Local Nets for YRARC Members

Here's a list of the nets that YRARC is running or in which YRARC members participate. Let me know if there are any others that should be added to list, with the criteria that at least two members should be regular check-ins.

YRARC-Sponsored Nets

• YRARC Health & Welfare Net: On the VE3YRA/V (145.350-, 103.5 Hz CTCSS) and VE3YRC/U (444.225+, no CTCSS at present), every evening from 8:30 to approximately 9:15 except on club meeting nights (first Tuesday of month September to June). This net requests the status of the participants with respect to COVID-19 and the operational state of their radios, and asks a single "10 second question" on a variety of topics.
•  YRARC 6m net: On 50.135 MHz upper sideband horizontally polarized from 8:00pm to 8:25pm Mondays and Wednesdays. Moderated discussion on recent activities by participants or anything else of interest.
• Ragchew Ramble Net: On VE3YRA/V and VE3YRC/U from 4-5pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Moderated by Joseph, VE3FMQ, on topics of interest to the participant, which are usually related to amateur radio. 
• New: YRARC "Fusion Friday", will run every Friday from 8:00 to 8:25 PM on the VE3YRC/V Fusion repeater on 147.225MHz. VE3YRC repeater is also connected to the VE3YRC-ROOM, so can be connected through WIRES-X or directly through the repeater. This will initially have no net control and will run as a round-robin net.
• New: YRARC "Simplex Saturday", every Saturday from 10 to 11AM, on 146.550MHz (YRARC channel #24) and see who you can contact. This will initially have no net control and will run as a round-robin net. Please keep a record of who you can hear and or manage to connect to. Commences 2022-01-08.
• New: YRARC Winlink Wednesday, every Wednesday at any time. Use the Check-In template form to report how you have connected, e.g. Telnet, Packet, VARA, HF, ARDOP, the equipment used, the radio, TNC, Soundcard, band, mode, operating system, software client, the RMS gateway if used, and the Winlink client program. Send the email to Mike Crabtree, VA3MCT, the York Region Emergency Coordinator, who will report the results the following day.

Other Nets

• ONTARS: None of our members is currently a net controller, but several have been in the past and several current members participate in this net which runs on 3.755 MHz (80M) lower sideband every day from 7AM to 6PM. See their web site for more information

General Meeting: September 1st, 2020

The club's next general will be held on Tuesday, September 1st on-line at 7:30pm. We will have the usual format of the business meeting followed by the presentation. This month's presentation topic will be Winlink. The meeting link will sent to all club members several days prior to the meeting.

Digital Technologies at EmComm Meeting

Last Thursday's EmComm at the Newmarket Community Centre had some special guests. These were Ian Snow VA3QT and Rick Harrison VE3NV. Rick, who is the ARES Section Emergency Coordinator for the GTA, addressed the group on coordination issues and opportunities across the 5 GTA ARES/EmComm Groups, while Ian gave a presentation and demonstration of Winlink.

Ian VA3QT speaks with Bonnie from the Canadian Red Cross with Rick VE3NV in foreground

Ian's Winlink Presentation

In addition to Winlink, Ian included MESH networking in his presentation and brought along a familiar-looking device similar to the one that Matt, VA3MGN built a couple of years ago.

Bonnie's canine friend didn't find the Winlink presentation as fascinating as the rest of the ARES team.

Don VE3IXJ, Bonnie and Rick VE3NV.

From left to right: MESH node, transceiver with tuner, and PACTOR modem for HF data communications

ARES/EmComm Meeting Tonight

Tonight's meeting is being held at 19:30 EDT at the Newmarket Community Centre, 200 Doug Duncan Drive, Newmarket.

Agenda

1. Welcome / Intros – Group
   
2. Cross Channel Repeater/Don (10 Min.)
   
3. Rick Harrison VA3NV (GTA Section Emergency Coordinator) (50 Min.)
   
   • Intro
     
   • Discussion on GTA SET - November 7th, 2015.
     
4. Ian Snow. (60+ Min). VA3QT has been a Winlink SYSOP since 2004. In his presentation he will summarise the K4REF video What is Winlink. Ian recommends that you view this video before his presentation in order to maximise time for a practical demonstration of RMS Express.
   
   
   This software is intended for Windows 7/8 (Windows 10 seems to work too). XP has been overtaken but works if appropriate .NET files are installed.
   
   • Winlink Demo/Information
     
   • Digital discussion
     
   • Q & A