Registration for the RAC Advanced Course is still available!
https://www.rac.ca/rac-advanced-course-for-maple-leaf-operators-winter-2024/
The next RAC Advanced Courses start on Sunday, January 14 and Monday, January 15 with 10 weekly sessions. You need to be a RAC Maple Leaf Operator Member (present or future) to register for this course. See below for information.
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 also have the Morse Code qualification. 
Course information:
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:

• Sunday afternoons at 1 pm Eastern Time (10 am PT / 2:30 pm NT) starting on Sunday, January 14 and ending on Sunday, March 24.
  

• Monday evenings from 8:30 pm Eastern Time (5:30 pm PT / 10 pm NT) starting on Monday, January 15 and ending on Monday, March 25.
  

Note: There will be no classes on Sunday, February 25 and Monday, February 26 due to a family occasion.
Course Instruction:
The course instructor is Dave Goodwin, VE3KG (formerly VE9CB). Dave has been an Amateur since 1975, is an active HF Contester and DXer.
Dave has also volunteered his time at the national level and has served as the RAC President and as the RAC Director for the Atlantic Region. He is currently serving as the Regulatory Affairs Officer.
From 2015 to 2020, Dave taught the Basic and Advanced certification courses with the Fredericton (NB) Amateur Radio Club.
Course material pertaining to all topics covered in the course syllabus will be provided to all registered students and is available online at:
https://www.rac.ca/rac-advanced-course-for-maple-leaf-operators-winter-2024/
 

Course Requirements:
The RAC Advanced Qualification Amateur Radio course is being offered at no charge to RAC Maple Leaf Operator Members – both current and future as described below.
Participants in the course will need to meet all of the following requirements:

1. Participants must already have the Canadian Basic Amateur Radio Qualification and a Canadian call sign.
   
2. Participants must already be a RAC Maple Leaf Operator Member or become one by joining RAC at the Maple Leaf Operator level or upgrading to that level.
   
3. Participants must have a copy of the Canadian Amateur Radio Advanced Qualification Study Guide provided by Coax Publications. For more information please visit the RAC Study Guides webpage.
   
4. Participants must have a computer and Internet connection capable of using the Zoom conference platform. You do not need your own account on Zoom to take part in this course.
   
5. Participants must have a working email address to receive course materials and links to the sessions.
   

Final contest for the year has come to an end. Fun while it lasted!
 
It started out as usual, plenty of opportunities to rack up some some early points on 160, 80 and 40 meters before the bands died off. I had some runs of over 100 Qs/hr but that didn't last very long the bands pretty well faded out by 0400z and decided to get some rest and get and early start in the morning. Around  1000z  activity started to pick up on 40m but not overly busy, I already had over 250 Qs in the log so mainly the the same ops were on the air at this time. 
20m started to pick up around 1500z  and 15m around 1800z but much less activity then at the start of the contest. At 2200z I decided to call it quits since may rate dropped off considerably.  

Unfortunately I didn't beat my last years score but still happy with the results. I don't think the conditions were as good this year as compared to last.   

Operating conditions: 
Rig: Kenwood TS 590s running 100watts CW
Ant:  TH-6, 10-160m offset dipole & 80m dipole. 



Hope the band conditions will better for WFD.

RAC Ontario Sections Bulletin for December 30, 2023

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

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS

ONTARIO SECTION NEWS

  1.  ONTARS 52nd Anniversary - Monday Jan 08, 2024

Just a reminder of the anniversary event. Controllers will work half
hour shifts from 07:00 to 18:00 Local time. Check in when you can on 3755kHz to help
celebrate the ONTARS net.
Information at   https://www.ontars.com/52nd/ann52.php
-- ONTARS website

ITEMS OF INTEREST

2.    KPH Over the Air Cryptographic Challenge

On January 20 2024, KPH will transmit a coded message consisting of
5-digit groups.  The message will be encrypted using typical Cold War numbers station
cryptographic procedures. All KPH listeners are invited to try their hand at receiving
and decrypting the message. Certificates will be awarded to those who successful decode
the message.  Additionally, a special certificate will be awarded to the first person
to decode it.

Broadcast frequencies for January 20, 2024 starting 2100 UTC:
CW: 425.0, 6477.5, 8642.0, 12808.5, 17016.8, and 22477.5
RTTY: Following the CW transmission: 6324.5, 8427.0 and 12585.5

Additional details and rules can be found on the Maritime Radio
Historical Society (MRHS) website.      https://www.radiomarine.org/mrhs-events

-- Maritime Radio Historical Society

3.   VOTA: Badges on the Air - December 31, 2023

Join all of ARRL volunteers on December 31, 2023, from 0000 - 2359 UTC,
for the last day of the yearlong Volunteers On the Air (VOTA) operating event for
your final chance to get some VOTA points. Last week's Red Badges on the Air for VOTA was a
hit, and ARRL wants to do one final push to cap off the year of operating that
acknowledged and honored the service of volunteers to the amateur radio community.

There are no more W1AW/ portable operations scheduled for the year, but
operators at ARRL Headquarters have the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station active on
weekdays, so there is still a chance to earn 100 points per band-mode for contacting ham
radio's most famous call sign.  Plus, listen for W1AW during VOTA: Badges on the Air, as it will be
active in the event. Remember to download your certificate after the event is over at
https://vota.arrl.org/certificates.php

The VOTA leaderboard is quite impressive. See the top scores on the VOTA
web page
at    https://vota.arrl.org/leaderboard.php
-- arrl website

4.   ARRL Straight Key Night 2024

ARRL  The National Association for Amateur Radio® Straight Key Night
(SKN) is held on January 1, 2024, from 0000 UTC through 2359 UTC.

Many hams look forward to SKN as one of the highlights of their
operating year.  Operators participate using Morse code (CW). All you need is your
favorite straight key or bug.  Many participants dust off vintage radios and keys and put them back
into service each year just for this event.
SKN is not a contest, so there's no need for quick exchanges. However,
all hand keys, regardless of age, are welcome. The number of contacts you make is not important.
The reward is meeting new friends as you get together on the air.
Send a list of stations contacted, SKN stories and photos, and your
votes for Best Fist and Most Interesting QSO to straightkey@arrl.org by January 31, 2024.
More information is available at www.arrl.org/straight-key-night
-- arrl news

Happy New Year everyone, all the best in 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

Hi everyone,

Winter Field Day is coming up on January 27/28th.  The club didn't participate in this event as a group last winter, but is there any interest for this year?
It just occurred to me over Christmas holidays that it will be too late to plan one if its left to the next meeting.  

Who would like to attend a GBARC event for Winter Field Day if there is one?

I'm looking for suggestions for a suitable location, (preferably warmish lol) with room for an antenna and radio setup. It would be really nice if there were washroom facilities near by.  Anyone have a garage or outbuilding that they are able to share?  Any ideas are welcome...

Who would like to be an organizer for the event and help with planning?  It would be fairly easy...just keeping everyone informed, make sure there will be all required equipment brought to the site, etc.  

I will be sending out an email to everyone as well...because there isn't a whole lot of time left to get things planned.

Thanks,
Dan
73

Net Controller — VE3OZW Richard - Otter Creek

HELP WANTED, please apply within!  Consider being a GBARC Net Controller (NC).  It is a positive learning experience and great fun.  The only scary part is if your pen runs out of ink while the calls are coming in!  The more Net Controllers available, the less work for everyone.  It's a lot of fun and we are available to help anyone that is willing to step up and try.

Topic for discussion -

1. Are you a RAC member?  What could RAC do to entice more members to join?
2. Do you have a New Year's resolution?
3. Do you have a favourite movie that you like to watch at Christmas time?
4. Open Mic

VHF/Echolink

KO4DXQ Bob - Soddy Daisy, TN
W3LMR Lloyd - Telford, PA
VE3GIO Larry - Woodstock 
VE3DDU Ray - Nottawasaga
VE3BQM Bernie - Georgian Bluffs
VE3RQY Greg - Brooke
VA3DNY Dan - Owen Sound
VE3WI Dave - Port Elgin
VA3MFO Jim - Mount Forest

HF – 3.783 MHz

VE3DDU Ray - Nottawasaga
VE3WI Dave - Port Elgin
VA3MFO Jim - Mount Forest
VE3BQM Bernie - Georgian Bluffs
VE3GIO Larry - Woodstock 
VA3DNY Dan - Owen Sound
VE3RQY Greg - Brooke
VE3XBO Bart - Meaford

Thanks to all, 73

RAC Ontario Sections Bulletin for December 23, 2023

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

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS

1.  Reminder of RAC Winter Contest

  00:00z to 23:59z   -  December 30, 2023
      160m thru 2m   CW and Phone
Work any station once on each of the two modes per band.
Contacts count for the award programs that RAC offers.
https://www.rac.ca/rac-canada-winter-contest-2023/
-- see the RAC website for full particulars

2.  RAC Online Basic Qualification Course registering now

Course starts Sunday, January 21 and runs thru Thursday, March 28, 2024
and will be held on Thursdays (18:00 to 21:00 ET) and Sundays (13:00 -
16:00 ET)
Cost: $50.
https://www.rac.ca/rac-basic-course-registration-form-winter-2024/
--see the RAC website for full details.


3. WRC 2023 Update December 15, 2023 | “The Final Week”

In the final week of WRC-23, an allocation was made for a spaceborne radar
sounder operating in the 40-50 MHz range. There was some concern expressed
about whether any signal would spill over into the lower portion of the
6m band,
but geographical and operational limitations as well as allowable power
flux density
at the Earth’s surface make the likelihood of this happening very low in
practice.

A footnote to the Radio Regulations for Region 2 identifies frequencies
for International
Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) in the band 10-10.5 GHz. This is only
applicable
to a number of central and south American countries and does not apply
to Canada
and the United States.

Agenda items have been determined for the next World Radiocommunication
Conferences in 2027 and 2031. These include an opportunity for a
possible new
Amateur allocation in the frequency range 275-325 GHz; a definition of
frequencies
for Wireless Power Transmission (WPT) to avoid harmful interference to
radiocommunications services and initial studies which could lead to an
Amateur
allocation for communications on the lunar surface and between lunar orbit
and the lunar surface.
For more information please see the next two issues of The Canadian Amateur
magazine.
-- RAC Special Advisor Paul Coverdale, VE3ICV

ONTARIO SECTION NEWS

ITEMS OF INTEREST

4.   CQ Magazine publication suspended

Many hams have noted not receiving paper copies of CQ magazine since
earlier this
year, and the last electronically published issue was October, 2023

Quoting Rich Moseson, W2VU, editor of CQ Magazine: “Unfortunately, CQ has
temporarily suspended publishing at this time. We are working very hard
to secure the
necessary funding to continue operations but until we can make those
arrangements,
everything is on hold.”

The CQ contests will continue to be held, uninterrupted, by the WWROF
(as they
have been for many years now).

I myself - the CQ Contesting Editor for the past several years - am
launching a
contesting website that will specialize in short turnaround news flashes
and gossip
from the contesting world.
-- Tim N3QE

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 Canada Day Contest 2023 Results Updated: December 20
RAC Contest Managers:
Bart Ritchie, VE5CPU and Sam Ferris, VE5SF
The RAC Contest Management Team is pleased to present an updated version of  the RAC Canada Day Contest 2023 Results.
We would like to acknowledge a couple of errors in the results. 
 

• In the listing for Multi-Operator Multi Transmitter Any Authorized Power Level the call sign for VE6TL was incorrectly listed as VE6RL as was the same error in the operators list. 
  
• We were advised by Rob Noakes, VE3PCP, that there was an issue with the original scoring of his CJ3YLR entry. After reviewing we noted some formatting issues that were not identified which caused the incorrect scoring.  We have corrected his result in the Multi Operator Single Transmitter High Power (MOSTHP) updating his score to 17,366.
  

It was certainly nice to see the solar cycle continue on its upswing, leading to better conditions on 10 and 15 metres for the RAC Canada Day Contest 2023. With improved solar conditions and a weekend Canada Day event there was a record 835 logs submitted – a 12% increase over last year’s record performance. 
With a total of 108,225 QSOs logged, it was not only the best entry turnout but the highest number of logged QSOs we have ever recorded! Three new records were established this year with all of them in the new assisted categories. Please see inside for all of the details.
Thank you for participating in the contest! We would also like to thank all of our great sponsors for continuing to support the contest and Amateur Radio in Canada  and internationally!
Don’t forget the RAC Canada Winter Contest is on December 30. See you on the bands!
As always, you can find all the contest rules and entry forms at:
http://wp.rac.ca/contesting-results/
– 73, Bart, VE5CPU and Sam, VE5SF
 
Alan Griffin RAC MarCom Director
TCA Editor – marcom@rac.ca

Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash
Registration for Winter 2024 RAC Basic Course is underway!
https://www.rac.ca/basic-radio-course-winter-2024/

For immediate release:
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.
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.
Schedule and Cost:
Date: The course will be held on Thursdays and Sundays commencing on Sunday, January 21 and ending on Thursday, March 28.
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.
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.
Instruction: 
The course instructor is RAC Atlantic Director Al Penney, VO1NO. Al was first licensed in 1977 and has been active in many areas of Amateur Radio including contesting, DXing, VHF/UHF weak signal, satellites, emergency communications and DXpeditioning. 
He has served as the President of six different Amateur Radio clubs in both Canada and the United States and currently chairs the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 2 Band Planning Committee. Al has taught the Basic Qualification Amateur Radio Course since 1994.
Requirements:
Course material pertaining to all topics covered in the course syllabus will be provided to all registered students. Students must have a copy of the Canadian Amateur Radio Basic Qualification Study Guide provided by Coax Publications. For more information please visit the RAC Study Guides webpage.
It is essential that all students have the necessary equipment and bandwidth capable of taking the course – at least a tablet or PC and a DSL broadband connection – which will be conducted using the Zoom conference platform.
You do not need your own account on Zoom to take part in this course, but you may have to download a Zoom applet to participate.
Students will receive instructions on how to log on to the online sessions once they have registered for the course. Classes will be recorded, so occasional absences are not a problem.
Complete information about the course and a downloadable copy of the course syllabus are available at the link provided below.
Registration: 
If you would like to take part in this course please register now by completing the registration form provided on the RAC website at:
https://www.rac.ca/rac-basic-course-registration-form-winter-2024/
 
 
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/
Phil McBride, VA3QR
RAC President