March 2024
3rd SIG : Digital Modes.
0930 40 metres. You may hear a series of RTTY, JS8Call and PSK broadcasts.
1000 We will start with the usual catch up on VK3RCV repeater at followed by the Zoom session. Meeting ID: 824 2257 3906, Passcode: 633786. What have you been up to in the world of digital modes? Are you interested in voice or keyboard digital modes? Whatever the mode or band, come aboard and share your knowledge and experience with the group.
15th 7:30pm Monthly Meeting.
BAREC member Richard Hosking VK3BFX will be providing an interesting presentation on the 'Principals of Microprocessors'. The meeting will be at the 1st Castlemaine Scout Hall, 16 Reckleben St, Castlemaine..
31st 10am Coffee Morning in Castlemaine
Castlemaine Community House, 30 Templeton Street, Castlemaine. Enter at the front door on Templeton St, and we are in room 1 which is second on the left and down some stairs. Ramp access is through rear door of building. There are several cafes nearby, including Togs on Lyttleton St for takeaway. BYO all refreshments.
All welcome!
Thanks to Tony VK3KKP for organising the venue
31st 4pm SIG : CW practice
Any member making his/her first CW contact, I will send very slowly and complete a QSL card. Your first CW contact might be no longer than ‘VK3CTM DE VK3AAA UR RST 599 BK’. Then I reply – ‘VK3AAA DE VK3CTM UR RST 599 TU SK’. Of course the conversation can wander off in many directions – fishing rods, musical instruments, transmit power to name but a few. ‘Overs’ can be very short. Feel free to attend as an observer.
April 2024
18th World Amateur Radio Day.
World Amateur Radio Day is celebrated every year on this day.
19th Monthly Meeting. Activity TBA
28th Coffee Morning in Castlemaine 10 am
Castlemaine Community House, 30 Templeton Street, Castlemaine. Enter at the front door on Templeton St, and we are in room 1 which is second on the left and down some stairs. Ramp access is through rear door of building. There are several cafes nearby, including Togs on Lyttleton St for takeaway. BYO all refreshments.
All welcome!
Thanks to Tony VK3KKP for organising the venue
May 2024
6th Harry Angel Memorial 80m Sprint. 10:00 - 11:46 UTC (8pm to 9:46pm).
This contest is structured to suit both seasoned contesters and operators new to contesting.
The Harry Angel Sprint is an annual 80m contest event, to commemorate the life of Harry Angel VK4HA who at the time of his becoming a Silent Key was the oldest licensed amateur in Australia.
The duration of the contest is 106 minutes, one minute for each year of Harry's life. The contest is open to all grades of licence holder. There is also a section for Short Wave listeners to enter. Place winners in the Harry Angel Contest are eligible to claim points for the WIA Contest Champion (Peter Brown) Trophy
Contest details here
17th Monthly Meeting. Activity TBA
26th Coffee Morning in Castlemaine 10 am
Castlemaine Community House, 30 Templeton Street, Castlemaine. Enter at the front door on Templeton St, and we are in room 1 which is second on the left and down some stairs. Ramp access is through rear door of building. There are several cafes nearby, including Togs on Lyttleton St for takeaway. BYO all refreshments.
All welcome!
Thanks to Tony VK3KKP for organising the venue
June 2024
21st Monthly Meeting. Activity TBA
30th Coffee Morning in Castlemaine 10 am
Castlemaine Community House, 30 Templeton Street, Castlemaine. Enter at the front door on Templeton St, and we are in room 1 which is second on the left and down some stairs. Ramp access is through rear door of building. There are several cafes nearby, including Togs on Lyttleton St for takeaway. BYO all refreshments.
All welcome!
Thanks to Tony VK3KKP for organising the venue
July 2024
19th Monthly Meeting. Activity TBA
20th Trans Tasman Contest
The contest has aims to encourage Low Band activity Trans-Tasman amateur activity. That is between VK and ZL
Bands 160, 80 and 40M
Modes : SSB, CW and Digital (RTTY OR PSK)
Contest details here
28th Coffee Morning in Castlemaine 10 am
Castlemaine Community House, 30 Templeton Street, Castlemaine. Enter at the front door on Templeton St, and we are in room 1 which is second on the left and down some stairs. Ramp access is through rear door of building. There are several cafes nearby, including Togs on Lyttleton St for takeaway. BYO all refreshments.
All welcome!
Thanks to Tony VK3KKP for organising the venue
August 2024
16th Monthly Meeting. Activity: TBA
25th Coffee Morning in Castlemaine 10 am
Castlemaine Community House, 30 Templeton Street, Castlemaine. Enter at the front door on Templeton St, and we are in room 1 which is second on the left and down some stairs. Ramp access is through rear door of building. There are several cafes nearby, including Togs on Lyttleton St for takeaway. BYO all refreshments.
All welcome!
Thanks to Tony VK3KKP for organising the venue
September 2024
20th Monthly Meeting.Activity: TBA
29th Coffee Morning in Castlemaine 10 am
Castlemaine Community House, 30 Templeton Street, Castlemaine. Enter at the front door on Templeton St, and we are in room 1 which is second on the left and down some stairs. Ramp access is through rear door of building. There are several cafes nearby, including Togs on Lyttleton St for takeaway. BYO all refreshments.
All welcome!
Thanks to Tony VK3KKP for organising the venue
October 2024
5th-6th Oceania DX Contest Phone
The Contest info is here
06:00 UTC (16:00 EST) Saturday 7th October to 06:00 UTC (17:00 DST) Sunday 8th October 2023 (Daylight saving starts Sunday, 1 October 2023, 2:00:00 am clocks are turned forward 1 hour)
Bands 160M, 80M, 40M, 20M, 15M and 10M (no WARC bands)
THE AIM of the contest is to promote HF contacts with stations in the Oceania region, i.e., 9M6, DU, KH6, VK, ZL, YB, Pacific Islands and all other Oceania entities identified in the ARRL list of DXCC entities
OCDX promotes HF contacts with stations in the Oceania region.
Oceania transmitting entrants contact as many stations as possible, anywhere in the world.
DX transmitting entrants contact as many Oceania stations as possible.
Oceania SWLs copy and log as many contest stations as possible, anywhere in the world.
DX SWLs copy and log as many contest stations in Oceania as possible.
12th-13th Oceania DX Contest CW
06:00 UTC (17:00 DST) Saturday 14th October to 06:00 UTC (17:00 DST) Sunday 15th October 2023
Bands 160M, 80M, 40M, 20M, 15M and 10M (no WARC bands)
THE AIM of the contest is to promote HF contacts with stations in the Oceania region, i.e., 9M6, DU, KH6, VK, ZL, YB, Pacific Islands and all other Oceania entities identified in the ARRL list of DXCC entities
The Contest info and a link to the 2023 rules are here.
18th Monthly Meeting. 7:30 pm Topic: TBD
27th Coffee Morning in Castlemaine 10 am
Castlemaine Community House, 30 Templeton Street, Castlemaine. Enter at the front door on Templeton St, and we are in room 1 which is second on the left and down some stairs. Ramp access is through rear door of building. There are several cafes nearby, including Togs on Lyttleton St for takeaway. BYO all refreshments.
All welcome!
Thanks to Tony VK3KKP for organising the venue
November 2024
15th Monthly Meeting. Topic TBD
24th Coffee Morning in Castlemaine 10 am
Castlemaine Community House, 30 Templeton Street, Castlemaine. Enter at the front door on Templeton St, and we are in room 1 which is second on the left and down some stairs. Ramp access is through rear door of building. There are several cafes nearby, including Togs on Lyttleton St for takeaway. BYO all refreshments.
All welcome!
Thanks to Tony VK3KKP for organising the venue
December 2024
15th NO Monthly Meeting this month.
29th Coffee Morning in Castlemaine 10 am
Castlemaine Community House, 30 Templeton Street, Castlemaine. Enter at the front door on Templeton St, and we are in room 1 which is second on the left and down some stairs. Ramp access is through rear door of building. There are several cafes nearby, including Togs on Lyttleton St for takeaway. BYO all refreshments.
All welcome!
Thanks to Tony VK3KKP for organising the venue
January 2025
1st-31st Ross Hull Memorial VHF/UHF Contest
17th   7:30pm Monthly Meeting. Pizza Night
Location:
BAREC club room, Bendigo East Hall, 35 Lansell St, East Bendigo, VIC 3550
26th Australia Day Contest
26th Coffee Morning in Castlemaine 10 am
Castlemaine Community House, 30 Templeton Street, Castlemaine. Enter at the front door on Templeton St, and we are in room 1 which is second on the left and down some stairs. Ramp access is through rear door of building. There are several cafes nearby, including Togs on Lyttleton St for takeaway. BYO all refreshments.
All welcome!
Thanks to Tony VK3KKP for organising the venue
Febuary 2024
16th   AGM and Monthly Meeting.
To vote you need to be a financial member
Activity: Annual 'Home Brew' competition where members present projects they have completed in the past year
25th Coffee Morning in Castlemaine 10 am
Castlemaine Community House, 30 Templeton Street, Castlemaine. Enter at the front door on Templeton St, and we are in room 1 which is second on the left and down some stairs. Ramp access is through rear door of building. There are several cafes nearby, including Togs on Lyttleton St for takeaway. BYO all refreshments.
All welcome!
Thanks to Tony VK3KKP for organising the venue

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