Ipswich & District Radio Club

23/08/2026

Great weekend out at the Twisted Pair Shack (Bill VK4ZD and Diane VK4DI) for the WIA Remembrance Day Contest!

Four members headed out for a weekend of contesting and hands-on training. A big highlight was our newest member Tilly (still waiting on her callsign), getting her first time on air, trained by Diane on N1MM+ and calling CQ Contest. She picked it up fast and didn't want to stop!

Alan VK4AJG trained with Bill and also did a great job, plus he brought the family (and the dog) along.

Raw score: 815 contacts, 998 points, just short of our 1000 point target.

Massive thanks to Bill and Diane for hosting and running the training. Keen to do it all again for the OCDX SSB in October.

Interested in joining the team? Check out Bill and Diane on QRZ: https://qrz.com/db/VK4ZD and https://qrz.com/db/VK4DI

Full write-up and photos: https://ipswichradioclub.org.au/wia-remembrance-day-contest-2026-weekend-wrap-up/

73 from the Ipswich & District Radio Club

22/08/2026

Big day for the club on Saturday.

AGM in the morning, then we took the Quansheng UV-K5 v3s out to have a crack at the new firmware. It has added a proper beacon and sniffer mode, so we wanted to run it through its paces before we commit to using it at a club fox hunt. The tape measure Yagi build night on Monday 14 September comes first, so everyone will have their own directional antenna to hunt with.

Then out to the Bremer River in the arvo for a park activation, AU-10886 Bremer River Rail Bridge State Heritage Park. Ran the FX4CR with a 3D printed turret mic and a homemade K6ARK-style end fed antenna.

Alan VK4AJG and Brandon VK4BRW logged 23 contacts on 40m SSB, mostly solid 5-7 to 5-9 both ways. Thanks to everyone who called in, and to the few who told us straight up how the audio was sounding. That is how we found the mic gain problem.

Full write-up and photos: https://ipswichradioclub.org.au/agm-fox-hunting-pota-activation-22-august-2026/

73 from the Ipswich & District Radio Club

18/08/2026

Our September social meeting is a hands-on workshop night. We are building tape measure Yagi antennas at the Club House, 10 Deebing St, Ipswich.

Full details: https://ipswichradioclub.org.au/september-social-meeting-yagi-build-night/

09/08/2026

Two parks in one day on the air

VK4BRW and Alan VK4ALG activated Sadliers Crossing Railway Bridge (AU-11000) and Pteropus Conservation Park (AU-1295) on Sunday, 27 contacts across the day including two park-to-park.

https://ipswichradioclub.org.au/two-parks-one-day-on-the-air-au-11000-and-au-1295/

Sunday 9 August 2026 saw a double Parks on the Air activation, with VK4BRW teaming up with Alan VK4ALG to work two parks in a single trip: AU-11000 (Sadliers Crossing…

08/08/2026

🎙️ Great turnout at Saturday's Social Meeting!

A big thanks to Alan VK4SN and Di VK4DI for running us through N1MM+ contest logging

COM port setup, power levels, and getting logs ready for Cabrillo submission. Lots of great questions and even better BBQ chat afterwards.

Next up: the Remembrance Day Contest this coming weekend. perfect timing to put the new setup to use!

73 VK4WIP 📻

04/08/2026

13/07/2026

Social Night

A huge thank you to VK4JBX for delivering an informative presentation about QRZ.com and DARC at our recent Club Social Night.

This event offered insights that were useful for all members, regardless of experience.

We look forward to seeing you at our next gathering, details of which can be found at www.ipswichradioclub.org.au.

73 Ipswich Amateur Radio Club

24/06/2026

Our next Ipswich & District Radio Club business meeting will be held on Saturday 27 June 2026 at 10:00 AEST at the clubhouse, 10 Deebing St, Ipswich.

All members are encouraged to come along, share ideas, and help guide the direction of the club.

Zoom access is available for those unable to attend in person. Please contact the club for details.

Website: https://ipswichradioclub.org.au

20/06/2026

Standard and Advanced Regulations Night and ACMA Exam

Ipswich & District Radio Club will hold a Standard and Advanced Regulations presentation on Wednesday 24 June at 19:00 AEST, followed by the ACMA Regulations Exam on Sunday 28 June at 09:00 AEST. This marks the final week of the current Standard Licence Training Course.

The Wednesday evening session is highly recommended for anyone preparing to upgrade to either a Standard or Advanced amateur radio licence. It will focus on the regulations side of amateur radio operation, including the responsibilities that come with greater operating privileges, more bands, and higher permitted power.

The exam will be held on Sunday morning. Candidates are asked to arrive by 08:30 AEST so there is enough time to settle in and complete any necessary preparation before the 09:00 start.

Why the regulations session matters

The regulations component is an important part of amateur radio licensing. It covers the rules and operating conditions set by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, commonly known as the ACMA. These rules help ensure that amateur stations operate safely, legally, and with respect for other spectrum users.

For those moving beyond Foundation level, the Standard and Advanced licences open up more operating opportunities. With that comes a need to understand band access, power limits, station identification, interference management, and correct operating practice.

The presentation and exam session are free to attend. Candidates who pass the required assessment may need to pay an ACMA fee for a new recognition certificate for their upgraded licence level.

Get in touch

Anyone intending to attend the regulations night or sit the exam should contact Greg as soon as possible so numbers can be confirmed.

Email: [email protected]

Further club information is available at:

Website: https://ipswichradioclub.org.au/standard-upgrade-course-now-ready/

73,
Ipswich & District Radio Club

10/06/2026

Social Meeting this Saturday, 13 June 2026 @ 09:30

Our next Ipswich & District Radio Club social meeting will be held this Saturday at the clubhouse, 10 Deebing St, Ipswich.

Please note the earlier start time of 09:30 AEST, rather than our usual 10:00 start, as we have two presentations planned.

We will be joined by Marty VK4KC from Mad Dog Coils, who will be speaking about his antenna loading coils and how they can be used for portable operating, including Parks on the Air (POTA). POTA is a popular amateur radio activity where operators set up in parks and make contacts from the field, so this should be a very practical session for anyone interested in portable HF operating.

We will also have Peter Schrader VK4EA, Vice President of the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA), giving a presentation.

Members, guests, and anyone interested in amateur radio are very welcome to come along. After the meeting we will be having a BYO BBQ, so bring something for the barbecue and make a day of it with the club.

Website: https://ipswichradioclub.org.au

Mad Dog Coils: https://maddogcoils.com.au/
WIA: https://www.wia.org.au/joinwia/wia/board/

Jun 13 2026 Social meeting then BBQ (BYO) 10:00 AM Ipswich & District Radio Club, 10 Deebing St, Ipswich QLD 4305, Australia Details Dual Presention from Marty Nelson VK4KC Founder of Mad Dog Coils And Peter Schrader VK4EA about the Wireless Institute of Australia More info →