CRARC Club Update – May 2026

The CRARC committee meets on-line on the second Wednesday of the month to discuss the running of CRARC. This email is an outline of items covered and other topics potentially of interest to CRARC members and is promulgated to keep members aware of what is going on. 

Topics Discussed

The committee discussed 

• Liability insurance. 
  The club is required to maintain significant public liability insurance, both as a requirement of being an incorporated association and for leases on some of the repeater sites we use.  This insurance expires each May and was renewed earlier this month.
• Merchandise.
  There were 3 orders last month generating a small commission for the club.  The most popular items are Hoodies, Caps, and Polos.
• Mt Ginini Visit.
  A late Autumn visit to Mt Ginini was discussed but nothing decided.  Access restrictions in the Namadji National Park during May and June was noted as they will impact our ability to access Mt Ginini and possibly Bulls Head.

Upcoming Club Events

Tech Night –  Wednesday 20th May 2026 

This coming Wednesday Night’s Tech Night Presentations and discussion subjects are Linux, Allstar, Repeater Linking, Radio Programming, and anything you would like to discuss (within reason).

• As per usual, Pizza, Coffee, Tea and biscuits will be available. A slight change to our normal procedures will be the introduction of a sign-in sheet (where you can mark if you are interested in Pizza or not) so please help us by checking in upon arrival. This will reduce the time taken to order Pizza for those that are interested.
• Doors open at 6:30pm

General Meeting – Wednesday 27th May 2026

The month’s General Meeting presentation will be provided by Carl (VK1KCM) on Digital Voice Modes.  This will be an introduction and overview on most of the more common digital voice modes such as D-Star, DMR, YSF and NXDN. It will also cover hotspots, what they are and how to use them.

• As per usual, Pizza, Coffee, Tea and biscuits will be available. A slight change to our normal procedures will be the introduction of a sign-in sheet (where you can mark if you are interested in Pizza or not) so please help us by checking in upon arrival. This will reduce the time taken to order Pizza for those that are interested.
• Doors open at 6.30pm

Current Repeater and Beacon Status

The IRLP/Echolink node attached to the Isaacs Ridge 70cm FM repeater failed in late March, although the repeater itself remained operational.  The Raspberry Pi that runs the IRLP Node is mounted within the 70cm FM Repeater and is difficult to separate so the entire repeater was removed from site.  No ETA for return to service at this time.

Full details on each of the above services are available on the club’s website at www.crarc.org.au.

Club News and Information

Membership

As at the May Committee meeting, club membership was at 213 financial members, 6 of which are life members.  As always, if you have any membership queries or problems, contact Graham on membership@crarc.org.au and visit crarc.tidyhq.com to renew or update your membership.

Education

This weekend just past was the May Foundation course with 9 attendees who all passed.  Much thanks to the Education team who consistently deliver a high quality course with excellent success rates.

The next Foundation Course will be on the 18/19 July.  It currently has 2 candidates booked so if you know anyone who would like to attend, get them to register.

WIA Weekly Broadcast

A reminder that there is a broadcast of the weekly WIA News at 9.00am local time via our VHF and UHF repeaters on Mt Ginini, 146.950 MHz and 438.050 MHz.  Callbacks are welcome on both frequencies after the transmission.  

Club Website

The club runs a website at www.crarc.org.au where you can find information on the club’s activities, repeaters, beacons and events.  It’s worth paying it a visit regularly to checkout the blog and events pages for new information and upcoming events.

Club Merchandise

A reminder the club has T-Shirts, Polos, Hoodies, Sweaters and Caps available via our merchandise store at merch.crarc.org.au.  Items are printed with the club logo, your callsign and your name and each item sold provides a small contribution to the club.  With Winter approaching it’s time to order that Hoodie or Sweater to wear to club meetings and events!