The WARS annual Ferry Contest is on tomorrow. This has meant a period of preparation which has included charging batteries, checking radios, updating programming, printing log sheets, packing backpacks, arranging water and snacks and may other similar tasks. For those new to the event you can inspect some useful hints regarding travel and what to bring in our On the Day section on our website (https://vk2bv.org/sydney-amateur-radio-ferry-contest-2019/ferry-contest-on-the-day/).

As of today (18:30) the following checks have been made:

• There are no alerts on the public transport system for the Ferries. Service should be as usual.
• The weather forecast predicts “18-24 degrees with a 40% chance of rain of 0-1 mm. Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the morning and early afternoon. Winds southerly 20 to 30 km/h in the east, tending south to south westerly 15 to 25 km/h in the west”. It would be wise to pack a rain jacket as well as a means of battling excess ultra violet radiation.

Please check in to the WARS Club Station on the Paddington 2m repeater prior to the commencement of the contest for a chance to say hello and enter the draw for one of our fabulous prizes.

I look forward to seeing or hearing from you tomorrow.

Rob
VK2XRH
Contest Manager

The Ferry Contest will soon be with us on Sunday 8th March 2020 for the fifth incarnation of this unique event.

For this year we have introduced a “wildcard” category of contacts where our “pop-up” station will be available throughout the day for contacts with famous seafarers that will score a bonus of 10 points per contact with a maximum of 6 contacts over the course of the competition. This is a great way to add to your score.

Further details will be available within the contest rules section prior to the contest start along with instructions of how to log the contact to claim the points.

We will be operating our check-in facility in the two hours prior to the contest with each contestant that checks in eligible in a draw for one of our fabulous kit prizes.

This is a fabulous way to “get out of the shack” and participate in amateur radio in a fun day on Sydney’s world renowned harbour.

Why not come along and join in? If not then consider turning on your radio and providing some contacts for those participating in the contest and submit a log for the landlubber certificate.

Watch our website and check the Sydney AR Ferry Contest Facebook page for further updates………

Save the date! The date for the 5th edition of the Sydney Harbour Amateur Radio Ferry Contest is set for Sunday 8th March.

As usual the contest will operate between 10:00 and 16:00 local time. Further details will be published in the new year with the contest rules and procedures as well as other helpful information.

Why not plan this as an event for your club or Amateur Radio friends. You can either go hard for the awards or just cruise around for a day of fun on the harbour. We will have a club station operating at Rose Bay for contacts, eyeball contacts and general information.

More to follow…………

The Waverley Amateur Radio Society has great pleasure in hosting Kerrie Dougherty who will present:

The Dish was not the whole Story: Australia’s Role in the Apollo Lunar program

The Dish is a delightful Aussie film about Australia’s role in the Apollo 11 lunar landing. However, while it’s “based on a true story”, we have to remember that it is only a movie: its focus on the crucial role played by the Parkes Radio Telescope in bringing the live television broadcast of the Apollo 11 lunar landing to the world leaves untold the much larger role in the Apollo program played by space tracking facilities in Australia.

• How did a lightning strike help to bring satellite communications to Australia?
• How can an Australian experiment placed on the Moon during Apollo help with future lunar exploration?
• How did the Parkes telescope contribute to NASA’s Deep Space Network?
• How did Australia really bring the Apollo 11 landing to the world?

Join space historian Kerrie Dougherty as she delves into the larger story behind The Dish to find out the answers.

Kerrie Dougherty is an independent space historian, curator and educator, who was previously Curator of Space Technology at the Powerhouse Museum. She is the author of Australia in Space, a comprehensive history of Australian space activities, a lecturer in space humanities for the International Space University and an elected Member of the International Academy of Astronautics. Kerrie works part-time for the Australian Space Agency and has written several science fiction guidebooks as well as numerous articles on Australia’s space history.

Please join us at Club Rose Bay, Vickery Ave Rose Bay for this prestigious event. RSVP to secretary@vk2bv.org in order to assist us with organisation of the venue.

Parking is available at the adjacent council carpark.

The Society’s Annual General Meeting was held on the evening of 19th June. Being the 100th anniversary year the meeting was followed by a celebratory dinner held at Club Rose Bay.

Just prior to the dinner there was an opportunity to capture a photograph of members in a style similar to the early members photograph of almost 100 years ago.

Once again the Ferry Contest is almost up on us. It is due next Sunday 11th March 2018 (10:00 – 16:00 )!  Please consider participating even for a short period since it is definitely the more the merrier. Whilst some contesters are working very hard for the maximum points there are others who simply enjoy a good day out. Even if you are not able to ride the ferries perhaps you might act as a contact station for those who do. For those who are contemplating their preparation here are some ideas:

Preparation

Dust off the radio(s) and check their operation
Charge batteries and spare batteries
Program the suggested frequencies (check our website)
Print log sheets
Study the ferry map and timetable (Note the extra line this year)
Read the contest rules

What to Bring

Handheld 2m/70cm Radio (+ backup radio if you have one)
Extension microphone, headset or earpiece
Extra battery
Log sheets (Print ours from our website)
Pens/Pencil
Ferry Map
Ferry Timetables (Make sure you get the Sunday one)
Opal Card ($2.60 all day!)

Backpack
Rain jacket (for the strange March weather)
Hat (helpful for both sun and rain)
Sun glasses
Sunscreen
Water bottle – can fill on some ferries and wharves
Snacks and/or loose change for coffee
Camera for those unique Ferry Contest Moments

Maps and Timetables

Detailed maps and timetables are available from the Transport NSW website (http://www.transportnsw.info). It is important to refer to the Sunday timetables as there is significant variation in the timing of operation from weekdays on most of the routes.

Opal Card

The Opal card will provide the most cost-effective fare structure because of the $2.60 cap. Details of the Opal card can be found at the Opal card website (https://www.opal.com.au).

The Mid South Coast Amateur Radio Club’s newsletter, Lyrebird, was recently published with a mention of their club’s involvement in the 2016 Ferry Contest.

Ferry-Contest-Pages-from-Lyrebird-2016

Connor Edwards (VK2FCAC) attended the Waverley Club regular Project Day on Saturday 5th May in order to receive his Ferry Contest check-in award.

Laurie Gordon (VK2GZ), contest manager, presented the award consisting of a certificate and one of the club’s Power Pole kits.

Next year’s Ferry Contest will be held on Sunday 12th March. Further details will be posted to the website closer to the event.