Tucked behind the Motueka Police Station on High Street, an unassuming SAR room transforms monthly into a buzzing hub of radio activity. The Motueka Amateur Radio Club (Branch 24), serving New Zealand's sunny Tasman District, proves that big signals can come from small communities.
Seasonal Rhythms of the Airwaves
The club adapts to the region's lifestyle with:
☀️ Summer Evenings: 1st Monday monthly at 7:30pm (daylight-friendly)
❄️ Winter Afternoons: 1st Sunday monthly at 2:00pm (cosy indoor sessions)
📍 SAR Room, 68 High Street (Behind Motueka Police Station)
"Farmers, boaties, and techies all find common ground here," says President Steve Fogerty ZL2ASF, a local electronics specialist. "When cellular networks fail in our valleys and bays, our repeaters keep people connected."
Critical Infrastructure Guardians
The club maintains vital communications infrastructure:
📡 146.700MHz repeater covering Tasman Bay to Golden Bay
📻 HF net on 3730kHz every Tuesday at 4pm for regional check-ins
🤝 Emergency partnerships with Police SAR and Civil Defence
Repeater custodian Jim Jackson ZL2BCG notes: "Our mountaintop equipment has relayed everything from missing tramper alerts to vineyard harvest coordination."
Learning in the Regions
With exam supervisors Jim Jackson ZL2BCG and Phil Holliday ZL3PAH, the club offers:
✅ Rural-focused licensing training
✅ Maritime radio operation guidance
✅ Field day expeditions in the nearby Abel Tasman National Park
Join the Motueka Wave
Contact:
📧 President: tennatron@xtra.co.nz | Secretary: judithalderson47@gmail.com
📻 Nets: Tues 4pm (3730kHz) & Fri 4pm (146.700MHz)
In a region where geography challenges connectivity, these radio enthusiasts keep the Tasman community linked—proving that sometimes the most reliable technology isn't the newest, but the most resilient.
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[Did You Know?]
The club's Friday VHF net regularly connects fishing boats in Tasman Bay with orchardists in the Moutere Valley. Their 146.700MHz repeater has an exceptional range due to Motueka's unique coastal topography.
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