RAC Ontario Sections Bulletin for April 8th, 2023
Official Bulletin Station for Radio Amateurs of Canada with this week’s bulletin.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. RAC “World Amateur Radio Day” Special Event: April 18
Every year on April 18, Radio Amateurs worldwide take to the airwaves in celebration of
Amateur Radio and to commemorate the formation of the International Amateur Radio Union
(IARU) on April 18, 1925.
Radio Amateurs of Canada is once again holding a “Get on the Air on World Amateur Radio Day”
special event in which we encourage as many Amateurs as possible to get on the air and contact as
many RAC stations as possible.
RAC official stations will operate across Canada from 0000Z to 2359Z on April 18.
The RAC official station call signs are VA2RAC, VA3RAC, VE1RAC, VE4RAC, VE5RAC,
VE6RAC, VE7RAC, VE8RAC, VE9RAC, VO1RAC, VO2RAC, VY0RAC,
VY1RAC and VY2RAC.
Those contacting one or more of these stations will be eligible for a special commemorative certificate
noting their participation. No logs need to be submitted; simply check back on the RAC website
when instructed and enter your call sign to download your certificate.
For more information on World Amateur Radio Day and the RAC “Get on the Air on World Amateur
Radio Day” special event please visit:
https://www.rac.ca/rac-get-on-the-air-on-world-amateur-radio-day-special-event-tuesday-april-18/
— Phil McBride, VA3QR, President, Radio Amateurs of Canada
ONTARIO SECTION NEWS
2. Ontario QSO Party – April 15/16, 2023
It’s still not too late to plan to participate in the Ontario QSO party the weekend of April 15/16, 2023.
All you need do is get on the air and make some contacts. If you do, please submit a text log to
allow the scorers to verify completed contacts. Full details can be found on the website at:
http://va3cco.com/oqp There will be four bonus stations this year (Elgin County, Lanark County,
Leeds and Grenville County, and the city of Ottawa). Certificates will be awarded to the high score
in each Ontario multiplier, so if you are in one of the “rare” multipliers you could earn a certificate.
If you will operate, please let us know your intentions via http://www.va3cco.com/oqp/plan
There are also QSO Parties in Michigan, Quebec, North Dakota and Nebraska.that weekend.
— Ontario QSO Party Committee
ITEMS OF INTEREST
3. NASA Names Three Hams for Artemis II Moon Mission Crew
NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) announced the four astronauts who will venture
around the moon on Artemis II. This will be the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing
long-term moon science and exploration development. Three of the four crew members are
amateur radio operators. The crew will work as a team to execute an ambitious set of demonstrations
during the flight test.
Their assignments are: Commander Reid Wiseman, KF5LKT, Pilot Victor Glover, KI5BKC,
Mission Specialist 1 Christina Hammock Koch, and Mission Specialist 2 Jeremy Hansen, KF5LKU.
Koch had planned to study and take her amateur license exam in 2019, but her flight was suddenly
rescheduled 6 months earlier than originally planned.
The Artemis II mission is scheduled to launch in November 2024. The approximately 10-day flight
will launch on the agency’s powerful Space Launch System rocket, prove the Orion spacecraft’s
life-support systems, and validate the capabilities and techniques needed for humans to live and
work in deep space.
— For more information, visit the NASA website at https://www.nasa.gov
4. Amateur Radio Featured at 2023 National Hurricane Conference
Amateur radio and the work of ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) was again
represented at the 2023 National Hurricane Conference, which was held this year in New Orleans,
Louisiana on April 3, 2023.
During NHC Session #1 – Bob Robichaud, VE1MBR, from the Canadian Hurricane Centre
presented on hurricane meteorological topics, including the last 2 years in review and the forecast
for 2023. He also provided a brief overview of Canadian Hurricane Centre operations.
Julio Ripoll, WD4R, presented WX4NHC operations and an overview of The Hurricane Watch
Net (HWN). A representative from the National Hurricane Center also presented on the
importance of amateur radio surface reporting.
During NHC Session #2 – Rob Macedo, KD1CY, presented on the VoIP Hurricane Net and
best practices in SKYWARN Tropical Systems. Bill Feist, WB8BZH, presented a SATERN
(Salvation Army Team Emergency Response Radio Network) overview.
This was followed by a Q & A session.
Amateur radio presentations were recorded and will be posted to YouTube after the workshop
within the month of April.
— arrl news
This concludes this week’s bulletin.
Bulletin sent from Official Bulletin Manager VA3PC
RAC Ontario Sections Bulletin for April 8th, 2023
