Reboot Amateur Radio Blog: Feedback: Reboot Amateur Radio WhatsApp Group – Reboot Coffee Drink Event 23 Februarie 2020 9am STARS Restaurant, Mossel Bay

The Reboot Amateur Radio WhatsApp Group as well as the Reboot Coffee Drink Event is open to all radio amateurs and prospective radio amateurs in South Africa. All our events are informal !! In other words no politics, no religion and no controversial or personal differences will be allowed or tolerated!!

Saturday 23 February 2020 at 9am was again an enjoyable and successful Coffee Drink session in Mossel Bay at STARS Restaurant. Once everybody bought the necessary refreshments the chin-wagging started!

Those present by way of mind: = 9

Johann ZS2BVD, Russel ZS2AHF, Francois ZS1Q, Abe ZS1ZS, Saney ZR1S, Danie ZS1DBJ, Johan ZS2I, Hentie ZS1LH and Thys ZS1TBP

Those present in the flesh: = 10

Beat ZS1HB, Chris ZS1M, Jimmy ZS1RB, Dave ZR1OAC, Nick ZS1N, Wessie ZS2A, Marie ZS1MEH, Andre ZS1AFB, Kevin ZS1ABU and Johan ZS1I.

All present were welcomed by the administrator of the Reboot Amateur Radio WhatsApp Group. This time there were a few formalities that needed to be finalized. The following were presented to those present:

Future Venues re: Mossel Bay/Great Brak River/George?
Reboot WhatsApp Group – Activities, projects, DX and HF Band Conditions.
The current administrator will be in Australia for April/Mei/June. Danie ZS1DBJ volunteered to assist with arrangements iro coffee drinks for the mentioned months. Thanks, Danie!!
Looking for a new administrator for the rest of the year. (July to November) Its important to rotate the administrator every so often, as new blood assure new ideas. Even if you can only assist for 1 or 2 months, it will be a new face and voice talking. I am sure many are sick and tired of my ugly face and voice. Andre ZS1AFB indicated that he is willing to take the reins from July to November. Thanks, Andre!!
Two new Group Admins will assist with the Reboot Amateur Radio WhatsApp Group. Jimmy ZS1RB and Keverne ZS1ABU indicated that they are willing to assist. They were duly appointed. Thanks, Jimmy and Keverne!!
Enquiry iro attendance by spouses of radio amateurs (husbands) who went silent key - They are most welcome at any of the Coffee Drink Sessions and so are any other YL’s of those radio amateurs attending the event.
Lucky Draws 2020.
Thanks and Appreciation.

It is impossible to provide all the finer and juicy details of this event. Moral of the story is to attend each and every coffee drink event, not to lose out. This event was surely the most interesting and educational held thus far and the main discussion point was Solar Power Systems.

Rondomtalie/Round Robin

Nick ZS1N – 40M Double Bazooka Antenna, SARL Field Day Contest, TH3 Antenna at Boggomsbaai, Solar Power Systems, Power Logger, Lithium Iron Battery, https://solaradvice.co.za/ Solar Power Setup by ZS4ZAC.
Dave ZR1OAC – Antenna Analyser Project, Measurement Techniques, Solar Power, Solar Panels, Optimum voltage for Inverter 300 volts.
Beat ZS1HB – Solar Power System, Installing a system, System for you home, Different types of batteries and costs. Most expensive is the battery bank of pack. Cellphone charger exploded. Luckily no fire.
Andre ZS1AFB - Solar Power System for Ham Radio, Solar Power System for your Home, Victron 5kw Inverter, Solar Power Batteries and Blue Solar, Knysna.
Wessie ZS2A – Former Boeing Pilot and nowadays Farmer, Rigs in the shack – Yaesu FT950 and FT1000MP, 289 DXCC confirmed entities. Antenna - Mosley Tri-Bander 20/15/10 35 years old, tower climbing is ou but trolly/cage to lift and lower the antenna is in. Digital Modes. Solar Power DIY, do your calculations first. Lead Acid Batteries not recommended for Solar Home Installations. They do not last long!!
Jimmy ZS1RB - Echolink is down in the Southern Cape but not for long. Busy building a new echolink system which will include 1:1 transformers. He received 6 new transformers at the coffee drink. Will also be using a new radio for Echolink.
Marie ZS1MEH – Very poor reception and transmission of the 600 Danabay Repeater at her QTH in Hartenbos Heuwels. Linking of the Danabay and George Repeater? Can easily access the 700 and if the 600 and 700 repeaters are linked it will solve problems of the radio amateurs that live in that area. Solar Power System installation at home.
Chris ZS1M – Windows 7 discontinued – other options like Linux Mint. 32 or 64 bit? Upgrade from Windows 7 to 10. 24 volt Inverters, Solar Power System for the home. Amount of solar panels?
Keverne ZS1ABU - Now living 4 months in George. Currently using a “Claus” mast to support HF antenna but no VHF setup yet. Good reception and coms to ZS6 and ZS5. Solar Power Systems for your house and shack. Currently using two units successfully. One in the shack and one in the house.
Johan ZS1I - 1950’s Hand drawn circuit diagram on material of a VFO Exciter Unit. Solar Power Systems.

Lucky Draws

Congratulations or is it sympathy to the 4 winners of the Lucky Draw Competition.

Nick ZS1N – Digital Camera

Dave ZR1OAC – Digital Camera

Chris ZS1M – Wall Clocks

Jimmy ZS1RB – Electric Plug Pullers.

Please see all the photos of the above discussions and demonstrations. As said before you need to attend the coffee drink sessions to get the finer detail and juicy bits. If you do not attend you will miss out on detail.

Finally:

I concluded the event by thanking everyone for attending the event.

I trust that everyone enjoyed the event and that everybody had a great time.

We look forward to the next Reboot Coffee event which will be held in George on the 21 March 2020 at 9 am. The venue in George will be Root Coffee Roasters.

Johan ZS1I

Mossel Bay

1 March 2020

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