Software Vault: The Sapphire Collection/Software Vault (Sapphire Collection) (Digital Impact).ISO/cdr16/rac1015.zip/RAC1015.TXT

Text File | 1994-10-30 | 14KB | 313 lines

SB RAC @ CANADA < VA3RAC $RAC_9410.17
RAC NEWS BULLETIN 08-94 INTERNET EDITION - 15 OCTOBER 1994
Issued at RAC Administrative Office
P.O. Box 356
Kingston, ON, K7L 4W2
Internet Editor:        Cam Inglis <[e-mail]>
Internet Transmission:  Steve Cutway VE3GRS <[e-mail]>

IN THIS BULLETIN

ELECTION of RAC Board of Directors for 1995
Hams hope for peace between Jordan and Israel
Coming soon to an orbit near you
FM mode Amateur satellites
HF Band Planning Committee
Antenna nightmares
1,000 DXCC countries?
RAC First National Convention trivia
Victoria BC repeater 25th Anniversary
Montreal repeater sold
Upcoming events we've heard about...
Special Events Station VF7L
Upcoming in your November TCA


ELECTION of RAC Board of Directors for 1995
From Ken Pulfer VE3PU

      The RAC Election committee consisting of Eric Ilott VE3XE, Clayton
Bannister VE3LYN, and Ken Pulfer VE3PU, met in Kingston on September 14th.
Nominations of candidates for the RAC Board of Directors have  now been
received and validated.  The situation for the seven regions is as follows.

      Pacific:  Two nominations were received for the Pacific Region, but one
was subsequently withdrawn.  As a result, Dennis Livesey VE7DK, from Delta BC
is unopposed and has been declared elected by acclamation.

      Alberta/NWT:  Ken Oelke VE6AFO, from Calgary the current Board member
for Alberta/NWT, has been  renominated and is unopposed.  He has been declared
elected by acclamation.

      Midwest:  Two candidates have been nominated for the  Midwest region,
Bob Shehyn VE5FY,  current member of the Board from Moose Jaw Saskatchewan,
will be opposed by Dave Panting VE4EF from Winnipeg Manitoba.  Ballots have
been mailed to RAC members in the Midwest region.

      Ontario North:  There are three candidates competing for the position of
Board Member from Ontario North.  Bob Bishop VE3JAB, current Board member from
Thunder Bay, will be opposed by John Connor VE3TG from Nepean and Ron Walsh
VE3IDW from Kingston.  Ballots have been mailed to RAC members in Ontario
North

      Ontario South:  J. Fergus Kyle VE3LVO, of Burlington Ontario, is running
unopposed in Southern Ontario.  He has been declared elected by acclamation.

      Quebec:  Pierre Roger VE2TQS, current member of the Board from Montreal,
has been nominated and is unopposed in the Quebec Region.  He has been
declared elected by acclamation.

      Atlantic:  No nominations were received from the Atlantic Region before
the September 1 deadline.  In accordance with the constitution, nominations
have been reopened,  with a deadline date of December 1, 1994.

      All members from the Atlantic Region are hereby notified that
nominations of candidates for the position of  RAC Director (Atlantic) will be
accepted until the revised closing date of December 1 1994.

      Except for the Atlantic Region, all ballots must be received by the
Secretary of RAC before noon, November 18th 1994.  The results will be
announced in December, and the new members of the Board will assume their
responsibilities on January 1, 1995.


Hams hope for peace between Jordan and Israel

      According to HaGAL International - Israel Ham News, peace between Jordan
and Israel is only months away.  King Hussein JY1 of Jordan, has been quoted
in the press as having said that a full peace between the countries will be
signed by the end of 1994.

      Telecommunications ties have been made between the two countries and you
can now phone directly.  Jordanian hams have also been heard on the Yatir
(145.325 MHz) repeater in Israel.  They seem genuinely anxious for cross-
border contacts.  They are also setting up more repeaters in Jordan.  There
are now 11 VHF repeaters and 4 UHF machines.  The Jordanians are also
expressing interest in Packet radio.

      Ham News reporter Ron Gang 4X1MK describes the QSO's with Jordanian Hams
as "heart-warming".  "A real good feeling comes across that our partners to
the East are just as enthusiastic about this peace as we are," he continues.
"The Hams there exude friendliness and warmth.  There's hardly anything better
than making new friendships!  Ya Salaam!"

      Nobody knows the official opinion of the Jordanian government on these
cross-border contacts so the names of Jordanian Hams were not published in the
article,  just in case.


Coming soon to an orbit near you

      The opening shots in the next revolution in marine communications are
about to be fired.  The battleground will be space, and the rebels' weapons
will be communications satellites.  That's according to a special report
appearing in September 1994, Sail magazine.

      As early as this time next year, according to the report, mariners
should be able to bring aboard pocket-size message transceivers that can send
and receive data anywhere on earth and portable telephones that make voice
connections up to 200 miles off the US coast.  In 10 years the old guard -
VHF, SSB, Ham, ERIRB - could be systems of the past the report says.

      Relatively low cost satellites and land systems, combined with compact,
efficient radio hardware and software are credited with driving the changes.


FM mode Amateur satellites

      Of the 18 available Amateur satellites presently in orbit, four offer,
at various times, transponders for general use.  Two of these, AO-21 and AO-27
operate on 2m and 70cm.  Being low earth orbit satellites, both are overhead
for short periods, usually ten to fifteen minutes per pass. There are about
six passes per day, three morning to mid-day and three at night.

      OSCAR-21, or AO-21 has a unique repeater that lets you input on 435.016
and output on 145.987.  To copy tune 145.990 or 145.985.  When you listen for
AO-21 you will soon notice that at the first part of the pass you can hear it
better on 145.990, then as the pass progresses hear it better on 145.985.  All
you need to listen is a rubber-duckie equipped handheld.

      This quick introduction to AMSAT was condensed from a more complete
article written by Art Rae VA3RAE, in the Windsor Border City Radio Club
Newsletter.


HF Band Planning Committee
From Pat Doherty VA3GD

      The Committee now has four representatives from three regions.
Representatives are still needed for Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario South and
Pacific.  RAC elections are now taking place and three of the areas will have
new directors.  If any person in the above areas has an interest in being the
HF Band Planning Representative please forward a resume of Amateur activities
and interests to:
      Pat Doherty VA3GD
      HF Band Planning Coordinator
      RR#1-10035 John Street Road
      Murillo, Ontario P0T 2G0
      Phone [phone]
      Fax   [phone]
      E-Mail:  [e-mail]
      Packet:  VA3GD@VE3TKA.#NON.On.CAN.NA

      Upon receipt of your resume the respective RAC director will be
contacted for comment and approval.  You will receive a reply as soon as
possible.

      Canadian Amateurs in the respective areas where there are appointed
representatives should direct any comments on HF band planning to one of the
persons listed here.  Please take the time to express your thoughts about the
future of the HF bands.

ALBERTA/NWT       Alan Faint VE6TZY
                  1109 Regent Crescent N.E.
                  Calgary, AB
                  T2E 5J6
                  Phone [phone]
                  Fax   [phone]

MIDWEST           Bruce Rattray VE5RC
                  128 Durham Drive
                  Regina, SK
                  S4S 4Z2
                  Greg Hemming VE4GH
                  411 Ralph Avenue West
                  Winnipeg, MB
                  R2C 2E8

ONTARIO NORTH     Walt Kimball VE3CWE
                  660 Third Line East
                  Sault Ste. Marie, ON
                  Phone [phone]


Antenna nightmares

      There is a story in the Chilliwack Amateur Radio Club Bulletin about a
Vancouver Amateur who learned the hard way how tough it can be to get an
antenna erected in some communities.  His plan was to erect a tower sufficient
to support a 20 foot dish for EME (earth-moon-earth) communications.  He ran
into local requirements for a building permit if the antenna was higher than
six feet above the ground.  The building standards he was required to meet
resulted in the construction of two concrete pads one 10'x10'x6' and the other
8'x8'x6' to support his tower.


1,000 DXCC countries?
From Algoma Amateur Radio Club Bulletin

      Don't jump out the window yet, but John Naisbitt, one of the world's
leading trend forecasters, has predicted that from today's roughly 200
independent countries (not counting ARRL's rocks, shoals and reefs), the world
will have an increase to 300 countries by the turn of the century.  During the
21st century this is expected to increase to 1,000.  This will result,
Naisbitt predicts, because of increased nationalism and tribalism around the
world.  Canada's Quebec could well be a future example.

      How about getting on the DXCC Honour Roll when you will have 950 or more
confirmed countries to qualify?


RAC First National Convention trivia
From Calgary Amateur Radio Association Key Klix

      Attendance at the RAC first national convention in Calgary this past
July appears to have topped 1,000.  Those who travelled farthest included
Edward Leppard VE1AYY from Halifax County, NS and Michael Morrison VY2CO from
Charlottetown, PEI.  The youngest Ham who registered was eight year old Alex
Vogrinetz VE6YIC from Lamont, AB.  The oldest to register was Bill Savage
VE6EO from Lethbridge, AB at 86.  Bill Kennamer K5FUV from ARRL DXCC desk
checked 5,400 cards.  That apparently topped the Dayton Hamvention this year.

      The Friday evening wine and cheese party was attended by 407 people.
There were 30 seminars.  The RAC Forum drew 450 people.  The Annual General
Meeting was the largest in the history of any Canadian Amateur Radio national
organization with more than 300 in attendance.  The Saturday evening banquet
was attended by 356 people.  The BBQ was just short of that with 326 people
attending.


Victoria BC repeater 25th Anniversary

      The Victoria Short Wave Club will celebrate their 65th Anniversary with
a special dinner at the Masonic Conference Hall on November 26, 1994.  This is
also the 25th anniversary year for the Victoria repeater.


Montreal repeater sold

      The VE2RED repeater has been sold to the Montreal Amateur Radio Club.
It was purchased from the Montreal Repeater Organization.  VE2RED is said to
provide excellent coverage and there is discussion concerning possible future
linking to VE2BG.  The deal was completed on September 1.

FCC denies morse code exemption for over-65s
From the ARRL Letter

      The FCC in the US has denied a petition that proposed exemptions from
Morse code exams for people age 65 and older.

      Guy A. Matzinger KB7PNQ, of Cheney, Washington argued in his petition
that old age results in diminished faculties, and equated those people 65 and
older with the severely disabled in terms of passing a CW exam.  He proposed
the exemption for speeds above 5 wpm.

      The FCC said that similar petitions had been denied in the past, because
the current Amateur Radio license structure is based on "the desire of the
amateur service community," gleaned from thousands of comments on previous
petitions.  The Commission also noted that its rules already provide for Morse
code exemptions for certain recognized disabilities.


Upcoming events we've heard about...

      October 22.  The Greenwood Amateur Radio Club Fleamarket, Greenwood
Community Centre, Church Street, Greenwood, Nova Scotia.  Information line
[phone].

      November 12.  The Newmarket Hamfest, Huron Heights Secondary School,
Newmarket, Ontario.  For information write to the York Region Amateur Radio
Club, P.O. Box 28590, Aurora L4G 6S6.

      November 26.  The Victoria Short Wave Club will celebrate its 65th
Anniversary.  There will be a banquet on November 26, which past and present
members and their spouses are invited to attend.  Information line (604)
474-1939 or [phone].


Special Events Station VF7L

      The Fraser Valley Amateur Radio Association will be operating a special
event station VF7L from Fort Langley on November 19, 20 and 21, 1994.  This
event commemorates the 136th Anniversary of the proclamation read by Sir James
Douglas at Fort Langley on November 19, 1858 creating the Colony of British
Columbia.

      Station VF7L will operate on 20, 15 and 10 meters from 1700Z to 2300Z
over the three days.  A special certificate will be available.  Send a 9"x12"
SASE and $1.00 to cover postage to:
      Fraser Valley Amateur Radio Association
      P.O. Box 50
      Fort Langley, BC, V1M 2S6.


Upcoming in your November TCA

      The November issue of The Canadian Amateur includes important
information on how you can help fight EMCAB-2.  This is the Industry Canada
document that has the potential to force amateurs to power down or cease
operation because of the lack of immunity standards in nearby entertainment
equipment.  This is the most serious threat facing amateur radio in Canada
today and deserves your full attention and action.

      Also, in the November TCA, there is more coverage of the RAC Convention
in July, a request for nominees to the Canadian Amateur Hall of Fame, some
thoughtful suggestions by Ken Oelke VE6AFO, guidelines for contributors to
TCA, results of the 1994 Canada Day Contest, a report on the Singapore IARU
Conference from Tom Atkins VE3CDM, a product review of the Ham Log application
software, more tips for the shack from Frank Merritt VE7FPM, plus Letters,
Silent Keys, the Swap Shop, propagation forecasts, and regular columns.

73 de VA3RAC Steve VE3GRS at the keyboard <[e-mail]>