VECTOR April 2026 News

Posted 30 March 2026 in newsletter

Hope everyone has a chance to enjoy the cherry blossom season and the upcoming long weekend. Thank you to all the VECTOR volunteers who joined us on a sunny Saturday for our March Community Centre exercise.

Previous newsletters can be found in the archive.

VECTOR News

• April Members' Meeting - Wednesday, April 1^st, at 18:30

  The April members' meeting will take place on Wednesday 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 an overview of our plan for Vaisakhi, discussion about our upcoming “Go” or “No Go” decision for Field Day, and planning for some community engagement opportunities.

  If you are planning to attend the meeting in-person at E-Comm, you must RSVP in Better Impact.

• Vancouver Vaisakhi Parade - Saturday, April 11^th

  On April 11^th VECTOR needs 16 to 20 volunteers to support the Vaisakhi parade through the Punjabi Market area of South Vancouver. At this point, we are still short several people. This event is one of VECTOR’s most valuable contributions to the city in terms of field communications and situational awareness, and the event route covers a large area.

  We are offering full-day, morning, and afternoon shifts for this event. Please sign up to help in Better Impact - Vaisakhi Parade.

• Field Day - Weekend of June 27^th & 28^th

  VECTOR needs to make a “Go” or “No Go” decision about 2026 Field Day before out May members' meeting, and so far we don’t have any volunteers to lead key pieces of our Field Day plan. We need some people to take on the task of organizing our radio equipment and antenna setup. We are looking at some alternative antenna/tower options this year, but we need someone willing to take the lead on that. Because Field Day falls during FIFA, we need to have all of our gear ready to go by the end of May.

  If you would like Field Day to happen, please come to the April members' meeting.

Hands-On Opportunities

• Monthly Emergency Communications Test - Wednesday, April 1^st & May 6^th, at 09:30

  The City of Vancouver will be conducting their monthly emergency communications tests on Wednesday, April 1^st at 10:00. You can find more information and sign up in Better Impact - Monthly Radio Tests. This month we will be testing at DSA 4 in East Vancouver.

  May’s test will be on Wednesday, May 6^th and will include a test at DSA 5.

• Monthly EMCR PREOC Radio Check-In - Wednesday, April 15^th, at 18:30

  In the evening on the third Wednesday of every month, the South Coast Provincial Regional Emergency Operations Centre (PREOC) runs a series of nets on several radio systems to test communication with EOCs. VECTOR is encouraged to participate each month from the radio room.

  Learn how to use HF, Winlink, PACTOR, and IMERS from the radio room by signing up in Better Impact - Monthly PREOC Check-In.

Community News

• World Amateur Radio Day - Saturday, April 18^th

  Commemorate the foundation of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) and get on the air for World Amateur Radio Day. RAC will be operating stations on HF across the country and you can earn a certificate if you make contact with them. More details can be found on the RAC website.

• Vancouver Sun Run - Sunday, April 19^th

  Tuesday, March 31^st is your last chance to sign up to volunteer as a radio operator with the Vancouver Sun Run. Sign up on the Sun Run Volunteer Registration Form.

  Volunteer amateur radio operators will be positioned throughout the course, acting as the eyes and ears of the event coordinators. They play a vital role in providing situational awareness, reporting emergencies and helping lost children reunite with their families.

• Maple Ridge Swap Meet - Sunday, May 3^rd

  Maple Ridge Amateur Radio Club is holding their annual swap meet on May 3^rd at the Pitt Meadows Heritage Hall. This is one of the larger and busier swap meets in the region, and a great place to find radio equipment and accessories. More information can be found on the MRARC website.

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:

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 by sending your message through one of the other local Winlink gateways. The VA7EOC-10 gateway supports both AX.25 packet and VARA FM.

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:

• April 1^st in the E-Comm Media Room at 18:30
• May 6^th in the E-Comm Media Room at 18:30
• June 3^rd 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.