Townsville's Towering Signals: A Hub of Ham Radio in the North

West End, Townsville, Queensland - Established in 1946, the Townsville Amateur Radio Club (theTARCinc) stands as one of Queensland's most active regional clubs. Providing a comprehensive range of services and activities, theTARCinc supports regional amateur radio operators with repeaters, beacons, APRS, AllStarLink, Echolink, DMR, YSF, ARDF, and technical assistance. The club is also deeply involved in the North Queensland community, providing crucial logistic communications support for various organizations and playing an integral role in the regional Disaster Plan (DISPLAN) through its active WICEN contingent. With a welcoming Ladies Group and a vibrant social calendar filled with outings and family-friendly events, theTARCinc fosters a strong sense of community among its members.

The club operates an extensive repeater network:

Repeaters - Voice:

• VK4RAT (146.7MHz -600kHz Split, no tone access): Interfaced with VK4PQ Echolink Node 956580 & AllStarLink Node 49806.
• VK4RAT (438.225MHz -5MHz Split, 91.5Hz Tone Access): Interfaced with VK4TUB Echolink Node 837230 & AllStarLink Node 46740.

Repeaters - Digital:

• VK4RAT (145.175MHz APRS and AX25): Interfaced with VK4ZZ uiVIEW APRS Gateway & VK4TUB FBBS.

Beacons:

• VK4RTL: 28.270MHz, 50.282MHz, 144.445MHz
• VK4RTL: 432.445MHz, 1296.444MHz

The Townsville Amateur Radio Club hosts regular meetings and on-air nets:

• Management Meeting: 1st Tuesday of the month.
• Project Night: 2nd Tuesday of the month.
• Social Evening: 3rd Tuesday of the month.
  • All the above meetings are held at the Club Rooms atop SES HQ, 25-27 Green Street West End, starting at 7:30 pm.
• Ann Renton Memorial Net: 4th Tuesday of the month at 19:30 local time on the UHF Repeater (438.225MHz), accessible via VK4TUB AllStarLink Node 46740 and VK4TUB Echolink Node 837230.
• Tech on the Air Net: 5th Tuesday of the month at 19:30 local time on the VHF Repeater (146.700MHz), accessible via VK4PQ AllStarLink Node 49806 and VK4PQ Echolink Node 956580.
• North Queensland Net: Sundays at 0930UTC (7:30 pm AEST) on 3605.4kHz.
• WIA News Net: Sundays at 0900 local time on 146.7MHz, accessible via VK4PQ AllStarLink Node 49806 and VK4PQ Echolink Node 956580.

For the latest club happenings, visit their news page: https://thetarcinc.weebly.com/news.

The Townsville Amateur Radio Club actively participates in various events:

• Cardwell Gathering: Every October Long Weekend.
• Australia Day Long Week Family Radio Camp.
• John Moyle Memorial Field Day: Every third weekend of March.
• Tony4's Famous Foxhunt: Annually during July.

The Townsville Amateur Radio Club meets at the Club Rooms atop the SES HQ, located at 25-27 Green Street, West End, QLD, 4810.

For training requirements, the club refers individuals to Ron/VK2DQ's radioelectronicschool. They also provide support for those in training with face-to-face sessions. The club has an ACMA-qualified Standard Assessor available for Australian Amateur Radio Assessments upon request.

The Townsville Amateur Radio Club can be contacted at PO Box 333, Garbutt East QLD 4814, via their website (https://thetarcinc.weebly.com/), or by phone at 0427 182 469.

The dedicated committee members leading the club include President Snow Herodes VK4ME (0439 159 403), Secretary Gavin Reibelt VK4ZZ (0427 182 469), and Treasurer Peter Harrex VK4PQ (contactable via email).

The Townsville Amateur Radio Club stands as a vital and dynamic hub for amateur radio enthusiasts in North Queensland. With its extensive repeater network, diverse activities, and strong community spirit, it provides invaluable support and engagement for both local and regional hams.