked and DXCC twice over!
Yan finally received his ZL licence last month, so you will no doubt hear him around the bands now that he has settled in to Wellington with his family!
At our October 2016 meeting (held on 16 October at the Lutheran Church Hall, King St, Mt Cook in Wellington) we held the annual Blackwood Cup contest for the best homebrew project over the last 12 months
With only one contestant, Doug ZL2AOV, the outcome was pre-determined and Doug was awarded the Cup for his QRP SSB project. It’s interesting that Doug’s late father Frank (then Z2CD) won the Blackwood Cup back in 1931 with an Emergency Transmitter.