Director Bob Cooke VE3BDB retires  (Jan. 26 2005)

It is with sincere regret that the RAC Board of Directors announces the retirement of Ontario South Director Bob Cooke VE3BDB.  In his letter to President Earle Smith, Bob expressed, in part, that "my  health being what it is I would rather look forward to 2005 with pleasure..especially when I plan to retire from my gainful employment at the end of June."

During his tenure, Mr. Cooke has defined in no uncertain terms, the positive aspects of reaching out to the grass roots level of amateur radio in Ontario South.  Through his efforts and that of his team of Assistant Directors, his leadership has yielded unqualified success demonstrated by the large number of new RAC members, membership renewals and the sale of RAC products, all giving RAC significant sources of new revenue.

As the chair of the Membership Services Committee Bob was instrumental in the development of new promotional materials; a solid membership recruitment and retention programme; the finalization of RAC's Tru-Ca$h affinity programme, and establishing the guidelines for continued membership recruitment.

The RAC Board and Executive, on behalf of the RAC membership, extends heartfelt thanks to Bob and his wife Sue, VE3SUH, with best wishes for a relaxed and happy retirement.

73,
Earle Smith VE6NM
President Radio Amateurs of Canada &
Chair Board of Directors

(RAC News Service)

For the past 57 years, the first week of February has traditionally been White Cane Week. For White Cane Week 2005, activities across the country are being held by members of CCB to help raise awareness for the blind and visually impaired. Please visit the Canadian Council for the Blind website for event details: www.ccbnational.net The themes for this year's White Cane Week are: "Changing what it means to be Blind" and "The White Cane is Independence, a symbol of Ability not Disability"  Once again this year, from the Canada Science and Technology Museum, operating the VE3JW Exhibit radio station, we will be participating in the White Cane Week special event.

Already, three of our regular guests for this event have shown interest in acting as Net Control Station operator. White Caners will be operating as Net Control on the Trans Provincial Net during the times listed, more to follow as time approaches. 

Wed, Feb 9, Brian Lingard, VE3YI, 2PM

Fri, Feb 11, Duncan Schuthe, VE3GXU, 11AM

Fri, Feb 11, Graham Bennett, VE3GBD, 2PM

So please tune into the Trans Provincial Net (7.055MHz.) during White Cane Week and say hello to the white cane operators.

73, Maurice-André Vigneault, VE3VIG
Amateur Radio Exhibit Group VE3JW
Ottawa Valley Mobile Radio Club
Canada Science and Technology Museum

Date: Saturday, February 19th, 2005

Time: 0900hrs

Location: Steak & Stein Restaurant on Young Street in Halifax

Talk-in On: VE1PSR – 147.270(+)

All are welcome. Hope to see you there.

When: Saturday, Feb 19, 2005 – 6 for 6:30pm

Where: Chow Family Restraunt, Prince Street, Truro, across from Fletchers Restraunt. 

Everyone welcome, including none Amateurs.

Contact Paul VE1DGS 902-662-2016 one week before supper if you plan to attend
 

A new executive for 2005 was elected at the Annual General meeting of the Dartmouth Amateur Radio Club on January 8, 2005.

Dartmouth Amateur Radio Club Executive 2005
 

President: Leo - VE1LS Vice President: ALAN- VE1KAO Secretary: George- VE1BZF Treasurer: John- VE1WZ Director at Large- Don VE1CAF Technical Advisor On Call: Bill VE1MR Leo VE1LS -Amateur Advanced-CW-15 years. 35 years Communications Operations- RCAF and DND Military Communications Alan VE1KAO-Amateur Advanced-CW--Employed with the Provincial Government-Bridge Inspector. 12 years as an Amateur

John VE1WZ-Amateur Advanced-CW-RCN-Refinery Operations Foreman- 39 years as an Amateur

George VE1BZF-Amateur Advanced-CW-Cdn Armed Forces-Naval Electronics Technician (Maintenance). 26 years as an Amateur

Don VE1CAF-Amateur Advanced-CW-Signal Corps-Dept of Transport-Communications - 53 years as an Amateur.
 
 

The Dartmouth Amateur Radio Club is located in the City of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia on the Eastern side of Halifax Harbour.  The Club was founded in 1953 and the Club callsign - VE1YO - was the callsign of one of the founding members.

The Club is located in the Eric Spicer Building at 21 Mt Hope Avenue in Dartmouth, which is also the home of the Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) for Metro Halifax and the Province of Nova Scotia

The Club "hamshack" is located within the EMO building, adjacent to the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) and is equipped with has HF,VHF/UHF,  Clover and Packet equipment.  The Club radio equipment is used by Club members mostly for  recreational purposes such as SSB, CW, SSTV, PSK31 and other Digital Modes, and occasionally for Emergency purposes under the umbrella of the EMO.

The Club also has Repeater and Autopatch facilities located on Mt. Edward Road, Dartmouth.  The callsign is VE1DAR - 147.15(+) MHz & 444.6 MHz Voice; 144.91 MHz Packet.

The Club facilities are open every Saturday morning from 9AM to 12PM for coffee and conversation. Everyone is welcome.

The Dartmouth Amateur Radio Club has a close working relationship with the Metro Halifax Emergency measures Organization.  Because the Club station is located adjacent to the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), Club members are able to ensure that the radios and antennas used in the EOC Communications Room are checked on a weekly basis, ready for use during an emergency.

Club members also participate in all EMO Exercises, as well, they attend monthly meetings with EMO staff. In the event of a real Emergency, some DARC members are on the first responders callout list to man the Communications Centre.  Others are ready and prepared to take up positions at sites where they are needed such as, the incident site, hospitals, radio stations, and comfort stations.  There they are able to assist police and fire departments and the Red Cross.

The Halifax Emergency Operations Centre is unique in Canada, in that three levels of
Government - Municipal, Provincial and Federal are able to come together to staff the Centre during an Emergency of National proportions such as 9/11. The close physical proximity enables all level of government to quickly assess situations and make necessary plans to assist those in need. 

Hams in the Dartmouth Amateur Radio Club have assisted with a number of recent events such as: the crash of Swiss Air flight #911 off of Peggy's Cove; 9/11 when thousands of unexpected visitors were forced to land and spend time in the Halifax area; Hurricane Juan; Ice Storms etc. and will continue to do so in the future.

Leo VE1LS - President (DARC)

The Halifax Regional Municipality Ground Search & Rescue volunteers had 6 radios stolen from their command vehicle. That represents $5,000 worth of fund raising efforts. If you have any information which could help in the recovery of the radios or apprehension of the individual or individuals responsible for the theft please pass it on to the police or "Crime Stoppers".

Scarborough Amateur Radio Club

The Scarborough Amateur Radio Club was founded in 1946 and became Incorporated in 1977 as a non profit organization with the following objectives:

• The advancement of Amateur Radio as a hobby by providing, to Club Members aspiring to participate in that hobby, training in basic radio theory and the International Morse Code. 
• The Active support of Radio Amateurs of Canada, Inc. 
• The active support of Government and local community authorities when such support is in the best interests of our community and our Club. 

Our club has been active in Public Service Communications.
At present many of our members are active in ARES. (Amateur Radio Emergency Services). Scarborough Club Past President, Bob Chrysler, VE3IEL is ARES EC for Scarborough. In the past we have participated in varous Community Communications Activities such as the Warrior's Day Parade and the Labour Day parade in 2004. We have also provided communications for various "Walks", "Fun Runs", "Bike-athons", & "Horse Trials". In association with ARES many of our members participated in assisting community authorities during the recent power blackout. 

For more information about our club visit our website at: www.ve3we.ca

If you are like most Hams, long, boring business meetings are just that...long and boring!  So, members of the LCRC have come up with a fresh new approach. Beyond the mandatory annual business meeting as called out by our Constitution,

Currently, LCRC's breakfast meetings are being conducted at the Bridge Tavern Family Restaurant, located immediately beside the Blue Water Bridge in Point Edward, Ontario. 

During the meeting, patrons can order breakfast, coffee and/or tea off the menu, or they can partake of one of the Bridge Tavern's outstanding (and very reasonably priced!) breakfast specials. 

Visitors to the local area and prospective new members are always welcome to join us, so consider this your personal invitation! 

WHERE:  Bridge Tavern Family Restaurant 

ADDRESS:  109 Michigan Ave, in Point Edward, Ontario, Canada 

WHEN:  Every Sunday morning , 8:00 AM to around 9:00 AM

DIRECTIONS:  Talk-in on 147.37(-) and 444.55(+) or

Burlington Spring Flea Market   (Feb. 26 2005)
Sponsored by: The Burlington Amateur Radio Club 
Location:  Royal Canadian Legion-828 Legion Road,Burlington From Toronto-QEW to Brant Street,south on Brant St.past Fairview St,right on Grahams Lane,right on Legion Rd. From London-403 to QEW Toronto to Brant St,south on Brant St past Fairview St,right on Grahams Lane,right on Legion Rd. 
Opens: Vendors 7am Public 9am to 12.00 noon 
Admission:  $6.00 Tables $ 10.00 
Talkin:  VE3RSB 147.210 (+) 
Notes:  For table reservations call Ken Robinson at 905-637-0772  There is an answering machine on line most of the time 

More info:  http://www.barc.ca

UMS Annual Fleamarket - Montréal, Quebec Saturday, March 5 2005
Location: Centre Roussin, 12125 Notre Dame Est (East), Montréal, QC
Time: Vendors 07:00 am - Public 09:00
Admission:  5.00$ Tables 10.00$ Talk-in VE2RXW 146.700 (-)
Reservations: 514-521-7765 
E-mail: hamfest@ve2ums.ca
Web page: http://www.ve2ums.ca

Burnaby ARC Amateur Radio Flea Market  (Sunday, March 6, 2005) 

Location: Cameron Recreation Centre 9523 Cameron Street Burnaby, B.C. ( behind Lougheed Mall ) 
Opens:  Sellers set up 9 AM Doors open to Public 10 AM to 2 PM 
Admission: $5 per person. Vendors: $20 per table, includes admission. 
Talkin: VE7RBY 145.35 - 
Notes: Western Canada's Largest Amateur Radio Flea Market. Door prizes, major equipment raffles, commercial exhibits, QSL Bureau, 50/50 Draw, food and refreshments. More than 60 tables of amateur radio and electronic equipment bargains. Free parking in Cameron Rec. Centre Parking Lot 
For more info visit: http://www.ve7bar.org

Radio and Computer Swap Meet  (Saturday, March 26, 2005) 
Sponsored by:  The Langley Amateur Radio Association 
Location: Aldergrove Elks Hall  27309 Frazer Hwy  Aldergrove B.C. 
Opens: Sellers 9:00am Buyers 10:00am-1:00pm 
Cost:  $4.00  Talkin: 147.380 + 600 
Notes:  RAC will attend  Bureau will attend 
For more info visit: http://langleyamateurradio.com

Hamfest Laval-Laurentides 2005 - Laval, Québec  Saturday, April 2
Location:  Polyvalente Georges Vanier, 2995 boul. Lévesque Est, Saint Vincent de Paul (Laval), QC.
Vendors: 07:00 Public 09:00 Admission: 5.00$ per person. 
Tables: 10.00$ Talk-in: VE2REL 147.315 Mhz (+)
Information and reservations: (514)-708-8033 or via e-mail at hamfest@ve2crl.qc.ca
Web page: http://www.ve2crl.qc.ca/hamfest.htm
 

IARC Tenth Annual Flea Market  (Saturday, April 2, 2005) 
Sponsored by: The Iroquois Amateur Radio Club 
Location: Iroquois Civic Centre 
Opens: Vendors: 0800 Public: 0900 -- 1200 
Admission: free Tables: $10.00 
Talkin: 145.290(-) 
For more info:  Table reservations: please contact Gord, VE3UGW (613) 657 3640 or Email: ve3ugw@ripnet.com or Mike, va3tuf@rac.ca

Montreal Hamfest and Fleamarket LaSalle (Montreal), Québec   Saturday, April 9 2005
Location: Royal Canadian Legion Branch 212 (LaSalle), 7771 Bouvier corner of Shevchenko. STM Bus 109 at the door.
Vendors 07:30 Public 08:30 to 12:00. Admission - 4.00$ Talk-in VE2RED 147.270 (+) - 
Information: James R. Hay, VE2VE - (514)-697-7205
E-mail: ve2arc@rac.ca
Web page: http://www.marc.qc.ca/fest/fest.html

DOWN-EAST FLEA MARKET Saturday, June 11, 2005
Halifax, N.S.

The Down-East Flea Market is the largest Ham Fest in Atlantic Canada. Details on Commercial Suppliers and associated Flea Market events will be published over the next couple of months.

Location: Halifax Forum Complex at the corner of Young and Windsor Sts. in Halifax
Time: Doors open for sellers at 0630 and at 0900 for buyers
Entry Fee: $3.00 per person

Tables: free and can be reserved by contacting David Nimmo at ve1nn@rac.ca

Talk in Frequency: VE1PSR 147.270(+)

Associated Social Events:

Friday 10th Evening - 1900 at The Jolly Mug - for info contact Hugh ve1pq@rac.ca

Saturday 11th Breakfast - at the Steak and Stein - 6061 Young St, Halifax 

Talk by Wayne-VE1WPH on the ISS set up 

Hope to see you there
73's -- VE1EGG -- Ed Grace
ve1egg@rac.ca

When others can't communicate, ham operators always on call  (Feb. 1 2005)

When there's an emergency, a lot of groups go into action. Volunteer and professional, it's reassuring to know they're available when needed.

Here's a salute to a group you don't hear much about but is always on call — ham radio operators.

Mostly, they use their radio skills to communicate with each other for fun and information; some mighty famous people are involved in the hobby.

But in time of disasters, when phone lines are down and other communications are impossible, ham radio operators stand at the ready.

There's no doubting the importance of being able to communicate when other methods — including county emergency equipment — fails, says Steve O'Neil, Cerro Gordo and Franklin County emergency management coordinator and homeland security director.

That makes their service invaluable — and we thank them for being there when all else fails.

Reference: http://www.globegazette.com/articles/2005/02/01/opinion/doc42005a6aeb28b729733319.txt

(A Globe Gazette Editorial) 

A PLAN FOR ARES® TEAMS DURING POWER OUTAGES  (Feb. 3 2005)

IT'S that time of year. Winter storms can suddenly cripple the power grid and landline communications. In Northern
California we have had several power widespread power outages in the past few weeks lasting from a few hours to several days. If your ARES® team doesn't have an appendix in your local plan that is specific to power outages, here is
a "ready to go" plan that you can adopt and adapt as needed and add to your plan.

GUIDELINES AND A "GENERIC" PLAN FOR ARES TEAMS DURING AND/OR EXTENDED POWER OUTAGES AND TELEPHONE SYSTEM FAILURES.

BEFORE THE POWER OUTAGE:

1 - MAINTAIN your radios, accessories, lighting, and other gear in a "state of readiness." Keep your batteries charged, your generator serviced, and a enough fresh fuel (safely stored) to keep it running at least 24 hours. Always keep the fuel
tank in your vehicle(s) at least 1/2 full. (When the power is out...service stations cannot pump fuel.)

2 - PARTICIPATE in daily and weekly nets, drills, and training. Get to know your EC, AEC, and other members on your ARES® team. Remain familiar with your local and regional emergency plan.

3 - CULTIVATE good public relations on a daily basis. Let your friends, neighbors, and local community leaders
know what amateur radio is and what it is capable (and not capable) of doing.

DURING A POWER OUTAGE AND/OR TELEPHONE SYSTEM FAILURE:

1 - CHECK ON your family and neighbors. Especially any elderly, disabled, or infirm persons you know. If assistance is needed summon help as appropriate.

2 - ACTIVATE your station by connecting to your auxiliary power source. Monitor designated local and section EMCOMM frequencies. Keep an accurate log of pertinent information and traffic.

3 - CONSERVE battery power and help keep the frequencies clear by not transmitting unless you have traffic, useful information or checking in on schedule.

4 - AS SOON AS a net has been activated, check in when your area is called. Advise the NCS of your availability for assignment(s).

5 - YOU MAY BE asked to stay at home and serve as a relief NCS or a relay station. ARES stations (fixed or mobile) with both VHF and HF are especially valuable.

6 - IF YOU GO MOBILE, travel self-contained. Appropriate clothing, food and drink. First Aid Kit. Tool Kit. Shovel.
Two strap. Tire chains. A good quality (heavy duty) flashlight or two; plus extra batteries is essential. Clipboard, notepad,
pens and pencils, and local maps. Carry an adequate supply of blank RADIOGRAMS.

7 - RESPOND as directed by your NCS or go to the nearest location where people congregate during an emergency. This may be a local fire station, community hall, school, church, general store, or even an intersection. When surveying an
affected area, be alert for people who may have an immediate need for communications or other special needs. Obey all laws, stay out of the way of emergency vehicles, and periodically keep the NCS station informed of your location.

8 - IDENTIFY yourself as an emergency communications unit. Wear your ARES® cap, jacket, or other ID materials. On vehicles, magnetic signs are nice, or you can make placards and place them on your dashboard or sun visor.

9 - INTRODUCE yourself to local officials. Briefly tell them who you are, what you can do, where you will be located, and that they may refer persons with emergency, priority, or health an welfare messages to you. Remain polite, cooperative and helpful.

10 - KEEP IN CONTACT with the NCS. Check in every half-hour or as directed. The EC or acting EC may need you to move to another location (such as a hospital, utility office or city hall).

11 - IF YOU MUST leave your post or assignment notify the NCS. Allow enough time for him/her to find a replacement.

12 - KNOW your own limitations. Do not try to be a "marathon operator." When your relief arrives, give him/her a brief
report, turn over your log and/or notes, and go get some rest. You may be needed tomorrow!

(A message from EMCOMM MONTHLY - February 2005)

ARES Amherstburg Amateurs on alert and ready to roll (Jan 25. 2005) 

     The Story: 

     Fermi nuclear power plant shut down after coolant plant  (Jan. 24, 2005, 10:20 PM) 

     FRENCHTOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) -- The reactor at the Fermi 2 nuclear power plant was shut down
     Monday afternoon after a coolant leak was detected, officials said. 

     Officials with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and DTE Energy, which operates the plant, said the Monroe
     County plant about 30 miles south of Detroit was not evacuated and the leak posed no danger to the health or
     safety of plant workers or the public. 

     Viktoria Mitlyng, public affairs officer for the NRC in Chicago, said the plant was shut down without
     complications and nonessential workers were allowed to leave for the day. 

     Plant officials determined the cause of the leak Monday night and fixed it, said Len Singer, a spokesman for DTE.
     The power company was working with the NRC to determine a timeframe for getting the plant restarted, he said. 

     Singer said officials have confirmed the leaked material was water from a non-radioactive cooling system. No
     radioactive water was leaked, he said. 

     Michigan State Police officials said they were monitoring the situation through their Lansing State Emergency
     Operations Center as a precaution. 

     On a typical day, the Fermi plant supplies about 15 percent of the power for the southeast Michigan grid. Singer
     said officials have increased output at the region's other power plants and power service isn't expected to be
     affected. 

     (Freepress) 
________________ 

     This from the Amherstburg Group: (recieved Jan. 25 2005) 

     Last night we had a level 2 alert from the local Nuclear Generating Plant at Monroe Mich.  The incident occurred
     at 4:20Pm. I heard it on the Detroit TV at 5:15Pm. 

     I immediately called the club president  Dan (VA3DYF), and vice-president  John (VE3UDK), and the club
     ARES  EC  Joe (VA3TRL) , and gave them a "Heads Up " notice until the local authorities would contact us . 

     As it turned out , the alert was downgraded and we were not alerted buy the higher-ups. I called the Fire Chief
     this  morning to tell him that ee were on standby , if needed He said "Good !. Thanks very much. It's Good to
     know That." 

     That's it from here ..De VA3SWO.....Dave in Amherstburg.......<73>

RAC Amateur Radio Emergency Service, Ontario Section 

For the latest ARES news in Ontario visit the RAC ARES Ontario site at: racaresontario.ca RAC Ontario Section Newsletter: racaresontario.ca/public/display_official_bulletin.php

Planned dates:
Janurary 30th 2005 - CW section (VE1BBL Memorial Contest) 
February 13th 2005 - SSB section (VE1ALB Memorial Contest) 

Operating Times & Frequency: Both sections are on 80M, open to hams in the three Maritime provinces only and run from 7 -11 am and 2 - 6 pm local time (AST). 

Exchange: Call, Name, RST, County, Province, Serial #. 

Scoring: 6 points / QSO (1 point per correct exchange item). 

Multipliers: Counties and Memorial station will count as multipliers. 

Awards: A plaque will be awarded for first place in each section and certificates will be awarded for 25+ CW contacts and 50+ SSB contacts 

Submission of Entries within 30 days to: 
Avery Crowell ve1hs@rac.ca
PO Box 82 
Digby, NS B0V 1A0 

As of now we are not 100% sure that we have a CW Op for the BBL section, but will keep everyone advised. We are recommending that the CW section operation be kept to 3.700 kHz and below. 

73 Avery - VE1HS

Planned Date: February 6, 2005. 

Participants: Open to all three Maritimes Provinces, Newfoundland & Labrador, Quebec, Ontario, as well as the State of Maine.  ALL are welcome, indeed encouraged, to participate in order to make this an interesting and challenging contest.

Operating Time & Frequency: between 7am &10am AST, and from 4pm to 6pm AST on the 80 metre band only. 

Exchange: Call sign; Name (personal); White-cane status (White Cane or not)

Scoring: two points for a White Cane contact; one point for a non-white cane contact.

Multipliers: there are no multipliers

Awards: will be two Certificates - one for a White Caner and one for a non-White Caner. 

Log Submission: no later than February 28, 2005. Late submissions will NOT be counted.

Format - Logs will be accepted in ANY format (i.e. Brail, audio tape; email and direct mail.

Totals - Logs should show at the bottom the total number on white cane contacts and the total number of non-white cane contacts.

BC QSO  Challenge, a new provincial contest sponsored by the Delta Amateur Radio Society.

Participation is encouraged from everyone, Canadian and DX alike. It's a 24 hour contest, starting on Saturday, Feb. 12 at 1800z.

For rules and information, please visit the DARS website at:  www.deltaamateurradio.com/bcqsochallenge.html

While I realize that many Hams still like the looks and feel of a rare and uniquely designed QSL card, the cost of QSLing, particularly when it comes to responding to literally thousands of requests following a DXpedition, is rapidly becoming just too expensive, in both time and money, for most.  However, there is now an alternative to the traditional QSL card and that is electronic or e-QSLing. 

One of the factors that has inhibited the growth and acceptance of electronic QSLing to this point has been the reluctance of ARRL to accept this form of confirmation of a contact for award purposes; the fear being that electronic systems could be abused. 

However, significant pressure from the community has encouraged ARRL to develop its own electronic log checking system - "Logbook of the World" - and that system was introduced in late 2003.  The Logbook of the World system is new and in order to be truly useful, it needs to be encouraged to grow, and that will only happen when all serious DXer start to use it.

For those who feel the need to have that traditional card, there is an alternative.  It too involves electronic QSLing. The website, www.eQSL.cc, is now several years old and until the ARRL Logbook of the World was introduced, represented the first and only generally accepted way of electronically sending and receiving confirmation of a contact.  This site also provides the capability of placing a personalised full-colour QSL card on the system so that anyone who really wishes to have the card can down-load and print one off or arrange to have one mailed out.  Although eQSL.cc has established a series of awards based on electronic log submissions to their site, the eQSL.cc site is NOT recognized by ARRL for their awards.  It is however worth having a look at.

In terms of electronic QSLing in a general sense, I firmly believe that there is good reason for Canadian Amateur Radio Clubs to take a leadership role in the area of electronic QSLing and to proactively support what eventually is going to be the future for QSL exchange.  A good start could be for Club-sponsored events to actively promote electronic QSLing. Clubs could do this by making it clear during contacts that electronic QSLing through Logbook of the World will be one way to confirm contacts with your stations, because your logs will be uploaded to the ARRL site as soon as the contest is over.  The big advantage here is that participants don't have to wait months or years to receive a card by way of the Bureau. 

What is the next step?  I urge you to encourage your Club to adopt a policy that has all Club contacts logged electronically and placed on the Logbook of the World site in a timely fashion. 

Outrageous…. I hope not, but O would love to get your feedback.

Please contact me at: VE1DHD@RAC.ca

NEXT WEEK - for those who still want to produce and send "real" QSL cards, I will talk about how to keep the cost to a minimum, especially for short runs of under 200 cards.  Look for - QSL Card Production - doing it yourself.
 

The Telephone Pioneer Net

"The Bell Telephone Company of Canada had a department located in Montreal known Toll Area. This group was responsible for the design, engineering and maintenance of all long distance switching and carrier equipment throughout Quebec and Ontario as well as liaison with other Telco’s in Canada and the U.S. A significant number of department members were Radio Amateurs. Due to the nature of this group, personnel were moved in and out of Montréal on a regular basis. As many friendships had developed VE2YA (now VE3PI) spread the word around that starting in February 1968 a “keep touch net” would be established and scheduled for Sunday evening, 20:00 Eastern Time, on 3.760 MHz.

The net became very popular meeting place with expatriates some of who were working in exotic locations such as Labrador. The net also had a large number of Telephone Pioneers (employees with over 21 years service) hence the formal name “The Telephone Pioneer Net”.

By 1971 regular check-ins included amateurs who worked for Quebec Telephone, Maritime Telephone, New Brunswick Telephone, Northern Electric and A.T. & T in the U.S. as well as many retired Telco employees. After several years of operation on 3.760 MHz. difficulty arose when a new group in Southern Ontario decided that they would also like to use this frequency. The new group reluctantly moved to 3.762 MHz, which was not enough change to exclude QRM. For unknown reasons the was no further cooperation and “The Telephone Pioneer Net moved top 3.740 MHz. which was a clear frequency but unfortunately eliminated the SSB participation of A.T. & T Amateurs as it was out of band for them

This net has been running continuously since 1968 and has had about six different net controllers over this time. The net continues in operation to this day and although many of the original members are SK’s it still has a regular group of participants located in the Maritimes, Quebec and Ontario. The net also welcomes all Amateurs not just those with Telco backgrounds”.

Cheers Don, VE3KII

(Thanks to racaresontatio.ca )

Weekly QRP Net. 

Please join us if you can for an informal weekly QRP gathering Sunday mornings at 1500 UTC (10 AM EST) on the closest clear frequency to 7.067 MHz. All Hams within hearing range are invited to call in on CW or SSB.
Listen for NCS VE3ELA on LSB, or break-in if you hear a participant, and they will relay.

Also, a group of QRPers from the Durham Region QRP Club (VE3QDR) will be operating in the FYBO (Freeze Your Buns Off ) outdoor operating event on Sat. Feb. 5, from a conservation area in Pickering. We invite all interested Hams to join us! Contact Ken VE3ELA via e-mail for details: kenlar@csolve.net or view the QRP newsletter here.

Ken Rose, VE3ELA

(Thanks to Glenn VE3GNA  OBM Ontario)

Maritime Swap Shop

The Maritime Swap Shop is held every Monday at 7:30pm local time on 3.750 MHz. All station are invited to checkin and post their wants and items for sale. The Maritime Swap Shop list can be found on many places on the internet, here are just a few: The Loyalist City Amateur Radio Club ,  hfradio.net ,    VE1AIC's Home Page  and  Truro Amateur Radio Club

Please Note: The Maritime (on-air) Swap Shop, which was formerly held on Tuesday evenings, will now take place on Monday evenings at 1930 local time on 3750.

Looking for that special piece of radio gear to finish off your ham station? Do you have extra radio gear you'd like to turn into some cash?

The Swap Shop list is posted every Monday on the Trans Provincial Net website, Ontario Swap Shop Listings , the swap shop list can also be found on packet by calling up VE3DID

(Nick VE3NJG)

Guides On The Air Feb 19 and 20 at Guide House
From the Saskatoon ARC Feedline:

This event will be held on Feb.19 and 20. The location will be at Guide House at 801 Preston Ave, near the Corner of Preston and Main St. We hope to get some volunteers to help with this project. We will need two transceivers plus some antennas. There may also be an exercise on IRLP to do with this function. We will know more on that later. The plan is to operate from Noon to Noon. There are 36 Guides and Brownies signed up so far, along with some Leaders.

Contact Ned (VE5NED) for further information, or to volunteer. 382-1446 or e-mail at ve5ned@gmail.com

The Canadian Red Cross Society  Honours Local Radio Amateur

The Canadian Red Cross takes great pleasure in honouring Joseph MacPherson - VE1CH CITATION: In honour of his role and significant contribution to its building of the Society's Emergency Telecommunications system across the country and in particular, in the Nova Scotia Region, the Canadian Red Cross would like to recognize Joseph MacPherson. At the national level, Joseph authored the National Telecommunication Training Program and represented the society as a volunteer at Federation Telecommunication meetings internationally. Similarly, his contribution at the regional level is an example of dedication beyond the call of duty. Emergency Telecommunications played a significant role during major responses including Swissair Flight 111, Operation Parasol, Operation Grounded and Hurricane Juan.  The Canadian Red Cross commends Joseph MacPherson for outstanding service in the area of emergency telecommunications. November 2004.

Joe -- VE1CH -- was first licensed as a 'ham' in 1963 in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia and was assigned the call VE1AHC. In 1966 he moved to Ottawa with the Department of External Affairs (as it then was) and was posted to New Delhi, India where he worked with the Canadian High Commission office as a 'Communicator'. Joe operated as VU2AHC while in India. In 1968, he was cross-posted to the Canadian Embassy in Washington D.C. and used VE1AHC/W3 in Chevy Chase, Maryland. In 1970 Joe came back to Ottawa and was assigned VE3CAT. In December, joined the Department of Communications as an Administrative Officer and later Program Administrator in the radio regulation and broadcast regulation branches. In 1986, he transferred to the Emergency Telecommunications Branch, and worked in Emergency Telecommunications and as Senior Advisor NATO. In 1995 Joe retired and in 1996 moved to Shad Bay, Nova Scotia and now uses the call VE1CH.

During his working career and as a volunteer, Joe was very much involved with Emergency Measures both in Ottawa and in Halifax. He also served as an Inspector in the Ontario Provincial Police Auxiliary and with Ottawa-Carleton Regional Police while in Ottawa and taught on the Telecommunications Management Course at the Canadian Emergency Preparedness College (formerly at Arnprior, Ontario). Joe currently does training courses with EMO Nova Scotia and the Halifax Regional Emergency Measures Organization, as well as with the Public Safety Communications Services department of the NS government. He has volunteered for the Canadian Red Cross since 1985 and has assisted in the establishment of their telecommunications network in Nova Scotia. Joe is active in amateur radio in Halifax and is a member of the Nova Scotia Amateur Radio Association and several local amateur radio clubs.

Joe is married to Joy, formerly VE3JFM and now VE1JOY. Joe has three grown children and six grandchildren.

The initial planning began in late 2002 for several members of the Fredericton Amateur Radio Club to undertake a DX-pedition to some "exotic" site on a mid-summer weekend in 2003.  The annual Islands on the Air contest is held in the last weekend in July, and encourages amateurs to activate islands for others to work, and seemed to be perfectly suited to their planned adventure. IOTA has allocated two "official" island groups to New Brunswick. The Bay of Fundy islands count as one multiplier, and the northern islands count as the other. Miscou and Portage islands are included in the northern group, while Campobello, Deer Island and Grand Manan are part of the southern group.  (See map inset) Miscou Island was picked as the destination of choice for a couple of reasons. First, it had not been activated for quite some time. Second, it was relatively easy to reach - especially since a bridge was built to the island in the early 1990s.

Another positive factor in favour of Miscou Island was the fact that it reached into a rare Maidenhead grid square, FN78. VHF operators collect grid squares and they felt that the opportunity to activate this rare area bight be enticing. Although VHF operations would not be part of the IOTA contest, the opportunity to combine two types of operation made Miscou Island the destination of choice. Three members of FARC made the journey to Miscou - Tim VE9XA; George VE1ACU; and Brent VE1JH.  Their "antenna farm" consisted of a 3-element beam for HF, a 2-element 6-meter beam, Cushcraft R7 vertical, 80-meter dipole and a Windom for 40.

Tim brought a nice large tent as well as the travel trailer as potential operating locations, but it was Mother Nature who made the decision for them by sending swarms of mosquitoes to attack at every turn. Soon it was clear that they had to operate all of their gear from inside the trailer. Two tents were put up to add to the sleeping accommodations, and the radios were set up on the two tables provided in the trailer. By noon on Friday they had the vertical antenna up and running, and set up the operating positions in the trailer. Tim VE9XA brought his FT-1000 for phone work, while George set up for CW. There was only one logging laptop, so it was rotated from side to side as each operator took his turn.

For 6-meter operation Brent brought along his TS-680S and set it up on another small table at the front of the trailer.

Brent's role was to spell off the HF operators, and work any openings that 6-meters provide. For an antenna they used Brent's homemade Moxon wire beam, which had seen use in two Field Day operators for VE9ND and had performed well. The TA33 beam tuned up well on 20 and 10 meters, but did not work well on 15 at all. Unfortunately, the vertical was not the best on 15 either, so VE9ND was handicapped to an extent. Luckily, 20 meters was quite hot throughout the contest and served as the main band.

HF Operations
 

The team started the contest off on schedule with the 20-meter antenna beamed towards Europe. Twenty held up most of the day, and was usually open in every direction. The beam even performed well off the back, maybe even better than the front. Brent and Tim worked some phone pileups on 20 through the day, and George took care of CW.  Miscou, because it is a multiplier island, was needed by other operators to boost their score. And while VE9ND was not DX for most operators, the multiplier gave the club station lots of business. A few highlights of the VE9ND operation were the working of VP2MX on several bands and modes for multipliers, and working one of amateur radio's most respected members, John, ON4UN in Belgium. Probably the comical highlight of the day was when Brent worked FARC Past President Stu Morehouse, who was vacationing in southern New England and dropped in to the Ham Radio Outlet store in Salem, NH. Stu broke Brent's pileup and put N1HRO into the log for VE9ND. Twenty meters remained open well after dark, and only reluctantly did VE9ND move to a noise-filled 80 and 40.

By the close of the contest period at 9 AM local time Sunday, VE9ND had worked 499 HF QSOs. 
 

The club station did not win the contest, certainly, as some of the "big gun" stations recorded three and four times as many contacts, but the operators had lots of fun and were happy to hand out NA-068 to the IOTA members who needed the multiplier. VHF Operations While not an intended focus of the trip, VHF provided an opportunity for the participants to have a little fun and to activate a rare grid square. Six meters opened up on Friday evening, and the Sporadic E opening lasted over an hour, with 20 stations being worked QRP, mainly in the U.S. Midwest and Great Lakes area.

The highlight of 6-metres was Saturday night's Auroral opening. Tim's IC-706 was put into operation, as it had 100 watts instead of Brent's 10-watt Kenwood. While many signals were heard, only five were worked, including CY9A on St.Paul Island, another IOTA DX-pedition. Later in the evening the VE8BY beacon in Iqaluit was heard for several hours, although nobody from that direction was on the air.

Brent packed his satellite antenna almost as an afterthought before the trip, and on Saturday evening decided to assemble it for a pass of UO-14. Several satellite QSOs were made from FN78, including YV5SAT/6 in FK70, Venezuela. Not bad for a 500 milli-Watt HT!

Conclusion
VE9ND's excursion to Miscou was lots of fun. The station recorded 500 QSOs (if you want to count VE9ND's 6 meter contact with CY9A) and the operators enjoyed themselves immensely. The mosquitoes also enjoyed themselves, as they drank several pints of blood from the exposed flesh of the VE9ND crew.

George's vocabulary was rich with commentary on what he thought of the mosquitoes. He was clearly impressed with their veracity.

In the above photo the versatile Tim, VE9XA, works DX on the stove with his headset attached, while George logs and dupes on the computer.

Miscou Participants: George VE1ACU, Tim VE9XA, Brent VE1JH

FARC Executive, support and planning meetings: Gary VE9AI, Stu VE9STU, Laurie VE9IBM, Dave VE9AV and others.

Thank you!
Fredericton Amateur Radio Club VE9ND home page
Brent, VE1JH, home page

Charles Leggatt - VE3CFL is the President of the Toronto Marine Amateur Radio Club

This article is about the importance of having "long-range" communication facilities onboard sailing vessels. On November 16, 1982 South Bound II under skipper Herb Hilgenberg (VE3LML & VP9LM) set sail from Beaufort, NC, with Herb, his wife and two young children aged 6 and 14. Herb had no long-range communication facility such as Marine or Ham SSB onboard his vessel. During the passage, they were hit by one violent storm after another, and in the process Herb broke his arm (1).  Fearing not only for his own life, but also for his wife and children, he struggled on in great pain. Six days later they arrived in the Virgin Islands. Thankful for his life, he decided then and there that he would never go blue-water sailing again without having SSB capabilities onboard.  Secondly, realizing the poor weather reporting systems that existed in those days, he would study weather and all it variations, and start a weather network for sailors at sea. Those of you who have used Herb's daily SSB network know how terribly important this life saving facility has been over the years(2). He had decided that "History", as far as he and his family were concerned, would not be "repeated"!

Moving forward in time, it was late fall of 1988.  As I sat at home one Sunday morning the telephone rang with a request from a group of sailing pals.  They had earlier gotten together and had taken a Blue-Water Sailing Program. It involved, as I remember, a professionally supervised sail-training program from Toronto to Bermuda and back. It covered celestial navigation, chart work and of course vessel handling under all situations. The vessel had a SSB receiver on board but no transmitter. In short, they had no "long-range communication capability".  Off the coast of Bermuda they were hit by a tremendous storm. They could hear other vessels calling for help but they were too far offshore for VHF communication. They were alone with the very real possibility of losing their lives. The memory of that fear and the concern they had at the time for their families was understandably high as they talked to me that Sunday morning.  Their request was simple. As a group, they had collectively agreed that they would never go blue-water sailing without SSB/Ham or SSB/Marine transceiver equipment onboard. They now wanted to know how to obtain a course of instruction that would give them that SSB capability. For them, there would be no repeat of History.

Herb Hilgenberg (VE3LML & VP9LM)

The call had been made from the Toronto Sailing and Canoe Club, and I joined them to discuss the problem. The outcome of that meeting was the formation of the Toronto Marine Amateur Radio Club, and we would teach them.  That was fifteen years ago, and in the intervening years, close to 380 members of the sailing community have taken the course of instruction and gained their Amateur Licence. 

In 2003, at a meeting of the World Cruising Association, held at Ashbridges Bay Yacht Club, Herb Hilgenberg was asked how many lives he thought he had saved over the years.  He answered " We gave up counting at 25!". Had those 25 plus sailors not had "long-range communication facility" they would in all probability have lost their lives.
 
 

What choices are available in 2005 for long-distance communication at sea? Cellular Phone; the GMDSS (Global Marine Distress Safety System), which is not to be used in the Great Lakes, but only off the coasts; and of course, Marine and/or Ham Single Side Band (SSB) radio. If you are planning blue-water sailing, check www.tormarc.com (via Google) for more information on the "what and where" of Long-Range Communication and the How" to get it. Charles Leggatt VE3CFL - President and founder: The Toronto Marine Amateur Radio Club. Tel: 416 486 6025 Fax: 416 486 0417 Email: charles.di@sympatico.ca

Schooner on St. Margaret's Bay in Nova Scotia - Summer 2000 - by Howard Dickson - VE1DHD