June 2010 - Halifax Amateur Radio Club

The Halifax Amateur Radio ClubREFLECTORPO BOX 663HALIFAX NSB3J 2T3Field Day June 26 & 27, 2010Participate and have fun with HARCHARC Club Station phone number - 490-6421ExecutivePresident - Murray MacDonald, VE1MMD 826-7831 twomacds@ns.sympatico.caFirst V.P. - Bill Elliott, VE1MR 865-8567 ve1mr@rac.ca2nd V.P. - Sheldon Page, VE1SJPsheldon.page@gmail.comSecretary - Howard Dickson, VE1DHD 823-2024 dhdickson@eastlink.caTreasurer - Keith Landra, VE1STNtkeith.landra@yahoo.caDirector-at-Large: - Don Trotter, VE1DTRve1dtr@rac.caClub Station Mgr. - Wayne Harasimovitch, VE1WPH wayneph@eastlink.caPast President - Dick Grantham, VE1AI 434-8046 ve1ai@rac.caCommittees/Offices/Prime ContactsGovernment liaison – Murray MacDonald, VE1MMD 876-0661 twomacds@ns.sympatico.caQSL Bureau Mgr - Tom Caithness, VE1GTC 477-7081 tom.caithness@ns.sympatico.caEMO Coordinator - Dave George, VE1AJP 466-8723 dgeorge@dal.caEMO Trailer coordinator – David Musgrave, VE1EDA 435-4333 ve1eda@rac.caReflector editor - Lynn Bowser, VE1ENT 865-8567 ve1ent@rac.caReflector Dist. - Sheldon Hartling, VE1GPYhartling@netpathinc.comMembership - Sheldon Hartling, VE1GPYhartling@netpathinc.comWeb page – Frank Smithfrankiansmith@gmail.comBasic ham course - Barry Diggins, VE1TRI 861-3719 ve1tri@rac.ca2010 Flea market Chair – Tom Gaum, VE1BMJ 445-8103 tgaum2@ns.sympatico.caField Day coordinator – Murray Alary, VE1ALSSafety Officer - Terry Bigelow, VE1TRBve1trb@eastlink.caNSARA Director - Barry Diggins, VE1TRI 861-3719 ve1tri@rac.caHonorary Legal Counsel – Paul Radford, VE1ARHNon Club ContactsRAC Atlantic Director - Len Morgan, VE9MY 506-696-5279 morgakl@nb.sympatico.caRAC Section Manager – Jim Langille, VE1JBL (902) 667-1485 ve1jbl@ns.sympatico.caRAC Assistant Director for HRM Scott Wood, VE1QD, 823-2761 ve1qd@rac.caTake-15 Net ControllersNOTE: The net will be discontinuedfor the summer.If you want to join, please letBill Elliott, VE1MR, know.June 13 Win VE1WINJune 20 Doug VE1LDLJune 27 Bruce VE1MLWAug. 29 Win VE1WINSept. 5 Doug VE1LDLSept. 12 Bruce VE1MLWSept. 19 Bruce VE1MLWOne day a housework-challengedhusband decided to wash hisSweat-shirt. Seconds after hestepped into the laundry room, heshouted to his wife, "What settingdo I use on the washing machine?""It depends," I replied."What does itsay on yourshirt?" Heyelled back, "University ofAlabama ." Andthey say blondesare dumb…June 2010, Volume 71 Number 6club web site is www.halifax-arc.orgThe Monthly General Meetingof the Halifax Amateur RadioClub will take place Wednesday,June 16, 2010 at 1930 hours(7:30 PM) in the club rooms inthe Saint Andrews Rec Ctr.Tonight’s program will be FieldDay planningGuests are welcome.Come participate in Field DayJune 26 & 27. We’ll set up at andoperate from York Redoubt historicsite. Advantages of this site includeaccessibility for us & our equipment(also for visitors such as interestedsight-see-ers, media, EMO and/orgovernment reps), excellent site topographyfor towers, tents, operatingpositions & parking, on sitePark security and flush toiletsPuzzler - Do you know?Why do noises get louderduring a deep freeze?Answer is on pg. 9Deadline for submissions tothe September Reflector isSaturday, Sept. 4, 2010GENERALINFORMATIONSunday evenings:TAKE-15 NET at 8:30 PMWill be cancelled for the SummerCLUB REPEATERS:VE1PSR/VHF - 147.270 MHz +VE1PSR/UHF - 444.350 MHz +VE1PSR/6M - 53.550 MHz -access tone 151.4 HzVE1HNS - 146.940 MHz - TX=82.5PACKET: VE1NSD 145.050 MHzLAN NODE

Page 2 June 2010 Volume 71 Number 6The Halifax Amateur Radio Club ReflectorEvents for Your ‘CalendarJune 26 & 27 – Field Day 2010July – Museum Ships Special EventJuly 24 – 25- IOTAJuly 24 & 25 – MS Bike Tour,Windsor to Wolfville;. Contact RickGardner, VE1RGG, to help withcommunicationsJuly 15 - deadline for receipt of applicationsfor the 2010 Brit FaderScholarshipJuly 21 & August 18 – Pizza NightsJune 5 & 6 – Museum Ships on theAir. 61 ships have signed up to takepart in the event. Unfortunately theSackville is not available for thisevent .August 6 & 7- DX forum; andRAC AGMAugust – International Lighthouse &Lightship WeekendFor more information seehttp://www.lighthouse.fsnet.co.uk/events/intlighthouseday.htmlSept. 9 Basic Amateur Radio CourseOctober – Greenwood Flea MarketEach fall beginning in September theHalifax Amateur RadioClub runs a Basic HamClass which is hand-onand classroom based.We also run a self-studyclass during the winter.Contact course co-ordinator BarryDigginsSABLE ISLAND (CY0)There is a 2009 Dxpedition scheduledfor a Sept/Oct 2010 time frame.The web siteWWW.CY0dxpedition.comwill be updated as more details areavailable.Operators include: WA4DAN,AA4VK, N0TG, AI5PI don't suffer from insanity;I enjoy every minute of it.Silent KeyBurt Amero, VE1AMA.Burt retired after 32 years as aphoto tech with the Canadian AirForce having completed tours inBosnia, the Golan Heights, andLahr, Germany. Burt was an avidamateur radio operator who started& ran Network 105 for 21 yearsBurt finally lost his battle withCancer on Tuesday, May 25, 2010.The Brit Fader Scholarshipwill be awarded in 2010 in theamount of $1000 to assist withpost-secondary education for ayoung Canadian Radio Amateur.The deadline for receipt of applicationswill be July 15 th 2010. An applicationpackage can be downloadedfrom the HARC website.HARC Station Manager Wayne,VE1WPH, has announced that Jentronicswill be giving all RadioAmateurs a 10% discount on purchasesmade at Jentronics.Business conventions areimportant because they demonstratehow many people a companycan operate without.Campobello Island, New Brunswick– IOTA NA-014, was activatedfrom 28-May-2010 22:00 until 31-May-2010 23:00; Callsign: VE1FO/9Operators: VE1AI, VE1QD,VE1DHD, VE1RGB, VY2RU,VE1PEI, N1URA, KB1RZCampobello, NA-014http://www.rsgbiota.org/info/groupinfo.php?refno=NA-014:Direct QSL requests should be sendto the attention of Howard Dickson,VE1DHD, Halifax Amateur RadioClub, PO Box 663, Halifax, N.S. B3J3T3 CANADACampobello Island is located at 44º51’48.05”N & 66º 58’44.66”W nearthe mouth of the Bay of Fundy, andlies off the south-east corner of NewBrunswick and the south-east tip ofthe state of Maine. A car ferry connectsCampobello to the mainland byway of Deer Island New Brunswick,but it only runs during the summermonths; so to get to Campobello Islandat other times of the year, Canadiansneed a passport and must travelthrough the United States enteringover the Roosevelt Campobello InternationalBridge from Lubec Maine.Websitehttp://www.QRZ.com/VE1FOHoward, VE1DHDMS Walk Sunday 30 May 2010This marks another successful Amateur Radio Community Service Event!Once again, Halifax Amateur Radio Club members showed our true colorsby supporting this event. We started this morning at 0800 and finished up ataround 1600. The following members represented the Club; WayneVE1WPH, Dave VE1EDA, Peter VE1PJW and Amanda, Doug VE1LDL,Tom VE1GTC, Murray VE1MMD, Dave VE1DDC, and myself TerryVE1TRB. Club members helped set up tables and chairs, put up and tookdown route signs, assisted in setting up Rest Stops, and assisted in ensuringroute flaggers were placed in the most advantageous positions along the route.The event was well enjoyed by all members despite the forenoon wetweather. There were over 600 walkers this year and not a single incident occurredrequiring First Aid.It was actually a learning experience for Wayne VE1WPH who quicklylearned the difference between the P and the D position in those new Dodgevans! High Five Bud!!I'd like to thank you all for your hard work today! Thosewho suffer with MS certainly do appreciate your support!Terry, VE1TRB, CD CPO2 Ret'd

The Halifax Amateur Radio Club Reflector Page 3PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEIt’s business as usual! As a follow up to an issueraised at our regular monthly meeting, I was instructed tocontact R.A.C. concerning the e-mails in circulation concerningthe possible shut down of the out-going QSL Bureau,as of mid May, due to a lack of funds. I e-mailed R.A.C. and got a very quick response. (Certainly a positivechange when e-mails went unanswered or even acknowledgedfor weeks.) What ensued was a long telephoneconversation with Ian Mac Farquhar (VE9IM) R.A.C. 1 stVice President, who acknowledged that some problemsexisted but ensured that it was “business as usual” at theBureau. That’s great news for those who use the Bureau,and indeed, may be the only reason that they hold membershipin R.A.C. Kudos to Ian and to the R.A.C. Executiveand Board for their actions in ensuring that the QSLsystem will remain viable.It is easy to overlook the work performed by theincoming, outgoing and regional QSL Bureaus, but fromfirst hand experience, I can assure you the job being doneis first class.On another note, it’s that time again. Field daywill soon be here and this year we are pleased to haveMurray (VE1ALS) as Chair. He will need your help, sowhen he asks, please say yes.Murray (VE1MMD)CLUB ACCESSAccess to the HARC club station is by way of a cardswipe access system. You can use any card with a magneticstripe (VISA, Air Miles, Drivers License etc.). Tobe activated you will need to see Tom, VE1GTC;Wayne, VE1WPH, or Murray, VE1MMD so they can activateyour access and make a record. No personal informationis recorded as you will see when you get activated.This will give you access to the main room and library.NOTICEIf you are interested in getting fall arrest certification fortower climbing. please contact an executive member. Nocourse is currently scheduled but you want to be sure tobe on the list for a seat.HARC has a stock of Anderson Powerpole connectorsfor sale at $1.25 each (for a red and black connectorfor one complete end ). To make a complete matingpair will require 2 connectors. If you have not alreadyconverted all your gear to Powerpole connectors youshould consider doing so. Place orders with Tom Caithness,VE1GTC, by E-mailtom.caithness@ns.sympatico.caHARC Field Day Safety Environmental PlanProviding a Field Day Chair’man steps forward, the HalifaxAmateur Radio Club will hold an Emergency PreparednessWeekend (“Event”) beginning at 3:00 p.m. on Friday,June 25, 2010 through to 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 27,2010 at York Redoubt National Historic Site of Canada.HARC has conducted this event at the Site in 2006 &2008, and in 2009 at an HRM site all with post event reports.HARC Executive is fully aware of any safety andenvironmental precautions that must be taken before, during,and after the event. HARC executive will review reportsfrom past years to ensure all concerns have been addressed.Since this Site is a public area, it is necessary to take extrasteps to ensure the safety of visitors to the site at all times,particularly during set up and tear down.Hazards unique to this event, such as rf safety, electrical,tripping, elevated structures, wire, ropes, & fire must beminimized as much as reasonably possible.Up to date emergency first aid response is also necessary.The Safety Environmental Plan submitted to Parks Canadashould include;- identification of Safety Officers,- on site personnel trained in CPR and first aid,- up to date first aid kits on site,- planned method for erecting, and securing the towers tomaximize safety,- identification of fall zones for erected structures- what will be used for shelters,- the use of propane BBQ,- food preparation and storage,- any other safety considerations, and- environmental issues such as fuel spill response.All safety and environment issues identified during the2006, 2008 & 2009 events, will be identified later in thisdocument, most of which have already been dealt with.1.Designated Safety Officers- Terry Bigelow VE1TRB- Assistant Safety Officer Pat Kavanaugh VE1PHK- Assistant Safety Officer Dave Charbonneau, VE1DDCThe complete--and official--rules for Field Day are availableon the ARRL Web sitehttp://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/Real-life Dilbert-comic-strip-type manager’squote from corporate America, circa 2004:"Doing it right is no excuse for not meetingthe schedule."(Plant Manager, Delco Corporation)Photos in this issue by Howard, VE1DHD,John Brady, VE1WZ, and Rob, VE1KS

Page 4 June 2010 Volume 71 Number 6The Halifax Amateur Radio Club ReflectorHARC’s newcommunicationstrailer was ondisplay at the2010 DownEastFleamarket2010’s DownEast FleamarketHeld at the Halifax ForumCo-sponsored by the HalifaxARC and the Dartmouth ARCDo you have a radio-relatedstory, question, answer, article,notice, picture or letter tothe editor that you would liketo share by having it publishedin the HARC Reflector?Get them toHARC Reflector editor,Lynn Bowser,VE1ENTve1ent@rac.caThe Incoming QSL Bureau(no photo) had a tablefor the convenience ofthose with cards to pickup, wanting to replenishtheir mailing deposit withthe Bureau (covers thecost of envelopes, labels,postage & handling) and,if necessary, to updatetheir mailing address.Spreading the word about theMaritime DX ForumThe Darwin Awards arebestowed every year onthe persons who died inthe stupidest manner,thereby removing themselvesfrom the gene pool.Nominee No. 1 for 2009:(San Jose Mercury News):The main door prize, an ICOM HT,was won by Doug Holmes, VE1AHF.Presented by ICOM rep. Murray Lycan,VA1CQAn unidentified man, using a shotgun like a club to break a formergirlfriend’s windshield, accidentally shot himself to death when thegun discharged, blowing a hole in his gut.

The Halifax Amateur Radio Club Reflector Page 5CY0 DXPEDITION 2010By Gary, VE1RGBSome of you will have noted that anothergroup of DXpeditioners has setits focus on Sable Island CY0 duringthe latter part of October next. Whilewe have seen autonomous operationscome and go over the years transparentto HARC, this group has takenwhat I would call a much more prudentand enlightened (and friendly)approach to getting to Sable Islandand back and that is by enlisting thisclub’s support. The original contactsfor this exercise by the DXpeditionteam were through MurrayVE1MMD and Scott VE1QD andMurray, on behalf of the club, hasconfirmed HARC’s willingness to dowhatever we can to help.Try to put yourself in the place of aDXpedition group: The event planningtakes years and costs eyewateringamounts of money. Approvalsare required. Equipment isprocured (think three PRO III’s, oneK3, three Tokyo High Power PAs,bandpass filters, etc – the list is endless).World-wide publicity is generated.Then, at the last reasonable moment,all the gear and support logistics– the whole trip -- gets packagedup and mailed to some place in acountry you may or may not haveever visited before where it is subjectedto international regulationswhich you may or may not understandadequately, and where they arepresumably stored under some levelof security and accountability bysomeone, somewhere. Later, onehopes, they get shipped to Sable bysomething called a Britten NormanIslander. How comfortable wouldyou be during that period of uncertaintybetween when the equipmentleft your hands and when you yourselfarrive at the destination?Me? Not so much. That’swhere HARC comes in.At the moment, the point man forCY0 Halifax logistics staging isVE1RGB whose job will be to takedelivery of the initial shipment ofmaterials to Sable Island via HalifaxInternational Airport, inventorywhat has been received here againstwhat was shipped, deal with anyCanada Customs issues, and ensurethat the materials do indeed thenleave Halifax onward to Sable.While there is nothing magicabout what needs to be done here,nonetheless the opportunities forthings to go adrift are legion andHARC’s role here, in a nutshell, isto remove the uncertainty from theminds of the guys who are headingup here from the U.S. We do notwant them to arrive in Halifax inOctober, jump on one of world’smore impressive little airplanes,and then arrive on Sable to nothingbut skittish horses and an emptyhouse. It’s way too late by thatpoint to recover from any prior butunknown, logistics issue. In 1992 acertain ham on the CY0NSM Dxpeditionmanaged to get a helicopterto divert to Sable and drop us off aspare FT-890 when mine went U/Searly in the trip but those days ofcalling in favours of that magnitudeare, I fear, nearly over. This teamis going find itself to be prettymuch alone.My prime point of contact withthis group has been with RandyRowe, N0TG, a prince of a gentlemanwho clearly is enjoying his relationshipwith HARC. What I findparticularly satisfying about my involvementso far has been the easewith which two quite different andremote groups of amateur radio operators,one of which has a huge investmentin this affair, have quicklyand easily and comfortably settledinto an informal working relationship.What I see here is a wonderfulexample of how the amateur fraternitycan make things work in a waythat would cause industry to drool.I would encourage everyone tohave a look at the web site for theforthcoming CY0 DXpedition http://www.cy0dxpedition.com/ and, whilethey are there, sign the guestbook. Check out who the opsare. This is a world-class team andwe have a front-Rowe seat, so tospeak, to experience it all unfold. Inparticular, keep your eyes on the consequencesof the news (on 19 May2010) from the Federal Governmentregarding the immediate recognitionof Sable Island as a National Park.This announcement from our governmenthas blindsided the 2010 CY0DXpedition team and frightenedthem half to death that their agreementwith the Canadian Coast Guardfor their DXpedition could be rescinded.That sort of catastrophe hasbeset this group before. However,given that there are only 5 months remainingbefore the DXpedition andtaking the inertia of two or three levelsof government into consideration,I am predicting that Randy and thecrew will be safely back home fromSable before the first Sable IslandPark transition committee is struck.For once, governments are theirfriends.With a little luck, their gearwill follow them.How is it that we put man on themoon before we figured out it wouldbe a good idea to put wheels onluggage?Safety MomentsBecause There are some weird &dangerous people out there …Action to take in an emergency situation:- If a robber asks for your walletand/or purse, DO NOT HAND ITTO HIM. Toss it away from you ...Chances are that he is more interestedin your wallet and/or pursethan you, and he will go for the wallet/purse.Now RUN LIKE MADIN THE OTHER DIRECTIONTip from Tae Kwon Do - The elbowis the strongest point on your body.

Page 6 June 2010 Volume 71 Number 6The Halifax Amateur Radio Club ReflectorThe Halifax Amateur Radio ClubMonthly General MeetingMay 19 st , 2010 MINUTESPresident Murray MacDonald(VE1MMD) opened the meeting at19:30 hours.Silent Keys – None reportedApproval of Agenda:Motion – THAT the agenda beadopted as distributed.Moved by: Bruce(VE1MLW); Seconded by: Doug(VE1LDL) Motion carried.Introduction of new members andguests – none present.Approval of Minutes of Aprilmonthly meeting.Motion – THAT the minutes of theApril 21 st 2010 monthly meeting ofthe Halifax Amateur Radio Club aspublished in the May edition of theReflector be approved.Moved by: Don (VE1DTR);Seconded by: Tom (VE1GTC).Motion carried.Treasurer’s Report: Keith (VE1STN)reported expenses of $1,582.76 andincome of $ 1,803.72. Petty cash onhand was $166.96 and the total bankbalance as of the end of April 2010was $9,804.89.Motion – THAT the report of thetreasurer be approved.Moved by: Keith (VE1STN);Seconded by: Bill (VE1MR). Motioncarried.Executive Reports:Second Vice-President – Sheldon(VE1SJP) informed the members thatthe normal presentation for the Junemonthly meeting will be replaced bya Field Day planning session. Thespeaker for this evening will beSheldon Hartling (VE1GPY) talkingabout the Flex 5000A Software DefinedRadio. The door prize for theGolf! You hit down to make the ballgo up. You swing leftand the ball goes right.The lowest score wins.And on top of that, thewinner buys the drinks.evening will be a stainless steelBBQ set.Station Manager – Wayne(VE1WPH) – Wayne reported thatthere will be a major work session atthe Club station on the weekend of22 May to bring on line many of thethings that have been designed asStation improvements.Committee Reports:Membership – Sheldon(VE1GPY) – Sheldon reported currentmembership numbers: Life = 4;Full = 106; Associate = 22. Therewere 85 electronic versions of theReflector emailed and 42 sentthrough Canada Post this month.Maritime DX Forum - Scott(VE1QD) – Scott reported on hisattendance at the Dayton Ham Festwhere he promoted the MaritimeDX Forum (MDF) and met withseveral of the speakers that will becoming to Halifax in August for the2010 Forum. Scott received a $300donation to the DX Forum from“Super Bertha” Towers (ScottJohns). Scott reported that Cushcraft,ICOM, Super Berth, and Jentronicswill all be represented at the2010 DX Forum. Scott also pointedout the excellent coverage that theMDF has received in The CanadianAmateur magazine and the DXmagazine.RAC Forum – Scott met with IanMacFarquhar (VE9IM) – 1 st V-P atRAC – on his way back from Daytonand took that opportunity to impresson RAC the importance oftheir contribution (RAC Forum) tothe DX Forum.Basic Course – Barry (VE1TRI) reportedthat the 2010/2011 Basiccourse with start on Thursday 18 thSeptember. One student is currentlydoing the self-study course.NSARA – Barry Diggins (VE1TRI)is our Club representative forNSARA and he reported on themeeting that was held in conjunctionwith the Down East Flea Market.Next year, the plan is for theNSARA annual contest to be splitinto two components – SSB and CW/Digital. The NSARC picnic will takeplace in late August in Parrsboro NSand will be hosted by the WestcumA.R.C.Advanced Course – Howard(VE1DHD) reported on the completionof the course for 2010. Participantswere Don (VE1DTR); Ralph(VE1RAR) and himself. Howard expressedappreciation to Jeff(VE1ZAC) for the time and effortthat he had put into the course. Howardindicated that since he did nothave a background in electronics, hefound this course extremely rewardingand has already made modificationsto his station based on knowledgegained from the course. He andthe others plan on writing their AdvancedExam in the fall after they getoff the water and golf course thissummer.QSL Bureau – Tom (VE1GTC) reportedthat they distributed over 1000QSL cards at the Flea Market.EMO – Tom (VE1GTC) reportedthat an Emergency Communicationscourse will be held in the Club Stationon Saturday June 5 th from 9 to4pm. To register, contact Tom.Old Business:Field Day Chair – Murray(VE1MMD) informed the membersthat Murray Alary (VE1ALS) hadindicated his willingness to chair theField Day committee this year.MOTION: That Murray Alary(VE1ALS) be approved as the FieldDay Chair: Moved by Dick (VE1AI);Seconded by Bill (VE1MR). Motioncarried.Murray Alary indicated that he wantsto get a list of those individuals whowill take on specific responsibilitiesrelated to Field Day. Contact Murrayif you are able to assist in any area.FT-1000 – Bill (VE1MR) – reportedthat he will be going to pick up theradio from Clarence (VE1HD) butindicated that it is not yet fully functional.Trailer Project – Bill (VE1MR) reportedthat the HARC repeater trailer(Continued on page 7)

The Halifax Amateur Radio Club Reflector Page 7was used at the Flea Market andworked well. The project is ongoingand a number of things remain to becompleted.DX Forum – Scott reported that therewas a nice two-page advertisementfor the RAC AGM and DX Forum inthe current TCA.Tube Bank – Tom (VE1BMJ) reportedthat the tubes in the tube bankhave now all been catalogued andchecked. He would now like to getthe tubes out of his garage and wouldlike to pass the responsibility of futuremanagement of the Tube Bankon to someone else. There are sometubes that have only historic value;others are functional and likely couldbe used; and, there are some that areof questionable value. There wereseveral suggestions as to how wemight dispose of those tubes thatcould generate income for the Club,but there were no volunteers to takeon selling responsibilities.Flea Market – Tom (VE1BMJ ) reportedon the Flea Market and indicatedthat Dave Nimmo (VE1NN)would be happy to look after tablesagain next year. There were 300 sellersand buyers this year; 102 tableswere used and it appeared that theremay have been more sellers then buyersthis year, but he pointed out thatsellers often are buyers as well. Reportedrevenues at the gate were$1198; expenses - $822 and the $600float was returned to the two Clubstogether with a small profit for eachclub of just over $100 each.MS Walk – Bill (VE1MR) reportedfor Terry (VE1TRB) indicating thatall of the required volunteers are nowin place and the event will be wellcovered.Letter to RAC in support of QSL Bureau– Murray (VE1MMD) reportedon a meeting that he had with LenMorgan our RAC Director who hadindicated that the RAC Executive areattempting to reduce the operatingcosts for the RAC-sponsored QSLBureaus.Sheldon, VE1GPY, gave an interestingpresentation on his Flex 5000A SoftwareDefined Radio at the HARC Maygeneral meeting. Time ran out long beforethe topic (or the audience) couldbe exhausted.New Business:Museum Ships on the Air (June5/6) – Murray (VE1MMD) reportedthat 61 ships have signed up to takepart in the event. He urged membersinterested in working from theSackville during this event to contacthim.HARC Monthly Meeting Room –Murray (VE1MMD) reported thatthe administration of the St. AndrewsCommunity Centre wants tomove us from our normal monthlymeeting room. The alternative accommodationsthat they propose areunsuitable. Murray met with the administratorbut was unsuccessful ingetting this reversed. He will pursuethis with our local member ofCouncil.QCWA – Quarter Century WirelessAssociation – Scott (VE1QD) suggestedthat we form a chapter of theQCWA within the Halifax Club.Scott asked the Executive to takethis under advisement.John Bartlett (HK3OZ) – Murray(VE1MMD) reported on John’sstatus in Bogota; he is in the processof establishing his station thereIf people were meant to pop out of bed they’d sleep in toasters. - GarfieldIf the professor on Gilligan's Islandcan make a radio out of a coconut,why can't he fix a hole in a boat?and is actively involved in the RadioAmateur community in Bogota.Announcements – Wayne indicatedthat he had a meeting with Vince atJentronics and they will be giving allRadio Amateurs a 10% discount onpurchases made at Jentronics.50/50 Draw - $25 was won by FrankWilson (VE1FHW).Door prize – John (VE1CDD) won astainless steel BBQ set.There being no further business, on amotion by Doug (VE1LDL) themeeting was adjourned at 20:30hours.Guest Speaker: Sheldon Hartling(VE1GPY) gave a presentation onand live demonstration of his Flex5000A Software Defined Radio.Respectfully submittedD. Howard Dickson, VE1DHD,Secretary, HARCAre you up to date with yourHARC membership dues?Yearly rates are as follows:Full = $25 Associate = $15Family (2 members) = $35 + $10 foreach additional family member atsame address (only 1 newsletter)Contact Membership Chair SheldonHartling, VE1GPY

Page 8 June 2010 Volume 71 Number 6The Halifax Amateur Radio Club ReflectorFrom the Mail BagI have uploaded a small tribute toBurt VE1AMA on our club website.Phyllis VA1PR and her daughterGrace were with us for supper andthey approve of what I have done.Our website ishttp://greenwoodarc.orgPlease pass this on to others thatyou may feel would be interested.73, Eric Smith, VE1CFYPresident GARCFrom The ARRL Letter Feb.11, 2010Hints and Kinks: Unistrut AntennaSupportThis idea is from Louis Kobet,WB3DZD, of Camas, Washington.When considering a center supportfor the installation of an inverted Vantenna I decided on the followingrequirements: a strong material, easyassembly, corrosion resistant andwith tilt-over capability. The initialdesign was to use several 10-12 footsections of antenna mast or 2 inchgalvanized pipe coupled together.Due to the cost of antenna mast andgalvanized pipe being more than anticipated,an alternative, 10 foot sectionsof 1-5/8 inch Unistrut channelwas selected.Unistrut is a ham's Tinkertoy. It isavailable in 13/16, 1 1/4 and 1-5/8inch widths, 10 and 20 foot lengthsand in 12, 14 and 16 gauge sizes. It ismade with dipped surface protectivetreatments from electro-depositionacrylic green to "hot dipped" galvanizedcoatings and multiple channeldesigns (including telescoping sections).A vast selection of bracketsand fasteners is available and it iscontinuously slotted for easy guying.The design and choices for projectuse are limited only by the creativityof the user.The tilt over base support consistedof a treated 4x4 inch landscape postanchored in concrete. (The wooden(Continued on page 9)Halifax Amateur Radio Club 2010 MARITIME DX FORUM6 – 7 August 2010To: Hams wishing to attend only the RAC AGM and/or the RAC ForumFrom: HARC’s MDF Organizing CommitteeSubject: Instructions for RegisteringHARC is proud to be hosting the 2010 RAC AGM and Forum, and have integratedit into our MDF program. However, we welcome those who may wishto only attend the RAC portion of the program.In order for us to plan for the use of the conference venue and amenities, weask you to fill out and submit a copy of the regular registration form. All youneed to do is tick off the box on the Registration Forum indicating your attendanceat the RAC AGM on Friday and/or write in “RAC Forum too” if youplan to attend it as well on Saturday afternoonThere is no charge for attending the RAC AGM on Friday. However, sincethe RAC Forum is a part of the MDF Program on Saturday, and all MDF attendeeshave paid to be there and to enjoy the coffee break prior to it, we askyou to make a contribution of $5.00 to help defer our costs. This can be notedon the Form as a donation to the Maritime DX Forum Fund. We will provideyou with an identification badge.It is important for you to register so that we know what numbers to plan for.The part of the program relevant to you is as follows:Friday, 6 August 2010· 1430 – 1700 RAC AGMSaturday, 7 August 2010· 1445 – 1515 Coffee Break· 1515 – 1645 RAC ForumWELCOME AND THANKS FOR SUPPORTING RAC, OUR NA-TIONAL ORGANIZATION!With no sure end in sight of the under-seaoil “leak” in the Gulf ofMexico you might be wondering.“How did the oil get under theocean?” Well some of it derivedfrom a massive sea life extinctionthat occurred about 93.5 millionyears ago.In the Contessa Quarry in centralItaly where there‘s a pronounced,meters thick layer of organic matter,geologist Steven Turgeon of theUniversity of Alberta picked upsome rocks that, when analyzed,point to the likely cause of a massextinction of sea life that has longperplexed geologists. Chemicalanalysis of these rocks from Italyand others from the sea floor off thecoast of Peru tie the cause of thisextinction to undersea volcanism.Turgeon & U.of A’s Robert Creaserhave shown that levels of osmium,a chemical isotope, changedabruptly 93.5 million years ago - a40-fold increase. They show thatmore than 97% of the osmium inthe samples is magmatic in origin;clearly pointing to a volcanic episode.The Caribbean region was thelikely source of the seafloor eruptionsejecting massive amounts oflava and setting off a chain reactionthat took thousands of years to playout. While it flowed, the lavaseeded the oceans with a largeamount of carbon dioxide & nutrientswhich stimulated plankton &plant growth on which other sea lifefed. Then it appears that this overabundantsea life began to die anddecompose, a process that depletedthe sea of oxygen and lead to verytoxic conditions. So much organicmatter rained down on the sea floorthat much of it was buried andeventually transformed into oil.Source – Canwest News Service,an article by Margaret Munro

The Halifax Amateur Radio Club Reflector Page 9Welcome home to Rob, VE1KS, and Dawn who are back from Russia with their new daughter, Anya.While most of their time there was centered around Anya, Rob still found time to meet some local hams.The Khab club station -. Rob worked Papa New Guinea fromthere.. He was told they rarely ever work Eastern NA.Their towers are all crank up square shaped thingsthat look like they came off military shipsPhotos of the Amateur RadioClub Station in Kahab, in easternRussia taken by Rob, VE1KSThe computer screen istheir own Russian loggingprogram; DXC cluster anddigital modes program(Continued from page 8 Unistrut Antenna Support)post was moisture sealed at the top using the dipped coatingused for hand tools and along the length with several coats ofwood sealer.) The Unistrut mast pivot point on the supportbase was a 3 inch lag bolt about 50 inches above ground. In retrospect,a section of Unistrut could have been set in the concreteas the antenna base support.The Unistrut mast preparation consisted of black paint (exceptfor areas where the sections were bolted together) and the additionof a hoisting pulley mounted at the end of a 2 foot PVCpipe. One problem encountered was in bolting the Unistrut together.Bolting back-to-back against the base of the "U" wasnot possible because I couldn't get a socket on the bolt head insidethe Unistrut channel. To get around this the Unistrut wasbolted with the open "U" ends face to face. Square Unistrutchannel would have eliminated this issue. The three Unistrutsections were bolted together with about a 12 inch overlap.An antenna hoisting line was fed through the pulley and mastsection carried to the base support for mounting. After attachingthe mast to the pivot point it was tilted up into position,plumbed and secured in place with three additional lag bolts.The V antenna was spread out, transmission cable attached andhoisted to the top of the mast. The ends of the V antenna wereattached to a 12 foot landscape treated 4x4 that was secured tothe property fence.Answer to Puzzler on page 1Temperature affects sound in several ways:1/ Cold slows sound. In dry air at 20°C thespeed of sound is 343 meters per second or1,236 km/hour (about one km. in 3 seconds).This speed increases with temperature, but isnearly independent of pressure or density for a givengas. Each drop of 10°C reduces the speed of soundby 22 Km/hr2/ Although sound becomes sluggish in cold, it alsorefracts, bouncing off layers in the atmosphere andcan be ducted, travelling long distances between coolair pooled near the ground and warmer air higher up.Sound travels faster in liquids than it does in air;about 4.3 times faster in water (1,484 m/s) than in airat 20°C.

Page 10 June 2010 Volume 71 Number 6The Halifax Amateur Radio Club ReflectorDonating to the Maritime DX Forum FundBackground. The Maritime DX Forum (MDF) began in 2004 with a meeting of 20people in the front room of Scott Wood’s (VE1QD) home on St. Margaret’s Bay. Ithas grown steadily both in the numbers attending, and in the breadth and depth ofthe programming. For the first three years we were able to put together an excellentprogram without incurring many expenses. For example, we were just plain lucky tolocate top notch speakers who did not require travel support.In 2007 we reached the point in the MDF’s development that in order to continuegrowing and offering a world class program, we needed to cover some speaker travelexpenses. It was recognized, moreover, that some financial resources were requiredto develop and try new, innovative programming. Thus beginning in 2007 funding ofthe MDF has been augmented by donations. This also has helped us to keep the costof annual MDF event affordable for the majority of the ham radio community.Maritime DX Forum Fund. Established in 2007, The Fund is designed to managefinancial donations for the purpose of developing MDF program excellence. Thisidea was originally suggested by Garry Hammond, VE3XN, who also made the firstdonation of $42 – one dollar for each year he had been a ham. We invite you to followsuite, but not necessarily to feel constrained by Garry’s formula! Every dollarwill help. The form on this Reflector’s page 10-can be used to make a donation.Cheques should be made out to the Halifax Amateur Radio Club (MDFF) and eithermailed directly to the attention of Helen MacRae, VE1HMR, Halifax Amateur RadioClub, PO Box 663, Halifax, NS, Canada B3J 2T3 or added to your MDF Registrationsubmission.Administration and Accountability. The money collected will be used only forMaritime DX Forum development purposes, including, when needed, financing thecost of travel for presenters. It will be generally administered by the Halifax AmateurRadio Club, but managed on an operational basis by Scott Wood, VE1QD,Howard Dickson, VE1DHD, who will act as the treasurer, and the HARC MDFPlanning Committee. A report will be issued annually following the MDF to accountfor the revenues and expenditures from the fund. We are investigating the possibilitythat a tax number can be obtained so donations will be tax deductible.Senior dress codeWith summer fast approachingmany of us "OldFolks" (those over 40, or WAYover 40 are quite confusedabout how we should presentourselves. We're unsure aboutthe kind of image we are projectingand whether or not weare correct as we try to conformto current fashions.Despite what you may see onthe streets, the following combinationsDO NOT go togetherand should be avoided:1. A nose ring and bifocals2. Spiked hair and bald spots3. A pierced tongue and dentures4. Miniskirts and support hose5. Ankle bracelets and cornpads6. Speedo's and cellulite7. A belly button ring and agall bladder surgery scar8. Unbuttoned disco shirts anda heart monitor9. Midriff shirts and a midriffbulge10. Bikinis and liver spots11. In-line skates and a walkerPlease keep these basic guidelinesin mind when you shop.DONATION TO THE MARITIME DX FORUM FUNDName:_____________________________________________ Call Sign:_____________Address:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Telephone:_________________________Email:_________________________________Donation: _$_____________________________________Cheques should be made out to the Halifax Amateur Radio Club (MDFF)Send cheque to the Halifax Amateur Radio Club, PO Box 663, Halifax, NS, Canada B3J 2T3attention: Fraser, MacDougall, VE1WO, or add it to your MDF Registration submission.