Table of Contents
ToggleRAC Ontario Sections Bulletin for 22 February, 2025
Official Bulletin Station for Radio Amateurs of Canada with this week’s bulletin.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS
ONTARIO SECTION NEWS
ITEMS OF INTEREST
- 5 years of POTA experience revealed in 12 minutes
Join KB9VBR in a 12 minute video as he discusses over 400 POTA activations in the past 5 years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMlVrh6NOHU
— KB9VBR (you tube video)
2. YLRL Accepting Scholarship Applications
The Young Ladies Radio League (YLRL) will be sponsoring three memorial scholarships for 2025 totaling $6,500 in awards.
The three awards include:
– The Ethel Smith, K4LMB, Memorial Scholarship awards $2,500
– The Mary Lou Brown, NM7N, Memorial Scholarship awards $2,500
– The Martha “Marte” Wessel, K0EPE, Memorial Scholarship awards $1,500
Applicants may apply on the YLRL website. Donations are also being accepted.
— ylrl.net https://ylrl.net/Scholarships/
- Dogs Pull Sleds and Michigan Hams Pull Long Shifts on Air
Winter racing fans in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula finally got what they waited two years for: enough snow in the region for the return of a sled-dog race that is a qualifier to the world-famous Iditarod.
Called the UP200 and its 228-mile path through near-wilderness, creek crossings and challenging terrain in northern Michigan brings out sled dogs, racing fans and amateur radio operators. Significant snowfall this year also put two smaller, concurrent races back in action: the Midnight Run and the Jack Pine.
The races between the 13th and 17th of February challenged the dogs, the sledders’ navigational skills and some 30 radio amateurs responsible for keeping everyone safe and as on-track as they could. Local media outlets were told that the success drew heavily on having a robust linked repeater system in the region. This allowed everyone to hear the other radio operators. With cell phone access not being an option, it kept everyone in communication. The Iditarod, a major sporting event in Alaska, will be held next month in Anchorage
–Dave Parks WB8ODF. (via amateur radio newsline)
4. High School and a Movie Spark Interest in Amateur Radio
Steve Schickel was a young high school student in the late ’80s and was introduced to amateur radio through his electronics classes. He also spent time working at a local RadioShack and watching science fiction movies at a nearby theater in his hometown of Pensacola, Florida.
Amateur radio’s next biggest influence on Steve came in 1997, on opening night of the movie “Contact,” about a scientist who finds evidence of extraterrestrial life and is chosen to make first contact. “I remember the entire theater erupted when, in the opening scene, amateur radio operator K4WLD responded to a call from W9GFO and stated his location was Pensacola,” said Schickel. “It sounded like the home team had scored in overtime to win the game; it was so loud!
Fast-forward to December 2024. Schickel passed his Extra Class license exam. “To celebrate, I started researching vanity call signs in order to reward myself with a 1×2 call sign. I was just about to file my application with the FCC with a list of about a dozen 1×2 calls when I paused and wondered if anybody actually had the call sign K4WLD from the movie.”
It turned out K4WLD had just fallen out of a two-year grace period hold a couple weeks prior and was now available. “I can proudly say that K4WLD was awarded to me in January 2025, and I still live in Pensacola! Now, life is imitating art,” Schickel concluded, “and K4WLD has come home to Pensacola in real life … just like in the movie.”
— Full story on arrl news (21 Feb, 2025)
This concludes this week’s bulletin.
Bulletin sent from Official Bulletin Manager VA3PC
RAC Ontario Sections Bulletin for 15 February, 2025
Official Bulletin Station for Radio Amateurs of Canada with this week’s bulletin.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS
- RAC Amateur of the Year 2024 – Mike Kelly, VE3FFK
Through the RAC Amateur of the Year award, RAC recognizes the outstanding contributions made by Canadian Amateurs. Mike’s over 5 decades as an amateur has led him to volunteer countless hours to clubs and public service events locally in the Ottawa area, and to RAC itself by managing and publishing the silent key list, coordinating ballot distribution for RAC elections, assisting with administrative tasks at head office, and most recently the planning, design, and installation of the RAC headquarters station VE3RHQ.
For more info see the RAC website:
https://wp.rac.ca/rac-amateur-of-the-year/
— Al Boyd, VE3AJB, RAC President and Chair
- Updated Rules Published for WRTC 2026
With the World Radiosport Team Championship 2026 in the UK, you may want to read the competition rules which have been published by the championship’s committee. The rules have been adjusted slightly from the previous competition. Questions may be submitted to the committee via social media, on the WRTC reflector or at amateur radio conventions.
https://www.wrtc2026.org/2025/02/10/wrtc-uk-competition-rules/
— amateur radio newsline
ONTARIO SECTION NEWS
ITEMS OF INTEREST
- Introduction to Single Sideband (Youtube Video)
This video covers basic information about single-sideband and some of the history back in the late 50s early 60s. It is an old film it still covers the basic information about single-sideband and does so in an educational setting. The video was used in the RF Transmission course at Keesler Air force Base, Biloxi MS and is from the AETC video department.
RF Transmission has permission to use this video for education purposes.
— via amateur radio.com weekly news
- RIGEXPERT’S UKRAINE OFFICES DESTROYED BY MISSILE
The amateur radio developer and manufacturer RigExpert reported the destruction of its administrative office at its headquarters in Ukraine. The company said on its website and in social media posts that the offices were struck by a ballistic missile. RigExpert said that all its personnel were safe, production remained unaffected and that its customer support
operations will continue. The company issued a statement on Wednesday, February 12th, saying: “Even though this is a difficult situation, the RigExpert team is committed to restoring operations as soon as possible to continue providing our great products to you. We are working tirelessly to minimize delays and fulfill our commitments.”
— via arrl news (and other sources)
This concludes this week’s bulletin.
Bulletin sent from Official Bulletin Manager VA3PC
RAC Amateur of the Year 2024: Mike Kelly, VE3FFK
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For immediate release:
The RAC Board of Directors takes great pleasure in selecting Mike Kelly, VE3FFK, of Ottawa, Ontario as the recipient of the RAC Amateur of the Year Award for 2024.
Through the RAC Amateur of the Year Award, Radio Amateurs of Canada recognizes the outstanding contributions made by Canadian Amateurs. The RAC Board considers nominations for the RAC Amateur of the Year Award and presents it if and when the nomination demonstrates the exceptional contribution made. If there are several nominations the best for that year is approved.
With over five decades as an Amateur, Mike Kelly, VE3FFK, has volunteered countless hours as a member of the Ottawa Amateur Radio Club (OARC).
“My Amateur career began as a teenager intrigued by the sounds of Morse on an old ‘all wave’ radio, and wanting to figure out what those guys were saying. That led to a course with the Ottawa Amateur Radio Club (OARC) and eventually, reluctantly, a few Executive positions there over the years. One of those positions was the club’s designated Delegated Examiner in around 1993, something I still enjoy doing.
An interest in public service events led to several years volunteering for the Canadian Ski Marathon, the Rideau Lakes Bicycle Tour, several car rallies, soccer tournaments and road running events. Other interests included bicycle mobile HF and VHF operating, and portable operation before it became as popular as it is today.”
In December 2008, Mike joined a team of dedicated volunteers who provided much-needed support at RAC Headquarters every Wednesday and he continues to do so to this day. His responsibilities include managing and publishing the Silent Key List for The Canadian Amateur (TCA) and overseeing the Carl Everson Memorial Silent Keys List – tasks that demand extensive research, correspondence and writing every week. Mike plays a crucial role in supporting RAC elections by helping coordinate ballot distribution, reception and counting to ensure a fair and timely process. His additional commitment to various administrative tasks and ongoing assistance to the Office Manager highlights his invaluable support to RAC operations.
In January 2023, while returning from a 160m CW contest with Craig Delmage, VE3OP, Mike mentioned his long-standing wish for an Amateur station at RAC Headquarters to replace the station that had been closed years before. After discussions with RAC officials, a plan was launched in celebration of RAC’s 30th Anniversary to refurbish the RAC Headquarters in Ottawa to include a more modern office, a multipurpose room for meetings and other activities, and a flagship radio station. The refurbishment project required over 14 months of work on a daily basis involving: proposal writing; new office design; removal of old equipment/furniture; construction oversight; volunteer team coordination; and acquisition of new equipment/furniture.
With the completion of the office refurbishment project, Mike and Craig turned their attention to the planning, design and installation of RAC’s first-ever flagship radio station VE3RHQ. When completed, the new flagship station will serve many essential purposes including: public service and emergency communications; education and training opportunities; community engagement; supporting local clubs and other organizations; and promoting Amateur Radio throughout Canada and internationally through contests, events and award chasing.
Radio Amateurs of Canada sincerely congratulates Mike Kelly, VE3FFK, on his appointment as Amateur of the Year for 2024.
For more information about the RAC Amateur of the Year Award please visit:
https://wp.rac.ca/rac-amateur-of-the-year/
Allan Boyd, VE3AJB RAC President and Chair
RAC Ontario Sections Bulletin for 08 February, 2025
Official Bulletin Station for Radio Amateurs of Canada with this week’s bulletin.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS
The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN), founded on Labor Day weekend 1965, is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2025. The net, known for relaying surface observations into the National Hurricane Center, is also seeking volunteers to serve as net control operators.
Net Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, reports HWN is preparing for what could be, yet again, an above-average hurricane season and that the net needs more amateur radio operators to help.
“We are looking for dedicated new members willing to train to become net control operators. While being bilingual is not a requirement, being fluent in Spanish and English or French/Creole and English is a plus.”
If you are interested in training to become a net control operator for the Hurricane Watch Net, please visit the net control information page at:
https://hwn.org/about-us/ncs_info.html
— Hurricane watch net
ONTARIO SECTION NEWS
- Reminder ACS Golden Horseshoe Presentation on NVIS Antennas February 19, 2025 – Zoom session 19:00 – 20:00 ET
Presented By John Leonardelli VE3IPS
Near Vertical Incident Skywave (NVIS) Antennas, provides a communications system that permits coverage up to approximately 500 km using relatively low power equipment. Topics: Simple antenna ideas to make on a Saturday afternoon; providing a walk through on NVIS appropriate antennas; and the various antennas John has made for portable and Em-Comm
operations.
Register before February 17 2025 with reupva3rie@gmail.com
— Rosemarie, VA3RIE, Education and Training Coordinator, ACS-GH
ITEMS OF INTEREST
- World Radio Day – February 13th
World Radio Day, February 13th, was adopted in 2012 by the United Nations to acknowledge radio’s role in people’s lives everywhere. Although the focus is usually on broadcast radio services, amateur radio will be involved in some events around the world. This year’s theme is “Radio and Climate Change.” One of the many international events happening involves the Shanghai Coast Radio Station XSG. The station is hosting a two-day Crossband Event in which the radio station will communicate via CW with amateur radio operators, with each side transmitting on their authorized frequencies while monitoring the other party’s frequencies. The event runs from 00:00 UTC on the 12th of February to 00:00 UTC the next day.
For a list of Amateur Radio frequencies that XSG will be monitoring for ham transmissions, see the text version of this week’s newscast at arnewsline.org
— Amateur radio newsline
- Amateur Radio Software Awards Nominations Open
The amateur radio software award is seeking nominations for outstanding software developed for ham radio. Nominations should promote innovative, free, and open source projects. Submissions are being accepted until February 28th.
— Source: Amateur Radio Software Award
This concludes this week’s bulletin.
Bulletin sent from Official Bulletin Manager VA3PC
RAC Ontario Sections Bulletin for 01 February, 2025
Official Bulletin Station for Radio Amateurs of Canada with this week’s bulletin.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. ISED Releases New Basic Amateur Radio Question Bank
On January 27, 2025, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada released the new Basic Qualification Question Bank for Amateur Radio. This new Question Bank will be used for all Basic Amateur Radio Certificate examinations beginning July 15, 2025.
Since early 2023, Radio Amateurs of Canada has had a committee of 20 instructors and Accredited Examiners working to update and improve the quality of the 984 questions in the Question Bank. This was the first major update to the Question Bank since 2013.
RAC has prepared the following documents to help with the transition to the new Question Bank:
-a bilingual document which contains the old questions next to the new questions and provides notes explaining the changes
-separate English and French versions of a document containing a list of the 201 new questions
The documents are available for download from the RAC website at: www.rac.ca/esc_cne.
We are extremely grateful to the 20 Radio Amateurs from nine provinces who gave so freely of their time and expertise to bring this enormous project to a successful conclusion.
Most of these volunteers are also working on the update to the Advanced Question Bank expected to be complete in 2026.
— Dave Goodwin VE3KG, Regulatory Affairs Officer, RAC
ONTARIO SECTION NEWS
2. ACS Golden Horseshoe Section Presentation on NVIS Antennas February 19, 2025 – Zoom session 19:00 – 20:00 ET
Near Vertical Incident Skywave (NVIS) Antennas, a communications system that permits coverage up to approximately 500 km using relatively low power equipment. Simple antenna ideas to make on a Saturday afternoon, providing a walk through on NVIS appropriate antennas, and the various antennas John has made for portable and Em-Comm operations.
Presented By John Leonardelli VE3IPS
Register before February 17 2025 with reupva3rie@gmail.com
— Rosemarie, VA3RIE, Education and Training Coordinator, ACS-GH
ITEMS OF INTEREST
3. CORONAL LOOP ‘FLICKERING’ SEEN AS CLUE TO SOLAR FLARES
Analyzing images captured at NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, researchers say they have identified a tell-tale flickering that seems to be a tipoff that dangerous solar flares are soon to follow.
The scientists detected the flickering occurring before the sun shot off solar flares. The researchers viewed the phenomenon just before 50 such solar flares.
Their findings were presented to the American Astronomical Society in Maryland on January 15th. They believe that predictions based on this observation can offer an accuracy of 60 to 80 percent for flares that occur within two to six hours. The biggest of these geomagnetic disturbances can disrupt power grids, satellite orbits, rail lines and GPS systems.
— Kent Peterson KCØDGY (via amateur radio newsline)
4. NASA ANTENNA BEING REPURPOSED FOR SATELLITE TRACKING SYSTEM
Decommissioned almost 40 years ago, the 29.8 meter parabolic antenna at the site of Australia’s Overseas Telecommunications Commission in Carnarvon, Western Australia, will be reporting for duty again as part of a satellite-tracking system said to be of interest to the military.
Its return will follow a period of thorough refurbishing that began last year including some new paint, some new equipment to be installed, and the removal of some accumulation of pigeon droppings over the years.
The dish is the property of ThothX Australia, part of the private Canadian aerospace company ThothX, which bought it in 2022 in the hopes of offering it for use by military clients interested in having satellite-tracking capabilities.
Although it is not yet ready for prime time again, ABC News Australia reported in December 2024 that the dish had received its first signal in 40 years, sent as a test from a geostationary object.
— Graham Kemp VK4BB (via amateur radio newsline)
This concludes this week’s bulletin.
Bulletin sent from Official Bulletin Manager VA3PC
ISED Releases New Basic Amateur Radio Question Bank
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RAC Ontario Sections Bulletin for 25 January, 2025
Official Bulletin Station for Radio Amateurs of Canada with this week’s bulletin.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. OFCOM EYES PRIVILEGES FOR MORE VISITING HAMS IN UK
Ofcom has issued a consultation proposing to implement application-free short-term reciprocal licensing for amateurs visiting from non-CEPT countries and with whom the UK has a bilateral agreement.
The regulator said that this would expand a privilege that is already afforded to hams with a full licence from CEPT-signatory countries. It would apply to foreign hams whose stays do not exceed three months. The privilege is currently available only to hams who hold a full licence from non-CEPT signatory countries, including Thailand, Brazil, Sri Lanka and Qatar, among others.
After the three-month limit, foreign amateurs may apply for an additional six months under the existing reciprocal full temporary licence process or apply for a full UK licence from Ofcom.
The regulator said that this change would reduce its administrative burdens and costs.
— Jeremy Boot G4NJH. (via ham radio newsline)
2. BC QSO Party (Feb. 1-2)
20 hours in length, starting 1600z Sat to 0359z Sun, and 1600z Sun to 2359z Sunday Multipliers are BC Electoral Districts Modes are CW and SSB.
See full details at: https://www.orcadxcc.org/bcqp.html
— orcadxcc.org
ONTARIO SECTION NEWS
ITEMS OF INTEREST
3. IP400 Network Project Announced in Alberta
IP400 aims to bring digital voice modes, data transfers, messaging, and a data networking layer that links repeaters together via RF. We have a ground floor opportunity to develop our own mesh network in the 420-450 MHz band that can be used for many different applications, the limit of which is the imagination alone. The first step is to get a simple chat and beaconing application running to experiment with the technology. From there we can layer on other features and frame types, and then consider moving into the repeater world. To give the project a name, it has been dubbed ‘IP400’, for Intelligent (not Internet!) Protocol. Those interested in the project can join the IP400 Groups.io list.
A GitHib repository of initial software has been established.
— Martin Alcock VE6VH with support from Alberta Digital Radio Communications Society.
IP400 project home on ADRCS: https://adrcs.org/adrcs/ip400-network-project/
— daily.hamweekly.com
4. HAMSCI HOSTING ZOOM SESSIONS FOR PERSONAL SPACE WEATHER STATION
With terrestrial and solar weather on almost everyone’s mind these days, HamSCI, the citizen science research group in the US, has announced it is hosting Zoom sessions to assist with its Personal Space Weather Station network. HamSCI hosts the sessions at 10 a.m. Eastern Time every Thursday on Zoom. The group is hoping to expand its network and improve data collection for additional studies. Visit hamsci dot org or more details.
— hamsci.org
This concludes this week’s bulletin.
Bulletin sent from Official Bulletin Manager VA3PC
Winter Field Day 2025
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RAC Ontario Sections Bulletin for 18 January, 2025
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. January-February 2025 TCA is now available
The digital (eTCA) version of the January-February 2025 TCA is now available for viewing or download. The paper version is now at the printer.
To download your copy please visit: https://www.rac.ca/digitaltca/
— rac website
2. ARRL Reports DXCC Application Processing Caught Up
DXCC® application processing is back to typical processing times.
In October, we reported that the ARRL DXCC® System had been returned to service following work that was completed to ensure the security and integrity of the system following the cyber-attack in May. Over 4,000 DXCC applications have been logged into the system for processing since returning the system to service.
We are currently processing applications submitted in December, and we continue to mail orders for paper DXCC certificates and endorsement stickers. There were 315 certificates mailed between December 27, 2024, and January 13, 2025.
— arrl website
3. Ham Radio Operators Serving During California Firestorms
As the firestorms across Southern California continue to threaten millions of residents, trained amateur radio operators are serving critical volunteer roles to help officials spot fires before they get out of control.
The Eaton fire burned to the top of Mount Wilson, a critical logistical post for broadcast radio and television stations. Federal agencies, air traffic control, local emergency responders, radio amateurs, and others all share tower space on the mountain.
During severe fire weather, volunteers go to preassigned locations to report conditions. Many of them are hams, using the Amateur Radio bands to fill in mobile network weak zones.
Ray Hutchinson, AE6H, is a retired Firefighter who serves as the chief radio officer for Fire Watch. He says local clubs are key to providing the needed RF infrastructure. “Our local club, provides linked 2-meter and 70-centimeter repeaters: one high level and one coastal, for use by Fire Watch hams during deployments. There is a formal Net Control Station (NCS) for the entirety of these events,” he said.
Radio Amateurs are also ready and able to serve at evacuation centers, providing support as needed.
ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, has been on calls with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other served agencies, offering ARRL resources. Efforts are being coordinated locally by Emergency Network Los Angeles (ENLA), the Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) group in Southern California.
Johnston urges hams in the affected regions to be ready to take care of themselves and their families before volunteering to deploy. “These are stressful events for everyone, and being a ham volunteer is really second to keeping yourself and your family safe,” said Johnston.
— full article on arrl website news
ONTARIO SECTION NEWS
ITEMS OF INTEREST
4. Remotely Controlled Vehicles Over Starlink
Modern remote control (RC) radios are capable of incredible range, but they’re still only made for line-of-sight use. What if you want to control a vehicle that’s 100s of kilometers away, or even on the other side of the planet? Cellular is an option, but is limited by available infrastructure.
But what if you could beam your commands down from space? That’s what Thingify was looking to test when they put together an experimental RC boat using a Starlink Mini for communications. Physically, it would work on the boat. After all, it was small, light, and power-efficient enough. But would the network connection be up to the task of controlling the vehicle in real-time?
During ground testing, the Mini version of the Starlink receiver worked very well. Despite being roughly 1/4 the size of its predecessor, the smaller unit met or exceeded its erformance during benchmarks on bandwidth, latency, and signal strength. As expected, it also drew far less power: the Mini’s power consumption peaked at around 33 watts, compared to 180 W for the larger receiver.
On the water the bandwidth was more than enough to run a high-resolution video feedback to the command center. At that time, the boat moved autonomously between waypoints, and when Thingify switched over to manual control, the latency was low enough not to be a problem. We wouldn’t recommend manually piloting a high-speed aircraft over Starlink, but for a boat that’s cruising along at 4 km/h, the lag didn’t even come into play.
The downside? Starlink is a fairly expensive proposition; you’d need to have a pretty specific mission in mind to justify the cost. The Mini receiver currently costs $599 USD, and you’ll need at least a $50 per month plan to go with it. While this puts it out of the price range for recreational RC, Thingify notes that it’s not a bad deal if you’re looking to explore uncharted territory.
— hackaday Blog (Jan 08, 2025 edition)
This concludes this week’s bulletin.
Bulletin sent from Official Bulletin Manager VA3PC
OARC and WCDR to offer amateur radio training Special to WC Online / January 14, 2025
WEST CARLETON – The Ottawa Amateur Radio Club (OARC) is partnering with West Carleton Disaster Relief (WCDR) to provide amateur radio training – a life-saving skill when all other forms of communication are down.
“Are You Ready to Make a Difference? For your family? For your community?” OARC President Roger Egan released in a statement yesterday (Jan. 13). “In times of crisis like we have already experienced right here in West Carleton, communication is key. Amateur radio operators play a vital role in emergency situations by providing reliable, off-the-grid communication when traditional systems fail. We are partnering with the West Carleton Disaster Relief Organization to provide training that will first prepare you to write your Amateur Radio License Exam, allowing you to use an amateur radio system.
”Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency spectrum for purposes of non- commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting and emergency communications.
I have been recently working with the WCDR to help them plan for a future natural disaster with a communications failure event, such as when a high wind disaster occurs making the cell communications unavailable,” Egan told West Carleton Online yesterday. “Around the world, amateur radio operators have served as lifelines after catastrophic disaster events.”
Amateur radio requires a license in order to operate. The OARC is providing training sessions to prepare future radio operators.
“Having residents in West Carleton trained would make it safer during one of these events,” Egan said. “The OARC has a repeater in Gatineau park which can be used to expand communications in West Carleton during one of these disaster events, as the tree cover impedes radio communications, and the repeater overcomes these limitations.”
What you’ll learn through the OARC course:
*Basics of Amateur Radio
*How to operate radios and communicate effectively
“Successful candidates will continue the training to prepare for and participate in exercises that simulate real-life emergency situations as part of our Community Emergency Response Team,” Egan said.
These include:
*Emergency communication protocols
*How to handle real-life scenarios in disaster situations
*Hands-on experience with equipment
You will also be invited to practice your skills providing radio communications at local community events like CN Cycle for CHEO, MS Bike and Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour so you will always be prepared.
Amateur radio provides an independent, reliable way to communicate during power outages, natural
disasters, and other emergencies.
“You’ll gain the skills needed to support your community and be a part of the solution when help is needed
most,” Egan said.
The course is a hybrid format. The in-person sessions will take place at 1345 Baseline Rd. at National Scout Headquarters and the course is also available via Zoom for those not in the area. Lessons are recorded so you can re-watch or catch up if needed.
The course will run every Sunday from starting in February from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. There are a total of 12 sessions and there are no classes on long weekends.
The cost is $100 general public and $80 for students and members of Scouting or Guiding. All study materials
and Zoom recordings are supplied via Google Drive.
“Sign up today,” Egan said. “Spaces are limited, so don’t wait to secure your spot.”
Visit https://oarc.net/courses/ to register and learn more. If you have questions, please send an email to courses@oarc.net.
“Take the first step toward becoming an amateur radio operator and help ensure our community stays connected when it matters most,” Egan said.
The OARC is offering a 25 Watt VHF/UHF Mobile Radio with a magnetic mount antenna and cigarette lighter power cord; a one-year OARC membership and a custom name badge for just $100 more when you obtain your amateur radio license. All of this is valued at $300.
“Amateur radio has a long history of serving as a crucial communication lifeline during emergency situations, particularly when other communication networks fail,” Egan said. “The following are examples highlighting the indispensable role that amateur radio plays in emergency response efforts, especially in scenarios where traditional communication methods are unavailable or unreliable. The flexibility, portability, and resiliency of amateur radio equipment make it a valuable resource during disasters of all kinds.”
When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the United States in 2005, it devastated the region, causing widespread destruction and leaving millions without power. The storm destroyed traditional communication infrastructure, making it difficult for emergency services to coordinate.
“Amateur radio operators played a critical role in providing emergency communications in the affected areas,” Egan said. “They set up communication links between emergency shelters, hospitals, and local authorities, and even provided communication for the American Red Cross. Operators worked tirelessly to maintain contact between the devastated region and the outside world. They were involved in relaying messages for those trapped in the disaster zone, and many radio operators also helped coordinate rescue missions.”
California has experienced devastating wildfires in multiple years, including the 2017, 2018 and several are currently ravaging the state around Los Angeles right now, which ravaged entire communities, forcing mass evacuations and causing widespread property damage.
“During these fires, amateur radio operators have been crucial in maintaining communication between evacuation centres, first responders, and emergency teams,” Egan said. “With cellular and landline networks often going down due to fire damage or congestion, amateur radio networks allowed critical communication to continue, providing a lifeline for those in need of assistance.”
West Carleton Online has covered the West Carleton Amateur Radio Club several times over the years, and you can find that coverage here.
Winter Field Day: Update #2
Hello Team,
Here’s the latest update for our Winter Field Day preparations:
Antenna Setup
- We will set up the same End-Fed-Half-Wave (EFHW) antenna as in previous years.
- Coaxial cable and the Kenwood 450 radio will come from the trailer.
Footwear Reminder
- Please bring slippers or indoor footwear!
- We’ll leave our snowy or wet boots at the door to keep the floor clean and dry.
Setup Timing
- Next week, we will decide on a time to meet and start the setup process. Stay tuned for more details.
Event Day
- During the event, we’ll also explore setting up various antennas, depending on the layout of the playing area.
If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out. Let’s make this Field Day a success!
Further update is to come
73,
Joel – VA3WBK
RAC Ontario Sections Bulletin for 04 Jan, 2025
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS
ONTARIO SECTION NEWS
ITEMS OF INTEREST
1. Ham Map of WWFF, POTA, SOTA sites
A map for WWFF, POTA, and SOTA locations and activity.
See the interactive map at https://ham-map.com/
— OK1SIM
2. STRAIGHT KEY MONTH IS HERE
Calling all CW operators! January is the month to put your paddle in the drawer and dust off your straight key. It’s time for the 19th annual Straight Key Month, hosted by the Straight Key Century Club.
Throughout the month, you’ll be able to work K3Y stations in all US call areas. In addition, stations from regions within the IARU in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania and South America will also be on the air.
Taking their cue from the ARRL’s long-running Straight Key Night every January 1, the SKCC extends the event from the 2nd to the 31st of the month. Whether you’re a seasoned operator or just beginning your CW journey, you’ll find Straight Key Month to be a great deal of fun while increasing your skills.
Information for this event can be found at skccgroup.com/k3y.
–Randy Sly, W4XJ (SKCC)
3. SCAMP Digital Mode Available in Fldigi
Simple Conversational Amateur Message Protocol (SCAMP) is a weak signal digital mode developed by Dr. Daniel Marks (KW4TI). Originally integrated with the RFBitBanger transceiver, SCAMP is now available for broader use through the Fldigi software suite.
Like other weak signal propagation modes such as the popular FT8, SCAMP is an orthogonal frequency shift keying mode with a low symbol rate, forward error correction, and synchronous signaling. Unlike FT8 which has been designed to exchange signal reports, SCAMP must be able to communicate arbitrary messages that may be required in an emergency situation. [1]
For additional information, view KW4TI’s video presentation (youtube – open research institute) on SCAMP.
[1] Jensen (W7DGJ), Dave. “Trials and Errors Issue 26.”
QRZ, 31 Aug. 2023, www.qrz.com/articles/node_1692683709.
— amateur radio daily news
4. Single Crystal Electrode Lithium Ion Batteries Last a Long Time
Researchers have been testing a new type of lithium ion battery that uses single-crystal electrodes. Over several years, they’ve found that the technology could keep 80% of its capacity after 20,000 charge and discharge cycles. For reference, a conventional lithium cell reaches 80% capacity after about 2,400 cycles.
The researchers say that the number of cycles would be equivalent to driving about 8 million kilometers in an electric vehicle. This is within striking distance of having the battery last longer than the other parts of the vehicle. The researchers employed synchrotron x-ray diffraction to study the wear on the electrodes. One interesting result is that after use, the single-crystal electrode showed very little degradation. According to reports, the batteries are already in production and they expect to see them used more often in the near future.
— Blog – Hackaday.com (Dec 16, 2024)
Bulletin sent from Official Bulletin Manager VA3PC
RAC Ontario Sections Bulletin for 28 December, 2024
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. Contest prefill files now available on Writelog Website
I took an interest in creating prefill files for use in the RAC Canada Day and Canada Winter contests and was having difficulty finding anyone who hosted these files. I had seen mention of two prior individuals who did host files but those sites were no longer active.
I reached out to Wayne at Writelog and asked if he would host prefill files if I created some and he agreed. I thought this would be one of the best longer term solutions to the issue of hosting prefill files for the longer term for the Writelog contesting community.
While developing a process to create the required ADIF files used by Writelog I expanded it to include conversion of some of the files from N1NM call history files (CHF). I reached out to and received permission from Claude Duberger, VE2FK to use his files with attribution back to him and the folks at N1NM.
Thanks to his work and the other supporting those efforts I was able to create 11 additional prefill files as a starting point.
If you would like to have a prefill file created for contests supported by Writelog, I will do my best to accommodate such requests.
The dependency will be availability of data.
I hope the contesting community and Writelog users will find these files of value in their contesting efforts. As always with data of this sort, use the prefill information as an aid. Be sure to verify the data and ultimately log what the station sends. Never assume the prefill data is 100% correct.
If anyone is interested in assisting in this process, I would be happy to share the resources I created in Excel.
— Bart Ritchie – VE5CPU
ONTARIO SECTION NEWS
ITEMS OF INTEREST
2. ARRL Systems Service Disruption Update
In October, we reported that the ARRL DXCC® System had been returned to service. Since then, over 3,000 DXCC applications have been logged into the DXCC System for
processing. It is important to understand that the queue of the
Stand by for further updates.
— ARRL news
3. ARRL Kids Day – January 4, 2025
ARRL Kids Day runs January 4, 2025 from 1800 UTC – 2359 UTC. Operate as much or as little as you like.
The event is designed to give on-the-air experience to young people, to foster interest in getting a license of their own, and give older hams a chance to share their stations and love for amateur radio with their children.
There will be a second ARRL Kids Day on June 21, 2025.
More information, including frequencies, suggested exchanges, and
how to download a certificate, can be found on the Kids Day web page
at https://www.arrl.org/Kids-Day
— ARRL News
4. WINTERHEAT Contest Runs Through January
In its 6th year, WINTERHEAT is a month-long simplex contest active January 1 through January 31. The event encourages hams to get on the air and accumulate as many VHF/UHF
simplex contacts as possible. The 2024 event saw 785 hams make over 214,000 contacts.
Contacts are to be made via FM voice, including digital voice modes such as DMR, Fusion, and D-STAR.
Visit http://hamactive.com to register.
— ham radio daily news
Bulletin sent from Official Bulletin Manager VA3PC
PR-ARES Group Activity Report - Dec 2024
The PR-ARES Group had a busy month in December. On the 12th Lance VA3LP Group Coordinator, participated in the Nation Township annual tabletop exercise. The scenario was one of a storm that blew through on the Friday before the May long weekend. Each department provided input into their responsibilities as well as a healthy discussion about escalation. In the end there was a tremendous amount of work that would be done, but as we identified the risks it became apparent that there would not be a state of emergency declared. As we went through each stage of the emergency, we reviewed the requirement for declaration and throughout it was decided not to declare and that the township could handle the situation on their own. The PR-AREs gave a brief description of the capabilities that could be provided as supplemental communications support. In this case we would have remained on standby.
On the 17th, Lance VA3LP and Harry VA3ZAK were invited to the East Hawkesbury EOC for their annual tabletop exercise. It turns out the exercise was all about what the PR-ARES Group would provide if required. Lance gave a detailed description of our capabilities and answered all their questions on how we would provide supplemental communications. At the completion of the exercise the CEMC requested that we provide information on how they can support us by installing antennas and coaxes. Harry took some pictures and the matter was referred to Mike VE3IPC who has experience in providing detailed information on equipment and installation.
The PR-ARC rounded out the year with a Christmas party at the restaurant located at the Hammond Golf Course.