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Obtain your Amateur Radio Qualification in 2025

Becoming an amateur radio operator is easy with the Foundation entry level qualification. There is no morse code to learn, you don't need technical qualifications, no age limits and no ongoing fees.

Over a weekend, The St George Amateur Radio Society (SGARS) holds training and assessments, so you can qualify to become an amateur radio operator, within the St George/Sutherland Shire. For 2025 dates and locations, please refer Upcoming and Recent Events.

NEW Expanded SGARS 2m Summer Contest 2024-25

The SGARS 2m Summer Contest for 2024 - 2025 has been expanded with two new contest categories, adding six additional contest awards.

In addition to the category for a single contact over the longest distance, included is an award for longest accumulative distance over five unique contacts. In other words, from your 2m summer contacts, select the five contacts made over the longest distances, add the five distances together and submit in this category.

The other new category is based on the number of contacts made in all 3 months over the summer period. Operators will earn one point per contact, with double points for contacts made over the VHF UHF Field Day weekend.

For the two new categories, there is an award for the operator with the best score, runner up award and an award for the best score by a foundation qualified operator.

Complete Contest Rules can be found in the Downloads section, refer to the Main Menu.

SGARS 2025 Executive Committee

At the December 2024 Annual General Meeting of The St George Amateur Radio Society Inc, members elected an executive committee for 2025, as follows;

Tony Edward VK2ALE - President 

Sven Petersen VK2KLF - Vice President

Paul Howarth VK2GX - Secretary 

Peter O'Connell VK2EMU - Treasurer  & Publicity Officer

Wal Pearce VK2ACE - Committee Member

Peter Foskett VK2KFP - Committee Member

Con Papas VK2MDB - Committee Member

Peter Rossini VK2BFF - Committee Member

Mark Sellars VK2MDS - Committee Member

The SGARS Committee can be contacted by email committee @ sgars.org

Interference to VK2RLE 2m FM Repeater

SGARS has been advised of interference to the VK2RLE 2m FM repeater, located at Engadine. Your assistance would be appreciated by monitoring this repeater, on both the output frequency on 146.800 MHz and the input frequency on 146.200 MHz, and recording details of any interference events.

Details can be reported either by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Receive SGARS News and Information

The St George Amateur Radio Society provides regular news and information about our events, presentations, training and assessment, repeaters and contests. If you would like to be kept up to date with what is happening, please complete the "Subscribe to SGARS News" form, located on our website, with your name and email address. You will then receive an automated email asking you to confirm your subscription. SGARS News will then be sent to your email address. Thank you for your interest.

Changes to Amateur Radio in Australia from March 2024

As from the first of March 2024, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has made a number of changes to amateur radio in Australia, including taking over the management of assessments and call sign allocation, and accreditation of authorised assessors for the amateur radio qualifications. Amateur radio in Australia has changed from a non assigned apparatus licence to a class licence system, so for existing amateur radio operators, there are no ongoing licence fees.

About The St George Amateur Radio Society

The St George Amateur Radio Society (SGARS) was founded in 1971, by local amateur radio operators, to represent and support local amateur radio operators.

Over 50 years later SGARS continues supporting local amateur radio operators with;

Consider becoming an SGARS member

New members are always welcome at The St George Amateur Radio Society. Your membership will go towards supporting the activities of the society including provision of training and assesment activities, 2m FM and UHF DMR repeaters, amateur radio contests and Jamboree On The Air (JOTA).

You do not have to reside within the St George area, many of our members live in various areas around Sydney and beyond. Also you do not have to be a qualified amateur radio operator.