2025-10-04, 07:40:05
This is V_3___, Official Bulletin Station for Radio Amateurs of Canada with this week's bulletin.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. Impact of National Postal Strike in Canada: September 2025
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) began a national strike on Thursday, September 25. This has also impacted any shipments or mail to or from Radio Amateurs of Canada including packages, magazines and other materials.
- Delay in delivery of The Canadian Amateur (TCA) magazine
The magazine had been delayed by the decision to include information about RAC initiatives so that they would be published in the online issue of the magazine in time for the RAC Planning Meeting and Annual General Meeting. In addition the need to switch to a new printer also resulted in some scheduling issues which then
coincided with the National Postal Strike. We apologize for any inconvenience and are working to improve the scheduling of TCA so that it will be delivered earlier.
- Processing New RAC Memberships and Renewals
The vast majority of our membership registration is completed online or by phone but payments are also sent by mail. If you have mailed in a cheque recently – to join RAC or to renew your membership – and it has not been processed then most likely it has not yet been delivered to RAC Headquarters. Please contact the RAC Office as shown below to verify that the cheque was not received and make alternative arrangements.
- Affiliated Club Insurance Program
Many RAC Affiliated Clubs use cheques to process their insurance payments and these will be impacted by the work stoppage. We have already received inquiries from clubs about alternate methods to make payments and from clubs who have already sent their applications by mail.
Thank you for your patience during these challenging times. Please feel free to email or call me if you have any questions or need any assistance.
Adam MacDonell, RAC Office Manager E: racgm @ rac.ca
T: 613-244-4367 | 1-877-273-8304
-- rac website
2. LIGHTNING DESTROYS MAJOR NEW ZEALAND RADAR DOME
For New Zealand's meteorologists, the Westland Rain Radar is transmitting only silence, following a lightning strike of 156 kiloamps on the 18th of September. A statement from MetService New Zealand, the nation's weather service, said that the powerful surge was about five times greater than a typical strike and had sufficient power to run a residence for about two years. Various news reports said the power not only destroyed the weatherproof cover designed to protect the
radar but "fried" the electronics and overpowered the grounding systems at the site.
The strike's destructive force has disabled the radar dome to the point that MetService expects it to be out of service for "an extended period" while repairs are done. The radar is a critical forecasting tool for New Zealand's severe weather warnings and plays an especially important role for communities on the West Coast.
Meteorologists in the meantime will be observing high-resolution computer models, satellite images, weather stations and neighbouring radar sites. According to a report on the AccuWeather website, this is not the first time the radar dome has been hit by lightning. A hit in 2022 left it with only minor damage.
-- Jim Meachen ZL2BHF (amateur radio newsline)
ONTARIO SECTION NEWS
ITEMS OF INTEREST
3. DXLook Launches VHF Propagation Map
DXLook is proud to announce the launch of vhf.dxlook.com, a brand-new platform dedicated to real-time visualization of VHF propagation activity.
The VHF map provides radio amateurs with an easy way to see where signals are being heard, using live APRS-IS data to display paths, hops, and coverage contours. Stations appear dynamically on the map, and their reception footprints are grouped into distance-based lobes, helping operators identify openings and better understand local propagation.
Key features include:
- Real-time APRS reception data from thousands of reporting stations worldwide.
- Dynamic lobes/contours showing actual reception range in distance bins.
- Interactive map controls to explore coverage by time.
- Fast, lightweight interface designed for both desktop and mobile users.
With the addition of VHF, DXLook now offers radio amateurs a complementary pair of tools:
vhf.dxlook.com for real-time local and regional propagation, and
dxlook.com for global HF propagation, including WSPR, PSK Reporter, DX Cluster, RBN, and POTA data.
Together, they give operators a unified, real-time picture of the amateur bands.
-- DXLook website (via daily.hamweekly.com)
4. PA QSO PARTY OFFERS NEW INCENTIVES TO CHASERS
The PA QSO Party is held on the second weekend of October, running this year on Oct. 11 and 12 with stations found on both SSB and CW. It has the reputation as "The Friendly QSO Party" because it attracts lots of newcomers and casual operators who take their time on the QSO exchanges.
The committee that oversees the PA Party has introduced a new group of awards and plaques for this contest to stimulate even more activity – especially on the 10, 15 and 20 meter bands.
Even if you’re not into contesting, nearly all of us who cruise the bands on the weekends are generally willing to stop to make contact with a station calling CQ. Well, that brief stop for a PA station during this event could translate into big rewards.
While the PA party does offer plaques and awards to out-of-state stations in a variety of categories, organizers want to promote even more activity from those stations. Doing so will help operators in PA to capture awards for sweeping sections and call districts in the Northeast, Southwest, the West, Central, Canada, and some DX plus the Caribbean.
-- 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
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. Impact of National Postal Strike in Canada: September 2025
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) began a national strike on Thursday, September 25. This has also impacted any shipments or mail to or from Radio Amateurs of Canada including packages, magazines and other materials.
- Delay in delivery of The Canadian Amateur (TCA) magazine
The magazine had been delayed by the decision to include information about RAC initiatives so that they would be published in the online issue of the magazine in time for the RAC Planning Meeting and Annual General Meeting. In addition the need to switch to a new printer also resulted in some scheduling issues which then
coincided with the National Postal Strike. We apologize for any inconvenience and are working to improve the scheduling of TCA so that it will be delivered earlier.
- Processing New RAC Memberships and Renewals
The vast majority of our membership registration is completed online or by phone but payments are also sent by mail. If you have mailed in a cheque recently – to join RAC or to renew your membership – and it has not been processed then most likely it has not yet been delivered to RAC Headquarters. Please contact the RAC Office as shown below to verify that the cheque was not received and make alternative arrangements.
- Affiliated Club Insurance Program
Many RAC Affiliated Clubs use cheques to process their insurance payments and these will be impacted by the work stoppage. We have already received inquiries from clubs about alternate methods to make payments and from clubs who have already sent their applications by mail.
Thank you for your patience during these challenging times. Please feel free to email or call me if you have any questions or need any assistance.
Adam MacDonell, RAC Office Manager E: racgm @ rac.ca
T: 613-244-4367 | 1-877-273-8304
-- rac website
2. LIGHTNING DESTROYS MAJOR NEW ZEALAND RADAR DOME
For New Zealand's meteorologists, the Westland Rain Radar is transmitting only silence, following a lightning strike of 156 kiloamps on the 18th of September. A statement from MetService New Zealand, the nation's weather service, said that the powerful surge was about five times greater than a typical strike and had sufficient power to run a residence for about two years. Various news reports said the power not only destroyed the weatherproof cover designed to protect the
radar but "fried" the electronics and overpowered the grounding systems at the site.
The strike's destructive force has disabled the radar dome to the point that MetService expects it to be out of service for "an extended period" while repairs are done. The radar is a critical forecasting tool for New Zealand's severe weather warnings and plays an especially important role for communities on the West Coast.
Meteorologists in the meantime will be observing high-resolution computer models, satellite images, weather stations and neighbouring radar sites. According to a report on the AccuWeather website, this is not the first time the radar dome has been hit by lightning. A hit in 2022 left it with only minor damage.
-- Jim Meachen ZL2BHF (amateur radio newsline)
ONTARIO SECTION NEWS
ITEMS OF INTEREST
3. DXLook Launches VHF Propagation Map
DXLook is proud to announce the launch of vhf.dxlook.com, a brand-new platform dedicated to real-time visualization of VHF propagation activity.
The VHF map provides radio amateurs with an easy way to see where signals are being heard, using live APRS-IS data to display paths, hops, and coverage contours. Stations appear dynamically on the map, and their reception footprints are grouped into distance-based lobes, helping operators identify openings and better understand local propagation.
Key features include:
- Real-time APRS reception data from thousands of reporting stations worldwide.
- Dynamic lobes/contours showing actual reception range in distance bins.
- Interactive map controls to explore coverage by time.
- Fast, lightweight interface designed for both desktop and mobile users.
With the addition of VHF, DXLook now offers radio amateurs a complementary pair of tools:
vhf.dxlook.com for real-time local and regional propagation, and
dxlook.com for global HF propagation, including WSPR, PSK Reporter, DX Cluster, RBN, and POTA data.
Together, they give operators a unified, real-time picture of the amateur bands.
-- DXLook website (via daily.hamweekly.com)
4. PA QSO PARTY OFFERS NEW INCENTIVES TO CHASERS
The PA QSO Party is held on the second weekend of October, running this year on Oct. 11 and 12 with stations found on both SSB and CW. It has the reputation as "The Friendly QSO Party" because it attracts lots of newcomers and casual operators who take their time on the QSO exchanges.
The committee that oversees the PA Party has introduced a new group of awards and plaques for this contest to stimulate even more activity – especially on the 10, 15 and 20 meter bands.
Even if you’re not into contesting, nearly all of us who cruise the bands on the weekends are generally willing to stop to make contact with a station calling CQ. Well, that brief stop for a PA station during this event could translate into big rewards.
While the PA party does offer plaques and awards to out-of-state stations in a variety of categories, organizers want to promote even more activity from those stations. Doing so will help operators in PA to capture awards for sweeping sections and call districts in the Northeast, Southwest, the West, Central, Canada, and some DX plus the Caribbean.
-- 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