Central Alberta Amateur Radio Club
Articles
Online petition about radio interference
Jun 11th
Online petition about radio interference
Deadline for signatures: October 4, 2018
Radio Amateurs in Quebec have told us of a petition involving a radio station that is “generating interference on purpose”.
While we have not had a chance to investigate the specific details of the incidents the petition refers to we agree with the importance of acting to support the security of high frequency communications.
Those interested in signing the petition can do so at the following website:
https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-1631
The petition will be closed for signatures on October 4, 2018 at 9:33 am.
Alan Griffin
RAC MarCom Director
Jack Humphries VE6JRH/VA6IX Silent Key
Apr 15th
It is with sadness we announce the passing of Jack Humphries VE6JRH/VA6IX from Olds. Jack received his Amateur Radio license in June 2001 and had been very active on the bands ever since. Jack was very instrumental in helping many hams obtain their licenses and he made many friends on HF and VHF. Jack worked many stations around the world on various bands and was always listening and ready to engage everyone in a meaningful conversation. He will certainly be missed.
Jack’s funeral service will be held on Friday April 20th at 11:00 A.M. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3802 57 Ave. Olds.
The following is from a profile of Jack, written on the CAARC web site October 30, 2003.
I grew up on a farm southwest of Drumheller, Alberta, just south of the Horse Shoe Canyon. I came down with Diabetes Mellitus in 1947, which certainly changed my way of life.
My father took ill in 1950 and my work load at age eight got considerably heavier, with lots of chores to do. Dad then suffered a stroke in 1952 and work around the farm got a lot harder. I started driving truck and hauling grain when I was ten years old. Dad passed away in 1953 when I was eleven. I had a younger brother and two younger sisters.
I met my XYL in Calgary during 1960 and we went our separate ways until we married in 1965. We lived in Calgary, on 42nd Street SW, had two children, a boy and a girl. We subsequently moved to Olds, Alberta in 1969. We bought a shoe store in 1974 and sold it during the devastating inflationary early eighties. I presently work in Life Insurance and Mutual Funds as an independent broker.
Please click this link to read the complete profile of Jack.
CAARC Members receive awards for volunteering during the last year.
Dec 20th
CAARC Members receive awards for volunteering during the last year. Congratulations to the members who received Volunteer Service and Volunteer Service with Excellence awards.
Congratulations to Doug VE6DJC on winning the GIZMO! We look forward to seeing what he adds to it for next year’s Christmas dinner!
Have you paid your dues?
Nov 13th
CAARC Membership
We have noticed that there are a lot of members who have not paid their annual membership dues over the last couple of years. Please help keep your repeaters and club active by submitting your membership dues at the Picnic, the November meeting or the December pot luck supper. You can also download the CAARC membership and renewal form under the “Site tools” tab and send your dues by snail mail to the listed address on the bottom of the form or bring it to the meeting. Your support helps keep your repeaters operating and your club active.
Thank you from your executive
73 CAARC Executive
New volunteer net control operator
Apr 19th
We have a new volunteer for the Monday evening net controller.
Thanks to Maria VA6TFL for your willingness to help with the net.
Any other volunteers would be welcomed to add to the list.
Thanks to the five other net controllers for taking your turn.
Please check Updated Net Controller List under the Net info TAB
73
Bob VE6BLD
CAARC Net Controller Co-ordinator
All Band portable antenna
Dec 8th
Portable All Band Antenna
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manually adjustable for any HF frequency band 7 – 30 MHz
plus VHF & UHF bands 50 MHz / 144 MHz / 440 MHz
New CAARC Executive for 2015 – 2016
Nov 24th
The Annual General Meeting was held on Wednesday Nov 18th at the Red Deer Search and Rescue. Congratulations to the members who were elected to the new executive.
CAARC Executive for 2015 – 2016
Past President Bob King VE6BLD
President– Stephen Lee VA6SGL
Vice President– Rod Lins VE6XY
Secretary– Sandy Jacobs VE6SND
Treasurer– Karen McKinney VA6LDY
Directors
- Brian Davies VE6CKC
- Garry Jacobs VE6CIA
- Greg McKinney VA6GMC
- Jeff Low VA6JL
- Mike Mailiot VE6MIM
Appointments
Repeaters
Skip MacAulay VE6BGT
Emergency Coordinator
Jeff Low VA6JL
Publicity
Bob King VE6BLD
Webmaster
Bob King VE6BLD
Net Control
Bob King VE6BLD
Maxdroid
Sep 9th
Maxdroid
Modification to add a digital display and continuous frequency selection to VHF/UHF Maxtrac transceivers.
By
Avinoam Albo, 4X1HF Avinoam.albo@gmail.com
December 2014
Conversion of a Maxtrac to a transceiver with display and frequency selection
In this article I will explain how to convert the venerable Maxtrac to a rig more user friendly to radio amateurs. The modification requires the addition of only a few inexpensive and easily available components. When the modification is completed you will have a rig with digital display and frequency selection enabling continuous coverage over the whole range of frequencies where the VCO locks. An external programmer is no longer needed.
Disclaimer: Carrying out the modification described requires basic electronics skills. Any modifications are the sole responsibility of the technician. This modification will likely void type certification for commercial radio service. This article does not make any specific claims or recommendations.
Specifications of the transceiver after this modification
- Digital display
- Continuous frequency selection
- Selection of transmitter output power (2 levels or more)
- Selection using VFO or memories
- Selection of VFO frequency steps (5K, 10K, etc.)
- Receive PL (on/off)
- Scanning and saving frequencies to memory (future)
Required Components
- Maxtrac VHF or UHF
- Arduino Nano 328 controller
- Rotary encoder
- LCD 08 X 02 (8 characters x 2 lines)
- 3K, 4.7K, 8.2K, 10K resistors
- Fine gauge insulated hookup wire such as wire wrap wire
Programming the transceiver More >
Horizontal Quad Antenna
Sep 8th
Horizontal Quad Antenna
By: Eli Kovo, 4X4LH (originally published in the IARC newsletter 08/2015 “HaGal” and used with permission of the author. Translated by: Earl, VA6TJ)
I recently came across an article in an issue of “73 Magazine” from 1978 raving about an antenna called “The German Quad” which [at that time] was used by about half the hams in Germany. Below I summarize the main points of the article.
The first thing about this antenna is that it works without a tuner on 6 bands, from 10m to 80m and also on 2m. I could not find confirmation that it works on 6m however I am confident that it will also transmit on that band. Compared to a symmetrical dipole, the horizontal quad has the advantage that it can be fed anywhere, even at a point close to the shack as in illustration 1.
