Recent happenings at SERG

RECENT HAPPENINGS

Here you will find some of the photos and stories that depict our club as a group of people with lives both within and outside ham radio.

	Spring VHF/UHF Field Day Some of those who attended the Spring Field Day on The Bluff between Millicent and Mount Gambier on Saturday/Sunday 12, 13 of November 2005. The Bluff has excellent views all around since the pines were harvested and is now our preferred site for portable operation. The club entered into the multi-operator 6 hour section. Once our 6 hours was over, members assisted other stations in VK3 with contacts using their own callsigns. The bands were very quiet back towards Adelaide but signals to the East were very strong. From left: Col VK5DK, Chris VK5MC, David VK5HDW, Tom VK5EE, Trevor VK5NC, Dave VK5DG. Also attending John VK5DJ (taking photo), Charles VK5XCP, Col VK5HCF
	Two of the dishes pointing East. 10GHZ left, 5.7GHZ right. Not shown Dave VK5DG's 2.4GHz dish Bands used: 6M, 2M, 70cm, 1296, 2.4GHz, 5GHz, 10GHz, 24GHz.
	Charles VK5XCP left watches while Col VK5DK makes some final adjustments to the 5.7GHz gear.
	Trevor VK5NC at the operating position. Note the open box of fuses just in case.
	Talk softer Niv, the snag is burning.
	I'll just catch a quick nap while the fellas are fixing the beam. (Should we send this photo to the SE Times or Border Watch?) Vote here: Yes or No Suggested captions: "CEO at work" "Venus fly trap" "Everybody wins - $1 per shot" Entries to VK5EE by end of month, 1st prize night out with President John, 2nd prize two nights out.
	Ah, that's better, I'm wide awake again and I've got my teeth back in. Col VK5DK and David VK5HDW

The club held its Christmas Dinner at the golden Chopsticks in Mount Gambier on Friday 18th November. Approximately 30 members and their partners attended.

Paula (XYL of Eion VK5KEE), Gabi and Greg VK5ZGY, and their daughter Deanna with the nice smile.

Niv, VK5NC prepared for a long cold night. Will he emerge as a butterfly?

On Saturday 3rd September the main antenna for VK5RSE (IRLP node 6875) was raised and the repeater turned on

David VK5HDW and Mathew VK5HMW do the hard work 25 metres up. Fortunately there is an excellent crop of thistles at the base of the tower to break their fall if necessary.

John VK5DJ, Mathew VK5HMW, Col VK5DK, David VK5HDW before the climb. Photo by Tom VK5EE

Mathew and David are harnessed up ready for the climb. John and Col are trying to insist that they climb instead (something about senile bravado in these two).

On Friday 2nd September 2005 members of SERG travelled to Naracoorte to visit the NARC

We thought a photo of the NARC executive would be a good thing to show visitors that not only SERG members are good looking.

Naracoorte Amateur Radio Club Executive
Jim VK5OM (treas), Alan VK5ZLT (sec), Simon VK5VST (pres)

AGM 2005 in the SERG clubrooms

Some of the sellout crowd at the August 19th 2005 AGM

Niv VK5NC chairing the election of officers with Dave VK5DG Treasurer

Did Col VK5DK know about VK5HDW's victory sign ?

The new club executive is: John VK5DJ President, David VK5HDW Secretary, Dave VK5DG Treasurer.

On the weekend of 8,9 July a contingent of SERG members went to the GippsTech Symposium near Morwell in VK3 territory. On the way we spotted one of our esteemed members who had claimed to have work commitments, but instead we found him at the front of a paint shop. A night out with SERG president for the first person to identify him and send him an email, second prize is two nights out.

On Saturday 28th May 2005 there was a working bee to shift the UHF repeater (VK5ROH in Mt Gambier) to a new frequency 439.825 RX on your radio and 434.825 TX on your radio.

Congratulations to Charles VK5XCP for taking the South East Radio Group club station VK5SR to second place in the phone section of the Harry Angel 80metre sprint. Click here for the notification from the contest manager

The most recent club event was the annual SERG picnic at Lake McIntyre in Millicent. Members attending were President Wayne VK5ZX, David VK5ZOO and XYL, Col VK5DK, David VK5HDW and family, Mathew VK5HMW and XYL, Bill VK5WCC, John VK5DJ and XYL, Chris VK5MC and XYL, Tony VK5ZAI and XYL, Murray VK5BWA and XYL, Eion VK5KEE and family, Tom VK5EE. There were no reports of any Mt Gambier amateurs falling off the edge of the world as they approached Millicent.

Bill, VK5WCC received the President's Award for 2005 for his service to visitors to the SouthEast. Bill ensures that no visitor goes unanswered on the local repeater and ensures a friendly welcome to our district.

Bill, VK5WCC - ambassador for the district

Some of the group during the presentation on Sunday 1st May 2005

A recent social event is the marriage of Mathew (VK5HMW) and Rebecca.

Field Day 2005

As is usual, an erstwhile band of intrepid adventurers travelled to Mt Edward in the state's south east for the John Moyle Field Day.

A great time was had by all and a remarkable score was achieved on 80m, 6m, 2m, 70cm, 1296, 5GHz, 10 GHz. The boys worked into Melbourne of 10GHz - no mean feat.

The photo shows a general view of the site - the dishes can just be seen to the left

"Wanna buy a cheap video mister?"

Master of the purchasing art, Wayne VK5ZX has a not to be missed bargain that David VK5HDW really "needs".

"Hang on while I go through XYL Sandy's wallet Wayne"

7 Jan 05

Ron VK5AKJ

"Ahhhh! nothing like a nice cool beer while I try out KJ's mower. I wonder if he'd let me have a drive, I always wanted a new tractor..."

7 Jan 05

SERG and the LIGHTHOUSE weekend
21/22 August 2004

Members of the South East Radio Group travelled to Kingston for 21/22 August to participate in the Lighthouse activation weekend.

Approximately 200 contacts were made and 29 lighthouses contacted.

Tony and XYL Jill was host to the team in their home only two or three kilometres from the lighthouse. The lighthouse has been relocated to the foreshore at Kingston, its place being taken on the rocks offshore from Cape Jaffa by an automatic light.

Thank you Tom, VK5EE for the photographs.

The log is available here.

	Looking up into the light area
Tony VK5ZAI and Kevin VK5KJ in operating position
	Greg, VK5ZGY at the operating position
Tony, VK5ZAI checks the log

After a wet winter VK5KJ needed to repair his roadway

Honest officer, the back wheels of the car were touching the ground

David demonstrates that his (antenna) is bigger than Wayne's (in background) at Friday's club meeting.

"OK you fellas, you've had your bit, the rest is mine..... there's only so much pea and ham soup a bloke can eat."

Bill VK5WCC after a recent club meeting at the local pizza shop.

Working bee at the digi site on 26th September 2004

Someone has to do the work - John VK5DJ doing the whipper snipping around the digi site. The working bee was aranged to clean out the radio huts and put protection against the mice. Mouse leftovers were cleaned from equipment. The digipeater was relocated from the new shack to the old shack now that the pager has gone. A mount for the weather station was installed.

The helpers then retired for a barbeque lunch.

(Sorry we didn't get a photo of Bernard towing Bill out of the bog at the bottom of the hill, it would have been a great one to have on this site.)

Bill and Bernard sort out a tricky technical matter - like 'Mine was the piece of steak, yours was the snag that fell on the ground'.

VK5DJ is the quiet little fellow in his car at the rear getting stuck into the steak at the centre of the dispute.

Those in attendance were Bill VK5WCC, Col VK5DK, Bernard VK5HAY, Trevor VK5NC, David VK5HDW and son Henry, Tom VK5EE, John VK5DJ.

We were all amazed at how much gear Bernard had in the back of his vehicle - great to have farmers attend working bees. "Got a hacksaw Bernard?", "No, but I've got an angle grinder".

David had a great time with his new hammer drill.

John VK5DJ and Col VK5DK check out the beacons on 70cm and 2m. (Just looking won't help fellows!)

An annoying intermittent with the 70cm transmitter has them temporarily puzzled.

The beacons on 144.550MHz and 432.550MHz (two 828 TXs) provide amateurs across Australia with indications of band openings.

Tom VK5EE, Col VK5DK, David VK5HDW and John made the journey up the hill.

Tony, VK5ZAI, ARIS Coordinator in Australia works with students from St Martin's School in Mt Gambier. A group of 200 people watched Tony and the students speak with the space station's commander (Leroy Chiao, KE5BRW) via phone/radio link on March 17th, 2005.

SERG members helped Tony on the evening. Photo:Tom VK5EE

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