History was made yesterday as Industry Canada issued its first license on the new 60 meter developmental band, VX9GHD to VE3FI Russ Hemphill of Haliburton, Ontario.
Canadians have been waiting for 3 years for this new opportunity to join the USA, and Britain, and as usual RAC has done nothing to help with this process! In fact RAC still has not made an announcement informing Canadian hams that they can even apply for a 60m experimental license !!
Russ-VE3FI, the Vice President for Administraion of ECOA, tells us that 60m is badly needed for Emergency Communications, especially when conditions on 40 and 80 are not suitable for transmitting or receiving traffic.
This experimental license is valid for one year. After the one year period 60m will then be open for regular use by all Canadian amateurs using their own call sign.
Any Canadian amateur can apply for this new experimental license by sending in an application to Industry Canada with $52.80 upon approval. Details available on the IC website.
Well done to Russ and ECOA for making this HUGE first step for Canadian hams!!!
Tuesday, 3 April 2012
Saturday, 31 March 2012
CY9M - An update
The logistical aspect of activating St Paul island is now very much ongoing and a work in progress. No wonder it’s been seven long years since this DXCC entity was last active when you consider the island has nothing resembling human day-to-day, take for granted “luxuries”.
Now the group insurance and landing permit are formalised, we’re getting to work on the actual transmitting side of things. We know the east side of the island has a great take-off to EU and AF, whilst on the west there are excellent paths to NA, SA and AS. Initial thinking was to set up two camps at either side of the island, but this is proving a huge logistics problem, primarily because an overgrown and intertwined forest blocks all routes – and since we are active for a relatively short period, assembling quickly at one location seems more likely. We will update nearer the time on chosen location.
We sincerely thank and acknowledge the numerous organisations, clubs and individual donors who realise the task ahead. You too can help us get CY9M on air by checking out the official website.
Sunday, 25 March 2012
CQ Contest......the aftermath
It was not a bad weekend on the bands and the new radio and headset worked a real treat. This was without a doubt my most successful contest to date.
SFI was 103, A Index was 10, K Index was 2, and the SN was at 65. Not great, but we've all worked a lot worse. Amongst a hell of a lot of other contacts, I managed to score three new countries:
Turkey - YM7KA on 15m
Namibia - V55V on 10m
Cyprus - P33W on 15m
Every country in Europe was worked with the exception of Switzerland, Denmark, and Sweden. Never heard any stations from those countries at all. The behaviour on the bands was great, and I heard no band police in action, what a nice change that was!
However (and there's always a "however"!!), I did hear some raised voices and frayed tempers over some peoples inability to communicate serial numbers in English. I guess some people don't realize that not everyone speaks English, and that some actually have a language of their own. Oh well, I guess some people just need to learn to slow down and chillout once in a while.
SFI was 103, A Index was 10, K Index was 2, and the SN was at 65. Not great, but we've all worked a lot worse. Amongst a hell of a lot of other contacts, I managed to score three new countries:
Turkey - YM7KA on 15m
Namibia - V55V on 10m
Cyprus - P33W on 15m
Every country in Europe was worked with the exception of Switzerland, Denmark, and Sweden. Never heard any stations from those countries at all. The behaviour on the bands was great, and I heard no band police in action, what a nice change that was!
However (and there's always a "however"!!), I did hear some raised voices and frayed tempers over some peoples inability to communicate serial numbers in English. I guess some people don't realize that not everyone speaks English, and that some actually have a language of their own. Oh well, I guess some people just need to learn to slow down and chillout once in a while.
RMS Titanic
"RMS Titanic, the world’s largest passenger ship at the time, sank on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, following a collision with an iceberg at approximately 0245 on the morning of April 15th 1912. 1,517 people lost their lives in the tragedy.
The 100th anniversary of the sinking will be marked by several special commemorative event stations at ports associated with the ships maiden voyage. These include Cobh, formerly Queenstown (EI100T), Belfast (GI100MGY), Southampton (M100T), Cape Race (VO1MCE) and a maritime mobile station (VE0MGY), at the site of the sinking.
Throughout 2012 EI100T will be operated regularly from Cobh ("Queenstown"), Lower Cork Harbour (IO51UU). Cork Harbour was the last port of call of the Titanic on her maiden and final voyage.
During the weekend of April 14th & 15th 2012, a significant special event station signing EI100T will be operated from Cobh town to coincide with the Titanic commemorations.
The Cork Radio Club sponsored Titanic Award will be available to radio amateurs who work EI100T on at least two bands or modes during 2012, with a special endorsement to the award if you work EI100T during the weekend of April 14th & 15th 2012."
Friday, 23 March 2012
World-Wide WPX Contest - SSB
I've been spending quite a bit of time learning the new rig, and I've finally got comfortable with it. This week I added a Heil Proset Elite Headset with the HC 6 wide response microphone element to the kit, hardest part of this was adjusting to using a foot switch as I've always had a hand switch. This headset is light years ahead of my last Heil set, the dual traveller, which I also really liked, but there is just no comparision between the two headsets.
As I write this we are having a moderate solar flare which is reaching M1.0. The SFI is 102, the A Index is 6, the K Index is 2, and the SN at 86. Not the best for the contest, but I've done it in much worse conditions.
The Rules can be found HERE.
Good luck to those taking part, and lets hope the band police take the weekend off.
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
Successful Launch and Flight
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| A balloon like VE3RMC-11 |
I had a phone call from a very happy Richard-VA3VDP just after it had launched.
The balloon tracked in a South-East direction, and 26 minutes into the flight it was at 10,002m, and nearly a third of the way to its intended height.
At 1111L the balloon burst at 29,013m just short of its 35,000m target, and 39 minutes later it touched down in a farmers field about 23 Kms (as the crow flies) south of Wingham.
Looking at the APRS tracks of the chase vehicles it looks like a successful recovery of the payload was carried out.
Well done Richard!! We look forward to hearing the details in a few days.
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| Track of VE3RMC-11 |
Tuesday, 20 March 2012
Balloon Launch is a go!
The Royal Military College launch team is now in place at Wingham and no doubt pouring over tomorrows weather and winds aloft charts.
I'm sure all will be fine and that Richard's balloon launch will be a great success.
You can track the balloon on APRS.FI (click here) which will have the callsign VE3RMC-11, and the chase team will be beaconing as VA3VDP-9. I'll post more details as I get them from launch control.
Saturday, 17 March 2012
The Canadian Islands Award Program
It was a lot of fun, the days were hot and sunny, but there always seemed to be a good breeze blowing of the St. Lawrence or Lake Ontario to keep us cool and the bugs down while we operated. It's a great way to keep hone your portable operating skills.
What amazed us was the demand for these islands. On one remarkable Sunday afternoon we worked hundreds of stations calling us as we operated portable on Simcoe Island. In fact at one point we did 139 contacts in 58 minutes after some kind soul spotted us on the DX Cluster. It was a great afternoon.
The downside to all this is that the management of the Canadian Islands Award Program does not do a good job in promoting the activity. Last year we sent in five activation notices to the webmaster to be placed on their news page. Not one of our activation notices was ever dealt with, or posted on their website, and we have since heard from several fellow activators who have had a similar experience.
Now I did complain via email to the program manager and coordinator, and he kindly phoned me in return and we had a splendid chat about several issues. I understand that these guys are volunteers and that they do this in their spare time….Don't get me wrong, I don’t have a problem with this. But come on, if you’re going to run an award program at least keep your website up-to-date, and list upcoming activations so that the ham community can see what is going on.
It’s been nine months today since the website was last up-dated, and in fact one page, the “Activators & Chasers & Expeditions” hasn’t been up-dated since 25 April 2004!! It’s one hell of a way to run an award scheme, in fact it looks like the award scheme is actually dead from the way the website looks.
The Canadian Islands Award Program is something Canadian hams should be proud of, it showcases our outdoors in all its glory.
The Americans have the US Islands Award Program as well. Here’s a link to their website...............quite a difference eh?
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