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

   

Dec 20, topic Open Mic
Net controller Tom VA3TS
VHF
KO4DXQ Bob
VE3DDU Ray
VE3VCG Marvin
VA3EAC Janet
VA3MFO James
VE3OZW Richard
VE3RQY Greg
VE3BQM Bernie
VE3WI Dave
Hf
VE3RQY Greg
VA3MFO James
VE3DDU Ray
VE3VCG Marvin
VE3OZW Richard
VE3BQM Bernie
VE3WI Dave
VE3XBO Bart

Merry Christmas to all

I have updated the HOTY page , found under the "Club History" link on the bottom of every page. to include the latest recipient and also to add the QNI listing used to determine the Ham of the Year.

https://gbarc.ca/hamyear.php

You may have heard of L.B. Cebik W4RNL.  He was a very prolific antenna designer and author, who passed away in 2008.  

Another well-known antenna expert, Marcel ON5AU maintained an archive of Cebik's work on his website.  

ON5AU recently passed away, so Lonney K1LH picked up the torch and created a great website preserving Cebik's work and making it available for all of us.

https://www.antenna2.net/cebik/

73
Dave, VE3WI

I added a page regarding Club Apparel from RAM Promotional in Owen Sound. 

https://gbarc.ca/apparel.php

The link is also on the homepage on the scrolling links, top right corner of the page... 73

Top links


NASA receives laser-beamed message from 10 million miles away
The laser can send data at 10 to 100 times the speed of traditional radio wave systems.
CNN
ARDC and ARRL announce $2.1 million for the next generation of Amateur Radio
Includes funding to support scholarships for Radio Amateurs, radio technology for classroom teachers, and Amateur Radio club grants.
ARRL
WSPR beacon for Raspberry Pi Pico
The WSPR beacon provides the output signal on the GPIO pin of Raspberry Pi.
RPiks
Host a website from your Xiegu X6100
Hosting a website to serve manuals and other useful applications.
The Modern Ham
Chatt Radio Ham Radio store
Chatt Radio offers both an online and brick and mortar storefront.
Chatt Radio
sBitx V2 Amateur transceiver mods for POTA use
A touchscreen radio with a huge screen and powered by a Raspberry Pi.
WK4DS
One year on
So what have I done in this time?
GM5ALX
Edmonds Woodway Amateur Radio Club celebrates five years of connecting
With just a piece of wire for an antenna, you can be in contact with people all over the world.
My Edmonds News
The art of DX pileup busting
Listen, Listen, Listen
AmateurRadio.com
Happy 10th Birthday FUNcube-1 (AO-73)
Many stations around the world continue to upload the telemetry.
ICQ Podcast

Video

ARISS 40th Anniversary Webinar with Richard Garriott
Discussing the first contact via Amateur Radio in Human Spaceflight.
ARISS
Ham Radio contest secrets from N6MJ and KL9A
Dan Craig N6MJ and Chris Hurlbutt KL9A are phenoms in the Ham Radio contesting world.
W1DED
Ordering A Pizza With A Baofeng
Out of cell range and wanting a Pizza.
WaveTalkers

RAC Ontario Sections Bulletin for Dec 16, 2023

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

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS

1.  YOTA Camp 2024 | Halifax | July 7-12, 2024

Radio Amateurs of Canada is pleased to announce that the Youth On The
Air (YOTA) Camp will once again be held in Canada. After the success of the YOTA
Camp in Ottawa in July 2023, Radio Amateurs of Canada has teamed up with Youth
On The Air Americas to bring YOTA back to Canada.

YOTA Camp 2024 will be held at the Mount Saint Vincent University campus
in Halifax, from July 7 to July 12. Modelled after the successful Youngsters On The
Air program in Region 1 of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU), this will be
the fourth YOTA Camp in the Americas with past camps being held in Cincinnati, OH, USA
(2021 and 2022) and Ottawa, Canada (2023).

YOTA Camp is open to Amateur Radio operators between the ages of 15 and 25.
A total of 50 campers will be accepted to this year’s program, an
increase from last year.

For complete details about the camp and/or to sign up for updates by
email, please visit the camp webpage provided below or contact yota2024@rac.ca.

-- Youth On The Air – YouthOnTheAir.org

2. WRC-23  Update December 8, 2023

After much discussion, agreement has been reached on the important topic
of interference by Amateurs to the Radio Navigation Satellite Service (RNSS) in the 23
cm band.

The final outcome introduces a new footnote in the Radio Regulations
regarding Amateur and Amateur Satellite Service operation in the 1240-1300 MHz range. This
footnote recognizes that receipt of a report of harmful interference caused by a
station of the Amateur or Amateur-Satellite Services, should be the trigger for
Administrations to invoke the guidance in the most recent version of M.2164.

-- For all updates, see the rac webpage at the following URL
https://www.rac.ca/world-radiocommunication-conference-2023/


ONTARIO SECTION NEWS

ITEMS OF INTEREST

3.    ARDC and ARRL Announce $2.1 Million in combined funding
     for the Next Generation of Amateur Radio
Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) and The ARRL Foundation
announced a three-year commitment with over $2.1 million in combined funding to
support scholarships for radio amateurs, radio technology for classroom teachers, and amateur
radio club grants.
This commitment reinforces a strong shared vision between ARRL and ARDC
to invest in the future of amateur radio through programs supporting the next
generation of radio amateurs.
The renewed commitment will result in over 200 total scholarships,
awarded over the next three years, for radio amateurs pursuing higher education, with
scholarships ranging from $5,000 to $25,000.
Additional funding from ARDC will extend the effectiveness of ARRL
outreach programs to teachers and schools, including the ARRL Teachers Institute for
Wireless Technology. Monies will be used to purchase equipment to allow students to get
hands-on STEM experiences through radio communications and radio technology.
-- full details on arrl website

4.   2024 ARRL National Convention to be at Hamvention

ARRL and Hamvention® have announced that Hamvention will host the 2024 ARRL
National Convention, May 17, 18, and 19 at the Greene County Fairgrounds
in Xenia, Ohio.
Hamvention is the world's largest annual gathering of radio amateurs and
has been sponsored by the Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) since 1952.

The Hamvention 2024 theme, is 'Expanding our Community'.

The nomination period is open to submit nominations for 2024 Hamvention
Awards, including the Amateur of the Year, Technical Achievement, Special Achievement, and
Club of the Year awards. More information can found on the Hamvention website, and
nominations will close on February 15, 2024.

Once finalized, the ARRL National Convention program will be published
at www.arrl.org/expo.

Hamvention urged "everyone to purchase their tickets and make their room
reservations early to avoid the rush." Visit the Hamvention website for more information
and to order tickets at
www.hamvention.org.

-- 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

Top links


ISS SSTV this weekend
Event celebrates 40th Anniversary of Ham Radio in Human Spaceflight.
AMSAT UK
12 Days of Christmas on-air special event
12 stations plus 2 bonus stations will make up the event.
Amateur Radio Daily
CATS Communication And Tracking System
CATS is a packet radio standard primarily designed for autonomous position reports.
CATS
AO-73 back in transponder mode
After a year long period of battery management, the transponder on AO-73 has been restarted.
AMSAT UK
GEO satellite proposal could include large portion of North America (PDF)
Plus an experimental laser based high-speed data link.
AMSAT
Host A YSF DMR DSTAR C4FM Multi-mode reflector on Ubuntu
XLX is a multi-mode/multi-protocol gateway reflector for Amateur Radio digital modes.
The Modern Ham
UniQSL-2: QSL cards made easy
Create an easily printable PDF file, three QSLs per page.
UniQSL-2
Determining signal bearing from switching antennas in software
Time difference of arrival system for determining the bearing to a transmitter.
KA7OEI
Two new DX-peditions planned for Bouvet Island
Just days later, a rival expedition announced that they were planning a separate expedition.
EI7GL

Video

TAPR Digital Communications Conference
Video recording of the 2023 TAPR Digital Communications Conference.
TAPR
DX from a Christmas Tree
Christmas light dipole.
Modern Ham

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

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS

1.  RAC Winter Contest - Dec 30/2023

In December each year, Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) sponsors the
Canada Winter Contest. Amateurs all over the world are invited to participate.
Contest Period: December 30, 2023 - 0000 UTC to 2359 UTC.
Bands and Modes: 160 thru 2 metres, CW and phone (SSB, FM, AM, etc.)
Exchange: Canada stations send RS(T) and Province or Territory.
    VEØs and stations outside Canada send RS(T) and a serial number.
QSOs: Contacts with stations in Canada or VEØs are worth 10 points.
    Contacts with stations outside Canada are worth 2 points.
    Contacts with RAC official stations are worth 20 points.
-- see RAC website for full details

ONTARIO SECTION NEWS

2. ONTARS Santa Net 2023

Will be held December 14th and 15th at 5 p.m. EST
Please join Frank VA3FJM on 3.755 MHz to chat with Santa

-- see Ontars.com for full details.

ITEMS OF INTEREST

3.    Hamsci releases first Solar Eclipse findings

If you participated in the Solar Eclipse QSO Party this past October, yours
is among the 300 logs that are helping yield data for the HamSCI team led
by Nathaniel Frissell W2NAF.
The QSO Party helped flesh out the overall picture, along with data
collection from more than 7 million QSOs spotted on the air and a variety
of experiments to study the solar eclipse's effects on the ionosphere. As
HamSCI prepares for another QSO Party and more observations during the
total solar eclipse over North America on April 8th, 2024 the team has
released its earliest findings from October. The detailed technical document
contains a variety of charts and graphic elements that expand on these
observations. Please visit the website, arnewsline.org, and click on the
tab that says "EXTRA."
You will find the full illustrated HamSCI document there.
-- Patrick Clark K8TAC via amateur radio newsline (Dec 8th issue)

4.  New Yorkers feel betrayed as police radio dispatches end

For nearly a century, New York City police have communicated about
crime and catastrophe over radio broadcasts on public channels. And for
journalists and the public, these dispatches have been a reliable way to get
real-time knowledge of what’s happening in one of the world’s largest cities.

Now the NYPD is encrypting these channels for the first time in its history
– an upgrade expected be completed by December 2024.

The NYPD’s chief of information technology told the New York City council
last week the move was designed to “stop giving the bad guys our game plan
in terms of how we’re trying to apprehend them”. He also cited ambulance
chasers and unauthorized interruptions as reasons to encrypt.

-- full atricle on this week in amateur radio (twiar.net)

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