Club Activities

Makers Night

A regular hands-on workshop evening organised by Errol Lilley (ZL2IT) and held at the Napier clubrooms. Each session has a theme — but there’s always room to bring along whatever you’re working on. Meetings are 2nd & 4th Mondays of the month at the Napier club rooms.
What to expect
01

A Topic Each Session

Each night has a theme, often suggested by members or arising from recent club activity. Some topics run across more than one evening.

02

Bring Your Projects

Got something on the bench you’re stuck on, or a finished build to show off? Bring it along — there’s always someone who can help.

03

Test & Measure

Hands-on demos and practical measurement are a regular part of the night — a good chance to use equipment you may not have at home.

04

All Are Welcome

All skill levels welcome, from first-time builders to seasoned experimenters. Non-hams with an interest in electronics are welcome too.

How it runs
  • Sessions are held on Monday evenings at the Napier clubrooms — check the club email list or Facebook group for the next date.
  • Each night has a theme, but conversation naturally wanders into related topics and whatever members have on the go at the time.
  • Some topics run across more than one session when there’s enough to dig into.
  • Non-hams with an interest in making and electronics are welcome — feel free to bring a friend along.
Examples of past topics
Bandpass, Low-pass & High-pass Filters
Design, software simulation, practical construction, and VNA testing. Prompted by field day experience and members building filters for portable operation.

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Morse Code Decoder Challenge
A friendly build competition — members constructing decoders to compete head-to-head. Any processor, any construction method. Bragging rights at stake.

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Satellite Communications on VHF and UHF
Live demonstration of ham satellite communication, the growing number of ham sats in orbit, and Moxon antenna construction.

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Li-ion Battery Restoration & Care
Restoring failed handy talky batteries, safe charging practices, repurposing cells, and general battery management.

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TinyGS — LEO Satellite Monitoring
Building a low-cost ground station using TinyGS and a Meshtastic/LoRa module. Live demonstration of a working build.

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Meshtastic — Practical Node Building
Solar-powered nodes, outdoor housing, environmental sensors, and network configuration for off-grid mesh networking.

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When & where
Venue
Napier Clubrooms
123 Latham Street
Night
Monday evenings
2nd & 4th Monday of the month
Stay informed
Check the club email list or the Facebook group for upcoming dates and session themes. Branch 25 Facebook group →

All welcome — just turn up

No need to register or prepare anything. Come along on the night and join in. If you have a project, something to show off, or a topic you’d like covered — bring it along or mention it to Errol on the night.