VECTOR October 2023 News

Posted 4 October 2023 in newsletter

I have intended each year that we take a moment (October) to reflect on what we like and what we wished about each year. If we have good attendance, we will follow through. Otherwise, I intend to dive right into our emergent items.

If you are tied up: comment now.

Previous newsletters can be found in the archive.

Also, your primary email address is on our list of authorized members for every Drive link we share, unless you opted out.

1. Coming Meeting

Our next members' meeting will be held Wednesday, October 4. We intend to be at ECOMM in the Media Room, with online using Zoom, unless otherwise noted.

Detailed agenda included in e-mail to members.

2. Community News - What’s Coming

Respiratory Illness Season
November 12 Radio Room Sunday
Psycho-social Resilience in Disasters Course builds our wisdom
What do you notice that needs VECTOR discussion?
Re-fitting HEMBC Kits for DSH use begins
MIERCG SWEEPER - October and November
Shakeout - 2023-10-19, 10:19
CERV and Generator
Renew for 2024

Respiratory Illness Season

Health care is circulating invitations for our annual immunization for COVID-19 and we can book an influenza shot for the same appointment.

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November 12 Radio Room Sunday

Anthony VE7XAK planning to work on items in the Radio Room. Volunteers previously interested in helping and learning meet there at 09:00.

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Date Options: November 24
Full day course, 08:30 to 16:30 (4:30 pm)
In EOC at E-COMM
4 seats
Learn the psychosocial needs of emergency management personnel and communities before, during, and after disasters, as well as strategies and resources to support psychosocial resilience (e.g., self-care, worker care).
Learn stress responses, vulnerable populations, resiliency toolkits, and risk and resiliency factors

Attending courses we sign up for is important. VEMA’s limited budget takes a financial hit each time we leave seats unused in courses.

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What do you notice that needs VECTOR discussion?

The board raises agenda items together each month. Let’s give it a shot for our monthly meetings. What do you want to cover?

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Re-fitting HEMBC Kits for DSH use begins

We have all the parts we need to convert the radio kits that HEMBC donated. Anthony VE7XAK and the Grab and Go Kit team intend to finish before the end of 2023.

HEMBC is Health Emergency Management BC
DSH is Disaster Support Hub - two-band station with Winlink
Anthony VE7XAK finished making the internal cables in August
Next step is swapping radios, mounting TNCs, and testing for 10 units

Contact Anthony

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MIERCG SWEEPER - October and November

We have one volunteer for October and one for November (so far) to test our Radio Room HF and other systems using the drills. Further details on Drive under Mid-Island Sweeper 2023.

Mid-Island Emergency Radio Coordination Group
Details in Loomio conversation or SWEEPER2023_README
All Drills Finish at 12:00
- October 18 - HF only, 09:30
- November 29 - system-wide radio operating on VHF, UHF, and HF, 09:00

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Shakeout - 2023-10-19, 10:19

We’ll be on air when you finish your Shakeout drill. Check in together.

ShakeoutBC
“Call sign, Location, " and someone will come forward as net control
we might explore an EyeWarn-style reporting round

More: Shakeout is an ad hoc activation net. Anyone can become net control to collect call signs. So,

- If you tune to VE7TEL (Ch. 2), and it's quiet, ask if a net is already established
- If the net is on, check in with your call sign
- If not, start the net:
    - identify yourself and that you are starting a directed net: "All stations, this is.....This is a directed net for VECTOR."
    - invite others to check-in: "Come now in groups of..."
    - write down everyone's call sign, and keep going
- Tips:  
    - If you are Net Control and choose to mention the earthquake exercise, use the words EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE periodically throughout your transmissions
    - Our back-up repeater, if you need it, is VE7RVF (ch. 1)

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CERV and Generator

We have started preparing gear in the bus for deployable kits and the CERV Replacement. Ian VA7IT has inventoried and boxed key items. Time to begin preparing deployable kits and retiring older items.

Paul VE7PXG is leading generator repair.

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Renew for 2024

We count dues you pay in October or November as dues for the coming year. To remain active volunteers, we need three things current:

getting a Police Information Check every fifth year
accepting the City Volunteer Waiver every January
updating our MyVolunteerPage (or BetterImpact) profile

You can pay your dues via Interac eTransfer to [email protected], or by cheque.

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Help with, Work On, and Learn about

Online Task Board shows active opportunities. Eight parts of VECTOR you can get involved in: Invitation Link. Task cards have links to file folders, checklists, and conversations.

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3. Upcoming Training & Practice Opportunities

Net Control - Email Andrew VA7YAA
Key Files
EmComm Skills Notes
Updating Learning Program - best learning at monthly drills

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4. On Air Radio Activities

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RAC Simulated Emergency Test - October 14

Canada-wide October 14, 08:00 to 14:00 (local), including the solar eclipse
Saturday, October 14: all bands, all modes
Niagara October 16 field demonstration for local Emergency Management
Get involved on Operation Dark Skies

Mid-Island SWEEPER HF - October 18

Refer to community news
09:30 to 12:00 in the Radio Room

Shakeout - October 19, 10:19 or so

react to the simulated earthquake (60 seconds of shaking)
check in

2m QSO Party - November 11

Time Estimate: up to 4 hours

10:00 to 14:30
2m FM or SSB
Details attached

Mid-Island SWEEPER VHF-UHF-HF - November 29

Refer to community news
09:00 to 12:00 in the Radio Room

Get to know other members on air - Friday Nights at 20:00 on VE7RVF

Time Estimate: 30 minutes

Please take your shot leading as net controller for one night
Connect to around 15 fellow operators (from 8 to 35 people any day)
Origin
Remember to identify your signal
- your call sign at both the beginning and end of each period of communication
- per RBR-4 — Standards for the Operation of Radio Stations in the Amateur Radio Service section 9.3
- even a casual net gives time to practice good procedures

Get involved

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Practise with VECTOR Winlink Gateway - 441.025 MHz simplex

Give it a shot Time Estimate: 15 minutes

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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.

Amateur radio helps during extreme storms in Canada. News from Halifax hurricanes. Thanks, Jen VE7KIP! We’ll be there for this city.
Delta Amateur Radio Society ComFest and Swap Meet.
- Sunday, October 15
- South Delta Recreation Centre in Tsawwassen
- Tables are available at $25
- Admission starts at 10:00 a.m., $5
- Full details on web
Open Emergency Map. General reference for current conditions: Map
DEEP’s Event recordings: new session posted online each month
Keep an eye on Zoom. Company looks like it wants to train its own ChatGPT on users' calls.
- Quartz report
- Backlash

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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 04	44	146.430 MHz
October 11	20	147.200 MHz +600 kHz T100.0 Hz
October 18	7	147.450 MHz T100.0 Hz simplex
October 25	4	146.580 MHz simplex
November 01	1	145.450 MHz -600 kHz T100.0 Hz

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7. Monthly Members' Meetings

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

The next 4 Monthly Members' Meeting dates:

October 4 - 18:30 (location pending)
November 1 - 18:30 (location pending)
December 6 - 18:00 AGM (City Hall, Cascadia Room)
January 3 - 18:30 (location pending)

Please find the link to the Zoom online conference room in your email edition of the newsletter for joining remotely or on your MyVolunteerPage 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, Vice President (he|him)

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