Masterton’s winning fish and chip shop

The votes are in.

The best fish and chip shop among Wairarapa Radio and Zello Enthusiasts (WRAZE) is… the Green Frog on Colombo Road in Masterton.

WRAZE’s twist on general election fever proved highly popular, with more than 100 votes cast by the group’s operators, members, and their families and friends from various locations.

Net administrator Brian Hart presented the Green Frog’s owners, Chanthou and Touch Bin with a special WRAZE framed award.

Fellow net administrator Shaun Evans said the owners of the Green Frog were “ecstatic” with their award, which came as “a bit of a surprise”.

The aim is to run the award annually.

Evans describes WRAZE as “a communications group” that provides a way to talk with others using technology in a safe and legal way.

One of the group’s aims is to reach people in the community “who are on their own. It’s one way to socialise on air without leaving your house”, Evans said. “We are about trying to get people talking again.”

Joining in WRAZE activities is very simple, Evans said.

“All you need is your cell phone and wi-fi. We load a programme on the cell phone called Zello which is the free app.”

Members are given a call sign with the rest of the group, and “you can be on in less than five minutes and be talking to people locally and internationally, learning amateur radio concepts and that sort of thing”.

WRAZE also run the Kudos programme, “designed to teach you all you need to know about radio, like call signs and phonetics”.

As people build up their skills through the programme, they are awarded certificates to celebrate progress.

“WRAZE is open to any age and you don’t need previous radio experience to join in,” Evans said.

For further information contact net admin Shaun Evans: 06 377 5064.