Papakura Section AREC assisted the James Allan Rallysprint with Safety and results comms.

Dave ZL1DK and Jim ZL1AVR controlling two seperate channels (intended to be both Auckland AREC STSP's on 6825 and 6875, but due to interference, one channel was run simplex) with two stages running simultaneously, repeat times throughout the day.

Yours truly operating at the Start of Stage 2.
Initial confusion over the best method of getting the data back to HQ settled down after run number 1 and all was smooth.

Some photos [will be posted here later tonight].

Interestingly enough among the Marshalls at the Start of SS2 was Chris James, whos callsign I forget.... hes a licensed amateur and been involved with the Rally of NZ with me a couple of times.

Another successful event demonstrating the flexibility of Amateur Radio in conditions where other comms would have fallen over. (I didn't even have Cellphone Coverage for most of the day).

I spent most of last Saturday at the JOTA Station at Camp Maynard, Albany.
The event was the years Jamboree On The Air - Where Scouts and Guides (Etc) get onto the ham bands to talk to eachother for a weekend.

Photos are posted - http://www.blakjak.net/images/JOTA2005/

A good event run by our crew from Br65 Papakura - however, a few minor niggles

* Non JOTA stations monopolising the National System and other HF frequencies
* JOTA stations carrying out extended QSO's on the calling frequencies
* A general Lack of JOTA stations to work!

Next year, improvements maybe? We say this every year, though...

WikiPedia is an increasingly popular online Wiki-come-Encyclopedia. The Wiki is a site which can be edited by Anyone. No specific credentials required. The outcome is a site which can rapidly explode in content size, and is of course subject to 'peer review' (anyone can edit anyone elses articles).

Today I noted that Amateur Radio had a lengthy and well written article, and added some comments about NZ's Amateur Radio Emergency Communications group. The comments are viewable Here and the pointers head back to The NZART Web Site.

I even plugged our involvement in the Rally of New Zealand and linked through to my page on the subject. Wonder how long that'll stay :-)