Antennapalooza 2017

The Event – 7-9 April 2017 
Antennapalooza 2017, hosted by the Gippsland Gate Radio & Electronics Club will be held in South Gippsland this year. The venue is in Foster, right on the doorstep to the Wilsons Promontory National Park, as well as having three SOTA peaks within 10-40 minutes and three beautiful beaches, all suitable for portable operations. Come along and put a face to the callsign. Renew old friendships; test and compare stations and antennae and general enjoy a great weekend in a casual friendly environment. Come for a day or come for the weekend. 
The Theme 
The theme is SOTA, Parks and portable operation. We also plan to demonstrate a stand-alone WSPR station. Our large campsite gives us the space needed to conduct real-time performance comparisons between several antenna types. See how your portable station measure up. Get some inspiration and ideas from others. This is a rare opportunity to perform tests not possible in a regular backyard setting. 
The Location 
Antennapalooza 2017 will be hosted on a large paddock about 3kms south of the township of Foster. Foster is a pleasant 2 hour drive from Melbourne. The paddock is large and provides good access to trees for antennas and plenty of space to spread out. 
There will be a camp kitchen with BBQ, fresh drinking water and basic cleaning up facilities. Portable toilets will be provided. Ample fire wood will be available and it is anticipated a large bonfire will provide a meeting point to enjoy a beer and exchange stories. 
Accommodation 
You can bring a tent, caravan or camper. There is plenty of room. For those wanting a little more comfort, Foster has two motels and a few guest houses nearby. 

The Itinerary 
We are still firming up the details, but expect some great presentations on portable operations, war stories from the field and of course, many will setup their portable stations to showcase what they use in the field. Each afternoon there will be some presentations. Mornings could include a to activate the National Park, a SOTA peak or try their hand operating on the beautiful local beaches. Sandy Point provides vehicle access to the beach…. 
A presentation pavilion will be setup with a projector for the more formal presentations. 
search Antennapalooza on google to see videos from previous events 
Mark the dates in your calendar. The venue will be available for those wishing to make a full weekend from lunchtime on Friday 7th April, and we ask everyone to be out by lunchtime on Monday 10th April. 
If you have any questions, please contact Chris. ( vk3qb@hotmail.com or call 0429 187 593). If you have a name badge with a callsign on it, remember to bring it along. 
Call for Presentations 
If you would like to deliver a presentation please contact Chris. We ask that presentations be reasonably informal and limited to about 30 minutes. We’ll have a projector and screen if required, as well as a 240v generator. Or, you can make your presentation practical, in the field. Whilst the theme is SOTA, Parks and portable operation, please feel welcome to offer any topic that you feel would be interesting and well suited to the event. It might be a product demonstration or particular kit you have constructed. 
To learn more about the event and keep up to date with the latest news please LIKE the GGREC Facebook page(Gippsland Gate Radio & Electronics Club) , or simply visit our website periodically. 
www.antennapalooza.org.au 
About ten days before the event starts a full 'Antennapalooza Event Guide' will be available for download from the web site.