VECTOR November 2024 News

Posted 6 November 2024 in newsletter

Previous newsletters can be found in the archive.

1. Coming Meeting

Our next members' meeting is Wednesday, November 6, in the E-COMM Media Room.

Detailed agenda included in e-mail to members.

2. Community News - What’s Coming

Monthly Communications Test with VFRS Fire Safety Officers
2024 Grey Cup Parade - Sunday, November 17
DEEP seeks nearby Operators
VECTOR VARA FM Trial for Winlink
VEMA Personal Preparedness Survey
Vancouver Hazard Map Online
Members Welcome in Certification Courses
2024: Best Certification Results Since 2020
Equipment Learning Loans
Vaccination top-ups still available
Missed Something?

Monthly Communications Test with VFRS Fire Safety Officers

DSA3 and DSA5 (Gordon and Oak Parks), Fire Hall 5, Radio Room
Wednesday
Sign Up

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2024 Grey Cup Parade - Sunday, November 17

9 people signed up for Parade shift - 1 pm to 3:30 pm, great turnout
3 people signed up for Transit shift - 6 pm to 8 pm (estimated), need 3 more
Sign Up

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DEEP seeks nearby Operators

Previous amateur radio operators currently stepped back
Any hams near Dunbar community centre welcome
Contact DEEP

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VECTOR VARA FM Trial for Winlink

VARA and AX.25 available on-air for testing
System listening on 445.525 MHz (VECTOR Channel 427)
Trial ends November 20
Send your Winlink email via 445.525 with session set to VARA FM
Bring questions to our meeting on November 6

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VEMA Personal Preparedness Survey

Available October 16 to November 6
To shape future education and preparedness programs
Prepared or not, city needs to hear from everyone so programs can better serve our diverse communities
Survey in English, French, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Tagalog, Farsi, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Punjabi, Vietnamese, and Japanese.

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Vancouver Hazard Map Online

City launched an interactive tool about hazards and risks in Vancouver
Maps, photos, graphics, stories covering impacts and what you can do about them
Hazard and Risk Explorer
Printable fact sheets - in Vancouver’s top 12 most common languages

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Members Welcome in Certification Courses

Member perk: sit in on course to bump up your standing
Each session has a few seats where members can boost their knowledge
Each exam session has a few seats where members can raise their marks

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2024: Best Certification Results Since 2020

Basic Course

All 18 students passed on exam day, October 12
15 people earned Honours standing (go HF!) with two tied at 99

Advanced Course

5 of 7 students passed on exam day, October 12
2 VECTOR members earned Advanced: Pamela VA7KGO and Ian VA7IMO

Anthony VE7XAK: Volunteers Key to Success

In-person Examiner: Kishore VA7UZ
Exam assistant: Victoria VA7SES
Additional Instructors: Norman VE7NWM, Basic and Advanced; Greg VA7BC, Advanced

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Equipment Learning Loans

Member perk: sign out gear for learning and practice
Specific gear: LORA transceivers or New Packet Radio stations
Future potential, after checking: HF stations
Your favourite board member can get you started

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Vaccination top-ups still available

Available with your influenza shot
COVID-19 variants are still hurting people

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Missed Something?

We intend that this news looks forward unless we wish to highlight accomplishments. I can only know about 20 - 50% of what’s going on. You can easily make sure we mention closer to 80% of what matters using our news form: Recommend Item.

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Help with, Work On, and Learn about

Dry and air Tents and Crates
Repair or replace HF-5V HF Vertical Antenna
Adding headset jacks to Vision Kits
Repair Antenna Tripod
Upgrade radio in VFRS Command Truck
Online Task Board shows things we are working on. Invitation Link. Cards on the board have checklists, conversations, and links to folders.
- DSAs
- Civic Events
- Field Day
- CERV
- Maintain-Repair-Overhaul - take care of our stuff
- Next Drill
- High Speed Data
- Board

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3. Upcoming Training & Practice Opportunities

Net Control - Email Andrew VA7YAA
Key Files
EmComm Skills Notes
“Must Learn” section in our “Resources” files
Updating Learning Program - best learning at monthly drills, tests, and major civic events

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4. On Air Radio Activities

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VECTOR Equipment Drills

Described in Community News above.

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Get to know other members on air - Friday and Sunday 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 that we identify our 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

Take your 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.

Disaster Aftermath. QRPer with insights useful for any disaster based on Hurricane Helene. via Stuart VA7SWS.
Cascadia Earthquake Awareness. Latest CREWS news.
Neighbours and disaster prep. Just like Mika’s recommendation for party planning, now with CBC’s What On Earth.
VU3GLJ’s Tips for New Hams. VU3GLJ.
Chewing the rag with Kristoff and Ken (HPR). Younger people getting into amateur radio? ON1ARF and PA7KEN/G5KEN
Cord Rolling. Short videos for the over-under method of coiling feedline to avoid tangling - here
IT Disaster Volunteers. Help people regain IT service in disaster areas with ITDRC
Hams in Hurricane Helene. Wired article about volunteer communicators.
Disaster Kit Tips. Matt Linton
Learn when two-letter call signs become available. Jen VE7KIP’s tool noticed VA7UA available in October. About the tool.
Winlink over VARA FM. WaveTalkers Instructor David, W0WHG, deploys his mobile station to send Winlink Traffic via VARA FM. Youtube Video via W6AH

ISS Amateur Radio Systems Status. VA3DBJ’s summary
Help with Better Impact (MyVolunteerPage). Handy “How To” instructions and videos - Learn here.
Open Emergency Map. General reference for current conditions: Map
DEEP’s Event recordings: Posted online each month
SEPAR and SARC magazine: John VE7TI publishes latest issue right before our monthly Members session on a bi-monthly interval: VE7SAR

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6. Weekly Net

Catch the weekly net at 20:00 every Wednesday on the VE7RVF repeater: VECTOR channel 1, 145.450 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
November 06	44	146.430 MHz
November 13	20	147.200 MHz +600 kHz T100.0 Hz
November 20	7	147.450 MHz T100.0 Hz simplex
November 27	4	146.580 MHz simplex
December 04	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 at the ECOMM meeting room to keep its operations flowing.

The next 4 Monthly Members' Meeting dates:

November 6 - 18:30
December 4 - 18:30, AGM - Room pending
January 3 - 18:30
February 5 - 18:30

All at the E-COMM Media Room, with Zoom connection open.

Please find the link to the Zoom online conference room in your email edition of the newsletter so that you can join remotely. The link also lives on your MyVolunteerPage homepage online or in your MyImpact mobile app. 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] Recommend Item

VA7DPO || Darryl Pogue, Vice President (he|him)

Join Loomio to pitch in
https://loomio.org/vector-vancouver/
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