GUYWIRE
NOVEMBER 2008
Editor VE5SC sewert@sasktel.net
The online publication of the REGINA AMATEUR RADIO
ASSOCIATION is published monthly except July and August
and is distributed free of charge as a service of RARA
to all licensed hams in the Regina Area who have e-mail
addresses. Anyone NOT wishing to receive future copies
should send an e-mail to the editor and your name will
be removed from the mailing list.
The RARA WEBSITE can be found at:
www.ve5nn.ca
The website contains RARA news, repeater lists, net
listings as well as links to other amateur resources.
Club meetings are held the 2nd Wednesday of each month,
with the exception of July and August, at the Science Center.
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NEXT MEETING: NOV. 12TH 7:30 PM IMAX BOARD ROOM
Saskatchewan Science Center.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
THE IMAX ENTRANCE DOOR MAY BE LOCKED. IF SO SOMEONE WILL
BE AT THE DOOR WITH DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO GET TO THE IMAX
BOARDROOM.
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PUBLIC SERVICE EVENTS CALENDAR
Upcoming Events
Santa Claus Parade Nov. 16th 11:00AM
Contact VE5EE if you can help.
HAM CLASSES
Another session on classes will begin in January. Details
will be released later. If you know of anyone interested
in taking the classes, direct them to the club executive.
If there is a demand, Advanced classes may also be given.
2008 RARA FLEA MARKET REPORT
The Regina Amateur Radio Association held its annual
Fall Flea Market on November 1st, 2008. Thanks to
the generous community support from Saskatchewan
Government Insurance (SGI) we once again had the
use of the excellent facilities of their North
Claims Centre in Regina.
As with most flea markets, the action started early
as the various amateurs opened their trunks and
started the loading the "treasures" from trunk to
table. Surprising, there was restraint and minimal
dickering before the goodies hit the tables.
We managed to fill 9 tables this year. We had our
regular attendees with Val Pestik, VE5VP and his
table of excellent parts along with his hand make
CW keys. Doug VE5DA and Bob, VE5LTD continued
their tradition of attending with an excellent
selection of goodies old and new. We had a few
new folks turning over some of their surplus gear,
an estate sale and some from folks who were down
sizing their radio collections. By the time the
set up was completed and the doors officially opened,
there was a good crowd of a two or three dozen people
starting off the event and digging into the piles on
the tables. The crowed grew through the early part
of the morning.
The fall flea market continues to be a well attended
event and has become part of the fall routine in the
amateur radio community. We continue to draw a good
crowds and estimates of 80+ folks from all over
Saskatchewan were in attendance. Many attend for the
fellowship and eye-ball QSOs as well as for the fleas.
We had both RAC and SARL in attendance this year. BJ
Madsen, VE5FX was making his last visit as RAC Midwestern
Director. BJ had a range of RAC material from their store
for purchase and was available to answer RAC related
questions. Val Lemko, VE5AQ was their representing SARL.
She brought material to let the attendees know that SARL
was active and was signing up new and old members.
Thanks to Val and SARL for their attendance and good
work in helping to keep the ham community in Saskatchewan
active.
The club once again provided coffee and donuts, a series
of door prizes donated from local merchants and a raffle
of a new Yeasu VX-150 hand held. Thanks to all those
organizations who donated materials.
The winner of the Yeasu VX-150 raffle draw was Malcolm
McLeod, VE5ZG.
The door prizes went to:
Vaporizer Stan Ewert, VE5SC
Leather Laptop bag Bill Wood, VE5EE
RAC License Plate frame Irene Keim, VE5IVK
RARA Crest Garry Mehnke, VE5ZG
Not only was the event a great exchange of ham radio “fleas”
and fellowship, but the club netted a small profit from the
overall proceeds of the event.
The tradition auction was held at during the last half hour.
Once again, Doug Appleton, VE5DA was pressed into service as
our auctioneer. Once again Doug's great skill and a persuasive
tongue, pretty much cleared the donation table and netted a
few extra dollars for the RARA coffers.
I would like to thank those who helped me again this year make
this flea market a great success. Gord Cobb - VE5MQ coordinated
the facilities. Allan Tidball, VE5LAT handled the treasurer
duties and managed the coffee pot as well as doing a great job
selling raffle tickets. As mentioned above, thanks to Doug
Appleton - VE5DA our auctioneer.
Thanks to all those who attended the flea market. I hope you
will all continue the tradition and join us again next year.
Bart Ritchie, VE5CPU
REPEATER REPORT
The new repeater controller has been installed on the
VE5WM repeater. You won't hear much difference on air, but it
will provide better remote control and monitoring of the
repeater. It also has provision for voice ID but for now we
are going with CW ID because the computerized voice ID sucks,
however if there is a groundswell of support for voice ID, it
is a simple matter to change it over.
The preamp at the Taylor Field site which was taken out
when we had noise problems has been re-installed. This should
give a 20 dB increase in the received signal level.
As of this writing, the IRLP service on the repeater
is down. This is due to renovations at the Provincial
Emergency Operating Center at the T. C. Douglas building, where
the IRLP node equipment is located. When the renovations are
complete it will provide for two operating positions, one HF
and one VHF, at the EOC station.
AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS TO CELEBRATE ON MARCH 29, 2009
ARRL says radio amateurs will soon have cause to celebrate:
March 29, 2009 marks the date that high-powered international
broadcasting stations will be removed from the heart of the 40
meter band. While it's probably too much to expect 100 percent
instant compliance, the responsible broadcasters are preparing to
move out of the 7100-7200 kHz segment -- doubling the size of the
worldwide 40 meter band and making this popular band more useful
than it's been in 70 years.
http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/08/1010/
HAM RADIO IN SPACE
Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, has just completed a stay aboard
the International Space Station. You can hear some of his ham
radio contacts ("QSOs") and see some of the "slow scan" TV images
that he sent back to earth on ham channels by clicking on the
youtube URL below. Even the "slow scan" action is captured
in the video.
All told, Richard made hundreds of voice contacts and sent
thousands of pictures from space. His flight included an historic
QSO with his earth-bound father, Dr. Owen Garriott, W5LFL, himself
a retired astronaut and the first person to make ham radio
contacts from space. (Source: AR Newsline)
Ham radio is fun, educational and essential in emergencies.
It's a wonderful hobby.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW9DXHkKpNo
http://www.richardinspace.com/
ONTARIO MOBILE CELLPHONE BILL AND AMATEUR RADIO
The Government of Ontario has tabled legislation
intended to improve road safety by banning the use
of some kinds of electronic devices by drivers.
While the target of Bill 118 was intended to be
cellular communication devices, the draft bill
is written so broadly that many Amateurs are
concerned that Amateur Radio mobile operation
could be banned by the bill's provisions.
Radio Amateurs of Canada has already taken
steps to protect the interests of Amateurs
in that province.
RAC President Dave Goodwin VO1AU/VE3AAQ has written
to Minister Bradley specifically requesting that
Amateur Radio be excluded from the scope of the bill.
This letter reminded the minister that similar
legislation in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova
Scotia and Quebec explicitly or implicitly protects
mobile Amateur Radio operation.
A careful reading of the bill reveals that any
exemptions will be contained in regulations.
RAC will shortly meet with Ontario transportation
officials to make the case for protecting mobile
Amateur Radio operation. This will be done in
conjunction with the Canadian Association for
Rallysport (CARS) Executive Director Alastair
Robertson VE3RAA.
73,
Dave VO1AU/VE3AAQ
President, Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC)
http://www.rac.ca
ARRL’s 500KHZ STATION, WD2XSH WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU
Fritz Raab, W1FR, coordinator for ARRL’s 500 kHz
Experimental Station, WD2XSH, reports that fall has
brought lower static and good propagation, making
excellent conditions for the 500 kHz experimenters.
The experimental license, issued in September 2006,
has more than 20 active stations. Raab said that
last year, a second US experimental license WE2XGR,
with five participants joined the project, as well
as experimenters in the UK, Germany, Sweden and the
Czech Republic.
These stations’ operating modes include CW, QRSS,
PSK-31 and others. Contacts have been achieved at
distances up to 1234 miles, with signals received
from all over North America, Alaska and Hawaii;
transatlantic reports are not uncommon.
“The 500 kHz experimenters are experiencing excellent
propagation conditions, “ Raab said. “The best time
to listen is between sunset and sunrise. The operating
frequencies are: WD2XSH 505.2 510 kHz; WE2XGR
505-515 kHz; UK 501-504 kHz, and SM, DL,
OK 505.0 505.2 kHz.
Raab requests that listeners file reception reports
at the experiment’s Web site so that they become
part of the station’s data base http://www.500kc.com/.
LAST MONTHS PUZZLER
The frequency offset for a 2 meter repeater is 600 kHz. What
is the standard offset for repeaters in the 440 mHz band?
We had several replies all with the right answer of 5 mHz.
THIS MONTHS PUZZLER
Can you use a language other than English or French when
communicating on amateur radio in Canada?
Answer next month.
R.A.R.A. Membership Application 2008 2009
(Please write clearly and enter Y or N in boxes as required)
Name: _____________________________________________
Call Sign: ______________ Current RAC membership
Mailing Address: _____________________________________
_____________________________________
e-mail Address: _____________________________________
Renewal or New Membership
Single Membership ($30) ____ Family membership ($35) ____
I have enclosed $____ for ____ membership(s) indicated above.
Please include this application with your fee to club treasurer
Allan Tidball or mail cheque to Regina Amateur Radio Association
(VE5LAT) Box 153 Station Main
Regina, Sask. S4P 2Z6