From Texas to Tasmania: Club Collaboration Builds More Than an NTP/GPS Clock

One of the strengths of amateur radio is the willingness of clubs to share ideas, designs and experience rather than continually reinventing the same wheel, or in this case, the same clock. A great example is the evolving NTP/GPS Clock project, which has brought together the Cowtown Amateur Radio Club in Texas, the Manly Warringah Radio Society (MWRS) in Sydney and now the Radio and Electronics Association of Southern Tasmania (REAST). At the centre of that collaboration has been Richard VK2ARH, coordinating projects, sourcing components, documenting builds and helping clubs turn good ideas into practical member activities. Richard's experience with club Buildathons extends back to his involvement with Cowtown in the United States and has subsequently been shared with clubs in Australia.

The latest club to take on the NTP/GPS Clock is REAST in Hobart, which has organised two dedicated build nights for members. The project follows earlier REAST collaboration with Richard and MWRS on projects such as the ADX QRP digital transceiver and Barb-a-Watt power/SWR meter. MWRS itself ran an NTP Clock Buildathon in 2025 and an expanded 2026 Buildathon, with Richard coordinating the projects and supporting members through construction and configuration. The 2026 MWRS program alone saw 29 members order 45 kits across several projects, including 25 NTP Clocks.

Much more than a clock

The current NTP/GPS Clock has evolved into a remarkably capable shack and portable information display. The project provides accurate UTC and local time, with support for multiple rotating time zones, and can obtain its time through Network Time Protocol. The upgraded design adds GPS-derived time and location, making it useful away from the home network and particularly attractive for portable, field and SOTA-style operation. Configuration and operating parameters can be managed through a Wi-Fi access point and web-browser interface, avoiding the traditional amateur-radio configuration technique of repeatedly pressing buttons until something interesting happens.

The display has grown well beyond timekeeping, with the software incorporating atmospheric and solar weather information and remote operation capabilities. The hardware can operate from 13.8-volt shack power or a LiPo battery, making it equally at home beside the HF transceiver or out in the field. MWRS describes the latest version as supporting atmospheric and solar weather, UTC, local and multiple time zones, GPS time and location, remote operation and browser-based configuration.

The software and documentation are being developed collaboratively as well. The project's repository is explicitly titled “NTPclock-for-MWRS-CARC-REAST”, reflecting the contributions and use of the project across the three clubs. The August 2026 software documentation is available publicly through the project repository, while MWRS has also made presentations and build information available to other amateurs. That open sharing of documentation, schematics, software and practical construction experience is precisely what allows a successful club project to travel thousands of kilometres and acquire new features along the way.

Richard VK2ARH heading to Tassie Ham-E-Con

A huge thank you to Richard VK2ARH for being the coordinator and, more importantly, the human connection between these clubs and their project builders. His contribution demonstrates that collaboration between amateur radio clubs does not need to stop at exchanging newsletters or meeting on air. Clubs can share projects, documentation, component sourcing, software, presentations and expertise, giving members access to activities that might otherwise be beyond the resources of a single club.

Richard will bring that experience to Tassie Ham-E-Con 2026, where he will talk about the many projects he has helped develop and share through collaborations with amateur radio clubs. The conference takes place 7–8 November 2026 at the Sir Stanley Burbury Theatre, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, under the theme “Hack the Ether: Education, Ingenuity, Connection.” It is hard to think of a project that demonstrates the Connection part of that theme much better than one that has travelled from a club in Texas, through Sydney and across Bass Strait to a couple of build nights in Hobart.

NTP/GPS Clock software documentation and project repository - Link

MWRS 2026 Buildathon report - Link

REAST - Link

Manly Warringah Radio Society - Link

Cowtown Amateur Radio Club - Link

Tassie Ham-E-Con 2026 information and bookings - Link

Page Last Updated: Sunday, 13 Sep 2026 at 20:34 hours by Justin Giles-clark

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