Congratulations to Richard VE3OZW as the ONTARS assistant net manager.
http://www.ontars.com/Controller_opps/index.html

Richard has been very active with GBARC as net control, assisting with maintenance of the Paisley repeater and always volunteers to help out no matter who asks.

Thanks very much for what you do...73

As radio operators we are all aware of the impact Coronal Mass Ejections (CME's) have on propagation. This video features some interesting video footage a recent solar storm had on earth as viewed from the ISS. It mentions the uptick in sunspots and related CME's and provides some very interesting information about how these can follow the magnetic links between earth and the sun. This information was new to me and so I thought it worth sharing. If you have an interest in space weather this is a great video to watch.

As a final note, from a preparedness perspective the video also touches on the potential for CME's to take out internet service for considerable periods of time. There is a lot of consider and discuss on this subject as it is something that would impact everyone.

I enjoy operating portable - out in the field - and use either a wire antenna supported by trees or, in the absence of suitable trees, a vertical antenna.
A ground-mounted vertical antenna needs a lot of radials to make it efficient, but if the antenna feed point is raised above ground fewer radials are required to obtain the same efficiency.

Operating out in the field makes it very difficult to deploy a lot of radials so a single raised counterpoise is often used. The counterpoise must be one quarter of a wavelength long. The vertical element is also one quarter of a wavelength long so the combination is similar to a half-wave dipole that is bent at 90 degrees at the feed point. It works very well; I have made many contacts with such an arrangement.

There is a problem though. The physical footprint of a vertical antenna is very small, but when we add a raised counterpoise - which for the 40m band is 33 feet long - we need a lot more space. But there is a solution - a spiral counterpoise.

A spiral counterpoise is loosely based on the Petlowany coil antenna. It is a disc holding a well-spaced coil of wire, one quarter wavelength long, in a horizontal plane. My spiral counterpoise holds 33 feet of wire in a disc with a diameter of just two feet, mounted at the base of the vertical element.

I used a sheet of 1/8 inch thick MDF drilled with lots of holes through which the wire is threaded in basket-weave fashion. It is lightweight, yet rigid enough to keep the wire turns in place.

A spiral counterpoise works because there is very little inductance or capacitance in the coil. The radio can't see the shape of the counterpoise; it only sees Resistance, Inductive Reactance and Capacitive Reactance. My antenna tunes up nicely on 20m and 40m without further adjustment and I have made QSOs with it. The pictures below show it deployed in my back yard.

For those of us with time on their hands, SARC has just published the Sep-Oct edition of their Communicator newsletter.  It's another 100+ pages of interesting stuff, very impressive.

For nanoVNA owners, this edition includes another installment in a series of articles by Arie Kleingeld PA3A on using the nano for various measurements.  The first one was in the Jan-Feb 2021 issue.

All issues are available at: https://ve7sar.blogspot.com/search/label...mmunicator

73
Dave, VE3WI

NCS Tom VA3TS
Open mic night, any topic

vhf
VE3PAV Bobby
KO4DXQ Bob
VA3KOT John
VE3FP Adam
VE3VCG Marvin
VE3RQY Greg
VA3MFO Jim
VE3MIO Maureen
VE3BQM Bernie


hf
VA3KOT John
VE3FJN Colin
VE3BQM Bernie
VE3RQY Greg
VE3MIO Maureen
VE3FP Adam

thanks to all who checked in

GBARC Wednesday August 25, 2021 Net Report
Marvin Double VE3VCG Net Controller

The question for the evening was, “Do you have an emergency plan”?
I also posed a teaser question:
Q:“What is the most valuable thing you your house”.
A:”Water”

I explained that water is most valuable because you can’t survive without it. I noted the often quoted medical fact that you can live 3 weeks without food but only 3 days without water. I advised that everyone should have an emergency supply of fresh water on hand in the amount of roughly 3 liters of water per person per day.

I provided the link to the government website where there is detailed information about emergency planning, www.getprepared.gc.ca

The link between VE3OSR and VE3GBT was not working correctly. Stations joining the net via VE3GBT could be heard on VE3OSR but could not hear a response from OSR via GBT. This link failure led to some confusion and those stations using GBT were advised to use OSR directly is possible.

Marvin VE3VCG made a note to self that we need to add a fall back plan as part of the net control preamble which might include having a fallback or emergency operational plan for the net. This plan might be to use the simplex calling frequency 146.520 if the repeaters are not operational. This plan would also be include as part of the net controllers preamble.

A part of the pre-net responsibility of the net controller would then be to check for the correct function of the repeater. If repeater did not function correctly then the net controller would make an announcement using 146.520 for roughly 15 minutes after the scheduled start of the net. Stations monitoring would then be informed to go to 80 meters and the net would then commence there.

This information would also be distributed to all members of the club with the recommendation to print it as a note to post on or near the radio.


Participating stations on 2 Meters
VE3FGG
KO4DXQ
VE3OSW
VE3BQM
VE3MIO
VE3TS
VE3RQY


Participating stations on 80 meters
VE3BQM
VE3FJW
VE3TS
VE3MIO
VA3EZN
VE3OZW
VE3RQY

These days everything is solid state, but some of us became hams when vacuum tubes were everywhere.  No other tube has powered more ham rigs than the 6146 & its cousins:

6146A: improved heater
6146B: completely redesigned, not interchangable with earlier ones
6146W: ruggedized military version
6883A/B: 12V heaters. 

RCA introduced the 6146 in 1952, and they are still going strong in lots of vintage ham rigs. 

When I first got licensed in 1968, the UNB ham club had the big Heathkit twins - Mohawk RX & Marauder TX.  The Marauder used two 6146s for 180 watts PEP.  They were great rigs, a real pleasure to operate.

My first TX was a little EICO 723 which had a 6DQ6 PA, giving 60 watts on CW.  It's big brother was the 720, which had a single 6146 for 90 watts CW or AM.  After I graduated & got a job I splurged for a Heathkit SB-102, which had: 2 - 6146s.

I've been searching for parts to recreate my original station. I didn't think I'd ever find an EICO 723 so when I saw a reasonably-priced restorable 720 I bought it.  Of course immediately thereafter, I saw a 723 so now I have both!  I'll be listing the 720 one of these days.

Here's what they look like:



If you want to buy one, RF Parts has new Chinese-built 6146Bs for about $60US.  Also many NOS & used/tested ones listed on eBay & several online stores.  

Recently I saw a thread on QRZ.com where people were posting lists of rigs that used the 6146.  It's a long list.
73
Dave, VE3WI
----------------
Collins
KWM-1
KWM-2
32S-1
32S-2
32S-3

E. F. Johnson
Ranger
Ranger II
Viking II
Navigator
Pacemaker
Valiant
Valiant II
Invader
Vanguard
Victor

Heathkit
DX-35
DX-40
DX-60
DX-60B
DX-100
DX-100B
Apache (TX-1)
SB-100
SB-101
SB-102
SB-400
SB-401
HW-100
HW-101
HX-1680
HX-10 (Marauder)
MT-1 (Cheyenne)
HX-20
SB-500
VHF-1 Seneca
SB-110 (A)

Kenwood
TS-520
TS-830
TS-500
TS-510
TS-515
T-599

Yaesu
T-101ZD
FT-102
FT-902
FT901D
FT-901DM
FTV-650B

Inoue (Icom)
IC-700T

Hallicrafters
HT-32 (A)
HT-32B
HT-37
FPM-200

Hammurland
HX-500

Swan
250

Eico
720

Knight
T-150
T-160

Multi Eimac
AF-67
AF-68

WRL
Scout
HG 303
HG 602

Eldico
T-102

Gonset
Commander
G-77

Barker & Williamson
B&W 5100 (B)
B&W 6100

Lafayette
KT-390

Morrow
MB-568

Geloso
G.222.TR
G4-225
G4-228
G4-229

KW Electonics
KW2000
KW204
Viceroy
Vespa Mk I

Miniphase
SB7M

Mosley
Commando II

Frontier Electronics
FE-600

Panda
Explorer

Tiger
Tigress

Uniden/Tempo
2020 6146B

GE
Progress Line (VHF)

Clegg
Venus (12 volt version of the 6146, the 6883)
Thor

NCS Tom VA3TS
Open mic night, any topic
vhf
KO4DXQ Bob
VE3RQY Greg
VE3PAV Bobby
VA3KOT John
VE3OZW Richard
VE3VCG Marvin
VE3VAC Janet

hf
VA3KOT John
VE3RQY Greg
VE3OZW Richard
VE3FJN Colin
VE3IJD Gene
VE3VCG Marvin

thanks to all who checked in

On June 5/2021 I participated in the KY QSO party and not really trying to break any records but mainly trying to work most of the counties and bonus stations. Shortly after submitting my results I received a Participation Award. I think anyone that takes part in the contest receives one. 
Although today a parcel showed up in the mail that I didn't expect. I was quite surprised when opened it. High score Canada CW award, a beautiful Kentucky state plaque with my call sign. 
Sometimes doesn't take much effort to for an awesome reward. 

VA3KOT John Owen Sound VHF NCS
KO4DXQ Bob Tennessee
VE3GIO Larry Woodstock
VE3MIO Maureen Wiarton
VE3BQM Bernie Owen Sound
VE3OZW Richard Mildmay
VE3BEK Bill Whitefish Falls
VA3KOT John Owen Sound HF NCS 3783KHz
VE3GIO Larry Woodstock
VE3OZW Richard Mildmay
VE3MIO Maureen Wiarton
VE3BQM Bernie Owen Sound
VE3BEK Bill Whitefish Falls