N1MM Logger for ARRL Field Day

It seems that the two most popular logging software programs are N1MM Logger+ and N3FJP Logger. Both operate only on Microsoft Windows, so if you're using Linux you either need to use Wine or a different logging program.

I've used N1MM for contest logging for a long time, but I feel I've only scratched the surface of its capabilities. It has hundreds of features designed to shave fractions of a second from the contest exchange and logging process. Calling it a logger is an understatement, as it can also control and operate the radio by sending CW or recorded voice messages. It also knows how to interoperate with WSJT-X or JTDX for use with FT8/FT4 and other modes.

N3FJP is also very popular. It is simpler than N1MM+ and has fewer features, although its capabilities have been increasing steadily. Most of our operators on Field Day use it. It costs around $10-20 for a perpetual licence including updates.

Let me give an example of shaving fractions of seconds from the exchange. The CW in N1MM+ messaging facility will send CQ for you, as well as the contest exchange (e.g. "5A GTA" that the club station uses on field day) and the final thank you at the end of the exchange as well as messages like "AGN?" which can be useful from time to time. The CW can be tailored to speed up when there's something that is totally expected by the other station, like his own call sign, then slow down again when the exchange information is sent. Another example is that the spacing between CW characters can be changed from the standard 7 dits to 6 dits. That might reduce the message time by 50ms or so, which might add up to 5 or 10 more contacts over a 24 hour contest.

Learning N1MM+ can be daunting, but well worth the the time invested. The first time I used it I had it set up for RTTY in a hour or so. Support by N1MM himself and the team is excellent on the Google group and the program is free-of-charge (but not open source). I don't use N1MM+ for my general logging but after the contest I can produce an ADIF format file for upload to my regular logger which I then use to confirm the contacts in ARRL Logbook of the World.

It is truly an amazing and comprehensive tool to make your contest experience fun and productive. Here's a link to a video by the RATPAC team (who have lots of great videos) on using N1MM+ on ARRL Field Day.

Topic: N1MM Logger for Field Day

Speaker/Presenter: Anthony Luscre, K8ZT
View Video: https://vimeo.com/561658305
Download Video: https://vimeo.com/user107547861/download/561658305/d3de10fd9e
Documents: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1mvexqaudmkd4jc/AABgFaleuXUzwDVtiK8XZek0a?dl=0

Minutes - YRARC Board of Directors 2017-06-20

Meeting held in the Magna Centre, Multi Purpose Room 1. Called to Order at 19:00 by Chris VE3NRT
Board members attending:

• Chris VE3NRT Pres.
  
• John VE3IPS V. Pres.
  
• John VA3JI Treasurer
  
• Geoff VA3GS
  
• Eric VE3EB
  
• Doug VE3ATP
  
• David VA3DCY Secty
  
• Rick VA3VO
  
• Barry VA3LLT
  

Absent: Steve VE3UT Other attending: Charles VA3TTB, Mike VA3MCT Secretary's note: Board members finishing their terms are Chris VE3NRT, John VA3JI, Doug VE3ATP and Steve VE3UT. Newly elected board members are Chris VE3NRT, Steve VE3UT, Charles VA3TTB and Mike VA3MCT

1. Approval of agenda and declaration of conflict of interest: Chris VE3NRT
   
   • Additional item: Internet link for trailer- Doug VE3ATP
     
   • Motion to adopt the agenda, moved Geoff VA3GS, seconded Barry VA3LLT. Carried.
     
2. Minutes: David VA3DCY. Motion to adopt the minutes of the 2017/05/16 meeting, moved John VA3JI, seconded John VE3IPS. Carried.,
   
3. Treasurer's Report: John VA3JI
   
   • Opening Balance 2016/06/01 (Balance available to members on request to secretary)
     
     • Income: Field Day food (pre-pay) $300.00
       
     • Field Day food (pre-pay) $15.00
       
     • Total income $315.00
       
   • Expenditures: Barry – gas for trailer gen. $7.54
     
   • Geoff – AGM food $46.97
     
   • Info cards (printing) $135.60
     
   • Field Day food $1050.00
     
   • Total expenditures -$1,240.11
     
   • Closing Balance 2017/06/20 (Balance available to members on request to secretary)
     
   • Moved by John VA3JI, seconded by Rick VA3VO to adopt the treasurer's report. Carried.
     
4. Field Day Report: Rick VA3VO
   
   • We have purchased the non-perishable food items.
     
   • The tower trailer has been delivered by Doug VE3ATP.
     
   • The meat has been purchased.
     
   • The 30lb propane tank has been filled, but it expires next month. We will need to replace the tank.
     
   • It is undecided what band(s) to use for GOTA.
     
   • Invitations to area officials have been sent, but no response has been received yet.
     
5. Public Service Report: Eric VE3EB. Past events were the Mount Albert 5K Walk/Run, June 3 and the Aurora Street Sale, June 4, with both events having a good turnout from members. Unfortunately the Police Venturers were not able to attend the Aurora event as hoped. Upcoming events include the Sharon Temple Heritage Day on June 8, the Sharon Temple Canada Day celebration on July 1 and the Newmarket music festival in mid August.
   
6. Trailer: Barry VA3LLT. Motion 2017-06-20-6 to approve payment $126.00 for gas for the trailer generator. Moved Geoff VA3GS, seconded Rick VA3VO. Carried.
   
7. Board Officers and Responsibilities: Chris VE3NRT. Chris gave a brief explanation of the duties of officers of the club, including the president, vice-president, treasurer and secretary, plus other board and committee responsibilities.
   
8. Hamfest: Geoff VA3GS
   
   • Geoff announced the new prices for admissions at the hamfest. Admission, now $8 per person (up $1 from $7) and the price for tables, now $27 (down $1 from $28).
     
   • The Aurora Lions Club will again be asked to do the catering.
     
   • The date is Saturday November 4.
     
9. Trailer Internet: Doug VE3ATP
   
   • Doug offered the club an available antenna on his tower at 300' for an internet link to the trailer.
     
   • Two 900 MHz radios would be needed – one at his site and one in the trailer.
     
10. EmComm: John VE3IPS. For the recent SET, the trailer was used at the Bales Drive as the hub of the operation. Communication was set up with the regional EOC and with mobiles around the region. Markham needs work to reach Bales Drive (little or no communication possible). John is in contact with Bonnie to coordinate future events.
    

Meeting adjourned at 20:00 Moved by Eric VE3EB, seconded by John VA3JI. Carried
On-Line Motion 2017-06-22-1 to approve payment $785.80 for Markham Fair hamfest deposit.

Minutes - General Meeting 2017-04-04

Meeting held in the Sharon Temperance Hall. Called to Order at 19:30 by Chris VE3NRT. Total members attending: 32

1. Welcome & Introductions – Chris VE3NRT
   
2. Adoption of the Minutes from the 2017/03/07 general meeting postponed until May.
   
3. Harvey Bell Award: Nominations for the Harvey Bell award should be forwarded to the board and/or the secretary for consideration.
   
4. Bylaws: Suggestions for changes or amendments to the bylaws should be forwarded to the board and/or the president for consideration.
   
5. 3D Printing: The Barrie ARC has been making useful amateur related items such as PowerPole breakouts and Pi cases using a 3D printer. Mike VE3MKX had some of the items for sale and display. See also http://barrie-wax-group.dyndns.org/
   
6. Field Day and Repeater Report – Steve VE3UT:
   
   • Summer Field Day will be at the same location as last year – Al's Ride on Vandorf Rd. Steve will visit the site in the next few weeks to plan a new layout, since the property has been subdivided and we will need to fit our stations within the new boundaries.
     
   • Food Costs are increasing, with a possible increase in the price of 'food tickets'.
     
7. There has been recent malicious interference on our repeaters, resulting in a letter being sent to IC, making a formal complaint about the offender. Since IC may now be monitoring our repeaters, each user is reminded to properly identify and use proper operating procedures. If necessary, we may possibly be required to shut down links between repeaters, or shut down repeaters.
   
8. Field Day Food – Peter VE3PBT: Food costs were $814 in 2014, $844 in 2015 and $864 in 2016. For 2017 the expected cost will be $976 (almost $1000). In order to purchase the proper amount of food, we need a commitment of the numbers attending SFD and wanting to be fed by the AGM in June. Doug VE3VS asked 'how many would be attending' and the answer was approximately 50 based on past attendance. Doug proposed charging $15 per person this year (50 x$15 = $750) to better cover the food costs. A show of hands supported his proposal.
   Peter's daughter Sherri, is currently in hospital, recovering from surgery. In past years she has helped Peter in the Field Day Kitchen, but will likely not be able to participate this year. As a result, this year Peter will need extra help in the kitchen from club members.
   
9. Treasurer’s Report – John VA3JI
   
   • Opening Balance 2017/03/01 [Balance available to members on request to Secretary]
     
   • Income: Membership dues $75.00
     
   • Expenditures: New projector $536.73
     
   • Closing Balance 2017/04/04 [Balance available to members on request to Secretary]
     
   • Moved the treasurer's report be adopted, by John VA3JI, seconded Brian VE3IBW. Carried
     
10. Auditor: We need a new auditor, since our present auditor is not able to continue in the position. The auditor can not be currently on the board, but professional accreditation is not required. Doug Smith VE3XV, a new member, volunteered for the position.
    
11. Public Service – Eric VE3EB. There are currently 9 public service events posted on the Yahoo group. Other events need to be confirmed.
    
12. EmComm – Robert VA3BXG. The last 2 EmComm meetings have been cancelled due to low participation. The next meeting will be cancelled, due to the Easter weekend. There will be a SET (simulated emergency test) on Saturday May 27 for the Golden Horseshoe area, including the Western New York and Barrie areas. Instead of activating areas like EOCs, the focus will be on setting up temporary stations (probably outside) at arenas, community centres or similar locations in your own neighbourhood, where emergency shelters could possibly be located. Communication will be made using 2m equipment (subject to change). The SET would run from 08:00 to 13:00.
    

Break 20:10 – 20:25

Guest Speaker Bob VE3WY – “Antennae for Limited Space”. A 1/4 wave 80m vertical antenna would be approximately 62ft high, and the ground radials would be approximately 60ft long (in all directions). Guying the tower at 60 degrees would require 70 ft of ground space. If the height of the antenna was reduced to 30ft and bottom loaded, the match would be bad. If centre loaded the match would improve, and with a top hat, the match would be better. All of the radiation patterns would be similar.

A 30ft tall, 100ft horizontal inverted “L” antenna would also have gain.

An 80m horizontal dipole would be approximately 128 ft long, with an impedance of approximately 72 Ohms (in free space). Height above ground affects impedance and the radiation pattern. At 15ft above ground the impedance would be only 7.4 Ohms and the pattern would be vertical. At 30ft above ground, the impedance would be 26.6 Ohms, at 60ft above ground, 75 Ohms and at 100' above ground, 95 Ohms. At greater heights, the pattern would become less vertical and more horizontal.

If the dipole was shortened to 60ft long with loading coils 15ft from centre, the impedance would be 44.4 Ohms (in free space). The result: it is possible to fit an antenna into limited space (including the attic of a townhouse, and watch the cable company go crazy looking for their faulty installations).

Meeting adjourned at 21:05.

Minutes YRARC Board of Directors 2017-04-18

Meeting held in the Magna Centre, Multi Purpose Room 1. Called to Order at 19:10 by John VA3JI – meeting later chaired by John VE3IPS. Board members attending: John VE3IPS V. Pres. John VA3JI Treasurer, Steve VE3UT, Geoff VA3GS Eric VE3EB, Doug VE3ATP, David VA3DCY Secty, Rick VA3VO, Barry VA3LLT. Absent: Chris VE3NRT Pres. Others attending: Doug VE3XV

1. Approval of agenda and declaration of conflict of interest: John VA3JI. Motion to adopt the agenda, moved Geoff VA3GS, seconded Eric VE3EB. Carried.
   
2. Minutes: David VA3DCY. Motion to adopt the minutes of the 2017/03/21 meeting, moved David VA3DCY, seconded Barry VA3LLT. Carried.
   
3. Treasurer's Report: John VA3JI
   
   • Opening Balance 2016/04/01 [Available to members on request to secretary]
     
   • Income: Dues $50.00
     
   • Expenditures: None $0.00
     
   • Moved by John VA3JI, seconded by Geoff VA3GS to adopt the treasurer's report. Carried.
     
4. Summer Field Day: Steve VE3UT.
   
   • Steve is working with Peter VE3PBT to create a food budget. At the last general meeting it was proposed that we charge $15 per person for food for the weekend meals. Following a discussion it was decided to charge $15 per person for Field Day food if payment is received by the annual general meeting (AGM) in June. The charge would increase to $20 per person if payment is received after the cut-off date. The purpose of having 2 different prices, is to encourage members to commit early, so that Peter can better estimate the quantity of food to buy. We will issue wrist bands at check-in as proof of payment.
     
   • Moved by Steve VE3UT, seconded by Geoff VA3GS that we charge $15 per person for Field Day food, if paid by the AGM, and $20 per person if paid after the AGM. Carried.
     
5. Trailer Hilomast: Barry VA3LLT
   
   • The top section of the mast needs repair. Barry VA3LLT and Steve VE3UT removed the top section of the mast and brought it to the meeting to show the damage. They had previously taken the mast section to 'Rob the machinist' a friend of Rob VE3RQB.
     
   • The mast had split along the very thin section where a key way was cut into the material, likely caused by water entering the tubing, remaining there during the winter and freezing.
     (There was discussion about removing the top section, draining it and adding antifreeze to prevent future damage.)
     Rob gave them several options to repair the mast section.
     
   • Welding the crack was not an option since the heat would likely bend the tubing making it useless as a mast section.
     
     • Option 1 – insert a solid bar inside to reinforce the existing tube. Cost about $40 to $50
       
     • Option 2 – make a new tube from thicker aluminum. Cost about $230
       
     • Option 3 – make an new top section from solid aluminum with a 10” hole drilled in the top. Cost about $250
       
   • The 3 options were voted on to determine which option to choose. Option 1 – 2 votes, Option 2 – 5 votes, Option 3 – 2 votes.
     
   • Moved by Rick VA3VO, seconded by Steve VE3UT that we proceed with option 2 to have the mast section repaired locally with a cost of $300 max. Carried
     
   • Moved by Rick VA3VO, seconded by Barry VA3LLT that because we need the repairs done a quickly as possible, this should be considered an emergency repair, and it would not need to be approved in advance by the membership. Carried
     
6. Public Service: Eric VE3EB
   
   • There will be no MADD ride or EMS ride.
     
   • The first event will be the Mount Albert 5K Walk/Run on June 3.
     
   • Future events include: Mount Albert 5K Walk/Run - June 3, Aurora Street Festival – June 4, Sharon Temple Heritage Celebration - June 8, Sharon Temple Canada Day - July 1,
     Sharon Temple Sharon Soundbites - July 23, Newmarket Music Festival (returned to the old location - Riverwalk Commons) – Aug. 25, 26 & 27, Sharon Temple Illumination - Sept. 8, Sharon Temple Weaving Words - Sept. 17 and Run for the Cure Richmond Hill - Oct 1.
     
   • Eric would like to have pamphlets to hand out at public service events, and will investigate the cost.
     
   • The web site needs to be updated. Someone with Joomla experience is needed. It was suggested that a contest for students (similar to the contest for a new club logo a few years ago) might be a possibility.
     The web site should be downsized to make it more manageable.
     
   • Moved by Rick VA3VO, seconded by John VA3JI that Geoff VA3GS and Eric VE3EB explore updating the web site. Carried
     
7. Auditor: Doug VE3XV
   
   • Doug presented his interim audit report.
     
   • There were procedures where he found them to be acceptable.
     
   • Some items such as inventory and insurance would need further investigation before his final report.
     
8. Hamfest: Geoff VA3GS
   Geoff proposed that for the hamfest this fall, that we rent halls 1 and 2 and not halls 2, 3 and 4.
   Hall 1 is now available and would be large enough to hold all of the vendors that have been in halls 3 and 4. Hall 2 would continue to be the assembly area before the event opened. Further discussion to be held at a later time.
   
9. Foxhunt: John VE3IPS. No further foxhunts are being planned at this time.
   
10. EmComm: John VE3IPS. The status of further EmComm meetings is unknown. The Trillium Grant proposal is on hold.
    
11. D-Star: John VE3IPS. There is an upgrade to D-Star. John will investigate.
    
12. Hammond Museum: John VE3IPS. The date for the visit to the museum is Saturday June 17.
    
13. Trailer repairs: Rick VA3VO. The brakes on the railer need to be adjusted. This will be discussed at the nest meeting.
    

Meeting adjourned at 21:30. Moved by John VA3JI, seconded by Steve VE3UT. Carried

Minutes - YRARC General Meeting 2017-05-02

Meeting held in the Sharon Temperance Hall. Called to Order at 19:30 by Chris VE3NRT. Total members and guests attending: 43. Guests attending 3.

1. Welcome & Introductions – Chris VE3NRT.
   
2. Adoption of the Minutes from the 2017/03/07 and 2017/04/04 general meeting postponed until June.
   
3. AGM – Chris VE3NRT. Our annual general meeting will be held next month (June 6). The BBQ will start at 18:00 followed by the regular monthly meeting and the AGM.
   At the AGM we will need to elect 5 new directors for terms of 2 years. Chris VE3NRT will be ending his 4 year run as president. The AGM needs to be chaired by a club member (not the president).
   
4. Harvey Bell Award: Nominations for the Harvey Bell award should be forwarded to the board and/or the secretary for consideration.
   
5. Treasurer’s Report – John VA3JI
   
   • Opening Balance 2017/05/01 [Available to members upon request to Club Secretary]
     
   • Income: Membership dues $50.00
     
   • Adjustment $0.08
     Total income $50.08
     
   • Expenditures: Field Day food $1050.00
     
   • Total expenditures $1050.00
     
   • Closing Balance 2017/05/02 [Available to members upon request to Club Secretary]
     
   • Moved the treasurer's report be adopted, by John VA3JI, seconded Brian VE3IBW. Carried
     
6. Public Service – Eric VE3EB. The upcoming events include June 3, Mount Albert Run, Jun3 4 Aurora Street Sale and July 1 Canada Day at the Sharon Temple.
   
7. EmComm – Robert VA3BXG. The upcoming events include the Emergency Preparedness Fair May12 and the SET May 27. For the EPF, we need a trailer puller and 3 to 4 other members to attend the fair. The SET (simulated emergency test) will test communications within the region and the Golden Horseshoe area, possibly including the Western New York and Barrie areas. Communications will use HF with NVIS antennae and 2m. Locations will be sites that could be used as emergency shelters such as community centres.
   
8. Hammond Museum – John VE3IPS. The trip to the Hammond Museum is scheduled for June 17. It will include a museum tour and a tour of the Hammond plant celebrating the 100th anniversary of the plant.
   
9. Trailer – Barry VA3LLT. We are in the process of having a new top section of the mast on the trailer fabricated, to replace the section that was damaged, probably by water freezing inside the tube. The cost will be approximately $250 and it should be ready in about a week or two.
   
10. Trailer Brakes – Rob VE3RQB. The brakes on the trailer need to be adjusted, and a trailer inspection should also be done.
    
11. Hamfest – Geoff VA3GS. The hamfest will be held on November 4 at the same location, the Markham Fair Grounds. Last year hall 4 was not full. This year, instead of using hall 3 and 4 for vendors, we have the opportunity to use the larger hall 1 for all vendors. Hall 2 will still be used as an entrance and gathering hall.
    
12. Summer Field Day – Steve VE3UT. This year we will charge $15 per person for food for the weekend. This will help reduce the cost that the club needs to pay for food.
    To give Peter VE3PBT a good idea of how much food to purchase, those attending Field Day are encouraged to pay by the AGM (June 6). After the AGM the cost per person will be $20.
    
13. Other Business. John VE3POJ noted that there is a CanWarn training session on Saturday May 6 with other sessions scheduled as well.
    

Break 20:15 – 20:30

Guest Speaker Steve VE3EZ – “Solar Heating and an 80m Loop Antenna” Steve talked about his new hot water solar heating project. His previous hot water heating was an open loop project where water was heated directly by the sun and stored in a tank above the collectors. His new project uses a closed loop. The sun heats a liquid in a copper tube which is contained inside a glass tube. As the liquid boils, it rises to a copper bulb which is surrounded by glycol, and heats the glycol. The glycol is pumped to a heat exchanger beside a 200 gal water heater tank, which heats the domestic hot water. In winter if enough hot water is not available, the temperature is boosted by a separate electric water heater. His second project was a 80 m loop antenna, supported by existing towers and additional posts. The antenna is corner fed with a 4:1 voltage balun, uses stranded insulated wire, and has insulators at the 4 corners. Each side of the antenna is 65' and it is suspended 40' above the ground. The antenna is multi banded and performs better than his full length G5RV antenna. It is omni-directional with low noise.

Meeting adjourned at 21:15.

Thoughts on Field Day Catering

By Peter Burgess VE3PBT

The message I have been receiving over the last year or so is concern over the use of club funds and the lack of income. As food /refreshments: as in coffee and snacks at each meeting , AGM barbeque , Field day , and Christmas Party are probably one of the largest expenses the club incurs on an annual basis. Field day and AGM BBQ amount to approximately $1400.00 a year. Meeting costs and Christmas Party are not handled by me therefore the costs are not known by me.

In the last two years we have off set the field day cost by charging those attending a $10.00 for three meals, Lunch, supper, breakfast and beverages. The meals are not the cheapest of fare or the most expensive we have tried to provide good appetizing food at the least cost, but as we all realize the additional taxes hydro costs and cap and trade are increasing.

• 2014 Field Day food costs were $814.00
  
• 2015 Field Day food costs were $844.00 $30 increase aprox. 3.7%
  
• 2016 Field Day food costs were $864.00 $20 increase aprox. 2.3%
  

The small increase in costs from 2014 are due to reducing deserts, buying large cuts of meat, using existing club supplies and consistently looking out for reduced or special prices 2017 PREDICTED COST up (13%) $976.00 based on the same format we have been using for previous meals and including replacing the basic club supplies (paper plates, knives, forks, spoons, napkins and many misalliances other items).

Normally we base the cost for the kitchen on 50 people (by working a little magic we can handle up to 60 for the same amount)

• $976 divided by 50 = $19.57 each round to $20.00
  
• If these costs are too high, there are various options to reduce the clubs expenditures.
  
  • Each person brings their own food, club supplies the beverages.
    
  • Reduce the menu to simple fair by purchasing food at Nofrills etc. using the same assessment of $10
    
  • Keeping the same format and increasing the assessment to $20.00
    

And the club picks up the cost of propane, gas and toilets

We are open to other suggestions and options but the final date for commitment and payment will be at the AGM meeting in June

Ve3pbt
Peter Burgess

Minutes of the York Region Amateur Radio Club General Meeting 2016-06-07

Meeting held in the Sharon Temperance Hall. Called to Order at 19:30 by Chris VE3NRT. Total members attending: 37. Guests attending: 4

1. Welcome & Introductions – Chris VE3NRT
   
2. Adoption of Minutes from 2016/05/03 general meeting, moved by Anthony VE3HIS, seconded by Barry VA3LLT. Carried.
   
3. General Announcements – Chris VE3NRT. Nominations for the Harvey Bell Award should be submitted to the secretary.
   
4. Treasurer’s Report – John VA3JI
   
   • Opening Balance 2016/03/01 [Available to members on request to Secretary]
     
   • Income - Membership dues: $25.00
     
   • Expenditures - Shelter $499.39
     
   • Food for Field Day $1000.00
     
   • Trailer maintenance $28.70
     
   • Closing Balance 2016/04/01 [Available to members on request to Secretary]
     
   • Note: The trailer insurance invoice will be payable in August, estimated cost $875.
     
   • Motion that the treasurer's report be adopted, moved John VA3JI, seconded Eric VE3EB Carried.
     
5. Public Service Report – Eric VE3EB. Recent public service events included:
   
   • Saturday, May 14, Cancer Recovery Foundation 5K Run/Walk, Sutton
     
   • Thursday May 19, Sharon Temple
     
   • Saturday, May 28, MADD York-Simcoe Riders Poker Run
     
   • Saturday June 4, Mt. Albert 5K Run/Walk
     
   • Sunday, June 5, Aurora Street Festival.
     
   • Upcoming public service events include:
     
   • Friday, July 1, Canada Day – Sharon Temple
     
   • July 29 to August 1, Newmarket Jazz Fest Ray Twinney Recreation Complex
     
   • October, CIBC Run for the Cure.
     
6. Field Day and Repeaters – Steve VE3UT.Field day will be on the weekend of June 25/26 at Al's Tack Shop, same location as last year. Setup will be on Friday for the kitchen and shelter, and for non-radio items. Rick VA3VO will be on site to provide security beginning Friday night. Repeater VE3YRC-V (Aurora) is being repaired, and the controller is being upgraded while the repeater is off-site.
   
7. EmComm Report – Robert VA3BXG. Some of the tests from the May 28 SET were successful, but some were not. There will be an EmComm meeting on Thursday June 9, and a possible Fox Hunt in the future. John VE3IPS has assumed the role of AEC, Assistant Emergency Coordinator. General Meeting adjourned at 19:55 – moved by Bill VE3QB, seconded Garrett VA3PYP. Carried.
   
8. Moved by Barry VA3LLT, seconded by Roger VE3ROG that Ron KG4CVL be appointed as Chair for the AGM. Carried.
   
9. Moved by Chris VA3DXZ, seconded by Benny VE3MUU that David VA3DCY be appointed as Secretary for the AGM. Carried.
   

Meeting adjourned

Minutes - YRARC Board of Directors 2016-05-17

Meeting held in the Magna Centre, Multipurpose Room 1. Called to Order at 19:05 by Chris VE3NRT. Board members attending: Chris VE3NRT, Steve VE3UT, John VA3JI, Geoff VA3GS, Rob VE3RQB, Doug VE3ATP, Barry VA3LLT, David VA3DCY. Absent: Eric VE3EB, Alf VA3BLE. Others attending: Peter VE3PBT.

1. Agenda: Chris VE3NRT
   
   • Original item 5c (repeater messages and (ToT) changed to item 6b.
     
   • Moved by Geoff VA3GS , seconded by Barry VA3LLT to adopt the agenda. Carried.
     
2. Minutes: David VA3DCY. Moved by Geoff VA3GS , seconded by Barry VA3LLT to adopt minutes of Board Meeting dated 2016/04/19. Carried.
   
3. Membership: Alf VA3BLE. Not available. Note: Chris VE3NRT forwarded dues paid by Steve VE3SRV to John VA3JI.
   
4. Hamfest: Geoff VA3GS. Geoff reported the hamfest is on schedule. Information has been sent to other clubs, is now posted on the RAC web site and will appear in the next 2 issues of the Canadian Amateur.
   
5. AGM Food: Peter VE3PBT. Peter reported the cost for food at the AGM should be approximately $230. $300 was approved for food at the last board meeting. The new BBQ has been assembled and is working.
   
6. Treasurer's Report: John VA3JI
   
   • Opening Balance 2016/04/30 [Balance available to members on request to Secretary]
     
   • Income: None
     
   • Expenditures: Shelter (partial cost) $182.72
     
   • Closing Balance 2016/04/19 [Balance available to members on request to Secretary]
     
   • Moved by John VA3JI seconded by Rob VE3RQB to adopt the treasurer's report. Carried.
     
7. Barry VA3LLT will have expenses to submit. Steve VE3UT questioned when will the existing budgeted amounts expire, and John VA3JI answered at the end of the club year (June 30).
   
8. Auditor's Report: Chris VE3NRT
   Chris reviewed the auditor's report, which contained the following suggestions:
   
   • The need to coordinate documentation between the treasurer and membership director for
     better accounting of membership money received.
     
   • Regarding club inventory, the need to have an accurate inventory and value of items, for
     insurance and net value purposes, and designate the responsibility to someone.
     
   • The need to have better control of club property stored in the container.
     
   • The use of personal credit cards is unwise.
     
   • The board should agree on a standard method to record financial transactions and
     membership and adhere to those policies. Most suggestions were of a minor nature, however suggestion #4 which questioned the advisability of members using their personal credit cards to pay for large purchases. It was agreed the next board should deal with this suggestion.
     
   • It was agreed the report should be published on the YRARC blog.
     
   • Moved by John VA3JI seconded by Geoff VA3GS to adopt the auditor's report. Carried.
     
9. Bylaws: Chris VE3NRT. Chris presented the submissions received regarding suggested changes to the bylaws.
   
   • Bob VE3WY: Limiting presidency to 4 consecutive years. Proposed: That the primary motion be amended to add the following text as section 10.5 of the draft By-Laws: “Notwithstanding section 10.4, no person may stand for or be elected President after serving as President for the previous four consecutive years, unless no other Director is willing serve.”
     
   • Doug VE3VS: Cleanup of Section 14 (Duties of Treasurer) Proposed: That the primary motion be amended to delete the point in section 14.1 of the draft By-Laws beginning with “disburse the funds….” and add the following two points in its place. “disburse the funds of the Corporation under the direction of the Board, taking proper vouchers or receipts for each transaction.” “render to the Board whenever required an account of all transactions and a written account of the financial position of the Corporation.”
     
   • Doug VE3VS: Comments on the terms used in the By-Laws. This and several other similar instances were addressed in the draft By-Laws.
     
   • Doug VE3VS: Editorial Revision to Section 17.1. Proposed: That the primary motion be amended to replace section 17.1 of the draft By-Laws with the following.
     “The Directors shall ensure that all necessary books and records of the Corporation, required by the by-laws of the Corporation or by any applicable statute or law, are regularly and properly kept.”
     
   • Mark VE3CT: Various Editorial Revisions. All of the concerns expressed have been addressed elsewhere.
     
   • Chris VE3NRT: Revisions to clarify the section on officers of the board and to allow for election of replacement officers by the board. Proposed: That the primary motion be amended to add a new section 10.6 of the draft By-Laws with the following text: Should any officer resign or become incapable of serving in their office prior to completing their term, the Directors will elect a replacement from the body of Directors at the next regular or special meeting of the Board.
     
   • Chris VE3NRT: Regarding conflicts of interest on the Board. Proposed: That the primary motion be amended to add a new section 7.2 of the draft By-Laws with the following text: “Conflicts of interest on the part of a Director in attendance at a meeting of the Board shall be disclosed in advance of any discussion or motions regarding that interest. When such interest becomes a matter of Board action, such Director shall neither vote not use personal influence on the matter, and shall not be counted in the quorum for any voting on such interest. The Director may, however, briefly state a position on the matter, and answer pertinent questions of Board members. The minutes of all actions taken on such matters shall clearly reflect that these requirements have been met.”
     
   • Chris VE3NRT: Regarding the criteria and privileges of family membership Proposed: That the primary motion be amended to add a new section 18.1 (d) of the draft By-Laws with the following text: “Family Member – For a fee which shall be determined from time-to-time by the Membership, other members of a Regular Member’s family may be added as a Family Member. To qualify, the Family Member must be related by blood or adoption to the Regular Member or spouse, and reside at the same address. Family Members are not required to pay additional annual dues.”
     
   • John VA3JI: Regarding the attendance of Members at YRARC Board meetings Proposed: That the primary motion be amended to add a new section 5.2 of the draft By-Laws with the following text: Board Meetings shall be held in a place that is open to and can accommodate a reasonable number of Voting Members in addition to the Directors. Non-Directors may observe but not take part in the proceedings except in response to an invitation to comment by and under the direction of the Chair. Voting Members may also make representations to the Board at any meeting provided permission is obtained from the Secretary or Chair at least 24 hours in advance of the commencement of the meeting.
     
   • John VA3JI and Barry VA3LLT: On in-camera meetings Proposed: That the primary motion be amended to add a new section 5.3 of the draft By-Laws with the following text: Notwithstanding section 5.2, the Board may from time-to-time conduct in-camera meetings following the regular business of the Board Meeting. Any resolutions from such meetings shall be recorded in the regular meeting minutes, which shall be made available to the members within reasonable time after the adjournment of the meeting.
     
   • John VA3JI and Barry VA3LLT: On the method of selection of the Club Executive General agreement that the current system is a better system, with sufficient transparency in that members are allowed to attend Board Meetings. (No proposal to change)
     
   • Barry VA3LLT: On errors or omissions in the notice for meetings Proposed: That the following section 6.4 be added to the draft By-Laws: Notwithstanding section 6.3, any deliberate error or omission in notice of such a meeting, may, when supported by majority vote of the Directors or Voting Membership, be sufficient grounds to invalidate the proceedings and resolutions of such meeting, in whole or in part. AND that the following section 21.2 be added to the draft By-Laws: Notwithstanding section 21.1, any deliberate error or omission in notice of such a meeting, may, when supported by majority vote of the Directors or Voting Membership, be sufficient grounds to invalidate the proceedings and resolutions of such meeting, in whole or in part.
     
   • Barry VA3LLT: On the definition of electronic means for conducting club business. Proposed: That the following section 2(l) be added to the draft By-Laws: "Electronic Means” means the communication through the official YRARC Yahoo group or by email to all email addresses provided by Members or Directors as appropriate.
     Communications by additional means, such as the club web site, blog and voice announcements on Club Repeaters is also encouraged.
     
   • Barry VA3LLT: On the recording of votes of the Board of Directors by electronic means. Proposed: That the following section 7.2 be added to the draft By-Laws: All votes conducted by telephone or electronic means shall be recorded by the Secretary and included in the minutes of the next Board Meeting.
     
   • Barry VA3LLT: On giving notice for meeting. Proposed: That section 20.5 of the draft By-Laws be changed to the following: No public notice or advertisement of the AGM or any meeting of the Members shall be required, but an effort must be made to communicate notice of the time and place of every such meeting, at least twenty-one (21) days in advance. AND That section 20.5 of the draft By-Laws be changed to the following: Whenever, under the provisions of the by-laws of the Corporation, notice is required to be given, such notice may be given either personally or by Electronic Means or by depositing same in a post office or a public letter box in a prepaid, sealed wrapper addressed to the Director, Officer or Member at his or their address as the same appears in the books of the Corporation. A notice or other document sent by post shall be held to be sent at the time when the same was deposited in a post office or public letterbox as aforesaid, or sent by Electronic Means at the time sent. For the purpose of sending any notice, the address of the Members, Director or Officer shall be his latest address as recorded in the books of the Corporation.
     
   • Barry VA3LLT: Editorial change, move paragraph 20.3 to section 6 Proposed: That section 20.3 of the draft By-Laws be renumbered to 12.5.
     
   • Bylaws: Chris VE3NRT. Motion that the proposed changes to the By-Laws as presented by Chris VE3NRT, be presented for approval by the membership at the AGM. Moved John VA3JI seconded Geoff VA3GS. Carried.
     
10. Property: Rob VE3RQB: The fittings from Cameron Canopies have been received, and there were no shipping charges, since they were picked-up from Tom at Cameron Canopies. We made our own wooden bases for the poles (conduit). The lock box codes for the trailers will be changed.
    
11. Repeaters: Steve VE3UT. The 6m repeater has a weak transmitter – only 1/2 watt output. A new no-cost radio will be available soon. The VE3YRC-V repeater at Bloomington has had a weak signal, however a site visit showed that all was OK. For the upcoming events on May 28 (the EmComm SET and the Public Service MADD ride)
    VE3YRA (350) will be un-linked from the other repeaters, to allow the MADD event to use VE3YRA, and the SET to use the other repeaters. AGM messages have been added to the repeaters. Messages generated by the repeater controllers and audio received on the links are mixed together. Reprogramming would be necessary to mute the repeater message when audio is being received on a link. To adjust the timeout, a slow 286 computer would be needed to make a changes.
    
12. Events & Public Service: Eric VE3EB (no report)
    
13. EmComm and Other Business: A request for EmComm headsets in the trailer prompted the following options:
    
    • have the users supply their own headsets
      
    • get approval from the membership to purchase headsets, after knowing more specific detail
      about what model would be desired.
      
    • A request for EmComm digital interfaces in the trailer prompted the following questions:
      
      • what programming cables are needed?
        
      • what digital cables are needed?
        
    • Approval from the membership would also be needed.
      
14. Motion 2016-05-17-8c to approve $1,000 for field day food and propane, moved Steve VE3UT seconded Geoff VA3GS. Carried. [Secretary note: Motion 2016-04-19-3c was already passed for $1,000 for field day food and propane, making Motion 2016-05-17-8c redundant.]. [Secretary note: No motion has been passed for fuel or toilets at field day]
    

Meeting adjourned

Minutes - YRARC Board of Directors Meeting 2016-06-21

Meeting held in the Magna Centre, Multipurpose Room 1. Called to Order at 19:00 by Chris VE3NRT. Board members attending: Chris VE3NRT, Steve VE3UT, John VA3JI, Geoff VA3GS, Rob VE3RQB, Barry VA3LLT, David VA3DCY. Absent: Eric VE3EB, Doug VE3ATP. (Alf VA3BLE had resigned). Board members elect attending: John VE3IPS, Rick VA3VO. Others attending: none

1. Agenda: Chris VE3NRT. Moved by Geoff VA3GS , seconded by Barry VA3LLT to adopt the agenda. Carried.
   
2. Minutes: David VA3DCY. Moved by Steve VE3UT, seconded by Rob VE3RQB to adopt minutes of Board Meeting. Date 2016/05/17. Carried.
   
3. New board members: Chris VE3NRT. Chris welcomed the new directors John VE3IPS and Rick VA3VO.
   
4. Meeting Schedule: Chris VE3NRT. Chris announced the dates of the board of directors meetings for the coming year. They are: 2016 July 19, August 16, September 20, October 18, November 15, December 20 and 2017 January 17, February 21, March 15, April 19, May 17 and June 21.
   
5. Election of officers: Chris VE3NRT. Chris announced that the officers for the year 2016/2017 will be elected at the next meeting on July 19. To be elected are: President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. A ballot will be required for the election of the president (if not declared by acclamation).
   
6. Board procedures: Chris VE3NRT. Chris outlined the basic procedures followed by the board. A quorum of 6 members is required. We follow a simplified version of Robert's Rules, typically a motion is presented, followed by a discussion and a vote. The chair does not normally introduce motions and only casts a deciding vote in the event of a tie. A simple majority is required to pass a motion.
   
7. Auditor's report: none
   
8. Explanation of committees: Chris VE3NRT. Chris mentioned the various board committees, including: repeaters, WYNSORC coordination, EmComm/ARES, hamfest, property, finance, media and communications, field day and membership activities such as project night and fox hunts.
   
9. Meeting schedule and programs: Chris VE3NRT. Chris mentioned the general meeting schedule and the programs throughout the year with guest speakers at most meetings, the Christmas party meeting and the AGM.
   
10. Bylaws: The new bylaws ByLaws #7 were signed by Chris VE3NRT President and David VA3DCY Secretary.
    
11. Membership: Chris VE3NRT. Chris is in receipt of the membership list from Alf VA3BLE who has resigned.
    
12. Hamfest: Geoff VA3GS. Information is now on the RAC web site and will be passed out at the Milton hamfest and to other clubs. We will be at the same location as last year (Markham Fair Grounds), and the Aurora Lyon's Club will be serving breakfast again. Geoff is negotiating with the Markham Fair about the price.
    
13. Field Day: Steve VE3UT. We are ready for field day, June 25 and 26. Doug VE3ATP will tow the tower trailer to the site on Wednesday June 22, which is OK with Norma the site owner. Additional deliveries such as the club trailer will be made on Thursday. On Friday June 24 the kitchen shelter will be setup, and Brad VE3HII will start the installation of his satellite station. An estimated 50 people should show up over the weekend. EmComm will be involved, and dignitaries have been invited. Safety will be emphasized this year, with attention to grounding, safety markings for guys and tripping hazards, first aid, and a safety officer or designate will be on site for the duration ofthe event.
    
    • Motion 2016-06-21-4c1 to spend $135.60 for field day toilet rental, moved by Steve VE3UT seconded by Geoff VA3GS. Carried.
      
    • Motion 2016-06-21-4c2 that $100.00 be allocated for the purchase of gas for the generators, moved by Steve VE3UT seconded by Barry VA3LLT. Carried.
      
14. Treasurer's Report: John VA3JI
    
    • Opening Balance 2016/06/01 [Available to members on request to Club Secretary]
      
    • Income: Field day food from members $150.00
      
    • Membership dues $25.00
      
    • Expenditures: Field day toilet $135.60
      
    • Repeater expenditures $75.09
      
    • Trailer expenditures $26.98
      
    • Closing Balance 2016/04/19 [Available to members on request to Club Secretary]
      
    • Some AGM food money is to be returned, and the insurance bill payable in July has not been received.
      
    • Moved by Barry VA3LLT seconded by Rob VE3RQB to adopt the treasurer's report. Carried.
      
15. Property: Rob VE3RQB: The shelter is complete. The roof conduits (peak to eaves) have been shortened to accommodate the tarp. It is recommended that the trailer pullers have a schedule. A new padlock will be needed for the container; Rob would like to remove his lock.
    
16. Repeaters: Steve VE3UT. The VE3YRC-V (Aurora) exciter and PA problems have been remedied. There was a bad pot on the exciter and a spare PA was repaired. We now have 2 spare 100 watt PAs. At the moment, we are running on a temporary PA. While the repeater was out of service, the controller was updated. There are still some minor software issues. Future repeater projects could include internet access.
    
17. Other business:
    
    • Don VE3IXJ has noted that EmComm is interested in a digital network, (however the GTA is not interested). Greg Staznia from York Region, Chris VE3NRT and Mike VA3MCT will meet to discuss the region's needs. There may be some financial help from the region for a possible project. Any proposed network should be self testing and be able to report problems. Possible options might include Microtik and Ubiquity.
      
    • The board thanked Rob VE3RQB for his work on the board.
      

Meeting adjourned.

Field Day 2016 – 40m Phone

I don’t know why, but I always find set up for Field Day stressful. Maybe it’s the looming threat of the Melted Coffee Pot award that sends me into a tizzy, but more likely it’s just the worry about getting the antennas working early enough that I still have time to set up the station.

Over the winter I scaled back my dreams from a 9 verticals, each with 60 radials, arranged in a phased array, down to 5 relay-switched dipoles hanging from the tower, then down to a simple dipole. Then, just 5 days or so before the event, I decided to add a full wave loop sloping from the tower in a diamond shape, fed from the side. This, as Bob told me, would give me a mix of horizontal and vertical polarization to get me some of the all-important low-angle radiation to the West Coast.

Surprisingly, because I had no time for debugging, I found this worked quite well. Both antennas tuned reasonably well. The VSWR on the loop seemed a little high at first but then I realized that I had the analyzer set for 75-ohm impedance instead of 50 (left over from when I was confirming the electrical length of the RG6 matching section). It was more or less flat at about 1.5:1 across the 40m phone band. The dipole was slightly higher but still fine and none of it bothered my KAT-500 tuner at all.

The station came together pretty quickly and just before kick-off I started making some casual QSOs on 7.200 MHz to commandeer a calling frequency. That seemed to work, although about 15 minutes into the 24-hour marathon I was bullied off the frequency by high-powered stations encroaching from above and below, and went off searching and pouncing for the next couple of hours.

John, VE3IPS took a turn and went down to about 7.130 where less US amateurs are licenced to operate and found a clear frequency to run. His unique style attracted lots of attention and he made plenty of contacts.

We went back and forth between S&P and run mode several times through the 24 hours with Alex VE3ASE taking a few turns at the helm between satellite passes and doing really well.

After thoroughly enjoying the loop antenna’s pattern to the West and working Hawaii plus lots of stations in the Pacific time zone, I abandoned the station at 3:15 and went home to get some sleep, returning at about 8AM to have breakfast and go at it again. The last couple of hours were really productive as the big guns abandoned their frequencies to do some S&P themselves leaving a spot in the middle of the band for Alex and then me to get another 100+ contacts.

The result was that we blew away last year’s record of 272 to get a whopping 492 contacts in 24 hours.  Doug VE3VS, along with Jack VA3UU and Bert VE3NR still beat us with more than 520 on 40 CW, but I’m just glad we were in the same ballpark as those veteran operators this year. Besides, we have room to aspire to a 500+ next year!

Thanks to Steve VE3UT and Rick VA3VO for organizing this fine event, to Peter VE3PBT, grandson Robert and a host of family members for their fine work in the galley, the other band captains for their hard work and risking their equipment, John VE3IPS for the social media direction, Bonnie Stone for working the information table and everyone else who dropped in or stayed the duration for making the club’s 2016 such a fun and successful event.

Once I’m back to my normal sleeping pattern I’ll start looking forward to next year. The club should be proud of its efforts and ability to collaborate to bring about a fine result.

73 from Chris VE3NRT

YRARC Field Day 2016 - Almost half way

It's 20 past midnight and 40 is wide open, 20 is fading out and 80 is coming into its own. The cloudless night will be cool, but Saturday had perfect weather and it remains dry.

So far, everything's being going pretty well!

Field Day starts in 14 hours

Most of the shelter has been moved in, the food tent is set up and at least the GOTA antenna is ready to go. It's another Field Day and the weather looks good and we hope the band conditions are too. See you there!

YRARC General Meeting - Minutes 2015-09-01

Meeting held in the Sharon Temple. Called to Order at 19:33 by Chris VE3NRT. Total members and guests attending: 41

1. Welcome & Introductions – Chris VE3NRT
   
2. Adoption of Minutes from the general meeting, 2015/06/02, moved Rick VA3VO, seconded Bill VA3QB carried. Motion 2015-09-01-01
   
3. Adoption of Minutes from the AGM, 2015/06/02, moved Rick VA3VO, seconded Anthony VE3HIS. Carried. Motion 2015-09-01-02
   
4. General Announcements – Chris VE3NRT
   
   • The 6m net continues on Monday between 8 and 9 pm.
     
   • Motion to approve the non-recurring expenses paid by the board since the last general meeting of $90 for trailer parking pads, $50 for trailer data cabling, $50 for name plates and awards, $100 for trailer maintenance, $20 for trailer retainers for cable containers and $40 for frames for recognition awards. Moved by Chris VA3DXZ, seconded by John VE3IPS. Carried. Motion 2015-09-01-03
     
5. Field Day Report – Steve VE3UT
   
   • This year the Melted Coffee Pot award for overcoming adversity at FD went to Roger VE3ROG. We had our best score in 3 years: 2015: 3752 total points (2014: 3598 points, 2013: 3496 points). Even though attendance was lower, in spite of the nasty weather total QSOs were 1200 higher (1177, 1240). 40m phone was up 271 (0, 103), 40m CW was up 522 (306, 255), but some other bands were down.
6. Treasurer’s Report – John VA3JI
   
   • 2015 Year-end Balance 2015-07-01 [available to members on request] including $205 in pre-paid memberships.
     
   • July expenditures: $874 communication trailer insurance, $100 trailer maintenance, $1.66 Paypal fees. Income $278.30 food refunds. Month-end balance [available to members on request]
     
   • August expenditures: $1.66 Paypal fees, $11.30 trailer maintenance. Income: $252 Hamfest prepayment. Closing balance [available to members on request]
     
7. Membership Report – Alf VA3BLE. We have 7 prepaid members and 28 have paid tonight. This included 3 family members.
   
8. Public Service Report – provided by Eric VE3EB
   
   • Upcoming events include the Sharon Temple Illumination on September 11 and CIBC Run for a Cure on October 4.
     
   • Thanks from Don VE3IXJ for help with the Newmarket jazz festival and mention of being able to warn of an approaching storm.
     
   • John VA3KOT (Dufferin County) asked for assistance at their Chase the Coyote race in Mono Cliffs on September 26 from 9 to 12.
     
9. EmComm Report – Chris VE3NRT
   
   • The next meeting will be on September 10 at the Newmarket Community Centre, which will include a discussion on Winlink.
     There will be a SET in November. The York Regional Headquarters in Newmarket has a new repeater installed (Chan 90) to overcome the problem of simplex not working within the building.
     
10. Repeater Committee Report – Steve VE3UT. The repeaters are in good shape and all are linked. The IRLP/Echo Link is down and Chris VE3NRT is investigating replacing the old computer with a Raspberry Pi. Battery backup for the sites is in progress and VE3YRA has the best backup.
    
11. Hamfest Report – Geoff VA3GS. The date of the Hamfest is Saturday October 31, with setup on Friday. Members are asked to sign up for this event. (At the end of the meeting 13 members had signed up.)
    
12. Splatter Update – Chris VE3NRT. The blog was established in 2013 to replace the printed Splatter. The contents include meeting minutes, club news, technical articles, and profiles of older members. The goal is to make 1 post per day, and viewership is increasing. The blog is viewable on all platforms. The blog needs relevant articles and comments to help improve our rating with search engines. We are encouraged to create links to the blog, read the blog and encourage others to read the blog, write articles and submit pictures, especially historical photos. At the moment we have 60 visits per day, and at 5000 per day, revenue from Adsense would fund all of the clubs activities. The blog could also replace our current web site http://www.yrarc.org/
    

Guest Speaker: Dave VE3OOI spoke on Amateur Radio and Model Rocketry. Meeting adjourned at 21:30

Field Day 2006

Thanks to Barry VA3LLT for sending these photos in response to the request I made at the last club meeting. Barry said that this Field Day was held at the Sutton Fairgrounds and it appears to be a smaller affair than the one that Steve VE3UT has been organizing of late. Based on the report in the September 2006 Splatter (thanks to Murray VE3IO for the hard copy, the soft copy is not on our web site yet) it looks like Dave VE3SLM was organizing Field Day at the time. There's both familiar and unfamiliar (to me) at least people in the photos so if you can help with the identification please add them to the comments or send me an email.

Bryn VE3VOD doesn't mind looking down

Barry and I agree that we think is Bryn VE3VOD carrying the Canadian flag up the old tower (affectionately known to some as the "BUTT" - I'm talking about the tower, not Bryn of course). The old tower was a scary monster that is now (better) off in some fixed location, rather than being towed around in a club trailer.

Our new tower is made of Aluminum (instead of Steel) and the trailer which carried the old tower has now been improved for stability and road-worthiness. The new tower is a bit shorter too, by design, to reduce weight and improve stability.

The weather looks better than Field Day 2015, even if the turnout was a bit lower. 

There was no mention of the score in the September 2006, Splatter, but there was a long write-up by Judy, VE3JYF, otherwise known as "the Ice Queen". Maybe someone could offer up an explanation for that handle. Anyway, her words are reproduced here for your pleasure. The Ice Queen was a frequent contributor to the Splatter so I miss her even though I don't think we've met

CQ my loves, As many of you know, the last couple of years have been a rollercoaster for my family and I. My father passed away just a couple of years ago, I lost my job due to their bankruptcy and finding a new job hasn't been so easy with my full time family responsibilities, but I have just started a new contract so I'm good 'til the fall. Planning my best friend's wedding is just one more thing and even though it is good stress, it's still stress, so anything to relieve my stress is greatly appreciated. The thoughtfulness of my secret Santa this last Christmas, the anonymous letter nominating me for the Harvey Bell award (which actually caught me speechless), and laughing & talking the night away in-between contacts at Field Day have lightened my world and all have contributed to making me feel alive and appreciated again. I owe you all a big hug. Thank you!!!

I'm happy to report that Field Day was a success in my books. It all started back in December... I started wording the press release, putting together a list of contacts (after losing two computers right after one another and starting from scratch because I couldn't open the backup). Over the months, I sent to all TV, radio and newswire media, to a lot of emergency workers, a lot of local, provincial and federal government officials and even to the Premier, put together the info booth and do the annual maintenance on the camper.

These days, we put the flag on before raising the tower

Now for the drive there, I guess I overlooked one specific part of the van, the clamps holding the muffler, so about 40K in to the trip we hear this faint drop and drag sound... and I immediately pull over to the side of the road... just near old Moonstone corners (ed: is this North of Lake Simcoe near Jarrett?). I bent down and lo and behold there is the tailpipe on the ground. Well, wearing my best Field Day clothes and a change of clothes inaccessible due to efficient packing, I had to get down on the ground. Fortunately it was only the clamp that had let go, unfortunately I couldn't find the heavy gauge wire I always carry... oh @&*%, that's right I had taken it out of the camper an used it when I sewed the backdrop for my friend's wedding photos... and hadn't remembered to replace it... luckily Mom found an old, really old, coat hanger, you know the ones that wouldn't bend under a torch... well it worked, but not before the local kid came out to the road with his dog saying that 'if my dad was there he could of fixed it in thirty seconds'. I just smiled and thought to myself, if either my dad or my ex was still around, it would still be me under the camper, trying to feed the coat hanger through the bracket and crimping it around the almost glowing hot muffler. I don't follow the typical gender stereotypes, I guess that's why I'm a ham and a lady, my folks gave me the freedom of choice and the knowledge of how to think things through logically... I enjoy the best of both worlds.

So I was down on the the ground wrapping the wire around the tailpipe, when what do I hear but the flushing of the toilet. As anyone who has ever been under a vehicle that has a toilet when it is being flush can attest, my life flashed before my eyes... have you all seen the movie RV? If you have a camper or trailer, this is a must-see. Thank goodness it is functioning correctly and that is all I'm going to say. The repair took a lot longer than I had anticipated with trying to find something to hold it in place and all... Back on the road the drive was pretty smooth after that. This year we didn't see our friendly neighbourhood bear at 12 & 48 or anything else interesting en route. We didn't bring the trailer this time so set-up was a breeze, as the camper will turn on a dime, and putting up the posters and taking them down was easy.

Chow time is always a favourite event at Field Day

Since this was my 2nd trip around the lake, we didn't make any wrong turns this year and arrived a little after 10. I am so thankful it wasn't disgustingly hot this year and many of the club showed up. I am proud of each and every member and their family for supporting your club, thank-you. Anyway we got the camper set up and relaxed a little, sorry I'm not so gung-ho that early in the morning. Besides, I have a workable excuse. I've been working on and off for Field Day since December doing all the public relations... and I enjoy operating on the night shift since I am a night owl. Glen got the display set up beside the camper and it was visible halfway to the road, and after dark it was like a beacon.

On right - Jan VE3ZYL 

Thanks!... Dave & everyone who manned the food station, well done. Thanks!!! And ALL the band captains and their volunteers. Well done everyone, Thank You!!! As I'm sure you all know by now, my heart lies in 80 metres, way back when I started in Field Day, I sat with a young lad and logged for a couple of hours before I talked for an hour or so. The next year they couldn't keep me away. I talked all night with a couple of the best guys in C'wood. It was my best Field Day ever. I still remember the fun I had that 2nd year. This year, as the band started up, I took Beth over to the 80 metre trailer and she made here first contact. I think it was to N1NC, but that was enough for her, and for the logs, as a youth operating it earns us bonus points. Maybe next year after dinner she'll be up for an hour or so... 

Then it was time for me to keep my end of the deal, playing soccer for a while. Rog [ed: presumably this is Roger VE3ROG] joined us and the game was on... Thanks Rog, you are all going to have to ask him the line about what happened to the Easter Bunny some day, it's a real tear jerker. By then it was dusk and time to put all the toys away. Dark comes quickly up in Sutton as there are no streetlights on at the fairgrounds. After Beth went to bed, I headed over to the 80 metre trailer again. Bill and Rog were cq-ing away. Rog left and we carried on. 

Chairs are optional - man's best friend is not
Ron VE3CGR with the Midnight

Shortly after, security made contacts for a brief time, I'll say it again, nice inflective voice young man. So letting them have their way with the radio, a brief walk around the site, beautiful stars, loud music from the 'grad-hall' and it was our turn on the air. We cq'ed and joked the night away. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love to contest on Field Day. I think before I went to bed, I had made 6 trips to the Jack & Jane through the wet grass and my shoes were wet and my feet were cold and by about 2 AM it was bloody cold even inside. Bill turned on the stove, which was much better. Thanks again.

As usual I started to lose my voice by about 4 and there is only one ting that would cure it, stop talking and start logging. By 5:30 it was time for bed, with one last dewy walk through the grass and then back to the camper. I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow, and was awake by 7 as my Mom & daughter are both early risers... so with great difficulty I got up and active.

After breakfast we played for a little while, then the generator was refueled and we worked very hard to get to 100 contacts on 80 metres. We fell a little short of our goal, I think 94 is quite respectable considering the band conditions.

And by 11:30 it was time to throw in the towel and call it a contest. The end result is we should receive the bonus for an invited emergency worker attending the event. Chief John Molyneaux, the bonus for an info booth, and for at least two youths actively making contacts during Field Day. It was a lot of work, but well worth it. We operated under the club's call sign, with 4 stations, under alternate power, and of course in Sutton... VE3YRA, 4 Alpha, Ontario.

The tower, trailers and tarps cam down in a flash and it was time to leave for home, for me six hours away. We drove back from Sutton up around the top of Lake Simcoe; it's not shorter but less traveled and with the camper, I don't go much over the speed limit so I irritate some drivers. We stopped at the A&W in Orillia and while Mom & Beth had a snack, my head hit the pillow and again I was asleep before I knew it, Beth was saying an hour had passed and it felt like I had just dozed off... We headed back along past Moonstone Resort and I noticed that up the other side, the oil pressure started to drop - not off the scale - but lower than the normal range for the camper... So much for getting home and to bed... Luckily there is a gas station to pull off at not too far from there. I added some oil, and we were off once again. Thankfully this did the trick and once at the cottage we changed from the camper/van to the car/van and drove home... and after my shower I feel like a lady again.

As always I truly enjoy the weekend, and I am delighted with everyone's actions, from the tower climber, to heavy lifters, from the band captains to security, to the friend/spouses who 'just' came out to support the cause. I think this was the 2nd  best year... but there's always the chance that next year will be better. This brings me to the point where I am announcing that I am stepping aside as P/R person for the Field Day next year at least. I think I will make it as just an 80 metre operator for the overnight shift, but we'll have to see. I would like to thank everyone for their support and compassion, but I need a break for me & my family. When you're done reading this remember to thank your family & loved ones, even if they gave your flack for going to Field Day.

73's & 88's my love

Take Care 'til next time.

Judy VE3JYF

Group Photo (click for larger image)

There are 4 unidentified people under the canopy. From left to right standing looking at the camera: Steve VE3EZ (VE3PIP), Garrett VE3PYP, Jack VE3UU, Jan VE3ZYL, Bryn VE3VOD, Dave VE3SLM, Alan VA3WAH, Ron VE3CGR (with Midnight), Roger VE3ROG, ????, ????, John VA3JI, Tom VE3JPN, Murray VE3IO (VE3ATO), ????

Please help identify those not named in the photo. Thanks! Click on the photo to see a larger version. Send me an email or post a comment if you can help.

Field Day 2015: Score Not Dampened by Weather

Steve VE3UT delivered his Field Day Report at the September 1st club meeting. He noted that this was the best club score in 3 years, despite the miserable weather, which we are blaming for the decline in attendance. We're looking forward to bigger and better in 2016.

Item	2015	2014	2013
Total attendance	53	61	69
Total QSO's	1,200	1,177	1,240
160 phone	2	16	3
160 CW	-	4	4
80 phone	62	16	163
80 CW	10	-	-
40 phone	271	-	103
40 CW	522	306	255
40 digital	120	264	38
20 phone	100	276	298
20 CW	-	-	-
20 digital	23	20	114
15 phone	21	60	6
15 CW	-	-	-
15 digital	1	25	90
10 phone	10	2	-
10 CW	-	-	-
10 digital	-	-	-
6 phone	23	46	78
6 CW	-	2	7
Satellite	13	4	24
GOTA	22	24	57
Total bonus points	1,010	990	1,190
Emergency power	yes	yes	yes
Media publicity	yes	yes	yes
Copy W1AW message	yes	yes	yes
Satellite bonus	yes	yes	yes
Natural power QSO	no	yes	yes
Visit by served agency	yes	no	yes
Visit by elected official	no	no	no
Youth participation	yes	no	yes
GOTA bonus	yes	yes	yes
Educational display	no	no	no
Submitted online	yes	yes	yes
Information booth	no	no	no
Set up in public place	no	no	no
Power multiplier	< 150W	< 150W	< 150W
TOTAL CLAIMED SCORE	3,752	3,598	3,496

Steve VE3UT - Field Day Director

Minutes: General Meeting - June 2nd, 2015

Meeting held at the Sharon Temperance Hall. The meeting was called to order at 19:30. Chaired by Chris VE3NRT. 37 members and 1 guest in attendance

1. Reminder that proxies must be given to the secretary prior to AGM
   
2. Adoption of the minutes
   
   • Motion 2015-06-02-01 by Bill VE3QB to adopt the minutes of the May 5th general meeting minutes, seconded by Barry VA3LLT. Motion carried.
     
3. News and Opinion
   
   • Congratulations to Jack VA3UU for qualifying for “Worked all Pacific”
     
   • Thank you to EmComm for participation in the SET exercise & the May 29th exercise
     
   • Chris raised the question of whether or not the club should continue meeting on the first Tuesday of each month or look at the option of finding an alternate date for club meetings. Based on a few responses during our meeting, it seems club members would prefer that the meetings continued on the first Tuesday of each month.
     
4. Public Service - Eric VE3EB
   
   • Eric VE3EB reported that we need 6 additional volunteers for the Aurora Street Festival this Sunday.
     
   • Chris VE3NRT reported that the MADD event went well and thanked Rob VE3RQB, Carlos VA3CAZ, Steve VE3UT, Steve VE3EZ, and John VE3POJ
     
5. Field Day - Steve VE3UT
   
   • Brad VE3HII and Alex VA3ASE have confirmed they will be operating satellite
     
   • Set up will begin after lunch on Friday. We need lots of help on Saturday morning for final set up
     
   • All stations will be on the air at 2pm
     
6. Emcomm – Barry VA3LLT. Barry VA3LLT reported that during the RED Cross SET there was some difficulty getting to Peel Region but the organizers praised Emcomm for how quickly Emcomm was able to setup and begin operation on FL Digi
   
7. Appointment of the AGM chair. Bill VA3QB nominated Ron KG4CVL for AGM chair
   
8. Appointment of the AGM secretary. Chris VE3NRT nominated Chris VA3DXZ for AGM Secretary
   
9. Harvey Bell Award – Chris VE3NRT
   
   • This year’s nominees were all board members
     
   • Two winners were selected this year, Eric VE3EB and Steve VE3UT
     
   • Congratulations to both Eric and Steve
     

Meeting was adjourned and the Annual General Meeting was opened

My Field Day 2015

This is the third post on the YRARC Field Day 2015. The first talked about the melted coffee pot award, while the second was mostly about the weather.

This time I'll cover the 40m SSB station, which is not coincidentally the one for which I served as band captain. This was a departure from my last two fields days where I captained the digital station (PSK31 and in 2014 RTTY). The decision to move was partly to do something different, and partly to give the opportunity for Brian, VE3IBW, to lead the charge this year (we can always use more band captains!).

As usual, my preparation was full of optimism and ambition. Fortunately Bob VE3WY had agreed to help out with the antennas, and in return I set up the rest of the 40m station, serve as monkey for antenna setup, and supply N1MM Logger Plus on my spare laptop for 6m and 160m.

Speaking of N1MM, there were two firsts this year. With the exception of 40m CW and the satellite station, all stations in YRARC Field Day were networked together. Setting up N1MM was the easy part, with the heavy lifting done by David VA3DCY who handled the wireless network infrastructure. Networking provided a running total of what was going on at all stations, a way of using contacts on other bands to check the exchange information, and replication of the log providing an automatic backup.

The second innovation, only used on 40m SSB, was a prerecorded CQ call. Not only does the prerecorded call pack more audio punch, thanks to preprocessing of the signal, it saves the vocal cords for long sessions. I don't know about other people, but after half a dozen or so calls with no answer, I'm usually ready to give up. With N1MM automatically repeating the call every few seconds, it was easy to keep going for an hour at a time. The problem of course is holding a frequency against all the kilowatt operations out there.

For some reason, which I now forget, we started a couple of minutes after 2pm, and the band was full of stations calling CQ. So spending time on search & pounce operation was in order. It went pretty well although I was getting a bit of noise from the Digital station. Unlike the last two years, where the digital station ran my Elecraft K3, this year's transceiver didn't seem to be as QRM-friendly (although maybe being on the receiving end this time coloured my perception). Fortunately the dipole, with partial cross-polarization (it was a sloping dipole), provided a bit of relief. The noise on the vertical was about 2 S-units higher most of the time.

I finally found a frequency about 10KHz from the top of the band, and had moderate success calling CQ there. Unfortunately at no time during the 24 hours did I have more than 4 or 5 stations answer in a row. I can only dream of commanding a frequency for long runs.

The rain did not relent until the 24 hours was almost up, and in the late evening the winds really picked up and made our leaking tent even less hospitable, but it wasn't until we saw lightning at about 1:30 AM that we shut everything down and disconnected for the night, despite having modestly good band conditions. It was a small storm and I probably could have waited an hour and resumed operations but to be honest I was a bit fed up with the conditions and longed for a warm bed.

The tent was still standing when I returned and we finished the morning with a bunch more contacts. The power to the station from the generator kept getting interrupted which was a minor inconvenience because I had a battery backup for the rig and a good battery in the laptop, although it would take out the second screen and the desk lamp. The problem was traced to panel of electrical outlets attached to the generator. They were all GFCI outlets and they kept tripping, no doubt due to the wet conditions. This was solved by plugging the extension cord into a different generator without GFCI protection.

Ending up in the neighbourhood of 250 contacts was lower than I would have wanted, but the upside is that it will be an easier score to beat next year. I hope the weather will be more cooperative but at least we had the chance to prove our deployment capabilities under less than ideal conditions, furthering the emergency preparedness objectives of the day.

Minutes - YRARC Board of Directors 2015-07-21

Meeting held in Multipurpose Room 1 of the Magna Centre. Called to order at 19:01. Chaired by Chris VE3NRT.

Board members attending:

• Chris VE3NRT, Steve VE3UT, John VA3JI, Geoff VA3GS, Barry VA3LLT, David VA3DCY, Rob VE3RQB, Alf VA3BLE, Doug VE3ATP.
• Absent: Eric VE3EB.
• Club members attending: Chris VA3DXZ, Peter VE3PBT.

Review of the agenda as proposed by Chris VE3NRT. Moved by Geoff VA3GS, seconded John VA3JI to adopt the agenda without changes. Carried. [2015-01-21-01]

Pro-term chair and secretary for elections: Moved by Chris VE3NRT, seconded by Rob VE3RQB that Geoff VA3GS serve as pro-term char and secretary. Carried. [2015-01-21-02]

Elections:

• Chris VE3NRT, nominated for president by Steve VE3UT, moved Steve VE3UT, seconded John VA3JI, Carried. No further nominations for president.
• Steve VE3UT, nominated for vice-president by Rob VE3RQB, moved David VA3DCY, seconded Chris VE3NRT, Carried. No further nominations for vice-president.
• John VA3JI, nominated for treasurer by Barry VA3LLT, moved Steve VE3UT, seconded Chris VE3NRT, Carried. No further nominations for treasurer.
• David VA3DCY, nominated for secretary by Steve VE3UT, moved Steve VE3UT, seconded Chris VE3NRT, Carried. No further nominations for secretary.

All of the above agreed to serve, no other nominations were made and the positions were filled by acclamation. (There was no need for an election.) [2015-01-21-03]

Minutes: Moved by Barry VA3LLT, seconded by Geoff VA3GS to adopt minutes of the board meeting held on 2015/06 /10. Carried.            [2015-01-21-04]

Committees: The following were chosen to act as chairs and vice chairs for the following committees:

• Property: Rob VE3RQB
• Trailer : Barry VA3LLT
• Repeaters: Steve VE3UT, Doug VE3ATP.
• Hamfest: Geoff VA3GS, David VA3DCY
• Membership: Alf VA3BLE, Barry VA3LLT
• Events : Eric VE3EB
• EmComm: Barry VA3LLT, Chris VE3NRT
• Field Day: Steve VE3UT

Moved by Rob VE3RQB, seconded by John VA3JI. Carried. [2015-01-21-05]

Treasurer Report:

• John VA3JI reported as opening balance (2015/05/30) [Club members may request the bank balance by contacting the Club Secretary]
• Income $75.00, Expenditures  FD toilets $253.13 Repeaters $300.19 (total $553.31)
• Closing balance (2015/06/30) $14,807.40 (includes $205 prepaid dues for 2015/16).
• Upcoming expenses: Insurance $814.00, Trailer maintenance $100.00
• Future balance  [Club members may request the bank balance by contacting the Club Secretary]
• Moved by Geoff VA3GS, seconded by Barry VA3LLT to adopt the treasurer’s report. Carried. [2015-01-21-06]

Property:

• Rob VE3RQB reported the cost of the 'drive-on' anchor brackets exceeded the original quote. He has donated the excess cost of the brackets.
• David VA3DCY proposed to make trailer additions – add phone and data circuits, a new circuit breaker, receptacles, and an exterior mouse hole for miscellaneous cables/extensions.
• Moved by David VA3DCY, seconded by Geoff VA3GS to proceed, with the cost not to exceed $50.00  . Carried [2015-01-21-07]

Trailer Insurance:

• Moved by Barry VE3LLT, seconded by Rob VE3RQB to pay the trailer insurance $874.00, due in August. Carried. [2015-01-21-08]

Repeaters:

• Steve VE3UT reported the second battery charger at VE3YRC-C site appears to be defective. A Kenwood power supply is now installed to power the link radio at Yonge/Bloomington. All repeaters are currently linked. [2015-01-21-09]
• EchoLink has not been working for approximately 5 weeks. The current server has failed (and is both old and too large). It was suggested to use a Raspberry Pi for IRLP or a Klaus Rung thin client solution. Chris VE3NRT will investigate. [2015-01-21-09]

Events:

• Barry VA3LLT reported that volunteers are still needed for the Newmarket Jazz Festival. Contact Don VE3IXJ. [2015-01-21-10]

EmComm:

• There have been no recent meetings, and no report. [2015-01-21-11]

Membership

• Moved by Steve VE3UT, seconded by Geoff VA3GS that name plates for Harvey Bell award and the field day Melted Coffee Pot award be ordered. Cost not to exceed $50.00. [2015-01-21-012]

Field Day: 

• Steve VE3UT submitted the field day results and gave a preliminary report of field day results, with the official report to follow.  Steve VE3UT and Peter VE3PBT made the following observations about Field Day.

1. Field day food money collected from members should be handled by a 3rd party and deposited into the club bank account.
2. All money to purchase food should come from the bank account as an advance, not partly from the club and partly from participants.
3. Rent only one toilet next year to reduce costs
4. A better kitchen shelter is needed.
5. The club BBQ needs to be repaired, however it may be cheaper to purchase a new BBQ. [2015-01-21-13]

Other Business:

• Chris VE3NRT asked that committee chairs submit a preliminary budget for each     committee's estimated expenditures – due at the next meeting in August.
• Geoff VA3GS suggested a generator as a hamfest grand prize.
• Geoff VA3GS is looking at getting speakers for the fall meetings.

Meeting adjourned at 20:42. Moved by Geoff VA3GS, seconded by Barry VA3LLT. Carried.