A New Association

ECOA is pleased to welcome a new national association to the fold, the Canadian Amateur Radio Emergency Network.

This is a huge step in emergency communications, and a much needed development, that will help unify all the independent Emcomm Groups across Canada with common training standards and a standardized basic emcomm training course.

It's been a long time coming and we're very please to welcome it.  ECOA looks forward to working closely with them as part of this new federation.

2015 Island QSO Party

The rule for this years W/VE Island QSO Party have now been published, and they are available HERE.  There are some changes so please read them carefully.

This event takes place on Saturday, August 29th.  Pick out your island and start planning the activation.

Island and Lighthouse activations are excellent ways of practicing your emcomm deployment skills.

ECOA is very pleased to announce that George Williams, VE3SIQ, has been appointed the new EC for Lennox-Addington County, effective 27 May, 2015.

George has been a long time member of ECOA, and is an ex-RAC DEC. and EC.  We look forward to a large expansion of Emcomm in Lennox-Addington County under his watch.

ECOA would like to take this opportunity and thank Dave, VE3DZE, the previous EC for Lennox-Addington County who have just completed his two year term and is moving on to a more senior position in the organization.

Field Day 2015

The ARRL Field Day is coming up at the end of this month and it's time we all dusted off our go-boxes and got ready for the best radio weekend of the year.  This year Field Day will be held on the 27th & 28th June.

Field Day is about emergency preparedness, not contesting.  This is a golden opportunity to get out of the shack, set up at another location such as your local county EOC, and get on the air.  

Most Emcomm groups use quickly deployable portable antennas while others might erect more elaborate portable towers and dipoles.  Some groups use battery power, others use generators, and still other clubs use mains power, and keeping with the spirit of deploying the set up is done using tents and screen shelters.

Field Day is an important training exercise for Emcomm, perhaps the most important one of the year besides Winter Field Day held each January.

If your Emcomm group does not get out and practice deploying to the field on a regular basis, you're not much better than a radio social club........and perhaps you need to reconsider your commitment to Emcomm as a whole.

We at ECOA hope to work you on Field Day weekend, give a listen for our association station, VE3OEC, operating from the highlands of Haliburton.

Simulated Emergency Test 2014

ECOA is pleased to announce that it will be hosting its annual SET on Sunday, October 19th.

This SET is an Ontario-wide exercise in emergency communications, administered by ECOA.

Timings for this event will be 1030 Local to 1530 Local Eastern Time Zone.

For further information please contact your local ECOA EC or Section Manager.  

Congratulations!!

Russ, VE3FI

Our congratulations go out to Russ, VE3FI, who is the new president of ECOA, effective Saturday, 26th July, 2014. 

Russ has a long and great background in emergency communications and we look forward to ECOA moving ahead in the next few months under his leadership.

Our thanks go out to Bill, VE3CLQ, our immediate past president for his hard work on behalf of the organization over the last two years.

Canada finally has 60m access

On Wednesday 22nd January, the Canadian regulator, Industry Canada (IC) released a decision to allow amateur radio operators to use the 5332 kHz, 5348 kHz, 5358.5 kHz, 5373 kHz and 5405 kHz frequencies on a no-interference, no-protection basis, 2.8 kHz bandwidth, same modes as U.S., 100W PEP maximum power.

These are the same channels, modes and criteria as those available to US operators on 5 MHz and are as the result of an official IC consultation held earlier in Summer 2012.

Prior to this, Canadian amateurs have had access to these frequencies since 2012, provided they applied to IC for a special interim 5 MHz/60m developmental licence, utilising a VX9 series callsign.

The Industry Canada 5 MHz Decision document can be found at
http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/sf10623.html

Merry Christmas to all

 

The ECOA Executive would like to take this opportunity to wish all

our members, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for 2014.

EC Appointment

ECOA is pleased to announce that David Sellick, VE3DZE, has been appointed EC for Lennox-Addington County, effective 15 October, 2013.

Dave has been a long time member of ECOA, and is a very experienced digital operator.  We look forward to the expansion of Emcomm in Lennox-Addington County under his watch.

EmComm Net

ECOA is pleased to announce that once again we are starting Tuesday, the 3rd September, 2013, the ECOA EmComm HF Net for the fall and winter period. 

This net will take place from 1915 till 2015 local time on 3.755 MHz, and the net will start immediately after the Laurentian Net.

We would like to thank, once again, the ONTARS net, and Barry-VE3ISX, for facilitating space for this EmComm net.

2013 Annual General Meeting

ECOA is pleased to report that all resolutions were passed at its Annual General Meeting held on May 25, 2013, at the Don Montgomery Centre in Scarborough.  The Board of Directors would like to thank all members for their continued support and confidence.

The two most important items of business where the announcements on the inauguration of our new provincial Emcomm Field Service, and making public the details on our new $5 million liability package.

The Board of Directors and Officers would like to congratulate David Sellick, VE3DZE, and Ralph Muecke, VE3XYC, who were elected to the Board of Directors.

ECOA looks forward to an outstanding 2013 - 2014.

Insurance Update

ECOA members will be pleased to read that the Association has now updated our liability insurance coverage from $2 million per member to $5 million per member. 

This outstanding insurance coverage is included in the low annual membership price of $20 per member. 

ECOA is determined to provide Ontario hams the best insurance coverage, for the lowest cost. 

Details of the liability coverage will be posted on our main website on the next update.

2013 AGM

NOTICE:

The ECOA 2013 AGM will be held on Saturday 25th May.

This year the AGM will be held at the Don Montgomery Centre, Scarborough, located at 2467 Eglinton Ave East.

We hope to see all of our members out for this event.

Canwarn Training 2013

Folks, some additional locations have been added to the spring training dates. Specifically, we have added two sessions in Huron County on April 25, confirmed the venue in Dufferin County on May 15 and added sessions in Belleville on May 25 and Renfrew on June 5. Training in Northwestern Ontario will take place during the week of June 3 with specific dates and venues being announced in the next training update.

Thanks to all of you who have replied to the canwarn.ontario@ec.gc.ca account with the session you plan to attend or emailed Bill Hoad at bhoad@xcelco.on.ca with your intent to attend the Sarnia session. If you plan on attending a session but haven't yet RSVP'd, please feel free to do so in the coming days.

The response so far indicates that we will again have a strong turnout this year. Thanks again for being a part of this worthwhile program.

April 16 – 7 PM – Leamington – Kinsmen Recreational Complex – 249 Sherk St
April 17 – 7 PM – Sarnia – Upper Hall Clearwater Arena – 1400 Wellington St.
April 18 – 7 PM – London – Fanshawe College Building T Room T1003 – 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd. – Free parking at any metered spots on campus after 6 PM
April 20 – 9 AM – Hamilton – Nash Auditorium Chedoke Hospital – Sanatorium Road – free parking in lot across from the auditorium
April 25 – 1 PM – North Huron (Wingham) – North Huron Wescast Community Complex – Hot Stove Lounge – 99 Kerr Drive
April 25 – 7 PM – South Huron (Exeter) – Exeter Firehall – 55 William Street
April 27 – 9 AM – Orillia/Rama – Rama Fire Hall – 7454 Williams Road in Rama
April 27 – 9 AM – Ottawa – Nepean Sailing Club – 3259 Carling Ave., Nepean
May 1 – 7 PM – Kitchener - Bingemans Conference Centre – 425 Bingemans Centre Drive
May 4 – 9 AM – Toronto – Environment Canada Headquarters – 4905 Dufferin St
May 8 – 7 PM – Toronto – Environment Canada Headquarters – 4905 Dufferin St
May 14 – 7 PM – Peterborough – Public Library – 345 Aylmer St. North
May 15 – 7 PM – Dufferin County – Centre Dufferin Recreational Complex – 200 Fiddlepark Lane - Shelburne
May 25 – 9 AM – Sudbury – Lionel E. Lalonde Centre, 239 Montee Principale, Azilda.
May 25 – 10 AM – Belleville – Belleville Library 3rd Floor Conference Room - 254 Pinnacle St
May 26 - 1 PM - Espanola - Pinewood Inn, 378 Centre St.
May 26 – 7 PM - Elliot Lake - Renaissance Centre (tentative), 20 Veterans Way
May 27 - 7 PM - Sault Ste. Marie - Delta Sault Ste. Marie, 208 St. Mary's Drive
May 29 – 7 PM - Timmins – Holiday Inn, 30 Algonquin Blvd West.
May 31 – 6:30 PM - North Bay - OPP Communications Centre - 877 Gormanville Road
June 5 – 6:30 PM – Renfrew – Best Western – 760 Gibbons Road

Regards,

Geoff Coulson
Warning Preparedness Meteorologist
Environment Canada

RaDAR-America Contest

Rapid Deployment Amateur Radio, often referred to by its acronym RaDAR, is a concept for operating an amateur radio station anywhere, anytime and even in adverse environmental conditions. This concept supports the amateur radio service’s emergency communications mandate and ECOA is very pleased to support this excellent concept.

Marcus KD0JKM is organising a RaDAR-America Contest - an event aimed at promoting the use of Rapidly Deployable Amateur Radio stations throughout North and South America. This contest is for all licensed radio amateurs.

A choice is made prior to the contest to participate in one of the defined categories. The points system is so structured as to encourage portable operation, especially moveable stations.

This contest will take place at the same time in South Africa (the Nation from which the idea originated), as it will here in the Americas - the first Saturday of April (the 6th) and first Saturday of November (the 2nd) starting at 14:00 UTC and ending at 18:00 UTC (4 hours operating time)

For more information on the RaDAR-America Contest, visit the website HERE.

This is an outstanding opportunity to shake off the winter dust and test out your Go-Kits and portable antennas.

Greater Toronto Area ARES Nets

Amateur Radio stations anywhere in the Greater Toronto Area are invited to check into the evening nets of the Toronto ARES Group.  The nets begin with a call out to roll call stations but the Net Control Station (VE3NCS) will also issue a call for any station anywhere to check in.

All weeknight nets start at 8.00 PM.

The Net on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday nights is a SIMPLEX net on 147.405 MHz. You must transmit a PL tone of 103.5 hz.

The Monday night net is held on the VE3TNC repeater (147.270+) in downtown Toronto. No tone required.

The Wednesday night net is held on the VA3GTU repeater 4B (444.850+) in downtown Toronto. 103.5 tone required.

The Friday night net is held on the VA3GTU repeater 4C (443.750+) in Scarborough. 103.5 tone required.

On Saturday nights additional nets are held at 8.30 PM on repeater VE3RPT (147.060+) and at 9.00 PM on 6 Meter repeater VA3ECT (53.390-).

On Sunday evening three nets are held at 8 PM a net is held on the VE3BEG repeater (224.860-). At 8.30 PM a simplex net is held on 446.025 MHz. At 9.00 PM a 6 Meter simplex net is held on 52.525 MHz. None of these 3 nets require a tone.

At 5.30 PM on Sundays, the GTA Regional Net is held on the CN Tower repeater VE3TWR 145.410-(103.5) and 444.400+.

By participating in any of these nets you are putting your radio on the air and ensuring that it is working properly.  You are also informing all the other Amateur Radio Operators in Toronto that you are on the map. That you exist.

Being an Amateur Radio Operator means you talk on a radio with other Amateur Radio Operators.  Checking into the ARES Nets is your best easy way to do that on VHF and UHF.

Well Done!

Most emcomm groups take part in the ARRL Field Day, but how many take part in the SPAR Winter Field Day?  Being able to do your job in the cold or the heat is paramount, and the same is true in emcomm. 

Our emcomm groups in Eastern Ontario all took part in Winter Field Day this year, setting up for the weekend and erecting antennas in -16C weather.   Not only did these groups deploy to isolated locations, some with electricity, some with batteries, and operate for the full 24 hours, they had to live, sleep, and cook in those conditions as well.

This is Canada, not all of our emergencies will take place in good weather.  In fact statistics tell us we have a greater chance of being called out in the winter than we do in the summer.  How would your group do?

Well done to the Eastern Ontario groups who practiced their winter operating skills.  They are really living up to ECOA's motto: "Utrinque Paratus" - Ready for Anything.

Western Sector Announcement

The ECOA Executive is extremely pleased to announce the appointment of Brett Gilbank- VE3ZBG, as the new Sector Manager for ECOA's Western Sector.

As Sector Manager Brett will be responsible for: Bruce County, Grey County, Huron County, Perth County, Lambton County, MIddlesex County, Oxford Regional Municipality, Essex County, Kent County, and Elgin County.

The ECOA Executive also looks forward to hearing of the CANWARN expansion in this Sector.  Brett brings a high level of experience to this position and we look forward to watching Western Sector grow over the next few months. 

New HF Emcomm Net

ECOA is pleased to announce that starting Tuesday, the 22nd January, 2013, it will be starting a new Emcomm HF Net.  This net will take place from 1915 till 2015 local time on 3.755 MHz.

Our net will start immediately after the Laurentian Net.

We would like to thank the ONTARS net, and Barry-VE3ISX, for facilitating space for this net.

New Sector Manager

The ECOA Executive is very pleased to announce the appointment of Russ Hemphill - VE3FI, as the new Sector Manager for ECOA's Central Sector.

As Sector Manager Russ will be responsible for: Northumberland County, City of Peterborough, County of Haliburton, City of Kawartha Lakes, Regional Municipality of Muskoka, County of Simcoe, and Parry Sound District.

Russ brings a high level of experience to this position and we look forward to watching grow the Sector over the  next few months.

The ECOA Executive looks forward to working with Russ through this exciting time of growth in our association.