In Victoria's fruit bowl, where Radio Australia's massive transmitters once broadcast to the world, the Shepparton & District Amateur Radio Club (SADARC) keeps local connections alive. With its distinctive VK3SOL callsign (nodding to Shepparton's "Solar City" heritage), this club blends agricultural community spirit with serious radio capability.
A Repeater Network With Reach
The club's VK3RGV repeater system on Mt Wombat has served the valley for 26+ years, offering:
• Uninterrupted coverage from Melbourne to NSW border
• Multi-band operation (6m, 2m, 70cm, D-STAR)
• Emergency communications backbone for the region
• IRLP node 6992 linking to global networks
"Farmers sometimes thank us for being their only comms during outages," says President Peter Rentsch VK3AXI.
Monthly Meetups With Country Charm
The club gathers:
🗓 1st Saturday monthly (except January)
⏰ 1:00pm sharp
📍 360 Health Centre, Channel Rd (formerly Flex Learning Centre)
☕ Informal atmosphere welcoming all tech enthusiasts
Recent meetings have featured:
• Antenna building workshops
• Radio Australia site tours
• Digital mode demonstrations
Weekly Nets & Annual Highlights
📻 Wednesday nights:
-
7:00pm on 3.620MHz (80m)
-
8:00pm on 146.650MHz (2m)
📢 Sunday evenings: WIA News rebroadcast
September Hamfest:
🍳 2nd Sunday at St Augustine's Hall
💰 15 trader tables including breakfast
JOTA & Emergency Readiness
The club actively:
• Supports Scout JOTA operations
• Maintains emergency comms capabilities
• Partners with local emergency services
Join the Valley's Radio Family
Visitors can:
1️⃣ Drop into a Saturday meeting
2️⃣ Join the Wednesday night nets
3️⃣ Attend the September Hamfest
Contact:
📞 0409 452 455 (President) / 0413 320 996 (Treasurer)
🌐 sadarc.org
📍 360 Health Centre, Channel Rd (Monthly meets)
In a region where communications reliability means safety, SADARC members stand ready - proving amateur radio remains as vital today as when Radio Australia first transmitted from these plains.
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[Did You Know?]
The club's Mt Wombat repeaters sit at an elevation of 445 meters, with coverage extending over 200km - far exceeding commercial mobile networks in reliability during emergencies. Their D-STAR system connects directly to international gateways.
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