Central Alberta Amateur Radio Club
Education
CAARC sponsored classes to obtain your Amateur Radio License
EMO worker tries to drum up enthusiasm for ham radio
Oct 14th
EMO worker tries to drum up enthusiasm for ham radio
In an emergency, ham radio is an essential form of communication, Mike Johnson says
A free workshop about ham radios will be held in Sackville on Oct. 22. (Nicole Williams/CBC)
A ham radio probably isn’t the first form of communication a person thinks about in an emergency, but sometimes, it’s the only one that works.
Ham radios can use wireless transmission to send messages to battery-operated radios.
And they can be useful when large storms knock out telecommunications, says Mike Johnson, the Cumberland Regional Emergency Management co-ordinator.
He is partnering up with EOS Eco-Energy and the West Cumb Amateur Radio Club to hold a free workshop in Sackville to try get more people interested in ham radios.
Different technology
Johnson, who is also a member of the WestCumb club in Amherst, N.S., said that when we lose essential communications such as cellphones, landlines and the Internet — a ham radio can come to the rescue. Hurricane Michael, which struck Florida this week, devastated normal channels of communications.
Storms that knock out telecommunications for long periods of time create more problems for co-ordinated emergency response, he said.
He said he’s already seen how ham radios could help in New Brunswick.
In January 2017, a massive ice storm knocked out power to thousands in the northeast for days.
Operators dwindling
“It became very difficult,” said Johnson.
Today, ham radios are considered a hobby more than a necessity, and not many people know how they work.
“Our numbers are dwindling,” Johnson said of the amateur radio clubs.
But younger members are needed, especially since the clubs’ services may be needed even more as the climate changes.
“We still use Morse code to this day,” he said.
Requires a test
Johnson said there are a few steps to becoming a ham radio operator.
“You need to study, take the test, once you pass it’s a one-time cost,” he said. “It’s good for life.”
After that, it’s just buying the equipment to use. Equipment for amateur radio costs between $300 and $5,000.
The workshop will be held at the Sackville Royal Canadian Legion on Monday, Oct. 22, at 6:30 p.m.
Amateur course Okotoks Oct 2018
Sep 19th
Upcoming Ham Radio Course
Ham radio course signup 2018 open this PDF document. It contains all of the course information. Fill in the form and email it to us.
Amateur (Ham) Radio basic course
Have you ever wanted to learn about Ham Radio? Come and join our course from October 25 to November 18 2018 in Okotoks, Alberta.
About Ham Radio
Come and learn all about Amateur Radio and prepare for the Basic level examination. Amateur Radio (ham radio) is a popular hobby and service that brings people, electronics and communication together. People use ham radio to talk across town, around the world, or even into space, all without the Internet or cell phones. It’s fun, social, educational, and can be a lifeline during times of need.
Although Amateur Radio operators get involved for many reasons, they all have in common a basic knowledge of radio technology and operating principles, and pass an examination for the Industry Canada license to operate on radio frequencies known as the “Amateur Bands.” These bands are radio frequencies allocated by Industry Canada for use by ham radio operators.
Getting started
If you wish to get started ahead of the course, review the links below. To help get you started, download the Industry Canada Question Bank. The question bank has every question (and answer) that is on the Basic and Advanced test. You can take practice exams on the Internet using the actual questions from the exam bank and measure your progress.
While the exam generator will help you memorize the correct answers it doesn’t teach you the theory behind the question. Come to this class and learn why ham radio works as it does, equipping you with the skills you need in the field to fully benefit from your involvement in this hobby, plus you’ll get instruction on how to operate properly.
Course dates: October 25 1900-2130h, November 3-4 and November 17-18 0900-1730h
Place: Okotoks Firehall #1, 132 Milligan Drive, Okotoks AB T1S1W2
Exam: Basic Qualification exam included, taken on the final day
Cost: $85, includes one examination attempt. Textbook required, available at GPS Central for about $50
Note: Payment must be received in full by October 15 2018 to confirm your seat. Attendance is limited.
About your instructors
Dann St-Pierre VE6TD licensed in March of 2002 and holds his Basic and Advanced level qualifications in Canada, and earned his US Extra class privilege in December 2009 and holds call sign KU7R. He is the Communications Director for the Foothills Amateur Radio Society and plays a key role in the design and maintenance of the FARS’ repeater network that covers 50,000 square kilometers of Southern Alberta.
Vince d’Eon VE6LK licensed in March of 2002 and holds his Basic, Advanced and 5wpm Morse code qualifications. He earned his US Extra class privilege in October 2014 and holds call sign AI7LK. He is the Secretary of the Foothills Amateur Radio Society and was the lead Ham Radio operator during the High River floods of 2013, Canada’s Worst Natural Disaster. He participates in many Car Rallies and other events around Western Canada as a radio coordinator or operator.
Getting Started Resources – get a jump-start on the course with these items:
Purchase: Canadian Amateur Radio Basic Qualification Study Guide – 9th Edition, 2nd printing, 2016
https://www.coaxpublications.ca/ord0001.php or available at GPS Central in Calgary
Review: Radio Amateurs of Canada http://wp.rac.ca/category/uncategorized/begin/
Review: Radio Information Circular RIC-3 http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/sf01008.html
Review: Regulation by Reference RBR-4 http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/sf01226.html
Review: Available Call Sign Lookup https://apc-cap.ic.gc.ca/pls/apc_anon/query_avail_cs$.startup
Review: Exam Generator and Question Bank http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/025.nsf/eng/h_00040.html
Amateur Radio Course Calgary
Sep 17th
Basic Amateur Radio Class set to begin Monday, September 17th.
There are still several spots available for anyone you may know who is interested in taking the basic class that we offer.
If you know someone who may be interested in taking a Basic Amateur Radio Class, please direct them to our on-line registration and our upcoming course. Information can be found at this link: http://www.caraham.org/event-3046898
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
Amateur Tower Protocols
Sep 26th
A good one for the web. Its for Calgary but the laws are federal.
Rick
VE6RAK
This message for our members in Calgary, Forwarded from Wally:
Hello all,
I was asked to help find some info on what exactly the rules for towers were within the City of Calgary. I finally tracked down the brochure from the City regarding towers and it is attached.
Bottom line is they do not have direct authority over towers but encourage some protocols be observed (kind of a good neighbour policy). There is a City phone number to call if needed as well.
Basically, towers that do not exceed 15m, and with associated antennas that do not exceed 18.75m, do not require any consultation but Amateurs are encouraged to follow the notification guidelines in the document.
There may be restrictive caveats in some neighbourhoods though, and those should be listed in the property documents.
This would be a great document to have available to all hams via their respective club websites. If anyone sees that there are other clubs that are not represented in this email please forward a copy to them or send me their contact info and I can pass it along.
Thanks,
Dave VE6GAD
73 de VE6LK/AI7LK
..Vince
city-of-calgary-protocols-concerning-amateur-towers-1
Picnic prizes
Jun 20th
Congratulations to Brad VA6BMK, winner of the $500 raffle draw and Brian VE6CKC winner of the $200 raffle draw at the 46th Annual Red Deer Picnic June 19, 2016.
![20160620_113423[1]](http://www.caarc.ca/wp-caarc/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/20160620_1134231.jpg)
![20160620_113408[1]](http://www.caarc.ca/wp-caarc/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/20160620_1134081-1.jpg)
Pictured here (right) John VA6SJA receives from Garry VE6CIA the Yaesu FTM 3200DR and the Celestron weather station draw prizes donated by Radio World Central which he won from the main draw and the Canwarn training draw.
Other prize winners include: Eric VE6HFF winner of an FTM 3100R donated by CAARC, Darren VA6WNG winner of an FTM 3100R donated by VE6HPY and VE6CIA, Rick VE6RAK winner of a Sangean Weather Alert Radio donated by Radio World Central, Pericles VA6PTA winner of the Raspberry PI2 donated by KoHen, and many others too numerous to mention.
Some of the ladies: Sheila (xyl of VE6HFF), Linda (xyl of VE6DE) and Brenda (xyl of VE6BLL) won the 2 beautiful hooked wall art and knitted blanket created and donated by Sylvia VE6SYL.
Special thanks go out to Greg VA6GMC and Karen VE6LDY for the super tasty pig and all the hard work that comes with preparing, cooking and presenting the wonderful pork that was on our plates. Also thanks to all the other donors of the wonderful food at the pot luck.
Chalk up another successful Ham Radio Pignic thanks to all of you that participated and made it all worth while.
Canwarn Training
Mar 24th
CANWARN, acronym for CANadian Weather Amateur Radio Network
Please note that CANWARN is not about storm chasing, it is about putting trained eyes at the local level to confirm what is happening under severe weather and communicating that information to the Meteorological Service of Canada.Here’s how CANWARN works in Central Alberta. When the regional weather forecast office (for the prairies this is the Prairie Storm Prediction Centre in Winnipeg, MB) would like to get ground observations of potentially severe thunderstorms they telephone the CANWARN person whom they have listed as the call-out person for the area of interest. In Central Alberta this will be the same people that are listed as ARES emergency coordinators. All Central Alberta and Olds ARES EC’s are trained CANWARN network controllers. The mechanics of how the net operates, local hams are notified and how their weather reports are forwarded to the forecast office are up to the CANWARN net controller. CANWARN Net Control may relay the observations or may elect to use a phone to put the forecasters and amateur observer in direct contact.Typically, the person contacted by the Meteorological Service of Canada notifies the affected-area CANWARN hams who then radio their weather reports to their CANWARN Net Control Net. Net control then forwards the weather observations to the weather forecast office on a dedicated 1-800 phone number. As the storm moves along, reports would hopefully still come in from either stationary or mobile spotters allowing weather forecasters to continually compare the Carvel and Strathmore Doppler radar to what is being observed at ground level (below the radar horizon) and adjust their weather forecasts, Watches and Warnings accordingly.
Work Online At Your Own Pace, Basic HAM Radio, Training Course
Mar 7th
Work Online At Your Own Pace, Basic Amateur Radio, Training Course.
Click here http://www.clares.ca/self/index.html
2016 Amateur Radio Course
Dec 30th
What: Instruction and Industry Canada authorized exam for obtaining a Basic Amateur Radio Operator Certificate
When: Saturday March 5 and Saturday March 12, 2016 09:00-16:30
Where: LDS Church 3002 47 Ave, Red Deer (Across from Sunnybrook Farm)
How: Preregister by sending $20 to Garry Jacobs VE6CIA 45 Selkirk Blvd. Red Deer, AB T4N 0G4 or etransfer to ve6cia@gmail.com before Feb. 27, 2016
Refundable up to Feb. 27 if you can’t make it.
Seating is limited so register early to avoid disappointment.
Preclass information available:
http://www.eham.net/newham/
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/insmt-gst.nsf/en/h_sf06073e.html
http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/h_sf05378.html
https://www.rac.ca/en/amateur-radio/beginner-info/getting-started.php
Questions contact: Garry VE6CIA 403-343-1930 or ve6cia@gmail.com
ATTENTION: All March 15 & 22, 2014 Basic Class students
Mar 8th
RAC Bulletin 2014-008E – Industry Canada rolls out New Amateur Radio Exam Generator and Updated Question Bank
2014-03-06
Today, March 6th, Industry Canada released a new set of amateur radio exam questions based on recommendations made by RAC and launched a new exam generator.
“This is good news that we were eagerly anticipating.”“ says Geoff Bawden, VE4BAW, President of RAC. “We were pleased to work with IC on this issue of significant importance to amateur radio operators and RAC will continue to work with Industry Canada to provide Canadian radio amateurs with the best possible circumstances to pursue their hobby.”
The new exam generator can be accessed at the following URL:http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/025.nsf/eng/h_00040.html
Why me!!! Couldn’t this have happened 3 months ago?