Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:24:56 -0500 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/ PostNuke Powered Site en-us http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/images/logo.gif http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/ webmaster@hamiltonarc.ca http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article60.html The 13th Annual Ontario QSO Party 2010 will be held on the third full weekend of April 1800Z April 17 to 0500Z April 18, which translates to 2 PM on Saturday April 17 to 1 AM on Sunday, then sleep time (part of the new rules a couple of years ago so Rovers and Mobiles would have a proper sleep time for safety), and from1200Z to 1800Z April 18, which translates from 8 AM to 2 PM on Sunday April 18. Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:24:56 -0500 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article59.html The new controller has now been installed. We have it currently in test mode on the UHF repeater. The phone patch has been enabled. After a long time coming we are now testing the new Link controller and phone patch. For control of the repeater we use the Internet via DSL. Bell finally installed the DSL hookup and it is now working. It provides more remote control in the form of adjusting levels, timers and messages. Dan Martinak (VA3DJ)donated a small LCD monitor that fits nicely in the repeater cabinet. Myself donated a computer system running WinXP and a router. The new controller is now online and controlled via the Internet. Both Mike (Ve3XMS) and myself have remote access to it. Sun, 28 Feb 2010 10:07:42 -0500 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article58.html Just like to let everyone to know that all the VE3DC Contest Awards are now on the Club web site. This has being a learning experience for me as I have no web page experience. Thanks to Anita and the HARC club for giving me the opportunity to play on the page and upload the awards. I look forward to keeping the awards up to date and working with Rick as he receives the awards. I will be learning to do the HARC Swapnet page coming soon. So keep a look out. 73 VE3RYI Mark Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:32:01 -0500 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article57.html Environment Canada trains ham radio operators and other interested parties to spot and report severe weather. They learn about the structure of storms, the types of clouds to watch for and what the department's severe weather watches and warnings mean. All CANWARN volunteers are encouraged to sign up for the refresher courses which the department offers each year. Everyone is welcome, you do not have to be a Ham. The next CANWARN training session is scheduled for Saturday April 17th 2010, 09:00 until approximately 12:00 at the Nash Auditorium, Wilcox Building, Chedoke Hospital, Sanatorium Road, Hamilton . Please arrive at 8am to sign in. Click here for a map. For more information about CanWarn Hamilton, visit www.canwarnhamilton.ca. Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:21:15 -0500 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article56.html Due to the fact that the school is closed during the March break we have had to change the date of our March general meeting. It will be on Wed. March 10, one week earlier than our usual date. Please make note of this change in your calendars, and we hope to see you there! Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:01:17 -0500 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article55.html This is to announce our next contest, the CQWW 160m SSB contest we will be running as VE3DC. Easy way to remember is that it is the last weekend of February. We usually only run the SSB contest in February, but if enough of you are interested in doing the CW one too, it is at the end of January. Let me know if you want to contest with CW. Here is the link and once there, you can click on Rules for 2010. Please note the changes to the rules: http://cq-amateur-radio.com/160%20Meter%20link.html Click here to get the PDF file. I will make a text file for anyone who cannot read the PDF...let me know. Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:07:25 -0500 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article54.html Please note, Hamilton Amateur Radio Club has a new mailing address, effective immediately: Hamilton Amateur Radio Club 117-350 King St. East P.O. Box 75073 Hamilton, ON, L8N 4G6 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 22:54:19 -0500 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article53.html This will be our next contest "The RAC Canada Winter Contest 2009" which will be in December. This year it is before Christmas, instead of being at that awkward time between Christmas and New Years. The clocks have gone back for the winter so now 0:00 Zulu or UTC means 7pm instead of 8pm as in the summer. This is a 24 hour contest, happening on December 19th, 2009 this year...so that means the contest starts at 7pm on Friday night December 18th and goes till 7pm on the Saturday December 19th, 2009. Thanks to Dan VA3DJ for getting the information for us. This is the year that it is early, as happens every few years, because otherwise the contest would be on December 26, starting on Christmas day locally...so the earlier date is better for us all. Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:57:30 -0500 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article52.html Bob NP4B will be on Coffin Island to run a Special Event Station on Sunday December 20,2009. He will only be able to operate on 20 meters because of the backpacking set-up he has. A TenTec radio capable of 50 watts and a backpack homebrew 20m vertical to pull up in a tree. We are hoping to work him from the island in the morning from the VE3DC contest site, after our Canada Winter Contest which runs on the 19th. We have already worked him with this set-up from the Puerto Rico Mainland on 20m in the daytime. Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:53:13 -0500 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article51.html The new rules are here at last. Contesters: The rules for the 2009 edition of the Canada Winter Contest have been posted at the Radio Amateurs of Canada website at: http://www.rac.ca/en/rac/programmes/contests/. This year's contest will run on Dec 19, 2009 from 00:00 to 23:59 UTC. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:56:54 -0500 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article50.html This will be our next contest "The RAC Canada Winter Contest 2009" which will be in December. This year it is before Christmas, instead of being at that awkward time between Christmas and New Years. The clocks have gone back for the Winter so now 0:00 Zulu or UTC means 7pm instead of 8pm as in the summer. This is a 24 hour contest, happening on December 19th, 2009 this year...so that means the contest starts at 7pm on Friday night December 18th and goes till 7pm on the Saturday December 19th, 2009. Thanks to Dan VA3DJ for getting the information for us. This is the year that it is early, as happens every few years, because otherwise the contest would be on December 26, starting on Christmas day locally...so the earlier date is better for us all. I haven't seen the official contest rules for 2009 yet, but it should be in the November/December issue of the TCA magazine put out by Radio Amateurs of Canada. The 2008 rules also show the new date at this link 73 Rick VE3BK Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:37:44 -0500 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article49.html Mark your calendars for this year's H.A.R.C. Christmas party! Planning is currently underway for the H.A.R.C. Annual Christmas party to be held on Wednesday December 9th, (second Wednesday in December). This year we will again be celebrating at the Warplane Heritage Museum, however it will be in The Dofasco Dome, not the hangar. For those who wish to have a visit with the plane exhibits, they are free to do so and can also take advantage of the tour guides who will be at our disposal. Cost will be $35.00 a plate for traditional turkey dinner and all the fixings. Social hour with cash bar begins at 6:00 P.M. with the buffet dinner at 7:00 P.M.. Prizes will be drawn for throughout the evening. If the ladies ask tell them "dressy casual". Family and friends are welcome. We need to firm up numbers in advance, so if you can attend, please either bring a cheque to the November 18th General Meeting and meet with Anita OR print and fill out the form and mail it along with a cheque by November 22nd to the club address below. Hamilton Amateur Radio Club P.O. Box 91215 Effort Square Postal Outlet Hamilton, ON, L8N 4G4 If you miss both of these opportunities, please contact Anita VA3ANI as soon as possible to make other arrangements. Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:48:50 -0500 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article48.html As of October 26, 2009, Ontario's new distracted driving law will make it illegal for motorists to use hand-held wireless communication devices or any hand-held electronic entertainment devices while driving. Specific attention has been given to the Amateur Radio community. Stated in a document at the Government of Ontario's web site: The use of hand-held radios by amateur radio operators (who provide assistance, especially in emergency situations such as severe storms and blackouts) will be phased out within three years, to allow hands-free technologies to be developed. To read the full document, visit news.ontario.ca. Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:15:25 -0400 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article47.html A new extensive ARES training program has been put together by RAC. The ARES training course covers many topics including emergency operations, the role of the amateur radio operator, emergency preparedness, equipment, safety issues and more. If there are enough interested parties, it will be possible to offer the course to the Hamilton-area ARES volunteers. Anyone interested in attending this training course, should contact Jerry Osborn at: The course will take place on Wednesday evenings at Dofasco, tentatively starting November 4, 2009. Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:00:00 -0400 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article46.html Our annual Hamfest is fast approaching and we are still in need of some volunteers. Anyone who is available to help out at the Hamfest, please contact Mardy VE3QEE at: For more information on the event and its new location, click here: HARC Hamfest, Saturday October 17th, 2009. Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:09:29 -0400 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article45.html Anyone who would like to donate equipment for the club table at the upcoming Hamilton Amateur Radio Club Hamfest please contact Fred VE3GCP at: It's a great time to clean house and put that surplus equipment to good use by helping out the club! Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:59:15 -0400 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article44.html Plan for the next Contest the end of October 2009. Plan for it now if you are interested in helping out or just coming to have a look. VE3DC will be on the air again working DX from as many stations as we can. This is a fun contest where everyone in the world seems to be on the air. The contest is a 48 hour contest beginning at 00:00 GMT October 24 Saturday to Sunday 24:00 GMT October 25, 2009. This means that we will be setting up before supper on the Friday afternoon to be on the air for 8pm October 23 and the Contest runs till 8pm on Sunday night October 25, 2009. This used to be the weekend that the clocks went back, which usually meant that we went home for 7pm local time but now the clock change will be on November 1, 2009. Rules for the contest are available at: http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com/cqwwhome.htm Let me know if you want to run a station or plan on coming out to operate, help or observe. This is a fun contest if you like working all the zones of the world. 73 Rick VE3BK Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:59:13 -0400 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article43.html Our Next Contest is the CQ World Wide DX contest the end of October. This is the one we work as many Zones as we can to work the world. This contest is a lot of fun, if you like working exotic places, Islands and unheard of countries and areas. Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:13:17 -0400 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article42.html Can any of you help out? It is this weekend and the more the merrier. This year is the 151st Anniversary of the Burlington Lighthouse where we have been operating near it on the Beach Strip for the last 3 years. This year it is on August 15 and 16th 2009 so we will be looking for participants again this year. Let Rick Danby VE3BK know if you can come and maybe bring some equipment or an antenna. I know that some of you have indicated your interest in this event. Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:05:00 -0400 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article41.html Sadly, Gord Barber VE3AAH peacefully passed away, with his loving wife by his side, on July 11, 2009, in his 90th year. He will be missed by many. Cremation has taken place and there will be an informal reception held on Saturday July 18 from 1 to 3 PM at the club house in St. Elizabeth Village. Click to view map... Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:25:32 -0400 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article40.html This is a reminder that the 2009 edition of the Canada Day Contest will be held on July 1, 2009. For more information please download the pdf file with the rules at www.rac.ca. Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:23:31 -0400 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article39.html VE3DC will be on the air again for CANADA DAY 2009 On July 1, the anniversary of Canada's Confederation, the R.A.C. contest is held. We will be talking to Amateurs all over the world, and as many as we can in Canada, for Canada's Birthday Party on the air. Contest Period: 0000 UTC to 2359 UTC July 1, 2009 or locally this means 8 pm on June 30th (we will be setting up in the afternoon and evening before the contest start) till 8 pm on July 1st. Bands and Modes: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6 and 2 meters, CW and phone (SSB, FM, AM, etc.). If you want to come and run a station or just be an operator for us, come and join us. Let me know if you can join us for this fun Canadian Contest. The official RAC stations will be on the air to give us bonus points. This is Canada's Birthday and a great time to talk to fellow Canadians all over this great country of ours. Contest rules are at: http://www.rac.ca/en/rac/programmes/contests/ Or direct to the PDF file: http://www.rac.ca/en/rac/programmes/contests/files/...pdf 73 Rick VE3BK Tue, 26 May 2009 10:14:06 -0400 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article38.html Come celebrate 100 Years of Flight in Canada as the Canadian Aviation Expo joins the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum for Canada's largest aviation trade show and fly-in. Along with the usual vintage warbirds and classic trainers at the museum, there will be hundreds of aircraft, thousands of products, and ultra lights to very light jets. There is a 1954 Mig 15-UTI, a 1/2 scale replica of the Silver Dart, two FA-18s hornets, float planes and a glider. May 2 & 3, 2009 9am to 5pm at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, Hamilton Munro International Airport. Adult $15, Youth/Senior $12, Child $10, Kids 5 and under are free. Guest privileges to the museum do not apply for this special event. More information available at www.warplane.ca Sat, 02 May 2009 13:53:01 -0400 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article37.html This year's CANWARN training was another huge success. There was a fabulous turnout of close to 70 people, HAMS and non-HAMS alike. Environment Canada trains ham radio operators and other interested parties to spot and report severe weather. They learn about the structure of storms, the types of clouds to watch for and what the department's severe weather watches and warnings mean. All CANWARN volunteers are encouraged to sign up for the refresher courses which the department offers each year. Everyone is welcome, you do not have to be a Ham. If you missed the Hamilton training session, the next CANWARN training session can be found by accessing the schedule at www.emergencyradio.ca. Wed, 22 Apr 2009 23:01:08 -0400 http://www.hamiltonarc.ca/Article36.html The Lakehead Amateur Radio Club is celebrating its 75th Anniversary on April 17, 2009. In honour of this event, the club is setting up special event station VC3FW, operating on or near 3.875, 7.275, 14.275 and 21.375 MHz. Look for digital modes lower in the band and on CQ100 on 14.275 kHz. QSL to LARC, 1100 Memorial Ave., Suite 184, Thunder Bay, ON Canada, P7B 4A3. For more info, please see http://www.larclub.net/ Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:55:56 -0400