Would anyone be interested in a daily morning 2m "ragchew" net?  The VE3OST link appears to be holding up well (yes, my fingers are crossed.)  I have heard of several clubs having a daily morning net.  I usually hang out in the shack in the morning, drink coffee, listen to, check in to, or net control on ONTARS 3.755 and then spin the VFO knob looking for DX on the bands or check in to other nets (ECARS, SCARS, Wingnuts etc).  The Elmira club has a daily net that is very informal and doesn't last much longer than 30 minutes.  Maybe it has already been attempted with GBARC in the past and wasn't successful.

VA3KOT John Owen Sound VHF NCS
VE3VCG Marvin Paisley
VE3BQM Bernie Owen Sound
VE3RWY Rob Owen Sound
VA3TS Tom Shallow Lake
VE3FP Adam Elmwood
VE3RQY Greg Owen Sound
VE3OZW Richard Mildmay
VE3FGG James Palmerston
VA3EAC Janet Paisley
VA3KOT John Owen Sound HF NCS 3777KHz
VE3BQM Bernie Owen Sound
VE3VCG Marvin Paisley
VA3TS Tom Shallow Lake
VE3FGG James Palmerston
VE3RWY Rob Owen Sound
VE3RQY Greg Owen Sound
VE3OZW Richard Mildmay
VE3FP Adam Elmwood
VE3GIO Larry Woodstock
VE3PCP Rob Inverhuron
VE3IJD Gene Honey Harbour
VE3FJN Colin Hamilton
VE3MFO Jim Mount Forest

Not sure if this is the place for this topic but here it is anyway.
Going back before I got my ham license in 1978 were few places like Heathkit, Allied Radio, Lafayette where  you could buy and build your station from kits. I build the Heathkit HR-10 receiver and a VTVM around 1968 and thought that was state of the art at that time but don't remember what I paid.
 
So to get an idea what the value of $100 CAD is today, well it would be worth $868.79. 
Here is a link to 1961 Heathkit catalog as provided by Jim Talens, N3JT  posted on groups.io

https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Catalogs/Consumer/Heathkit-1961-Fall-Winter.pdf

You may find that the modern ham gear prices are actually cheaper today then they were in 1961. 

You decide ....

Meshtastic  explained


Because the technology is new it will be unfamiliar but, at its core it is still just RF. HAM's who like to tinker and build things might find this new technology interesting and engaging. As I noted in my presentation, I feel that developing community based "Mesh-Networks" is one way to extend and enhance the reach of emergency communications.



Such networks could be vitally important during extended disruption of normal communications. Community based mesh-network communications could allow many communities to solve some problems locally during emergencies. However, with HAM radio participation, the range of community mesh-networks could also be dramatically extended. HAM radio operators, operating as part of ARES could relay messages received via a community mesh-network to a served agency even in the midst of to total failure of the power grid.



However, to understand the community mesh-network idea requires to you first understand the technology. Watching the embedded video is a good first step to understanding. Following is the video, enjoy

i'm wondering how important are radials or counterpoise for building antennas.i want to build a portable using
a hustler whip antenna,how do i figure out the lengths that i need.

thanks

As some already know I'm the digital guy for GBARC. Some may also know that I've been promoting the idea that our club undertake the development of an AREDN (Amateur Radio Emergency Digital Network). My reasoning on this point is simple, like it or not, amateur radio is rapidly moving in the digital realm. All major brands have digital systems now, but this alone is not why AREDN is important.

AREDN will allow us to offer important and valuable communications capabilities to served agencies. Such high speed mesh-networking technology is also valuable to us as a club. It is important to note that AREDN Mesh Networking gear should not be confused with the Mesh-Networking software / hardware used for the Community Mesh Networks I am also proposing to build. AREDN uses HAM radio frequencies, higher power and is only available to HAM's.

The video I am sharing here does a good job of explaining AREDN gear and how it is being used by a radio club in Wisconsin. However it also touches on features of an established AREDN net(s) in and around Los Angeles.

Dave VE3W1, suggested an interesting idea as related to keeping phones charged in a power outage. He advised that he was able to get a good deal on the solar chargers used a prizes at last years Christmas Brunch. His suggestion was to make a bulk purchase for members with an interest in having a solar phone charger.

No formal arrangements have been made to make such a purchase at this time. I am floating this idea to judge interest. If you like the idea and would like to participate in a group purchase let me know and I will pass that information over to Dave. I currently have a solar phone charger but could always use another so I'll put myself as first on the list.

PS: Solar phone chargers make great gifts.

During my recent presentation with regard to expanding Emergency Communications capabilities using Community Mesh-Networks, I touched only briefly on the potential failure of the power grid. This is a large topic which can't be properly discussed during a brief presentation. I revisit it here because I feel it is very important all people, and especially to all radio operators.

I have spent considerable time researching the topic and am fairly familiar with the largest threats. Each time there is a major disruption to power important lessons are learned. However, most of those lessons are not well translated for the benefit of everyone who relies on grid power to maintain a our lives. The video I'm sharing does an excellent job of breaking down the issues and threats to the power grid. It is 15:44 minutes long and worth every minute to watch.

I hope you will take the time to watch and then join me to begin and maintain an open and ongoing discussion about
how best to have reliable power for more than just radio operations. For me backup power is tied to many other issues and so touches virtually every aspect of our lives. When we talk about power, we need to talk about everything. It's a big subject we should not ignore. Here is the link to the video.

https://youtu.be/1Dt1ze_XaNk

I found a very interesting article on Vice Voices titled "Why Channel 37 Doesn't Exist". I found it very interesting for several reasons and thought others might as well. I knew some of the information in the article but some was new to me. The article seems entirely relevant today given the increasing demands on the RF spectrum. Here's the link https://www.vice.com/en/article/dy8by7/w...ket-newtab

Meshtastic is a great project which can be used in a variety of ways. One of these is to create off-grid mesh networks. Meshastic should not be confused with Mesh Net software which directly links phones together via onboard WiFi or Bluetooth. Meshtastic devices are a separate means of accomplishing mesh networking. This video helps explain the meshtastic approach to mesh networking Here's the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqAsWtIjHUY