Top links


Hams crowdsource ionospheric science during eclipse
Probing the ionosphere’s response to the 2023 annular solar eclipse.
Eos
A few photos of the new Elecraft KH1
The KH1 is even smaller than I imagined.
QRPer
NASA tech breathes life into potentially game-changing antenna design
An inflatable device that creates wide collection apertures.
NASA
Get publicity for your club with a PSA
How to spread the word about Amateur Radio.
KB6NU
SSTV images received from the ISS
12 images were transmitted from the ISS during the 2023 verification test.
W0ABE
Is a compromise antenna efficient enough?
The antenna you put up always works better than the one you don’t put up.
Ham Radio Outside the Box
Backscatter on 28 MHz
Signals are being reflected back towards my location from some distant point.
EI7GL
Machine teaches Morse Code
The Instructograph.
Hackaday
Picking the best battery for portable Ham Radio
Lead Acid vs Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4).
KB9VBR

Video

High impedance amplifier for software defined radio
Converts Hi-Z (High Impedance antennas) to 50 Ohm.
Tech Minds
2M Yagi Ham Radio antenna that fits in a pocket
Designed for SOTA and versatile field use.
Ham Radio Rookie

Net Controller — VE3OZW Richard - Otter Creek

We need your help by submitting ideas for topics via this forum.  This is a net for all of us.  Help out your fellow club members and net controllers by submitting topics for future nets.  Reply to this thread with any suggestions.

HELP WANTED, please apply within!  Consider being a GBARC Net Controller (NC).  It is a positive learning experience and great fun.  The only scary part is if your pen runs out of ink while the calls are coming in!  The more Net Controllers available, the less work for everyone.  Currently, we have 4 NC's so each of us covers 1 night every 4 weeks.  Imagine if we had more and doubled the number to 8.  It's a lot of fun and we are available to help anyone that is willing to step up and try.

Topic for discussion -

1. What is the noise floor at your QTH.  Have you done anything to reduce it?
2. I received the SARC Communicator newsletter today and the eTCA newsletter yesterday.  What are you reading?  VE3JMD mentioned "The Spectrum Monitor" as a good read.
3. Open Mic

VHF/Echolink

KO4DXQ Bob - Soddy Daisy, TN
VE3DDU Ray - Nottawasaga
VA3MFO Jim - Mount Forest
VE3JMD Jim - Port Elgin
VA3TS Tom - Shallow Lake
VE3BQM Bernie - Georgian Bluffs
VE3RQY Greg - Brooke
VA3DNY Dan - Owen Sound
VE3WI Dave - Port Elgin

HF – 3.783 MHz

VE3XBO Bart - Meaford
VE3DDU Ray - Nottawasaga
VA3MFO Jim - Mount Forest
VE3BQM Bernie - Georgian Bluffs
VA3DNY Dan - Owen Sound
VE3WI Dave - Port Elgin

Thanks to all, 73

Here's a video worth watching. It's maybe the world's scariest POTA activation. Makes our local parks look very tame indeed. https://youtu.be/bOMjnzq4i_c?si=6WlmOV8jGiMAwJU2

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

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS

1. FCC To Vote on Removing Symbol Rate Restrictions (U.S.)
ARRL welcomes news of a scheduled vote by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) to consider removing symbol rate restrictions.
In the draft decision, the FCC would replace the current HF restrictions with a 2.8 kHz
bandwidth limit. The Commission also announced that it will consider a Further Notice in
which it will propose eliminating similar restrictions where they apply in other bands and
consider relying on signal bandwidth limits. If both actions are adopted by the Commission,
there will be a period for public comment on the Further Notice issues.
ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, said the changes
will result in a tremendous time savings during disasters, when every second counts.
"We will be very pleased to have the FCC remove the restrictions on symbol rate for the
amateur bands. This will eliminate the need for temporary waivers during an event and
provide the ability to train and exercise using the higher symbol rate, allowing increased
data capability to our served agencies and partners."
-- full article at arrl news

ONTARIO SECTION NEWS
ITEMS OF INTEREST
2.  Amateur Radio STEM Education Takes Center Stage at Pacificon
ARRL Education and Learning Manager, and IARU Region 2 Youth Coordinator, Steve
Goodgame, K5ATA, gave the keynote address at the 2023 ARRL Pacific Division Ham
Radio Convention, also known as Pacificon.
His presentation, to a packed audience, was a highlight of the convention. Goodgame's
passion and vision for promoting youth involvement in the hobby shined in his speech
as he discussed STEM education and the importance of inspiring youth and teachers to
engage in amateur radio and wireless technology.
Watch "A Vision of the Future of Amateur Radio" on the ARRLHQ YouTube Channel
https://youtu.be/fTi8LDz4dS4?si=GQfSd3k2BS__ERMy
to learn how to grow the next generation of radio amateurs from one of the leaders in the space.
-- arrl newsletter
 
3.  Proposed Revision of the RST standard for signal reporting
The familiar RST standard for signal reporting was introduced in October 1934
QST magazine. The concept was developed by Arthur Braaten W2BSR who
correctly recognized that the signal reporting system then in use was, in his
words, “little better than useless”. Clearly Arthur’s RST system has been a
resounding success having been in global use for 89 years and running.
However, technology and time itself has developed to a situation where the
time has come for a revision.
Standard signal reporting revision really means upgrade the S term while
retaining R term and eliminating the T term.
S. The “S” term should not be just another judgement call but should be
established by instrument measurement and the overwhelming majority of radio
amateurs are already equipped to make this change. Traditionally the S-term is
an S-meter derived quantity. Also, the S-meter by itself does not report the whole
receive picture but even with S-meter inconsistencies it is still a good idea. The
role of the noise in the report is equally important; adjusting the S term to be a
signal to noise ratio would be ideal. Specifically, an S-term report of the signal
amplitude in dB above the noise floor provides a more complete picture of the
signal reception at that moment. Now that we are trending toward SDR receivers
with good panadapters the precise signal amplitude measurement as well as signal
to noise ratio may be established at a glance but an S-meter does the job as well.
S meter reading:
The S term attempts to quantify signal strength using a scale from 1 to 9 with
6 or 7 being a typical signal report for an easy-copy signal. The problem with the
signal strength term is that it does not include noise. With this in mind a revised
S term should express a signal to noise ratio as a single number. This would be
a number that reports the signal peak amplitude above the noise floor. This is
visually obvious when viewing a panadapter.
Persuading hams to adopt dB above NF strength report is bound to take time.
If all the folks who agree with these change recommendations there may be general
acceptance on the horizon. Here’s a possible road to adoption: All readers who like
this recommended signal reporting method continue to report signals with the
expected RST system but include this new RS system immediately following
the RST. Example: RST 589, RS is 5x12 - sig is peaking 12 dB above NF.
For a great many hams this is likely to spark a discussion. Hopefully, this article
will be referenced as an introduction.
Source: Tom Pierce K8EBR  (full article at daily.hamweekly.com)
4.  Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is planninga 40th anniversary celebration conference for February 22 - 24, 2024.
The 40th Anniversary Conference will be held at the Center for Space Education:
Astronauts Memorial Foundation, located adjacent to the NASA Kennedy
Space Center Visitors Center in Florida. Organizers hope to gather volunteer
teams, astronauts, space agency officials, educators, and space and amateur
radio enthusiasts to attend the event. For registration information and special
event pricing at local hotels, visit the event website at https://www.ariss.org/,
and choose the drop-down menu tab labeled 40th Anniversary.
ARISS is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and
the space agencies that support the ISS. In the US, participating organizations
include NASA's Space Communications and Navigation program (SCaN),
the ISS National Laboratory -- Space Station Explorers, ARRL, and AMSAT.
-- arrl 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
_._,_._,_

Top links


[Video] New Elecraft KH1 transceiver demo
Wayne Burdick N6KR Elecraft cofounder talking about the new KH1.
KE6MT
ISS SSTV Verification Test Oct 27-Nov 1
The SSTV system will be activated to attempt to verify a replacement piece of hardware.
AMSAT UK
Being a YL in Ham Radio
A personal experience.
OnAllBands
40th anniversary celebration of the positive impact of Amateur Radio on human spaceflight
Held February 22-24, 2024, at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center.
ARISS
Eclipses do odd things to radio waves
An army of amateur broadcasters wants to find out why.
BBC
Linux Packeteering: The full service HF PBBS
How to set up your very own full service HF packet BBS on a Raspberry Pi.
N6CTA
Wind turbines for off grid radio: Pros and cons
Wind turbines, the forgotten stepchild of off grid power, deserves more attention.
Off Grid Ham
Listening to astronauts
All the elements screw together through the boom and so it makes it quick to put away and assemble.
GM5ALX

Video

K1N The Navassa Island DXpedition 2015
The complete video of the 2015 Navassa Island DXpedition.
HamRadioNow
USGS Shakeout exercise 2023 over Winlink: A video report
Participating in the USGS worldwide Winlink exercise.
LB4FH
Tape measure vertical on cheap dowel mast pulley system
Resonant on 5 bands.
HamJazz
Stealth foil antenna designed for a car sunroof
Simple antennas can bring joy and a sense of accomplishment.
Ham Radio Rookie

Hi Folks

If you would like a tri band 10-15-20 beam , 3 section of tower and Hy-Gain rotor and control box.
The widow of a past VE3TTV Henry would like to have it gone. 
Its located near Kelso Beach Owen Sound.
If interested a 50/50 split donation to the club and widow would be appreciated.

Other Equipment may be available.

Please contact Bernie VE3BQM via Text at 519.270.1330.

Thank

Attached Files

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

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS

1.  Hurricane Watch Net Activates for Hurricanes Tammy and Norma

In an e-mail sent on the morning of Friday, October 20, 2023, HWN Net
Manager
Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, wrote:
This morning, we have 2 Hurricanes threatening landfall.
In the Atlantic, we have Tammy which strengthened into a Cat 1 Hurricane
overnight.
In the Eastern Pacific, we have Hurricane Norma. Once a Cat 4 Hurricane,
it is now a Cat 3 storm, threatening Cabo San Lucas at the southern tip of
Baja California.
On Saturday, we will activate on 14.325 MHz (USB) at 8:00 AM EDT (1200 UTC)
and remain active until no longer required. If propagation dictates, we
will utilize
operations on 7.268.00 MHz (LSB)
-- arrl news

ONTARIO SECTION NEWS

ITEMS OF INTEREST

2.  Amateur Radio Supports 2023 Chicago Marathon

On October 8, 2023, more than 140 amateur radio operators from five
Midwest states
assisted 2,000 volunteer medical personnel at the Bank of America
Chicago Marathon.
This is the 15th consecutive year that amateur radio operators have
helped coordinate
medical responses and arrange for medical resupplies.
About 49,000 runners entered this year’s event.
The event uses six main repeater channels and deploys four temporary
repeaters.
New this year was official use of the Automatic Packet Reporting System
(APRS) after
organizers trialed the system at their other events, including the Bank
of America
Shamrock Shuffle and the Chicago 13.1. APRS radios were deployed to amateur
communication teams in Chicago’s Grant Park after the race was finished.
A total of 30 radio operators worked in various capacities before and
after the race.
Also, there were 100 ham radio operators stationed at each of the 20
course medical
tents and the medical hub. In Forward Command, 10 amateur radio
operators served
as net controls, traffic handlers, logging specialists, and expediters.
-- full article at arrl news

3.  A POTA Book for Park Activators and Hunters

The Parks on the Air book gives you a look at the setups and processes
of 14 operators
from a variety of skill levels and backgrounds and offers advice and
motivation for taking
your radio out to a park. Each chapter includes a detailed gear list so
you can see exactly
what your fellow operators are using, whether they’re leaders of the
pack or folks just getting
started with Parks on the Air. Setups cover satellite operating, QRP,
urban backpack
portable, activating tailgate-style, wire antennas for POTA, and more.
The Parks on the Air Book may be purchased from the ARRL Store

https://home.arrl.org/action/Store/Product-Details/productId/2013464221

4.  Using Amateur Radio to Play Chess

Playing chess using amateur radio? The concept may have begun in 1912
when a group
of college students from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) wanted
to challenge
chess players at The Ohio State University (OSU). Though the official
origin is still being
debated, clippings from a 1912 issue of The Case Tech, one of CWRU's
former student
newspapers, reveal that the challenge was made when the CWRU Wireless
Club procured
a Morse code transceiver.
Nowadays, chess moves are relayed over the air by voice using EchoLink
through a
Cleveland, Ohio, repeater with algebraic chess notation relayed by
voice. In the future,
each chess team will determine what method works best for them based on
skill level and
participation.
HAMCHESS is a great way to reenergize amateur radio clubs and involve
other college
organizations. In 1945, the United States and the USSR squared off in a
radio chess
tournament using CW. In the 1980s, Chess and Amateur Radio
International, a club with
more than 200 members, used 20-meter SSB in a match between five US
players and five
players in Oceania, a geographical region spanning the Eastern and
Western hemispheres.
-- full story at arrl news

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

Top links


US Congressional Amateur Radio advocate not seeking reelection
Rep. Debbie Lesko recently introduced legislation to remove FCC symbol rate limit.
ABC 15
Revision of the RST standard for signal reporting
The time has arrived to adopt a new signal reporting system.
K8EBR
Meadow Day Experiment
Working Amateur Radio Operators using broadband Internet connectivity via Starlink.
N8GNJ
ARDC seeking committee members for 2024
ARDCs mission is to support, promote, and enhance communication science and technology, promote Amateur Radio, scientific research, education, development, open access, and more.
ARDC
Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex
Live analog TV within voice bandwidth.
ZL2AFP
Signals – Museum of Information Explosion
New museum aims to foster appreciation for communication technology.
Signals
Using a municipal flagpole for an antenna
My municipal flagpole antenna was doing fine business.
Ham Radio Outside the Box
Madeira HF beacon CS3B destroyed in wildfire
The CS3B was part of the International Beacon Project.
EI7GL

Video

Ham Radio saves stranded motorist in New Jersey
There was no cell service to dispatch emergency services during Tropical Storm Ophelia.
KD2GIY
My Simple HF Ham Radio antenna and shack apartment setup
How I setup a 10m dipole, an MFJ BigStick and a shack with limited space, to produce the results I was looking for.
KI5IRE
2 meter band tape antenna is lightweight, portable
Duct tape, copper foil tape, and a way to connect to it can make for an amazing J-pole antenna.
Ham Radio Rookie
How to POTA and SOTA on VHF with a Technician License
Bring a chair, relax, enjoy the views, and most important have fun.
W6IWN

Hello all, FYI, this is from Tex who has made arrangements for our Christmas luncheon  as follows:
Christmas Luncheon 2023    At Elsie's restaurant, 9th December 1 pm 

Turkey dinner $19.99 Dark and white meat, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, seasonal veg. and gravy.

Ham dinner $23.99
Honey glazed ham, mashed potatoes, seasonal veg., corn bread, brown mustard sauce.

Dessert $3.99 piece of apple or pumpkin with whipped cream.
             $5.99 apple crumble small.

Or you may order off the menu.

Please RSVP me at ve3usi “at” gmail “dot” com with your choice and number in you party by 20th of Nov. so I can give Elsie's a heads up.

Thanks Tex VE3USI
===============================================================

Oct 18, 2023
Topic: Car installation Trick or treat install.
Gbarc Anniversary  

VE3BQM Bernie Controller 
KO4DXQ Bob
VA3MFO James
VE3OZW Richard
VE3RQY Greg
VA3TS Tom
VA3DNY Dan

HF
VA3TS Tom
VA3MFO James
VE3OZW Richard
VA3DNY Dan
VE3RQY Greg