Field Day 2016

Each year amateur radio clubs, ARES teams, and individual amateur radio operators take part in the ARRL Field Day. This year the event takes place on the June 25/26 weekend.

The objective is “to work as many stations as possible on any and all amateur bands (excluding the 60, 30, 17, and 12-meter bands) and to learn to operate in abnormal situations in less than optimal conditions. Field Day is open to all amateurs in the areas covered by the ARRL/RAC Field Organizations and countries within IARU Region 2.”

While there are definitely contest like features to Field Day the event also serves as an excellent venue to test groups’ abilities to construct, power, and operate complex radio stations under field conditions such as might be found during emergencies or disasters.

According to the ARRL’s Field Day site locator both Burlington and the South Halton ARES amateur radio groups will be participating in this year’s event. It is unknown where the Burlington group will operate from but SHARES will be on the air from Parking Lot E of the Halton Region Centre at 1151 Bronte Road in Oakville. Their talk in frequency will be 146.580 MHz simplex (they will probably monitor some of the local repeaters as well). Currently, plans call for SHARES to operate on both HF and VHF in voice, CW and digital/data modes. Consideration is also being given to some satellite operation.

Visitors are welcome and encouraged to visit Field Day sites. Operating times are from 2 pm local time on Saturday until 2 pm local time on Sunday. Take the opportunity to visit a site and get involved. Talk, observe, learn, get on the air.

Spring 2016 Update

Upcoming Public Service Events

HRECT member group Oakville REACT has two upcoming events in May. The MS Mandarin Walk takes place from 8 am till noon on Sunday, May 1^st. The Oakville Lion’s Club dog walk fundraising event in support of the guide dog school in Oakville takes place on May 28^th from 8 am till 1 pm.

Both events will make use of REACT’s commercial VHF frequency and various amateur radio repeaters. REACT is looking for a few volunteers to help with radio communications for both events. If you can assist please contact us at ve3hal@gmail.com and we’ll pass the info along to REACT.

CANWARN 2016

Upcoming Training Dates

Once again this year the Region of Halton will be holding a CANWARN training session. It will take place on Thursday, May 26^th at 7 pm in the Glen Orchy/Dakota rooms at 1151 Bronte Road, Oakville. If you wish to attend please RSVP to tim.lindsay@halton.ca

If you have scheduling problems with the above, one of these other sessions might work for you.

Saturday, May 7 – 9 am at Environment Canada HQ, 4905 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON.

                                                                   Or

Tuesday, May 10 – 7 pm at Environment Canada HQ, 4905 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON.

For the past year or so CANWARN activities in Halton Region have been sponsored by HRECT. Rob Hagley, VA3WXR, is the coordinator. Rob has created a Halton CANWARN blog. It may be found at:

https://haltoncanwarn.wordpress.com/

This is a newly created work in progress. As a result there will be updates and changes going on until the final format is decided upon. Please be patient. Meanwhile, keep an eye on the site for updated Halton CANWARN information.

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RAC GTA Section Local Spring SET

GTA ARES will be holding a Simulated Emergency Test on Saturday, May 28^th from 8 am until 1 pm. ARES teams from Halton, Peel, York and Durham Regions and Toronto ARES will take part.

As HRECT has several ARES teams as member groups, HRECT will also take part in the SET. In support of this the Region’s EOC emcomm station will be on the air for the duration of the event. No local scenario has been decided upon yet. The GTA Section Emergency Coordinator will have several tests that participating groups will be expected to complete as well.

In the previous RAC SET the use of 40 meters SSB with NVIS antennas was tested. As the GTA Section is geographically rather small it was always thought that HF, which is normally used for long range communications, would be ineffective. Turns out that 40m SSB and NVIS antennas work quite well around the Section and also allow for longer range communications. At least that was the take away from the last SET. It’s understood that further HF testing on 40m will take place during this SET. It’s also rumoured that 60 meter USB and NVIS antenna use may be explored during the May 28^th SET.

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Winter Field Day 2016

Amateur radio’s Winter Field Day took place on the January 30/31st weekend this year. Once again HRECT was involved as the South Halton ARES group activated for the event. Although the weather was a bit better than it has been in previous years the wind made it somewhat difficult to set up antennas.

SHARES operated two stations, one in their still under renovation communications trailer and one operating from Janusz’s (VE3OKZ) van.

Power for the radios was supplied by generators. Heaters kept the trailer quite warm and comfortable (shirt sleeve temperature).

Operations took place on 80 meters, 40 meters, 20 meters and 2 meters. HF band conditions were quite strange on the Saturday afternoon, fading in and out every few minutes for several hours. Despite that contacts were made with stations as far away as Florida, Texas, and Japan.

The following operators took part: VE3OGP, VA3PRE, VE3SR, VE3CEZ, VA3NV, VA3CQC, VE3OKZ, Hank

August 2015 Update

 

RAC Item

The following was found on the RAC Facebook page.

Friday 10 July, 2015

Once again I have the pleasure of confirming that Rick VA3NV, has volunteered to assume the responsibilities as the Acting SM for GTA until a permanent candidate steps forward. Please acknowledge Rick and welcome him to our SM Group. Also note that Rick is also the SEC for GTA.

Bill Boskwick VE4BOZ
CFSO

Upcoming

There are a few upcoming events that may be of interest to HRECT member groups.

South Halton ARES is holding a “Trailer Work Party” for their currently under renovation/construction communications trailer on Saturday, 08 August 2015 from 09:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Contact EC George Davis, VE3OGP, for further details.

The next GTA ARES meeting which will take place on Sunday, August 23^rd at the Mississauga Red Cross office, 5700 Cancross Court, Mississauga. The meeting will be in the Ontario Zone training room. ARES DECs, ECs and AECs are requested to attend.

RAC’s 2015 Simulated Emergency Test will be held on Saturday, October 10^th from 8 am til 1 pm. Halton Region’s Emergency Operations Centre may not be available to us that day due to possible renovation work. If necessary, SHARES has agreed to place a trailer containing a VHF/UHF/HF/Data station in the Region’s parking lot to simulate the EOC station. It is recommended that all HRECT ARES teams participate in the SET. The non-amateur radio HRECT groups are also welcome to participate. Standard HRECT response procedures should be followed for this event.

Tentatively, TBRC/Burlington ARES will be looking for assistance for the Feelin Groovy 5k race being held at Spencer Smith Park in Burlington on August 15^th. If you can help, please contact Burlington EC Kevin Andrews, VA3KRA.

Interesting info re RAC ARES ID cards

For those HRECT member groups who are amateur radio or ARES affiliated.

RAC Suspends Issue of ARES ID Cards

During the Planning Meeting held in Toronto late May this year, the RAC ARES ID card was reviewed and subsequently a decision to suspend issuing these was taken. During a Section Managers Meeting on 28 May, the SMs were advised of this either by their participation in that meeting or through the Meeting Minutes, item #3, that were shared among all the SMs.

The primary reason for this action was ambiguous wording on the card and potential liability issues.

The RAC ARES ID card and associated process is under review. SMs are asked to please promulgate this information.

Bill Boskwick (CEC RAC) VE4BOZ
CFSO
ve4boz@rac.ca

 

Summer 2015 update

Field Day 2015

Amateur radio Field Day takes place on the weekend of June 27-28 this year.

At an HRECT meeting a few months ago it was agreed that the group’s ARES teams would try to hold an HRECT Field Day. The event will operate, using the Region’s VE3HAL call sign, from Parking Lot E, 1151 Bronte Road, Oakville, ON. Set up time is 9:00 am. on Saturday, June 27.

Anyone interested in taking part should contact ve3hal@gmail.com for further info.

Upgraded Repeater

Oakville REACT, an HRECT member team, has upgraded its VE3OKR UHF repeater to one of the new Yaesu DX-1r Fusion machines. The repeater is currently on the air in test mode and appears to be working well. VE3OKR may be found on 442.450 MHz (+).

Musings of an Emergency Coordinator

The following article was found on web site of the Coast Emergency Communications Association of Nanaimo, BC. There is no info provided as to who wrote the article and there is no ARES Emergency Coordinator listed for the area at the present time. Regardless, the article is extremely relevant to both our ARES and non-ARES member groups and I offer it here to stimulate thinking.

Musings of an Emergency Coordinator

The last little while has seen some attention to our part of the world with earthquakes off the west coast of Vancouver Island. This quake was enough to get media attention and to some degree the attention of the public. Initial media reports were not complete and certainly raised the level of concern of the general public.

There always seems to be the issue of communication during a crisis. In my forty plus years of being exposed to and involved with emergency communication I have noted that in every debriefing there is the mention of communication. How it either failed or did not live up to expectation. The failure of the cellular phone system during the recent Stanley Cup events in Vancouver is one such example. In today’s world if you turn off cell phones and social media then stand back and watch things grind to a halt followed by confusion and anger. These items are mentioned not to make a case for amateur radio emergency communication. . That case had been made more than enough times. They are only mentioned to show how much society today demands instant information. Communication is critical.

In my travels I have yet to meet an emergency coordinator who said I have enough volunteers or I have enough equipment or everyone that is part of the emergency response system is on the same page

Over the years I have often heard amateurs say “I don’t need to join an emergency group when something happens I’ll be there.”

Although I rarely say it I often think……. yes you will be there, BUT

1. Will you have the appropriate training?

2. Will you know where to report?

3. Will know what the expectations/protocols are of the group, to whom you are providing the service,

4. Will you be familiar with the local emergency management protocols?

5. Will you meet the criteria set out by local government to even access the appropriate areas?

6. Will you remember that you are a radio operator and not someone who makes operational or administrative decisions? Will you remember that you are part of the wheel and not the centre of the wheel?

7. How do you respond under stress? Do you even really know?

8. Will you know how to operate the equipment?

In essence you will be part of the problem, not part of the solution.

Time spent with an emergency communication group does not have to be excessive. If you are fortunate enough to have a weekly net then combine that time with a monthly meeting and it could work out to roughly two hours a month. Simulated emergency exercises of course would add time.

In speaking with emergency communication volunteers they say that the more realistic the simulated emergency exercise the more they like it. The exercise is a time to learn, both how you will react, and what your job is. Some folks say that sitting at home and checking into a net is nothing compared to attending a realistic simulated exercise and trying to remember everything from the logging process, to setting up the grab and go kit, to the phonetic alphabet. Some even forget their own grab and go kits. You know things like food, water, medications (if required) etc.

They soon realize the statement “If you can’t take care of yourself how you can expect to help others” is a very valid statement. They also realize that they respond differently when under stress. Having been exposed to the stress and being debriefed after an exercise lets people learn they are not alone when their stress reactions kick in. It also provides each person the opportunity to learn and think about how they did, what they would do differently next time, and how they can improve their performance.

Not every amateur operator needs to be involved in emergency communication, but we need enough to do the job and right now we are sorely lacking.

I once read an article which said a good ham has a motto. Preparation, Education and Service to the Community. When you think about it most hams would probably agree with that statement. Service to the Community is an interesting topic in itself.

We are fortunate in this country not to have the volume of serious events that occur south of the border. Never the less we need to be prepared. The first step in that preparation is to get people thinking. After you have made your decision whether or not to be involved in emergency communication then stick to it. Get involved or stay out of the way of those who are trying to do the job. If you do that you will be serving your community.

I could go on but the purpose of this is not to anger anyone, not to frustrate anyone and certainly not to take sides. The sole purpose is to make amateurs think seriously for a moment or two how they would react in a critical situation keeping in mind the points previously mentioned. Can you spare a couple of hours a month?

Recent Public Service Activity

Oakville REACT, Burlington ARES and South Halton ARES worked together to provide communications support for the 30th annual Lion’s Club Car  Rally on Sunday, October 19, 2014. This event is a fundraiser for the  Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides school in Oakville.

Oakville REACT, which has been involved with this event since its  inception, was the lead communications agency.

Oakville REACT’s commercial VHF FM simplex voice frequency and a mix of amateur radio repeaters provided communications along the 75 km  route, and at the four check points, as well as at the start/finish line.

Rally cars participating in this event have sighted drivers and visually impaired navigators.

This year’s version of the rally operated from a new start/finish line in Burlington. The route (also new) ran from Burington up through North Halton and the very Eastern part of Hamilton-Wentworth. Given the rural nature of the areas involved, finding repeaters that covered the whole route was a bit of a challenge.

Information from one remote check point was sent by amateur radio to a relay station who then forwarded it to net control using REACT’s simplex frequency, proving once again that simplex is much more effective than most people believe.

Events such as this are very useful in testing our abilities to improvise in the field, and to work with a variety of different modes, frequencies and organizations. All valuable preparation and training for emergency communications work.

2014 SET

RAC’s Simulated Emergency Test in the GTA Section took place on Saturday, October 18 this year.

The annual Simulated Emergency test is, according to the RAC web site,”…a North America-wide exercise in emergency communications, administered by the ARRL and the RAC Emergency Coordinators and Net Managers. Both the Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) and the National Traffic System (NTS) are involved. The SET weekend gives communicators the opportunity to focus on the emergency communications capability within your community, while interacting with NTS nets.”

Although not an HRECT event, several HRECT member groups took part.That included Burlington ARES, Milton ARES and South Halton ARES.

The Milton Red Cross branch office was used as the main communications hub. From there voice links were made to Burlington, Oakville, Milton, Brampton, and Toronto. Message traffic was sent to the amateur radio station at the Province of Ontario’s Emergency Operations Centre in Toronto.

FL DIGI contacts were made with Brampton ARES.

A lot of things worked well. Some things didn’t. Much was learned.

Distracted Driving Legislation in Ontario

Some good news on the Bill 118 front.

RAC Bulletin 2012-023E – Distracted Driving in Ontario
2012-04-17

On April 16 the MTO posted a regulatory notice proposing a change to
Ontario Regulation # 366/09 (Display Screens and Hand-Held Devices)
that would extend the current exemption for licenced amateur radio
operators for an additional five years.

As you know, the exemption was due to expire at the end of this
calendar year, and Radio Amateurs of Canada has been lobbying for a
permanent exemption since this regulation was introduced back in
2009. We will be providing comments to the Road User Safety Branch of
MTO on this issue and will continue to press for a permanent
exemption. That said, a 5-year extension is certainly welcome at this
point but is not the ultimate resolution that we have been seeking.

The only other group to obtain an extension are commercial, public
transit, and public function drivers.

You can view the notice in the provincial registry at:

http://www.ontariocanada.com/registry/view.do?postingId=9043&language=en

RAC and the Distracted Driving Committee wishes to thank all
organisations that supplied letters of support to assist us in
obtaining this extension. This shows the support we have from many
Ontario organisations.

Bill Unger VE3XT – North/East Ontario Regional Director
Chair – RAC Distracted Driving Committee
Radio Amateurs of Canada

 

HRECT Meeting

Just a short note – the next HRECT meeting is Wednesday, March 28 at the usual time and place.