IN-PERSON Meeting on Wednesday, April 09, 2025 @ 6:45 PM ET

Homebrew builders, judges and enthusiasts were out in full force on Wednesday April 9th for the annual OARC Homebrew Night.

A person with using a soldering iron on a circuit board. Photo by Blaz Erzetic on Unsplash

We started the evening with Roger presenting a special gift to Mike Kelly, in recognition of his being selected 2024 Amateur of the Year by Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC). The book was called called “QSL? (Do You Confirm Receipt of My Transmission?) A Visual Language of Two-way Radio Communication”.

It was a full house for Homebrew Night, with nearly 60 attendees (about 40 in the room and 17 on Zoom), including nine presenters and three judges. Presenters brought their “homebrewed” hardware / software projects, DIY apparatus, and home-made gear. We celebrated their accomplishments and heard tales of their successes and lessons learned. And there were awards!

There were nine Homebrew presenters and their projects were as follows:

Douglas King – VE3YDK – Tape Measure 2 Meter Yagi Antenna
David Lapp – VA3DPL – An LCR Meter
Myles Bird – VA3MYZ – Tape Measure 70CM Yagi Antenna
Brandon Zampese – Reprogramming a Kenwood Radio – On the Road to Getting his Amateur Radio Certificate
Jonathan Mau – VE3JSE – Dummy Loads
Ken Galama – VA2TXZ – Baluns
Roger Egan – VA3EGY – Amateur Radio “Shack in a Box” – the ultimate package for a No Fuss GOTA Station for any situation
Wayne Getchell – VE3CZO – RF Amplifier Control Circuit to switch radio from RX to TX before the TX Power Applied
Jerry Lau – RF Filter on a Multi-layer board with SMA connectors as a Business Card – and looking for a job! 🙂

The three judges were Wayne Getchell – VE3CZO, Dave Green – VE3TLY, and Mike Kelly – VE3FFK. See the guidelines the judges used on the Homebrew page.

The two Homebrew awards are: the Clare Fowler Award and the “People’s Choice” award

The Clare Fowler Award was especially important this year as Clare Fowler passed away in March 2025. Click here to read his full obituary. He was a life-long Amateur Radio operator and a beloved, long-time member of the Ottawa Amateur Radio Club. The award was named for him because he won it so many times! It will be awarded in perpetuity in his memory at the OARC’s Homebrew Night.
The People’s Choice Award has a new trophy in 2025! In the Homebrew spirit, it’s a homemade trophy of “scrounged” and “low or no cost” parts! Each year, the winner will add something fun to it and bring it back next year to be awarded again. Learn more about the trophy on the Homebrew page.

The 2025 Clare Fowler Award winners were:
1st Prize: David Lapp
2nd Prize: Jerry Lau
3rd Prize: Douglas King
The three winners were awarded $100, $75, and $50 Visa gift cards, respectively.

The People Choice award winner was:
Jerry Lau
He received the People’s Choice Award trophy and a $20 Timmy’s card.

Thanks everyone for coming out and making this such a memorable evening!