VECTOR October 2021 News

Posted in newsletter

Previous newsletters can be found in the archive.

Our next members' meeting will be held THURSDAY, October 7, online using Zoom: for open dialogue to improve how easy it is for you to volunteer for VECTOR. (Yes, the day changed; for the next 3 months.)

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. Our feedback questions for 2021 - 10 minutes
  2. Open dialogue around the questions - 90 minutes
  3. O&I Forum - Logistics Work, Logistics Interviewing, Partnerships - All - 20 minutes

2. Community News

  • Silent Key VE7CNV - recollections, memorial info
  • Share your feedback about VECTOR (survey), if you can’t attend
  • Next 3 members meetings on Thursdays, including AGM
  • BCARCC needs your thoughts about making BC repeaters narrow-band
  • Whom would you recommend for director?
  • Weekly Net to stay put
  • VECTOR applied for Community Gaming Grant 2022
  • VECTOR evaluating Loomio as online coordinating space
  • COVID-19 Update
  • VECTOR seeks Techs, Devs, Helpers, and Teachers
  • Radio Skills Course Coming Up //CORRECTION.

Silent Key VE7CNV - recollections, memorial info

Dave’s friends Laura and Jen are arranging a memorial service around Remembrance Day at Heritage Gardens (Surrey).

Among a few people who defined my VECTOR experience; I relied on Dave for a member’s connection to VECTOR’s long heritage. By the way, he helped us pick out the “Tnx es 73” closing for the newsletter.

Dave joins Bryan VE7BFY, Doug VE7FGU, and other VECTOR members as Silent Keys.

Kirk noticed an interesting on-air ceremony Dave may have enjoyed that we could do (maybe make it part of how we honour each other?):

https://youtu.be/SW4i5dNqke0

How interested are we in giving the radio ceremony a shot? I know of 3 times where people on-air shared about VE7CNV, likely others happened beyond my awareness:

  • on the nightly net when we announced his silent key, people shared recollections of Dave

  • on the weekly net (2021-09-15), Lis facilitated sharing our memories of Dave

  • Rainbow Country Net held a minute of silence for Dave

Members that use facebook may check out a page in his memory:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/689703022425970/

Memorializing Dave

(Kishore Nair, REPARS)

We are planning a memorial service for Dave around Remembrance day since that was always a significant day for Dave (He was very proud of his great-grandpa’s cousin who fought in WW1)

  • Outdoors service for 20 people (COVID-19 limits)
  • Live-stream on Zoom with recording for later viewing

Laura and Jen narrowed the options to Heritage Gardens, 19082 16th Ave, Surrey. They have a package that is $2541 (taxes in) for:

  • the land where the ashes are buried
  • a perennial flower bush (that will be tended to and bloom each year)
  • a bronze memorial plaque
  • a staff-facilitated outdoor service for up to 20 people (per COVID-19 rules)

As you may know, Dave’s family will not be contributing towards the memorial service.

If you wish to attend the memorial service in person, wish to donate towards memorial expenses, or both, please send a message to Kishore using the link below. We still need to finalize how to collect the money.

If more money is pledged and collected, we will look into offering a Bursary in Dave’s name at Kwantlen University (if it’s is enough to set up one), or donate the extra funds to an organization where Dave volunteered.

Message to Kishore - please fill in the template.

For more information, email [email protected], or through Facebook Group “Happy memories of Dave Koyanagi”.

Messages received through my inbox:

Jim VA7AAC:

We will all miss Dave. He was the only one besides myself of the original group of vector – that I remember– that was still active up until a short time ago.

Goodbye, Dave.

Alf

Rest in peace, Dave.

Daniel VA7SDK, VEMA:

Please accept my condolences for the loss of one of your team. While I don’t know everyone on VECTOR, I certainly crossed paths with Dave on a number of occasions and recall his sense-of-humour. I wasn’t aware of his fierce advocacy for the ISO8601 date format, but fully support his efforts and will continue the campaign! People who have convictions like that change the world while they’re with us. Reading through the links in your email below, it looks like he certainly made a difference and was the kind of person who didn’t jump to conclusions and saw the positive side of the world.

Bonus

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Share your feedback about VECTOR, if you can’t attend

  • I notice that most of VECTOR’s work and projects remain incomplete
  • Let’s collect ideas to improve how we enable you to act for us
  • Let’s explore important questions:
    • What have you liked about VECTOR in the last two years?
    • Where do you prefer to look to know what’s going on in VECTOR?
    • How do you wish VECTOR could help you to volunteer in the coming years?
    • What does VECTOR do that you feel is a barrier for you?
  • Can’t make it in October? Please add your thoughts using our survey

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Next 3 Members Meetings on Thursday nights, including AGM

For October, November, and December, VECTOR meetings will happen on the first Thursday of the month.

During the August session, attending members asked to make it so the weekly net and monthly meeting were in different time boxes. Thursdays appear best based on the survey from the last 2 months.

We will review at the AGM, how Thursdays worked.

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BCARCC needs your thoughts about making BC repeaters narrow-band

  • Western Washington intends to make repeaters narrow-band to create room for more repeaters (30% more 140 MHz, and 50% more 440 MHz)
  • Western Washington Amateur Radio Association has a simple 10-year program (the slides)
  • How ready is BC to switch over to narrow-band repeaters?
  • What can you perceive about changing to narrow-band repeaters from your spot? Share your concerns with Russell

20-minute Talk | Slides

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Whom would you recommend for director?

  • Send your recommendation to Jesse'
  • Members deliver VECTOR services (to each other and the community)
  • Next year, we are looking at asking team leads to represent on the board
  • Directors handle risk, finances, and ambassadorship for VECTOR
  • VECTOR holds Directors and Officers Liability Insurance to protect you
  • Follow-up details about being a director

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Weekly Net to stay put

  • Weekly VECTOR Net will stay on Wednesday
  • Our polling during the nets and online about the meeting, gives us confidence to move the members meeting to Thursday for the next 3 months

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VECTOR applied for Community Gaming Grant 2022

  • Jesse VE7DET filled the form on 2021-08-31 and sent required supporting files
  • VECTOR asked for $ 42 000 (CERV replacement, HF Grab and Go kit project, 2 more new VHF-UHF Grab and Go kits)
  • Next steps: form the work team, set out tasks for the first stage

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VECTOR evaluating Loomio as online coordinating space

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Radio Skills Course Coming Up

  • Sign up to get a session going
  • Consider whether you can help show others one of the knowledge sets

The Radio Skills Course (RSC) provides an opportunity for new, and returning, radio operators to learn more about the depth and breadth of their hobby. This course carries on from where the Basic Course leaves off

  • providing the skills to operate on-air, in a directed net, send radiograms, etc. It also aims to provide an overview of the breadth of amateur radio, including such topics as packet radio, HF, CW, etc.

But we need more instructors with the necessary knowledge. If you’d be interested in teaching one of the following topics, or something that isn’t even listed below, please send an email to [email protected]:

  • SSTV
  • APRS
  • Digital voice
  • High speed data
  • Amateur satellites

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VECTOR COVID-19 Update - BC Vaccine Card for events

Response (update) | Restart

  • Updated details – important checkpoint: September 27; you need your “vaccine card” now

  • Get your “vaccine card” here (without setting up any account)

  • Use your “vaccine card” to sit in restaurants and attend events larger than 50 people

  • Keep using your mask indoors and in tight spaces

  • Our sites have work rules posted in the members' section of the website

  • Note 2 aggressive variants going around now: Delta and Lambda

  • Vaccine information updated September 22 - here

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

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 to finish jobs

Get advice | Help a team | Get the code

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3. Upcoming Training & Practice Opportunities

Review Learning Program | Dive into Exercises

Radio Skills | Tech Nights | Net Control

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

Find more

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4. On Air Radio Activities

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

Connect Casually Any Night - 19:05 nightly on VE7RVF

Time Estimate: 30 minutes

  • Members have run these nets for over 520 nights (since 2020-04-01) (except for 2021-07-25 when there was no net controller available)
  • Please take your shot leading as net controller for one night
  • Nightly Net Controller chooses a question or topic to inspire sharing (anything from radio to food to entertainment to no topic at all)
  • Connect to around 15 fellow operators (from 8 to 35 people any day)
  • Remember to identify your signal

Email Christin VA7WIE

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New VECTOR Winlink Gateway active - 441.025 MHz simplex

Time Estimate: 15 minutes

Tune your radio to 441.025 MHz and run your Winlink session to become more comfortable using Winlink email over radio. Finicky 440 reception means repositioning your antenna by as little as 10 cm can make a difference. If you still can’t connect, you can relay through various other Winlink nodes.

  • Added new Lenovo M90n after rack server hard drive packed it in

  • New Lenovo M90n running RMS, BPQ, and APRS-IS

  • VA7EOC-10, 441.025 MHz simplex

  • VA7EOC-1 active for APRS-IS

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Keep Formal Net Skills Sharp on Weekly Net - 20:00 weekly on Wednesdays, 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, Notables, etc.

RAC Conference Videos Available (Youtube)

Find links to the Youtube videos and one PDF document covering all the presentations on the RAC website.

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Wonder what AREDN does? Video shorts

Learn more about high-speed data (AREDN) in a few Youtube shorts (John VE7JEY).

Also, read about how an ad-hoc network at field sites used the Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network (AREDN) to access online systems: Amazon web plus amateur radio.

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Peer exercise in Seattle: Operation DOUBLE TROUBLE

Check out what our peers in Seattle were doing for a two-part exercise in September

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Richmond Swap Meet 2021-11-27 in Steveston

  • RARC planning a swap meet at South Arm United Church for the last Saturday morning in November
  • Depends on COVID-19 situation and will involve all public health requirements
  • Icom and Fleetwood plan to attend
  • Admission $5, Vendor table $20
  • Details on RARC website

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Get to know other members on air

Nightly Check in and Chat | Monthly Exercises

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People are noticing our Frequency Table is Outdated

  • Share your thoughts with the team about how the frequency list is set up
  • Team aims to limit major changes to order
  • Major updates needed to align with latest repeater situation
  • Get involved: Frequency List in Logistics forum
  • See what it is: Work in Progress (please only view, post comments to the Logistics forum rather than edit)

Help Out | Logistics forum

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View Radio Auction Items

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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
October 06 44 146.430 MHz
October 13 20 147.200 MHz +600 kHz T100.0 Hz
October 20 7 147.450 MHz T100.0 Hz simplex
October 27 4 146.580 MHz simplex
November 03 1 145.450 MHz -600 kHz T100.0 Hz

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7. Monthly Members' Meetings

VECTOR gathers on the first Thursday of the next 3 months to keep its operations flowing. Connect in our Zoom virtual space unless otherwise noted.

The next 4 Monthly Members' Meeting dates:
  • October 07 at 18:30 - Member Insights Special Session
  • November 04 at 18:30 - Guest: Kris H - VEMA
  • December 02 at 18:30 - Annual General Meeting

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, President (he|him)
[email protected]

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

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