VECTOR April 2021 News

Posted in newsletter

Previous newsletters can be found in the archive.

Our next members' meeting will be held April 7 online using Zoom. Learn what civic events are coming, when.

1. Coming Meeting | 2. News | 3. Learn | 4. On Air | 5. Notable | 6. Secondaries | 7. Meetings

1. Coming Meeting

Details attached to mailed version.

  1. COVID, mass gatherings and civic events in 2021 and beyond - Jordan Myers - 20 minutes
  2. Brief Practical Exercise - Receive 3 radiograms - 15 minutes
  3. O&I Forum - Connecting with Partners, VPD Radio, CERV Update, Goals and Grab-and-Go - All - 55 minutes

2. Community News

Guest Speaker: COVID, Mass Gatherings, Civic Events in 2021 & Beyond
VECTOR Goals for 2021
Partnerships explain support needs and opportunities
World Amateur Radio Day Locally
TABLETOP Episode 2
Sponsoring 5 people to BCARCC AGM in May
Note Outside’s article about Summits On The Air
Party Planning for Disaster Preparedness Recording
COVID-19 Update
VECTOR seeks Techs, Devs, Helpers, and Teachers

COVID, Mass Gatherings, Civic Events in 2021 and Beyond - 2021-04-07, 18:30

  • Jordan Myers returns with emerging trends and needs for 2021 to 2022 special event public safety

    • Pandemic and impacts to events since 2020 and into 2021
    • Emerging trends for 2021-2022
    • City priorities 2021

  • Please share your experience with 8 things Jordan’s curious about: brief survey

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Confirm VECTOR Goals for 2021

COASTAL RESPONSE Damage Map | COASTAL RESPONSE Materials | TTX2 Guide, pg 7 - 8

  • Board perceives three goals giving context to VECTOR’s annual efforts:

    • To use our established systems to host training and exercise opportunities (adapted as required during the pandemic) that engage and attract members
    • To have all equipment at key locations considered operationally ready for Exercise COASTAL RESPONSE in February 2022
    • To set up VECTOR’s continued support with partner organizations, funding grants, and board-team processes and operations

  • How ready do we think we are (gear and people) to use our radios to help those parts of the city response who might need radio help?

  • Learn more and share your perspective at the next session

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World Amateur Radio Day Locally

  • Refer to 4. On Air below for details

  • VECTOR plans to hold a trivia game like we did last October

  • North Fraser Radio plans to host a Trans-Canada Net on Allstar-Link repeaters

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Partnerships explain support needs and opportunities

  • How ready are we to help our community prepare for disaster communications?

  • CERV Replacement spurs dialogues with peer and partner organizations

  • Partners perceive possibilities beyond disaster communications: teaching, recruiting, building, experimenting, exercising

  • Partners asked so far: VPD, Real Estate Facilities Management, Kerrisdale Earthquake and Emergency Preparedness, Special Events, and Zone C ESS

  • At communications strategy workshop, VEMA shared two new roles VECTOR could do to help build City preparedness: teaching radio skills, exercising equipment

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TABLETOP Episode 2 coming in April: 2021-04-10, 13:00

Episode 2 Details

  • Learn what we might need to do in a major activation

  • Jump into a scenario already set up

  • Get to know other members and share knowledge

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Sponsoring 5 VECTOR Reps to BCARCC AGM on Zoom in May: 2021-05-20 10:00

BCARCC Notice and Agenda

  • Help our community keep repeater frequencies open

  • Understand latest federal government update covering repeaters

  • VECTOR will pay dues for 5 members to attend as VECTOR delegates: “Tally ho, I’m in”

  • VECTOR among largest radio organizations in BC

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Inside the Summit-obsessed world of ham radio

Radio mountaineers | Cool picture

  • WG0AT and others profiled in “Outside” magazine atop Chief Mountain

  • “It’s like biathlon” with summit activators and chasers

  • Totally self-contained activity, choose-your-own-adventure hobby

  • Many of over 750 000 operators in USA coming for outdoor radio’s more recreational pursuits

  • Examples: Islands on the Air, Parks on the Air, Walmart Parking Lots on the Air, Summits on the Air

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Party Planning for Disaster Preparedness Recording

  • Catch Mika’s talk as a replay on our VECTOR Radio Youtube channel soon

  • Who publishes the recording from the meeting folder? (Find out next month)

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VECTOR COVID-19 Update - Stay local with your core bubble

Use Jitsi for pop-up meetings when you need to share screens

Latest Pandemic Awareness and Restrictions

Summary information and links | Direct link

  • Be a circuit-breaker on the virus for two weeks
  • Respect people’s core bubbles – core bubble now 10 people
  • Outdoors only updated details – next checkpoint: April 19
  • Limit outings to essential travel and careful neighbourhood walks
  • Our sites remain restricted as noted previously with our work rules posted in the members section of the website

Thank you for being a protector for people in our communities who could suffer from the impacts of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Dr. Bonnie Henry, BC Provincial Health Officer:

“Be kind, be calm, and be safe.”

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VECTOR Seeks Technicians, Helpers, Devs and Teachers

  • Give as much commitment as fits your life as a helper finishing jobs

    Who knows what? People section.
    What does each team do? Teams page.
    (Forgot the code? Check your MyImpactPage News.)

  • Teach radio handling to Lookout Society’s Harm Reduction Workers?

    What do you think about coaching people how to handle bubble-pack radios? How to hold it, how to talk into it, what to worry about. Let us know.

  • Be a presenter for the Basic Amateur Radio Proficiency Course

    Best way to learn is to teach another person. Find full details on the course page.
    You can also become an organizer and help keep the course going.

    Training Team | Ask Hiroshi VA7LET

  • Free the ideas from our Brainstorming Session recording

    Can you pull the treasure trove of ideas out of recording we have from the August 2018 Brainstorming Session and into a spreadsheet?

    Email Jesse VE7DET | Check it out

  • Become an examiner for VECTOR

    VECTOR will help you become an examiner if you are interested and you can give time to invigilate exams for the Basic Proficiency Course.

    Ask Linda VE7LMP

  • Help local widow find new home for amateur radio gear

    Would you like to help collect and find a new home for a Silent Key’s radio equipment in Vancouver? Let us know.

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3. Upcoming Training & Practice Opportunities

Review Learning Program | Dive into Exercises

Radio Skills | Tech Nights | Net Control

Challenge yourself in April for World Amateur Radio Day

  • Refer to 4. On-Air Activities (below)

Level-up - Tech Night replaces Packet Night

Session Overview | Add to Calendar

  • Help each other solve someone’s latest communications problem
  • Come together monthly
  • Get help with a problem that frustrates you

Level-up - become a Net Control Operator

  • Write an email to Andrew VA7YAA to join the list
  • First step: attend the introduction to the net control operator program on Zoom

Get Perspective - Radiograms

YT:KD8TTE

  • Found a new source for brief (concise, clear, compelling) advice on radiograms
  • Sure beats the hour-long seminar videos previously available

Find more

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4. On Air Radio Activities

Local Nets | Program | Calendar | Jessé VE7DET | Team Page | Team Mail

World Amateur Radio Day - Radio Amateurs of Canada - 2021-04-18 05:00, 12 h

Time Estimate: 30 minutes
Time Window: 12 hours starting at 05:00J

  • Connect with a ‘RAC station then collect your certificate on 2021-05-09 or later at RAC’s website.
  • 3 activities known

WARD: Sharing Trivia Questions - VE7RAC on VE7RVF - 11:00J to 13:00J

Join in a quotes trivia game for as long as you can. Review the one-page guide and trivia sources in the operator pack: World Amateur Radio Day.

WARD: Trans-Canada Net on Allstar-Link - VE5RAC - 10:00J to 11:30J

Connect through the amateur radio Canada Hub: Allstar-Link, IRLP, Hamshack Hotline, or EchoLink.

WARD: Contacting - find ‘RAC stations on many bands - 12:00Z to 23:59Z

Seek and contact the VE7RAC call sign on all bands and modes. If you wish, seek and contact the ‘RAC call sign for every Canadian call sign prefix.

Latest | RAC | Monitor Twitter | Region 2 Note | International Poster

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Connect Casually Any Night - 19:05 nightly on VE7RVF

Time Estimate: 30 minutes

Find like-minded operators at Check-in and Chat Nets. Members have run these nets for over 280 nights (since 2020-04-01. The nightly Net Controller chooses a question or topic to share; anything from radio to food to entertainment to no topic at all. Connect to around 15 fellow members. A slow night might cover 8 check-ins, but several times 35 operators have joined and shared.

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Keep Formal Net Skills Sharp on Weekly Net - 20:00 weekly on Wednesday, VE7TEL

Time Estimate: 30 minutes

Checking in on Wednesdays stretches a few less-used skills. Details below in 6. Weekly Nets.

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5. Announcements, Notable, etc.

Get to know other members on air

Nightly Check in and Chat | Monthly Exercises

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Field Day can extend your abilities

ARRL:

It is a time where many aspects of Amateur Radio come together to highlight our many roles. While some will treat it as a contest, other groups use the opportunity to practice their emergency response capabilities. It is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate Amateur Radio to the organizations that Amateur Radio might serve in an emergency, as well as the general public. For many clubs, ARRL Field Day is one of the highlights of their annual calendar.

  • Why might someone who enjoys amateur radio join Field Day?
  • Field Day reinforces our ties, let’s us play disaster, gives us a wide on-air contact pool
  • We can operate from home again this year([ARRL][arrlupdate]):
    • may contact any other stations
    • may mark your submission as part of an organization’s efforts
  • Stations operating from home must limit power to 150 W PEP.

Join | Learn more

[arrlupdate]: http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-to-extend-field-day-rule-waivers-from-2020-add-class-d-and-e-power-limit)

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West coast emergency communications conference online - 2021-04-10, 2 days

CommAcademy | Register

  • “Disasters Here, There, and Everywhere - Are We Ready?”
  • Talks, training, and information on emergency communications

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Refitting grab-and-go prototypes with aluminum-screen panels begins in spring

Team Grab and Go

  • Panels and hardware nearly ready for retrofits to prototypes
  • Just waiting for 1 more radio to start new kits
  • Next team huddle (bi-weekly) on Tuesday afternoons in Zoom: 2021-04-06, 16:00

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See map showing possible fallen buildings in Vancouver from one scenario

URBC | Full talk | YouTube

  • Map shows scientific model output
  • Areas where streets may be blocked jump out on map
  • Find map on page 5 – listen here

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Easy to maintain laptop on tech horizon

Framework

  • DIY upgradeable, customizable, and repairable modern laptop with privacy switches for mic and camera
  • Perfect size for grab and go kits

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Inspiring pictures for your radio kit or wonder box

Team GnG

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6. Weekly Net

Catch the weekly net at 20:00 every Wednesday on the VE7TEL repeater: VECTOR channel 2, 145.170 MHz -600 kHz.

Each week, a secondary net follows on a different frequency, providing opportunities for amateur radio operators to test radios using other bands and modes of operation.

Schedule for upcoming secondary net frequencies:
Date Channel Frequency Information
March 17 44 146.430 MHz
March 24 20 147.200 MHz +600 kHz T100.0 Hz
March 31 7 147.450 MHz T100.0 Hz simplex
April 07 4 146.580 MHz simplex
April 14 1 145.450 MHz -600 kHz T100.0 Hz
April 21 430 446.100 MHz
April 28 401 443.725 MHz +5 MHz T88.5 Hz
May 5 44 146.430 MHz

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7. Monthly Members’ Meetings

VECTOR gathers on the first Wednesday of every month to keep its operations flowing. Connect in our Zoom virtual space unless otherwise noted.

The next 4 Monthly Members’ Meeting dates:
  • May 05 at 18:30 - Guest: Dr Tiegan Hobbs - what the aftermath would look like
  • June 02 at 18:30 - Guest: Kevin Bernardin VE7TDK - evolving VECTOR-VPD relationship
  • July 07 at 18:30 - Guest: VFRS?
  • August 04 at 18:30 - Guest: Member about Tech

Connect with others before and after the main session:

  • Join early (15 minutes) at 18:15
  • Hang around after (20 minutes) until roughly 20:50
  • We’ll have breakout areas available

Please find the link to the Zoom online conference room in your email edition of the newsletter for joining remotely or on your BetterImpact homepage. You can sign up for upcoming members’ meetings in BetterImpact to log your meeting time automatically.

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Tnx es 73,

VE7DET || Jessé Neri, Director (he|him)
[email protected]

VA7SWZ || Simone Hoedel, Writer and Communications Consultant (she|her)

VA7DPO || Darryl Pogue, Director (he|him)

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.