If you are an amateur radio hobbyist or ever wondered what it’s all about, then Redfest is for you!
The year’s event, hosted by Redcliffe and Districts Radio Club, will be held on Saturday, 12 April in a new venue – Deception Bay North State School.
Promotions Officer of Redfest, Jeff Lord, said the event was a great opportunity for amateur radio equipment to be bought and sold and for enthusiasts to get together.
“Redfest is our yearly flea market for amateur radio operators – people come from all over South East Queensland,” Jeff said.
“We tend to be hoarders, so when one of us passes away, the family are often stuck with a lot of equipment they don’t know what to do with. They can sell it here, though many prefer to donate it to the club.
“The club sells the donated equipment and uses the funds to benefit not only club members but the community.”
Commercial sellers will also be there to offer an array of equipment.
More Than Just a Flea Market
Jeff said Redfest was a great place to learn more about the hobby because amateur radio was not only fun but extremely important in emergency conditions.
“When all the digital infrastructure is down during times of disaster such as Cyclone Tracy and Hurricane Katrina, the first communications from those areas was from amateur radio,” he said.
“We have a technical lecture called ‘Adventures on HF’ for people to attend and there will be lots of experts to answer all your questions.”
Members of many different clubs will be at Redfest and look forward to swapping stories. Charles Bonnici of Caboolture Radio Club said they could attest to the ‘fun’ factor having just returned from a club trip to Norfolk Island.
“We faced many challenges in getting our equipment working on Norfolk Island but in the end, many contacts were made to far-flung reaches of the world including the Canary Islands,” Charles said.
If you work up an appetite, grab one of Doug’s famous bacon and egg rolls. The cafe will be open all morning with a selection of cakes to enjoy with tea, coffee and soft drinks.
This year’s major raffle prize is an ICOM IC-7300 transceiver. Raffle tickets are $5, with the major draw at 10.30am and minor prize draws hourly.
The admission fee is $5, which is payable at the door.
For more information, visit Redcliffe Radio Club.
Redfest 25
- Saturday, 12 April, 9am-12 noon
- Deception Bay North State School
- Old Bay Rd, Deception Bay
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