QNews for July 20th 2025

Welcome to the Darling Downs Radio Club's contribution to QNEWS for Sunday, 20 July. I'm John VK4JPM, Secretary of the Club. It's a month since the equinox, and I bet all of us with solar panels are looking forward to the sun being higher in the sky. Speaking of solar, last week's talk on The Grid by Peter VK4EA was brilliant. It appears that our telepresence outreach is improving, as we had a full house in the room and almost as many people online. We're working to keep that up, and it's going to take a bit of money.

Technorama is the peak body for all the technologists who support community broadcasting in Australia. We're getting together in Toowoomba over 8, 9 and 10 August 2025. TR25 would be a great way to meet your colleagues in person (maybe for the first time) and to see how amateur radio and broadcasting intersect. Both fields can feed from each other, and the theory you learn to get the amateur radio licence is perfect to help you do a better job in broadcasting. Who knows - it could turn into a career!

Hello, I’m Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP, and I’ve been thinking. One of the things that makes life enjoyable is having things to look forward to. It may be family celebrations or special event days, and we get the expectation that something good is going to happen. This is true of our participation in amateur radio, too. For many a childhood memory has been the surprise of an unexpected gift for a birthday or Christmas present that floods the mind with gladness. Weddings and births, and other rites of passage can be both happy and nostalgic. However, there is an element of preparation in achieving this kind of satisfaction as an adult, and dare I say, without taking away any sense of spontaneity, laying the road for a good outcome. It may be a surprise for a loved one or achieving a goal in getting an asset to pursue a dream. The 4x4, the tinny or whatever, has been the goal that creates a sense of achievement when you can look at it and realise the effort to get it has paid off. Whilst this has been framed in general terms, this same goal setting can frame a level of progress and satisfaction for we radio hams. I can remember how pleased I was in finishing my home-made antennas and seeing that they worked beyond expectations. The new, to me, rig that extended my operating capacity and allowed me to enjoy new modes all gave that sense of achievement, which means personal success. When I look around at the opportunities and variations to radio and electronics today, the technology has grown amazingly during my participation in AR, but the scope of what we can do and the successes we can enjoy have likewise increased. Within a formal structure, such as a radio club, it is necessary to work out a schedule and create a planner of events so that members can plot their activities. At home, well, we don’t need to be so well structured, provided we aren’t in the habit of forgetting. Still, recording coming events is a wise precaution, especially if you live in a household and need to accommodate the needs of other members. So I wonder how many of us have listed the events that we hope to take part in? I’m old-fashioned and still use a paper diary and a flip-over calendar to keep track of things. I could lose my phone and still have these appointments recorded. So I wonder how many clubs have filled in a yearly diary for members to complete? Good communication within clubs is vital, as we all know from experience that life has a way of intruding on our daily activities. The unexpected should really be the expected, I find as the years progress. I would like to think that we could all be on top of things most of the time, but experience suggests there will be times when events take precedence. Having a plan of what is ahead is not only a sound preparation for success, but it also allows us some wriggle room when things get messy. I’m Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP, and that's what I think. How about you?