From Corey Dean, who is in charge of the DMR Master servers for the US:
Due to issues that have been happening recently, we are going to need to start requiring users to set a hotspot security password to gain access to the US Masters. If you already have a hotspot security password set on the bm portal, you can ignore this post.
We are going to start requiring this on master 3101 November 30th, 3102 will follow on December 4th, and 3103 on December 11th. This is already implemented on the RU masters, and other Master servers will follow.
At this time this will just be for hotspots. The API is being worked on to allow repeater owners to make this change as well, but it is not quite ready to go yet.
CLICK for a link to a post on how to set your hotspot security on the bm portal.
I have started to provide links to products from Network Radios, with those that I have already provided from Scanner Master and Amazon.
Network Radios provides a range of amateur radios and networked radios, like RFinder, Boxchip, Siglent, Retevis, Ailunce, plus many more.
I’ll be adding more products over time, but you are more then welcome to shop on their site via the link above or on the Network Radio Shop page. Hopefully I’ll have a wide range of different radio-communications products available.
UPDATE: Network Radios is currently offering no cost freight on new radio purchases over $199. Just use the coupon FREESHIPPING2020 at checkout.
A Tribute to Fern Blodgett Sunde: first female radio operator to go to sea
For immediate release: October 17, 2020 – Cobourg, Ontario
The ceremony and monument unveiling may be viewed live (and will be accessible after the event) on Cobourg MediaFacebook and YouTube, or by accessing the links at:
King Haakon VII of Norway presenting Fern with an award for her wartime service.
We cordially invite you to the virtual unveiling ceremony of the Fern Blodgett Sunde bronze monument, to be held today (Saturday, October 17, 2020) at 1:15 pm Eastern Daylight Time.
The ceremony will take place in the meditation garden, Victoria Park, Cobourg, by Lake Ontario.
Fern Blodgett Sunde (1918-1991) grew up in Cobourg, with a dream of sailing the high seas. Determined to serve Canada when WWII broke out, she became the first Canadian woman to graduate with a professional wireless radio operator’s certificate, and the first woman ever to work deep sea as a ship’s radio operator (“Sparks”).
A fluke in Norwegian regulations, a shortage of radio operators, and her own persistence allowed her to sign onto the M/S Mosdale, a Norwegian merchant ship. Fern carried out her duties with outstanding competence and great courage during the Battle of the Atlantic.
It was incredibly dangerous, as Allied ships fighting to get personnel and crucial supplies to Britain faced U-boats, mined waters, enemy aircraft, and the perils of the sea as battlefield.
Fern was aboard 78 of the Mosdale’s record 96 transatlantic crossings, opening the door to a sisterhood of Sparks.
In 1943, she was awarded the Norwegian War Medal, the first woman ever to receive the honour.
Speakers will include His Excellency Jon Elvedal Fredriksen, Norway’s Ambassador to Canada; Rear-Admiral Jennifer Bennett, Royal Canadian Navy; Dr. Richard Gimblett, Command Historian of the Royal Canadian Navy (retired); Dr. Stéphanie Bélanger, Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research and Professor at the Royal Military College of Canada; Tyler Fauvelle, professional Canadian sculptor who created the monument.
Please join us! Soyez des nôtres en ligne pour cette celebration!
For more information about Fern Blodgett Sunde and her amazing achievement please click here.
Leona Woods, Chair and Helen Vari, Honourary Chair Fern Blodgett Sunde and the Battle of the Atlantic Commemoration 2020 [email protected]
The solar minimum between Solar Cycle 24 and 25 – the period when the sun is least active – happened in December 2019, when the 13-month smoothed sunspot number fell to 1.8, according to the Solar Cycle 25 Prediction Panel, co-chaired by NOAA and NASA. We are now in Solar Cycle 25 with peak sunspot activity expected in 2025, the panel said.
Solar Cycle 24 was average in length, at 11 years, and had the 4th-smallest intensity since regular record keeping began with Solar Cycle 1 in 1755. It was also the weakest cycle in 100 years. Solar maximum occurred in April 2014 with sunspots peaking at 114 for the solar cycle, well below average, which is 179.
Solar Cycle 24’s progression was unusual. The Sun’s Northern Hemisphere led the sunspot cycle, peaking over two years ahead of the Southern Hemisphere sunspot peak. This resulted in solar maximum having fewer sunspots than if the two hemispheres were in phase.
Solar Cycle 25
For the past eight months, activity on the sun has steadily increased, indicating we transitioned to Solar Cycle 25. Solar Cycle 25 is forecast to be a fairly weak cycle, the same strength as cycle 24. Solar maximum is expected in July 2025, with a peak of 115 sunspots.
“How quickly solar activity rises is an indicator on how strong the solar cycle will be,” said Doug Biesecker, Ph.D., panel co-chair and a solar physicist at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center. “Although we’ve seen a steady increase in sunspot activity this year, it is slow.”
The panel has high confidence that Solar Cycle 25 will break the trend of weakening solar activity seen over the past four cycles. “We predict the decline in solar cycle amplitude, seen from cycles 21 through 24, has come to an end,” said Lisa Upton, Ph.D., panel co-chair and solar physicist with Space Systems Research Corp. “There is no indication we are approaching a Maunder-type minimum in solar activity.”
“While we are not predicting a particularly active Solar Cycle 25, violent eruptions from the Sun can occur at any time,” Biesecker added.
Solar cycle prediction gives a rough idea of the frequency of space weather storms of all types, from radio blackouts to geomagnetic storms and solar radiation storms. It is used by many industries to gauge the potential impact of space weather in the coming years.
New satellites will provide enhanced observations of the Sun
In 2024, before the peak of sunspot activity in Solar Cycle 25, NOAA is slated to launch a new spacecraft dedicated to operational space weather forecasting. NOAA’s Space Weather Follow-On L-1 observatory will be equipped with instruments that sample the solar wind, provide imagery of coronal mass ejections, and monitor other extreme activity from the Sun in finer detail than before. NOAA’s next Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-U) is also scheduled to launch in 2024. GOES-U will carry three solar monitoring instruments, including the first compact coronagraph, which will help detect coronal mass ejections. Enhanced observations of the Sun from these satellites will help improve space weather forecasting.
The Solar Cycle Prediction Panel forecasts the number of sunspots expected for solar maximum, along with the timing of the peak and minimum solar activity levels for the cycle. It is comprised of scientists representing NOAA, NASA, the International Space Environment Services, and other U.S. and international scientists.
For the latest space weather forecast, visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, the nation’s authority for space weather alerts, watches, warnings, and advisories at https://www.spaceweather.gov/.
At 01:02 GMT on September 2 a cross band FM amateur radio repeater with a downlink on 437.800 MHz was activated on the International Space Station.
The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) announcement reads:
The ARISS team is pleased to announce that set up and installation of the first element of our next generation radio system was completed and amateur radio operations with it are now underway. This first element, dubbed the InterOperable Radio System (IORS), was installed in the International Space Station Columbus module. The IORS replaces the Ericsson radio system and packet module that were originally certified for spaceflight on July 26, 2000.
Initial operation of the new radio system is in FM cross band repeater mode using an uplink frequency of 145.990 MHz with an access tone [CTCSS] of 67 Hz and a downlink frequency of 437.800 MHz. System activation was first observed at 01:02 UTC on September 2. Special operations will continue to be announced.
The IORS was launched from Kennedy Space Center on March 6, 2020 on board the SpaceX CRS-20 resupply mission. It consists of a special, space-modified JVC Kenwood D710GA transceiver, an ARISS developed multi-voltage power supply and interconnecting cables. The design, development, fabrication, testing, and launch of the first IORS was an incredible five-year engineering achievement accomplished by the ARISS hardware volunteer team. It will enable new, exciting capabilities for ham radio operators, students, and the general public. Capabilities include a higher power radio, voice repeater, digital packet radio (APRS) capabilities and a Kenwood VC-H1 slow scan television (SSTV) system.
A second IORS undergoes flight certification and will be launched later for installation in the Russian Service module. This second system enables dual, simultaneous operations, (e.g. voice repeater and APRS packet), providing diverse opportunities for radio amateurs. It also provides on-orbit redundancy to ensure continuous operations in the event of an IORS component failure.
Next-gen development efforts continue. For the IORS, parts are being procured and a total of ten systems are being fabricated to support flight, additional flight spares, ground testing and astronaut training. Follow-on next generation radio system elements include an L-band repeater uplink capability, currently in development, and a flight Raspberry-Pi, dubbed “ARISS-Pi,” that is just beginning the design phase. The ARISS-Pi promises operations autonomy and enhanced SSTV operations.
ARISS is run almost entirely by volunteers, and with the help of generous contributions from ARISS sponsors and individuals. Donations to the ARISS program for next generation hardware developments, operations, education, and administration are welcome — please go to https://www.ariss.org/donate.html to contribute to these efforts.
ARISS–Celebrating 20 years of continuous amateur radio operations on the ISS!
As announced in The Canadian Amateur magazine, the RAC Band Planning Committee has completed the new proposed 2m band plan.
Radio Amateurs of Canada band planning committees coordinate the development of National Band Plans to provide guidance for the usage of the Canadian Amateur bands. These committees are made up of representatives from all regions of Canada.
The committees prepare interim band plans after consulting with Amateurs across the country. These plans not only take into account the wishes of Canadian Amateurs, but are also coordinated with band usage in other countries through membership in the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU).
The RAC Board of Directors extends thanks to the members of the RAC Band Planning Committee for undertaking the task of reviewing and updating the VHF and UHF band plans over the next year.
A draft of the band plans is provided below for final input before it is submitted to the RAC Board of Directors for approval. If you have any comments or suggestions please send them to Serge, Bertuzzo, VA3SB, RAC International Affairs Officer, at [email protected].
RAC Band Planning Committee
Chair: Al Penney, VO1NO
Members:
Bill Elliott, VE1MR
Don Falle, VE2DFO
Stuart Truba, VE2XX
Dana Shtun, VE3DS
Derek Hay, VE4HAY
Ken Oelke, VE6AFO
Skip MacAulay, VE6BGT
Ernest Clintberg, VE6EC
Don Moman, VE6JY
Mitchell Goodjohn, VE6SM
Grant Furnald, VE6TA
Ed Frazer, VE7EF
George Merchant, VE7GM
Dave Miller, VE7HR
Serge, Bertuzzo, VA3SB RAC International Affairs Officer [email protected]
Modes and Possible Uses (please see the Notes provided below)
144.000 –144.100
EME, Narrow Band Digital, CW, Weak Signal Modes. See Note 1 below.JT65 centred on 144.085 JA Window. See Note 2.
144.100 – 144.180
CW, SSB, Narrow Band Digital, EME, Weak Signal Modes. See Note 1.144.174 FT8, 144.144/144.150 MSK144 Meteor Scatter, 144.115 – 144.135 Digital EME centred on 144.125 MHz. See Note 2
144.180 – 144.265
CW, SSB, Narrow Band Digital, EME, Weak Signal and other Narrow Band Modes. See Note 1.Other modes with bandwidths less than 3 kHz, including FAX and SSTV.144.200 SSB and CW Calling Frequency. See Note 3.
144.265 – 144.270
No transmissions – Guard Band to protect Beacon Network.
144.270 – 144.300
Propagation Beacon Network Exclusive.Note that 144.300 is the IARU Region 1 Calling Frequency, and could be used for Trans-Atlantic Attempts.
144.300 – 144.310
No transmissions – Guard Band to protect Beacon Network.Note that 144.300 is the IARU Region 1 Calling Frequency, and could be used for Trans-Atlantic Attempts.
144.310 – 144.500
Wide Band Digital Modes (e.g.: Packet, APRS). See Note 1 and Note 4.144.340 – National ATV Voice Coordination Frequency FM.144.390 – National APRS Frequency. See Note 5.144.489 – National WSPR Frequency.
144.500 – 144.900
FM / Digital / Linear Repeater Inputs. See Note 6.
No transmissions. Guard Band to protect Satellite Sub-band.
145.800 – 146.000
Amateur Satellite Uplink / Downlink and ARISS Exclusive.
146.000 – 146.010
No transmissions. Guard Band to protect Satellite Sub-band.
146.010 – 146.370
FM / Digital / Linear Repeater Inputs. See Note 6.
146.400 – 146.595
FM Simplex. See Notes 9 and 10.146.520 – National FM Calling Frequency. See Note 3.
146.610 – 147.390
FM / Digital / Linear Repeater Outputs. See Note 6.
147.420 – 147.570
FM Simplex and Digital Hotspots using a 30 kHz raster. See Note 11 and Note 12.Note that Digital channels are interwoven between these FM Simplex channels.
147.435 – 147.585
Wide Band Digital. See Note 1 and Note 13.Note that these Digital channels are interwoven between the FM Simplex channels at 147.420 – 147.570.
147.600 – 147.990
FM / Digital / Linear Repeater inputs. See Note 6.
Notes for Proposed Two Metre (2m) Band Plan:
Note 1: Narrow Band Digital 2m modes are those with bandwidths of 3 kHz or less; for example, WSJT modes. Wide Band Digital 2m modes are those with bandwidths greater than 3 kHz but less than 30 kHz; for example, Packet.
Note 2: Consult with the WSJT community regarding frequencies for EME and Terrestrial operations as these change with modulation schemes.
Note 3: Once contact is established on a Calling Frequency, operators should QSY to another frequency. For 144.200 MHz it is generally down for CW, and up for SSB. For 146.520 MHz FM, it is to any other clear FM simplex channel.
Note 4: Seven frequencies on a 20 kHz channel raster: 144.37, 144.39, 144.41, 144.43, 144.45, 144.47 and 144.49. Occupancy is to occur only when available Digital frequencies within the sub-bands 144.9 – 145.1 MHz and 145.59 – 145.79 MHz are exhausted. Consult with your local digital coordination body regarding maximum ERP, Bandwidth and coverage area within this sub-band. Operation may occur on 144.31 MHz provided operating bandwidth and ERP do not cause harmful interference within the propagation beacon network sub-band.
Note 5: Consult with your local coordination body.
Note 6: Repeaters include FM, Digital (DMR, Fusion, DSTAR and related) and linear modes. Consult with your local coordination body for frequencies and modulation scheme allocations specific to your area, if available. Hotspots are not to be used on Repeater frequencies.
Note 7: Ten frequencies on a 20 kHz channel raster: 144.91, 144.93, 144.95, 144.97, 144.99, 145.01, 145.03, 145.05, 145.07 and 145.09. Consult with your local coordination body.
Note 8: Eleven frequencies on a 20 kHz channel raster: 145.59, 145.61, 145.63, 145.65, 145.67, 145.69, 145.71, 145.73, 145.75, 145.77 and 145.79 MHz. Consult with your local coordination body.
Note 9: The frequencies 146.40, 146.43 and 146.46 MHz continue to be used as repeater inputs in some areas. Consult with your local coordination body.
Note 10: Thirteen channels on a 15 kHz channel raster: 146.415, 146.430, 146.445, 146.460, 146.475, 146.490, 146.505, 146.520, 146.535, 146.550, 146.565, 146.580 and 146.595 MHz.
Note 11: Six channels on a 30 kHz channel raster, 147.420, 147.450, 147.480, 147.510, 147.540, 147.570 MHz.
Note 12: The use of Digital Hotspots is not recommended on 2m. If they are used however, maximum power output should not exceed 500 mW. Gain antennas should not be used. The control operator must monitor the Hotspot whenever it is operating.
Note 13: Six channels on a 30 kHz channel raster: 147.435, 147.465, 147.495, 147.525, 147.555 and 147.585 MHz. Consult your local coordination body for available frequencies, ERP and bandwidth.
Serge, Bertuzzo, VA3SB RAC International Affairs Officer [email protected]
After 8 years of operation, the old Oregon Scientific weather station has finally been retired, as it was having issues staying all connected to the console.
So I have updated to the Ecowitt HP 3500B Weather Station.
It also has a lightning detector, that should monitor lightning strikes up to about 40 km.
Advanced notice to disconnect my radios. Lets see how that goes. 🙂
UPDATE: Well, the new system detected the lightning this morning and followed it out to the east towards Trenton.
I have added a store, of sorts, alone with some links to other radio related software. The store items listed are provided by Scanner Master Police Scanners.
With the closure of Durham Radio, there hasn’t been a local distributor available, that has the selection and knowledge that Scanner Master has and has the online support.
Scanner Master is the industry’s leading scanner consultant, as no other dealer or distributor is more knowledgeable about scanner functionality and operation and they participate in the design and development of the industry’s trunktracking scanners.
Scanner Master Police Scanners Corporation was formed in 1978 and since that time has been producing the nation’s most comprehensive communications guidebooks including Scanner Master regional volumes and Monitor America.
Scanner Master is also the North American distributor for Butel’s ARC (Advanced Radio Control) scanner software, the finest and most popular scanner software sold worldwide today. Scanner Master Police Scanners is also the North American distributor for a line of Czech-built scanner accessories including filters and pre-amplifiers.
Scanner Master can also work with you to develop customized monitoring systems. Applications include dispatch centers, news gathering organizations and remote monitoring stations. They have worked with the Miami Herald and Metro Traffic Control on such custom installation and programming. Scanner Master and its affiliated companies are currently developing sophisticated monitoring solutions and accessories, both software and hardware-based.
VA3DBJ.ca is an affiliate member. So clicking any Scanner Master links, will take you there and give us credit for any purchase you make. Any commissions made, goes towards the site costs.
After five years, Vance is one of the longest serving defence chiefs in the country’s history
Gen. Jonathan Vance, the country’s top military commander, has announced his retirement.
A letter informing the troops of his planned departure was posted on social media Thursday. It says that he’s informed the Governor General, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan of his decision “to relinquish command of the Canadian Armed Forces in the months to come.”
He said it will be up to the government to select a new chief of the defence staff and decide when the change of command will take place.
“I’m a bit excited,” Vance said in an interview with CBC News, when asked about the future. “I’m not just blowing sunshine here. I’m excited to see what the next person will do to keep the institution moving forward.”
Vance has held the post for just over five years — often tumultuous ones — making him one of the longest serving defence chiefs in the country’s history.
He was appointed in 2015 by then-prime minister Stephen Harper.
Vance said he has no post-military career plans, other than “getting a really good sleep” and spending time with family.
He also was reluctant to describe what he sees as his legacy, adding that he doesn’t plan to write a memoir or “get into punditry” about military or defence issues.
“I’m not all that concerned about my legacy,” he said. “My legacy is, I took command, I did the best I could and I left. And hopefully, I left the place better than I found it.”
His tenure was marked by a high-profile campaign to stamp out sexual misconduct in the military and the politically-charged case involving former vice-admiral Mark Norman, who was accused of leaking cabinet secrets to a Quebec shipyard and the media.
Within some political and defence circles, Vance was accused of not doing enough to stand up for Norman, his former vice-chief of the defence staff, in the face of the allegations. The criminal case against Norman was stayed after the defence dug up evidence that the RCMP and the Crown had not considered.
The decision to suspend Norman in 2017 as the federal police force opened its investigation was, he said, the hardest call he had to make during five years in the job.
“I regret that it happened, but my actions, and what I did, I did it the right way, the way I had to do it. Didn’t like it, but there are lots of things I don’t like,” Vance said.
Throughout the controversies, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said repeatedly that he had full confidence in Vance, who was also assigned the thorny task of implementing the Liberal government’s defence policy.
‘I am so very proud’
Vance has been touted as a possible candidate to head NATO’s Military Committee, a position that has not been held by a Canadian for more than 15 years.
The chairman’s post is expected to become vacant next year and the NATO alliance has been actively canvassing nations with an interest in leading the advisory body.
But the Liberal government last week formally refused to put Vance’s name forward, defence sources told CBC News.
Vance confirmed the government has elected not to pursue the competition, but said he wasn’t told the reason.
He made no secret of his interest in the job, but has said in public previously that if the NATO position was not available, after five years as defence chief, it would be time for him to retire.
In his letter to the troops, Vance praised them and described them as “the inspiration for my life,” saying he had given them his all.
He told Canadian Forces members that they are “more important to the success of this nation than most will ever know, and I am so very proud to be counted among your ranks.”
A member of the army for 39 years, Vance did two tours commanding the Canadian task force in Kandahar before going on to a series of high-profile posts, including head of the military’s overseas command and deputy commander of NATO’s Allied Joint Force Command Naples in 2014.
The Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement today saying that Vance will continue to serve until he turns the command over to the new chief of the defence staff, “who will be named in the coming months.”
“In his five years as chief of the defence staff, General Vance has served with distinction during a challenging period, leading the Canadian Armed Forces as they served at home and around the world, from Mali to Ukraine to Iraq,” Trudeau said in the statement. “He has also worked with the Forces to make them more inclusive and representative of the country they defend and the Canadians they protect.
“With almost 40 years of service, General Vance has devoted his life to this country and we thank him for his dedication and leadership.”
