Registration is now open for the course (10 online sessions) to prepare for the Canadian Basic Amateur Radio exam starting NOVEMBER 1, 2020!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/RevelstokeAmateurRadioCourses

Being new to Amateur Radio like most people, we start with VHF and UHF and then move to HF. Enjoying the VHF and UHF bands I decided to try HF and FT8. I got a HF radio, installed a 40 meter loop antenna in the attic and started to make contacts.

My neighbour called shortly after I started with FT8, he was wondering if I had an idea why one of their house circuits would trip, this was an arc fault circuit breaker. We discussed some ideas to try, but didn't solve the problem. 

After being away for a week I'm back on FT8 and he texts me, are you on your radio? Yes. What band are you on? 20 meters. I then get a phone call.

Short story, when ever I broadcast on 20 meters his circuit breaker trips.

Doing some Google searches I find many articles including https://www.dxengineering.com/techarticles/lightningandrfiinfo/arc-fault-circuit-interrupter-rfi-problems. It seams Eaton AFCI breakers were found to be particularly sensitive on 20m, 17m, 15m, and 12m bands for tripping Arc Fault circuit breakers.

I have the same breaker in our house and only one breaker is tripping in his house.

There are stories of Eaton replacing the faulty circuit breakers for free, for the time being I'm not broadcasting on 20m.

John

VE7JXC

Update:

They took awhile to arrive and then some more time to install. Today, I've been transmitting on 20m for over 5 minutes and neither breaker has tripped. Looks like the breakers from Eaton (free) has solved the problem, now I can start working 20m again.

John

VE7JXC

The VHF FM repeater at Big White was swapped with a replacement on Thursday, August 13. The previous unit was getting "deaf" at times.

See a video of the trip up and the work done at YouTube here; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz-FYJTUJKk&t=13s

At the Membership meeting held May 28,2020 a resolution was made that, in accordance with guidance provided by the provincial government as a result of the Covid 19 epidemic, the Annual General Meeting of OCARC Club Meeting previously announced for June 25 at 19:30 will be conducted using our Virtual Meeting platform Jitsi with a back channel on the Dilworth Repeater 146.680.

Watch your email for details.

The Dilworth Mountain VHF Repeater will require 88.5 Hz tone for transmit and receive for future use. 

Survey being conducted to determine demand: Ends June 21

In response to the current global pandemic, Radio Amateurs of Canada organized an online Advanced Amateur Radio Certification Course in March 2020 so that individuals could upgrade their qualifications while continuing to practice social/physical distancing.

The new course was offered to RAC Maple Leaf Operator Members – both current and future – as described in the course requirements/survey.

if there is interest on the part of at least 7 individuals to acquire the Advanced Manual, or a combination of Advanced and Basic Manuals the club could order them at a cost to individual of $50.00 each. (To order individually from the publisher (Coax Publishing) they cost $65.00 plus with shipping and taxes)

In lieu of tonight's (2020-04-07) tech meeting Tom Apps has stepped up to hold an on the air get together tonight at 1900 hours on the Dilworth repeater 146.680

Spain’s International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) member-society URE has obtained temporary permission from the country’s telecommunications regulator for unlicensed people to use amateur stations during the coronavirus lockdown. More info...

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a part of our daily lives for several weeks now and will most likely continue to be for some time. The pandemic is of particular concern for Radio Amateurs because ours is a hobby that can be practiced by people of all ages from elementary schoolchildren to senior citizens. More info...

KENWOOD Amateur Radio System to be installed on the International Space Station (ISS). More info...