SB RAC @ CANADA < VA3RAC $RAC_9405.15 RAC NEWS BULLETIN 05-94 INTERNET EDITION - 15 MAY 1994 Issued at RAC Administrative Office P.O. Box 356 Kingston, ON, K7L 4W2 Internet Editor: Cam Inglis Internet Transmission: Steve Cutway VE3GRS ITEM 01. AMATEURS AND ANTENNA STRUCTURES At a recent Canadian Amateur Radio Advisory Board (CARAB) meeting, Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) was informed that Industry Canada (IC) will develop a package of documents explaining the policy and procedures implemented by the government with respect to the erection of antennas and antenna structures, which can be distributed to the public. It is expected that the package will be available when the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) is proclaimed in the fall of 1994. Also included in the package is an article prepared by RAC suggesting guidelines for the erection of antenna structures. ITEM 02. PROTECTION OF FREQUENCY ALLOCATION 220-222 MHz The public comment phase of the 30-960 MHz review has concluded and the comments are now part of the public record. IC expects that any decision concerning the potential re-allocation of the 220-222 MHz band will be announced by the fall of 1994. Interested parties are encouraged to review the public comments that were received. RAC has registered its objection to this proposed re-allocation. IC met with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to work out a proposed sharing arrangement that is independent of whatever may be the final allocation of this band. IC is working with the FCC on a mutually acceptable sharing arrangement along the international border corridor. RAC advised and assisted IC in the work associated with the proposed sharing arrangement. ITEM 03. PIERRE ROGER VE2TQS JOINS ADWG Radio Amateurs of Canada's President Farrell Hopwood VE7RD, and RAC's Quebec Director Jean-Guy Riverin VE2JGR are pleased to announce the appointment of Pierre Roger VE2TQS to the Amateur Delegation Working Group (ADWG). Pierre is employed in the engineering department of Reseau Quatre Saisons, a French language TV network. He is also vice-president of Radio Amateur du Quebec Inc. (RAQI). He has been an Amateur Radio Operator since 1976. Pierre joins Jim Dean VE3IQ, Ken Pulfer VE3PU, Doug Frame VE3JDF and Industry Canada officials on the ADWG committee. They are currently working on the proposed delegation of some elements of the administration of the Amateur Radio Service. ITEM 04. NEW MOBILE DF EQUIPMENT QUICK AND ACCURATE Canadian radio frequency inspectors are finding their new OAR directional finding mobile systems quick and accurate in pinpointing radio interference sources. According to an Industry Canada newsletter, 34 systems were purchased for district offices across the country. In Ottawa recently, a department inspector responded to a report of harmful interference. Using the new equipment, the offending signal was traced to a shopping mall. A low power transmitter was located after just one minute of transmission time. ITEM 05. ONTARIO CLUB CONSIDERS ADOPT A HIGHWAY PROJECT The Ontario Ministry of Highways has approached the London Amateur Radio Club to see if there is any interest in the club adopting highway 403 just outside of London. Club members would be assigned sections of the highway to keep clean. They would receive safety training for the work and would be expected to clean up litter at least three times a year. In return, the Ministry would post a visible sign along the highway, giving the club credit for caring for the highway and advertising the club repeater frequency. ITEM 06. NEW EDMONTON AMATEUR GROUP IS BORN Edmonton has a new Amateur Radio Club called The Radio Amateur Educational Alumni Association (RAEAA). It was formed under the banner of the Amateur Educational Society (RAES) which began in 1991. RAES says that after just two years of offering Amateur Radio training courses, they will have graduated over 170 students. The successful students are behind the new club. The club repeater station VE6RES has been on the air since last July. The group also staffed a demonstration station at Edmonton Klondike Days last July, operating 12 hours a day during the 10 day event. Ron Gordon VE6RLG is President of the RAES Alumni Association. ITEM 07. LOS ANGELES EARTHQUAKE AND AMATEUR RADIO Gary Jacobs VE6CIA, of Red Deer, Alberta, got a first hand view of the January 1994 earthquake in Los Angeles. As a Red Cross emergency co- ordinator, he joined more than 13,000 volunteers to help feed and shelter victims of this disaster. Describing events on Monday, February 15 he says: "it rained heavily causing mud slides in Malibu again. There was so much snow in the Sierras causing avalanches that roads closed, a tornado touched down in Tusca and there were 85 vehicle accidents on wet L.A. streets." Reporting in the Calgary Amateur Radio Association Key Klix bulletin, he says, "The experience was great and I would recommend taking the opportunity should you get the chance." W5YI Bulletin reported that the Red Cross stationed Amateur Radio operators at more than ten shelters to handle most of the health and welfare traffic. Their report says that RACES, ARES, Salvation Army and Red Cross hams worked closely together, with everyone remaining cool, calm and collected. The 147.705 repeater in Southern California handled most of the earthquake health and welfare traffic, according to the report. Several repeaters were silenced due to lack of electricity. Others with battery, solar or generator power were dedicated to emergency and health and welfare traffic. With telephone service cut off, many stations up and down the high frequency (HF) band were relaying out-of-state phone calls into the devastated area. ITEM 08. HELP AVAILABLE FOR IMPROVING YOUR CLUB BULLETIN The Amateur Radio News Service (ARNS) is an organization of Amateur Radio newsletter editors and publicists. They produce the ARNS Bulletin to help newsletter editors better promote Amateur Radio by improving their club publications. ARNS is open to anyone sharing the organization's goals. ARNS Bulletins are full of news, ideas and suggestions on improving your club bulletin. For more information, contact Pam Myers N8IAK, 510 West Harrison, Alliance, OH 44601. ITEM 09. VE2 INCOMING QSL BUREAU NEEDS HELP On August 1, 1994, after 23 years, Al Daemen VE2IJ, will be retiring as Manager of the VE2 Incoming QSL Bureau. Volunteers are urgently needed to resume this work. If you are interested, contact Al at (514) 737-3736. ITEM 10. 50th ANNIVERSARY NO. 4 WIRELESS SCHOOL SPECIAL PREFIX Industry Canada has announced special prefixes for the 50th Anniversary of the No. 4 Wireless School (RCAF). Special prefixes may be used by Amateur Radio Operators in Haliburton, Ontario area for the period May 15 to June 15, 1994. VE3 Amateurs may use VB3, and VA3 Amateurs may use VC3. In conjunction with this event, a station will be set up at Pinestone Lodge May 27 and May 29, 1994, and will use the callsign VD3WAG. ITEM 11. AMATEURS REMEMBER D-DAY JUNE 6, 1994 Radio Amateurs of Canada wishes to remember and honour the men and women of the Allied armed forces who took part in the invasion of Normandy fifty years ago to open up a second front in Europe on June 6, 1944. RAC especially wishes to honour and thank the many radio operators serving in the Army, Navy and Air Force for the major contribution they made in defence of freedom in those dark days of sacrifice and suffering during World War II. Many were, or later became, Amateur Radio Operators. In his book "Most Secret War", R.V. Jones tells of the extraordinary contribution made by experienced Amateurs as training recruits in radio, operating radio and radar equipment and manning the secret listening stations involved in military electronic surveillance and espionage. To those who are now "silent keys" our remembrance in gratitude. To those still with us, our deep respect and sincere thanks for the precious gift of themselves in defence of our freedom. Submitted by RAC's President Farrell Hopwood VE7RD. Industry Canada has authorized special prefixes to mark the 50th Anniversary of D-Day. They were printed in this bulletin March, 1994. ITEM 12. 50th ANNIVERSARY OF HMCS HAIDA SPECIAL PREFIX Industry Canada has authorized a special callsign CI3CGJ for the period May 24 to June 6, 1994 to mark the 50th Anniversary of the battleship HMCS Haida. ITEM 13. UPCOMING EVENTS WE'VE HEARD ABOUT The annual Central Alberta Radio League Father's Day Picnic and Hamfest will be held at Burbank Park Campground on June 17, 18 and 19, 1994. The location is a few minutes north of Red Deer on Highway 2A near the junction of 597. The first National Convention of Radio Amateurs of Canada will take place in Calgary, Alberta, July 29 to 31, 1994. The Brantford Ontario Amateur Radio Club will be operating a special event station VE3BA from 1400 to 2000Z on June 4 and 5, 1994 from the Bell Homestead to commemorate the 120th anniversary of Alexander Graham Bell's invention of the telephone at this site in the summer of 1874. Approximate frequencies will be 7.170, 14.170 and the club repeater 147.150. The Quinte Ontario Amateur Radio Club Hamfest and Computer Show will be held Saturday June 18, 1994 at Dick Ellis Arena, Harder Drive, Belleville, Ontario. The Central Ontario Amateur Radio Fleamarket will be held in Kitchener, Ontario on Saturday, June 4, 1994. The location is Bingeman Park at 1380 Victoria Street North. ITEM 14. QSL BUREAUS The rule changes for the Outgoing QSL Bureau have caused some controversy, even though they are similar to the practice and procedure used by Outgoing Bureaus in other countries. RAC members should remember that the bureaus are not self supporting. Cost to RAC to maintain both the Incoming and the Outgoing Bureaus is some $8,500 a year and is likely to increase given postal rate fluctuations and the large number of amateurs who are joining our ranks. It is quite common in other countries for QSL Managers to be charged a "user fee" to offset the large number of cards which are sent through the Bureau. Radio Amateurs of Canada recognizes that the new bureau rules have generated some discussion and as such are holding the new procedures in abeyance until they can be discussed at the next RAC Board Meeting in July. Cards for the bureaus should still be sorted in the correct manner, but the rules with respect to qsl managers and the destruction of the cards are in abeyance until they can be reviewed by the board. Those RAC members who have comments on the proposed rules should forward them to their respective directors or to Tim Ellam, VE6SH at 307 Christie Knoll Point S.W., Calgary, Alberta, T3H 2V2 or via packet at VE6SH@VE6YYC or on Internet at TIM.ELLAM@LOGICAL.CUC.AB.CA ITEM 15. AMATEUR RADIO A VITAL RESOURCE A stock of these new videos has arrived. Contact RAC office for details. ITEM 16. D-DAY SPECIAL EVENTS ANNOUNCEMENT The American Association of D-Day Utah Beach Radio Amateurs and the French Manche Amateur Radio Society will be operating two special event stations June 4 to June 11, 1994 to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Landing of the Allied Forces in Normandy, France on June 6, 1944. Station TM6JUN will operate from Utah Beach (landing point of the Allied Forces) June 4 to June 11. Check 3.544, 7.030, 14.044, 21.044 and 28.044 MHz on CW. Planned phone frequencies are 3.775, 7.070, 14.244, 21.344, 28.444 MHz. VHF frequency 144.244 MHz (QRV on satellite too). QSL information: F6KFW via F-Buro or Radio Club F6KFW, P.O. Box 234, F-50102, Cherbourg, France. Station F6REF will operate on Sunday, June 26, 1994 from 8:00 to 24:00 from Servigny Castle in Yvetot-Bocage. tab QSL information same as above. 73 de VA3RAC Steve VE3GRS at the keyboard