CARDS is an Amateur Radio Society based in Christchurch New Zealand with the object of promoting Amateur Radio to the community at large and young people in particular.

Next Club Meeting
17 November 2010 7.30pm
@ Branch 56 Auburn Park Riccarton

Club Representatives
President Mike Stubberfield ZL3MJS
Vice President Mike Barnes ZL3TMB
Treasurer Mark Sullivan ZL3AB
Secretary Lorna Allan ZL3AAZ

What is Amateur Radio?
Amateur Radio is a hobby involving the operation of radio equipment, to communicate with other people more

Upcoming NZ Contests
26/27 February 2011
Jock White Field Day

Club News


CQ WW SSB Worldwide Contest 2010

ZL3M's second foray into the world of contesting was a great success. We entered Multi-Single All Band High Power as a true Multi-Single i.e. only one transmitter and with only 4 operators, Don ZL3DMC, Simon ZL4PLM, Mike ZL3MJS and Mark ZL3AB this time, from Mike ZL3MJS's QTH. We were limited to 20m and 15m due to antenna issues on the low bands and the local plasma TVs. We managed 716 QSOs and 341,040 points from about 28 hours operating. This was a big improvement over our Oceania score even allowing for the extra time we operated. Mike's Steppir really came into its own and we had a lot of comments about how good our signal was. We are all looking forward to the next one.

ZL3M Oceania Contest Report by Don ZL3DMC

I arrived at Mikes (ZL3MJS)QTH around 7pm to set up for the Oceania contest. Setup went smoothly and we fortified ourselves with a coffee to wait for the start (0800utc) I was looking forward to checking out the steppir as I had never used a beam antenna in a contest before. Mike performed his magic dial manipulation on the clipperton amplifier and drake tuner to get us resonant on 80m where we started.

We started with a few zl contacts gleaned from the counties and awards net on 3.677 and we were away in the 2010 Oceania DX contest. A move to 40m halfway through the hour saw the first hour give us 22 contacts, not exactly what I was hoping for but not bad. Mike Barnes (ZL3TMB) and Harvey (ZL3CH) arrived and we had 4 in the shack. The next hour saw another 20 QSO�s in the log, mainly on 40m. Mike Barnes then took over the mike and put another 22 in log for that hour. Then the other Mike (ZL3MJS) took the controls and notched up 19 in his hour. By then 20m had opened up to Europe and the zoo gates were open! We made another 25 contacts and called it a night with 106 contacts in the log.

Sunday dawned bright and clear and with great anticipation I headed off to Mikes and arrived at 8.00amlocal time. I spent the next 4.5 hrs at the mike for another 65 contacts on a mixture of 20m & 15m. Simon (ZL4PLM) took over duties while I enjoyed a BBQ lunch. By this time a lot of Cards members had arrived including a couple of keen prospective hams, topped off with a visit from MR DX himself, Bill (ZL3NB). A great time was being had while contacts were also being notched up in the shack. By the time Mark (ZL3AB) arrived for his session we had 209 contacts in the log. The later part of the afternoon was a bit slow but better things were to come. Mark�s experience showed, and with dogged determination put 65 contacts in the log in the space of 1hour 20min!! Mainly on 20M facing east. Then the 2 Graeme�s (ZL3GK&ZL3NK) had an hour each on the mike with the total ending up a respectable 322 contacts for a score of 197,100pts.

Overall a very enjoyable time as previously I had only contested alone and to have a shack full of people and plenty outside was a great experience to share.

Thanks to Mike and Vee for sharing their QTH and allowing it to be turned into the Cards ZL3M contest station.

Editors note: What Don doesn't say is that he did all the logistical work and supplied the laptop and other equipment to get us up and running - and he did a large amount of the operating. A huge effort well done!

Photos are here

ZL3M debuts in Oceania SSB Contest 2/3 October 2010

The club has entered the multi single catergory of the Oceania SSB contest for the first time. Driven by Don ZL3DMC a number of club members are having a go at contesting for the first time at the QTH oif Mike Stubberfield ZL3MJS.

It is fair to say the BBQ is as important as the contest! Pictures and summary of our efforts to follow.