bundaberg amateur radio club

Established 1961 and still going strong SIX decades on

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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

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  • 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

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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

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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

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  • 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

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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

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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.

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** spoilers ** we went to the edge of space and have the photos to prove it!

International Space Station

Students spoke to an Astronaut

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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Working Bees

Maintaining our repeater sites

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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.

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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

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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.

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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?

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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BARC is a proud member of the Wireless Institute of Australia

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We recommend the Radio & Electronics School for Standard and Advanced study courses.

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ACMA Callsign Database for licencing information

Have a question

Get in touch