VA3DBJ (Maverick)

Changes to the RAC Field Organization

Changes to the RAC Field Organization Sections Effective January 1, 2023 – As previously reported, on May 25, 2022, the Board of Directors of Radio Amateurs of Canada approved changes to the RAC Field Organization which will take effect on January 1, 2023.  The RAC Field Organization will be reorganized into the following Sections effective January 1, 2023: •        Newfoundland and Labrador…

Amateur Radio Operators Invited to participate in Asteroid Bounce Experiment

ARRL – The High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) will be conducting a research campaign/experiment on December 27, 2022, with transmissions between 1100 – 2300 UTC (0200 – 1400 AKST). This experiment will reflect HAARP transmissions off of Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) 2010 XC15, and the echo will be received by the Owens Valley Radio Observatory Long Wavelength Array (OVRO-LWA) at…

RAC Online Basic Amateur Radio Course: Spring 2023

Registration for Spring 2023 RAC Basic Course is now underway! https://www.rac.ca/basic-radio-course-spring-2023/For immediate release: Radio Amateurs of Canada is once again offering an online Amateur Radio course so that individuals from all across Canada can obtain their Amateur Radio Operator Certificate with Basic Qualification. The course will again be conducted with the assistance of…

RAC Canada Winter Contest 2022

In December each year, Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) sponsors the Canada Winter Contest. Amateursall over the world are invited to participate. Contest Period: 0000 UTC to 2359 UTC onDecember 17, 2022. Bands and Modes: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6 and 2 metres, CW andphone (SSB, FM, AM, etc.) Suggested frequencies: CW – 25 kHz up from the band edge and forSSB – 1850, 3775, 7075*, 7225, 14175,…

Upcoming ARISS Contact with Maitland Air Cadets

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and Youth Members of the Maitland Air Cadet Squadron located in Goderich, Ontario. The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for December 16, 2022 at 12:25 pm EST (Goderich) (17:25 UTC, 11:25 am CST, 10:25 am MST, 9:25…

Current Status of ISS Ham Radios Updated

as of November 18, 2022​Columbus Module radios: IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS – Configured. Default mode is for cross band repeater (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down).  ​​​​ Powered OFF for RS EVA on November 25. OFF Nov. 24 about 16:30 UTC. ON Nov 26 about 16:00 UTC. Powered OFF for US EVA on November 29. OFF Nov. 28 about 16:15 UTC. ON Nov 30 about 10:00 UTC. Powered OFF for US…

Artemis 1 Mission Heads to the Moon

To the moon, again! NASA launched the Artemis I mission from Florida at 1:47 a.m. ET on Wednesday morning, with the agency’s most powerful rocket ever kicking off a nearly month-long journey with a ground-shaking liftoff. While no astronauts are onboard, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket carried the Orion capsule to space in a demonstration for NASA’s lunar program. Artemis I will not land…

Cobourg Repeater Update…. For many years the VE3ULR Link System owned and operated the VE3RTR 145.150 repeater at Rice Lake/Cobourg. The repeater was first put on the air about 1985-1989 (we’re not sure) VE3ULR link system shut down several years ago. Since 2006 myself (VE3RWN) and James VE3RSJ have maintained the repeaters as an individual effort because we know the amateur community used…

Simultaneous APRS and Voice Repeater on the International Space Station

08/15/2022 ARISS, Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, announced that simultaneous operations of the ARISS Voice Repeater and digital APRS communications on the Space Station is now a reality.  Current ARISS operations include voice repeater transmissions with the JVC Kenwood D710GA in the Columbus module and APRS packet operation from an identical radio in the Service Module…

Upcoming ARISS Contact in Cambridge, Ontario

Upcoming ARISS Contact in Cambridge, Ontario on Thursday, August 18, 2022 Youth at the Cambridge Public Library and Idea Exchange speak with Astronaut Kjell Lindgren, KO5MOS For immediate release: Youth at the Public Library and Idea Exchange in Cambridge, Ontario will have their chance to speak to astronaut Kjell Lindgren, KO5MOS, onboard the International Space Station. On Thursday, August…

Military plans to create Canadian Space Division

“We are looking forward to this very important milestone in the further development of the RCAF’s capabilities and skills for space operations.” From: Ottawa Citizen The Canadian Forces will create a new group to focus on the growing importance of space to military operations and the country’s security. The idea of establishing a Canadian Space Division has been circulating at National Defence…