2026-03-21, 09:40:22
This is V_3___, Official Bulletin Station for Radio Amateurs of Canada with this week's bulletin.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. The March-April 2026 issue of The Canadian Amateur is now available
The paper version is now at the printer.
To download your e-copy please visit:
https://www.rac.ca/digitaltca/
-- RAC website
2. WRTC NOT PERMITTING NATIONAL FLAGS, SYMBOLS
Spectators and participants can expect to see plenty of things at the World Radiosport
Team Championship event in the UK this coming July. There will be antennas, rigs, cables,
microphones and keys -- and plenty of spectators to cheer on the hams using them.
What will not be evident anywhere are any emblems, flags or other symbols of national identity.
The Organising Committee of WRTC 2026 has reaffirmed the approach that was used during the WRTC
event held in 2023 in Bologna, Italy. That means that, as before, this year's teams will avoid
national symbols of any kind. This is especially significant because it is consistent with the
competition's qualification process which identifies all participants by qualification area
and not by their DXCC.
Like the Olympics, the WRTC is held every four years with different host countries each time.
They have included Brazil, Finland, Germany, Russia, Slovenia and, in the US, San Francisco,
Boston and Seattle.
-- Dave Lee M7TLB (via amateurradio newsline)
ONTARIO SECTION NEWS
ITEMS OF INTEREST
3. AIRLINES REQUIRED TO UPDATE ELECTRONICS DUE TO CW INTERFERENCE
The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered airlines flying Boeing 787 Dreamliners to
inspect and repair faulty on-board transponders. According to a report at Aviation A-to-Z
dot com, the move is expected to cost U.S. airlines nearly eight million dollars.
The FAA Airworthiness Directive states that certain Boeing 787 transponders can fail when
they are exposed to continuous wave signals, including those generated by Morse code from
military transmitters. Such signals, when encountered by the aircraft’s Mode S transponder,
may cause a failure to respond to radar interrogation. Air traffic control systems rely on
those responses to track aircraft positions accurately. Without a correct reply from the
transponder, controllers may temporarily lose visibility on their radar displays.
The suspect CW is a "continuous wave" of radio energy in the 1030 to 1090 MHz frequency
range, where the aircraft transponder operates.
Tests conducted by the FAA showed a near 90 percent failure rate of interrogation attempts
in environments with CW interference, which prompted the corrective solution order.
-- from reports in amateur radio newsline and aviation websites.
4. If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.
About 10 years ago I posted about backing up your PC. Since May 2016 when I posted I would
imagine even more radio op's depend to some degree on their PC's. Even if you are a minimalist
when it comes to mixing ham radio and computers I am sure most of you have a PC and depend on
it for something. MANY times in the past I have said "I have learned my lesson" when one of
my beloved PC's either just stopped working or the OS hiccuped or was doing back flips.
When one or all of these things happen and I do say WHEN because whether you like it or not
your beloved PC will let you down. If you have not backed up it is too late and the fun begins
to see what and if you can salvage anything.
For full article see: amateurradio.com
-- Mike Weir VE9KK
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
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. The March-April 2026 issue of The Canadian Amateur is now available
The paper version is now at the printer.
To download your e-copy please visit:
https://www.rac.ca/digitaltca/
-- RAC website
2. WRTC NOT PERMITTING NATIONAL FLAGS, SYMBOLS
Spectators and participants can expect to see plenty of things at the World Radiosport
Team Championship event in the UK this coming July. There will be antennas, rigs, cables,
microphones and keys -- and plenty of spectators to cheer on the hams using them.
What will not be evident anywhere are any emblems, flags or other symbols of national identity.
The Organising Committee of WRTC 2026 has reaffirmed the approach that was used during the WRTC
event held in 2023 in Bologna, Italy. That means that, as before, this year's teams will avoid
national symbols of any kind. This is especially significant because it is consistent with the
competition's qualification process which identifies all participants by qualification area
and not by their DXCC.
Like the Olympics, the WRTC is held every four years with different host countries each time.
They have included Brazil, Finland, Germany, Russia, Slovenia and, in the US, San Francisco,
Boston and Seattle.
-- Dave Lee M7TLB (via amateurradio newsline)
ONTARIO SECTION NEWS
ITEMS OF INTEREST
3. AIRLINES REQUIRED TO UPDATE ELECTRONICS DUE TO CW INTERFERENCE
The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered airlines flying Boeing 787 Dreamliners to
inspect and repair faulty on-board transponders. According to a report at Aviation A-to-Z
dot com, the move is expected to cost U.S. airlines nearly eight million dollars.
The FAA Airworthiness Directive states that certain Boeing 787 transponders can fail when
they are exposed to continuous wave signals, including those generated by Morse code from
military transmitters. Such signals, when encountered by the aircraft’s Mode S transponder,
may cause a failure to respond to radar interrogation. Air traffic control systems rely on
those responses to track aircraft positions accurately. Without a correct reply from the
transponder, controllers may temporarily lose visibility on their radar displays.
The suspect CW is a "continuous wave" of radio energy in the 1030 to 1090 MHz frequency
range, where the aircraft transponder operates.
Tests conducted by the FAA showed a near 90 percent failure rate of interrogation attempts
in environments with CW interference, which prompted the corrective solution order.
-- from reports in amateur radio newsline and aviation websites.
4. If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.
About 10 years ago I posted about backing up your PC. Since May 2016 when I posted I would
imagine even more radio op's depend to some degree on their PC's. Even if you are a minimalist
when it comes to mixing ham radio and computers I am sure most of you have a PC and depend on
it for something. MANY times in the past I have said "I have learned my lesson" when one of
my beloved PC's either just stopped working or the OS hiccuped or was doing back flips.
When one or all of these things happen and I do say WHEN because whether you like it or not
your beloved PC will let you down. If you have not backed up it is too late and the fun begins
to see what and if you can salvage anything.
For full article see: amateurradio.com
-- Mike Weir VE9KK
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