VECTOR August 2020 News

Posted 1 August 2020 in newsletter

Previous newsletters can be found in the archive.

Our next members' meeting will be held August 5 online using Zoom. Learn from Assistant Chief Jen Gjaltema what VFRS imagines VECTOR can do.

Community News

VECTOR Repeater Pic-a-nic Event - August 8

Let’s have fun together on air Saturday, August 8, using calling protocol and interrupting each other for a couple of hours playing a “picnic” game. Catch you there at 13:30?

How would you make practising calling protocol a game?

Join from home. We’ll welcome all certified amateur radio operators into the event on VE7RVF.

Questions? Download a pic-a-nic operator package through this link. Read it. Print what you need.

Check-in on net at 13:30 on Saturday, August 8, on VE7RVF (output 145.450 MHz offset -600 kHz tone 100 Hz). Finish and check out at 16:00. Can you make it? (RSVP)

All radio amateurs are welcome to participate in any of our nets.

QSO Today Ham Expo - Online August 8 - 9

by Francois VA7GPL

The ARRL has announced that the QSO Today Ham Expo will be entirely online this year: ARRL Website

Check out this promising speaker list: Conference Speakers

Free registration here: VFairs

Schedule runs all day Saturday and Sunday (08:00 PDT to 16:00 PDT) in 4 tracks. Keynote Saturday night at 18:00 PDT.

VECTOR COVID-19 Update

Due to the physical distancing requirements of our present COVID-19 situation, all VECTOR activities are still being conducted by radio or through Zoom online conferencing.

The BC Restart plan is currently in Phase 3. What level of activity are members comfortable with? Let’s talk about how we might adjust our activities at our next members meeting August 5.

Please note: we now have simple requirements for members going into our offices at ECOMM (the Radio Room):

• only go in for business that requires objects in the radio room
• only go for the minimum time you truly need
• stay away if you feel unwell
• we must sanitize our work area
• we must wear masks
• we must maintain physical distance indoors

The meeting room remains off-limits and only 2 people can fit in the radio room.

Our Net Control Team plans to continue operating remotely without using the radio room.

Thank you for doing your part to “flatten the curve” to protect vulnerable members of our society.

Dr. Bonnie Henry, BC Provincial Health Officer:

“Be kind, be calm, and be safe.”

• BC Restart

• COVID-19 BC Provincial Support and Information

Borrow a Grab and Go Kit for a week?

VECTOR has 4 prototype grab and go kits that need user-testing. You can use it to check in on nets and give feedback.

Each kit has its own radio, computer and antenna. All you need to do is plug it into a 12-Volt system or a regular wall socket.

Sign up and arrange a hand-off.

VECTOR Needs Help Transcribing Brainstorming Session

From Our Wish Backlog

VECTOR needs assistance transcribing or converting the August, 2018, Brainstorming Session recording into a usable spreadsheet. Can you help? Please email Jesse VE7DET for more information on how the spreadsheet could be formatted to make it useful for VECTOR.

File: Brainstorming Session

Upcoming Training & Practice Opportunities

• Net Control Operator training

  If you would be interested in attending an introductory session on the net control operator program send an email to Andrew VA7YAA and we’ll contact you once viral circumstances permit.

• Radio Skills Course

  The next Radio Skills Course will be offered on Mondays, October 26 - November 23. Are you interested in delivering a course module or two? Please let us know!

  For more info, please contact [email protected]

• Packet Chats

  See packet radio in action on working equipment and get live feedback to solve your problems. What can it do? What does it take? How do you set it up? How do you fix it when…? What digital mode are you curious about?

  Join us in the [Zoom Room][zoomLink] on Tuesday, August 11 or August 25, at 19:00.

On Air Radio Activities

Please check out the Weekly Previews update to view the activities you can get involved in. You might also catch small activities on our repeaters. Look for activities on our calendar.

Check out the details for the **Repeater Pic-a-Nic" on the website. Additional on-air activities coming up for September and October. Ask the team for future details through email.

Contact Kevin VE7SFA and Jessé VE7DET to get involved.

Announcements, Notable, etc.

Team New Packet Radio

You’ll be hearing about our results soon. We still need to buy a couple more pieces. Expect trials to start soon, though.

Team Grab and Go

You can try out any of the first three prototypes right now. Look for Number 4 soon. Book your slot.

Games and Exercises

You can join planned on-air activities on the second Saturday of each month through October. August

Weekly Net

The weekly net takes place at 20:00 every Wednesday on the VE7TEL repeater: VECTOR channel 2, 145.170 MHz, -0.6 MHz offset.

Each week, a secondary net follows on a different frequency, providing an opportunity for amateur radio operators to test their radio with other bands and modes of operation.

Schedule for upcoming secondary net frequencies:

Monthly Members' Meeting

The monthly VECTOR members' meeting is the first Wednesday of every month.

The next 4 Monthly Members' Meeting dates:

• August 5 in Zoom virtual space at 18:30
• September 2 at 18:30, in Zoom virtual space
• October 7 at 18:30, in Zoom virtual space
• November 4 at 18:30, location under consideration

Look for a link to the Zoom online conference room in your email ahead of the meeting to join remotely. You can sign up for upcoming members' meetings in BetterImpact.

TU 73

VA7SWZ || Simone Hoedel, Writer and Communications Consultant (she|her)
VA7DPO || Darryl Pogue, Director (he|him)
VE7DET || Jessé Neri, Director (he|him)
[email protected]

https://vectorradio.ca/members/discuss/
https://keybase.io/team/helpingvector
Unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples