RAC Board Elects Executive Officers for 2006-2007  (Oct. 20 2005)

The RAC Board of Directors met by teleconference call on Sunday, October 16, 2005 to elect the Executive Officers for 2006-2007.  The meeting was convened by Nomination Chair Ken Oelke VE6AFO.  As a result ofthe election process, the following people will take office commencing January 1, 2006:

Earle Smith VE6NM, President
John Iliffe VE3CES, 1st Vice President
Robert (Bob) Cooke VE3BDB, Vice President Field Services
Joe Parkinson VE3JG, Vice President Industrial Liaison
Daniel Lamoureux VE2KA, Vice President International Affairs
Susan Cooke VE3SUH, Secretary

(RAC News Service)

RAC President & Board Pledge Support to ARES & Field Organiaztion Relationship (Oct. 20 2005)
 

Radio Amateurs of Canada was created in 1993, out of the necessity to have one National Organization representing Amateur Radio Operators in Canada. The founding organizations, the Canadian Amateur Radio Federation Inc. and the Canadian Radio Relay League Inc. came to the "merger" table from two very diverse positions; on many of the issues one might even say totally opposing positions.

CARF had originally been created mainly because of a flag-waving, anti-American attitude quite prominent in the late 1960's and early 1970's. In a literal sense, CARF survived for 25 years because of the generosity of the many volunteers who served on the Board of Directors and Executive, people who dug deep in their own pockets to keep the organization financially afloat.

CRRL existed for many years (prior to the creation of CARF) as the Canadian Division of the ARRL.  Resources which included books, QST magazine and funds were provided by ARRL to CRRL, aiding in the development of a strong entity in Canada.  ARES/NTS was a thriving element of CRRL, particularly in Ontario, the region with the largest concentration of Amateur Operators in Canada.  ARES/NTS was strong within CRRL, while CARF acknowledged having limited understanding of the importance and structure of ARES/NTS at the time.

During the "merger" negotiations, some of the CRRL officials of that day wanted RAC to keep ARES/NTS of the Field organization at arms length, and
unfortunately, that is exactly what happened.  Without the appropriate support from RAC, without adequate funding from RAC, and because of the
significant inattention to ARES/NTS, we have now reached a crisis situation, particularly in the Ontario Section.

The situation must change if ARES/NTS is to increase its viability, visibility and stature in Ontario and the rest of Canada, and if RAC is make headway in its effort to restore its own credibility among ARES/NTS supporters.

The current ARES/NTS problem, particularly in Ontario, is RAC's, whether we like it or not.  RAC should have stepped up long ago and put forward a
strong effort to develop a standardized ARES/NTS "service" entity across Canada.  We believe it is not too late to rectify the situation.

Recently, there was an obvious rift within the Field Organization in Ontario.  The ensuing arguments between ARES/NTS officials were brushed aside by RAC, as evidenced in the absence of any statement by the RAC Board. Tempers flared, insults were exchanged, the Section became fragmented, and
yet RAC remained silent, to its own detriment.

The Vice President of Field Services was offered little or direction by the RAC Board.  The VP of Field Organization and the Ontario Section Manager
were publicly humiliated on the air, called derogatory names, and yet the RAC Board remained silent.  This inaction is unacceptable for the leaders of
a National Organization.

Equally unacceptable are the disparaging on-air comments from leaders and members within the Field Organization.

It is said that you can never have a better past, so what are you going to do to ensure a better future?  In other words, what is done is done, and cannot be erased.

How is RAC going to move forward, deal with the situation, improve the rapport with the ARES/NTS people at the grassroots level, and work towards
the rebuilding of the Field Organization in Canada?

The first step is being taken today:  We are present at this ARES/NTS Ontario meeting.  We are listening, and are ready to take appropriate action
to turn the situation around.

This effort will require input by the senior ARES/NTS leaders, persons with far more Field Organization experience than many of the RAC Directors.  We
are asking for your help.

The RAC Board of Directors and Executive of today is not the Board of Directors and Executive from 1993.  There are many new faces, some with
strong ARES/NTS backgrounds, but many who, because of personal or regional circumstances, are not well versed in the importance of ARES/NTS.

With the help of the people present in Orillia today, I hope we will be able to educate the RAC officials, elevate the importance of ARES/NTS in the
minds of these volunteers, and work together towards a satisfactory resolution of this long-brewing problem.

It is apparent that RAC has displayed little, if any, leadership to the Field Organization volunteers, leaving them to fend for themselves.

This has obviously created negative feelings towards RAC, leaving the situation wide open for ill will towards RAC officials.  A number of dedicated volunteers have recently chosen to walk away from ARES/NTS; others have been drawn to a breakaway group in the Toronto area, a group with no
RAC affiliation or political bent.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Communication between RAC Board of Directors and through the appropriate VP, to the Field Organization, including ARES/NTS officials will be improved and will be a two-sided conversation.

RAC SHALL listen and act proactively as a result of this communication.

RAC, under the terms of the "merger" in 1993, is the rightful holder and sponsor of the ARES/NTS identity. It is time that we accept the responsibility that goes along with that ownership.

We have to determine the difficulties and problems, in consultation and conjunction with the hands-on ARES/NTS leaders, and develop joint solutions
acceptable to both parties.  A repeat situation can never be allowed to fester again.

Support of the Field Organization is an integral element of rebuilding the relationship between RAC and ARES/NTS.  No longer can adequate financial
support be withheld; resources need to be made readily available subject to necessary resources being available.  (Such financial support must, of
course, be based on adequate cash flow to RAC via increased membership numbers!)

 Procedures must be unified, ARES/NTS products must be developed in response to the specific needs expressed by the volunteers in the field where
possible.  The RAC Board will endeavor to address the funding difficulties in its fall budget deliberations.

RAC commits to developing a program of greater recognition of volunteers through individual contact, via public forums such as bulletins, the RAC website and through TCA.

The importance of the Field Organization, in conjunction with ARES/NTS, needs to be brought to the forefront in discussions with all levels of government:  federal, provincial and municipal.  This will greatly enhance the image of the Amateur Service.

It is a two-way street, however, and the volunteers in the field must present a professional and unified front in order to be rewarded with the
kind of public recognition they so deserve.  To that end, RAC needs to ensure that volunteers are properly trained, as well as adequately equipped to represent the service.

In addition, volunteers in the Field Organization are often the sole contact with non RAC member amateurs and it is these volunteers who are best able to
recruit new members into RAC and generate necessary cash flow to support additional operational capability.

In order to address some of the concerns and difficulties, the RAC Board of Directors, through a VP, will open a line of communication with the ARES/NTS officials on a regular basis, probably through regularly scheduled conference calls and e-mail communiqués.

The Field Organization and ARES/NTS  must be taken seriously, must be recognized as an integral operating arm of Radio Amateurs of Canada, and
must be promoted as such.

(The preceding message was personally delivered by RAC President Earle Smith, VE6NM, to a large group of  ARES volunteers at a recent meeting held
at Orillia, Ontario.  It will shortly be posted on the RAC website www.rac.ca)
 

Radio Amateurs of Canada introduces New RAC Forum (Oct. 18 2005)

The new RAC forum is dedicated to the hobby of Amateur Radio and it's many activities. It's RAC's hope that this new and improved forum setup will be a great success.

Full Details can be found online by visiting: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RAC_Forum/

(VE4RRB RAC Forum Moderator)

Trans-Pacific Canadian Amateur LF Signals Confirmed Heard  (Oct.14 2005)

The first confirmed trans-Pacific reception of Canadian amateur LF (2200m) signals occured on the morning of October 4, 2005. The slow speed (QRSS) CW signals of VA7LF were confirmed heard near Wellington, New Zealand, at the Wellington Amateur Radio Club station at Quartz Hill. 

Signals from the ZM2E club station were heard in Canada as well but propagtion was not of sufficient duration to enable a QSO to be completed. VA7LF was located on South Pender Island, British Columbia and operated by VE7TIL, VE7SL and VE7MM. The Quartz Hill station was manned by ZL2CA and ZL4OL. The present amateur radio LF world record two-way is shared by ZM2E and UA0LE, a
distance of 10,311 km. The distance between VA7LF and ZM2E is approximately 11,700 km. 

Both stations were operated on 137 kHz using DFCW QRSS120. VA7LF was running approximately 1 watt erp while ZM2E
was at the 5W erp level. Propagation conditions were generally poor during the three night test period. The next scheduled trans-Pacific tests will be in the spring of 2006. As Bob Vernall, ZL2CA, summarized, "The bottle of bubbly is back in the cellar ...."  (Thanks to Steve, VE7SL)

(RAC News Service)

VO1MRC continues experiments on 60 metres (Oct. 11 2005)

The Marconi Radio Club of Newfoundland (MRCN) station VO1MRC will be conducting an experiment from 0000-2400 UTC on the 22nd and 23rd of October 2005. During this period, a CW beacon will be in operation on 5269.5 kHz to determine the diurnal variations in propagation. Signal reports from local and distant stations will be gratefully received. 

VO1MRC will be open briefly for 2 way contacts with stations authorized to transmit on 60 metres starting 0000 UTC each of these days and will operate
simplex on 5260.5 kHz CW and receive also on 5346.5 USB. Please note that this will start on the evening of Friday 21 October in North America.

The experiment was proposed by MRCN, endorsed by Radio Amateurs of Canada and authorized by Industry Canada. For further information, please check the MRCN web site by searching for VO1MRC on the Internet.  (Joe Craig, VO1NA)

(RAC News Service)

Club President Don Courcy (VE1CY) tells me that new life has been breathed into the Tri-County Amateur Radio Club in Moncton since the Club recently secured a new home. 

Don states that "Our club has been homeless for a while and it has affected the membership. Members miss the days when they could meet on Saturday mornings to participate in tinkering sessions or in experimental projects. Well…, reminisce no more !  It is time to enjoy. We have a home again ! Thanks to the efforts of Elliott, VE9EWR, we now have a new clubhouse on the second floor of the Centennial Park Maintenance Depot. It is now up to us to make it better than the last one. There is a lot of work ahead; setting up the clubhouse, putting up a tower & antennas, installing the club station… We need your help to make this happen before the winter. Dave, VE9FQJ is already working on a floor plan. Eric VE9JR has been busy trying to get the place cleaned up and ready for painting. I know that Ola VE9OLA, Laurie VE1AWJ and many others have helped as well. There is excitement in the air."
.

Don goes on to point out in the Club's recent Newsletter that, "One of the biggest challenges that our club faces is maintaining and increasing our membership. We must find ways to attract new members from the pool of Certified Ham Radio Operators in southeastern New Brunswick. To do that, we must do things so they will "want" to come and join us. There are many ways to do that: finding interesting guest speakers, coming up with building projects, testing new technology, maybe restarting the Saturday morning experimental sessions, etc… We need your ideas and proposals.

The problem of decreasing membership is not restricted to our club. It is also a problem faced by the entire Amateur Radio community. We are all getting older and we need new blood. The only way to do that is to promote our hobby in the media and to offer Amateur Radio Courses. The club has just started a Basic Amateur Radio Course with seven students enrolled. I just heard tonight that we might be getting an eighth student for the course. Many requests have also been made for an Advanced Course and we are considering the possibility of offering one beginning in January 2006. Morse code training is also being considered."

The Tri-County Amateur Radio Club in Moncton appears to be up to the many challenges that our hobby faces.   Getting into their new Club facilities will give the members a big boost and we wish Don and his colleagues in Moncton well in their endeavour to build enthusiasm for Amateur Radio and build the base of Hams in the Moncton area.

D. Howard Dickson - VE1DHD
Atlantic Regional Correspondent to the
Canadian Amateur Radio Bulletin

Montreal South-Shore Hamfest 2005 (Oct. 22 2005) 
Sponsored by: Montreal South Shore Amateur Radio Club 
Location: The Montreal South Shore Amateur Radio Club will hold it's annual Hamfest at Place Desaulniers, 1023 Taschereau blvd. Longueuil (Quebec)
Situated only 10 minutes from downtown Montreal.
Opens:  Set up Sat. 6-9 AM; public 9 AM to 3 PM 
Cost: $10.00 per table and that include admission for one. General admission is $5.00 per person 
Talkin: 145.390 (-) 
Notes: Free parking, handicapped accessible, refresments.
For more info visit: http://www.ve2clm.ca/hamfesta.htm

Winnipeg Amateur Radio Club Fall Flea Market (Oct. 23 2005)

 Sunday, October 23, 2005

Held at the Heritage Victoria Community Club, 950 Sturgeon Rd. Come on out and socialize before the winter hibernation sets in. It is a great opportunity to have "Eyeball QSO's" with your friends.

The W.A.R.C. Flea market is a great way to turn that corner of unused "Stuff" into spendable CASH!! Book your vendor's table now! 
The cost it $ 10 per table, and two vendors per table. To book your table, contact VE4BB.
The doors open to the public at 10:00 AM. Admission is $ 2.00. Be sure to get there early for the "Good Stuff".

There will be a talk-in on 147.390+
Contact us at ve4bb@rac.ca for info.

York Region Hamfest (Oct. 29 2005)
Sponsored by: The York Region Amateur Radio Club 
Location: Markham Fairgrounds, Markham, ON. McCowan Road at Elgin Mills Road E. 
Opens: Vendors 6:30 a.m. Public 9:00-1:30 p.m. 
Cost: General Admissions $5.00. Vendors-refer to website for table fees. 
Talkin: 145.350- (VE3YRA) 
Notes: YRARC extends an invitation to you to come and particpate in Ontario's Leading Hamfest - 2 large buildings plus a 3rd building holding seminars. 
Exams may also be available to interested parties -- please contact the Hamfest Co-ordinator if you are interested prior to event date. 
The 29th Annual YORK REGION HAMFEST Wheelchair accessible; handicap parking available

For more info visit: http://www.yrarc.on.ca

Ham Radio, Electronic & Computer Swap Meet  (Nov. 6 2005) 
Sponsored by: The Maple Ridge Amateur Radio Club 
Location: 12460 Harris Road Pitt Meadows In the old Rec Hall 1 Block South of the Lougheed Hwy On the left side of Harris Road. Maple Ridge BC
Opens:  9:Am To 12:30PM Doors open for Vendors at 7:30AM Open for public 9AM 
Cost: Tables $20.00 includes ONE Entry Admission $3.00 
Talkin: 146.800 -600 Tone 156.7 
Notes: Pancakes and Sausages served between 8Am & 9Am. Coffee Juice and Do-Nuts served throughout the event.Great Prizes Icom Handheld 2mtr radio.50/50 Draw and many other Prizes 
For more info visit: http://www.qsl.net/ve7rmr

Provincial Emergency Operations Centre VE3EMO Activation  (Oct. 30 2005)

The Provincial Emergency Operations Centre Amateur Radio Station VE3EMO and the Toronto Emergency Operations Centre Amateur Radio Station VA3EOT  will both be activated on Sunday October 30th from 10:00hrs to 13:00hrs. 

Both  stations will be engaged in the sending and receiving of simulated emergency test messages with any Amateur Radio Station anywhere, on HF /6 Mtr FM and VHF / UHF. 

This exercise is open to all amateur radio operators. ARES stations checking into the net are asked to give their callsign followed by the word "ARES". ARES stations will be given priority. All formal traffic will be handled up band from main frequency so as not to tie up the network.

HF activity will be centered on 7.055 Mhz., the frequency of the Trans Provincial Net with 3.755 (Ontars Net) as the backup frequency. 

VHF/UHF, the ProCom Net will be activated . The Procom Net operates on the following linked repeater network, the Escarpment Repeater Association.

• VE3SNM 442.850 (136.5) Toronto 
• VE3WIK 443.675 (131.8) Carlisle
• VA3WAJ  442.425 (107.2) Niagara Falls
• VE3SED  442.200 (131.8) Baden 
• VE3MBR  147.105 (131.8) Goring 
• ARES Simplex 146.460 linked to VE3WIK 
• VE3SUE  444.400 (114.8) London 
• VE3SRT  447.050 (123.0) Shetland
• Crossroads Relector 9205

PSK31 will be tested by stations equipped with that mode. It is suggested that the updated version of Digipan be used for quick and easy "ARES" identification. For PSK31 contacts check into (7.055) on phone and arrange with net control for a PSK31 contact. 

6 Meter FM will be on VE3SIX  Uxbridge    53.030 MHz (output)   52.030 MHz (input)

Comments or questions may be addressed to: va3ku@hfradio.net

Jim Taylor, VA3KU 
VE3EMO, Chief Station Operator 

Ontario Section Manager Appointed (Oct. 21 2005)

Vice President Field Services Pierre Mainville VA3PM is pleased to announce the appointment of Allan Boyd VE3AJB as Ontario Section Manager, effective immediately.

(RAC News Service)

With the arrival of cooler weather, millions of Canadians will light their woodstoves and fireplaces to keep out winter's chill. It may seem like a simple way to relax and add warmth to your home, but wood burning comes with serious health risks. Burning wood - whether in a woodstove or in a fireplace - releases pollutants into the air we breathe. Poor burning methods and inefficient wood-burning appliances make the problem even worse.

A cocktail of harmful pollutants 

Wood smoke includes a mix of harmful gases and fine liquid and solid particles (particulate matter) that float in the air. When breathed in, these fine particles can become trapped deep in the lungs. Exposure to these particles can cause breathing problems even at low levels.

Breathing the pollutants from wood smoke can cause a number of health problems:

• Lung infections 
• Coughs 
• Headaches 
• Eye and throat irritation 
• Runny nose 
• Asthma attacks 
• Weaker immune system 
• Increased risk for chronic bronchitis 

Be good to your neighbour 

Alison Howells, Director of Environmental Initiatives for the New Brunswick Lung Association, says that often it is your neighbours who are breathing in the smoke curling out of your chimney. In other words, "burning wood not only affects your health, but it also pollutes the air of those living in your community." Still, she concedes that for people living in rural areas wood burning is often a main source of home heating. And despite what we know about the health effects of wood burning, the practice has a long tradition among many Canadian families.

Ms. Howells says wherever possible people should seek alternatives to wood burning. If you have no other heating options than wood or choose to burn wood for comfort, you can still do many things to burn more safely and cleanly. Ms. Howells says education is the key: "Everyone can learn to burn wood more cleanly." The following steps can help reduce the health risks of burning wood:

Check your chimney 

• Have the chimney inspected and cleaned regularly by a certified chimney sweep. This will remove dangerous creosote (a by-product of wood smoke that can build up within the smoke pipe and chimney and then catch fire). 
• Have your chimney inspected at least once a year by a Wood Energy Technical Training (WETT) professional or, in Quebec, by the Association des professionnels du chauffage (APC). These certified installers and chimney sweeps have undergone a careful training program that is recognized by the industry and by government. 

• Replace your existing stove or fireplace insert with a new-technology appliance. 
• Look for stoves that are certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a standard that is accepted in Canada. These advanced appliances burn the smoke inside the stove, resulting in less air pollution with the added benefits of more heat to your home and increased safety. Hire a WETT certified professional to install the stove or fireplace. 

• Always use dry, seasoned wood that has been split properly. "Green" or wet wood does not burn well, and produces more smoke. 
• Store split wood outside off the ground, with the top covered. (Storing wood indoors can bring harmful mould spores into the home.) 
• Build small, hot fires instead of large smoky ones. 

• Don't use your fireplace or wood-burning stove to burn cardboard, wrapping paper or garbage, which give off toxic chemicals as they burn. 
• Never burn painted or treated wood, ocean driftwood, particle-board or plywood, which give off toxic chemicals as they burn. 

• Regularly clean ashes away from your woodstove or fireplace. 
• Store ashes outside in a covered metal container to avoid fire risk. 

• Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home. Be sure to test them regularly to make sure they are in good working order. 
• Install a fire extinguisher near your woodstove or fireplace in case of an emergency. 

Trans Canada  PowWow Club back on the air! (Oct. 1 2005)

The Trans Canada  PowWow Club kicked off its  its activities for the 2005/06 Season on October 1st at midnight EST / 05:00 UTC on 3750.00khz. 
If the experience of hearing Canadian stations from British Columbia to Newfoundland and all  in between captures your imagination then tune in and check in. 
Your Net Control station will be VA3AAG Gerry. 

The link provided here is somewhat dated but it will give you a good idea of what happens on the Club frequency.  Please click on this link for further information TRANS CANADA POW WOW CLUB

(Thanks to Hart VA3OU)

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?

Well the place to visit is the 'Ontario Swap Shop' held every Sunday at 12 noon on 7055 kHz and 7:00pm on 3755 kHz. Nick VE3NJG and Ken VE3YK host the hour long program and all amateurs are invited.

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

Introducing the "Ontario Swap Shop Club" a place where you can record your e-mail address or phone number where it will always be available even if you have nothing currently listed on the swap shop.

The Manitoba Repeater Society Swap & Shop
 

This is a bi-weekly net, and listings are posted for four weeks.  Only HAM radio gear & computers may be posted.  www.ve4sss.ca/swapnshop.html

 The Screwdriver antenna was invented by Don Johnson, W6AAQ of Esparto, California back in  1991. I am not going into any detail on the antenna as all the information is available from Don for five dollars US, however, I will discuss common problems encountered when checking to see why the particular antenna does not perform as well as it should.

       I constructed my first DK3 in early 1993 and immediately realized that it was superior to any antenna that I had used since 1960 while mobiling. I had over 250 requests for information on the antenna as I mobiled all over Ontario due to the outstanding signal it was putting out. I had hams say I was running an amplifier, that 100 watts would not produce the signal they were hearing. I also had some hams follow the coax from the antenna back to the transceiver looking for a "boot" !   It was incredible to be able to carry on conversations for hours at a time as I traveled throughout Ontario from Thunder Bay, Sault Ste Marie, Timmins and Kirkland Lake to Sudbury, North Bay and Ottawa, from Kingston to Windsor ..... literally every part of the province. 
 

My first DK3 installed on a 1986 Delta 88 Oldsmobile. This version had the capacitors for matching on 75 and 40 meters installed in the trunk right next to the mount. 2 switches on the control box were necessary to operate the antenna if one was changing bands. I can recall while talking on the Sandbox Net on 40 meters, many foreign stations breaking in and reporting that my mobile signal was exceptional at their QTH. I have worked  15 or so countries on 40 meters without trying, they all asked for signal reports from me when their turn came up in the roundtable. Also earned the Heritage Award as a mobile station with Chris logging the calls for me in only four days of driving.  I switched between 40 and 75 meters as circumstances required without stopping the vehicle to change resonators , etc as had been the case with other antennas over the years. I was never one to chase DX but have had my share of it with the DK3 on 20 and 15 meters including contacts into Australia and Japan while traveling  at 100 klicks or more on our highways.

I have had a DK3 mounted on three different vehicles, the Delta 88, Chevy S10 Pickup and a 1993 Dodge Caravan which has traveled in excess of 335,000 kms with the same antenna mounted on it. The transceiver is a Kenwood TS50 running 100 watts although I did run a ICOM  740 and a 735 in the Oldsmobile. This photo shows the DK3 mounted, using an L bracket that is grounded to the body of the van. A short piece of ABS pipe mounted on a wooden block that is in turned fastened to the top of the L forms the upper support for the antenna. To remove the antenna, a three conductor plug and socket is pulled apart, then a 1/2 turn on the antenna mast and a pull upwards frees it in less than 30 seconds.  An insulated tapered brass stud feeds power to the antenna, a toroid matching unit is installed in the base of the antenna.

There are some DK3 antennas out there that are not performing the way they should and the fault lies with the installation itself normally.

a)  The ground connection from the toroid must be as short as possible, mine is about 4 inches or so. 

b)  The portion of the antenna where the coil is exposed should be at least 18 inches above the highest part of the vehicle and clear of any metal. 

c)  The mast portion may be as close as 4 to 5 inches from the body with no detrimental effects.

d)  Do not use Junk Box coax, buy a new piece, it only costs a few bucks and will save you all kinds of headaches.

e)  Use heavy wire as bonding between frame and the point you are using as ground. Also you may need to bond various parts of your vehicle together due to the construction practices used in modern vehicle assembly.

f)  The transceiver is not grounded . Every transceiver has a grounding post on the back! It is there for reason, use the shortest piece of at least # 10 wire to go from that post to the firewall or to the metal floor. Make sure that there is no resistance readable from transceiver to vehicle body.

NOTE!  Apparently transceiver installation guides for new vehicles say that the transceiver is NOT TO BE GROUNDED, but should be left floating to prevent damage to the various Electronic Control Modules (ECMs) in new vehicles. Improperly installed ham gear has caused ECMs to fail and resulted in very costly repairs to the units and are not covered by warranty. For more information on this go to http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/carproblems.html . There you will be able to get the numbers for Installation Guides that pertain to your vehicle. They can be ordered from your dealer.

Be advised that I have had no problems in any of the vehicles, in which I have had transceivers installed ( and Grounded) and I will not change the grounding at this stage of the game. Hope I have been able to get across the above basic points  for getting exceptional signal reports from your mobile instead of mediocre ones.

Fingerstock, Contacts , etc

        One of the most frequently asked questions about the DK3 Screwdriver antenna is about the contact arrangement or "fingerstock"  used.
 

Here we see the collar that contains the contacts on my DK3 removed from over the coil and the mast of the antenna. As you can see the contacts are  resting in a groove that has been machined into the collar. The later versions of this antenna just have a section of the mast near the top enlarged by about 1/4 inch or so and the new contact arrangement fits between the groove so created and the coil form.

This photo shows the fingerstock removed from the machined groove. This fingerstock is actually RF Shielding Strip with the clip portion removed along back of the strip. The part number is Instrument Specialties Catalogue  # 97-605-02  This one has been in use since 1994 with little or no wear showing!

Ted has a website that has a lot of great information: www.tnws.com/ve3dxg