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Winter Field Day
26 January 2025 | by 
The new extended hours were a nice addition to the contest, and for me, it's a very relaxing event. At VE9KK, this was a CW event, and I kept my speed in the 22-26 wpm range. It was not a very busy event, and I checked in now and then on Saturday and Sunday. One nice surprise was that on Saturday evening on 40m, I had a call from 4Z4DX from Israel.
Mike Weir, VE9KK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Brunswick, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].
ICQPodcast Episode 448 – Did you Know – Q and A
In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Dan Romanchik KB6NU, Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT, Edmund Spicer M0MNG, and Ed Durrant DD5LP to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief and the episode's feature is Did you Know - Q and A
We would like to thank Sean Borgerson (KK7OVF) and our monthly and annual subscription donors for keeping the podcast advert free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate
- Ham Radio Operators Serving During California Firestorms
- Consultation Which Seeks to Simplify the Licensing of Amateur Radio Visitors to the UK
- Ham Radio Ireland, The Digital Magazine, Is Back
- Girls Missed the Bus - Helped by Hams
- DMR Radios Open Up The World To Students in India
- RSGB is the Official British Science Week partner
- Ham Radio Event for European Capital of Culture 2025
- HB9RG Trophy Celebrates First Amateur Radio Contact via Satellite
Colin Butler, M6BOY, is the host of the ICQ Podcast, a weekly radio show about Amateur Radio. Contact him at [email protected].
Amateur Radio Weekly – Issue 366
POTA spotting via low earth orbit
Using the APSPOT service with SMS via iOS satellite connection.
QRPer
The case of the shrinking Technicians
Many Technicians are only dabbling in Ham Radio.
K0NR
HAARP to conduct research campaign January 27-31
Campaign includes VLF generation and ducting, studies on STEVE airglow, and space debris detection.
Amateur Radio Daily
First two-way contact via geostationary satellite bounce
The satellite in question, Inmarsat GX-5, is stationed at an altitude of over 35,000 kilometers.
Dwingeloo Radio Telescope
Secret listeners – revealing the life of Amateur Radio heroes
The Voluntary Interceptors, amateur radio enthusiasts, helped break Axis codes in WW2, secretly listening for crucial intelligence from home.
East Anglia Bylines
RepeaterSTART
The only repeater app to have step by step instructions, an updated offline repeater database, topo map, and other features that Hams will find helpful. An Open Source desktop version is free and comes with all features except for the step by step instructions.
RepeaterSTART
How to get ARRL members back
Term limits, direct membership election of presidents, online streaming of board meetings.
K4FMH
CaribouLite SDR HAT for SDR on a Raspberry Pi
Frequency range (30 MHz up to 6 GHz) combined with TX capabilities make it enticing.
Jeff Geerling
HamSCI expands Personal Space Weather Station activities
New Zoom sessions will cover the operational aspects (scoping the network, project timelines, data collection topics, network monitoring, maintenance) of the PSWS network.
QRZ
Predicting earthquakes hours in advance by radio
The ionosphere becomes more inhomogeneous above the epicenter in the 12 to 16 hours before the earthquake.
Experimental Radio News
52 week Ham Radio Challenge roundup: Weeks 1-4
52 challenges for 2025, approximately one a week.
Ian Renton
How should I attach a Ham Radio antenna to my vehicle?
The good news is that there are multiple options.
OnAllBands
Video
24 GHz QSO
Two members of the Surrey Amateur Radio Communications Society completed what is believed to be the first 24 GHz terrestrial contact in BC.
SARC
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Amateur Radio Weekly is curated by Cale Mooth K4HCK. Sign up free to receive ham radio's most relevant news, projects, technology and events by e-mail each week at http://www.hamweekly.com.
First Bug Contact!
I never thought I’d be able to learn how to use a CW bug, but I did it. My XYL got me a Begali Intrepid for Christmas. I have been practicing with it for a few weeks and I finally got the gumption to attempt a contact. This evening I worked the SKCC station K3Y/4 operated by AB4PP in NC. I used a homebrew crystal-controlled transmitter (pictured on the left) putting out about 3 watts and a 40 meter regen receiver (right). I also have a homebrew SWR meter (upper left). The transmitter features a meter showing relative output power and the receiver which is varactor tuned has a frequency-indicating meter on the lower left. One of these days I’m going to put a frequency scale on the meter face. All the receiver controls are close together as you’re always adjusting everything on a regen and wished you had four hands to do it. Spotting of the transmit frequency is done with a blue push switch on the back part of the transmitter board which activates just the oscillator at a very low voltage as to not overload the regen receiver. The transmitter mutes the receiver front end on transmit and also injects sidetone into the receiver audio amp via the purple and blue wires. The entire setup is built with discrete components and is powered with a 12 volt lead acid battery on the upper left.
I think my code sounded pretty good, but undoubtedly I held a few dahs too long in all the excitement. This is radio fun, folks.
Anthony, K3NG, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com.
Winter Field Day event some major changes.
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This weekend is the annual Winter Field Day event, and I have only started participating in it within the last few years. I am one of those who participate from my nice warm shack and not the wintery outdoors. I have worked outside all my life and feel I have had my fair share of the winter wonderland. This year, Winter Field Day has some major changes.
1. The event was previously 24 hours long but has now been updated to 30 hours, from 1600 UTC to 21:29 UTC.
2. Your location does not have to remain in the same place throughout the contest. If you are set up at a certain location you can now pack up and move to another location. For some winter means snow and very cold weather. Let's say conditions change (or whatever the reason) you now can pack up and change location.
3. In the past, there were objectives that could help your score, such as operating 100% on alternate power. The new change is that these objectives are now multipliers. Also, check the Winter Field website, as some new objectives have been added.
I hope to make contact at this weekend's event with some of my readers.
Mike Weir, VE9KK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Brunswick, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].
SARC Bi-weekly Bulletin
January 22, 2025
Issued during the first and third week of each month, it provides a quick reference for member activities, resources and links for the following weeks.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Creative Assistance Needed
Do you want to get to know the members of SARC/SEPAR better? Do you want to become a columnist with what is possibly the most widely read amateur radio newsletter in the world? Have we got a job for you! We are looking for a columnist to coordinate the bi-monthly “Member Profile” for the Radio-Active column of The Communicator. The task involves sending out a questionnaire to a prospective candidate and then creating a 500-1000 word story based on the answers, along with a couple of photos. You do not need to be an expert writer, and (if needed) the editors will help with syntax, spelling and grammar. If this appeals to you, please contact John VE7TI via [email protected].Parks-on-the-Air (POTA) Brochure Available
Those of us who do POTA are frequently approached by passers-by enquiring what we are doing. For this purpose, John VE7TI has created a SARC POTA brochure that can be given to those looking for additional information. The .pdf file is available for download at https://bit.ly/POTAbrochure.
10 GHz Beacon Featured in RAC Journal
You have heard about SARC’s 10 GHz activity on these pages previously, but now the beacon project has caught the attention of Dana Shtun VE3DS who writes the 10m and Down column for RAC's Canadian Amateur magazine. See page 10 of the January-February 2025 edition: https://www.rac.ca/digitaltca/. Update to the article: The beacon callsign is now VE7SAR/B and the power output 150 mW. More on 10 GHz below.
Thursday Get-on-the-Air (GOTA) Net On Hold
The GOTA net for new hams is on hold for now. We have several exciting initiatives underway to bring a new generation of ham radio operators into the hobby, including the Kwantlen Park ham radio summer school course, and a program to offer ham radio as a full-credit regular high school course. We expect to resume the net when we have a critical mass of newly certified graduates anxious to try out their radios and get comfortable making radio contacts.UPCOMING EVENTS
Meet the Royal Marines Event (Jan. 23)
The Royal Netherlands Army Signal Corp., callsign PA25MC, is organizing a
communications event on Jan. 23rd from 1100 Z to 2000 Z. PA25MC is organized and
supported by PI4VBD, the club\station of the Royal Army. Here's their official statement:
"PA25MC is on the air for just 1 day to introduce Marines to the world of ham radio. We try
to use as many HF-bands as possible in SSB. Marines are used to speaking English but
naturally [they will] keep their communications short." Look for PA25MC on the 10, 15
and 20m bands.ARRL Winter Field Day (Jan. 25-26)
WFD is designed to help increase your level of preparedness and operating skills for disasters in winter environments, which present unique operating conditions. It has been suggested that SARC and SEPAR members deploy the SEPAR trailer for this event. Please respond to this email if interested.BC QSO Party (Feb. 1-2)
A team has been assembled to challenge the BCQP. We plan to operate two radios, CW on one and SSB on the other, both at 1 kw. The contest runs from 8 am to 8 pm Saturday and 8 am to 4 pm Sunday. If you have never contested before, you may choose to monitor or team up with an experienced operator who will help you get started. Let's see if we can beat last year's score of 1858 Qs and 1,842,308 points which got us the Top BC Multi-Op award. Check out contest details at: Orca DX and Contest Club -- BCQP Home Page.
Winlink Coaching (Saturday mornings with Horace by prior arrangement)
In follow-up to the Winlink workshop held in December, Horace VA7XHB will be available on Saturday mornings to assist members in setting up Winlink. If interested, contact Horace at [email protected] with your name, callsign, make and model of radio and interface.Related Item… SARC now has two Winlink Gateways
One is at Surrey Firehall One using callsign VE7HME-10 on 145.710 MHz and a second is on Concord tower at 100th Ave and King George Blvd using callsign VE7ADQ-10 on 145.770 MHz. Packet 1200 Baud and VARA FM Wide capable.Every Saturday Morning (except when other scheduled events conflict)
Members, spouses and prospective members are invited to join the SARC Breakfast social every Saturday morning from 7 to 9:30 am at Denny's Restaurant 6850 King George Blvd, followed by Operations & Training Centre ("OTC") activation from 9:30 am to noon at 5756 142 St. Surrey. At the OTC you may get help with your radio issues, operate the station radios including satellite station, participate in contests, write the exam, or join in workshops and training. Or just engage in friendly discussion with your fellow hams.SARC Official Calendar
Your official reference for dates and times of events is the SARC Google Calendar, which is updated as details change, so please check the homepage on the SARC website: www.ve7sar.net.NETS & REPEATERS
Tuesday Nets
Join the SEPAR net every Tuesday at 7:30 pm and the SARC net at 8 pm on either of the repeaters: North repeater is on 147.360 MHz tone 110.9 Hz and South repeater is on 147.360 MHz tone 103.5 Hz. IRLP and Echolink are only available on the North repeater.Sunday Monthly 220 MHz Net (next one is Jan. 26)
Join the 220 MHz net taking place at 7:30 pm on the last Sunday of every month on VE7RSC repeater 223.960 MHz -1.6MHz tone 110.9 Hz, with net control, Shawn VE7BD. This is not a "chat" net – just check in, exchange signal reports, and get on with your evening.Yaesu System Fusion (YSF) repeater 443.775 MHz+ tone 110.9Hz
This repeater is connected full-time to CQ-Canada (VE1AO) room 40678 – home to the Cross Canada C4FM Weekly Net on Wednesday 6 pm PST or 0200 UTC. Located on the Concord high-rise in Surrey, it is one of the few System Fusion repeaters in BC that is WIRES-X capable (i.e. it connects to the Internet). Using your Yaesu C4FM radio, you can use this repeater to talk to the world. It is connected to the highly fault-tolerant BC WARN Internet system, which is designed to remain operational during most internet outages. Familiarity with WIRES-X on our YSF repeater can play a crucial role in emergency preparedness.Net Reminders
"Net reminders" for those running or participating in various nets are automatically sent out by AdvancedAmateur.ca. If you are forgetful like me, you may want to receive reminders by signing up at Net Reminders.PROJECTS AND AD-HOC GROUPS
Satellite Station Project
Dino VE7NX is available to coach those who wish to learn how to make satellite contacts using SARC's new satellite station. Contact Dino [email protected] or reply to this email if you would like to learn more.Innovation Dept: 50 MHz and Up
As reported earlier, SARC's 10 GHz beacon VE7SAR/B running 150 mW is in continuous operation from our repeater site on Concord tower in Surrey. Dino VE7NX has promised to help members who would like to assemble suitable equipment to monitor the beacon.We can also report that last weekend, during the ARRL VHF 6m and above contest a successful 4-way 10 GHz CW contact was made between Scott VA7SC at Crescent Beach, Dino VE7NX at Boundary Bay, Mark VE7AFZ in Burnaby and Kirk VA7RKM on the Malahat Hwy north of Victoria. This was accomplished by bouncing signals off the North Shore mountains and tall buildings in Burnaby. The longest path was about 130 km.
Members Slava VE7LWW and Les VA7OM are working to construct their own 10 GHz equipment and hope to be operating soon.
What's next? Stay tuned for announcements about a 6m beacon and 24 GHz beacon, both of which are under construction and testing by Dino VE7NX and Scott VA7SC.
Contesting Group
To participate in scheduled contests, or if you wish to operate the club station radios on your own time, please reply to [email protected]. Coaching will be provided as needed. See WA7BNM Contest Calendar: Home for a complete list of available contests. Next big one is the British Columbia QSO Party on Feb. 1-2 (see Upcoming Events above for more information).IC-7300/IC-9700 Special Interest Group
This group is hosted by John Schouten VE7TI, with the most recent update on pp 37-41 of the January-February 2025 Communicator.Do You Want to Learn CW?
Check out the Long Island CW Club, which has a comprehensive and highly-regarded on-line program for learning CW and how to get comfortable using it: https://longislandcwclub.org/#.Vancouver Area Frequency List
Reg VA7ZEB has created a Vancouver Area Frequency List, which is a vetted list of useful frequencies across several services including Amateur, EmComm, Broadcast, Weather, LADD, Regional Road, FRS/GMRS, Railway, Airband and Marine. It can be easily downloaded in Generic CSV, Chirp and RT Systems format, or you can download it in PDF format for printing.Incoming QSL Bureau
Any member wishing to receive in-coming QSL cards should send Ken VE7BC an email at [email protected] or call/text him at 604-816-5775 and the cards will be collected for local distribution by Shawn VE7BD. Or, if you are simply wondering if Ken has any cards for you, please contact him.Download the January-February Communicator in LARGE or SMALL format, or read it on-line like a magazine.
Free VE7DXE Advanced Certification Course: [email protected]
Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) Advanced Certification Course
Please contact the course instructor Dave Goodwin, VE3KG, at [email protected] for information on how to register for RAC’s Advanced course.
Link to SARC’s Basic Ham Class Overview:
Welcome to our courses.pdf - Google Drive. The current course commenced Jan. 6, 2025 with 33 students registered.
ARRL Asks Hams to Send Radiograms via the Web
In a recent issue of the National Traffic System (NTS) Letter, the ARRL encouraged amateur radio operators to utilize the Radiogram portal on the web to submit free messages to friends and family. The link takes you to a webpage where you enter the particulars for sender and recipient, select a message and operators in the NTS will send it on to the recipient. Sending Radiograms helps volunteers hone their skills in preparation for emergencies. What happens next? A volunteer, FCC-licensed Amateur Radio operator will pick up your message from this web site and then send it, by Amateur Radio, over the air to other volunteers in the National Traffic System. The message will be received by a ham who lives in or near your recipient's city. Then, the message will be delivered in person or by telephone. For more information about The National Traffic System and traffic handling visit: https://nts2.arrl.org/training/. A typical sent message reads as follows:
From: JOHN SCHOUTEN
To: FRED SMITH
1234 ANY STREET
SURREY BC V0P 1R9
604 123 1234
[email protected]
WISHING YOU A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY. ALL THE BEST,
JOHN SCHOUTEN
WANTED OR FOR SALE BY MEMBERS
Monty VA7MMW is still looking for a female connector like the one shown for his Yaesu FT-101B. It is a CINCH JONES S-312-CCT POWER SOCKET 12PIN. If you can help Monty please contact him at [email protected].
73,
SARC on 24 GHz!
Believed the first in BC
On Jan 22, 2025 at 14:30 pm local time, two members of the Surrey Amateur Radio Communications Society completed what is believed to be the first 24 GHz terrestrial contact in BC.
Scott VA7SC was in grid CN89nb at Crescent Beach and Dino VE7NX was in CN89ic at Boundary Bay, approximately 10 km distant. Scott was transmitting just 1 mW using a mixer and local oscillator into a 24" dish with shepherd's crook. Dino was using a Wavelab module delivering 80 mW output with controller and 12" dish. SSB signals were loud and clear. Antenna orientation was critical, and with a few degrees off-target the signal was gone.
We fully acknowledge and thank Hugh VA3TO and Peter VA3ELE for their assistance in making this a reality.
There's a video at https://youtube.com/shorts/PzVmCyqCIJY
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