RAC Ontario Sections Bulletin for 18 January, 2025

This is V_3___, Official Bulletin Station for Radio Amateurs of Canada
with this week's bulletin.

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 commercial 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 and other served  agencies offering ARRL resources. Efforts are being coordinated locally by Emergency Network Los Angeles, 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 needing 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. 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 performance 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 data 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. Does anyone require repeats or clarifications?
Hearing none, This is V_3___ returning the frequency to net control.

Bulletin sent from Official Bulletin Manager VA3PC

Georgian Bay Amateur Radio Club
Wednesday January 15th 2025 Club Net Log


Net Controller: Marvin VE3VCG
Topics: POTA experience, new POTA plans, Favorite park, future POTA plans, and/or Experience with World Wide Flora and Fauna. 
2)Favorite liquid beverage, alcoholic or non-alcoholic.

Participants:
2 meter
Echo Link
VE3DDU Ray
KO4DXQ Bob
VA3RAC Kevin

VE3OSR:
VE3RQY Greg
VE3BQM Bernie
VA3TS Tom
VE3DGY Doug
VA3DNY Dan

VE3GBT:
VA3MFO Jim
VA3EAC Jan
VE3OZW Richard

80 Meters:
VA3EAC Jan
VA3MFO Jim
VE3DDU Ray
VE3DQY Doug
VE3XBO Bert
VA3RCA Kevin
VE3OZW Richard
VE3DNY Dan
VE3BQM Bernie

RAC Basic and Advanced Courses: Winter 2025

https://www.rac.ca/rac-basic-and-advanced-courses-winter-2025/
For immediate release: January 11, 2025

Radio Amateurs of Canada is pleased to once again present the following two Amateur Radio courses: Basic Qualification Course and the Advanced Qualification Course. Registration is now open for both courses. Please see the course information provided below. 
RAC Basic Qualification Course (see below for Advanced)
https://www.rac.ca/rac-basic-qualification-amateur-radio-course-winter-2025/
The Winter 2025 RAC Basic Qualification course will be starting on January 30. Registration is now underway.
Radio Amateurs of Canada is once again offering an online Amateur Radio course so that individuals from all across Canada can obtain their Amateur Radio Operator Certificate with Basic Qualification.
Course information:
The course will again be conducted with the assistance of the Annapolis Valley Amateur Radio Club (AVARC) of Nova Scotia.
This course prepares students for the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Basic Qualification Level Operator Certificate exam to operate on allocated Amateur Radio frequencies.
It is open to everyone across Canada and even abroad. Classes will be recorded, so occasional absences are not a problem.
Schedule and Cost:
Date: The Basic course will be held on Thursdays and Sundays commencing on Thursday, January 30 and ending on Sunday, April 6.
Time: Classes will be held on Thursday evenings from 6 pm to 9 pm (1800 – 2100)  Eastern Time and Sunday afternoons 1 pm to 4 pm (1300 – 1600) Eastern Time. There may also be a handful of additional classes if necessary.
Cost: The registration fee for the course is $50 plus GST/HST. The cost of the Basic Study Guide is extra and an order link will be provided upon completion of payment.
Read more… 
 
 

RAC Advanced Qualification Course for Maple Leaf Operators
https://www.rac.ca/rac-advanced-course-for-maple-leaf-operators-winter-2025/
The Winter 2025 RAC Advanced Qualification course will be starting on January 19. Registration is now underway.
Radio Amateurs of Canada is once again offering an online Advanced Qualification Amateur Radio Course so that individuals can upgrade their qualifications.
With your Advanced Certificate, you can run higher power, operate a remotely-controlled station, obtain operating privileges when travelling overseas, set up repeaters, be the trustee for club stations and even become an Accredited Examiner (AE) if you have the Morse code qualification. 
Course information:
Course material pertaining to all topics covered in the course syllabus will be provided to all registered students. Please see the Advanced Course webpage for more information.
Note: You need to be a RAC Maple Leaf Operator Member to register for this course. If you are not already a RAC Maple Leaf Operator Member, you can upgrade easily. A registration form will be provided but you will need to be a Maple Leaf Operator Member to be able to see it and to register. 
Schedule and Cost:
The course will be 10 sessions in length and each session will be two hours long.
In order to offer maximum flexibility, we will be running two Advanced courses so students will be able to choose one of the following two options:
Courses are offered on Sunday afternoons or Monday evenings and are two hours in duration.
Sunday afternoons:
Sunday afternoons at 1 pm Eastern Time (10 am PT / 2:30 NT) starting on Sunday, January 19 and ending on Sunday, March 23
Or: 
Monday evenings:
Monday evenings from 8:30 pm Eastern Time (5:30 pm PT / 10 pm NT) starting on Monday, January 20 and ending on Monday, March 24
Read more… 
Other Amateur Radio Courses:
Amateur Radio Basic and Advanced Qualification courses are also now being provided both online and in person by Canadian Amateur Radio Clubs and organizations. Please visit the Amateur Radio Courses webpage for more information at the link provided below.
https://www.rac.ca/amateur-radio-courses/
Allan Boyd, VE3AJB/VE3EM 
RAC Presiden

This is V_3___, Official Bulletin Station for Radio Amateurs of Canada with
this week's bulletin.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS

1.  RAC Basic and Advanced Courses: Winter 2025

Radio Amateurs of Canada is once again offering an online Amateur Radio course so that individuals can obtain their Amateur Radio Operator Certificate with Basic Qualification.  Course starts Thursday Jan 30th.

The Advanced Qualification Course for RAC Maple Leaf Operator Members will be starting on January 19th. We hope to open the registration process soon. Full details on the RAC website.

Amateur Radio Basic and Advanced Qualification courses are also now being provided both online and in person by Canadian Amateur Radio Clubs and  organizations. Please visit the Amateur Radio Courses webpage for more information at the link provided below.
https://www.rac.ca/amateur-radio-courses/

-- Allan Boyd, VE3AJB/VE3EM, RAC President

2.  Changes to the RAC Canadian Portable Operations Challenge.

We have made some changes to the points system to keep the race a little tighter, differentiate mobile operations, and continue to encourage contacts on less used frequency bands on both ends of the spectrum.
QSOs are now worth:
1 point for every contact made between 3.5 MHz and 902 MHz using regular commercial power.
2 points for every contact made between 3.5 MHz and 902 MHz from a motor vehicle, or powered by a motor vehicle.
3 points for each contact made between 3.5 MHz and 902 MHz using an independent power source like a generator, or batteries not part of a motor vehicle.
5 points for each contact made above 902 MHz or below 3.5 MHz, regardless of your power source.
—
We have introduced Bonus points as follows:
Each contact made with an independent power source using “green” energy is worth 1 additional point. For example, contacts made using batteries that were charged with solar or wind power, or some other form of purely independent and non-polluting energy powering your station.
Each contact made at QRP power levels (5 watts or less at radio output, regardless of mode) is worth 1 additional point.  Each contact made through a satellite is worth 1 additional point.
—
We have added World Wide Flora & Fauna (WWFF) entities to the list of valid multipliers. These changes will help improve the RAC Challenge by encouraging participants to try different operating styles, bands, and also have them discover other programs, like the WWFF, that they can get involved with. 
Full details at: https://www.rac.ca/rac-challenge/
-- Ante Laurijssen, VA2BBW RAC Awards Manager

ONTARIO SECTION NEWS
ITEMS OF INTEREST

3.  Quartzfest Hamfest - Jan 19th to 25th, 2025

QuartzFest is an ARRL Specialty Convention held in January near Quartzsite, Arizona. No other hamfest in the world brings together in one gathering so much innovation in mobile antenna systems, mobile ham shacks, recreational vehicles, portable and mobile EMCOMM systems, off-the-grid living, alternative energy
systems and radio education.
QuartzFest is special in part because it comes to life each year, rising from nothing in a remote area of the Sonoran desert in the southwestern USA. Hundreds of Hams and their families and friends choose to unplug from their daily lives, travel to and setup this desert community, and immerse themselves in this week-long one-of-a-kind ham radio, camping, learning and living event.
The educational seminars at QuartzFest offer something for everyone including those new to ham radio or even the most seasoned veteran.  See the website for more information.
-- quartzfest website   https://quartzfest.org/

4.   Winter Field Day Jan 25 & 26, 2025

The Winter Field Day event aims to help participants improve their preparedness for disasters and enhance their operational abilities in adverse conditions. Operators have the freedom to use frequencies on the HF, VHF, or UHF bands while employing voice, CW, and digital transmissions. The event designates specific objectives to encourage a diverse range of activities, including the use of non-commercial power sources, the deployment of multiple antennas, establishing satellite contacts, and more. Visit the website to register or find more information.
-- winterfieldday.org website    https://winterfieldday.org/

This concludes this week's bulletin. Does anyone require repeats or clarifications?
Hearing none, This is V_3___ returning the frequency to net control.

Bulletin sent from Official Bulletin Manager VA3PC

RAC Basic and Advanced Courses: Winter 2025

For immediate release: January 9, 2025

Basic Qualification Course (see below for the Advanced course)

Radio Amateurs of Canada is once again offering an online Amateur Radio course so that individuals from all across Canada can obtain their Amateur Radio Operator Certificate with Basic Qualification.

Course information:
The course will again be conducted with the assistance of the Annapolis Valley Amateur Radio Club (AVARC) of Nova Scotia.
This course prepares students for the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Basic Qualification Level Operator Certificate exam to operate on allocated Amateur Radio frequencies.
It is open to everyone across Canada and even abroad. Classes will be recorded, so occasional absences are not a problem.
Schedule and Cost:
Date: The Basic course will be held on Thursdays and Sundays commencing on Thursday, January 30 and ending on Sunday, April 6.
Time: Classes will be held on Thursday evenings from 6 pm to 9 pm (1800 – 2100)  Eastern Time and Sunday afternoons 1 pm to 4 pm (1300 – 1600) Eastern Time. There may also be a handful of additional classes if necessary.
Cost: The registration fee for the course is $50 plus GST/HST. The cost of the Basic Study Guide is extra and an order link will be provided upon completion of payment.

Registration:

Our volunteers are now working on the registration process. Please stay tuned for more information.  
 

Advanced Qualification Course for RAC Maple Leaf Operator Members: Please register now!

Note: The Winter 2025 RAC Advanced Qualification course will be starting on January 19. We hope to open the registration process soon.
Radio Amateurs of Canada is once again offering an online Advanced Qualification Amateur Radio Course so that individuals can upgrade their qualifications.
With your Advanced Certificate, you can run higher power, operate a remotely-controlled station, obtain operating privileges when travelling overseas, set up repeaters, be the trustee for club stations and even become an Accredited Examiner (AE) if you have the Morse code qualification. 

Schedule and Cost:
The course will be 10 sessions in length and each session will be two hours long.
In order to offer maximum flexibility, we will be running two Advanced courses so students will be able to choose one of the following two options:
Courses are offered on Sunday afternoons or Monday evenings and are two hours in duration.
Sunday afternoons:
Sunday afternoons at 1 pm Eastern Time (10 am PT / 2:30 NT) starting on Sunday, January 19 and ending on Sunday, March 23

Or: 
Monday evenings:
Monday evenings from 8:30 pm Eastern Time (5:30 pm PT / 10 pm NT) starting on Monday, January 20 and ending on Monday, March 24

Registration now underway:

The RAC Advanced Qualification Amateur Radio course is being offered at no charge to RAC Maple Leaf Operator Members – both current and future. You can easily become a RAC Maple Leaf Operator Member to be able to take part in this course. 

Please contact the course instructor Dave Goodwin, VE3KG, at regulatory@rac.ca for information on how to register for the Advanced course.

Other Amateur Radio Courses:
Amateur Radio Basic and Advanced Qualification courses are also now being provided both online and in person by Canadian Amateur Radio Clubs and organizations. Please visit the Amateur Radio Courses webpage for more information at the link provided below.
https://www.rac.ca/amateur-radio-courses/
Allan Boyd, VE3AJB/VE3EM 
RAC President
Alan Griffin
RAC MarCom Director

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Georgian Bay Amateur Radio Net
Wednesday January 8 2025
Net Controller: Janet VA3EAC


Topic: Q: Who was the First Physist who conclusively proved the existence of Electromagnatic Waves?


Echolink:
KO4DXQ Bob
VE3DDY Ray


2 Meters
OSR:
VE3BQM Bernie
VA3DNY Dan
VE3RQY Greg


GBT:
VA3MFO Jim
VE3OZW Richard


HF:
VE3OZW Richard
VE3BQM Bernie
VA3MFO Jim
VE3DDY Ray
VE3DNY Dan
VE3RAY Greg
VE3VCG Marvin
VE2EAS Chris

OS:  Linux Mint 22 with MATE (desktop environment)

CPU: AMD Semprom 3850 (4 cores)

RAM: 4GB

HD:  120 GB

LG M-Disc CD/DVD Burner  (see https://www.lg.com/us/burners-drives/lg-...-dvd-drive )

Built in card reader that supports SD/MMC, Compact Flash, SM/xD, MS/MS-Pro formats

Small footprint and can be put on desk vertically (with plastic stands) or horizontally on desktop.

When first started, fans a bit noisy but after it warms up (few minutes) it's fine.

Programs already installed:  Hamclock, Gridtracker, Wfview, Wsjtx, Fldigi, Qlog, 73 Linux (front end for installing other ham related apps)













More summary info:




You must provide your own mouse, keyboard and monitor.

$1 but requires local pickup in Mildmay.

This is V_3___, Official Bulletin Station for Radio Amateurs of Canada with
this week's bulletin.

ONTARIO SECTION NEWS

Ontars 53rd Anniversary Wednesday Jan 8th.

New controller every half hour. Check-in often and join the fun!
Net runs between 07:00 and 18:00 ET on 3.755 MHz

https://www.ontars.com/Ann53rd/ann53.php
-- Barry, VE3ISX

ITEMS OF INTEREST

1.  January-February 2025 eTCA 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/
-- Alan Griffin, RAC Marcom Director, TCA Editor

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) 

This concludes this week's bulletin. Does anyone require repeats or clarifications?

Hearing none, This is V_3___ returning the frequency to net control.
Bulletin sent from Official Bulletin Manager VA3PC