This is a free fortnightly newsletter about the New Zealand Net, which meets daily at 2100 NZT on 7030 kHz.
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Gerard van Antwerpen, 24 Aug 1965 – 19 Nov 2024
ZL2GVA operating from the Netherlands in 2023
Long-time NZ Net member and Net Control operator Gerard ZL2GVA became a Silent Key on Tuesday 19 November, following a two-year battle with prostate cancer. He was 59.
Born in 1965 in Nieuwdorp, a village in the Dutch province of Zeeland, Gerard obtained his amateur radio licence in 1992 with the callsign PE1ONB. Two years later, he passed the 12 wpm exam (which he wrote about in NZ Net News 47) and gained full HF privileges with callsign PA3GMJ.
He moved to New Zealand in 1997, and settled in Blenheim where he worked as QA and Design Manager at Cuddon Limited, General and Manufacturing Engineers. Occasionally he would take advantage of the facilities at work to build Morse paddles.
Gerard’s main interests in amateur radio were CW and QRP and he his callsign was often found among the winners of events such as the Sangster Shield, Memorial Contest, NZ Sprints and Straight Key Night (with his Junker key).
He was a committee member of NZART Branch 22 and could be counted on for some CW operating during Field Day. He also coordinated the installation of a Reverse Beacon Network (RBN) receiver at the club, benefitting CW operators worldwide.
Gerard was a competitive cyclist in his youth, and he didn’t slow down much as he cycled to work at Cuddon and competed in local club races. In 2021, he even made a few express deliveries of NZ Net radiograms as our modern-day “telegram boy” on two wheels (see photo).
Gerard ZL2GVA at his home station in 2020
First QNI on NZ Net: 21 July 2020
Became an NCS operator: 8 Feb 2021
Final NZ Net QNI: 5 Nov 2024
CWOps #3028
Fists #21747
Farewell Gerard and thank you for your friendship. Our condolences to Gerard’s partner Jolande and his sons Niels and Dagmar.
Announcement during NZ Net, 27 Nov 2024:
Featured key
One of the more interesting keys used during last Sunday’s Straight Key Night was this one, fashioned in a hurry by Greg ZL4GW. Greg explains:
“I was operating portable from near Nelson (Bronte). Thought I would be home for SKN, but a problem with the camper meant a longer stay whilst it was having engine surgery. I had only brought a paddle with me so needed to invent. Spent 1 hour building a straight key and it didn’t work too badly.
“I was only running 3W to a very poor antenna. The location was the quietest I have operated from for years – no close neighbours and I could hear all stations from ZL1 to ZL4 with no difficulty – just couldn’t work some. Great hour with very nice ops.”
* If you have an interesting key for this feature, please send a nice clear photo and a few words describing it.
Photo flashback
Warkworth Satellite Earth Station
A new page on the maritimeradio.org site has a detailed pictorial history of the New Zealand Post Office’s satellite earth stations.
The main satellite earth station is at Warkworth north of Auckland (pictured above some time between 1988 and 2008) and there are good descriptions of its many dishes and associated equipment, written by technician Ralph Sanson who has been involved with the Warkworth site for many years.
Visit the SES page at maritimeradio.org
Net numbers
NR57 R ZL1NZ 47/44 AUCKLAND 0800Z 2DEC24 = NZ NET = NOV QNI VK3DRQ 22 VK4PN 11 ZL1AJY 3 ZL1ANY 29 ZL1AYN 7 ZL1BDS 9 ZL1NZ 30 ZL1PX 17 ZL2GD 11 ZL2GVA 1 ZL2KE 14 ZL2LN 3 ZL2TE 16 ZL2WT 4 ZL3TK 13 ZL4BDG 12 ZL4GW 6 ZL4KX 18 ZL4LDY 18 TOTAL 244 QTC 36 = ZL1NZ
Video: Beautiful sideswiper with smooth operator
Advertising archive
The Railroad Telegrapher, 1917
Suggestions?
If you have suggestions on how to make the NZ Net better, or things you’d like to see covered in these updates, please contact ZL1NZ. You might even like to write something for the newsletter.
Thanks for reading, and I hope to hear you soon on the NZ Net!
—
Neil Sanderson ZL1NZ, Net Manager
New Zealand Net (NZ NET)
7030 kHz at 9pm NZT Daily
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