About Amateur Radio (Ham Radio)

Branch 49 - Westland, is a branch of the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters Inc. (NZART) and Amateur Radio Emergency Communications New Zealand (AREC).

Amateur Radio (ham radio) is a popular hobby and service that brings people, electronics and communication together along with being involved in search and rescue. People use ham radio to talk across town, New Zealand wide, around the world, or even into space, all without the Internet or cell phones. Branch 49 Westland has members that are involved in communications over radio both locally and international. This allows them to have fun in a hobby but also supports local community's to grow and feel safe.

Branch 49 Westland was formed at a meeting held on the 7th April 1946 and has maintained a presence since then. During that time the branch has supported local events of all types and has been involved in SAR, Civil Defence, and other emergency services to provide communications for what ever is needed. In1956 the branch set up a number of communication repeaters in VHF and UHF to support their radio activity and to help events within the community. These repeaters provide voice communications from Reefton to Hari Hari. Then in 1960 the branch set up a UHF repeater that linked in to the NZART national communication repeater system giving coverage to most of New Zealand over radio.