2025-02-01, 09:15:36
This is V_3___, Official Bulletin
Station for Radio Amateurs of Canada with this week's bulletin.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. ISED Releases New Basic Amateur Radio Question Bank
On January 27, 2025, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada released the new Basic Qualification Question Bank for Amateur
Radio. This new Question Bank will be used for all Basic Amateur Radio Certificate examinations beginning July 15, 2025.
Since early 2023, Radio Amateurs of Canada has had a committee of 20 instructors and Accredited Examiners working to update
and improve the quality of the 984 questions in the Question Bank. This was the first major update to the Question Bank since 2013.
RAC has prepared the following documents to help with the ransition to the new Question Bank:
-a bilingual document which contains the old questions next to the new questions and provides notes explaining the changes
-separate English and French versions of a document containing a list of the 201 new questions
The documents are available for download from the RAC website
at: www.rac.ca/esc_cne.
We are extremely grateful to the 20 Radio Amateurs from nine provinces who gave so freely of their time and expertise to bring this enormous project to a successful conclusion. Most of these volunteers are also working on the update to the Advanced Question Bank expected to be complete in 2026.
-- Dave Goodwin VE3KG, Regulatory Affairs Officer, RAC
ONTARIO SECTION NEWS
2. ACS Golden Horseshoe Presentation on NVIS Antennas
February 19, 2025 - Zoom session 19:00 - 20:00 ET
Presented By John Leonardelli VE3IPS
Near Vertical Incident Skywave (NVIS) Antennas, a communications system that permits coverage up to approximately 500 km using
relatively low power equipment. Simple antenna ideas to make on a Saturday afternoon, providing a walk through on NVIS appropriate
antennas, and the various antennas John has made for portable and Em-Comm operations.
Register before February 17 2025 with reupva3rie@gmail.com
-- Rosemarie, VA3RIE, Education and Training Coordinator, ACS-GH
ITEMS OF INTEREST
3. CORONAL LOOP 'FLICKERING' SEEN AS CLUE TO SOLAR FLARES
Analyzing images captured at NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, researchers say they have identified a tell-tale flickering that seems
to be a tipoff that dangerous solar flares are soon to follow. The scientists detected the flickering occurring before the sun shot
off solar flares. The researchers observed the phenomenon just before 50 such solar flares. Their findings were presented to the American
Astronomical Society in Maryland on January 15th. They believe that predictions based on this observation can offer an accuracy of 60 to 80
percent for flares that occur within two to six hours. The biggest of these geomagnetic disturbances can disrupt power grids, satellite orbits, rail lines and GPS systems.
-- Kent Peterson KCØDGY (via amateur radio newsline)
4. NASA ANTENNA BEING REPURPOSED FOR SATELLITE TRACKING SYSTEM
Decommissioned almost 40 years ago, the 29.8 meter parabolic antenna at the site of Australia’s Overseas Telecommunications Commission in
Carnarvon, Western Australia, will be reporting for duty again as part of a satellite-tracking system said to be of interest to the military.
Its return will follow a period of thorough refurbishing that began last year includes new paint, new equipment to be installed, and the
removal an accumulation of pigeon droppings over the years. The dish is the property of ThothX Australia, part of the private Canadian aerospace company ThothX, which bought it in 2022 in the hopes of offering it for use by military clients interested in having
satellite-tracking capabilities.
Although it is not yet ready for prime time again, ABC News Australia reported in December 2024 that the dish had received its first signal in
40 years, sent as a test from a geostationary object.
-- Graham Kemp, VK4BB (via amateur radio newsline)
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
Station for Radio Amateurs of Canada with this week's bulletin.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. ISED Releases New Basic Amateur Radio Question Bank
On January 27, 2025, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada released the new Basic Qualification Question Bank for Amateur
Radio. This new Question Bank will be used for all Basic Amateur Radio Certificate examinations beginning July 15, 2025.
Since early 2023, Radio Amateurs of Canada has had a committee of 20 instructors and Accredited Examiners working to update
and improve the quality of the 984 questions in the Question Bank. This was the first major update to the Question Bank since 2013.
RAC has prepared the following documents to help with the ransition to the new Question Bank:
-a bilingual document which contains the old questions next to the new questions and provides notes explaining the changes
-separate English and French versions of a document containing a list of the 201 new questions
The documents are available for download from the RAC website
at: www.rac.ca/esc_cne.
We are extremely grateful to the 20 Radio Amateurs from nine provinces who gave so freely of their time and expertise to bring this enormous project to a successful conclusion. Most of these volunteers are also working on the update to the Advanced Question Bank expected to be complete in 2026.
-- Dave Goodwin VE3KG, Regulatory Affairs Officer, RAC
ONTARIO SECTION NEWS
2. ACS Golden Horseshoe Presentation on NVIS Antennas
February 19, 2025 - Zoom session 19:00 - 20:00 ET
Presented By John Leonardelli VE3IPS
Near Vertical Incident Skywave (NVIS) Antennas, a communications system that permits coverage up to approximately 500 km using
relatively low power equipment. Simple antenna ideas to make on a Saturday afternoon, providing a walk through on NVIS appropriate
antennas, and the various antennas John has made for portable and Em-Comm operations.
Register before February 17 2025 with reupva3rie@gmail.com
-- Rosemarie, VA3RIE, Education and Training Coordinator, ACS-GH
ITEMS OF INTEREST
3. CORONAL LOOP 'FLICKERING' SEEN AS CLUE TO SOLAR FLARES
Analyzing images captured at NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, researchers say they have identified a tell-tale flickering that seems
to be a tipoff that dangerous solar flares are soon to follow. The scientists detected the flickering occurring before the sun shot
off solar flares. The researchers observed the phenomenon just before 50 such solar flares. Their findings were presented to the American
Astronomical Society in Maryland on January 15th. They believe that predictions based on this observation can offer an accuracy of 60 to 80
percent for flares that occur within two to six hours. The biggest of these geomagnetic disturbances can disrupt power grids, satellite orbits, rail lines and GPS systems.
-- Kent Peterson KCØDGY (via amateur radio newsline)
4. NASA ANTENNA BEING REPURPOSED FOR SATELLITE TRACKING SYSTEM
Decommissioned almost 40 years ago, the 29.8 meter parabolic antenna at the site of Australia’s Overseas Telecommunications Commission in
Carnarvon, Western Australia, will be reporting for duty again as part of a satellite-tracking system said to be of interest to the military.
Its return will follow a period of thorough refurbishing that began last year includes new paint, new equipment to be installed, and the
removal an accumulation of pigeon droppings over the years. The dish is the property of ThothX Australia, part of the private Canadian aerospace company ThothX, which bought it in 2022 in the hopes of offering it for use by military clients interested in having
satellite-tracking capabilities.
Although it is not yet ready for prime time again, ABC News Australia reported in December 2024 that the dish had received its first signal in
40 years, sent as a test from a geostationary object.
-- Graham Kemp, VK4BB (via amateur radio newsline)
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