ALKMAAR, Netherlands — The Afdeling A01 – Alkmaar of the VERON (Vereniging voor Experimenteel Radio Onderzoek Nederland) is a long-standing and active amateur radio section, established on June 11, 1946. With a current membership of 130, the Alkmaar section is a central hub for radio enthusiasts in the region.
Repeaters and Callsigns
The Alkmaar section operates several repeaters to facilitate amateur radio communication:
- PI3ALK (2-meter repeater)
- PI2ALK (70-cm repeater)
The section's club callsign for general activities, including the "Ronde van Alkmaar," is PI4ALK.
Location and Meetings
The section holds its monthly meetings on the second Friday of each month (excluding July and August) at "De Woeste Hoeve," located at Dorpsstraat 51, 1842GT Oterleek. These gatherings, typically from 8:00 PM to 10:30 PM, aim to be informative and engaging, often featuring guest speakers discussing topics relevant to the hobby.
For example, on Friday, May 9, 2025, Ton PA0ARH will present a lecture on "Congestion on the Power Grid" at the Oterleek location, addressing challenges and solutions related to connecting businesses and new districts to the power network.
Regular On-Air Activities
The "Ronde van Alkmaar" (Tour of Alkmaar) is a regular on-air activity that takes place every Tuesday starting at 7:30 PM on the PI3ALK repeater under the section's callsign PI4ALK. The fallback frequency in case of repeater issues is 145.525 MHz.
Digital Presence and Support
The section's primary digital presence is through its website: https://a01.veron.nl and email: a01@veron.nl. They no longer support older URLs (e.g., @veronalkmaar.nl or www.veronalkmaar.nl) due to recurring costs.
The section actively addresses issues faced by amateurs, such as interference from solar panels (PV installations), with a new update on this topic available as of March 30, 2025: https://a01.veron.nl/belangengroep_opgericht_problemen_rondom_storende_pv-installaties_aanpakken/.
Members and supporters can contribute to the section's finances through the "Vomar Klant is Koning kaart" program: https://a01.veron.nl/spek-je-clubkas-met-de-vomar-klant-is-koning-kaart/.
Anniversary Celebrations
VERON Nederland celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2020, and the Alkmaar section, founded a year later, celebrated its own anniversary in 2021. To mark these occasions, the special callsign PI75ALK was requested, granted, and used twice: from April 14 to December 31, 2020, and from March 15 to December 31, 2021.
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