Only One Week To Go: HamSCI Presents the Solar Eclipse QSO Party!
https://www.rac.ca/hamsci-presents-the-solar-eclipse-qso-party-april-8-2024/
Join with thousands of your fellow Amateurs as part of the largest crowd-sourced event for ham radio scientific exploration ever!
The SEQP is part of The Festivals of Eclipse Ionospheric Science and is for learning more about how the ionosphere works. Use any mode, any band for all or part of the day! 
Participation can be from everywhere – you need not be near the path of the eclipse to contribute valuable data by participating.

• Are you a contester? For details on the SEQP contest and rules go to www.hamsci.org/contest-info.  Don’t forget to send in your log!
  
• For the Gladstone Signal Spotting Challenge using CW, WSPR and FST4W modes go to www.hamsci.org/contest-info.
  
• If you’re an SWL or AM DX’er, there is The Medium Wave Recording Event for you as well!  Go to www.hamsci.org/mw-recordings/.
  

• Save the date – Monday, 8 April 2024
  
• Get on the air! 1400-2400 UTC
  
• Do it for science!! Any band/any mode (except the WARC bands)
  

• For more information about HamSCI, please visit the HamSCI website (www.hamsci.org).
  
• For more information about the Festivals of Eclipse Ionospheric Science educational opportunities for the amateur community and the public please visit our information pages.
  

Canadian Amateurs Invited to Participate in Solar Eclipse Project in April 2024
https://www.rac.ca/canadian-amateurs-invited-to-participate-in-solar-eclipse-project/
"The Case Amateur Radio Club W8EDU of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio is excited to invite Canadian Amateurs to participate in our upcoming eclipse research project!"
 
 
Attention all Canadian Amateurs:
The following item is courtesy of the Case Amateur Radio Club:
The Case Amateur Radio Club would like to invite you to participate in the CHU Eclipse Data Collection Project!
We will be monitoring the reception of the Canadian time standard CHU before, during, and after the eclipse to measure the recombination time of the ionosphere. In other words, we know that the ionosphere changes in response to the presence of UV radiation in the sun by ionizing during the day and ‘de-ionizing’ at night (which is why many frequency bands propagate differently during the day and the night).
We understand how the ionosphere changes over a normal 24-hour period in response to the relatively slow transition from daytime to night time, but want to learn more about how it changes over a much shorter period (which is what the eclipse provides). We want you to help!
Our goal is to study how the eclipse affects radio wave propagation, helping us understand the ionosphere’s recombination time. To achieve this, we need your help recording Canada’s time standard station CHU for two weeks surrounding the April 8 eclipse. Anyone with a KiwiSDR or a rig capable of interfacing with analysis/recording software like Fldigi is encouraged to join the effort!
This project has already garnered enthusiastic support from various communities, including the American Radio Relay League, the Radio Amateurs of Canada, and the Ham Radio Citizen Science Investigation HamSCI. 
We have over 20 stations across the continent participating, from universities and high schools to representatives from the Radio Amateurs of Canada and even a station in Mexico!
To join us and contribute valuable data, simply visit our website and follow the instructions (https://w8edu.wordpress.com/chu-eclipse-data-collection/) to set up your station and notify us about your participation.
Please reach out to eclipse-research@case.edu if you have any questions or comments. – 73,
Adam Goodman W7OKE, President, Case Amateur Radio Club
David Kazdan AD8Y, MD, PhD, Faculty Advisor, Case Amateur Radio Club
Chistian Zorman, PhD, Faculty Advisor, Case Amateur Radio Club, Associate Dean for Research, Case School of Engineering
2024 Total Solar Eclipse: Through the Eyes of NASA | NASA

Alan Griffin
RAC MarCom Director
Copyright © 2024 Radio Amateurs of Canada, All rights reserved.
You have subscribed to the "RAC Notifications" list as a membership related transaction with respect to the Radio Amateurs of Canada. Please contact us at the RAC Office if you have any questions.
 
Our mailing address is:
Radio Amateurs of Canada
720 Belfast Road
Suite 217
Ottawa, ON K1G 0Z5
Canada
Add us to your address book

In the Mar-Apr TCA on pg. 19 there is a link to a handy reference book, available as a free download from Texas Instruments.   It's a PDF so you can read it on your PC, or you can print out a page (or all 162 pages if you wish).  It covers a wide range of topics from very basic (like reading resistor codes) to pretty advanced.

Here's the link for folks who don't get TCA:

www.ti.com/analogrefguide

73 
Dave, VE3WI

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

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS

1.    Reminder: Solar Eclipse April 8

Amateur radio will play many roles in the upcoming solar eclipse that will cross much of North America. Radio amateurs are welcome to participate in ionospheric research that is being conducted.
Find information about the Solar Eclipse QSO Party on the HamSCI web site.   https://hamsci.org/

Many emergency communications groups in the areas near totality are planning to be active surrounding the event. Hams will provide communications to served agencies, such as local governments, relief oranizations, and other groups that could benefit from resilient communications during a time when millions are expected to travel.

-- arrl newsletter

editor's note: Most nets in the eclipse areas will be directed nets.  Feel free to monitor, but don't check in unless invited to do so, and follow directions of the net control station.

ONTARIO SECTION NEWS

2.   45th Annual Durham Hamfest

Sponsor:    North Shore ARC
Date:          Saturday, April 20, 2024
Location:    Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex
                   1867 Valley Farm Road South, Pickering, ON, L1V 6K7
Times:        0900 to 1200 hrs
Cost:           $10, children under 12 free
Webpage:   https://www.durhamhamfest.com
Email:         ve3lks @ yahoo.ca

--- RAC Events Page

3.   Ontario QSO Party - 3 weeks away - April 20-21, 2024

Rule changes for 2024: Self-spotting allowed and Distributed Multi-Multi operation is now defined.  If you are participating (even casually), please drop a note to: oqp @ va3cco.com   or   fill out the form at: http://www.va3cco.com/oqp/plan.htm
We would like to have all Ontario multipliers activated this year.  The OQP counts towards the State QSO Party Challenge.
Full information on the OQP page at: http://www.va3cco.com/oqp

-- Paul, VA3PC - OQP Committee

ITEMS OF INTEREST

4.   Free On-line Canadian Advanced Amateur Radio Course

Don, VE7DXE here, I'm the ham "behind the scenes" at hamshack.ca.  I'm excited to introduce the Advanced Amateur Radio Course now available for free on hamshack.ca.

Course Features:

- Mobile-Friendly Design: Accessible learning on-the-go, ensuring that enthusiasts can study anytime, anywhere.  
- Visual Aids and Quizzes: Engaging content that helps to enhance    retention and understanding.
- QSL (Question Specific Learning) Method: A novel approach focusing    on the 'why' behind answers to foster quick comprehension and    long-lasting knowledge.
- Interactive Quizzes and Final Exam: Each of the 7 study sections    concludes with a quiz, culminating in a 50-question practice exam.

Check it out at:   https://hamshack.ca/qsl-courses/

-- Don, VE7DXE (hamshack.ca)

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

It's been a while since I checked out the Trans Canada Pow Wow Club Net!
Since the net starts at midnight, I've only tuned in a handfull of times.
If you're not familiar with the net, you can get all the info on their web site here:

https://va3ts.ca/pwc.php

The have a great collection of photos of the net founders. I really enjoyed their scrapbook! Check it out here:

https://va3ts.ca/scrpbk.php

I recorded the net last night. If you'd like to get a sense of it, you can download the recording in MP3 format here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b5aneMm...sp=sharing

Fast forward to the 4 or 5 minute mark for the start of the net.

I didn't always get the best antenna.  You may hear some switching.
West coast stations get hard to hear.
You may recognise some familiar voices! :-)

73,
Kevin VA3RCA

I am attaching the links from my Digital hotspot presentation.

https://amateurradionotes.com/pi-star.htm

https://amateurradionotes.com/hotspots.htm

https://www.qsl.net/kc5djr/MMDVM%20pi-st...links.html

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

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS

1.    Registration for the Basic Qualification Spring course
     is now underway

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.

It is open to everyone across Canada and even abroad. Classes will be
recorded, so occasional absences are not a problem.
The course will be held on Thursday evenings from  1800 – 2100 Eastern
Time and Sunday afternoons 1300 – 1600 Eastern Time commencing
on Sunday, April 15 and ending on Thursday, June 20.

It is essential that all students have the equipment and bandwidth capable
of taking the course – at least a tablet or PC and a DSL broadband
connection.
For more information about the course please contact the Course
Administrator at  basiccourse@rac.ca.

-- Alan Griffin, RAC MarCom Director

2.   International Marconi Day 2024

This year, International Marconi Day (IMD) is on April 27.
IMD was created to honor Marconi and is hosted annually by the
Cornish Radio Amateur Club, GX4CRC. The purpose of the day is for
amateur radio enthusiasts around the world to contact historic Marconi
sites using communication techniques similar to those that he would have used.

The 24-hour event will operate from 0000 UTC to 2359 UTC, and registration
is required. Participants can register at GX4CRC's registration web page.

Stations in the United States, including Marconi Cape Cod Radio Club,
KM1CC, in Massachusetts, are already registering for the event.
KM1CC hosts several on-air events each year to keep the accomplishments
When possible, KM1CC sets up a temporary radio station inside the park.
More information about KM1CC is available on their Facebook page.
-- arrl news

ONTARIO SECTION NEWS

ITEMS OF INTEREST

3    POTA Begins Park Prefix Updates

In an effort to reorganize the Parks on the Air (POTA) database in a way
that meets ISO standards, POTA has begun rolling out changes to the way park
entities are prefixed. Beginning with the United States and Puerto Rico,
parks previously coded with a K prefix will now be listed with a US prefix.
For example, the Appalachian National Scenic Trail was previously K-4556
and is now US-4556. Additional prefixes will be updated in the coming days.
 From a political perspective, the prefix change has resulted in China
choosing to no longer participate in the POTA program due to the ISO3166-2 standard
recognizing Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan as top-level entities.
-- Source: Parks on the Air

4.  Recent FirstNet Outage in Ohio

I don't know if you heard anything about this, but when parts of AT&T went
down recently, parts of FirstNet (AT&T First responder network) went down
as well. The FirstNet rep in western Ohio said it was for less than an
hour, but that may be the official line.
You might mention this if anyone tries to convince you that amateur radio
isn't needed anymore.
-- Michael Schulsinger, N8QHV  (arrl ares newsletter)

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

Do you have a NanoVNA? Looking for new ways to use it?
Mark, N6MTS created this great video presentation on common mode current and how to measure the effectiveness of a choke you build.
Mark delivers a great explanation of what common mode current is and what the impacts are. He describes how to build a simple test jig to use your NanoVNA to measure the effectiveness of chokes we can build.
Using his test jig he demonstrates a number of simple common mode chokes, and graphs their impedance at frequencies across the HF spectrum!
Watch the video here:
https://youtu.be/3ReRu7Yt4Ao?si=jHpRsMWPg7kNUoe8

Photo by Samantha Borges on Unsplash
Registration for RAC Basic Course Spring 2024 is underway!
https://www.rac.ca/rac-basic-qualification-amateur-radio-course-spring-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, April 15 and ending on Thursday, June 20.
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-spring-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
Alan Griffin
RAC MarCom Director