Monday, January 31, 2011

The Frontenac ARES Group's Winter Field Day Experience


from THE FRONTENAC TIMES (Newsletter of the Frontenac ARES Group)
February 2011

Well it was a great weekend for Winter Field Day. VE3FRG operated as a multi-indoor station. On Saturday, we had light snow and -5C and on Sunday, we had more snow and -18C.
The road into the cottage was interesting, as it was not properly ploughed out, and the “slide all over the road” factor was high, but we all made it safely, including Bill, VA3WOW, from Belleville.
Once we unloaded the small mountain of gear into the cottage and got the wood stove going it was back outside to string up the antennas. It took us a little over two hours to get two dipoles into the air and run the coax for them. Dave, 
VA3ORP, erected his vertical antenna and radial system on the lake ice and that took him over an hour to do.
It really is amazing just how much longer it takes to do simple things in the cold weather (about 4 times as long). The other winter problem we experienced was working with gloves on.  It’s very hard to do, and it is very easy to drop parts into the snow if you are not extremely careful…….and on that subject, George is looking for a new pair of wire cutters, if anybody has a spare pair. 

It took a good five hours for the cottage to warm up to a comfortable level, but after seeing the photo’s of Bob, VA3RCS, standing out in the cold and operating, I shall not complain…….because I know Bob would never let me forget it.
It was a tight fit with the 5 of us in the cottage, and sleeping space was at a premium……just ask Dave!
Don VE3MNE made his usual field day supper...."Gilroy's Gourmet Road Kill Chili", and as usual it was superb.
Bill VA3WOW contributed a very nice bottle of Cabernet merlot for supper, called "Cape One". It's a blend of Canadian and South African red wines and was outstanding. It is highly recommended to all our resident “winos”.
Operating wise, we made 70+ contacts, 35 on SSB, 1 on PSK31, and the remainder on CW. For the most part, the daytime propagation on the bands went from “bad” to outright “bloody miserable”. But, on Saturday evening 160m was just hopping with CW signals, but no SSB was to be heard. George, VE3SIQ, operated 20m to good success, and Don VE3MNE and Bill VE3CLQ operated 80m, 40m SSB and PSK31.
We made a number of good DX contacts, including EC2DX, Imanol in San Sabastian, Spain, YT1A, Vladan in Kraljevo, Serbia, PI4DX a club station in Walsoordeu, Netherlands, and IK6CWQ, Lou in Torrebecchia, Italy. Dave
also completed a CW contact to Paris, France, but I do not have the CW log to note the callsign.
Sunday morning Bill, VE3CLQ, checked into the Pothole Net, run by the Ottawa Valley Mobile ARC, and had three short QSO's with ED, VE3GX, Glenn, VE3XRA, and Ernest, VE3EJJ. He was hoping to have a short contact with Bob, VA3RCS, or Martin, VA3SIE, but they where nowhere to be found.
All-in-all it was a good weekend with lots of lessons learned.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Eldorado Gold Cup Sled-Dog Race (2011/01/22)

On Saturday, January 22, 2011, amateur radio operators from the Prince Edward County ARES group and the Hastings County ARES group in Loyalist ARES district were joined by local hams and those from as far away as Port Hope and Thornhill to provide communication for the annual Eldorado Gold Cup Sled-Dog Race south of Bancroft, ON.  
Tim (VE3UO) provided leadership as “net control".  Pete (VA3PGB), Susan (VA3PWS), Bob (VE3QWB), Matthew (VE3OCC), Joe (VA3JAD), Gary (VE3IVU) and Doug (VE3ZDG), were joined by Gord Hewitt (VE3GIH), Greg James (VE3GVJ) and Lee McMurter (VA3LHM), who traveled considerable distances to help out.  They provided communication from each road-crossing and race check-point to ensure the safety of race participants and spectators, as well as to transmit race results to the start/finish line. Lee’s father, Harry (VA3HJM), dropped by in the afternoon to see how things were going.
Race communication was conducted via a new 2m. repeater (146.610- MHz.) at McCrea, ON., operated by the Central Ontario Amateur Radio Club.  Those using the repeater were impressed by its coverage.

Friday, January 14, 2011

EC Report for the month of December, 2010 from Frontenac County in Loyalist District

Comments:
 Saturday, December 4th, saw members of FCARES manning radios at the
Frontenac County Administrative Office in order to take part in the 2010
EMO Provincial SET.   We were there from 1000 to 1200, and it was a lovely
sunny day with a brilliant blue sky…….it also wasn’t that cold, only about
-2C.

Contact was quickly established with VE3EMO in Toronto.  Most of the work
was done via the IRLP 9035 Node, but the Ontario Phone Net on 3.742 was
also used.

We also took part in the evening portion of the SET, with Bill VE3CLQ and
David VE3DZE looking after traffic on the IRLP link and on 80m with the
Ontario Phone Net from their home stations.

In January we plan on a digital workshop on the 9th, and we will be taking
part in the SPAR Winter Field Day on the last weekend of January.

EC Report for the month of December, 2010 from Prince Edward County in Loyalist District

Comments:
1 Dec Checked in 1100 ARES HF SET 3742

9 Dec attended annual mess dinner of 851 Squadron Air Cadets as ''subject
matter expert.''

10 Dec 1100 at Quinte Red Cross, communication test, with Tim Pekkonen
VE3TJU and Bob Moore VE3QWB, the Hastings and Prince Edward ARES Red Cross
Team, and Ron Sweet, Quinte Red Cross Disaster Services Manager. Via VE3TJU
in Picton,, attempted contact with Kingston Red Cross, Rod Ellis VE3RXE and
Melissa Fougere, District Disaster Manager. This was unsuccessful due to
problems between Kingston Red Cross and VE3TJU. Kingston ARES later
determined their power output was fine, some obstruction suspected.
Contact was later made using VE3KBR, but this was a replacement repeater
which later went out of service. We must solve the Kingston-Quinte Red
Cross communication problem. Perhaps Frontenac ARES new repeater on John
Orr Tower in Kingston will do it when it is installed. Red Cross is
planning for an Eastern Ontario wide surpirise exercise sometime between
Jan 1 and Mar 31. Red Cross Quinte also requested communication between
Belleville and Peterborough Red Cross offices. I later contacted the ARES
EC from Peterborough to begin working on this. Two repeaters seem to be
available for this.

11 Dec 1000 - 1200 at Picton Public Library, workshop on EMO IMS100 course,
with Ian Morrison VE3EP, Art Sinclair VE3SQG, Kevin Maylin VA3THB, Matthew
Dwight VE3OCC, Brian Williams VE3BRW of Hastings ARES. Problems signing on
to EMO website for course. Fortunately Kevin had printed hard copies of
course material. VE3EP, VE3SQG, VE3BRW completed the course within a few
days. VE3OCC had done the course in February, VA3THB yet to complete
course. Planning for another workshop in January for six remaining PE
Group members, probably at Essroc boardroom, thanks to Kevin.

16 Dec 0900 1300 with Matthew Dwight VE3OCC, to Napanee EOC to install
inside connector on 2 Metre antenna purchased and installed by Rebecca
Murphy CEMC Napanee and Dugald McDairmid of Greater Napanee. Tested to
VE3TJU with Tim Pekkonen VE3UO at his residence. Contact made with Eric
Reid VE3GSI mobile in Deseronto, on simplex. Heard subsequently that
Rebecca is buying a 2metre transceiver and power supply for the EOC.

20 Dec with Bill Milligan attended Kingston ARES group meeting, further
discussion of Red Cross test.

27 Dec 1030 with Owen Clark VE3ORC attempted to run VE3TJU generator but
apparantly water in the fuel line.

31 Dec 1030 replaced fuel in generator tank, replaced broken hand pump,
added antifreeze. Returned at 1430, generator ran with difficulty at first
then evenly for 45 minutes.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Amateur radio operators get through one way or another during emergencies

Amateur radio operators get through one way or another during emergencie.
PRESCOTT, ARIZONA, U.S.A. - When the Internet, cell phones, electricity and even police and fire radios won't work, amateur or "ham" radio operators come to the rescue.
See the complete article at:
http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=89044