Our March Meeting was held to the Briar Hill hall Friday March 8 and was well attended.

The meeting opened with discussions on our final preparations for our John Moyle Field Day venture to our usual site at Mount Macedon. We had about 12 people in all signing on for all or part of the weekend plus most generous offers for all sorts of radio and related gear. (This turned out to be a real fun weekend for all.) It was decided that we would all meet at the Mount Macedon General store for breakfast then head on up from their. This was a winning move and sure to be "on the menu" next year.

The star attraction for the night was Mark VK3XXX who gave us a marvellous practical talk and hands on instruction on I.R.L.P.

Mark explained briefly the history of the NERG involvement in I.R.L.P then followed with a show and tell style of just how we all can access this new radio medium. Practical demonstration ensued with contact to reflectors in the US. Mark placed a lot of emphasis on the fact that users share our repeater with all amateurs and that polite protocol must be observed at all times. Before connecting to a node or reflector, ask if the system is in use, advise intended connection prior to making same, leave suitable break (seconds) between overs to allow repeater tails etc to complete and to allow others to join in. The person opening the link does not own it, but they should ensure that if they leave it open, that one of the other users knows how to close it. Mark will be printing off practical instructions on I.R.L.P usage for all who may require them and will include the address for listing of all node numbers with their location.

The meeting closed with the usual hot drink, biscuits and discussions on Dxing, Dog-Piles etc.

Our Thanks to Mark’s 1 and 3 for making the night a success.

Next Months meeting reverts back to the 2^nd Thursday in the month.