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When not actually operating contests, there’s a lot of hard work to do in the months and weeks leading up to the contest that make the contests themselves successful. Building and maintaining the equipment and antennas, honing operating skills and mentally preparing ourselves for the competition takes a lot of time and effort.
Club members loan their equipment to the club for the contests:
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Yaesu FT1000’s, FT990 and Elecraft K3 transceivers;
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K1EL keyers, Bencher paddles, mikes - the usual stuff;
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Amplifiers - Dentron, Ameritron, Heath, Amp Supply Co and other famous brands, most of which are capable of running the ZL legal limit (500W) on all HF bands;
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Test gear - there’s the usual array of MFJ antenna analyzers, multimeters etc.;
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An antenna patch panel (shown right);
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Workshop tools - everything from hand tools and drill presses to welding gear and giant tank-sized spanners;
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An electric jug or kettle to some of you. This vital piece of club equipment keeps us going day and night.
Arguably the most important bits are the antennas.
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