The Monitor

Now that 2001 is drawing to a close I look back and see some changes to the club and look forward to 2002 with enthusiasm.  We will have a full schedule of interesting activities in the New Year so why not bring your friends and join us on Tuesday nights for a cup of coffee and fellowship.  Your Executive is working hard to insure that your club will be prosperous with exciting things to happen in 2002.

This is also my opportunity to wish all a very Merry Christmas and a safe and healthy New Year.  We are open for new business in 2002.  See you at the club on Tuesday nights.

73 de Marven VE3MWF

1. Former resident and club member Harry VE3GPU sent the club his greetings and would like to hear from some of us on the T.P. Net occasionally.
2. Larry VE3SPQ from the Collingwood Elective Radio Teaching School wrote to tell us that a CERTS Net is held on Wednesdays at 7:30 PM on 28.360 MHz (+-) under the callsign of VE3BPQ.  Everyone is welcome.
3. John VA3BOZ, VP of the Niagara Peninsula ARC reminds us that their club’s Amateur Radio fleamarket is being held on Saturday February 2nd, 2002.  Time is 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the CAW Hall, 124 Bunting Rd., St. Catharines.  Admission is $6.00 and the talk-in is VE3NRS 147.240+ MHz.

On November 27th, the club was fortunate to have Paul Cassel VE3SY give us a power point presentation on IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Project).  IRLP allows many repeaters around the world that were next to quiet to be now alive and well with radio amateurs speaking with other hams around the world.  There are two connection modes for an IRLP connection.  Direct
one-to-one or, one-to-many via a Reflector.

Paul covered the technical aspects of hooking a repeater up to the Internet and talked about some of the basic operating procedures.  The IRLP uses Voice-Over-IP software and the power of the Internet to link your radio site to the world and suggested the club consider hooking VE3TCR to this network.

For those interested in learning more about APRS, there is a symposium planned right here in Brantford on Saturday January 12th, 2002.  Time will be from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Best Western Inn, 19 Holiday Drive, Brantford.  Cost is $10.00 at the door.  This will be a day of APRS information and demonstrations.  A province-wide digipath system for Ontario will be discussed and an Elmer system is planned to be set-up for helping new and existing APRS’ers.  More information on the itinerary will be forthcoming.

Arctic Winter Games - Special callsign OX1AWG
The callsign OX1AWG is on the air from Nuuk Greenland as a participant of the Arctic Winter Games being held in Iqaluit Nunavit and Nuuk Greenland 17th - 23rd of March 2002.  The call will be on the air occasionally from Nuuk from now until March 24th 2002. Qsl-cards will only be handled direct and only until post stamped May 31st 2002 - since the AWG-offices close down right after the end of the AWG.

December 12, 2001 to February 12, 2002
A Special Event Prefix has been authorized to be used by all Canadian Radio Amateurs to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Guglielmo Marconi's first Transatlantic wireless transmission.  This special event prefix is sponsored by Radio Amateurs of Canada.
Special Event Prefixes assigned to this special event will be:
VXforVE's
VG for VA's
XJ for VO's
XK for VY's
This authority is valid from December 12, 2001 to February 12, 2002.

December 12, 2001 to January 12, 2002
Special Event Call Sign VD1GM has been authorized to be used by Mr. Joe Craig VO1NA, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Guglielmo Marconi's first Transatlantic wireless transmission.  This authority is valid from December 12, 2001 to January 12, 2002.

Bethlehem-Nazareth, PA: Christmas City ARC and Delaware-Lehigh ARC, WX3MAS.  1200Z Dec 15 to 2400Z Dec 16.  Celebrating the Annual Season Greetings from the Twin Christmas Cities.  28.465 21.365 14.265 7.270 3.970.  Certificate.  CCARC/DLARC WX3MAS, Greystone Bldg, Gracedale Complex, RR 8, Nazareth, PA 18064-9211.

Atkinson, NH: Atkinson Amateur Radio Club, K1D. 0500Z Dec 22 to 0500Z Jan 6. K1MOM and W1DAD Present Kid's Day Amateur Radio Awareness.  28.370 21.370 14.270 3.895.  QSL. Peter Schipelliti, 7 Dearborn Ridge Road, Atkinson, NH 03811.

David Wilson VE3BBN in St David's Ontario near Niagara Falls, is seeking approval from Industry Canada for a special event transmission using a home made spark transmitter.  The event will take place on December 12th 2001, at 9 pm local eastern time, (0200 UTC), to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Marconi's historic transatlantic transmission of the letter "S" from Poldhu Cornwall to St John's Newfoundland in 1901.

The frequency will be 3.550 MHz, the output power approximately 20 watts, and the signal bandwidth of 20 kHz.  Radio amateurs in all countries are encouraged to listen and to provide signal reports.

To listen to the spark transmission, your receiver should be set to the AM mode to get the most signal possible.  David plans to transmit 60 times on the minute the following message "MARCONI   S ", then rest for about 45 seconds and repeat the sequence.

QSL messages should be sent to VE3BBN@rac.ca and reports should include "name, QTH, signal report and distance as the crow flies from Niagara Falls Ontario.

McKenzie Public School in Almonte, Ontario Canada, had a very successful ARISS contact with NA1SS at 2001-11-23 10:45 UTC.  This was the second Canadian school to talk to the ISS via the ARISS program.  Frank KD5OPQ did another outstanding job.  Control ops Bob Clermont VE3AKV and Neil Carleton VE3NCE did a great job.  There were about 400 people in attendance, which is terrific since the contact happened at 5:45am local time.

All 9 kids had their question answered and there was enough time for Neil to ask one.

The audio was put out on the web via an IRLP reflector.  There were several radio stations, one TV, and at least one newspaper in attendance.

Congratulations to NA1SS and the kids at McKenzie!

From: RAC Headquarters
Date: November 27, 2001
Subject: RAC Executive for 2002-2003

On Sunday, November 25, 2001, the RAC Nomination Committee met by teleconference under the direction of Chair Robert Kirkpatrick VE9VAR, to elect the Executive officers for the 2002- 2003 term.  The results of the elections follow:

President:  William Gillis VE1WG
1st Vice President:  Joe MacPherson VE1CH
Vice President Regulatory Affairs:  James Dean VE3IQ
Vice President Government and International Affairs: Kenneth Pulfer VE3PU
Vice President Industrial Liaison: Don Rowed VE3KII
Vice President Field Services: Pierre Mainville VA3PM
Treasurer: Bill Rothwell VE3FGW
Secretary: Dawn MacKay VE1MAK

The RAC Board of Directors extends sincere thanks to the outgoing Executive members for their dedication to and participation in the organization during their time in office.

The newly-elected Executive will assume their positions on January 1, 2002.

Dawn S. MacKay VE1MAK
Corporate Secretary
Radio Amateurs of Canada

ARISS Chairman Frank Bauer KA3HDO, reports that the new ARISS flight antenna systems have been loaded into the logistics module on Space Shuttle Endeavour and are ready for flight.

There are plans to split the current ARISS equipment into separate ham stations - one for 2 meters and one for 70 cm.  HF operation is also a possibility from the revamped stations.

The new antennas will cover HF, VHF, UHF and microwave bands up to 2.4 GHz.  They are expected to be installed during a space walk early next year after the Expedition-4 crew is aboard ISS.

ARRL 10-Meter Contest – 0000z 15 Dec to 2359z 16 Dec.
RAC Canada Winter Contest – 0000z 29 Dec to 2359z 29 Dec.
ARRL Straight Key Night – 0000z to 2400z 1 Jan.
ARRL RTTY Roundup – 1800z 5 Jan to 2359z 6 Jan.

This year, some members of the West Carleton Amateur Radio Club in Ottawa, purchased small, low-power transmitter and receiver modules designed for operation on synthesized frequencies in the 902 to 928 MHz band.

Their objective is to promote activity and experimentation on this band, which is little used by radio amateurs, and to develop some useful applications, according to the interests and needs of each member.  The 902-928 MHz band has certain advantages, one of which is the small size of the antennas for reasonable gain.

TCA November/December 2001
MARCONI CENTENARY ANNIVERSARY.  This is a special commemorative feature marking an important milestone in the history of Amateur Radio.

QST December 2001
WSJT: NEW SOFTWARE FOR VHF METEOR-SCATTER COMMUNICATION.  With this revolutionary software, you can communicate over distances of up to 1400 miles.
SWAN ISLANDS DXPEDITION.  Ten members of the Radio Club de Honduras encounter roiling seas and tame iguanas on a journey to a remote Caribbean island.

CQ December 2001
40 YEARS OF AMATEUR RADIO IN SPACE.  Looking back 40 years to the beginning of the amateur satellite era.

Following the fall of Kabul and other Taliban-held cities in Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan government, which is the government still recognized by the United Nations, has issued an amateur radio club licence, YA5T.  The club callsign is being operated by ON6TT, ON4WW, SM7PKK and S53R, who are in Afghanistan working for the United Nations World Food Program.  The ARRL DXCC Desk reports that it has already received acceptable documentation for YA5T and has approved it for DXCC credit.

Tommy Shaughnessy enters the confessional box and says, "Bless me,  Father,   for I have sinned. I have been with a loose woman."

The priest asks, "Is that you,  little Tommy Shaughnessy?"   "Yes, Father, it is."   "And who was the woman you were with?"

"I can't be tellin' you, Father. I don't want to ruin her reputation."  "Well, Tommy, I'm sure to find out sooner or later, so you may as well  tell me now… Was it Brenda O'Malley?"

"I cannot say."    "Was it Patricia Kelly?"     "I'll never tell."

"Was it Liz Shannon?"    "I'm sorry, but I'll not tell her name."

"Was it Cathy Morgan?"      "My lips are sealed."

"Was it Fiona McDonald, then?"     "Please, Father, I cannot tell you."

The priest sighs in frustration. "You're a steadfast lad, Tommy  Shaughnessy,  and I admire you for that. But you've sinned, and you must atone.      Be off with you now."

Tommy walks back to his pew. His friend Sean slides over and whispers,  "What'd you get?"   "Five good leads," says Tommy