Can you guess who this member is?

The Peachland repeater was updated today. A small team went out in the rain and installed the new Kenwood repeater. Over 40 hours of volunteer work was involved in this repeater repalcement.

The next repeater on the list is the Orchard repeater.

Morse Code Day is celebrated annually on April 27th to commemorate the birthday of Samuel Morse, the inventor of Morse code. This day recognizes the significance of this communication system, which was a precursor to many modern technologies. 

The Nanaimo Amateur Radio Association is seeking your help to advertise our radio propagation tests on Saturday May 31, 2025.

In 2023 NARA carried out some practically based NVIS (Near Vertical Incident Skywave) propagation tests. During daylight the D-Layer forms and on the lower frequency bands the D-Layer attenuates signals thus reducing ranges. A stark example of the D-later attenuation is that Medium Wave broadcast signal from a distance can not be heard during daylight. When the D-layer disappears at night longer distance AM broadcast signals can easily be heard.

NARA wants to carry out daylight NVIS tests on the 80m, 60m and 40m bands using a transmitter power of 100 Watts. This simulates an amateur radio station at an emergency center during daylight hours. The purpose of the tests will be to see, in practice, what ranges might be
available.

While the exact frequencies have not yet been established NARA proposes to use the following frequencies: 3.720 MHz (LSB), 5346.5 MHz (USB) and 7.120 MHz (LSB). Note that these frequencies will be ‘dial’ frequencies. The frequency to which you set your dial (display) on your radio. Note that the convention on the 60m band is USB.

The date for these NVIS tests will be Saturday May 31 between the times of 11am to 3pm Pacific time. NARA will be using the callsign VE7NA and will be looking for as many check-ins an possible during this 4 hour test period. NARA would appreciate it if you could inform your members of these tests.

Please make a note of the date in your diary. NARA will supply further information nearer the test date.

73 de Nanaimo Amateur Radio Association

Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, BC

A few members were trying Parks On The Air at Cedar Creek park overlooking Okanagan Lake.

Kevin, Steve and Mike had a great day on the radio.

(I know the image is rotated, system issue)

The Pacific Forest Rally is back in Merritt!!!

After a number of years off due to Covid and natural disasters, PFR ran again in 2024 and was a huge success thanks to all the volunteers who came together to make the event possible!  We are now looking for volunteers to help us run PFR 2025.

While a lot of work and planning goes into organizing a stage rally, some details can not be decided till the very end of the planning process.

That being said, here is what the tentative plan looks like at the moment:

Thursday May 29: set up and possibly tech and recce

Friday May 30: tech and recce and possibly couple of stages

Saturday May 31: stages stages stages

Sunday June 1: clean up

Amateur Radio operators are integral for the safety of a rally event. The event will not be possible without the support of the local Radio community.  Please consider coming out to Merritt this May and helping out.

Amateur Radio operators are needed for various duties during stages, mainly road blocking and time controls. So the greatest need for radio operators is on Friday night and Saturday. Friday stages might run from about 5pm, and Saturday will likely run from 8am to 8pm. This means volunteers will need to be in place about an hour and half earlier. And of course if you have time and want to join the fun early on it will be greatly appreciated.

PRF organizers will provide lodging or partial lodging reimbursement and Saturday lunch. The plan is to have a volunteer appreciation banquet after the event Saturday night.

Please fill in the form (link below) to register as a volunteer.  There is still a couple of months till the event, but we will be in touch every couple weeks to keep all the volunteers in the loop.

https://forms.gle/XK5xmb3sARRh6CaN6

Hope to see you at PFR.

Polina Sergeyenko on behalf of the Pacific Forest Rally team.

VA7 POL

She / her

P.S. Please feel free to contact me via rally.volunteer@rallyinterior.ca in case you have any questions.

Sunday March 16

9am to 2 pm

Free Admission

Venders contact Scott, free, bring your own table

ve7jke @ gmail.com

Location: 105 Martin St entrance via Estabrook Ave

PACE Penticton and Area Cooperative Enterprises E-Waste Centre & Computer Sales

The “Orchard City Amateur Radio Club” participated in this years “Winter Field Day”  I few members came out to test their contesting skills.

The 20, 15, and 10m where active!

Thanks to all who helped in the setup and manning the stations.

One of the newest contest from ARRL is the winter field day. Like the original Field day, it shares many of the same rules and challenges but held in January.

This year it falls on January 25th and 26th.  We plan to get our feet wet by holding it at our Chute Lake shack.

We will commence at 11:00 am Saturday local time until 2:00 pm Sunday.  Operators and loggers needed. No experience necessary.

Depending on the outcome it may be worth while setting up in the field for next year. 

Hope to see you there.

Any questions, call or drop me a note.

778 392-5696.  ve7mvf@yahoo.ca

73

Mike (ve7fi)