Field Day 2012

From the ARRL website.......

ARRL Field Day is the single most popular on-the-air event held annually in the US and Canada.  Each year over 35,000 amateurs gather with their clubs, friends or simply by themselves to operate.

ARRL Field Day is not a fully adjudicated contest, which explains much of its popularity.  It is a time where many aspects of Amateur Radio come together to highlight our many roles. While some will treat it as a contest, most groups use the opportunity to practice their emergency response capabilities.  It is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate Amateur Radio to local elected community leaders, key individuals with the organizations that Amateur Radio might serve in an emergency, as well as the general public. For many clubs, ARRL Field Day is one of the highlights of their annual calendar.

So, what's your group doing next weekend????

Newest Ham

ECOA would like to send their congratulations to Aaron Wiik, VE3UDA, who has passed his Basic Amateur Radio Exam this week at the ripe old age of 10 years old!! 

It is very ironic that young Aaron should pass the exam at the young age of 10.  Currently there is a ham, in Ontario, who is trying to convince RAC to re-open the Foundation License talks of several years ago.

For those of you not aware of what a Foundation License is, they are currently available in the UK and Australia, and to get one you need to pass an extremely dumbed down version of our current Basic Exam, but you still get HF privileges....which is more than you get on our Basic License.....does that sound fair?

Anyway, it's a moot point.  The whole argument from the gentleman in Barrie is based upon the fact that he thinks the current exams are too difficult, and that ham radio should be available to all......we guess he doesn't understand that's what CB is for.

The ECOA point of view is that if a 10 year old can knuckle under and study and pass the Basic Exam, then surely a 30 year old can do the same....without dumbing it down any more than it currently is!

60 Meter Update

Our National Group has asked various operators to comment on the 60 Meter Consultation Bulletin in the previous blog.  However they have put it to us that they want us to go with, what they would like to have.
 As far as I am concerned we can all make up our own minds,  review the data, and comment as we see it.  I have researched what other countries are doing, in terms of bandwidth, power settings, amount of channels, operating modes, ect.
 I have listened on this new band, talked to 100s of amateurs from all over Canada, Usa, Europe, and some southern islands.  Industry Canada normally gives this a longer time period before they put out a consultation.  This means that they are in a hurry to get this development license turned back to a regular one for all the amateurs.  When this closes on June 12, they will post all the reviews they recieved from the amateurs ect, then they will work on it and give us a decision some time later this fall.
 I have sent in a submission which is more agressive than others,.  As Canadian Amateurs we should look in the future, and not follow old ideas, as others want us to,  as this hobby and technology is changing rapidly. 
 So lets put in agressive ideas, as we will only get one shot at this.  Take a look at what other countries are doing,  put it all together, and you will come up with solutions that will benefit Canadian Amateurs,   Yes we can think for ourselves.

73s
 Russ VX9GHD/ VE3FI

Industry Canada Announcement on 60meter band

Notice from Industry Canada re 60meter Assignment

DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY

RADIOCOMMUNICATION ACT

Notice No. SMSE-010-12

The purpose of this notice is to announce the release of the above-mentioned document, which initiates a consultation on the addition of a footnote to the Canadian Table of Frequency Allocations to allow the amateur radio service to operate on six frequencies in the 5 MHz range on a no-protection, no-interference basis. Industry Canada is also consulting on possible amendments to Regulation by Reference RBR-4, Standards for the Operation of Radio Stations in the Amateur Radio Service. These amendments specify emission designators, transmit power and occupied bandwidth for amateur radio service transmissions on these frequencies. — Consultation on Changes to the Canadian Table of Frequency Allocations and to RBR-4 to Allow for Amateur Radio Service Use in the 5 MHz Band.

Background

In 2010, the Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) approached Industry Canada and requested the use of five centre frequencies in the 5 MHz band, namely 5332 kHz, 5348 kHz, 5358.5 kHz, 5373 kHz and 5405 kHz. The RAC stated that the use of these frequencies would allow for more reliable communications during emergency operations. The RAC indicated that the propagation characteristics in the 5 MHz frequency range allow for both local and interprovincial communications.

The RAC highlighted that the U.S. amateur radio community has access to these frequencies and that harmonizing frequency use would allow Canadian radio amateurs to conduct regional emergency communications on a coordinated basis with U.S. radio amateurs. The RAC noted that many administrations around the world have authorized radio amateurs to use the frequency 5405 kHz.

The RAC also requested the use of two additional frequencies, 5319 kHz and 5329 kHz, for Canadian domestic use. After conducting a review of domestic and international use of the frequency 5319 kHz, Industry Canada determined that this frequency is unavailable for use by the amateur radio service in Canada.

This consultation provides an opportunity to comment on the use of six frequencies in the 5 MHz band by the amateur radio service and the associated technical rules for these frequencies.

Submitting comments

Respondents are requested to submit their comments in electronic format (WordPerfect, Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF) to the following email address: spectrum.engineering@ic.gc.ca, along with a note specifying the software, version number and operating system used.

Written submissions should be addressed to the Manager, Mobile Systems, Industry Canada, 300 Slater Street, 19th Floor, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0C8.

All submissions should cite the Canada Gazette, Part Ⅰ, the publication date, the title and the notice reference number (SMSE-010-12). To ensure consideration, parties should submit their comments no later than 30 days after the date of publication (June 12, 2012). Soon after the close of the comment period, all comments received will be posted on Industry Canada’s Spectrum Management and Telecommunications Web site at www.ic.gc.ca/spectrum.

Obtaining copies

Copies of this notice and of documents referred to herein are available electronically on Industry Canada’s Spectrum Management and Telecommunications Web site at www.ic.gc.ca/spectrum.

Official versions of Canada Gazette notices can be viewed at www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/index-eng.html. Printed copies of the Canada Gazette can be ordered by telephoning the sales counter of Publishing and Depository Services at 613-941-5995 or 1-800-635-7943.

May 4, 2012
MARC DUPUIS
Director General
Engineering, Planning and Standards Branch

Canwarn Update No. 3

Canwarn training has now been completed in a number of locations in Southwestern and Southcentral Ontario.

The attendance has been up at almost every venue from numbers we have seen in recent years. Great to see many familiar faces and also to meet new volunteers. This training release now includes the dates/times/venues for the Northwestern Ontario training as well as a correction to the Belleville training (starts at 10 AM not 9 AM) and the addition of a training session in Renfrew on June 6th. Also the start times for the Timmins session (6:30 PM) and the Temiskaming Shores session (6 PM) have been added to the list below after being accidentally omitted on Release 2.

I will be sending out another email in a couple of weeks with a reporting tip sheet and list of useful storm spotting websites once our summer students have had a chance to input the large number of new volunteers into the database.

Please find following the remaining CANWARN training sessions for the spring of 2012.

May 16 – Dufferin County – 7 PM Dufferin County Museum, Highway 89 and Airport Road in Mulmur

May 26 – Belleville – 10 AM – Belleville Library Conference Room, 254 Pinnacle St

May 26 – Sudbury – 9 AM – Lionel E. Lalonde Centre, 239 Montee Principale in Azilda

May 27 – Espanola – 1 PM – Pinewood Inn – 378 Centre St.

May 27 – Elliot Lake – 7 PM – Renaissance Centre, 20 Veterans Way

May 28 – Sault Ste Marie – 7 PM – Delta Sault Ste Marie, 208 St. Mary’s Drive

May 29 – Timmins – 6:30 PM – Timmins Inn and Suites, 1800 Riverside Drive

May 30 – Temiskaming Shores – 6 PM – College Boreal, 280 Armstrong St.

May 31 – North Bay – 6:30 PM - North Bay Public Library, 271 Worthington

June 4 – Thunder Bay – 7 PM - Room 196 Shuniah Building, Confederation College, William and Edward St.

June 5 – Atikokan – 7 PM - Atikokan Fire Hall, 101 Goodwin St.

June 6 – Fort Frances/Emo – 7 PM - Lavallee Community Centre in Emo, 78 Colonization Road

June 6 – Renfrew – 6:30 PM – Best Western, 760 Gibbons Road

June 7 – Kenora – 7 PM – Fire and Emergency Services Facility and Regional Training Centre, 100 14th Street North

June 11 – Dryden – 7 PM – Dryden Fire Services Training Room – 189 Colonization Avenue

Geoff Coulson
Warning Preparedness Meteorologist |
Météorologue de sensibilisation aux conditions menaçantes
Ontario Region Client Services |
Service à la clientèle, Région de l'Ontario
Environment Canada | Environnement Canada
Goverment of Canada | Gouvernement du Canada
4905 Dufferin St | 4905 rue Dufferin
Toronto, ON M3H 5T4

60 Meter News by Russ Hemphill VX9GHD

Its been over a month now that the new developmental 60 meter band has been opened up the Canadian Amateurs. The first couple of nights that I was on, I had a pileup from the USA, wanting to get another country for this Band.  They were very polite and eager to talk to Canadians and are hopeful more will come on in the future.  At the moment we only have about ten amateurs on in Ontario and Quebec.  Not all the licensed amateurs have been able to get on the air yet.  I know more are coming on soon, once they recieve their license and get an antenna for the 5 channels we are on. 
 The band is works well when is not noisy, which is has been for the last couple of days.  I have managed to talk into England, Ireland, Spain, and the Bahamas. 
 Hopefully we will here more amateurs across Canada in the next few weeks.   I will keep updating the blog with more information as it comes in.  
 So if you here me on  give me a call.
73s   Russ VX9GHD

Update - Bill 118

On April 16, 2012, the MTO posted a regulatory notice proposing a change to Ontario Regulation # 366/09 (Display Screens and Hand-Held Devices) that would extend the current exemption for licenced amateur radio operators for an additional five years.

As you know, the exemption was due to expire at the end of this calendar year, and radio amateurs in Ontario have been lobbying their provincial members of parliament for a permanent exemption ever since this regulation was introduced back in 2009. Radio amateurs across Ontario will continue to provide comments to the Road User Safety Branch of MTO on this issue and will continue to press until we get a permanent exemption.

However, a 5-year extension is certainly welcome at this point in time, but is not the ultimate resolution that we have been seeking.

The only other group to obtain an extension are commercial, public transit, and public function drivers.

You can view the notice in the provincial registry at:
http://www.ontariocanada.com/registry/view.do?postingId=9043&language=en

ECOA welcomes this news and requests that amateurs in Ontario continue to use common sense while driving and using their mobile radios, and that they keep constant pressure on the MTO for a permanent exemption.