RAC Bulletin 2015-08-22

RAC Ontario Sections Bulletin for August 22, 2015

This is V__3____, Official Bulletin Station for Radio Amateurs of
Canada, with this week's bulletin

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS

ONTARIO SECTIONS NEWS

1. DIRECTOR ELECTION IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO

Two nominations were received for this position. Following a review of
the documentation submitted
the Committee determined that the nomination papers were complete and in
order for
Mr. Philip A. McBride, VA3QR/VA3KPJ, and Mr. Igor Slakva, VE3ZF/VA3YDX.

The Committee recommended a Ballot by Mail, for Director, Ontario South
Region
for the completion of the 2014-2015 term. Ballots will be mailed to the
applicable postal codes
from the RAC Office in the near future. The closing date for the ballot
is August 31, 2015 noon time.

Please see the ballot information for the bios of the candidates, and
take the time to vote.

-- Sukwan Widajat VA3WID, RAC Corporate Secretary

2. New Peterborough ARES EC.

Congratulations and warm welcome to Jim Bird, VA3CC, as the new
Peterborough ARES Group Coordinator (EC).
Jim is now retired and has the time, energy and interest in taking the
ARES group
to the next level. Jim is replacing Terry, VA3MTT who is stepping down
due to
increased demands related to his work position, but is remaining an
active member.
I wish to thank Terry for the work he has done for the group and wish
him well in his endeavors.

I will be glad to provide any support and guidance Jim and his
leadership team may need.

-- Michael Hickey - Ontario East SM

3. Ottawa Amateur Radio Club, Inc. CARP Fleamarket
Date: Saturday, September 12, 2015
Location: Carp Agricultural Fairgrounds, 3832 Carp Road, Ottawa (Carp),
Ontario
(the W. Erskine Johnson Arena)
Times: Commercial Vendor Setup: 7:30 am,
Private Vendor Setup: 8 am,
Fleamarket Open to Public: 9 am - Noon

Cost: $6 General Admission,
Talk-in frequency: Talk-in on VE2CRA, 146.94-, 100 Hz

The Ottawa region's largest fleamarket and hamfest. Major doorprize draws!
Breakfast, coffee, and lunch concession. Volunteer organizations and
displays.
On-site Amateur Radio licence exams. Get your licence, or upgrade during
the hamfest!
Webpage: http://www.oarc.net/fleamarket
Email contact: fleamarket at oarc.net

-- Ed, VE3WGO

ITEMS OF INTEREST

4. Mechanical Filters being discontinued by Rockwell Collins

For many radio amateurs, it’s the end of an era: Rockwell Collins, which
designed and manufactured
mechanical filters for more than two generations of hams, will
discontinue the filters’ production.

The company posted on its website: “Over the past several years, we have
seen a dramatic reduction
in demand for narrowband analog filters. Due to this and other economic
reasons, Filter Products
will be discontinuing its mechanical filter products in the near future.”

The company acknowledged that the filters have since been eclipsed by
digital signal processing,
and this was a significant factor in its decision. Highly popular
mainstays for many hams,
the mechanical filters were valued for being able to achieve bandwidths
of between 0.05 percent and 5 percent,
with input and output transducers converting the electrical signal to
and from mechanical vibrations.
Rockwell Collins has not yet announced a date for the final production run.

-- AR Newsline (and others)

5. Undergrad radio ham uses Reverse Beacon Network in research project

A Virginia Tech undergraduate researcher and radio amateur has used
Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN)
and Reverse Beacon Network (RBN) data to study how solar flares impact
HF radio propagation with
communication loss related to both flare intensity and distribution.
Carson Squibb, KM4MBQ, recently summarized his findings in a poster
presentation,
“Dayside Ionospheric Response to X-Class Solar Flare Events Observed
with Reverse Beacon Network High Frequency Communication Links.”
As most HF operators understand, higher-intensity flare events can cause
complete signal loss on HF,
while weaker flares may only partly inhibit radio propagation.

Read the full ARRL story at
http://www.arrl.org/news/undergrad-radio-amateur-uses-reverse-beacon-network-in-research-project

This concludes this week's bulletin. Does anyone require repeats or
clarifications?
Hearing none, This is V__3____ returning the frequency to net control.