Category: News

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Want a callsign again?

Mw0rkbshack

Did you once have an amateur licence?  

Did it lapse when you had to pay the annual renewal fee?

There are no annual fees these days …  Get your licence back today!

John ZL2HD, our “resident” ARX, is issuing new licences for free to people who have previously held an Amateur Radio operator’s certificate (and callsign) that has lapsed.   To regain your licensed status just join our club!   John cannot guarantee provision of the original callsign, however, as it may have been reallocated.

About four people a month are approaching him to take up this offer!

Email John now

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Fifty Years of News from WARC/ Branch 50 NZART

NewslettersFor at least 11 months of every year, for the past 50 years, the Secretary or the Newsletter Editor of Branch 50 NZART (now Wellington Amateur Radio Club Inc) has prepared a newsletter for mailing to members with club news.   Most of these newsletters have made it into the club’s archives, but sadly a proportion of issues have not been filed.

You can now read back in time as all copies of newsletters that we have in our archives have now been loaded on to the website.  They have also been backed up on to hard drives and the cloud so that the hard copies  cluttering up committee member’s garages can be disposed off.

It would be great if somebody had the time to write up a history of key events and activities spanning the 50 year period and to make a list of those occupying executive roles in each of the last 50 years.  Let Mike ZL1AXG know if you have the time to do the necessary research!

It would also be good to fill some of the gaps  where we do not have newsletters, particularly missing years (like 2009 and 1999 from recent history).   If you have any of the following issues it would be good if you could let Mike ZL1AXG know so they can be scanned:

1965: January, March
1967: January, April.
1969: February
1970: February
1971: July.
1976: January, February, March.
1978: March through October, and December.
1979: All issues.
1980: All issues.
1981: All issues.
1982: All issues.
1983: January to August inclusive.
1989: February.
1990: July.
1997: April.
1998: September.
1999: All issues.

If we can’t locate the missing issues amongst members, we will need to approach the National Library, as in theory, all issues are kept by the Library.  Let Mike know if you can help with follow up with the Library in the event we cannot locate copies amongst members.

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Auckland’s Unitary Plan – a potential nightmare for amateur radio operators

The first draft of Auckland’s Unitary Plan (District Plan) would have been a nightmare for amateur radio operators wanting to put up antennas in their backyard.  Effectively, hams would have been required to seek a resource consent costing $1000’s for every antenna system, and any change to that system.   NZART and local branches of course have put in a submission.

The feedback report on infrastructure released by the Council following submissions from ratepayers and interested parties had this to say about amateur radio antennas:

“There were a number of comments seeking amateur radio structures and operations to be enabled. Divided views are evident between supporters and opponents of amateur radio operator masts and aerials. While operators suggest a height limit of 15 metres, those opposed suggest the adoption of guidelines from the legacy North Shore City Council which were much more restrictive.”

Town planning decisions in one district, ultimately impact on all other districts looking to update their district plans.   Wellingtonians did not fare well when it came to mast height restrictions in our own District Plan.  It is not too late to make a submission to the Auckland Council, but you must be in by Tuesday 22 July at 5pm.  Glenn Kingston ZL2KT has been following this issue, so you may want to discuss the NZART response with him.

The lastest NZART Infoline has some information on the NZART submission, and the full text of the submission, additional background material and templates for responding to the Auckland Council can be found here:
http://www.qsl.net/zl1bq/page13.html