I took advantage of the fine weather this afternoon and slipped out to Hibou Conservation Area just outside Owen Sound for another quick POTA activation. POTA's rules state that an activator must be within 100ft of a designated trail to claim an activation. So I carefully selected my position in the park (POTA # VE-5651) so that I was well within 100 feet of County Road 15 which is also part of the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail (POTA # VE-6003) making my operation today a "2-fer".

I brought my FT-891 along for this activation. Antenna was a 20m End-Fed Half-Wave suspended vertically from a wooden support kindly provided by the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority (a tree). I started calling CQ and was immediately hit with a pile-up that lasted for a half hour. Activity finally subsided after 34 minutes with 36 QSOs in the log. It took a mere 8 minutes to log the required 10 to validate the activation - a new record for me. The only DX today was in Peurto Rico.

The GBARC POTA Team
Dan VA3DNY and Bobby VE3PAV have come forward to express their interest in getting involved with a club POTA activity. If we can get another couple of people interested I will register the club callsign so that GBARC can earn credit for POTA activations and hunting (hunting means having QSOs with activators - even from your home shack). I am a CW op, Dan and Bobby are primarily SSB ops so the team would welcome somebody who can do FT8, then we will have all the available modes covered.

I will shortly announce the first GBARC team activation to be held at Hibou CA. Everyone is welcome to come along even if you just want to observe.

https://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-hails-fcc...strictions

FINALLY

73, VA3RYC
Ryan

I haven't been active in POTA for a couple of weeks; I've been busy with other projects. So, on Monday 13th November I made the trip up to Lion's Head to activate the provincial park (VE-0271). I have activated it once before, about a year ago, but strangely nobody else has done an activation there.

My radio for this trip was an old Hendriks PFR-3; a 5 watt QRP radio built from a kit. I wasn't sure if it was up for the job so I also brought along my 100 watt Yaesu FT-891. I needn't have been concerned, the Hendriks PFR-3 did a splendid job! The antenna was a 17ft whip mounted on my truck, using the truck chassis as a counterpoise.

** I am very grateful to Bobby VE3PAV for coming along to provide enthusiastic encouragement - much appreciated Bobby! **


Now that the peak season for hiking the Bruce Trail out to the famous lookout is over, there was plenty of parking available. I registered online with the authority and was pleased to find that parking was free, although still restricted to a maximum 4-hour window.

I had pre-registered my activation with POTA so when I called CQ my signal was picked up by the Reverse Beacon Network and posted to the POTA spots page. Then the usual pile-up began. It didn't seem to matter that I was putting out a tiny signal from a DIY kit radio into a simple whip antenna. Signal reports were good; I even logged a DX contact with G4ELZ in England.

After just 10 minutes I logged my 10th QSO which validated the activation under POTA rules. The hunters kept calling so I carried on until 20 QSOs were in the log. This was intended to be a hit and run activation because my time was limited, so when there was a brief lull in the pile-up I called QRT and packed my gear away. Total time on the air was just 23 minutes and there was a bonus. The Bruce Trail parking lot inside the park is (of course) directly on the main Bruce Trail (POTA reference: VE-5628), but not only that, it sits right inside the Niagara Escarpment (POTA reference: VE-0063) so I earned credit for 3 activations (known in POTA as a 3-fer).

POTA is an immense amount of radio fun; I just wish more club members would get involved so we could get a GBARC POTA team going. How about it - interested?

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

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS

1.  Special Calls to look out for:
Call:                  Sponsor:        From:            To:                 Reason:

VE9XMAS1       VE9MY      2023-12-13      2023-12-25      12 days of Christmas
VE9XMAS2       VE9GLF     2023-12-13     2023-12-25      12 Days of Christmas
VA7YOTA          VA7ASI      2023-12-01      2025-10-31      Youth On The Air Month
VE3YOUTH       VE3FCT     2023-12-01     2023-12-31      December YOTA Month
VA3AUPHYS     VA3MOF    2023-11-17      2023-11-17      Algoma University Physics Field Day
XL3A                  VA3RVK     2023-10-28     2023-11-26      150th anniversary of the RCMP
VC9A                 VE9CZ       2023-10-28      2023-11-26      CQ WW DX Contest

--IC Website

2. Fire Destroys Key Beacon on Maderia Island

A wildfire destroyed one of the newest installations to the Northern
California DX
Foundation's International Beacon Project. A blaze in October destroyed
radio beacon
CS3B on the Portuguese island of Madeira off Africa's northwest coast.
The CW beacon
had been in operation barely a month when fire swept through, destroying
the building,
the radio inside and the antenna. Replacement is expected to take some time.
The HF beacon was one of several operating on 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m and 10m
and was
viewed as an important resource for testing HF propagation between North
America and
Europe. The various beacons operate by transmitting once on each of
these bands every
three minutes, around the clock.
No timetable was disclosed for the beacon's return to service.
-- amateur radio newsline (Fri Nov 10, 2023)

ONTARIO SECTION NEWS

ITEMS OF INTEREST

3.  The Quarter Century Wireless Association celebrates their 76th
anniversary on December 5, 2023.

QCWA members in the US and its territories will be able to activate W2MM
for this event,
which will run for 7 days beginning on the first weekend of December.
At the end of December, all of the stations that worked W2MM will be
able to download a
commemorative certificate. Louis Maggio, NO2C, is providing this service
on a volunteer
basis, so please expect a 2- to 3-month lead time for certificates.
Contact QCWA Activities Manager John Kludt, K7SYS, at
activitiesmanager@qcwa.org
for more information and scheduling.
The QCWA was founded in 1947 to provide an organization for the hobby's
pioneers.
QCWA promotes friendship and cooperation among amateur radio operators
licensed at
least a quarter century ago and who remain licensed today.
-- arrl news

4.  The First WAS Certificate Awarded for 33-Centimeter Band

On November 4, 2023, Al Ward's, W5LUA, 38-year quest to contact all 50
states on the
33-centimeter band ended when he received the first-ever Worked All
States certificate
for (902 - 928 MHz). Ward started collecting states on the band shortly
after it was opened in 1985.
"I am extremely grateful to Peter Van Horne, KA6U, for his EME
[Earth-moon-Earth] efforts.
I was able to work Wisconsin for my last state on the 33-centimeter band
on October 21.
At the end of September, I was sitting at 32 states confirmed with cards
and/or the
Logbook of The World, when Van Horne went on a 25-state expedition
providing my last 18 states," |
said Ward. In recent expeditions, Brian McCarthy, NX9O, and Jason Baack,
N1AV, also provided
several states that were needed.
Ward's station consists of a 5-meter dish with 400 W of power obtained
from two 300 W
Motorola amplifiers in parallel. His feed is a dual polarity patch feed.
Other stations on the hunt for the 33-centimeter WAS certificate that
are nearing completion
include AC0RA, K0DAS, and N1AV.
-- 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


First worked all states certificate awarded for the 33-cm band
W5LUA's 38-year quest to contact all 50 states on the 33-centimeter band has ended.
ARRL
email.radio
Dedicated to providing free email hosting for all licensed Ham Radio operators globally.
email.radio
An upside down antenna?
A Zepp is basically a quarter-wave length of window line.
Ham Radio Outside the Box
Boondock Echo RF recorder
Records transmissions, stores recordings in the cloud.
Boondock Echo
Nucleo-64 development board
RF transceiver 150 MHz to 960 MHz frequency range.
STMicroelectronics
Add your Amateur Radio certification to your LinkedIn profile
Adding your Ham license requires only a few steps.
N3DEZ
POTA: Contest or operating event?
It comes down to whatever floats your boat.
W2LJ
Morning by the bay
An early shift activation at K-3429, then meet the train at 8:30 am.
W6CSN

Video

ARDOP protocol for Winlink
ARDOP is a free, Open Source alternative to PACTOR and VARA HF.
KM6LYW Radio
Sunset over Mount Saint Helens
2 meter contacts while flying over Mount Saint Helens.
W7NY

Net Controller — VA3TS Tom - Shallow Lake

We need your help by submitting ideas for topics via this forum.  This is a net for all of us.  Help out your fellow club members and net controllers by submitting topics for future nets.  Reply to this thread with any suggestions.

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.  Currently, we have 4 NC's so each of us covers 1 night every 4 weeks.  Imagine if we had more and doubled the number to 8.  It's a lot of fun and we are available to help anyone that is willing to step up and try.

Topic for discussion - What do you know about Armistice Day

VHF/Echolink

KO4DXQ Bob - Soddy Daisy, TN
VE3VCG Marvin - Paisley
VE3WI Dave - Port Elgin
VA3EAC Janet - Paisley  Contact Janet or Marvin is you would like a TV tower
VA3MFO Jim - Mount Forest
VE3OZW Richard - Otter Creek
VE3BQM Bernie - Georgian Bluffs
VE3RQY Greg - Brooke

HF – 3.783 MHz

VA3MFO Jim - Mount Forest
VE3VCG Marvin - Paisley
VE3RQY Greg - Brooke
VE3OZW Richard - Otter Creek
VE3WI Dave - Port Elgin
VE3BQM Bernie - Georgian Bluffs


Thanks to all, 73

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

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS

1.  the Nov-Dec 2023 issue of The Canadian Amateur is now available

The digital version of 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. Amateur Radio Operators Provide Post-Hurricane Communications in Mexico

Radio Amateurs are providing communication services to and from the
affected
areas in and around Acapulco, Mexico.
On the morning of Wednesday, October 25, 165 mile-per-hour winds from
Hurricane Otis knocked out all communications and unleashed a nightmare
scenario in Acapulco.  The area is home to roughly 800,000 people.

Some hams in the Acapulco area are operating their equipment on battery
power,
while others have access to generators. Accessing many areas in the region
has been a challenge due to the amount of debris blocking travel.

Hams are also helping in other areas, including:
- Repairing a damaged repeater on Altzomoni at the Izta-Popo Zoquiapan
National
     Park to support communication efforts in certain areas of Guerrero.
- Deploying donations from a ham in Arizona, including a UHF repeater,
solar
     panels, and 50 handhelds, to the affected areas.
- Getting the state agency's mobile stations back on the air and
reinstalling
     the HF antennas that were damaged.

Emergency Communications Coordinator Carlos Alberto Santamaría
González,
CO2JC, requested frequency protection for the following bands and
frequencies
for the duration of the emergency:
80-meter band: 3690 kHz
40-meter band: 7060 and 7095 kHz
20-meter band: 14.120 kHz

-- arrl news

ONTARIO SECTION NEWS

ITEMS OF INTEREST

3. Canada's 84-year radio time check has stopped because of accuracy
concerns.  "The beginning of the long dash indicates exactly 1 o'clock
Eastern daylight time."

Millions of Canadians grew accustomed to hearing a version of this daily
affirmation on CBC Radio One. The National Research Council Time Signal,
and the series of 800 Hz pips that preceded and followed the time-setting
dash, worked its way into everyday rituals. Human listeners, automated
radio receivers at railways, shipping firms, and other entities, could
set their mechanical clocks to it. That is why it started broadcasting
on November 5, 1939, the same year Canada entered World War II.

The long dash's last broadcast was, somewhat unexpectedly, October 9, 2023.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the NRC have cited accuracy as
the reason the 84-year ritual was halted. The CBC told its reporters that
because the CBC is now heard over satellite and Internet connections,
not just terrestrial radio, there are delays when people hear it. A
spokesperson acknowledged Canadians fondness for the daily ritual but
said it "can no longer ensure that the time announcement can be accurate."

-- Read more -- Ars Technica: https://bit.ly/3S5FHTI

4. Jamboree on the Air - BC Scouts connect across the world.

More than 100 Scouts from across B.C. came together to take part in the
annual Jamboree on the Air near Kelowna, an event that connects Scouts
across the world.

"The third weekend of October for the past 64 years has been called
Jamboree
on the Air, and originally, its Ham radio operators get together with
Scouts
and connect with Scouts all around the world," said Paul Meise, Group
Commissioner
of 1st Bear Scouts. We're in our 12th year at this site, and
its only gotten bigger."

The event, hosted at the Joe Rich Shooting Range near Kelowna, features
a variety
of different stations where Scouts can participate in activities
like black powder shooting, archery, crafting, and learn how to use Ham
radios and Morse code.

Scouts also used online chat rooms, to connect with other Scouts from as
far
away as Portugal.

According to Scouts Canada, thousands of stations in over 70 countries take
part in this event each year.

-- RAC 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

Top links


Hams crowdsource ionospheric science during eclipse
Probing the ionosphere’s response to the 2023 annular solar eclipse.
Eos
A few photos of the new Elecraft KH1
The KH1 is even smaller than I imagined.
QRPer
NASA tech breathes life into potentially game-changing antenna design
An inflatable device that creates wide collection apertures.
NASA
Get publicity for your club with a PSA
How to spread the word about Amateur Radio.
KB6NU
SSTV images received from the ISS
12 images were transmitted from the ISS during the 2023 verification test.
W0ABE
Is a compromise antenna efficient enough?
The antenna you put up always works better than the one you don’t put up.
Ham Radio Outside the Box
Backscatter on 28 MHz
Signals are being reflected back towards my location from some distant point.
EI7GL
Machine teaches Morse Code
The Instructograph.
Hackaday
Picking the best battery for portable Ham Radio
Lead Acid vs Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4).
KB9VBR

Video

High impedance amplifier for software defined radio
Converts Hi-Z (High Impedance antennas) to 50 Ohm.
Tech Minds
2M Yagi Ham Radio antenna that fits in a pocket
Designed for SOTA and versatile field use.
Ham Radio Rookie

Net Controller — VE3OZW Richard - Otter Creek

We need your help by submitting ideas for topics via this forum.  This is a net for all of us.  Help out your fellow club members and net controllers by submitting topics for future nets.  Reply to this thread with any suggestions.

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.  Currently, we have 4 NC's so each of us covers 1 night every 4 weeks.  Imagine if we had more and doubled the number to 8.  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. What is the noise floor at your QTH.  Have you done anything to reduce it?
2. I received the SARC Communicator newsletter today and the eTCA newsletter yesterday.  What are you reading?  VE3JMD mentioned "The Spectrum Monitor" as a good read.
3. Open Mic

VHF/Echolink

KO4DXQ Bob - Soddy Daisy, TN
VE3DDU Ray - Nottawasaga
VA3MFO Jim - Mount Forest
VE3JMD Jim - Port Elgin
VA3TS Tom - Shallow Lake
VE3BQM Bernie - Georgian Bluffs
VE3RQY Greg - Brooke
VA3DNY Dan - Owen Sound
VE3WI Dave - Port Elgin

HF – 3.783 MHz

VE3XBO Bart - Meaford
VE3DDU Ray - Nottawasaga
VA3MFO Jim - Mount Forest
VE3BQM Bernie - Georgian Bluffs
VA3DNY Dan - Owen Sound
VE3WI Dave - Port Elgin

Thanks to all, 73

Here's a video worth watching. It's maybe the world's scariest POTA activation. Makes our local parks look very tame indeed. https://youtu.be/bOMjnzq4i_c?si=6WlmOV8jGiMAwJU2