Winter Field Day - The Saturday Report – by Bill Nangle, VE3CLQ

Winter Field Day - The Saturday Report – by Bill Nangle, VE3CLQ

2012/01/28

A slow day on the bands and I could hear a lot more than I could work.  I did hear quite a number of stations calling “CQ winter field day” and I managed to work three of them. 

 First up was KB3BHL in Georgetown, Delaware on 40 m. Then it was Joe, WA4VAG in Walton, Kentucky on 20 m.  Joe was using an ex-military PRC-70 putting out 45 W., and then it was back on 49 m. to work K8UO in Mount Clemens, Minnesota.  

 Only DX for the day was Anderson, CT2IUK in Caldas da Rainha, Portugal, on 17m.

 SFI today was 115.  The A index was 7, the K  index was 1, and the sunspot number was 39. Nothing really to get excited about. Maybe tomorrow will be better?  Weather today was not nice, - 3C in winds gusting up to 70 KPH and driving snow.

 I have an early morning start on Sunday. Frontenac Ares group are meeting at Lamoyne Point Conservation Area at 0600 L and plan on working the HF bands until about 1030 L, when we will break things down and go to breakfast. 

 Hope to work a few early birds ... hey, maybe VA3QV will be waiting for us to come up on 40 m.

 Listen out for VE3FCT.   ...   VE3CLQ,  Bill Nangle, F.C.A.R.E.S.

Winter Field Day - 2012/01/28 - QARC & P.E.R.C.

On Saturday, January 28, members of the Quinte Amateur Radio Club and the Prince Edward Radio Club set up an HF radio station in a parking lot at the waterfront in Belleville . VE3DAD, VE3UO, VE3UR, VE3UGT,VE3OCC,VA3THB,VE3EP and VA3WOW (most members of A.R.E.S.) worked the 10 m., 40 m. and 20 m. phone bands, finally making contact with a station in Maryland on 7158 KHz.

Former WWII spy dies in P.E.I.(2011/05)

A man who served as a British spy in the Second World War died in Charlottetown, P.E.I., this weekend at the age of 91.

Clifton Stewart died at his home Saturday.

In 1940, Stewart, an amateur ham radio operator, was recruited by British Service Co-ordination and was sent to the BSC's headquarters in New York, where his main task was to help develop radio communications equipment to receive and transmit secret information at a much faster pace than the hand-sent Morse code, he told the Charlottetown Guardian in 2009.

Stewart, who was then known only as W5, later spent time at Camp X, the secret Allied training centre near Oshawa, Ont., before being sent on several top-secret missions.

Although he was able to speak more openly about his time at Camp X after the statute of limitations ran out in 1995, there are some war-time secrets Stewart likely took to his grave.

"We have a separate oath that will go on forever, you see. Till death do us part," he told the Guardian. "Anything of significance will never be discussed."

Stewart was predeceased by his wife, Hilda. He leaves behind his four children, eight grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Taken from: http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2011/05/16/18153321.html

Amateur Radio Field Day - Loyalist A.R.E.S. Groups

From 2:00 p.m. Saturday (2011/06/25) until 2:00 p.m. Sunday (2011/06/26) members of the Prince Edward Radio Club, and the Quinte Amateur Radio Club were "on the air" from a grassy field near Lake on the Mountain, Prince Edward County.  Not far away, the members of the Frontenac County A.R.E.S. Group were operating their radios from Hay Bay.  They were just two of hundreds of groups of enthusiastic radio operators across North America who were making radio contact during the annual Amateur Radio Field Day. (See the previous article for more details of Amateur Radio Field Day.)

Amateur Radio Field Day - North Fulton, U.S.A.

Amateur Radio Field Day - North Fulton, U.S.A.

Weather disasters such as tornados that leveled homes and businesses in Tuscaloosa, AL and Ringgold make the work done by groups such as the North Fulton Amateur Radio League critical. When cell towers are down and power is out, communication can be nearly impossible.

Groups such as the North Fulton Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) team show how today's amateur (Ham) radio enthusiasts can provide a critical service.

Amateur radio operators will demonstrate their operating skills and emergency communications capabilities. This is not the “Ham” radio you may think about from years past, said Jim Paine, a member of NFARL. The group will display and use the latest technology in radio gear to communicate to other ham stations across the world using the new digital modes, as well as voice and Morse code.

NFARL members won't be alone on Field Day, which is an annual event nationwide for amateur radio enthusiasts to show their skills at communicating by radio. Hundreds of clubs are involved across the country using their personally owned radio equipment and providing their own back-up electrical power. This network of amateur radio operators has been crucial to maintaining reliable communications during hurricanes, blizzards, tornados, floods and other events that may disable normal communications, NFARL said.

For more information & photos:
http://alpharetta.patch.com/articles/north-fulton-amateur-radio-operators-demonstrate-gear-used-in-emergencies#photo-6579269

Amateur Radio Emergency Service Provides Communication for Bike Race in Newark, U.S.A.

NEWARK -- The Licking County Amateur Radio Emergency Service group will provide communications for the annual Tour de Cure bike race that will be going through Delaware, Knox and Licking counties.

ARES is part of the American Radio Relay League, the national organization for amateur radio.

Ham operators train regularly for communications readiness by engaging in drills and simulated emergency tests and by providing occasional communications for nonprofit groups' parades, races and other public events

Full article at:

http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20110608/NEWS01/106080341

Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour 2011

You can read more details and see more photos of the Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour 2011 at:
http://ve3clq.blogspot.com/