This is Allan VK4HIT with news from Ipswich and District Radio Club. The club’s final business meeting of 2025 reported the most recent WICEN-supported event at Mt Glorious was successful with some 130 runners taking part. Ipswich WICEN commitments for this year are still to be finalised and members will be advised. Robert VK4KHW, on behalf of Brisbane WICEN, has put out the call for help with a couple of horse trail events in May and July. The first one is a two-day event starting at Kilkivan Showgrounds and the second is at Stirling Crossing Imbil. Any members who can volunteer to help should contact Paul VK4PMC in the first instance. At the December meeting the club welcomed its newest member John VK4JLB – welcome John. A reminder the next social night is Monday January 12 and the next business meeting Monday January 26. Both start at 1930 hours. We're barely into the new year and already we've been handed a REALLY good idea that applies to hams all round Australia. Hi there: it's the week of 11 January, I'm John VK4JPM, Club Secretary of Darling Downs Radio Club, and to be honest I wish I'd known about the Ham Challenge in December, so that I could have given you a bit more warning. But here we go in the spirit of better late than never... which is what everyone says, until they just miss a plane or don't get their John Moyle results filed in time. Now that we've fixed the calendar problem on our website, you can go to ddrci.org.au and find an article on the 52 week Ham Challenge in the slider. Just click through and check it out. The Ham Challenge concept is really simple: each week there is a challenge for that week, and when you complete the challenge two things happen. You get some bragging rights, and - more importantly - you will have done something that expands your appreciation of our hobby. Some of the challenges are really simple, like "make a contact". Some are a bit harder, like "use a specific mode to make a contact" or "how low can you go with QRP" Some of the challenges might be downright difficult, like "build something and then get on air with it". But hey - isn't that what you were always intending to do? Sure. The first challenge for the year was simple, with lots of help provided, but uncharted territory for many of us, and that's the point. In this case, the requirement was: make a QSO on a far away repeater using Echolink. I mean, really: what could be simpler? And they've followed up this week with "make a QSO in a mode you're unfamiliar with. Um... isn't that what you just did in week one? But looks like you can kill two birds with these two challenges, since for most of us Echolink would be an unfamiliar mode. Anyway, why not give it a go? And, at the same time, you're likely to pick up new skills with Mastodon and IRC, and make a few new friends in the process. And the week eleven challenge is so simple and so needed that you'd wonder why you'd never been rewarded for it in the past? This is all about the 52 week HamChallenge, and you can read about it at ddrci.org.au. Good news for everyone who applied for club merch: the order is in and embroidered items will magically become available some time after 20 January. We'll let you know. Coming up dates for the diary: next club tech meeting and social gathering on Monday 9 February, and the next club lunch will be on Saturday 14th. If you'd like to influence our choice of venue, now would be a good time to start. We move it around a bit... and maybe it's time to head to the west. Or to Maringandan maybe... that would be impressive. The important reminder: our boxing day sale doesn't have forever to run, and right now memberships are half price: click the big red button on the website. And as always, comments, thoughts and complaints to secretary@ddrci.org.au.

From all of us here at Darling Downs Radio Club, Happy New Year. I'm John, VK4JPM, Club Secretary, and I'm in a very merry-post-HoHoHo mood this week. Lots of good stuff happening. January is mostly behind the scenes work for the club and committee, but there are a couple of important reminders that I'd like to pass on. Let's start with the club merch order, and that closes tomorrow, Monday 5 January, at 0930. That's firm, so don't delay. The shirts and caps are really impressive, barely more expensive than a polo or cap without embroidery, and really help you stand out as an ambassador for the club. Go to the website and click on the calendar entry to see what the merch looks like, and to place an order. 2. a reminder that we don't have a formal club meeting in January, but we're preparing. We'd like to know what you found most helpful in the past year, and what you'd like to experience in the coming year. Our Heathkit Mindreader has gone on the blink, so please send an email to secretary@ddrci.org.au with your thoughts. 3. Good dates to hold for February would be Monday 9 Feb for the next in-person and over-the-web meeting. That's 9 Feb, and it's a Monday. And Saturday 14 Feb, which would be the next likely informal lunch. That's 14 Feb, and that will be at a sit-down location somewhere interesting. 4. New Year's membership of DDRCi is only $20 for adults, discounted further for pensioners, students and youth, and only $35 for a family of four. What could be better than that? Click on the big red join button from the home page to find out all the details and finally If you're listening to this on Sunday morning, why not come up on the club 2m net? We'd love you to join the conversation. It's a great way to meet people, and maybe we can help you solve a tricky problem? Details are on the homepage, or just go to 146.750MHz with your best impersonation of a 91.5Hz tone and a 600kHz negative offset. It's about the only negative part of the experience. So there you go. We'll catch you next week for another update. Meanwhile grab your favourite beverage, check the antenna and come up on the bands. For all of the team at Darling Downs Radio Club, I'm John VK4JPM. Have a good one!

Hi there... and welcome to the last QNEWS for 2025. I'm John, VK4JPM, Secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club. Since we're in the middle of gift-giving season, I hope Santa has already been good to you. But... but if you missed out - or if you ran out of time to get a gift for someone else - here are three gift thoughts that you can put into action to catch up. One: the gift of belonging - that would be belonging to our club. If you like what we do, if we've supported you in some way through the year, if we've helped to spark joy, then the best way to tell us is through a membership of the club. And here's a bonus: because DDRCi has reducing membership rates through the year, now is the best time to jump on on-board - because the rates are at the lowest cost point. It costs as little as $20 to join right now, and that covers you for six months. It's even cheaper for pensioners, students and youngsters. And what do you get for your membership? You get the club; you get to tell us that you value what we do, and you get the opportunity to influence the direction that the club takes to support you as a member. We like supporting you, a lot - it's why we have a club. Two: the gift of promotion. Buy some of the club merch and support us visibly. In a little over a week, on 5 January, we will place the next order because that's the day our supplier comes back from break. The new shirts and caps have been a hit, and you can read all about them on the home page at ddrci.org.au. I can tell you from experience that the shirts are top quality, survive lots of washing, are comfy to wear, and it's quite useful to have your name and call where it can be seen. We've already had the experience where three of us got a discount because the shopkeeper thought we were FIFO workers. Check out the story on the home page, where you can get info about sizing and pricing, and how to order, which you will need to do by 5th of January or miss out this round. 5 January: that's a little over a week. But do it now. and Three: the gift of encouragement: encourage someone you know to join the club. We're as good as our members, and with clubs it's definitely strength in numbers. If you know someone who needs help with STEM - that's science, technology, engineering and mathematics, then tell them about the club. STEM is what we do, because that's what underpins amateur radio. So we're naturally going to be a source of STEM and support for learning. If you know someone of any age who needs a leg up with STEM subjects - then tell them about Darling Downs Radio Club, and casually mention that the club has some of the best technology and training brains in the business... just waiting to help. As we move towards end of 2025, can we take a quick moment of reflection? Whether you're a member of Darling Downs, member of another club, or not a member at all, when was the last time you gave the club a score card? And if you're not a member, why not and what would it take to help you change your mind? We figure that you're only going to join or stay if the club is doing something useful, but trust me when I say that we're not mind-readers and Amateur Radio is such a broad hobby that we could easily think we're doing the right thing but be missing by a mile... which is 200kHz when you do the maths. The only way the club improves is if you tell us what you think: good, bad or OK. We'd really like to know. The best way to get in touch is via email to secretary@ddrci.org.au, or our contact page via the website at ddrci.org.au. Until then, stay safe, enjoy Santa's spoils, walk off a bit of the big meals, and send us an email or two to let us know you exist. I'm John VKz4JPM; 73 from me and all of us here at the Darling Downs Radio Club.

News of a Silent Key, Ian Browne VK4DB Sad news received from Denise/VK4FCDB, board of control of Ian/VK4DB that Ian went Silent Key on Wednesday 26th November at Townsville University Hospital following complications caused by lung cancer. Ian was farewelled at a private funeral Tuesday 2nd December in Townsville attended by close family members. Only four sleeps to go, which means it's either time to congratulate you on ordering early enough to receive the helical-long-wire-gamma-matcher with the auto-resonating-anti-SWR-digital-gumble-snergler, or... you missed out and the package will arrive on 2 January just before you have to go back to work. Either way, this is QNEWS coming to you from the Darling Downs Radio Club where we know how to toss up an antenna or two. I'm John VK4JPM, Club Secretary. Speaking of antennas: that's still one of the frontiers of ham radio endeavour and we've been thinking about how much we know... and don't know... about getting antennas to work effectively. In the past it was a matter of putting up an antenna, testing it on your rig, matching for minimum SWR, and then... well, you had to ask people how good is the reception and guess. Nowadays we can be much more clever, and one of the reasons that we've focused a bit on Software Defined Radios is that you can use an SDR to test the antenna for yourself. Especially when the SDR under your control could be a few kilometres away, or right across the country, and you can listen to your own signal to test for improvements. Very cute. So we've been tossing around what the club can do to help you build your antenna skills. Watch out for a possible meeting in February where we kick off a series of sessions. If that's of interest to you, tell us. If you think we should be talking about something else, tell us that too. Send a note to secretary@ddrci.org.au with your thoughts. Last week we had our end-of-year BBQ and natter at Webb Park and this year the skies smiled. Perfect weather, and at least one of the hotplates worked well enough to do lunch for everyone. Lots of discussion, especially about repeaters and whether we could be improving 2m coverage across the Downs. And thanks to Bruce VK4MQ we capped off lunch with a bit of fox-hunting, much to the delight of the kids who had joined us. There will be photos on the website by the time you hear this, and you can check those out at ddrci.org.au. VK4 - Redfest - Deception Bay North State School 9am April 11. (vk4ble) The Redcliffe and Districts Radio Club will be holding Redfest 2026 on the 11th of April 2026 at the Deception Bay North State School, 49 Old Bay Road, Deception Bay starting at 9am. For further information contact the Club Secretary, secretary@redclifferadioclub.org.au

Welcome to QNEWS, and if we have the right date this would be Sunday 14 December. Only 11 sleeps until Santa gives you a transceiver with a waterfall, to replace the transceiver that got water-filled. I'm John VK4JPM, secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club. And it's been a busy week for the club. Last Monday our half live/half virtual meeting started with a general club update, followed by a report on the WIA Presidents meeting from last weekend. Some very interesting stuff, especially the class licence update, bandplan consultation - access to 23cm might be a challenge - and clubs insurance. And as always, when you ask questions you get interesting answers - thanks muchly to all the folks who weighed in on an ad-hoc discussion about membership systems. And there was some very interesting news about the John Moyle Field Day... more about that in a sec. After a break and a cuppa, we kicked off with show-and-tell, and that once again proved that telepresence works. Interesting discussions from Peter VK4PQ in Townsville and Bob VK4ZOW in the room. Many people brought interesting bits and bobs to pass around, including some valve modules from a 1950s IBM computer, complete with IBM-branded valves. Star turn goes to Bruce VK4MQ who showed a $70 AliExpress SWR/Power meter that he cleverly had reprogrammed and rebuilt to do the job it should have done in the first place for the cost of just a few dollars. Bruce also showed an autotuning CODAN HF antenna and demonstrated how it works, and he showed a very impressive rebuilt CODAN HF rig, of a type typically available for a few dollars at a swapmeet. That might not sound like a lot but there was so much round-table discussion that we ran out of time to discuss the 2m Chinese handhelds, so... watch for that another day. Our next formal member's meeting is in February and a very interesting suggestion was put forward - watch this space. We'd like to know what you would want to see on the slate for next year's meetings generally. More hardware? More software? More weird topics? More mainstream topics? You might have a specialised interest that nobody else knows about, and won't until you tell us. Send your thoughts - no matter how weird, way-out, or mainstream - to secretary@ddrci.org.au and let's have a chat. Secretary@ddrci.org.au Finally, the John Moyle Field Day contest will be coming up in March and the new rules are worth a look. Our club has faired reasonably well over the past years, including a convincing win in our category this year. Our next decision is whether, how and where we might want to enter this competition in 2026. I'll talk more about that in coming weeks, and we intend to do some planning over the break. That's it for this week. I'm John VK4JPM, and I'd love to know what you think. secretary@ddrci.org.au; why not come up on the 2m club net on Sundays at 1000; check out our website where you'll find out about the Saturday HF net and all the other things we do; and you can reach us via the contact page if everything else fails. 73s from the Darling Downs Radio Club.

DARLING DOWNS RADIO CLUB Hi. This is QNEWS for Sunday 7 December, and I'm John VK4JPM - Secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club. Three important messages from us for this coming week. Number 1. Our next club meeting is on Monday, 8 December, which is possibly tomorrow (by the time you hear QNEWS). The meeting will be in person at 2 Victory Street, Newtown, and online. The meeting format is a round table. 2m FM is still the band of choice for repeaters and a general natter, and it's hard to find someone these days who doesn't have at least one handheld device. What functions can you use, and what functions need a manual and three hours of tuition to access? Is the default software better or worse than the replacement options, and which replacement might be best? What are your likes and pet peeves? Have you tried any of the add-on hardware to extend bands and modes? Is Chirp the key to an easy life? And... where do you find a decent antenna? All these questions and more will be answered... or maybe not, if it turns out there aren't answers. We're also thinking about what we could do to make 2m work better around the Downs, and you might like to weigh in on that discussion. We'd like your thoughts. So our last meeting for this year should be a good one. We kick off at 1900, and the details are on the home page at ddrci.org.au. Number 2: This year's end-of-season lunch is a BBQ on Saturday, 13 December, and we're returning to Webb Park on Dudley Street in Toowoomba. If you've never heard of that location - Webb Park that is; we're pretty sure you know where Toowoomba is - it's easy to find on the map applications, and just as easy to find in reality. We can't promise that we'll be alone, or that the weather will be perfect, but we can tell you that there are four hotplates under cover, lots of picnic benches, reasonably good parking, just a gentle walk down the hill to the main area, and an absolutely spectacular view east towards Brisbane. FM propagation will be excellent. It's not a POTA park, but there will be plenty of opportunities to test out anything that will run on batteries, and there are lots of trees to hang the longwire. All welcome, families and young people particularly, and it's the standard deal for this type of gathering: no charge, and BYO everything. Maybe even a spare chair in case others grab the tables first. Or just be there early. That's the DDRCi end-of-year lunch next Saturday, 13 December. We kick off at 1130, and the day will run until the last person leaves. Full details can be found on the club website at ddrci.org.au. Talk-in will be on 2m simplex 145.650, and via the club repeater VK4RDD on 146.750. And speaking of which, if you're listening to QNEWS on Sunday morning, 7 December, the regular club net will kick off on VK4RDD at 1000. Why not join us? Number 3: Australia might shut down over late December and January, but the club won't. If you're interested in sitting an exam or doing some training to get you there, drop us a line via the education hotline: education@ddrci.org.au. We've been having a great time helping all kinds of folk to get on air for the first time or upgrade their existing qualifications, and it's a smooth process. Ham radio is such a broad area, with so many sub-genres, that it's hard not to find something interesting to do - and plenty of uncharted waters and experimentation to be done. The licence allows you to do just that, pretty much the only form of ACMA licence which permits and encourages do-it-yourself and rev-it-up activity. Let us help you get there. And that's it for this week. You can get in touch with us via the contact page Until we see you next, 73 from John VK4JPM for the Darling Downs Radio Club.

Good... morning, evening, nooning and midnighting. Whenever you're listening, I'm John VK4JPM, secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club, and it might very well be the week of 30 November 2025. Wow. One month to go before we increment the year counter. Lots happened this past week. Thanks to all the people who sent back suggestions of location for our Club end-of-year gathering and BBQ - more about that in a second, but put Saturday 13 December in your diary right now. The next club meeting is on 8 December - that's next week - and this is definitely one for remote attendees as much as those in the room. The topic is handheld radios, how well today's devices work, and whether you need to pay a fortune, or you can get great results for $30. I'm one of those people who paid over $700 for a three-channel synthesised 2m handheld in the 70s - I still have it - and I can't believe the value you get today. But that doesn't mean it's the best option. The club did investigate the topic previously, but that was 15 years ago, and it's time for an update. So if you have a Baofeng, Quansheng, Retevis, BinQi, Maycall, Hyterra, Inrico, or some other brand with an unpronounceable name that nobody has heard of, this is a meeting for you. We're going to pool knowledge, check out additional software, look for tips and tricks, and discuss some reviews, both complementary and damning. At the end, we'll all know more, and that's a good reason to attend. Check the website for details: www.ddrci.org.au and wait until it comes round if it's not on the screen immediately. 8 December at 1900 for that one. Our end-of-year in-person gathering is scheduled for Saturday, 13 December at Webb Park in Toowoomba. This is the location we used last year, and it came back as a popular selection. And why not: it's not on an official Park list; it's high, but not the highest, and it's next to two major schools. That puts it adjacent to YOTA, SOTA and POTA. More importantly, it has undercover areas, good BBQs, lots of parking, and it's roughly in the middle of everything. More info on the website for that one, too. We're planning meetings for next year too, so if you'd like to make suggestions or ask us to do something, send an email now so that the Committee can add your thoughts to the list. Secretary@ddrci.org.au is the best way to reach us; all ideas are welcome and considered. Last weekend, another of our aspiring candidates made it through exams, and congratulations to young Gene, who is now running the application process to get his Australian licence after previously holding a Canadian call. The final practice was lots of fun, with a POTA activation at Ravensbourne. The bands were buzzing, and with not many watts, we had POTA contacts and a good QSO with a J who was calling CQ. If you'd like to get or upgrade a call, drop a line to education@ddrci.org.au and let's talk about how we can help. Finally: If you'd like a club cap or a club shirt with your name, call, place the order now. Sizes, costs and details are on the website so wait for it to come past. We love your comments so don't be bashful: email to secretary@ddrci.org.au and we'll do what we can to help. I'm John VK4JPM and thanks for getting involved. 73 from Darling Downs Radio Club. Additional info: Saturday 13 December from 1130-1430 or as long as we run, at Webb Park on Dudley Street in Toowoomba. BYO everything. Family-friendly and harmonics will be well catered for on the council-provided playthings. BBQ, somewhere to sit, and amenities are all good and free.

Hi - you're listening to QNEWS, most likely on Sunday, the 23rd of November 2025. I'm John VK4JPM, secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club, with a helpful burst for members.. and everyone else interested in amateur radio west of Brisbane. But. I'm going to start with a repeat of last week's shout-out to all club officers and committees in greater Queensland and just across the border, because it's resonated... a bit. And it should resonate a lot. QNEWS is a great way to get club info to a wide audience, and it's surprised me that so few clubs use it. It's one of the things that we might address at a meeting of club officers in the future, but that's in the future, and we should start now. So I'll repeat my offer. If your club has meetings coming up, or if you have activities regularly scheduled - for instance, if everyone turns up on Saturdays for a natter, or if you are planning something for the end-of-year, why not tell everyone? People will travel from all over the state and beyond if the invitation is interesting enough. And don't forget that a listener might opportunistically be in your area and would love to join you. But they won't come if they don't know what you're doing. And even if you don't have a formal meeting in the works, trust me: other hams and shortwave listeners and even CBers are interested in what your club does. Anyone with a $30 Baofeng can listen to QNews, even if you don't hear them talk back. The key message is: let's all tell each other what's happening, and what's coming up. It's good for membership, good for cross-pollination of clubs, good for activities, and good for the hobby. Writing and voicing a segment isn't impossible, and doesn't need a recording studio. If I can help you get on board with the QNEWS process, drop me a line to secretary@ddrci.org.au and let's talk about how to get started. Probably this is a good time for the reminder that all the material from our EMR session with John VK4JBE is on the website, in the homepage rotator - that's the carousel on the home page just after the "Join our Club" button. And while you're grabbing the EMR templates and documentation, check out all the other activities that Darling Downs Radio Club has coming up! Our next in-person club member meeting and tech natter will be on Monday, 8 December at 1900. Details on the website, but expect a bit of discussion about Chinese 2m (and 70cm) handhelds, and some show and tell. For those of you joining remotely: this is another of those round-table sessions where we all learn from each other. What hand-helds are you using now? When you paid $300 for an old-school device, does it work better than the $30 cheapy? We'd all like to know. That's on Monday, 8 December at 1900 in person and online. If you need to upgrade or convert your licence, then Darling Downs Radio Club can help. Since there's no ACMA process to recognise prior qualifications (like if you have an overseas licence), redoing the exam is the simplest option, and we can help. There's no charge for the licence assessment - we run exams regularly because we're awesome and because we actively want more people to be involved in our hobby. Talk to us about how and when by sending an email to education@ddrci.org.au. The best way to be informed about club activity is to check the website or to register on our mailing list. Club members find out first, so there's an incentive to join - and individual membership is $30 or less right now. Go to the website ddrci.org.au and press the big red JOIN button. Until next week, thanks for listening. I'm John VK4JPM, secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club.

Hi - you're listening to QNEWS for week of Sunday 16 November 2025 and I'm John VK4JPM with some info from the Darlin Downs Radio Club. But first a shout-out to all club officers and committees in Queensland. QNEWS is a great way to get club info to a wide audience, and it's surprised me that so few other clubs use it. It's one of the things that we might address at a meeting of club officers in the future, but how about an offer? If your club has meetings coming up, or if you have activities regularly scheduled - for instance, if everyone turns up on Saturdays for a natter, or if you are planning something for end-of-year: why not tell everyone. People will travel from all over the state and beyond if the invitation is interesting enough. And don't forget that a listener might opportunistically be in your area and would love to join you... but only if they knew what you're doing. And through QNEWS, our club now has members from all over the state and we have lots of distant members attending our meetings via telepresence. That's good for everyone, and a big help to gaining attention and focus on our hobby. If I can help you get on-board with the QNEWS process, drop me a line to secretary@ddrci.org.au and let's talk about how to get started. Truly, it's not hard. ==== Last week John VK4JBE did a really good session on EMR. It was well attended - probably thanks to QNEWS - and generated lots of questions. There are two areas that you really do need to be across: If you can't see the info you want, just wait and it will rotate past. And while you're there, check out all the other activities that our club has coming up! Speaking of which: our next in person club member meeting and tech natter will be on Monday 8 December at 1900. Details on the website, but expect a bit of discussion about Chinese 2m (and 70cm) handhelds, and some show and tell. For those of you joining remotely: this is another of those round-table sessions where we all learn from each other. What hand-helds are you using now? When you paid $300 for an old-school device, does it work better than the $30 cheapy? We'd all like to know. That's on Monday 8 December at 1900 in person and online. Also stay tuned for our end-of-year gathering, which we'll unfold next week. Finally, we've had some offers of gear and particularly towers and masts. Members and those on our mailing list will receive an email in the coming week. If you're not on the list, send an email to secretary@ddrci.org.au and we will add you. If you're not a member don't forget that it's now only $30 to join, with significant discounts for students, young people and pensioners. All at the website ddrci.org.au and press the big red JOIN button. Until next week thanks for listening. I'm John VK4JPM secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club. 73s all. The Redcliffe and Districts Radio Club will be holding Redfest 2026 on the 11th of April 2026 at the Deception Bay North State School, 49 Old Bay Road, Deception Bay starting at 9am. For further information contact the Club Secretary

Hi there - welcome to news from the Darling Downs Radio Club. I'm Club Secretary John VK4JPM. Exciting few days coming up, and if it's Sunday, 9 November by the time you hear this, it's probably too late to leave home for the Gold Coast and the annual GCARS Hamfest. But if you're listening early or picked up the text edition of QNEWS, this is a reminder that some of us will be attending, so look for the well-identified club shirts and hats, and say hi. Tomorrow night, Monday, 10 November, is our monthly tech meeting and gathering. Special guest is John VK4JB,E up from the big smoke to talk about EMR, or electromagnetic radiation, or electromagnetic emissions in some quarters. EMR is non-ionising radiation; it's invisible; it's non-ionising, so the impact follows the inverse-square law; and generally speaking, the stuff we transmit isn't going to dissociate electrons in your body. But your transmissions do have the ability to heat things that are in proximity, so you can be very damaged if you're too close to a radiator. Check out the ARPANSA website - that's A R P A N S A.gov.au for some background. John will cover all this and more tomorrow at the club meeting. He has tips to help you follow what's happening, and advise on how to correctly document your operation so that you have adequate defence if someone chooses to complain about what you're doing on air. The meeting will be held at the Scout Hall, 2 Victory Street, Newtown in Toowoomba, and everyone is welcome. Last weekend I attended QTech 2025 in Chermside, and what a wonderful event that was. About 60 people in the room for a series of really great presentations, panels and discussions... not one was a dud. I was especially impressed with young hams Finn VK4II and Otto VK4OTZ, who opened the day with a well-researched presentation titled "Young Hams: yes, we exist!", and showed how their lives had been positively impacted by their involvement in amateur radio. And how did they get started? Playing with rockets and realising a need for communications. Amateur radio to the rescue. The event featured a small dealer space, plenty of muffins and lunch, and evidence of really solid planning and admin for the event - congratulations to the organising team. Two highlights stood out for me: a cross to the International Space Station in conjunction with students from a local school, and the corridor conversations - especially with the large contingent who had come from Adelaide, none of whom I had previously met. Anyone who goes to a conference knows that you get permission to attend based on the program, but a huge benefit is from social interactions. In this case, I learned all kinds of useful things about operating a successful club, and discovered some useful theory and experience along the way. There was much discussion about the present and future of amateur radio, and about how to grow this event. It definitely proved that there's an appetite for technical info and project work, and we were treated to several practical and home-brew developments brought along by participants. Everyone at QTech 2025 was bubbling with enthusiasm for what took place. Speaking of which: there's a strong rumour that you should hold the first weekend of November in 2026, and plan to be in Hobart. Truly: I can't wait. We've been advised of some tower and other gear being sold right now, and needing to move quickly, so a bargain is possible. Check VKclassifieds.net.au and search on vk2ri for the list of stuff. That's vkclassifieds.net.au and search vk2ri. If there's anything you missed, it's all on our website, or you can send an email to secretary@ddrci.org.au. Next week, we'll tell you about the December meeting on Monday, the 8th, our social plans for the end of the year, how to get some of the new club merch, and what we're doing about education and training.