VECTOR October 2020 News

Posted 7 October 2020 in newsletter

Previous newsletters can be found in the archive.

Our next members' meeting will be held October 7 online using Zoom. Let’s reflect on how you see VECTOR: values, critical uncertainties, and how we could fail.

Community News

VECTOR Banana Split Event - October 10

Let’s have fun together on air Saturday, October 10, playing for a couple of hours to keep our on-air skills fresh. Catch you there at 11:00?

Join from home. We’ll welcome all certified amateur radio operators into the event on VE7RVF. Questions? Download an operator package from the website. Read it. Print what you need.

Check-in at 11:00 on Saturday, October 10, on VE7RVF (output 145.450 MHz, offset -600 kHz, tone 100 Hz). Finish and check out at 14:00. Can you make it? (RSVP)

VECTOR COVID-19 Update

All major VECTOR activities must still remain on radio or zoom online conferencing. Remember to protect each other.

The BC Restart plan is currently in Phase 3.

Rules:

• only if radio, telephone, or Zoom won’t get it done
• the minimum time you truly need
• stay away if you feel unwell
• wear masks
• sanitize your hands when entering
• sign in
• sanitize our work area
• maintain physical distance everywhere (2 metres)

Notes:

• E-Comm meeting room: off-limits
• Radio Room: only 2 people, rules above apply
• Net Control: remote sites
• PIC’s: by appointment
• Go-to Centres: by appointment, rules above apply

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

VECTOR Needs Help

• 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.

Like getting your hands dirty? Read. Subscribe.

• Organize the Annual General Meeting on Zoom

  Does our 2020 AGM need to be on Zoom? Societies Registry says we can, if we want.
  We’re forming a small team to organize the AGM. Send an email to Darryl VA7DPO if you want to help.

• Free the Ideas from the Brainstorming Session Recording

  We have a treasure trove of ideas trapped in the August 2018 Brainstorming Session recording. Can you help? Please email Jesse VE7DET, we need a spreadsheet list useful for VECTOR.

  File: Brainstorming Session

• Take Care of Computers

  We have a large, extended family of computers spread throughout the city that needs attention. Can you help? Please email Jesse VE7DET.

• Help with VPD Disaster Communications Gear

  VPD has amateur radio gear among its disaster communications contingencies. One of the stations has lost its home and needs some attention to make sure it fits current needs. Can you help? Please email Jesse VE7DET. Or, join the conversation on [email protected].

• Program Radios

  Ask how to join the conversation about the radio frequencies, Tyler VE7PDO and Dave VE7CNV have been preparing the frequency list. Soon we will need to figure out how we will go about programming a lot of radios– some in special places– during a pandemic. Please email Jesse VE7DET.

Upcoming Training & Practice Opportunities

• Net Control Operator training

  Interested in attending an introductory session on the net control operator program? Send an email to Andrew VA7YAA to join the list.

• Radio Skills Course

  Build both theoretical knowledge and experience to operate comfortably on-air. While aimed at recent graduates of VECTOR’s Amateur Radio License Course, sessions give all VECTOR members a chance to refresh skills through practice time and sharing with new amateurs.

  Stay tuned for updates; we’re checking how the course could work online. We hope to offer a session either late 2020 or early 2021.

  For more info, please contact [email protected]

• Packet Chats

  Packet radio goes far beyond Winlink. Discover Winlink on Android Devices, learn how to send messages when Winlink clogs up, see more ways to use your radio.

  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, October 6 or October 20, 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.

Join a planned on-air activity on the second Saturday of October: challenge each other to solve movie quotation trivia and pass control of the frequency.
Details on the website. Ask the team for future details through email.

Contact Kevin VE7SFA and Jessé VE7DET to get involved.

Nightly Net

The VECTOR CheckIn and Chat at 19:05 PDT nightly. We have run over 180 Nets on VE7RVF, as a means for radio amateurs to check in and chat with other enthusiasts. The nightly Net Controller chooses a question or topic for discussion, which can be anything from radio to food to entertainment to no topic at all. A slow night might be 8 check-ins, but we have gone as high as 35 at times. We have been discussing putting together a radio amateur recipe website, with all of the food ideas and tips from our operators.

Weekly Net

Remember to check in on our weekly net to keep your formal net skills sharp. Details below under the Next Nets list.

Announcements, Notable, etc.

Basic Course

Continuing the March course, which COVID-19 suspended. We intend to start back up in October on Zoom. The next full course will commence in January, either in person, or on-line. Lis VA7EVJ and Leo VA7LKE have joined Hiroshi and the instructors to help with Zoom.

Team New Packet Radio

Francois VA7GPL has the initial equipment and set up a transmit system and a receive system. After running some bench tests, he was able to reproduce the advertised performance of the modems. The next step is to do a long-range test.

More details on: https://feeding.cloud.geek.nz/posts/npr-modem-setup-testing-linux/.

Team Grab and Go

Team is preparing to rotate new laptops into the Go-to Centres and lining up to procure parts for the first wave of production kits.

Practise using any of the first three prototypes right now. Book your slot.

Want to party? 2 metre QSO Party?

Join the party on November 21 at 10:00. Details coming soon.

Weekly Net

The weekly net takes place at 20:00 every Wednesday on the VE7TEL repeater: VECTOR channel 2, 145.170 MHz, -0.600 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:

• October 7 at 18:30 in Zoom virtual space
• November 4 at 18:30 (location under consideration)
• December 02 for AGM (considering location and time)
• January 06 at 18:30 in Zoom virtual space

The link to the Zoom online conference room appears in your email edition of the newsletter for joining remotely. You can sign up for upcoming members' meetings in BetterImpact.

Tnx es 73

VA7SWZ || Simone Hoedel, Writer and Communications Consultant (she|her)
VE7CNV || Dave Koyanagi, Proofreader (he|him)
VA7DPO || Darryl Pogue, Director (he|him)
VE7DET || Jessé Neri, Director (he|him)
[email protected]

https://vectorradio.ca/members/discuss/
https://keybase.io/team/helpingvector
Traditional and unceded territories of the Musqueam (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm), Squamish (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh), and Tsleil-Waututh (səl̓ilwətaɁɬ) peoples.