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 availability of extra Net Controllers means less work for everyone plus more variety.  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. Do you have a HamClock?  If so, what do you use it for?  Have you heard of HamClock?  Are you considering setting one up?
2. Do you use something similar like Simon's world map, Geochron or MacLoggerDX?
3. Open Mic

You can check out info about it at https://www.clearskyinstitute.com/ham/HamClock/

Bernie mentioned the image for KM4ACK Build-a-pi contains HamClock and much more.  https://github.com/km4ack/pi-build

I have also used the HamPi OS image which contains HamClock and many other programs for the ham radio hobby.  https://sourceforge.net/projects/hampi/


VHF/Echolink

VA3RCA Kevin - Alliston
VE3DDU Ray - Nottawasaga
KO4DXQ Bob - Soddy Daisy, TN
VE3RQY Greg - Brooke
VA3MFO Jim - Mount Forest
VA3EAC Janet - Paisley
VE3VCG Marvin - Paisley
VE3JMD Jim - Port Elgin
VE3BQM Bernie - Georgian Bluffs

HF – 3.783 MHz

VE3DDU Ray - Nottawasaga
VA3MFO Jim - Mount Forest
VE3BQM Bernie - Georgian Bluffs
VA3RCA Kevin - Alliston
VE3VCG Marvin - Paisley

Thanks to all, 73

The following screenshots show various different screens.  Lots of good useful information for radio operation.  Plus it just looks good on the wall in the shack.

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

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS

ONTARIO SECTION NEWS

ITEMS OF INTEREST

1.   Canadian Ski Marathon 2024 (February 10-11, 2024)

Founded in 1966, the CSM is North America’s oldest cross-country ski
event. Held the 2nd weekend in February since 1967, it takes place in the beautiful
Outaouais region, centred on  Montebello. It is a two-day, family friendly event. It is not a race.
Skiers can ski on one to five sections each day. Each section averages 16 km, but there are longer and
shorter sections.
Checkpoints are set up at the start and end of each section.

Much of the ski trail used for the CSM is in semi-remote areas that have
little or no cell coverage. The CSM uses commercial digital radios for health, safety, and
logistics traffic.  However, the CSM needs the skills and knowledge of ham operators to run
a controlled net on the commercial radios. When equipment or environmental factors make
the commercial rigs difficult or impossible to use, 2m ham radio is used as a backup.

The important point is that the CSM needs people who are skilled at
operating on a controlled net.  Those are ham skills.  Volunteer now at
https://signup.hambone.ca/csm/
To comment, please send an email to Harrie Jones, VE3HYS
harriej59_at_gmail.com or to Neil Herber, VE3PUE ve3pue at hambone.ca.

-- Canadian Ski Marathon (RAC Events Database)

2.    USGS Thanks Winlink Amateur Volunteers for Shakeout Service

"We at the US Geological Survey really appreciate the work of the
Winlink amateur volunteers who contributed to the recent ShakeOut earthquake scenario exercise as
well as contributing to the USGS Did You Feel It? (DYFI) system since 2020. Winlink volunteers
have sent in more than 6,000 responses for exercises and actual events. We anticipate that
your contributions will help us provide critical situational awareness in the minutes and hours
after a significant earthquake.
You have a rather unique capacity to communicate after a damaging
earthquake.  "I've been really impressed with the enthusiasm and professionalism of
all the amateur radio operators we've worked with over the past few years who have been ready
and willing to develop the interface to connect directly to USGS via the DYFI system
and to the many operators who have sent in felt reports. Fantastic!
"Lastly, I also want to thank Vince Quitoriano (USGS contractor) for
making the connections between Winlink and USGS work so smoothly."
-- David Wald, PhD, Supervisory Research Geophysicist, U.S. Geological
Survey

3.   Neighborhood Radio Watch Ideas

The purpose of a Neighborhood Radio Watch program is to promote safety
and cohesiveness of the community neighborhoods by using radios to communicate. When
normal communications are lost, radio comms can save lives, or at least, reduce fears. When
times are tough, the ability to communicate with others can be calming. In normal times, scheduled radio
nets for the purpose of radio training and practice can help neighbors get to know one
another. That tends to make life better for those involved. For neighborhood communications, CB, General
Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) and Family Radio Service (FRS) radios are options.
We've tested out CB. In spite of excellent antennas, CB contact dropped
off after about 2 miles.  GMRS proved to be better. We communicated on channel 16, using maximum
power. Coverage was about 3 miles, maximum. FM gives a good signal until it starts to
fade. First it starts to crackle, but still remains copyable, then nothing.
The FRS radios we've tried are good for about half a mile. Since GMRS
and FRS can talk on the same frequencies, FRS can be a decent option for those who don't want to
spend the $35 to get a GMRS license.
-- Reid Tillery, K9RFT, Alachua County (Florida) ARES

4.  Solar Eclipse QSO Party April 8, 2024

The Solar Eclipse QSO Party is an opportunity for amateur radio
operators to operate during the April, 2024 eclipse, before, during and after it passes over North
America. Using various modes (CW, voice, and digital), QSOs made during the SEQP will contribute to
scientific studies focusing on the ionosphere’s reaction to the eclipse. The studies should lead to
a better understanding of the interactions between the Sun, the ionosphere, and radio wave
propagation. That research should benefit hams, professional broadcasters, satellite operators and other
users of the radio spectrum.
Eclipse paths can be seen at https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/.
Almost any ham station can participate. An HF radio and antenna, usable
on one or more of the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 10 and 6 meter bands is required.
The SEQP, while technically an 'operating event', closely mirrors the
definition of a ‘contest’.   
It is a friendly competition where participants endeavor to make many
contacts in a short period of time, over the widest possible area. QSOs will be short, with
specific information (callsigns, signal reports, station locations) exchanged between stations. If it is
your first contest, the first few minutes can be a bit overwhelming, but listen in, learn the
operating rhythm, and jump in!
The basic idea is to have as many hams as possible make as many QSOs as
possible, then collect their QSO data, carefully studying it for trends indicating how
far, how strong and where HF signals propagated vs. the path of the eclipses.
The HamSCI Data Processing Team will gather all of the entries submitted
on the SEQP website, visit propagation databases such as WSPRNET.org and PSKReporter.info,
and assemble millions of data points into a research database. From that database the HamSCI
Data Processing Team will be able to assign everyone a score, which will then be published
some months after the SEQP.  There is a solar eclipse event for those who are interested in
transmitting and receiving WSPR and FST4W signals: The Gladstone Signal Spotting Challenge
If you have questions regarding the Solar Eclipse QSO Party, send them
to   hamsci@hamsci.org
-- hamsci.org website

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

For our special event station hunters, here's a notice from the ARRL newsletter:

Amateur radio operators will have an opportunity to contact the USS Iowa during the ship's 81st anniversary celebration.

USS Iowa (BB-61) is permanently moored at the National Museum of the Surface Navy in San Pedro, California, and was first commissioned during World War II on February 22, 1943.

The on-air event will be held on February 22, 2024, from 1600 to 2400 UTC. The Battleship Iowa Amateur Radio Association (BIARA) will activate NI6BB, the ship's original call sign, utilizing BIARA's amateur gear and a circa 1980s legacy station with an AN/URT-23 transmitter and an R-1051G/URR Navy receiver.

To help operators looking for NI6BB, the band plan below has been suggested to qualified associate operators. These bands have been screened to minimize conflict with other modes or known nets, but are subject to change due to existing traffic, contests, or band conditions. FT8 or FT4 operations will be on the standard frequencies for those modes.

Band             CW               SSB

40 meters  7.061 MHz     7.261 MHz
30 meters  10.116 MHz   ----------
20 meters  14.061 MHz  14.261 MHz
17 meters  18.073 MHz  18.161 MHz
15 meters  21.061 MHz  21.361 MHz
12 meters  24.900 MHz  24.943 MHz
10 meters  28.061 MHz  28.361 MHz

73
Dave, VE3WI

Interesting article

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-e...ms-aurora/

I haven't seen any auroras this solar cycle mainly of the cloud cover when it happened and I am surrounded by trees but definitely experienced the effects on the radio conditions. Hopefully we'll see less of these solar flares soon.

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

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS

1.   RAC Canada Day Contest 2023 certificates available.

The results from the 2023 Canada Day Contest have been published and
posted on the RAC Web site. A reminder that certificate winners can download their
certificate from the RAC site at this link: https://contest.rac.ca/certificates.php
Please follow the directions on the page and enter the contest, year and
your call.  Click on the search button and the system will bring up a downloadable
certificate if you were awarded one for the contest being searched for.
Thanks for your participation in the 2023 Canada Day contest.
Full contest results are at: (https://wp.rac.ca/contesting-results/),

-- Bert Richie, VE5CPU

ONTARIO SECTION NEWS

ITEMS OF INTEREST

2.    State QSO Party Challenge results for 2023 are posted

Now four years old, one might expect the bloom to be off the rose for
the State QSO Party Challenge. However, reported statistics continued to increase and the
Worked All QSO Parties Award had another great year.
We again topped a million (1,189,221) QSOs that were reported to
3830Scores.  This is a slight increase over last years QSOs total (1,169,648).
2,095 operators submitted reports to 3830, also up slightly from 2022
(2,078). 883 of them qualified for the SQP Challenge with a minimum of two contacts in at
least two QSO parties.  Many of the number who did not qualify were in-state participants who
only participated in their own QSO party.
Participants certificates are available at:
https://www.b4h.net/sqpchallenge/
-- StateQSOParty.com website    https://stateqsoparty.com/

3.   Digital Library of Amateur Radio & Communications

The Digital Library of Amateur Radio and Communications is a library of
materials and collections related to amateur radio and early communications. The DLARC is funded
by a significant grant from Amateur Radio Digital Communications, a private foundation, to
create a digital library that documents, preserves, and provides open access to the history of this
community.  Resources include callbooks, periodicals, newsletters and podcasts and
videos.

You can access the Digital Library at: https://archive.org/details/dlarc
-- hamweekly.com

4.  Winter Field Day 2024 is coming up soon.

Sponsored by the Winter Field Day Association, WFD is scheduled to run
from 1900 UTC on Saturday, January 27, through 1859 UTC on Sunday, January 28.
WFD is held on the last full weekend in January and is a communications
exercise that can be worked from the comfort of your home or in a remote location. You can
participate by yourself, with your friends and family, or with a local club.
Operators may use frequencies on the HF, VHF, or UHF bands and are free
to use any mode that can faithfully transmit the required exchange intact. Similar to
ARRL's Field Day, bonus points are earned in several ways, including from using non-commercial power
sources, operating from remote locations, making satellite contacts, and more.
WFD is designed to help increase your level of preparedness for
disasters and for you to improve and practice your operating skills in winter environments, as the
potential for freezing temperatures, snow, ice, and other hazards present unique operating conditions.
See the website for full details: https://winterfieldday.org/index.php
-- arrl news

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

Topic Spotting software, 2024 Dayton

VE3BQM Bernie Net control
KO4DXQ Bob
VE3DDU Ray
VA3RCA Kevin
VA3MFO James
VE3OZW Richard
VE3FP Adam Andrew
VE3RQY Greg
VA3TS Tom
VE3WI David Leslie
VA3DNY Dan
VE3XBO Bart

VE3XBO Bart
VE3DDU Ray
VA3RCA Kevin
VE3OZW Richard
VE3WI David Leslie
VA3MFO James
VE3DNY William

Interesting Finds: dxsummit.fi , qrzcq.com

If you want to go to Dayton, but don't want the hassle of finding accommodations and the long drive, here's an easier way to spend a day at the convention, on the Ann Arbour MI club's bus trip.

The downside is driving to Ann Arbour the day before and staying the night in a hotel, as the bus leaves at 04:30.  But you get a fun bus ride to/from the convention grounds with a great bunch of hams who've done this for years.  Price is $70 (US of course).

I did this trip in 2018 and it was a blast.

73
Dave, VE3WI
-------------------------------------------

Please share the following information with your local amateur radio club members.

The ARROW Communication Association is once again proud to sponsor a motor coach trip to the 2024 Hamvention at Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center in Xenia, Ohio. Started in 2002, this annual club activity has grown in size and reputation with hams across Michigan and Ontario.

To Register and see full Details visit: https://w8rp.org/daytonbus2024/
If interested, please register by March 10th

Join us on Saturday, May 18, 2024, when we depart from the park-and-ride lot beside Ann Arbor Pioneer High School (601 W. Stadium Blvd) at 4:30 a.m., arriving in Xenia around 8:30 a.m. On board, you can stretch out, relax, take a nap, chat with other hams, and enjoy a light breakfast with coffee as the coach takes you directly to the country’s largest amateur radio event!

Thanks
James AE8JF
President, ARROW
-----------------------------------------

A simple fill in form to contact the executive regarding donations. Links are found on the homepage and the "about GBARC" page

https://gbarc.ca/donate.php