I really enjoy a YouTube channel called The History Guy. Very well produced videos, about 15 minutes long.
This video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaTm_LUifUI is one I just watched. The history aspect was interesting but the information about 2 young hams providing a greatly needed service to the South Pole as the new research bases were being built was interesting too.

Net Controller — VE3OZW Richard - South Bruce

Topic for discussion -
1. Do you keep watch on the weather, specifically severe weather before it approaches?
2. Are you prepared in the event that our area was without power for up to a week?  Tell us about it.

VHF/Echolink

VE3GIO Larry - Woodstock
KO4DXQ Bob - Soddy Daisy, TN
VE3RQY Greg - Brooke
VE3XBO Bart - Meaford
VA3MFO Jim - Mount Forest
VE3IXR Ron - Walkerton
VE3RWY Rob - Owen Sound
VA3EAC Janet - Paisley
VE3VCG Marvin - Paisley
VE3MIO Maureen - Wiarton
VA3IIH Jim - Kincardine
VE3WI Dave - Port Elgin
VE3FP Adam - West Grey


HF – 3.783 MHz

VA3MFO Jim - Mount Forest
VE3VCG Marvin - Paisley
VE3GIO Larry - Woodstock
VE3RWY Rob - Owen Sound
VE3FJN Colin - Hamilton
VE3DDU Ray - Nottawasaga
VE3XBO Bart - Meaford
VE3LBG Ron - Kanata (portable from Algonquin Park 2 watts QRP)

We need your help by submitting ideas for topics via this forum.

Please consider being a GBARC Net Controller.  It is a positive learning experience not to mention great fun.

Thanks to all, 73

For those of us who didn't go to Dayton this year, the forum presentations have been posted on Youtube for your viewing pleasure:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCckRm07...tW0H2afbLw

73
Dave, VE3WI

NCS: VA3KOT John
Topic: 10m FM SImplex (10m FM simplex test to be conducted in June).

• Have you tried 10m FM?
  
• Do you have a rig that will transmit on 10m FM?
  

On Saturday May 14th between 10 and 12 noon I assisted Rob VE3PCP testing a VHF / UHF cross band repeater setup at the Kincardine administrative centre.
Kincardine is effectively located on sloping terrain which runs west down slope from Highway 21 to the lake-shore. This drop in elevation is sufficient to prevent signals from the Paisley repeater from getting into the downgrade areas of the city.
The former repeater on the Kincardine water tower has been removed and so is no longer a part of the local amateur radio emergency communications strategy. Because of this a new emergency communications strategy is being devised and tested.
Rob’s test of the cross band setup was a proof of concept to demonstrate how a simple cross band repeater located at the administrative offices could be used to provide access to GBT and OSR from those normally unavailable areas of Kincardine.
While the repeater was in operation on a mast attached to the utility trailer that is Rob’s mobile shack, I drove to various locations in Kincardine and did range testing. This test proved the concept nicely. I was able to talk to Rob at the administrative centre and successfully make other contacts via GBT and OSR.
The most distant contact was with Tom VA3TS at his home QTH in Shallow Lake. That contact occurred while I was roughly ten kilometers south of the Kincardine Administrative Centre and at a lower elevation. My UHF input to the repeater as 446.100. Tom’s reply via VHF though OSR was nearly full quieting. Approximate measured distance between locations is 66.8 Kilometers.
I’m confident that I could have easily extended the distance from the cross band repeater successfully while mobile and maintained reliable communications. Signal strength reports while I was mobile were consistently good.
The downside of this experiment is that it demonstrates how such a cross band setup would limit direct local communications. Without using a cross band radio local operators could not hear the VHF side of the repeater. Therefore monitoring local traffic would entail using 2 radio’s, one to transmit on UHF, one to listen on VHF. While this is workable it is also impractical.
There is of course a point to be made about using a simple VHF repeater to bridge the communications issues in Kincardine. This involves a more expansive and involved conversation which is beyond the scope of this article.
Work continues on developing workable solutions to provide functional, reliable community based emergency radio communications in Kincardine and the balance of Bruce County.

Here's an exciting option for those who like to get our in nature and operate portable.
As the information provided states, there are more than 26,000 prospective operating sites world wide. Consulting the map on the WWFF site I've found many sites in Ontario, some of which are quite close in Bruce and Grey counties.

Now that travel is less restricted it will be fun to get out in a WWFF park and make some contacts.

WWFF website

World Wide Flora & Fauna in Amateur Radio

“Make nature your shack !“
WWFF, World Wide Flora and Fauna in Amateur Radio, is encouraging you to leave your shack and go outside portable operating in Protected Flora@Fauna areas (PFF) all over the world.


More than 26.000 Protected Flora@Fauna (PFF) areas, world wide are already registered in our WWFF Directory. Hunters and Activators can apply for colorful awards, globally and national.

Georgian Bay Amateur Radio Club
Net Report
19:30 (7:30) EDT Wednesday May 11,2022


Net Controller: Marvin VE3VCG
Topic: "World Wide Flora and Fauna Amateur Radio Program"
Info on Topic found at WWFF Website
Log:
Echolink:
KO4DXQ Bob
2 Meters
VE3MIO Maureen
VE3IXR Ron
VA3TS Tom
VE3MFO Jim
VA3EAC Jan
VE3RQY Rob
VE3BQM Bernie
VE3RQY Greg



80 Meters
VA3TS Tom
VE3FJN Colin
VE3GIO Larry
VE3BQM Bernie
VE3RWY Rob

Environment Canada's yearly CANWARN training session will be delivered via Zoom again this year.

Access details are on the RAC website:

https://www.rac.ca/rac-presents-weather-...ay-may-18/

The session is titled: "Beyond CANWARN" (whatever that means, I guess we'll find out!)

73
Dave, VE3WI

For our contesters, I noticed this on QRZ.com:

First Running Of The Canadian Provinces QSO Party This Weekend

Centered in VE4,5,6 land

https://cpqp.ve6hams.ca/
 

73
Dave, VE3WI

GBARC's first Simplex Saturday was held between noon and 1:00pm, Saturday 30th April 2022. The following stations checked in:

1. VA3KOT John (NCS)
   
2. VE3WI Dave
   
3. VE3OZW Richard
   
4. VE3RQY Greg
   
5. VE3RWY Rob
   
6. VE3PQ Paul
   
7. VE3NBJ Norm
   
8. VE3VCG Marvin
   
9. VE3JMD Jim
   
10. VE3BQM Bernie
    
11. VA3TS Tom
    
12. VE3FP Adam
    

• Communications between Inglis Falls to Owen Sound and points in Georgian Bluffs were clear and strong.
  
• Communications between Inglis Falls and Port Elgin (VE3WI) were challenging. John VA3KOT's signal was reported to be noisy in Port Elgin but signals from Port Elgin into Inglis Falls were loud and clear.
  
• Communications between Paisley and Inglis Falls revealed a surprising result. VE3VCG was stationed at the Paisley repeater site and comms were noisy and difficult - until Marvin re-oriented his truck then it was 59 both directions. Marvin's mag-mount antenna was off-centre on his truck roof and that seemed to be enough to dramatically change signal strength.
  
• The NCS base station is recommended to use an antenna elevated on a pole
  
• The NCS base station should check for local electrical noise interference. A hydro pole transformer was suspected to be the source of noise at Inglis Falls.