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VK7AX > WIA 15.09.26 10:30l 86 Lines 5345 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 17568_VK7AX
Subj: From Texas to Tasmania: Club Collaboration Builds More Than
Path: IZ3LSV<IW0QNL<HB9ON<DK0WUE<DB0RKB<DB0FHN<DB0FFL<CS5NRA<CQ0PAX<GB7CAM<
VE3KPG<VE2PKT<VK3AT<VK7AX
Sent: 260915/0751Z 17568@VK7AX.#ULV.TAS.AUS.AUNZ LinBPQ6.0.24
From Texas to Tasmania: Club Collaboration Builds More Than an NTP/GPS Clock
Date : 14 / 09 / 2026
Author : CARC, MWRS, REAST
One of the strengths of amateur radio is the willingness of clubs to share ideas, designs and experience
rather than continually reinventing the same wheel, or in this case, the same clock.
A great example is the evolving NTP/GPS Clock project, which has brought together the Cowtown Amateur
Radio Club in Texas, the Manly Warringah Radio Society (MWRS) in Sydney and now the Radio and Electronics
Association of Southern Tasmania (REAST).
At the centre of that collaboration has been Richard VK2ARH, coordinating projects, sourcing components,
documenting builds and helping clubs turn good ideas into practical member activities.
Richard's experience with club Buildathons extends back to his involvement with Cowtown in the United States
and has subsequently been shared with clubs in Australia.
The latest club to take on the NTP/GPS Clock is REAST in Hobart, which has organised two dedicated build
nights for members.
The project follows earlier REAST collaboration with Richard and MWRS on projects such as the ADX QRP
digital transceiver and Barb-a-Watt power/SWR meter.
MWRS itself ran an NTP Clock Buildathon in 2025 and an expanded 2026 Buildathon, with Richard coordinating
the projects and supporting members through construction and configuration.
The 2026 MWRS program alone saw 29 members order 45 kits across several projects, including 25 NTP Clocks.
Much more than a clock
The current NTP/GPS Clock has evolved into a remarkably capable shack and portable information display.
The project provides accurate UTC and local time, with support for multiple rotating time zones, and can
obtain its time through Network Time Protocol.
The upgraded design adds GPS-derived time and location, making it useful away from the home network and
particularly attractive for portable, field and SOTA-style operation.
Configuration and operating parameters can be managed through a Wi-Fi access point and web-browser interface,
avoiding the traditional amateur-radio configuration technique of repeatedly pressing buttons until something
interesting happens.
The display has grown well beyond timekeeping, with the software incorporating atmospheric and solar weather
information and remote operation capabilities.
The hardware can operate from 13.8-volt shack power or a LiPo battery, making it equally at home beside the
HF transceiver or out in the field.
MWRS describes the latest version as supporting atmospheric and solar weather, UTC, local and multiple
time zones, GPS time and location, remote operation and browser-based configuration.
The software and documentation are being developed collaboratively as well.
The project's repository is explicitly titled “NTPclock-for-MWRS-CARC-REAST”, reflecting the contributions
and use of the project across the three clubs.
The August 2026 software documentation is available publicly through the project repository, while MWRS
has also made presentations and build information available to other amateurs.
That open sharing of documentation, schematics, software and practical construction experience is precisely
what allows a successful club project to travel thousands of kilometres and acquire new features along the way.
Richard VK2ARH heading to Tassie Ham-E-Con
A huge thank you to Richard VK2ARH for being the coordinator and, more importantly, the human connection
between these clubs and their project builders.
His contribution demonstrates that collaboration between amateur radio clubs does not need to stop at
exchanging newsletters or meeting on air.
Clubs can share projects, documentation, component sourcing, software, presentations and expertise,
giving members access to activities that might otherwise be beyond the resources of a single club.
Richard will bring that experience to Tassie Ham-E-Con 2026, where he will talk about the many projects
he has helped develop and share through collaborations with amateur radio clubs.
The conference takes place 7–8 November 2026 at the Sir Stanley Burbury Theatre, University of Tasmania,
Sandy Bay, under the theme “Hack the Ether: Education, Ingenuity, Connection.”
It is hard to think of a project that demonstrates the Connection part of that theme much better than
one that has travelled from a club in Texas, through Sydney and across Bass Strait to a couple of build nights in Hobart.
NTP/GPS Clock software documentation and project repository - Link >> https://github.com/VK2ARH/NTP-Clock
MWRS 2026 Buildathon report - Link >> https://www.mwrs.org.au/2025/07/24/july-2025-ntp-clock-buildathon/
REAST - Link >> https://www.reast.asn.au/
Manly Warringah Radio Society - Link >> https://www.mwrs.org.au/
Cowtown Amateur Radio Club - Link >> https://www.cowtownarc.org/
Tassie Ham-E-Con 2026 information and bookings - Link >> https://www.reast.asn.au/news-events/tassie-ham-radio-conference/
Page Last Updated: Sunday, 13 Sep 2026 at 20:34 hours by Justin Giles-clark
(Sourced from https://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2026/20260914-1/index.php)
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Posted to the packet radio network on behalf of the WIA courtesy Tony VK7AX)
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