Bendigo Amateur Radio and Electronics Club

Amateur Radio is a licensed radio communications and experimentation activity. There are three levels of licensing: Foundation (entry level), Standard and Advanced. Bendigo Amateur Radio and Electronics Club provides training and assessment courses for all levels. Despite COVID lockdowns, BAREC trained (mostly via Zoom) fourteen candidates through 2020/21, with all candidates successfully completing their assessments in March 2021.

The Australian Maritime College, as part of the University of Tasmania, is responsible for the management of Amateur Radio examination services.  BAREC has experienced trainers and accredited AMC assessors that can assist you with obtaining your Amateur Radio qualification.  We also have the ‘Your Entry Into Amateur Radio’ Foundation manual available at a reduced price, and can recommend other training material for further study.

BAREC members engage in a variety of Amateur Radio and social activities, including special interest groups, electronics, fund raising, training and education. BAREC is committed to Technological Literacy, facilitating school holiday electronics workshops and a schools based electronics learning program.  Amateur Radio encompasses STEM subjects - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

As part of its activities, BAREC holds monthly public presentations on Amateur Radio related subjects, regular club radio Nets and participates with contests. Some of these contests encourage operating in the field, where portable radio and antenna equipment is used with batteries or generators etc., essentially maintaining communications ‘off the grid’. Amateur Radio technologies can potentially be used for alternative communications when other networks fail.

BAREC is regularly involved with community activities and can assist with event communications.  We can also provide a presentation about Amateur Radio for your organisation.  Our approximately seventy members come from a variety of technical backgrounds and have varied experiences and interests.  Age is not a barrier, and you do not need to hold an Amateur Radio licence to be a member of BAREC.

Some of our club rooms features include a large hall, large kitchen and meeting room, radio room, training room, and located at a centrally elevated location.  Come and meet our members on a Wednesday morning from 10 am at the club rooms, Bendigo East Hall, 35 Lansell St.

All welcome!