Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour 2025...

This past weekend saw the 52nd running of the Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour. As usual, our club provided the VHF communications throughout Frontenac County. This was our 19th year providing comms for the event.

We look after nine locations over two separate routes, and this year we only managed to have seven of those locations up and running due to a few technical issues. Part of the issue is the fact that we have had to relocate our 2m repeater this year, and the new site does not cover the whole are as we would like.

For the fourth year in a row the number of riders was down, we hope this will improve next year with a change in the tour management. 

The weather was extremely hot and humid both days, and shade was at a premium at the authorized rest areas. You cannot imagine the amount of water the cyclists drank on route. 

I was operating from the Perth Road Village Community Hall. The ladies auxiliary from the local church sold snacks and coffee there, and they did a roaring trade. I hear the homemade apple pie was to die for.......I stayed strong and didn't eat any!

The quiet before the storm.

They're Here!!!

Are We On An Upturn?...

It was a rough week propagation wise this week. The bands were in terrible shape and very noisy with incredibly deep QSB.  

In spite of this, I decided on Tuesday to head out and try and activate Lemoine Point. The propagation numbers didn't look too bad actually, SFI=151, SN=138, A Index=24 and the K Index=3. I gave up after 40 minutes with no contacts in the log at all. 

On Wednesday I headed out again, this time to Parrotts Bay, and once again the propagation numbers didn't look too bad, SFI=139, SN=112, A Index=9, and the K Index=3. This time I spent an hour calling CQ, both on SSB and CW, and once again I put zero contacts in my log. Pretty discouraging I thought. 

Thursday dawns bright and clear, and I decide to go out and try to operate portable once again. This time it was off to the Frontenac Biosphere. Here's the propagation numbers: SFI=137, SN=113, A Index=13, and the K Index=1. Success!! First in the log was Pierre VE2EH, and I ended up with 13 contacts on 40m, and 2 on 20m. 

Conditions were terrible. The QSB was very bad and some signals completely disappeared in seconds, never to be heard from again. I was just glad to be making a few contacts!

What was very strange is that I, as a 10w QRP SSB station, was getting S6 to S9 signal reports, yet I was hearing them, the 100w home based stations, at about S3 to S4. Very strange conditions.

Here's Thursdays contact map:

Stay Safe Out There!

Let's Get Out and Support This!!...

I'll be out tomorrow to support this!!

 

Finally, A Break...

We woke up this morning to decent temperatures, a big blue sky, and no haze or smell of smoke from the wildfires. A decent day for an activation I thought, and that was before I looked at the daily propagation numbers.

Although I had my KX3, battery, and logbook with me, it wasn't until after the local clubs coffee meet-up that I decided to give it a try as the numbers looked workable. 

The propagation numbers were: SFI=151, SN=138, A Index=24, and the K Index=3. The bands were very noisy and every one of them had bad QSB. But signals were there.

I started on 40m SSB and first in the log was Elliot KC1WFL. This was a special contact as Elliot is only 6 years old, but a very professional sounding operator. It was great to work him. Only 6 contacts on 40m made it into my log before the band dried up. I then tried 10m and 15m, but had no luck on either of them.

The next 11 contacts were made on 20m SSB. It took a little under an hour to get them in my log, and it was great to get out and activating again. Contacts were made in 15 different Provinces and States.

Hopefully this coming week I'll be able to get out again and get a few more parks in my log book.

Here's todays contact map:

Stay Safe Out There!

Weekend Propagation...

Well, the propagation certainly isn't looking too good for this weekend. I was hoping to be able to take a new antenna out into the field and do some testing.....but apparently not.

I've actually lost count of how long it's been since we had decent propagation. Hopefully this foolishness will sort itself out shortly and we can all get back to operating our radios with good results.

Here's how it looks:

Stay Safe Out There!!

A Little Improvement...

After nine days of mediocre to poor propagation, today was a little better. I decided to go to Lemoine Point Conservation Area and see how bad it was.

It took an hour and fifteen minutes to get 11 contacts in my logbook. The QRN and QSB were pretty bad, signals were really up and down, and contacts hard to make. I really appreciate the 11 hams who made the contacts with me, and persevered through some brutal band noise.

No DX today, furthest contact was with Tom, W6IJL, in Arizona on 20m.

I'm hoping things continue to improve so I can try and get out again tomorrow, and do it all over again.

Here's today's contact map:

Stay Safe Out There!

This Isn't Good...

There's a major G4 solar storm raging at the moment, looks like we will have very poor band conditions for a few days.

Here's how it looks:

Stay Safe Out There!

A Pretty Good Day...

I decided to activate Sharbot Lake and Silver Lake Provincial Parks yesterday, and it turned out to be pretty good. First of all the weather was excellent, 23C (73F) under clear blue skies. The warmest day here so far this year.

I also found out that you don't have to pay the day use fee if you present a veterans card, this is valid Monday through Friday. Needless to say my card will be getting a lot of use this coming season! The cost of entering the provincial parks is getting out of hand.

Propagation wise it was the best it's been in the last few weeks, but still not terrific. The numbers were: SFI=133, SN=102, A Index=8, and the K Index=2. Once again the QSB was very bad and I missed at least  two Park to Park contacts because their signal disappeared completely before I could complete the contact.

Best contact of the day was Larry, F5PYI, on 20m. I managed to work Larry in each park. Radio was my trusty KX3 at 10w, and my usual Hamstick antennas.

Here's the days contact map:

Stay Safe Out There!