MARA INC. NEWS Mackay Amateur Radio Association Inc. Since 1972 Special Comeback Edition 2016 Find us now on the web: www.vk4wim.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/vk4wim Email: vk4wim@outlook.com.au NEXT MONTHLY MEETING IS ON: 8 TH November 2016 @ 1930 Hrs Mara Inc. News is Back! with a New Look Simple Format! Great News! Mara Inc. News is back after an 18 Month spell, with Neil, VK4NB, reinstated as Publicity Officer for MARA Inc. Also you may notice that it is in a simple format, this is due to the growing use of tablets, ipads and smartphones, and thought this simple format would make it much more user friendly and easier to read! Instead of a monthly Newsletter, it can be issued anytime, maybe twice a month or bi-monthly, so as news comes to hand, I will add it to the next publication. Hope you enjoy the read, and please remember, if you would like to submit something for an upcoming newsletter, please email me: vk4wim@outlook.com.au. It helps to have something to produce! Annual General Meeting 2016 Neil here, VK4NB, Vice-President of Mackay Amateur Radio Association Inc. would like to Congratulate the Committee members for retaining their positions of the Club for the 2016/2017 period. The Annual General Meeting was held on the 9 th August 2016. They are as follows President Roy Moore, VK4RM Vice-President Neil Balkin, VK4NB Secretary Gary Crothers VK4CUZ Treasurer Wayne O Donnell, VK4HAM Station Manager Roy Moore, VK4RM Publicity Officer Neil Balkin, VK4NB
Congratulations once again to those involved the NEXT AGM will be held in 2017 on the 8 th August. We encourage all members to nominate or be involved in the committee. Membership Fees Overdue MARA Inc. Membership Fees are due for the 2016/2017 Period. If you have not paid, can you please contact the club secretary, Wayne O Donnell, VK4HAM @ vk4ham@outlook.com.au These may be payable direct into the clubs account or by other means at the next Meeting. This has also been advised via email. News from Shane VK4KHZ For anyone involved in JOTA/JOTI this year, please be sure to have a radio monitoring the International Space Station downlink voice frequency of 145.800 FM and try and keep your scouts awake until 14:00UTC on Saturday night/sunday morning (midnight QLD time). ARISS, which is supported by the WIA, currently has an amateur radio voice link up scheduled with astronaut Kate Rubins, linking scout students in Nebraska USA via telebridge as the ISS passes over QLD. The downlink signal should be able to be received over much of the East Coast of Australia, even with modest equipment. This is a great opportunity to introduce your scouts to another unique dimension of our hobby. Details as follows - University of Nebraska's Peter Kiewit Institute, Omaha NE, telebridge via VK4KHZ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Kate Rubins KG5FYJ Contact is a go for: Sat 2016-10-15 14:00:08 UTC 29 deg. Thanks to Shane, VK4KHZ, of Glenden for this Info! Lighthouse Weekend 2016 Thanks again to the Mara Inc. Members and visitors for participating in this year s International Lightship Weekend. It was another successful year, with contacts made and operators getting behind the wheel. Check out the photos below!
P25 Digital 2 Metre Repeater Black Mountain 146.650 MHz P25 is now under test on the Black Mountain near Farleigh. This is a dual mode repeater, analogue and P25. Analog users are ask to program their radio to tone squelch 91.5 this will block the p25 digital hash so that you only hear other Analog users. You will also need to program your radio for 12.5khz narrow band for the Analog repeater. P25 uses use your ACMA license number as your ID and the NAC 293. If you need more details, please email myself or get in contact with Waratah, VK4BQ. Horse Trail Ride Koumala 30klms The Next Horse Trail Ride is the Koumala 30klm Trail Ride. Please see the details further down the page. I m not 100% certain if operators are required, but I will find out and pass this information on via Email. Stand by! Breakaway Horse Riders Meeting The next monthly meeting will be Held at Harrup Park Country Club on Monday 7 th November @ 1900 Hrs. Radio Operators are encouraged to attend to be informed of any upcoming events and or to discuss radio related activities between the clubs. I do receive Emails with notifications of Upcoming Events and also the monthly newsletter of the Breakaway Club. If you woul like this info passed onto you, please advise me via email at: vk4wim@outlook.com.au
JOTA 2016 Rowallan Park Here is all the Info you need for the Upcoming Scouts JOTA this weekend near Mackay. Where: Rowallan Park (Check below for Map & Directions) When: Saturday 15th October 2016 Setup Time: 8:00 am Start Time: 12:00 (Midday) Finish Time: Approx. 6:00pm It is advised to bring some refreshing drinks and something for lunch and/or dinner. Meals may be provided? But NOT CONFIRMED. Also, if you can, Bring along a Amateur Handheld Radio for 2m / 70cm or even a HF Transceiver, power supply and tuner if required. Also, bring along some writing material, ie. Pens/Pencils/Paper etc. Below are detailed directions on how to get there. Also below, check out the Detailed Map. DIRECTIONS: IF COMING FROM MACKAY, Follow the Bruce Highway north, turn right down Glendaragh Road, to bend in the road and turn off to the left, and go over a concrete culvert, and follow the dirt road over a couple of grids to Rowallan Park. Once at Rowallan Park follow the road to the building on the hill. This is where the JOTA station will be operating. If you get to Farleigh you have gone to far on the Bruce Highway.
General Info Neil VK4NB I just want to wrap up by saying that, this is a trial run of future Newsletters. I would really appreciate some feedback on this, as I may go back to the original format, or this is much easier to edit, layout etc. Future editions will also contain important info like committee members, repeater info and nets etc. Other news and info will be add gradually as well! I do have some Articles etc that have been submitted by Members and these will be published in future editions. Thanks for Reading this Special Comeback Edition: Please email me at: vk4wim@outlook.com.au to Submit any Articles, News or Info or if you have something to sell or wanting to buy etc. anything to help build these Newsletters in Future! Thanks for Reading and 73! Published by Neil, VK4NB Vice President - MARA Inc. Website Manager - MARA Inc. & CHARC Inc. Publicity Officer MARA Inc. & CHARC Inc. Mackay Amateur Radio Association Inc. Web: www.vk4wim.com Facebook: facebook.com/vk4wim Twitter: twitter.com/vk4wim Email: vk4wim@outlook.com.au Central Highlands Amateur Radio Club Inc. Web: www.vk4wch.com Facebook: facebook.com/groups/632669076759173/ Email: vk4wch@outlook.com.au