VECTOR November 2025 News

Posted in newsletter

Thank you to everyone who checked in on VE7RVF during the BC ShakeOut activation net, and to the folks who deployed in the evening for our radio exercise. A special thank you as well to the VECTOR members who presented at several community events this past month to share information about amateur radio and its role in a disaster.

We’re approaching the end of the year, and our AGM is coming up at the start of next month. Please watch for emails from the membership team around renewal and dues payments for the 2026 membership year.

Previous newsletters can be found in the archive.

VECTOR News

  • November Members' Meeting - Wednesday, November 5th at 18:30

    The November members' meeting will take place on Wednesday, November 5th, at 18:30 in the E-Comm Media Room. We encourage in-person participation, but you can also join remotely on Zoom.

    This month’s meeting will feature a recap of community engagement and radio exercises in October, discussion around the upcoming AGM, and starting to plan for events coming up in 2026.

  • AGM & Director positions

    Our 2025 Annual General Meeting is on December 3rd this year, and VECTOR is looking for members who might be interested in standing for board positions. We welcome the insights that both new and experienced members can bring to our organization’s governance. Please reach out to any of the current board members if you’re considering standing for election and have questions.

    More details about the AGM will be sent out by email later in the month.

  • Membership Renewals

    As we approach the end of our membership year and the Annual General Meeting, the membership team will be reaching out regarding renewal and payment of dues for 2026. Please keep an eye out for those emails! Voting at the AGM is limited to members in good standing who have paid their 2026 membership dues.

  • PSLV Identification Cards

    Many Public Safety Lifeline Volunteer provincial identification card renewals and VECTOR badges have come in, and will be available at member meetings and the AGM for pick-up.

    A reminder that the PSLV cards are property of the BC Ministry of Emergency Management & Climate Readiness, and are intended to be used only for identification purposes when responding to an emergency. All VECTOR members should be familiar with the policies around PSLV registration and the PSLV Code of Conduct.

Training & Practice Opportunities

  • Voice Operator Practice - Wednesday, November 26th at 19:00

    VECTOR needs operators to feel comfortable with a common language for wording, procedure words and protocols so that we can smoothly and accurately shuttle messages between the specific remote ESS, DOC, or DSA sites and the EOC. While we intend to rely on data systems to transfer complex messages, we must also be able to confidently, smoothly and accurately transfer messages by voice where needed. Every protocol described in this practice represents realistic conditions for VECTOR.

    This session will allow you to practice protocols in a casual atmosphere with room to pause and ask questions.

    Join us to practice your message handling skills. More details and signup information is in Better Impact - Voice Operator.

Hands-On Opportunities

  • Monthly Emergency Communications Test - Wednesday, November 5th at 09:30

    The City of Vancouver will be conducting their monthly emergency communications tests on Wednesday, October 1st at 10:00. You can find more information and sign up in Better Impact - Monthly Radio Tests.

    December’s test will be on Wednesday, December 3rd.

Community News

  • Emergency Support Services seminar at DEEP - Tuesday, November 18th at 19:00

    Dunbar Earthquake and Emergency Preparedness invites you to a 1-hour talk on Tuesday November 18th at 7 p.m. at the Dunbar Community Centre. Miranda Myles, Manager of Community Readiness for VEMA will give an overview of the services provided by the City’s ESS volunteers during emergencies/disasters such as fires, floods, and earthquakes.

    More information and RSVP is available on the DEEP website.

  • Online COV Emergency Preparedness Seminar - Thursday, November 27th at 19:00

    Learn how to prepare for disasters and emergencies in Vancouver. This session introduces you to the practical steps to preparedness: knowing your risks, making a plan, gathering your supplies, staying informed, and connecting with neighbours.

    You can register online for COV Emergency Preparedness - Personal & Household.

  • The Communicator Magazine

    “The Communicator” from Surrey Amateur Radio Communications (SARC), serves as a bi-monthly electronic periodical for amateur radio operators. It covers a wide array of topics, including historical figures in radio. The Communicator also features emergency preparedness strategies, and the diverse interests and community focus within amateur radio.

    You can read the November/December edition of The Communicator online and find previous versions online at the VE7SAR archive.

On-Air Nets

The weekly net takes place at 20:00 every Wednesday on the VE7RVF repeater (VECTOR channel 1, 145.450 MHz, -0.6 MHz offset, tone of 100.0 Hz). 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.

The schedule for upcoming secondary net frequencies is as follows:

Date Channel Frequency Information
November 5 430 446.100 MHz simplex
November 12 201 224.640 MHz, -1.6 MHz offset
November 19 44 146.430 MHz simplex
November 26 20 147.200 MHz, +0.6 MHz offset, tone 100.0 Hz
December 3 7 147.450 Mhz simplex, tone 100.0 Hz

We encourage Winlink check-ins to the VECTOR net every week, just address your message to VA7EOC. Connect to VA7EOC-10 using simplex UHF on 441.025 MHz (VECTOR channel 420), simplex VHF on 145.600 MHz, or send your message through one of the other local Winlink gateways. The VA7EOC-10 gateway supports both AX.25 packet and VARA.

VECTOR also maintains a list of other local radio nets on our website.

Upcoming Meetings

The monthly VECTOR members' meeting is the first Wednesday of every month. The next meeting dates are as follows:

  • November 5th in the E-Comm Media Room at 18:30
  • December 3rd (AGM) in the City Hall Cascadia Room
  • January 7th in the E-Comm Media Room at 18:30

We strongly encourage attending in-person, but recognize that online participation is more accessible for some members. Look for a link to the Zoom online conference room in your email ahead of the meeting to join remotely. You can find more details about members' meetings and RSVP in Better Impact.