This is V_3___, Official Bulletin Station for Radio Amateurs of Canada
with this week's bulletin.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. Comment Deadline on Proposed 60 Meter U.S. Band Changes (U.S.A.)
A public period is open until October 30, 2023 for radio amateurs to comment
on proposed changes to the 60 Meter band. ARRL is asking all U.S. radio amateurs
to join it in urging the FCC to continue the existing use of the band. ARRL
is encouraging expressions of support to the FCC for the current 100 watt
ERP power limit (instead of reducing the power limit to 15 watts EIRP) and
continuing secondary access to the current channels.
ARRL will continue to advocate to maintain the 100-watt limit for 60 meters,
continued authorization for the four channels outside the WRC allocation that
are being used today, and adoption of the new 15 kHz allocation with the same
100-watt power limit.
In the NPRM, the FCC recognizes that Canada adopted rules equivalent to those
proposed by the ARRL.
-- see arrl news for full article
ONTARIO SECTION NEWS
ITEMS OF INTEREST
2. A Raspberry Pi 5 is Better Than Two Pi 4s
What’s as fast as two Raspberry Pi 4s? The brand-new Raspberry Pi 5, that’s what.
And for only a $5 upcharge, it’s going to be the new go-to board from the British
House of Fruity Single-Board Computers. But aside from the brute speed, it also
has a number of cool features that will make using the board easier for a number
of projects, and it’s going to be on sale in October. Raspberry Pi sent us one
for review, and if you were just about to pick up a Pi 4 for a project that needs
the speed, we’d say that you might wait a couple weeks until the Raspberry Pi 5
goes on sale.
3. MMDVM-Based Projects to Merge Into One Open-Source Project
Funded by a grant from Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), Jonathan Naylor
(G4KLX) has been hired as a full-time software developer. Jonathan is a pioneer of
digital voice software, developing software for D-STAR, DMR, System Fusion, M17,
NXDN, P.25, and POCSAG.
With a full-time software developer dedicated to the MMDVM project, many important
tasks can be carried out.
Work has started on the software upgrades to MMDVM, and many of the long-term bugs
in the software have been fixed. Regarding their progress toward improving MMDVMHost,
they have added support for AX.25, and they now provide full support for
amateur-driven M17 digital voice protocol.
Work is currently underway to develop 9600, 19200, and 38400 baud packet modes that
support narrow bandwidth using a modulation (4FSK) similar to Digital Mobile Radio
(DMR). The packet modes include support for IL2P, which is a new link layer protocol
with integral forward error correction (FEC).
To learn more about the MMDVM project, visit mmdvm-project.org.
-- ARDC (Amateur Radio Digital Communications)
4. Hot Iron Newsletter for Amateur Radio Operators
Frank (W4NPN) along with Peter (G6NGR) produce the quarterly amateur radio newsletter
"Hot Iron". Each issue is full of technical projects and commentary from antennas to
transmitters to power supplies.
Going on 10+ years, each newsletter is available in PDF format.
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
This is V_3___, Official Bulletin Station for Radio Amateurs of Canada
with this week's bulletin.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. Update on Phishing attempts using RAC email addresses.
There have been several recent reports from RAC members of phishing
attempts by someone
purporting to be from Radio Amateurs of Canada.
Phishing attempts use publicly available information to fake legitimacy.
In some cases they use
the names and contact information of RAC officials to gain your trust.
For example, this week’s phishing attempt falsely states that it
originates from “Phil A McBride”
and this is not the case.
It also uses the fake heading “Radio Amateurs of Canada Closing Special
Report ’23” to encourage
users to open the document by clicking on a link. **Please do not!**
To date, there have been no direct successful attacks on the RAC
computer system. Unfortunately
attempts to defraud people through email messages are a part of the
world we live in today.
We will continue to take measures to ensure that our computer system is
as safe as possible and that
our members are provided with information.
Radio Amateurs of Canada is continuing to increase our cybersecurity. We
do not keep any financial
information and only widely available personal information (such as
name, call sign and dates relating
to current membership) is available in our system so our risks are
considerably less than compared to
commercial systems. For more information please see our Privacy Policy
and Cybersecurity webpage.
We continue to stay abreast of any changes in cyberthreats and their
responses. We are also planning
on making available to members the use of security systems you may
already be aware of in other
systems – such as providing for the use of complex passwords as well as
Two-Factor Authentication
to log in to our website. We will provide additional information on
security updates as they are made.
In closing, any email claiming to have your @myrac.ca address and
password is a scam and should be
deleted. Radio Amateurs of Canada will never ask people to download
files from a third-party site in
their email communication. Always check to see if the sender of a
suspicious email has an @rac.ca
email address as all RAC officials use @rac as their domain.
If you are concerned or suspicious always contact the RAC office before
opening any files in an
email message that appears to come from RAC.
Alan Griffin, RAC MarCom Director
-- RAC bulletin
ONTARIO SECTION NEWS
ITEMS OF INTEREST
2. Solar Eclipse QSO Party (SEQP) ( October 14, 2023 )
The SEQP is a typical ham radio contest for those who wish to makes
tens, hundreds or even
thousands of CW, SSB and digital mode QSOs on 160-6 meters during the
2023 and 2024
solar eclipses. Each QSO will become one of millions of data points
which will help researchers
answer science questions about ionospheric variability. Please
pre-register if you will take part.
Pre-register form: https://hamsci.org/contest-info#PreRegis
SEQP FAQs http://hamsci.org/seqp-faqs
SEQP Rules https://hamsci.org/seqp-rules
-- HamSci.org
3. Join us for the 1st Ever Wisconsin POTA Campout!
Parks on the Air and camping is a great combination and if you love both
of those activities,
I invite you to attend our first ever Wisconsin POTA campout on October
13-15, 2023 at the
Clear Lake campground in the Northern Highlands American Legion State
Forest (POTA K-7260).
Your hosts, Michael KB9VBR, Travis W9HDG, and Joe KD9CJX have been
getting together
for an autumn campout for a few years. Parks on the Air has been always
been a highlight of these
adventures. This year we are opening up our campout to the greater POTA
community. This event
will be part social activity and part Parks on the Air activation. You
can activate as little or as much
as you want, in whatever mode you choose. The sky is the limit. Learn
new skills, see now other
hams operate, and learn how to deal with interference when a bunch of
hams get on the air at the
same time. That’s always part of the fun. The weekend is guaranteed to
be a blast.
Camp the entire weekend or just come out for the day/evening. We’d love
to have you either way.
The campground is located off of State Hwy 47 between Woodruff and Lake
Tomahawk Wisconsin
-- Amateur Radio Daily News
4. New LoRA Distance Record: 830 Miles!
The LoRa radio communication system is useful for low-bandwidth
communication, and as many
readers will be aware its special skill lies in delivering long range.
For most of us that range tops
out at a few miles, but pushing the limits of what is possible for LoRa
has resulted in some significant
records falling. Most recently this has reached an impressive distance
of 1336 kilometres.
The record in question was set from near the Portuguese coast, from
where LoRa beacons on a
fishing boat and its buoys were able to open up a gateway on the Spanish
Canary islands. The
conductive surface of the sea makes an excellent aid to propagation, and
from amateur radio
experience we’d guess that tropospheric conditions aided by the summer
weather would have
something to do with it too.
via Blog – Hackaday https://hackaday.com/2023/09/15/new-lora...830-miles/
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
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 6 NC's so each of us covers 1 night every 6 weeks. 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 projects do you want to complete before winter and how do you prepare your external equipment?
2. Are you reading any good books or magazines? (Ham or non-ham related)
3. Open Mic
VHF/Echolink
KO4DXQ Bob - Soddy Daisy, TN
VA3MFO Jim - Mount Forest
VE3WI Dave - Port Elgin
VA3EAC Janet - Paisley
VE3RQY Greg - Brooke
VE3BQM Bernie - Red Bay
VA3DNY Dan - Owen Sound
HF – 3.783 MHz
VA3MFO Jim - Mount Forest
VE3BQM Bernie - Red Bay
VE3WI Dave - Port Elgin
VA3DNY Dan - Owen Sound
VE3RQY Greg - Brooke
This is V_3___, Official Bulletin Station for Radio Amateurs of Canada
with this week's bulletin.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS
ONTARIO SECTION NEWS
1. Cambridge amateur radio club off the air after equipment stolen, damaged
Cambridge's amateur radio club is off the air after the shed where the
group keeps their communications
equipment was broken into.
The CARC has been connecting via short wave radio with other amateur
radio groups across the country
and globe for 50 years, and has a wide range of age groups who
participate. The group noticed something
wasn't quite right during the Labour Day long weekend when their
repeater went off the air.
"At the time we thought: 'it was hot and extremely humid, it was 40 C
with the humidex, the repeater
probably just shut down because it was too hot,'" adding that's what the
system does when it overheats.
Scott Mitchell (president CARC) went to check the device a few days
after the heatwave ended.
When he got to the shed, he noticed garbage around the area and when he
looked inside, Mitchell
said it took him a moment for things to sink in.
Mitchell said a table and chairs were broken, and the duplexer had been
tossed across the shed.
One corner of the shed had also been set on fire. The club's repeater,
which was locked away,
only had smoke damage. A portable generator, and several tools stored in
the shed were stolen.
The break-in was reported to to police, This is the first time in 20 to
30 years that this has happened.
Harry Niezen, president of the Kitchener club said he was shocked to
hear what happened
when he got the call from the Cambridge club asking for help.
"Amateur radio is like that. We are hobbyists, we are passionate about
what we do, but as much as
what we do with the technology .. we're as much about the people we
contact and are involved with,"
Niezen told CBC News. "We do enjoy helping each other out."
Neizen said their repeater will be available for Cambridge club members
to use until the missing
equipment is replaced.
--· CBC News
2. Kingston Amateur Radio Club Hamfest
Date: Saturday, October 14, 2023
Location: Royal Canadian Legion (Branch 560), 734 Montreal St.,
Kingston ON
Times: Vendors 7:30, General Admission 8:30
Cost: $5/person
Talk-in: VE3KBR 146.94(-) Tone 151.4
Description: The Fall event will be held rain or shine inside the
Legion's main hall.
More info: Contact Tim (VA3TIC) va3tic@gmail.com or Greg (VE3PJ)
greg.foster@sympatico.ca
Webpage: https://www.ve3kbr.com/main.html
- RAC events
ITEMS OF INTEREST
3. NASA Selects Five Experiments for 2024 Total Solar Eclipse
The following item is courtesy of NASA and provides an overview of the
experiments that will
be taking place during the solar eclipse in 2024. Note: the Solar
Eclipse QSO Parties are for
both the October 2023 and April 2024 eclipses.
A total solar eclipse will darken a swath of North America as the Moon
blocks the light of the Sun for
a few minutes on April 8, 2024..This total solar eclipse gives
scientists a unique opportunity to study
the Sun, Earth, and their interactions. During total eclipses, the Moon
perfectly blocks out the face
of the Sun, allowing the Sun’s corona to be seen clearly.
NASA will fund five interdisciplinary science projects for the 2024
eclipse to make the most of this
opportunity. Two of the projects also encourage participation from
citizen scientists.
- Chasing the Eclipse with NASA’s High-Altitude Research Planes
Using NASA’s WB-57 high-altitude research aircraft, one project will
capture images of the eclipse
from an altitude of 50,000 feet above Earth’s surface. By taking these
images above the majority of
Earth’s atmosphere, the team hopes to see new details of structures in
the middle and lower corona.
- Airborne Imaging and Spectroscopic Observations of the Corona
NASA’s WB-57s will also fly cameras and spectrometers (which study the
composition of light) to
learn more about the temperature and chemical composition of the corona
and coronal mass ejections.
By flying along the eclipse path, they hope to extend their time in the
Moon’s shadow by over two minutes.
- ‘Listening Party’ for Amateur Radio Operators
Note: this experiment will be held for both solar eclipses in October
2023 and in April 2024.
In an upper region of our atmosphere, energy from the Sun knocks
electrons out of atoms, making the
region ionized. This region, the ionosphere, can help radio
communications travel long distances, such
as those among Amateur Radio operators around the world. However, when
the Moon blocks the
Sun during a solar eclipse, the ionosphere can change dramatically,
affecting those communications.
During both the 2024 total solar eclipse and an annular solar eclipse
this October, Nathaniel Frissell
of The University of Scranton is inviting Amateur Radio operators to
participate in
“Solar Eclipse QSO Parties,” when they will try to make as many radio
contacts (“QSOs”) as they
can with other operators in different locations.
The radio operators will record how strong their signals are and how far
they go to observe how the
ionosphere changes during the eclipses. Similar experiments in the past
have shown that changes in the
ionosphere’s electron content due to solar eclipses have significant
impacts on how radio waves travel.
- Solar Radiation’s Effects on Earth’s Upper Atmosphere Layers
The darkest part of this eclipse’s shadow passes across several
locations equipped with SuperDARN
radars. The Super Dual Auroral Radar Network monitors space weather
conditions in upper layers of
Earth’s atmosphere, so the eclipse offers a unique opportunity to study
the impact of solar radiation on
upper layers of Earth’s atmosphere during the eclipse.
The Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, will use three
SuperDARN radars to study the
ionosphere during the eclipse, comparing the measurements to predictions
from computer models to
answer questions about how the ionosphere reacts to a solar eclipse.
- Bringing the Sun’s Magnetic ‘Hot Spots’ Into Sharper Focus
During the upcoming eclipses, NASA’s JPL, educators at the Lewis Center
for Education Research
in Southern California, and participants in the center’s Solar Patrol
citizen science program will observe
solar “active regions” – the magnetically complex regions that form over
sunspots – as the Moon
moves over them.
The Moon’s gradual passage across the Sun blocks different portions of
the active region at different
times, allowing scientists to distinguish light signals coming from one
portion versus another.
The team will use the 34-meter Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope
(GAVRT) to measure subtle
changes to the radio emissions from active regions during both the 2023
annular and 2024 total eclipses.
The technique, first used during the May 2012 annular eclipses, revealed
details on the Sun the telescope
couldn’t otherwise detect.
Related Links
· Learn more about eclipses
· Learn more about the 2024 total solar eclipse
· 2017 Eclipse Science Projects
· Chasing the Total Solar Eclipse from NASA’s WB-57F Jets
-- 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
VHF/Echolink
KO4DXQ Bob - Soddy Daisy, TN
VE3QVC Phillip - mobile
VA3MFO Jim - Mount Forest
VE3FP Adam - West Grey
VE3BQM Bernie - Owen Sound
VE3RQY Greg - Brooke
VA3DNY Dan - Owen Sound
HF – 3.783 MHz
VA3MFO Jim - Mount Forest
VE3BQM Bernie - Owen Sound
VE3RQY Greg - Brooke
VA3DNY Dan - Owen Sound
If you are interested in evaluating the Solar Eclipse effect on radio communication capabilities, here is your chance on Oct 14th between 11:15 to 15:45?
RAC looking to gather RX and TX signal strength and quality along with your TX watts details on all bands and all modes of HAM radio communications with main focus within Canada, before, during and after the Solar Eclipse.
Owen Sound Area Solar eclipse times: Begins 11:52 hrs Maximum 13:06 hrs Ends 14:22 hrs
SET repeater net check-in during eclipse maximum on OSR repeater (146.940MHz) from 13:00-13:30 hrs.
Suggested gathering modes using VHF, UHF and/or HF; (you choose) Listening only or TX/RX GBARC NET check-in only during Eclipse MAX (Net open at 13:00 hrs till 13:30 hrs) ONTARS Contact HAM contacts FT8 Winlink by radio Other Digital modes Beacons CW Skimmer CW QRP Other ( your personal preference )
SET station location and electrical power:
No limits. Can be done from home or remote site, with or without main line 120 volt electric power. Report on LOG per guide TAB your electric power mode used; AC Mains, battery, generator, solar, combination. Also report on your capabilities if only one mode of electrical power was used and you have other modes available. Also identify on log if you have generator battery charging capabilities.
You can use the attached LOG file with included user guide tab or your own.
Forward a soft copy of your LOG file to Frank, V3-GUF ( va3-guf@outlook.com ) who will gather and forward a summary report of all LOG data.
Contact Frank by email or post reply with questions or clarification requests.
Have a great time this Saturday.
Cheers
Frank
VA3-GUF / VE0-GUF / VE0-VET Grey County ARES/ACS co-ordinator
This is V_3___, Official Bulletin Station for Radio Amateurs of Canada
with this week's bulletin.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. Simulated Emergency Test 2023: "Operation Dark Skies"
The Simulated Emergency Test (SET) is a Canada-wide exercise in
emergency communications,
which is administered by Radio Amateurs of Canada’s Community Services
Officer and
Section Managers. This year ‘s event is known as “Operation Dark Skies”
and will be held in
two parts as described below.
Operation Dark Skies: Part 1 - Saturday, October 14
Part 1 of the SET will be held for five hours on October 14, 2023,
including the solar eclipse.
The objective is to gather information on Amateur operations before,
during and after the event.
All data will be reviewed for future planning of emergency events.
Radio Amateurs of Canada is looking to engage as many operators as
possible and utilize
all bands and modes.
For more information, check out the article on the RAC website
-- Jason Tremblay, VE3JXT, RAC Community Services Officer
Operation Dark Skies: Part 2 - Monday, October 16
Part 2 of the Simulated Emergency Test will be held on Monday, October
16 in partnership
with Niagara Regional Emergency Management and the Niagara’s Community
Emergency
Response Team.
Radio Amateurs of Canada is looking for three teams to set up staging
areas for the SET and teams
that are willing to deploy for both operational and demonstration
purposes for
Emergency Management officials.
More details will be available at the training sessions which will be
held on September 22, 23 and 25
at 7 pm Eastern. Please contact set@rac.ca to register.
SET Reporting will not be done this year so please attend the training
sessions for more information
on the reporting procedures.
-- Jason Tremblay, VE3JXT, RAC Community Services Officer
2. Hurricane Ian to impact Atlantic Canada this weekend.
According to the hurricane track page at Environment Canada the centre
of hurricane Ian will arrive
in Nova Scotia as a post-tropical storm at 1500 local on Saturday with
winds of 110 km/h,
tracking north east into New Brunswick with winds dropping to 85 km/h.
The projected path
will take it across the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the Northern Peninsula
of Newfoundland by 2100 local
on Sunday with winds of 75 k/h.
Updated information is available at: https://weather.gc.ca/hurricane/track_e.html
-- Environment Canada
ONTARIO SECTION NEWS
ITEMS OF INTEREST
3. Calling All Amateurs: We Need Your Help During Solar Eclipses!
Members of the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) will be
making radio contacts
during the 2023 and 2024 North American eclipses, probing the Earth’s
ionosphere. It will be a fun,
friendly event with a competitive element – and you’re invited to
participate.
Both amateur and professional broadcasters have been sending and
receiving radio signals around
the Earth for over a century. Such communication is possible due to
interactions between our Sun
and the ionosphere, the ionized region located roughly 80 to 1000 km
overhead.
The upcoming eclipses (October 14, 2023, and April 8, 2024) provide
unique opportunities to
study these interactions. As you and other HamSCI members transmit,
receive, and record signals
across the radio spectrum during the eclipse, you will create valuable
data to test computer models
of the ionosphere.
4. Wi-Fi 7: The Next Big Leap Or A Whole Lotta Nothing?
For most people, the Wi-Fi hardware of today provides a perfectly
satisfactory user experience.
However, technology is ever-evolving, and as always, the next
advancement is already around the
corner. Enter Wi-Fi 7: a new standard that is set to redefine the
boundaries of speed, efficiency,
and connection reliability.
Wi-Fi 7 is recognized in the official naming convention as IEEE
802.11be. It’s headline feature is
speed. Wi-Fi 7 is expected to provide speeds up to up to 46,120 Mbit/s.
That’s over four times
faster than Wi-Fi 6 and 6E, or over 4,000 times faster than 802.11b, the
first Wi-Fi standard the
world fell in love with. Wi-Fi 7 is also engineered with advanced
features to combat latency, bolster
capacity, and enhance stability and efficiency. And while it will be
backward compatible, like prior
Wi-Fi standards, unlocking its full potential will require users to
upgrade their devices.
Both standards utilize the same frequency bands: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6
GHz. Yet, Wi-Fi 7
boasts some distinct enhancements.
- Hackaday https://hackaday.com/2023/09/11/wi-fi-7-...a-nothing/
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
This is V_3___, Official Bulletin Station for Radio Amateurs of Canada
with this week's bulletin.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. Call for Nominations of Regional Directors for the regions of Quebec,
Alberta/NWT/NU, and Ontario South (postal codes L, M and N).
The deadline for all original nominations and supporting documentation,
including a
biographical sketch, must be received by the RAC Secretary at RAC head
office by 12 noon
on Tuesday, October 2, 2023.
2. Climate change is affecting telecommunications infrastructure.
As Atlantic Canada gears up for another hurricane season after a year of
unprecedented
disasters linked to climate change, iincluding post-tropical storm Fiona
last September,
amateur radio operators say a simple technology can play a part in the
response to disasters
across the region.
When Fiona hit Nova Scotia, it affected electrical grids and
telecommunications networks,
leaving some people unable to call for help. That experience in
particular prompted a renewed
interest in amateur radio which allows non-professional users to send
messages without requiring
the internet or cell phone networks.
-- Full article on RAC website (including a link to the CBC sory)
ONTARIO SECTION NEWS
3. HAMILTON ARC Hamfest
Date : Saturday, September 30, 2023
Location : Ancaster Agricultural Fairgounds, 630 Trinity Road,
Ancaster, ON
Talk in : Simplex 146.52 MHz, VE3NCF 146.760- Tone 131.8 hz
Times : 7:30 am for vendors, 9:00 am for the general public.
Cost : $5.00 each
Talk-in frequency: Simplex near event: 146.52MHz or VE3NCF 146.760 MHz
Description : Hamilton ARC hamfest with ham radio/electronics
retailers in attendance.
Note: There will be no tailgating.
Email : ve3isx@gmail.com
Webpage : https://hamiltonarc.com/Ancaster/index.html
-- RAC events page
ITEMS OF INTEREST
4. Long wave radio fans mourn fading frequencies (UK)
As he turned the dial gently but purposefully, the sound of people
speaking in foreign languages
and the lilt of unfamiliar music burst through a haze of crackle and
buzz. Back then, in the late
1970s, there were dozens of long wave stations broadcasting. Now, only a
handful are left.
Among them are those in Denmark and Iceland – but they are due to shut
by the end of 2023
and during 2024, respectively.
The BBC still broadcasts Radio 4 on long wave as well as on digital
radio, FM, and online.
However, separate scheduling of BBC radio programmes on long wave will
end in March next
year – for example Test Match Special will not be available on long
wave. The long-term future
of the BBC’s long wave output is far from certain.
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
