Hi - welcome to Sunday 2 March, the start of Autumn and already we're halfway to winter. Welcome to QNEWS - I'm John VK4JPM, Secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club, and here's news from the club for this week.

So: what's happening that's exciting and involving? Quite a bit in the repeater and net space. The work is now completed on the VK4RTQ UHF repeater/. RTQ UHF is running on -7Mhz offset and is linked with the other repeaters in the group: VK4RZA and VK4RZB with a few more coming. The online browser-based Repeaterbook listing now shows the correct parameters for the repeaters, but it's taking a little while for the updates to be pushed through to the Apple and Android apps and all the other stuff is on our website.

This is Cath VK4CCR, secretary for Gympie Communications & Electronics Group. One of our members Dave Robson VK4FO is now an Amateur Radio Authorised assessor, all his details can be found on the ACMA website. Now THAT we have an assessor associated with our club, this will be a great opportunity for those local to our area to get involved in Amateur radio, learn about electronics and chat on the radio.

Hello, I’m Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP, and I’ve been thinking. One of the things that we naturally keep an eye open for is the weather; this past week has given many of us a bigger excuse than usual. The forecasters have been running prolific numbers of simulations in their software and still, Cyclone Alfred has been very successful in its game of hide and seek. Even now there is uncertainty about the final track and how it will affect us. Almost like a practice run, last week, we were enjoying settling down for some relaxation in front of the one-eyed monster, as the TV was once known when the household and the whole neighbourhood plunged into darkness. There was a scramble for the torch and items to take away lack of power were connected. It is important in our household as there are medical issues to be taken care off and this is the priority one. As I tried to connect a device to a power bank/ jump starter, there was a flash of light from the led indicators and then nothing. A standby device from an overseas vendor had gone flat just sitting in its carry case. Now I have devices that are powered by lithium chemistry batteries and once charged they seem to have a lifespan greater than an elephant’s memory. I find it convenient to make special purchases online as quite often I can strike a good bargain and the goods are delivered to the door. That drive to a local retailer and return saves not only fuel but also time away from home. We all know that sourcing components from not well-known sources can be fraught with problems not the least of which is counterfeiting. Slow delivery times and high freight costs can also be an issue. Then as my experience with the power bank has shown, you can end up with something which is not up to standard when you come to use it. It was an expensive way to get a USB wall-wart charger and I certainly won’t be carrying it in the car in case of a flat battery. Like most of us, I look to get things for a fair price and a bargain is very welcome too. Similarly, I much prefer to shop with local suppliers because they have a lot invested in their business and their profit helps us all through their spending, wages and taxes. It might be the thing that I need but the benefits extend much wider when we deal with local businesses. One major supplier has a magnificent range of stock in their massive catalogue but they have a couple of price structures, one for trade and one for retail and by the time I dive in, surface and get my breath back again, it is quicker and easier to buy off the international auction sites. There is a lesson in there somewhere. I know my backup power is working and I hope that we all can safely wave goodbye to Alfred. I’m Geoff Emery VK4ZPP and that’s what I think….how about you?