Upcoming Events

With the warm weather comes event seasons, and the club is off and running with several events to support in June. We've already had the SET exercise with ARES teams from around the GTA and the York Region Emergency Preparedness Fair.

Here's the current list of committed activities. Some of them still need more help so please consider offering your time to the events as indicated below.

• On May 29th our EmComm group will be participating an a municipal exercise to provide a guard network to communicate between several Emergency Operations Centres.
• The Mothers Against Drunk Driving motorcycle poker run happens on May 31st.
• On June 5th, we're in the Mount Albert Sports Parade. The communications trailer may participate in the parade if enough volunteers are secured. We still need 3 more volunteers for this event.
• The Mount Albert run is on June 6th. We have 6 volunteers so far and need two more.
• On June 7th we have the Aurora Street Festival with needing 16 volunteers. We have 11 so far and need 5 more. The communications trailer will be in use at this event.http://www.arrl.org/field-day
• ARRL Field Day will set up at Al's Tack Shop on Friday the 26th of June and will require both the communication and antenna tower trailers. Please contact band captains to volunteer for setting up or operating a station.
• We will need 2 or 3 volunteers to support the Sharon Temple opening event.

With many of our members volunteering to support the Pan-Am games, we'll be stretched in July and August to support our events during that period. We ask all members to make time to support our community and our club during this busy season.

73,

Chris

N1MM Logger Plus for Field Day - Part 1

N1MM is the world's most popular logging program. Best of all it's free. For YRARC's Field Day Operation in 2015, it will be the recommended logger.

Also recommended is that you get the program installed on your computer well before the day and learn to operate the basic functions.

So let's begin. To download the code, first go to the N1MM Logger-Plus site. Under the Files button you can download the Full Install. Under the home button, check out the Features link to see what the program does (it does a lot!). At the bottom of the main page there's a link to the features of the new Plus version.

Under Support, there's a link to instructional videos. These are useful, but apply to the older N1MM Logger (no Plus) version. It's close, but there are differences. In the download and install video for instance, Larry K1UT mentions downloading update files. This isn't necessary (unless you're installing off-line), as N1MM Logger Plus will download updates automatically (after you give it permission). There are other sections of the video that are obsolete and possibly misleading. Other videos on operations will give you some good hints on how to get the most out of the program but you should try them out before depending on them for field day.

Speaking of updates - I recommend that you run N1MM while connected to the Internet a day or two before Field Day starts to make sure you have the latest updates installed. It will be harder to do at the site.

Installation is actually quite straightforward. Just run the downloaded program and follow the prompts. Once it is installed, reboot your computer and run the program. It may prompt you to update it which you should do first, then fill in the station information. If you don't plan to try N1MM on the air before Field Day, you can use VE3YRA as the station call and use the coordinates for Al's Tack Shop (44.019138, -79.309132).

One of the best features of N1MM is it's ability to connect all the computers in the station together, so that everyone sees everyone else's log. This means that duplicates can be avoided when two station operate on the same band, but also that the log is replicated on every computer, so that if a hard drive crashes the log isn't lost. We will be setting that up later.

Next instalment will cover interfacing N1MM to your transceiver. This will really demonstrate the power of the program to improve your QSO rate. Recording of common vocal phrases (like CQ CQ Field Day, Victor Echo Three Yankee Romeo Alpha Field Day) is preferable to saying it five thousand times in the course of the contest. I have also found that by compressing the recorded message it cuts through better than using the microphone.

73 'til next time.
Chris VE3NRT

P.S. I know there's experienced N1MM users out there so feel free to chime in with your own suggestions.

Royal York Hotel Radio Room

This is not my finest photograph, but I thought it was interesting that the Royal York had a radio room in the 1950s. I'm not sure what they did with it. All that equipment has probably been replaced with a couple of boxes in a closet. I spied this photo on the wall while walking around the Mezzanine of the hotel several weeks ago.

The caption reads "Mr. Billy Charlton, Radio Control Operator, the Royal York Hotel, 1950." I assume this means that there was some kind of transmitter in place. No mention of Mr. Charlton was found in some casual web searching.

YRARC Board of Directors - Minutes April 21, 2015

Meeting held in the Newmarket Community Centre. Called to order at 19:00. Chaired by Chris VE3NRT. Board members attending; Chris VE3NRT, Rob VE3RQB, Chris VA3DXZ, Eric VE3EB, Barry VA3LLT, Steve VE3UT, David VA3DCY, John VA3JI, Geoff VA3GS. Guests attending; Robert VA3BXG

1. Agenda
   
   • Motion 2015-04-21-01 by John VA3JI to adopt agenda, seconded by Geoff VA3GS. Motion carried Adoption of Mar 17, 2015 board meeting minutes
     
2. Adoption of Mar 17, 2015 board meeting minutes
   
   • Motion 2015-04-21-02 by Geoff VA3GS to adopt Mar 17, 2015 board meeting minutes as published in the Splatter Blog, seconded by John VA3JI. Motion carried.
     
3. Governance
   
   • Treasurer’s report (John VA3JI)
     
     • Current balance is [available to members upon request to Secretary]
       
     • Motion 2015-04-21-03 by John VA3JI to accept the treasurer’s report, seconded by Geoff VA3GS. Motion carried.
       
   • Insurance Status (John VA3JI)
     
     • John will forward a copy of the property policy to the secretary
       
   • Destruction of old accounting records (John VA3JI)
     
     • Motion 2015-04-21-04 by John VA3JI, that the Treasurer be allowed to destroy documents 7 years following the date on which they were audited, seconded by Geoff VA3GS. Motion carried.
       
   • Web site access (Chris VE3NRT)
     
     • There have been requests to update the site. Chris VE3NRT can post documents in word format if that is of assistance to content owners.
       
4. Property
   
   • Bales road formal trailer parking agreement with York EMS
     
     • Robert VA3BXG advised the board that this was on hold until it is confirmed that he is the ARES Emergency Coordinator (EC) for York Region. Once this is confirmed he will approach Greg Stasyna of York Region Emergency Management and work with him to identify the correct people for YRARC to work with to secure a formal agreement.
       
     • Motion 2015-04-21-05 by Eric VE3EB, that Chris VE3NRT contact EMS at Bales Road, to determine who we should contact or notify to access our trailers, seconded by Rob VE3RQB. Motion carried
       
     • The board will prepare a short list of individuals authorized by the club to access / remove the trailers
       
   • Revised trailer use policy
     
     • Chris VE3NRT has revised the policy and will distribute to the board for review and comment
       
5. Repeaters (Steve VE3UT)
   
   • 6m Repeater: Geoff VA3GS to send WNYSORC forms to Steve VE3UT to fill out info for 6m repeater
     
   • Bob VE3WY will supply the 6m antenna for $99.00. Mounting bracket and connectors will also need to be purchased. The repeater maintenance float will be used to purchase the antenna and installation materials.
     
   • Steve VE3UT to provide the repeater site contacts to the secretary for filing
     
6. Events (Eric VE3EB)
   
   • Eric VE3EB provided a list of events (attached)
     
   • A volunteer is needed to lead the York Simcoe Riders, MADD event on May 31st
     
   • Eric VE3EB, Geoff VA3GS, and Robert VA3BXG advised the board that they are volunteering for the PAN AM games and will have limited availability
     
7. EMCOMM (Robert VA3BXG)
   
   • Red Cross SET went well. The report is attached to the agenda
     
   • The York Region Emergency Preparedness Fair will be held on May 2 and a volunteer is needed to tow the communications trailer to the event
     
   • Robert VA3BXG will send EMCOMM files to the club secretary for filing (EMCOMM agreements, LOU’s, site contact info, EOC access procedures, etc…)
     
   • Motion 2015-04-21-06 by Geoff VA3GS, that Robert VA3BXG be appointed EMCOMM/ARES chair for YRARC, seconded by Barry VA3LLT. Motion carried.
     
8. Membership (Geoff VA3GS)
   
   • Hamfest (Geoff VA3GS)
     
     • Short discussion / brainstorming on fund raising ideas
       
     • Discussed the idea to invite the Lions Club into the event to sell food. The Lions Club would be responsible for all costs and keep all proceeds. This would simplify planning and eliminate the potential for a monetary loss due to lower than expected food sales
       
     • Geoff presented his mailer to the board for review and feedback (attached)
       
   • Trillium Grant (Chris VE3NRT)
     
     • Chris VE3NRT reported on an earlier idea that a Trillium grant could possibly fund the launch of a cube sat. Upon further investigation, he concluded that putting a cube sat into orbit would be prohibitively expensive
       
     • Other ideas raised included; replace and upgrade equipment in the trailer, replace repeaters and equip with battery backup
       
     • Board members were asked to forward their ideas to Eric VE3EB
       
     • Chris VE3NRT suggested we identify needs based on past (documented) experiences
       
   • Next License Class (Geoff VA3GS)
     
     • There is presently insufficient demand to schedule a class but Geoff is open to hold a class in the fall if the demand is there
       
9. Field Day (Steve VE3UT)
   
   • Rob VE3RQB will repair the generator
     
   • Eric VE3EB has volunteered the use of his Butternut antenna for the digital station
     
   • Locations will be same as last year in the field behind Al’s Tack Shop
     
   • Food tickets will be sold
     
   • We might try networked logging
     
10. Motion 2015-04-21-07 by Barry VA3LLT to allocate $350.00 for food for the AGM, seconded by Rob VE3RQB. Motion carried.
    

Meeting adjourned at 21:31

Dayton 2015

Safe and sound and checked into the motel in Dayton, Ohio for my first visit to the Dayton Hamvention since 1989 (maybe 1988) along with Bill, Barry and Ken. I have a shopping list prepared and I'm ready to go elbow to elbow with the crowd to get the good deals tomorrow.

73,
Chris

Minutes - YRARC General Meeting 2015-05-05

Meeting held at the Sharon Temperance Hall. The meeting was called to order at 1935, chaired by Chris VE3NRT. 41 members and 3 guest in attendance. Geoff VA3GS Secretary Pro Tempore.

1. Agenda
   
   • The agenda for the meeting was presented. Eric VE3EB requested that Public Service Events be added to the agenda. Item was added.
     
2. Minutes of the last meeting:
   
   • Motion 2015-05-05-01 by Eric VE3EB to approve the minutes of the April meeting as published online in the Splatter Blog, seconded by Steve VE3UT. Motion carried.
     
3. Financial update, John VA3JI:
   
   • Reported that the balance was the same as reported at the April meeting, [Balance is available to members from the Club Secretary], less the $150.00 the BoD had voted to cover the cost of the new antenna for the 6m repeater.
     
4. News:
   
   • Robert VA3BXG has been appointed by the BoD to manage the EmComm group.
     
   • Nominations for the Harvey Bell Award are due by 31 May.
     
   • Dayton: Rick VA3VO has room in his vehicle if anyone is interested in going to Dayton.
     
   • The June meeting will be the annual Club BBQ and AGM
     
   • Club members will be electing 6 new directors at the AGM in June. Anyone wishing to stand for election should contact Chris VE3NRT.
     
5. Field Day, Steve VE3UT
   
   • Will be held at the same site as last year.
     
   • Contacts with other EmComm/ARES stations will be organized to garner additional points.
     
   • Planning for the event is well under way. Members of the local municipal government will attend, as well as a reporter from the local newspaper.
     
6. Public Service, Eric VE3EB: Operators are required for the following events. If interested please contact the Public Service Director, indicating the event(s) that you are interested in helping with.
   
   • May 31 York - Simcoe Riders MADD Charity Ride. Provide communications at 4 check points in and around the region. The route will start at the Newmarket town offices, go east of Newmarket this year into Mt. Albert , Udora and north into Jackson's Point and back to the Newmarket town offices. This is the same route used for the first year that the club supported this event. Ham Operators required 6-8. Hrs: 8:00am – 3:00pm approx.
     
   • June 5 Mt. Albert Sports Parade. Provide communications and safety with York Regional Police at various points along the parade route. Ham Operators required 10. Hrs: 5:00pm – 8:00pm approx.
     
   • June 6 Mt. Albert 5K Run. Provide communications and safety with York Regional Police at various points along the 5K run route. Ham Operators required 10. Hrs: 8:00pm – 11:00am approx.
     
   • June 7 Aurora Street Festival. Provide communications, Vendor Management and safety with the Aurora Chamber of Commerce in support of this year’s street festival. Ham Operators required 10. Hrs: 9:00am to 11:30am Approx. Vendor load in. Hrs: 5:00pm to 6:00pm Approx. Vendor Load out and reopen roads.
     
7. EmComm, Robert VA3BXG:
   
   • The club was well represented at the YR Emergency Measures fair on Saturday 09 May.
     
   • The EmComm Net is held the 4th Thursday of the month on VE3YRC VHF, VE3YRC UHF, and VE3YRA commencing at 1930.
     
   • The next EmComm meeting will involve touring a repeater site.
     

Program: After the break Chris VE3NRT gave a demonstration of various digital modes and inexpensive pieces of apparatus and software that Amateurs can use to operate the digital modes.

The meeting finished at 2145.

Fighting Spam

The first spam email was sent in 1978, according to Wikipedia. Since then, it has accounted at times for around 90% of all email traffic over the Internet. The effect of Bill C-28, commonly known as CASL, on spam to Canadians has not been assessed, at least not publicly, but I've taken it upon myself to fight it single-handed and sometimes I win.

Most spammers fake the "From:" field in the email. So you can't report them based on that information. Many of the addresses are legitimate, and from some innocent party who might then become the subject of abuse by the recipients. Sometimes the address may be from someone you know. This is a more targeted and dangerous type which is probably trying to gain access to your credentials rather than just push a product or service.

In general, I get very little spam. There was a run of it for a while on my personal email address but that has stopped. My email address was obtained from Yahoo group, by the way, and spammers regularly join Yahoo groups to harvest the email addresses. They also scrape web sites, so the little bit of spam I've received lately is actually from the yrarc.org web addresses we publish on our club web site.

The key to fighting most spam is the links they include in their messages. I've noticed increasingly that a fake unsubscribe link is provided that usually just goes to the same site they're advertising. That trend will probably disappear soon as I expect that spam filters will recognize this as an indication that the message is spam, as no legitimate email would do that.

So the method I use is this:

1. Note the URL of the main link in the message. Usually you just hover the mouse pointer over the link at the address will appear at the bottom left of the window. This is a good idea for any message as a almost sure indication of a phishing message is that the actual link doesn't match the one printed in the message.
2. Open a DOS windows (on Unix, just open a terminal session) and enter nslookup URL using the URL you noted. This will return the IP address of the URL. Make a note of this
3. To identify the owner of the IP address, use a "whois" lookup. On Linux, there is a whois command, so whois ipaddress will tell you the owner of the domain and provide contact email addresses. If you're on Windows, you can use a site like whois.net to do the lookup.
4. There should be an abuse reporting email address. You can just forward the spam to this address. Most of the time that will work. Sometimes the address will (correctly) identify your email as spam. In that case you can just write them an email and ask them what to do.

This works quite often because spammers advertise their wares on rented servers (like the one we use for our web site). These companies have contracts with their customers specifically prohibiting spam and will terminate their service if it shown that they are participating in it.

Here's a sample reply I received recently from a service provider in Buffalo.

Hello,

This is to inform you that xxx domain was suspended. It is now pointed to non-resolving nameservers and will be nullrouted once the propagation is over. The domain is locked for modifications in our system.

Thank you for letting us know about the issue.

I did that! Now the problem is that this victory is short lived. Spammers will just move to another service provider, but at least I'm disrupting their business model and making it less profitable to continue.

Imagine if everyone did this. It would put a big dent in a nefarious industry.

73,
Chris