Is space weather and propagation a bit of a mystery to you? Our February 2026 presentation night brings us Roger Harrison VK2ZRH who promises to enlighten us about Fe, f, foE, MUF – all that ionospheric stuff. With decades of experience, including his time at the Ionospheric Prediction Service (IPS), now Space Weather Services, Roger brings significant expertise in this space (pun intended). This presentation will unpack the mysteries behind ionograms, TEC maps, Es, GRAFEX, PCAs, solar indices and more, plus online tools and data sources you can use. Whether you’re chasing DX, planning portable operations, experimenting with digital modes or trying to understand why your favourite band just vanished, this session may give you the skills to read the sky like a geek bro. This session will be in person and streamed from 7:30pm in Queens Domain clubrooms. 73, REAST Committee

REAST will be holding a huge amateur radio carboot sale in the Queens Domain compound from 11am on Sunday 18th January 2025. Want to sell something – it will cost you $10 to setup your carboot then you can sell as much as you want – all profit goes to you. There will be a Sausage Sizzle on the day with Snags and Bread at $3 and Burgers and Bread at $5 – Soft drinks available $2 per can. No need to book – just turn up. 73, REAST Committee

On 7 December we reach a VK7 microwave milestone with the 10th Anniversary of the 23 cm QSO party. We are trying to get as many stations as possible on to celebrate this milestone with hopefully record numbers. It is proposed that we write up an item for AR to record the history of the QSO party and the results of the 7 December event. The QSO Party is conducted at 10 am each Sunday after the broadcast on 1296.15 MHz using FM, with one group in the greater Hobart area and a second group in the greater Launceston area. After this Hobart to Launceston contacts take place 1296.2 MHz using the digital mode Q65-60B. Hobart stations first period and Launceston stations second. A brief History: Nearly ten years ago, a few Hobart stations started dusting off rigs and pointing quirky 23cm homebrew antennas toward Mt Wellington, just to see what might happen. At a REAST BBQ, between sausages and signal reports, someone tossed out a simple idea: run a 23 cm QSO party straight after the Sunday broadcast. Use it to test coverage, compare notes, and nudge everyone to lift their game on antennas and systems. Challenge accepted! On Sunday 6 December 2015, Murray, VK7ZMS, hauled gear up to Kunanyi/Mt Wellington and took the helm as the first control station. Three days later at the DATV night on 9 December, the debrief was clear: it worked, it was fun, and it deserved to keep going. The plan formed: aim beams at the mountain each Sunday and make it a habit. Stations with 23 cm gear dragged it out of cupboards, warmed it up, and joined the net. That inaugural report reads like a rollcall of early adopters: VK7ZMS, VK7MO, VK7BEN, VK7KAJ, VK7ZL, VK7OO, with a surprise cameo from the north, VK7JG. RX-only at first were VK7TW and VK7HRS. By the very next week there were nine stations up, plus a new voice, Danny VK7HDM. The only hiccup? Our control op, Murray, was off on essential duties: his daughter’s birthday took priority. Quite right too. Fast-forward to today and the little post-broadcast experiment has grown into a community, with around 15 stations operating each Sunday. We now count forty-seven, 23 cm capable operators in the South, with more in the North. The QSO party has mapped paths, sparked antenna builds, and quietly raised the bar for what’s possible on 23cm in VK7. 73, Rex, VK7MO

REAST End-of-Year Sausage Sizzle / BBQ – Wednesday 3 December 2025 It’s time to fire up our brand spanking new BBQ and celebrate another huge year for REAST! Join us at the Queens Domain Clubrooms for a relaxed lunch and evening of food, laughter, and radio-infused storytelling as we wrap up 2025 in true REAST style. There are two sessions to suit everyone: WAGs (Wednesday Afternoon Group) – from 12 noon for lunch and early banter. WEGs (Wednesday Evening Group) – from 6 pm for the twilight feast and tall tales. Come along, grab a snag, and relive a year packed with projects, presentations, propagation, and plenty of good company. Bring your appetite, your sense of humour, and maybe a story or two from the shack! See you there. REAST Committee

REAST will be holding a Standard, Advanced Licence & Regulations Assessment Day. Assessments commence at 10AM. If you would like to participate in this session then please contact Reg Emmett VK7KK – REAST Learning Organiser on email: reast.assessor@gmail.com or mobile: 0417 391 607 at least a week prior to the session. Courses available There are a range of options available to study for amateur radio examinations. We recommend the Silvertrain for Advanced and Standard Training material and courses. More information can be found at: https://www.silvertrain.com.au/ An alternative is the Radio and Electronics School courses for Standard and Advanced training material. More information can be found at: www.res.net.au Happy Studying

To fine tune and discuss any cleansing, tweaking and other leading to the new membership year. Bring a bite to eat while chatting?? What twaeks need to be done for the front facing members side of Tidy Reflect new costs in all comms Cleanse member data Prep for the auto member renewal comms Plus any other bits and bobs we should do prior to the member renewals going out, including what has already been done, what needs to be done and hopw we are going to do it.  

REAST Forum Night – EMR Safety Quiz Night! Wednesday 12th November 2025 7:30pm @ Queens Domain Clubrooms + Livestreamed Following the hit September session with Phil VK2ASD and Justin VK7TW on how to assess Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) safety from your transmitting antennas—it’s time to put your knowledge to the test! Think you know your exclusion zones from your field strengths? Can you decode duty cycles faster than FT8? Time to break into teams, battle it out over buzz-worthy EMR quiz questions, and win some great prizes! Whether you were at the September session or not, this is your chance to learn, laugh, and level-up your RF safety smarts in a fun and interactive night. Quiz. Learn. Win. See you there—on site or online!

Phil Tyson from the Sound Preservation Association of Tasmania (SPAT) (https://www.soundpreservation.org.au) will be giving us a visual and audio presentation on the history of commercial broadcast radio. This presentation was originally put togther for the ALARA Meet back in November 2023 and was a fantastic insight into early commercial broadcast radio with a focus on the women involved. There were so many great comments about the presentation that we have managed to get Phil back to give us an updated presentation. Please note this presentation will be only presented in the Queen’s Domain Clubrooms and will not be streamed or recorded. See you there. REAST Committee

REAST will be holding a Foundation Training and Assessment Day. Foundation Licence training commences at 9AM and Assessments commence around 1PM. If you would like to participate in this session then please contact Reg Emmett VK7KK – REAST Learning Organiser on email: reast.assessor@gmail.com or mobile: 0417 391 607 at least a fortnight prior to the session. Foundation License Handbooks are stocked at the Queen’s Domain Clubrooms which is open on Wednesday from 12Noon-2pm and 6-10PM. There are credit card facilities available and the price is $35 or they can be ordered through the WIA, see the Foundation Manual Page. Courses available There are a range of options available to study for amateur radio examinations: A Self Study Manual is available for the Foundation Licence REAST Foundation Licence Training Videos – 10 REAST YouTube videos WIA Foundation Licence practice examinations Other self study options – self study – there are many courses of study available through books, the Internet and CD-ROM; or, By completing correspondence courses; or, Study in a radio class. Please contact us for more information Happy Studying

Curious about the AllStar Network and how it’s revolutionising amateur radio? Join us for a deep dive into this powerful and flexible linking system that’s connecting amateurs around the world like never before! Whether you’re new to AllStar nodes, want to build your own, or are already active and keen to share tips and tricks—this forum is for you. Topics include: What exactly is AllStar and how does it work? Setting up your own node (hardware/software options) Linking repeaters and hotspots Use cases for contests, emergency comms & everyday QSOs Integration with EchoLink, HamVoIP & more Bring your questions, experiences, and ideas for an open Q&A and demo session! AllStar: It’s not just a node—it’s your gateway to the world. Let’s demystify it together on October 8th 2025 from 7:30pm in the Queens Domain Clubrooms and streaming. Streaming Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnPrDOKSDsY 73, REAST Committee

REAST Annual General Meeting 2023 The REAST AGM will be held on Saturday 18th February 2023 at 1pm in the Queen's Domain Clubrooms. Before the AGM there will be a BBQ from 12 Noon. Please accept a free ticket so we can cater for this event. The ordinary business of the annual general meeting is to be as follows: * to confirm the minutes of the last preceding annual general meeting and of any general meeting held since that meeting; * to receive from the committee, auditor and servants of the Association reports on the transactions of the Association during the last preceding financial year; * to elect the officers of the Association and the ordinary committee members; * to appoint the auditor; The annual general meeting may transact special business of which notice is given in accordance with these rules. A nomination form for officers of the Association is available from the REAST Website - https://www.reast.asn.au/news-events/upcoming-events/... and is to be signed by financial members of the Association and returned to the Secretary by 8 February 2023. See you there. REAST Committee

REAST - 7 December - Club End Of Year BBQ from 5pm at the Queen’s Domain Clubrooms This is a catered event.  Please grab a free ticket so we can get an indication of how many will attend.