RAC Bulletin 2015-03-07

RAC Ontario Sections Bulletin for March 7, 2015

This is V_3___, Offical Bulletin Station for Radio Amateurs of Canada, with this week's bulletin.

CANADIAN NEWS

ONTARIO NEWS

1.  Hamex 2015 is on Saturday March 28 - mark your calendars.

Sponsored by:  Peel Amateur Radio Club & Mississauga Amateur Radio Club  
It will be at the Brampton Fairgrounds, 12942 Heart Lake Road, Caledon, Ontario   L7C 2J3  

Times:  Vendors 7:00 am, Exhibits & Demonstrations: 8:00 am, Flea Market: 9:00 am to 1:00 pm 
Cost:  $7.00 
Talk-in frequency:  VE3PRC 146.880 (no tone) or VE3MIS 415.430 (103.5 Hz tone)  
For more info:  www.ham-ex.ca

OTHER NEWS

2.  HAM RADIO RESPONDS AS TWO CYCLONES HIT AUSTRALIA
Amateur Radio volunteers with Australia's Central Queensland Amateur Radio Association 
called up emergency response nets on both the High Frequency and VHF bands in the wake 
of category 5 cyclone Marcia that came ashore the weekend of February 20th; 
generating winds of nearly 150 miles per hour.
After making landfall, Marcia left 1,500 homes damaged across Queensland state while 
downing trees and power lines.  Upward of 50,000 residents were without electrical 
power and the cyclone also interrupted normal communications including telephone 
and wireless mobile service.  

full report at www.arnewsline.org

3.  NOMINATING PERIOD OPEN FOR 2015 YOUNG HAM OF THE YEAR AWARD

Amateur Radio Newsline is seeking nominations for its 2015 Young Ham of the Year Award.
A nominee must be 19 years or younger, reside in the US or Canada, hold a valid Amateur
License and have used amateur radio in some way that has benefited his or her community 
or encouraged technological development directly or indirectly related to communications.  
The deadline for submitting an application is May 30th 2015.

For more info, or to download an application form see:  www.arnewsline.org/yhoty/

4.  VOA RADIOGRAM HAS BROADCAST ITS 100TH PROGRAM

VOA Radiogram is an experimental Voice of America program on which digital text modes familiar
to amateur radio are transmitted on a 50-year-old analog AM shortwave broadcast transmitter 
in North Carolina. The half-hour show is on the air four times each weekend.
In the first weeks, digital modes were tested side by side, using the various flavors of 
BPSK, QPSK, MT63, Olivia, and Thor. Reports were received from shortwave listeners 
and amateurs throughout Europe, North and Latin America, Asia, and New Zealand.

MFSK32 worked best on the shortwave broadcast transmitter. It provided the best combination
of speed - 120 words per minute and performance under typical shortwave reception conditions.
Furthermore, it can transmit images as well as text. 
It is also received on any radio, including cheap portables with no sideband capability.

The results show that digital text via analog transmitter often results in 100 percent copy
even in conditions where voice broadcasts are difficult to understand.

For more information, visit the website voaradiogram.net. 

This concludes this week's bulletin. Does anyone require repeats or clarifications?
Hearing none, This is V__3____ returning the frequency to net control.