I quote the following from the latest TCA:

"As a result of the global pandemic and the need to follow the health guidelines involving physical distancing, there continues to be few Amateur Radio Community Service and ARES EmComm group activities to report."

Whatever happened to "when all else fails there is amateur radio"?

The global pandemic should be just the kind of emergency that the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) stands by to assist.

But, ask yourself, if the RAC ARES organization were called up to provide a group of volunteers to grab their go-kits and sleep the next few nights on camp cots at the Grey County Emergency Operations Centre while sending and receiving emergency traffic, would you make yourself available?

Are you perfectly comfortable sending and receiving messages using one of the approved message forms used in the National Traffic System (NTS)?

Are you an accomplished Narrow Band Emergency Message System (NBEMS) operator?

Are you a registered Winlink operator?

Are you familiar with the ARRL FSD-3 Relief Emergency - Routine Messages (number coded emergency messages) and how to send them using NTS?

Can you copy Morse Code at 20wpm?

Let us imagine that the emergency was not Covid-19 but a computer virus that has taken down the power grid and power has been out for over a week. Cell tower backup generators are out of fuel, all ham repeaters are down. Gasoline pumps are unable to operate.

Your handheld radio is good for a range of a few kilometers at best. HF is the only way to get signals out. Now ask yourself:

Do you know how to reliably get a signal into the next county?
Maybe the answer is NVIS (Near Vertical Incidence Skywave). Operating NVIS requires distinct skills and knowledge. A lot of the available information is out-of-date and will cause communications failure. Can you setup an NVIS antenna? Do you know how to find out the critical frequency (foF2) for your location and time-of-day?

Do you know what band to operate on to reach a DX location?
Are you proficient in digital modes that will get a signal through even when the S/N ratio has a minus sign?

I cannot put a check mark down against all these questions and I doubt there are many hams who can. But the biggest question is probably the first one: "if the RAC ARES organization were called up to provide a group of volunteers to grab their go-kits and sleep the next few nights on camp cots at the Grey County Emergency Operations Centre while sending and receiving emergency traffic, would you make yourself available?"

I have had enough exposure to the RAC ARES organization to understand that it is a top heavy bureaucracy. It is a classic case of "too many chiefs, not enough Indians" - and I mean no disrespect to the First Nations community. ARES should have been built from the bottom up. When there are enough dedicated, thoroughly trained volunteers willing to interrupt their lives at a moment's notice, then - and only then - do they need an organization to manage them.

GBARC must address this issue if we are to make a meaningful contribution to EmComm (Emergency Communications) whether it is for the benefit of our community or just protecting our families and ourselves in an emergency.

When all else fails, there is amateur radio - really?

Hope this link works. 
Check out this effortless operator Running at about 30 words/minute.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=318216652126739

Enjoy 

73

The new net format (73 round held over to the HF net) was tried out for the first time last night and was superbly executed by net controller Bernie VE3BQM. The problem that prompted this idea was the time overrun of the VHF net when it went to two rounds.



QSY from 2-meters to 80-meters should happen at 8:00pm wherever possible in order to meet up with members and friends of GBARC who are out of range of the VHF repeater and may be trying to hold a frequency on HF for us.



The really positive takeaway from this move is that GBARC nets have become so popular that we have to use time management initiatives to keep the schedule on track. For that we have to thank Tom VA3TS for his dedication to rejuvenating the nets, and to the net controllers who have stepped forward to volunteer their services.



One further suggestion to fine tune the new procedure: stations who won't be joining us for the HF net should say their 73s at the end of their turn on the VHF net.



Comments are welcome, but if there are no objections I propose that we keep this new format for GBARC nets going forward.

VHF and HF
NET CONTROLER Ve3bqm

VE3OZW, VE3VCG, VA3KOT, VE3DGY,  VE3RWY, VA3TS, VE3FP, VA3NX, VE3RQY, KW8KE?

One round on 2 mt then switch to HF worked out perfect, the net remained to One hour with 10 participant, 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm.


Bernie

This email was sent to the club as an inquiry, if you can help out send email to Bill Directly
bjarvis@wightman.ca
or call  519 889 1061

---------------------------------------------------


Hi There,
 
Sorry to bother you. This is not a “Ham” query.  But hopefully someone in your club can help me.
I purchased a Bearcat UNIDEN BC796D scanner from Bill’s TV  Mildmay several years ago and it has been working great. Bill warned to keep my fingers off the buttons as he has it all programmed.
BUT by  my own fault I went exploring (curiousity) into the MENU to see what was in there  and have accidentally entered by mistake something I should not have.
Scanner is still scanning/working ok but with an issue on some “toned” or “trunked” ?? frequencies. 
I am now afraid of trying to undo what I have done in case I make it worse.
My email to your Club (found on Internet) is to ask if any of your members have experience on this digital scanner or know of someone or a  business  I can turn to for help?
I will gladly reimburse for time spent.
Thankyou,
 
Bill Jarvis
 
bjarvis@wightman.ca
519 889 1061
 
BEARCAT UNIDEN BC796D Scanner

Net Control Station VA3TS

VHF
VE3RWY, VE3DGY, VA3KOT, VE3WI,VE3VCG,VE3OZW, VE3RQY, VE3BQM

HF
VE3BQM, VE3FJN, VA3KOT, VE3VCG, VE3WI, VE3OZW, VE3RQY, VE3RWY, VE3FP

Good discussion about parts suppliers last night on the net.  Here are some good online suppliers I've ordered from:
73
Dave, VE3WI
-------------------------------
general parts:

A1 Electronic Parts in Toronto, http://www.a1parts.com/
Interesting comments about their store last night.  I've never been there but have ordered many times from their website.  Large inventory, good prices & fast shipping.

Electronic Goldmine in Arizona, https://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/
They have a large inventory of standard parts plus ever-changing assortment of odd items.  You never quite know what you're going to find, but there are some real bargains on the website.  You can sign up for a weekly flyer if you want to see all the new arrivals.

toroids:
Palomar Engineers in California, https://palomar-engineers.com/
Great source for ferrite toroids, RFI kits, chokes & baluns & other related stuff.  They do not sell powdered iron toroids, only ferrite.  Lots of technical info on the site.

Amidon Associates, also in Calif., http://www.amidoncorp.com/
Another good source for ferrite products, also powdered iron toroids if you need them e.g. for a filter.  Good selection of books on use of ferrite and iron inductors.

A couple of other neat sites you may not be familiar with:

Far Circuits in Illinois, https://www.farcircuits.net/
specializes in making & selling printed circuit boards.  They sell virtually all PCBs from projects in ARRL Handbooks, QST magazine, etc. , also boards for Heathkits and other older rigs.  They will also make you a PCB from artwork you supply.

Fair Radio in Ohio, https://fairradio.com/
has a huge inventory of vintage equipment & parts, mostly military.  So if you're into WW II rigs & you need a knob for your BC-348, this is the place to look.

https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tec...nications/

Military use of HF has been superceded by satellite comms which is less vulnerable to solar activity. Unfortunately, satellites are highly vulnerable to anti-satellite warfare as this article explains. So now the European military - and presumably others too - are getting back into HF. Good article, very interesting especially in how the military is using weak signal technology, high data rates and Automatic Link Establishment (ALE) to get the most out of HF despite possibly adverse propagation conditions.