On 3 January 2023, Dom VK2JNA reported that the club’s regular Early Bird net had reached 15,000. That is, every morning for the last 41 years, at 6.30am, club members have got together on 80 metres to start the day with a chat on Amateur Radio.
The first Early Bird Net took place on Thursday 10th December 1981. John Blackman VK3UI (then VK2KJB) was President of the MWRS at the time and had started a hobby farm running sheep near Mudgee, where he would go on weekends. All net members were still working, so a 6.30am kickoff was normal, after which they raced to work. John would start the net and not know the consequences. 80m was used because it provided reliable coverage early in the day.
Les Kinch VK2BBD (SK) was main contact in the local area. Jim Moran VK2FJM (SK) was a daily regular. Usually between 6 and 10 operators would join on any given day. As soon as Peter Jackson VK2WPJ got call (VK2KHZ then), he joined the net every day. Eventually after Les retired from Sydney he became a Manager at Longford Station (cattle) at Bendemeer.
The net was known to sometimes go for 3 hours of robust technical discussion.
Originally on 3590kHz, it migrated to 3690kHz a few years later when band plan changes were announced. At that time it was suggested that the 40m “club frequency” move from 7045kHz to 7085kHz, to avoid the digital section of the revised band plan. It still hasn’t happened – crystal-locked radios seem to last forever!
Peter VK2WPJ consulted an old call book to identify the net regulars… this was ten years after the net started:
- VK2ABL Michael
- VK2AGS Gerry Sabin (SK)
- VK2ASM Warren Clarke (SK)
- VK2AUJ Yves (when travelling)
- VK2AWA Bob (SK)
- VK2BBD Les Kinch (SK)
- VK2BIS Morrie Tremble (SK)
- VK2BKG Kevin
- VK2BLF Prof Frank Winter (SK)
- VK2BYN Russell (occasional)
- VK2FJM Jim Moran (SK)
- VK2FMT Tony Skerrett (SK)
- VK2HL Horst Leykham
- VK2KHZ Peter Jackson (now VK2WPJ)
- VK2KJB John Blackman
- VK2MT Charles
- VK2TD Clive Jackson (SK)
- VK2UA Geoff Myers(SK)
- VK4EAB Alan
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