As in past years, the Illawarra Amateur Radio Society and the Blue Mountains Amateur Radio Club, will again be manning the Point Perpendicular Lighthouse at Jervis Bay to celebrate this historic event.    The unmanned solar light will be switched off and the ‘old’ original light will again be lit by our friends from Lighthouses of Australia, 

From it’s 93 metre vantage point atop the cliff face at Jervis Bay, the 1,200,000 candle power beam of the Point Perpendicular light will again be seen for 42 kilometres.  This is only the third time the light has been lit since it’s decommissioning 1993 when the new smaller solar powered light was commissioned.  The volunteers from Lighthouses of Australia work tirelessly throughout the year in the preservation of the historic lights dotting the Australian coastline. 

The IARS will be manning all bands from 160 through to 23cm.  Listen for us around the call channels or use the Coast Link Repeater System for liaison, we’ll be using and listening out for the club callsign, VK2AMW on:-  146.650 MHz south to Bateman’s Bay, 146.975 MHz in the Nowra /Southern Highlands area, and 146.850 MHz in the Wollongong / Sydney area.   IRLP node 6018 and Echolink Node 325276 will also be in operation onsite.   The station will be manned around the clock for the event.

If you would like to visit the historic lighthouse and take up the very rare opportunity to actually see the light in operation, or visit the IARS station and see how radio communications are carried out around the world, follow these directions to the lighthouse .   Day trip visitors are very welcome, bring the family and have a good day out.   If you would like to register to stay overnight at the station you need to attend the IARS meeting on Tuesday evening at 7.30pm at Industry World Visitors Centre, Springhill Road, Coniston to register or contact the Secretary or Assistant Secretary.  There are strictly limited places overnight.  Remember this meeting is also our AGM, support your club attend the AGM.  

Further information:- secretary

To register your club or station for the ILLW event, or to see what other lighthouses are involved this year, follow this link to the Official International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend web site.

The Illawarra Amateur Radio Society sincerley thanks the Department of Defence for the use of the Point Perpendicular facilities for this important international event. The Royal Australian Navy are the custodians of the Point Perpendicular Light and do a sterling job in the preservation of this important historic building.

So far this weekend many QSO’s have been confirmed with both overseas and local station on all bands.

The Coast Link repeaters network also rebroadcasts the WIA weekly news and the AR weekly broadcasts. Jeff VK2NSW conducts call back’s and check ins immediately after the broadcast on the Coast Link Network. So if your in the Sydney region, Illawarra, Blue Mountains, or on the South Coast why not switch over after the broadcast and check in. There will be an operator from the lighthouse camp there to chat with you. IRLP node 6018 will be active all weekend and after the broadcast has concluded, so if your situated away from the coast and want an update, dial up this node and call VK2AMW.

The activation will be a combined club event operating on all bands and all modes. The club will be using their coast link repeater network for liaison over the contest period. For those amateurs that are not sure of the coast link details, they are VK2RMP 146.850 MHz, VK2RIS 146.975 MHz, and VK2RBT 146.675 MHz, covering an area, North from the Sydney basin, West to the Blue Mountains, and South beyond Bateman’s Bay. Other Amateur stations outside this area can access the coast link network via IRLP node 6018. If you would like to drop in for a coffee, view the temporary station or would just like to know how the weekend is going, give the club callsign VK2AMW a call for direction, or an up-to-date run down during the weekend.

Point Perpendicular lighthouse is situated on Department of Defence land at Beecroft Peninsula in the Shoalhaven area of the NSW South Coast. It was commissioned in 1899, to protect shipping in the Jervis Bay area.

Lighthouses Australia Inc. have special permission to light the original historic light house at Point Perpendicular to coincide with the International light house and light ship week end. Lighthouses Australia is a Society dedicated to the preservation and promotion of lighthouses along the Australian coastline.

Here’s some links for more information:

• Point Perpendicular lighthouse information from Currarong Holiday Resort
• More information from Seaside Lights
• And more from Lighthouses of Australia web site
• Latest weather for Point Perpendicular
• Official website for International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend (ILLW)
• ILLW participating stations