Every year we update this post to assist clubs and Amateurs who are looking for ideas for the JOTA weekend. This event is one of the important ways we introduce youngsters to the great hobby of Amateur Radio, so we encourage all Amateurs to get involved. We also invite you to share your successful JOTA […]
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Category: Fun Stuff
Other fun things that don’t yet have a particular category.
MWRS POTA at Karuah Park 14-Aug-2026
Greetings Operators, The rumours are true. The myth. The legend. The man who refuses to operate from the comfort of a padded seat in his shack. Professor Portable will strike again. This Friday, the Professor loaded up the mobile command centre (The Rav4) and head into the wild. The mission? Conquer the 40-metre band in […]
July 2026 Buildathon
It all started with a survey on the projects members would like to undertake in 2026. A lecture in June explained to all what would be involved in building the projects that scored. A register sheet was then shared with the club members: 29 people ordered 45 kits, 15 people registered for the assisted buildathon […]
2026 Winter VHF/UHF Field Day
A team of hardy souls took the club station VK2MB portable to participate in the Winter VHF/UHF Field Day 20-Jun-2026 at the JJ Melbourne Hills Memorial Reserve, just north of the Forest Hills Pony Club at Terrey Hills. The goal of the Field Days is to contact contest operators on 6m, 2m, 70cm and 23cm. […]
April 2026 – 5th Wed – Games, Toys & Contests
The invite stated: “We are looking for technology based games, toys & Contests. Think any games or toys using new or old technology to run, including radio controlled toys and skill based games. Pacman and flight simulators, battery operated board games. Also looking for great radio contest stories.“ Mal VK2TMF’s Display 80s Taito Cocktail Cabinet […]
MWRS POTA at Wahroongah Park 17-Apr-2026
Article supplied by Brian VK2AXC. Colin VJ2JCC and Carmel VK2NO continue to set a fine example with their regular POTA activity around various Sydney Parks. The only criteria are trees, a nearby coffee shop and participation on the Friday HARDARC Net 9am to 10am 7.106MHz. Brian VK2AXC tagged along on Friday 17-Apr-2026 to learn via […]
Sat 16-Aug-2025 – PicoRx Buildathon
(Work in progress … really!) The PicoRX was introduced to the MWRS at the June 2025 Lecture as one of the projects for the shack. Since then, many members have ordered and acquired the kit and started the build process. A Buildathon was organised for those who wished to build their PicoRX together in a […]
July 2025 – 5th Wed – Calculators
Abacus or fingers, mechanical or electronic, nixies, paper, LCDs or LEDs, how do you add up? A poem was part of the invite, the poem is included at the end of this post. Over 20 people showed up despite the not so interesting temperature … rain rain rain and rain. At least someone showed up […]
July 2025 NTP Clock Buildathon
Following the June 2025 lecture where the NTP Clock and the Pi-PicoRX were introduced as “Projects for the Shack”, an obvious appetite for the projects motivated Richard ARH and Simon VK2YU to organise for the acquisition of the components and organise for buildathons so that members can get together to build and configure the devices. […]
June 2025 Lecture: Build Projects for the Shack
The June lecture, Build Projects for the Shack by Richard VK2ARH and Simon VK2YU, introduced two new club projects: an NTP (Network Time Protocol) Clock for the shack, and Pi-PicoRX, a software-defined radio receiver based in the Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller. You can watch the lecture on VK2MB-TV. The lecture proved very popular, and another […]
MWRS Assists CREST for 2025 Convict 100 Setup
CREST NSW is providing safety communication support for next weekend’s Convict 100 mountain bike marathon. On Saturday 26 April 2025, as yet another excuse to get out portable and play radio, several MWRS members assisted setting up fixed and mobile repeater sites to provide reliable coverage for the 100km event. Teams were deployed to several […]
VK2AXC’s Visit to Army Museum of WA
In March 2025, our Membership & Training Coordinator, Brian VK2AXC was out west. While he was there, he dropped into the Army Museum of Western Australia. Here’s his report… I thoroughly recommend a visit to the Fremantle Army Barracks Museum. I met up with a friend’s cousin who is a volunteer. He arranged for Igor VK6ZFG, […]
HamClock Configurathon
Following feedback received from a very good HamClock lecture and the urge from many members to build their own, a “Configurathon” evening was organised for Wednesday 26-Feb-2025, basically BYO hardware and lets configure together, first one to tell the time from his/her clock … helps the other ones to finish. Richard VK2ARH kindly organised the […]
Radio by Candlelight
“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds”, goes the motto of the United States Postal Service. The same could be said of the Manly-Warringah Radio Society. Well, we don’t deliver mail , but last night (27-Nov-2024) we did experience some minor […]
June 2024 ADX Buildathon
It all started with very good lecture by Richard Hinsley VK2ARH/W5ARH on the ADX (the Arduino Digital Transceiver) in April 2024 followed by an email to all from Michael VK2MDP asking around about interest for a club buildathon, very quickly the list of interested members grew to 28 people wishing to grab a kit, many […]