No, this is not our linear amplifier burning … we don’t own one!

To ensure our site and premises are presentable for the upcoming 2025 JOTA/JOTI activities, a WSWB (welcome summer working bee) was organised. With the current prevailing weather, 2 rain check weekends were also lined up. As it turned out the weather was on our side for the initial Saturday 6-Sep day!

Tim, Nick and Mal on a picture break!

A comprehensive list of tasks was developed, an even more impressive list of participants was self populated by keen members.

Some of the tasks carried on:

  • General tidy up in and around the hall
  • Removal of leaves/pine needles from the roof and gutters
  • Trimming of trees overhanging
  • Removal of sticks, branches and leaves from around the hall for fire hazard reduction
  • Repair of dual floodlight fitting (electrician required) as only 1 side is serviceable
  • Repair of the 40m aerial – currently on the ground
  • Repair of the 80m aerial – high swr
  • Fallen tree behind the hall needing to be removed
  • Several dead trees on the eastern fenceline and many fallen branches and overgrown vegetation/trees
  • The vertical HF on the western fenceline appears to be “bent” so this could at least be reviewed
  • All antennas to be “swept” with a VNA
  • General tidy up in main hall and radio room
  • We need to dispose a lot of the “donations” on the junk table
  • Clean out of fridge and food cupboards for anything beyond use date.
  • Clean/Tidy of storage area adjacent to bathroom
  • Clean/Tidy of bathroom.
Break is over!

As for the antenna work, Tim took the 3 band dipole home to fix it.  Greg will make up new 40m and 80m dipoles. The wire for the 80m was all UV effected, with the insulation falling off it in chunks.  So Greg figured better to make new ones.

As for the TH6 Beam, we’ll need someone to eventually climb the tower to reattach the balun to the yagi’s boom. The last time the balun was replaced with a brand new one from the factory was in April 2014. Cost was $80 USD + shipping from USA.

BN-86 installation instructions https://static.dxengineering.com/global/images/instructions/bn-86.pdf

It got very busy and noisy, but a very successful working bee. Thank you to the A-Z Team:

  • Andy VK2EAH
  • Brian VK2AXC
  • Clifford VK2CLF
  • Dom VK2JNA
  • Geoff VK2TGO
  • Greg VK2XE
  • Jeff VK2MZZ
  • Malcolm  VK2TMF
  • Nic VK2MYK
  • Nick VK2FS
  • Philip VK2XPL
  • Richard VK2NRA
  • Simon VK2YU
  • Walter VK2XWB
  • a couple of carpenters hired for the day.