2013 EVENTS

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GMP Rally - 29-30th November 2013

SS4 - Jagtvlakte

 

SS6 - Scribante

 

 

Garden Route Rally - 15-16th November 2013

Comms Overview Map

Radio Network map using the George Repeater (145.700) and 2 crossband repeaters (145.500 simplex):

 

Operator Schedules

 

 

 

 

ZS2RL XYL, ZS2AE, ZS2AAW at Ebb & Flow campsite, arrived the night before and relaxing (off duty!)

 

ZS2AE, ZS2AAW crosssband comms for stages 3,4,5

 

Club rig does the crossband duty

 

Abe, ZS1ZS and Beat, ZS1HB stopped to say "hi" en route to Stage 3

 

ZS2RL & XYL at MID3 in the forest, in the drizzle

 

First car to arrive at Start Stage 2

 

The cockpit (or "box office", depending!)

 

A victom of the wet forest roads, stage 3

 

First causeway en route to Stage 8 on Saturday morning...

 

Forest roads flooding.

 

And over the next ridge...

 

...so we set up HF comms here, before stage 8 and waited for news...

The Saturday stages all but one were cancelled due to flooding and inaccessibility for Marshals and competitors.  
(See the PEARS facebook page for the video clip taken by ZS2GRL where they were forced to turn back.)

 

 

Volunteers:

Start/Finish (Ebb&Flow North Camp) Tony ZR2TX Control 04h30 082 956 2920

Transition 1 Beavan ZS2RL Transition 1 05h00 082 837 1659 S 33°59’ 41” E 22°34’ 44”

Transition 2 Trevor ZS2AE, Chris ZS2AAW Transition 2 06h00 082 925 6367 S 33°57’ 32” E 22°31’ 56”

Pass Raymond ZS1RAY Relay 07h00 082 575 1764 Position best suited to give coverage to TP3

Transition 3 Hans ZS1ALJ, Sharon ZS1SLM Transition 3 07h00 008822 746680 14795740 S 33°51’ 49” E 22°28’ 09”

Transition 4 Colin ZR2CRS Transition 4 09h00 082 376 3842 S 33°57’ 39” E 22°33’ 19”

Transition 5 Trevor ZS2AE, Chris ZS2AAW Transition 5 11h00 082 925 6367 S 33°58’ 48” E 22°47’ 59”

Sedgefield Lookout Beavan ZS2RL Cloud 9 11h00 082 837 1659 Position best suited to give coverage to TP5 & 6

See directions below

Transition 6 Abe ZS1ZS Beat ZS1HB Transition 6 12h00 008722 825914 81411973 S 34°01’ 24” E 22°46’ 27”

Transition 7 Raymond ZS1RAY, Colin ZR2CRS Transition 7 14h00 008822 357765 31874624 S 33°59’ 41” E 22°34’ 44”

therwise revert to 145.500 simplex

 

ZS2AAW, ZR2CRS, ZR2TX, ZS2AE - checking for VHF comms at the Ebb & Flow North Camp

 

Getting down to the REAL stuff - socialising!!

 

ZS2AE and ZR2CRS manning Transition Point 2 at Saasveld, in the drizzle

 

ZS2RL's crossband relay station for comms to Transition 5

 

 

 

Springmount Cross-country Run & Mountainbike Race - 8th September 2013

 

ZS2RL's checkpoint - first runner arrives

 

A family event!

 

Support crew on standby

 

For young and less-young

 

 

Trans-Baviaans Mountainbike Race - 17-18th August 2013

The layout of the comms network is as follows:

 

 

VOLUNTEERS:

 

 

ZS2GV's temporary repeater at Grasnek

 

"No further, stop JUST here" said the oil-burner!

 

Hardworking crossband mobile

 

"...the long and winding road....."

 

Support truck in the distance

 

Some 'kloof views

 

Nature Conservation repeater?

 

 

Andrew ZS2G at Checkpoint 3

 

Checkpoint 3 antenna installation in progress

 

Ted ZS2TED at Control

 

Control Operating position

 

Tony ZR2TX at Control

 

ZS2TED HF antennas farm

 

ZS2TED Solar panel renewable energy source

 

Night falls

 

Control against a lovely sunset sky

 

Vero's temporary digi near Checkpoint 1

 

Digi hanging inside the unused Control Box

 

"Klei Huise" station temp digi and HF by ZS2AAW

 

Front of the pack approaching the Klei Huise area

 

BIKE-1 battling to keep up?

 

BIKE-1 the lead pack follow vehicle

 

The sky at Checkpoint 4 - Bergplaas

 

Bergplaas UHF Repeater and UHF Digi, looked after by Eric, ZS2ECH and Isolda, ZS2IW

 

Eric, ZS2ECH on duty at Checkpoint 4

 

What all the competitors are after - their "stash" boxes!

 

First groups arrive at Checkpoint 4

 

Beavan ZS2RL at the "Boom" radio checkpoint

 

VW Rally - July 2013

"See the Rally History page"

 

President's Trophy Air Race - 24-25th May 2013

The PTAR Comms team, a mix of Southern Cape and Eastern Cape amateurs

 

Turning Point setup at Willowmore airstrip

 

Turning Point setup at Joubertina airstrip

 

Low flying turn-out right...

From Beavan, ZS2RL:

A number of PEARS members provided radio comms for the President’s Trophy Air Race.  One group comprised Colin ZR2CRS, Jimmy deScande, Patrick van Rensburg, Ted ZS2TED, Sanet ZR2SDL and Beavan ZS2RL.  On the first day of the race (Friday 24 May) they were assigned to a turning point designated ‘8_School’, about 24 km SW of Willowmore.  This was an isolated farm school, truly in the stix, catering for children resident on farms in the area.  The headmistress and teachers admitted defeat in that they would not be able to hold the childrens’ attention while the aircraft were roaring past close to the school, and decided that the children may stand outside and watch the spectacle.  Colin ZR2CRS suggested that he addressed the children before the race started, so that they would understand what was happening, and also the role that AR was playing in the event.  The teachers were delighted at this idea, because it would expand the childrens’ horizons, many of them having no idea of the world beyond the boundaries of their farms.

 

Well, it was a great success, the kids being goggle-eyed at the sleek aircraft zooming past just above their heads.  As can be seen in one of the photographs, they were very disciplined, standing outside like a platoon of ‘troopies’ – they had been instructed not to utter a peep, because it could interfere with radio comms.

 

Who knows, maybe there are a few future hams among their number!

 

 

Ocean Basket Rally - 11th May 2013

Held in the Longmore Forest
Control at Thornhill Hotel

No pics received for the website :(

 

Addo Mountainbike challenge - 2nd February 2013

PEARS was once again involved with the VW Herald Addo Mountainbike Challenge, which took place in and around Addo in the most perfect weather.  Manning the control centre for the day was Tony, ZR2TX, kitted out nicely with headset and handheld.  He was later joined by Patsy, ZS2PTY.  Tony's son Matthew entered the 60km race.

 

ZS2ECH playing speed-cop in the bushes

 

Eric's first victim...

 

ZR2TX at the control centre - Addo Polo Club

 

Taking part in the kiddies race was Robyn, harmonic of ZS2AAW, accompanied by mom Vanessa, ZS2VS

 

ZS2RL at the Waterpoint sent us this view of activities there.

 

 

QRP Contest - 27th January 2013

Here are some photo's that were taken when we participated in the SARL QRP contest on the 27th of January 2013.  We throughly enjoyed the day and the contest. The operators in the contest were ZS2PF, ZS2AL and ZS2EC (multi station).  There were to my suprise plenty division 2 stations active on HF and band conditions were good.  We used the club callsign and made 44 QSO's on the day and 1 of those 44 was A DX QSO (Belguim) on 10meter band.  Well that's about it.We are going to participate in the next qrp contest (3 left) and again use ZS2PE.

Grts de ZS2EC

ZS2EC, ZS2AL operating QRP

 

ZS2PF Contest station

 

 

PEARS National VHF/UHF Contest - 18-20 January 2013

ZS2ABB, ZS2KK Travelled to Bedford and operated a field station for the weekend...

 

 

 

 

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