RAC Ontario Sections Bulletin for February 11, 2023

RAC Ontario Sections Bulletin for February 11, 2023

Official Bulletin Station for Radio Amateurs of Canada with this week’s bulletin.

 NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS

1.   Amateur Radio Active in Turkey and Syria Following Earthquakes

In the days following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake and aftershocks that hit Turkey and Syria on
February 6, 2023, emergency communications have been active with rescue and response efforts.

The emergency communications group Türkiye Radyo Amatörleri Cemiyeti (TRAC) is coordinating
primary communications.

The designated primary disaster communication frequency is 28.540 MHz (USB). In addition,
3.777 and 7.092 MHz will also be used as needed. Amateur radio operators have been asked to
avoid these frequencies to allow any emergency traffic.

Assistance of individual radio amateurs is only possible if they are ’embedded’ to SAR Teams
with International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) Certification, which has been
accredited by the Turkish government.

Traffic is being heard on 10 and 80 meters in the Turkish language, so the request to keep
frequencies in the area clear remains. The majority of emergency communications traffic
remains on VHF.

To date, there have been more than 17,000 casualties in Turkey and Syria combined, and more
than 14,000 casualties in Turkey alone, with more than 63,000 people reported injured.
Aftershocks continue and relief organizations are on site, with more aid arriving in the areas daily.

— Additional and updated information is available at:
 https://www.iaru-r1.org/2023/turkiye-earthquake-6-february-2023/

ONTARIO SECTION NEWS

ITEMS OF INTEREST

2.   Registration Open for the 2023 QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo

The 2023 QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo will be held on March 25 – 26, and registration is now open.

The event is a fully interactive virtual ham radio convention offering new content, networking opportunities,
and more than 50 amateur radio presentations on a wide variety of subjects.

There is still time to participate in the event as a presenter. You can submit an application to present a video
on a topic of your choice. The deadline for submission is February 15, 2023. Tickets are $15, and registration
information can be found at the QSO Today Virtual Ham Expowebsite.

http://www.qsotodayhamexpo.com

3.  Update on 3Y0J

If you have made a QSO with 3Y0J, and you are sure of it, the team has requested that you
NOT TRY TO FILL OTHER BAND/MODE SLOTS. You are taking an ATNO away from someone else.

The DXpedition is operating in a truly bare-bones backup mode, with no amplifiers, no big antennas,
few stations, and no generator or fuel to power any of that even if they did have it.

The team will be lucky to get 20K QSOs instead of the intended 200K, and no one will be going to Bouvet
for a long time after. Please DO spot them, help your friends and clubmates to get in the log, etc.,
but don’t try to fill slots.

In particular, the team has requested that if you have contacted them on CW or SSB, DO NOT CONTACT
THEM ON FT8. FT8 operation began today, and may be the only means for more modest stations to get in
the log. Give them a chance.

— Rich KE1B, West Coast Pilot, 3Y0J

4.    Current Special Event Callsigns

CJ2X               2023-02-01 to 2023-02-28 Coronation of King Charles III sponsored by VA2BK
VB3CAM50    2023-02-01 to 2023-02-15 City of Cambridge 50th Anniversary by VA3GGT

— IC.gc.ca website

This concludes this week’s bulletin.

 Bulletin sent from Official Bulletin Manager VA3PC

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