bundaberg amateur radio club
Established 1961 and still going strong SIX decades on
"Ham Radio, the original Social Networking"
About the Club
Callsign VK4BW
Located in Bundaberg, Queensland and known as BARC, we're Ham Radio
enthusiasts maintaining 3 repeater sites in the region.
We
work in the community and support our Regional Council and Emergency
Service groups in times of natural disaster.
What we do
- We participate in contests
- Hold workshops
- We've been known to fox hunt
- And even hold the occasional social event
- We own & service three repeater sites on surrounding mountain tops
- We run training courses for the entry-level Foundation licence
- Hold the occasional meeting, but meet regularly 'on-air'
- Our Monday Night Net is a general get-together on Town Repeater 147.800MHz @ 7.30pm local time
Become an Amateur
Your first step is to gain a Foundation licence and the club has
a certified trainer to run courses using the WIA Foundation
Manual, and our radio equipment for the practical tuition.
You can find out more by following the link below.
Standard and Advanced are the next Amateur Radio Licences & we
recommend the Radio & Electronics School for these courses.
W.I.C.E.N.
Wireless Institute Civil Emergency Network
BARC Members formed WICEN Bundaberg in the 1970's to fulfill a
role supporting emergency services when normal communications
are compromised.
Operating on 12-volt radios, our highly
skilled volunteer operators assist our local community when the
need arises.
WICEN is funded by the Bundaberg Amateur Radio Club and we
currently have 12 licenced Amateurs actively serving as
volunteers
Club Features
Some Club Activities
BARC Repeaters
3 Repeater sites
-
VK4RBG 2M Sloping Hummock Bundaberg, 147.800MHz,
HASL 100m
Footprint: Bundaberg Region and coastal townships -
VK4RBU 2M Mt Goonaneman, 146.800MHz, HASL 620m
Footprint: Gympie to Miriam Vale with link to Sunshine Coast - VK4RBU 70cm Mt Goonaneman, 438.775MHz
- VK4RBU-3 Mt Goonaneman, 145.175MHz A.P.R.S. Digi Repeater
-
VK4RBW 70cm Double Sloping Hummock Mt Watalgan,
439.775MHz, HASL 400m
Footprint: Bundaberg; Childers; Hervey Bay; Gin Gin; Miriam Vale - VK4RBW 70cm Mt Watalgan IRLP Repeaater
IRLP Node 6248 Located on Mt Watalgan, Frequency 439.775MHz UHF
Workshops
Members helping members
Being an Amatuer Radio Operator is more than just talking on the
radio and we meet regularly to build better antennas or
electronic devices to improve the signals we send and receive.
Members enjoy helping others when we meet at our shed for 'show
and tell' sessions.
We publish a yearly calendar with all our events and while we do
try to stick to our schedule, sometimes things happen!
If you plan to attend an event, please check with our Secretary
to be sure changes haven't been made.
Exciting Projects
Launching a Helium Filled Balloon
We called it HABE - (Hi Altitude Balloon Experiment) and members
had a steep learning curve to create everything needed for the
successful launch.
Visit the link below to see how it turned out.
** spoilers ** we went to the edge of space and have the photos to prove it!
International Space Station
Students spoke to an Astronaut
As part of the Amateur Radio International Space Station [ARISS]
project we partnered with the Avoca State School in Bundaberg.
In March 2021 twelve lucky students spoke to Astronaut Colonel
Mike Hopkins aboard the ISS.
There are images on a page dedicated to this exciting ISS project. There is an audio downlink from the ISS and a great video of how it all came together.
History
Remembering the past
We are indebted to some great men from the 1970's who manually carried every concrete block and bag of cement up a torturous track, to build our repeater shack on Mt Goonaneman.
We have a dedicated Photo Archive area with images going back to
the 1960's.
Follow the link below to the first of 3 photo archive pages.
Exhibits
The club on display
To showcase the club we regularly show off our history and
technical knowledge to the public and have displayed at Open
days, the Bundy Library, the annual Tegege 'yesteryear' rally,
Council events for Seniors and the Mens Shed.
We have a great partnership with Jaycar & regularly display
outside their store.
It works for both or us as Jaycar customers get to see there is
so much more to an electronics hobby.
Working Bees
Maintaining our repeater sites
The Club wouldn't exist without a dedicated crew of members who
regularly troop up to Mt Goonaneman.
We mow and trim and make our tiny footprint in a sub-tropical
forest, fit for purpose again.
It's a grand view from up there.
The 30m tower was constructed in the 1980's and is regularly
maintained while we're up there.
It is a vital link in our 3-mountain Repeater network
Working with Children - JOTA
Seriously keeping our youth safe
We have a longtime relationship with the Scouts, Guides, Cubs
and Brownies in the Bundaberg region and attend the annual JOTA
camps to give the youngsters hands-on experience with radios,
Morse code keys and building electronic kits.
Our child protection policy ensures that members hold valid
Working With Children Bluecards.
Because our trainers work with minors, working towards their Foundation Licence, we ensure the protection of those in our care with regular training and vigilance.
Distance Records
Who went further?
We all love a bit of competition and that's why the club fosters
the Distance Contest.
Members who make the greatest distance HF, VHF & UHF
communications are recorded on the dedicted records page at the
link below.
It's tougher than you think to make these member-to-member
contacts without the use of repeaters.
Some records are made from home stations, others are mobile from
vehicles or even using handheld 5-watt radios.
The prize for the winner in each category is bragging rights.
Important Links
Quick Reference Links
We have a Club News page so you can see what our members have
been up to.
The page is regularly updated with images of events and
displays.
Over the years we've accumulated a lot of information and created a page to showcase all the links. Check it out, you may find useful resources for the hobby or your next project.
We're into our 7th decade now, and that's been possible because
of the hard-working committees over the years.
Meet this years' hard working volunteers.
Have a question
Get in touch
We operate from the SES HQ Bundaberg
Quarterly Meetings; Feb, May, Aug, Nov Management Committee meets monthly Training by arrangement One on one training Small groups welcome Weekend courses by arrangement