QNEWS for June 8th 2025

This is Allan VK4HIT with news from Ipswich and District Radio Club. Another month and another business meeting was held on May 26 at the clubhouse, with others joining via Zoom. From Ipswich WICEN, a reminder that the biggest event of the year is the annual Guzzler on July 19 and 20. Currently, there are about 14 volunteers, but 24 is the number needed to cover all safety checkpoints. The club receives a substantial donation from the organisers, which goes straight to offsetting costs for the club and clubhouse.

Hi - I'm John VK4JPM, Secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club, and thanks for joining us for this week's QNews. What could be better than a Sunday lunch? Maybe Sunday lunch with the gang you just talked to? You can join us from midday for our bimonthly informal gathering, and this month we're at the Highfields Tavern... in Highfields.

Hello, I’m Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP, and I’ve been thinking. Well, we have been getting a bonus from the solar weather in the form of glorious eye candy in the south of the State. Some of the photos that I have seen from south of the border display an almost kaleidoscope of colour and movement. This is one of the benefits of the sunspot cycle, even though radio conditions have suffered the effects of radiation in the upper atmosphere. The cool fingers of winter have been reaching farther north, and the past week has reminded many of us what frost and chill winds are all about. With the bands being contrary, it has been a good time to stay indoors or gather around a fire pit and relax. No doubt for many, there is the chance to get onto projects that will advance things for being an amateur. Here is where the individuality of amateur radio gets to shine. I can virtually guarantee that no two hams will have the same equipment, interests and skills. The choice of radios can be determined by personal finances and projected use, and even when two hams make the same choices, how things work out may be entirely different. This is how clubs get to be a place of sharing when people with special interests and knowledge can demonstrate these things in a technical presentation. The thing is whether the club members who organise these events become aware of the hidden skills waiting to blossom before an audience. How many clubs have attempted to gather the information, I wonder? A simple questionnaire can do two things. It can collect the details of what people wish to learn about, and it can, in another section, get the details of the special interests and projects of members. The great thing is that the range of activities that cluster under the mantle of amateur radio is very, very wide. I remember enjoying a presentation on Dxpeditions, something that I have never been involved in and getting a sense of the thrills that culminated in thousands of QSOs from distant locations. There are the crafts of building and design of things related to radio and electronics, and the mysteries of programming and coding, then there are the adventurous outdoors exploits of getting contacts from parks, hill tops and lighthouses, to name a very few. Microwave operations and ATV, moonbounce and satellite operations can all be part of the mix that makes our pursuit so interesting, and chances are that someone else would like to understand what is involved and how to participate. The trick is to bring it together. Publicising these events allows visitors to join in and other groups to learn how to organise a presentation. For the guest presenter, it is an opportunity to share what is interesting and what they have been investing their time in learning and practising. How about we make it a project to get more clubs involved in holding technical presentations? You never know, it might attract more people to come through the door for meetings. I’m Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP, and that's what I think. How about you?