SUCCESSFUL MUSEUM VISIT

By Peter Corlett

29th March 2012

 Amateur Radio enthusiasts from the Hastings and Napier New Zealand Amateur Radio Transmitters, (NZART) clubs, recently paid a visit to the Kapiti Coast Museum.

The visit included the opportunity for licensed operators to transmit from the Museum’s “Ham Shack” using the museum`s ZL6KCM call sign.

Following a welcome by museum member John Yaldwyn (ZL4JY), David Walker (ZL2DW) from the Hastings Amateur Radio Branch 13 was able to make contact with Chris Johnson (ZL2VC), in Hastings via the HB Clifton high frequency accessor.

 

The accessor is a repeater that allows access to areas all around New Zealand.  David used a 40 year old FT101B transmitter while Chris was used a more modern Icom IC-746PRO HF radio with a 75 foot high inverted V antenna.

“At times admittedly there was difficulty hearing him due to local ‘noise’ (on the radio wave-length )”, said Walker. “But this museum is well worth a visit by any ham (Amateur Radio operator) passing through Waikanae.”

Meanwhile, other members of the group took an interest in some of the other local exhibits and memorabilia in the Museum’s collection.

Shoes are part of the museum`s unusual collection and Esther Juan, a dance teacher based in Waipawa, was given the chance to examine a small pair of Chinese shoes. These shoes were used in foot binding, – a practice that started in the Tang Dynasty around the 10^th Century. It was a painful practice where bones of young girls were broken and the feet bound to stop them growing. The practice was finally banned around 1912.

“I had seen pictures of the shoes, but had never seen a real pair.  Actually holding them gave me goose-bumps”, she said.