RAC Bulletin 110514

RAC Ontario Section Bulletin for May 14, 2011
NATIONAL NEWS
ONTARIO SECTION NEWS
1. NTS is not ARES
Recently there has been some confusion that the National Traffic
System (NTS) is part of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES).
This is not the case. NTS and ARES are separate branches of the RAC
Field Organization. They report, respectively, to the Section
Traffic Manager and the Section Emergency Coordinator. Overseeing
both are the Section Manager and the Vice President for Field
Services. Though many amateurs serve both NTS and ARES, and NTS
supports ARES during exercises and emergencies, NTS is a completely
independent service of Radio Amateurs of Canada.
-- Allan Boyd, VE3AJB, Ontario Section Manager
2. CANWARN Training, May 28 - June 3
Upcoming CANWARN training will be held at the following locations:
May 28th, 9 AM, in Sudbury, at the Lionel E. Lalonde Centre, 239
Montee Principale in Azilda (15 km west of Sudbury).
May 29th, 1 PM, in Espanola, at the Pinewood Inn, 378 Centre St.
May 30th, 7 PM, in Sault Ste. Marie, at the Waterfront Inn, 208 St.
Mary's Drive.
May 31st, 7 PM, in Timmins, at the Timmins Inn and Suites, 1800
Riverside Drive.
June 1st, 6:30 PM, in Temiskaming Shores, at the Temiskaming Shores
Sailing School on Farr Drive, New Liskeard.
June 2nd, 7 PM, in North Bay, at the OPP Communications Centre, 877
Gormanville Road.
If you will be attending a CANWARN training session, please send an
email to Geoff.Coulson (at) ec.gc.ca, so that he can reserve space.
-- Environment Canada
ITEMS OF INTEREST
3. HamNation netcast
Netcasting network TWiT.tv -- This Week in Technology -- is adding a
new show called HamNation, hosted by microphone maker and ham radio
enthusiast Bob Heil. It will launch on Tuesday May 24. The first
guest will be rock star and fellow amateur Joe Walsh.
It's a "netcast", not a "podcast", because you don't need an iPod to
hear the show. You can listen or watch on a computer too. See it at
www.twit.tv
-- Radio World Online
4. Grounding Information
Here are two web pages with information about effective antenna
grounding. www.maplenet-inc.com/grounding is from Jim W7RY,
describing professional grounding guidelines following the Motorola
R56 Site Ground Standards. Tom W8JI's reference page on grounding is
www.w8ji.com/ground_systems.htm
-- ARRL Contest Update
5. Soldering is Easy
Mitch WB9IQQ, Jeff "Mightyohm" KF6PBP, and Andie Nordgren have
released a "Soldering Is Easy!" comic book. It's fun, and funny, easy
to read, and Mitch hopes it will make it really easy for anyone and
everyone to learn to solder, even if they've never built anything
before. Download the PDF file at tinyurl.com/6fu5jlz (Six Foxtrot
Uniform Five Juliet Lima Zulu)
-- ARRL Contest Update