RAC Bulletin 2015-03-21

RAC Ontario Sections Bulletin for March 21, 2015

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

NATIONAL NEWS

PROVINCIAL NEWS

1. 18TH Annual Iroquois FleaMarket

Sponsor: Iroquois Amateur Radio Club
Date: Saturday, April 4, 2015
Times: Vendors 8AM, Public 9AM
Cost: Tables $10. Admission Free
Location: 1 Dundas Street, Iroquois Ontario, Take Exit 738 on 401
Talk-in frequency: 145.29 (-)

For Table rental contact Mike at va3tufham at aol.com -or- Don va3nc at
rac.ca.
For more info: Don, va3nc at rac.ca

2. Ontario QSO Party on April 18th and 19th

Here is a good chance to test your NVIS antenna or portable operation to
see if you have Province wide coverage.
The 18th running of the OQP is coming up in about a month. This is a
"low stress" SSB/CW operating event.
The exchange is signal report and location - one of Ontario's 58
multipliers (single tier municipality, county or district).
Full details are available at http://www.va3cco.com/oqp/index.htm
We would like to have stations "on the air" in all of Ontario's 58
multiplier areas.
If you plan to operate, please send your info to oqp at va3cco.com

OTHER NEWS

3. SOLAR ACTIVITY: FIRST X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE OF 2015 CAUSES SHORT HF
RADIO BLACKOUT

According to Space.com, the X-class flare, which is the strongest
category possible, peaked at 16:22 GMT Wednesday
March 11th, from a sunspot known as Active Region 12297. It registered
as an X 2.2 sun storm on the scale.

Active Region 12297 had previously fired off a number of medium-strength
flares over the preceding few days. The
event on March 11th caused at least an hour-long blackout in
high-frequency radio communications over wide areas.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured stunning video of this
X-class solar flare as it erupted. More details
including links to the space.com video and photos are on our Facebook
page at www.facebook.com/groups/ARNewsline

(space.com, ARNewsline)

4 HAM RADIO NEAR SPACE: HABEX-10 TO LAUNCH APRIL 25

The HABEX-10 Mission is scheduled for launch on Saturday April 25th.
HABEX is the acronym for High Altitude Balloon
Experiment. This flight is part of the Global Space Balloon Challenge
for 2015. More information about HABEX and its
ties to amateur radio can be found on the web at www.habex.za.net

(South African Radio League)

5. How cops are finding "grow ops" with AM radios

The original article was posted by Keith Graves on his blog
(www.PoliceOne.com).
Graves is a police sergeant in the San Francisco area and he describes
how police are starting to use AM radios
in their vehicles to locate illegal indoor marijuana farms by listening
for RFI caused by poorly designed electronic
ballasts for high intensity lighting equipment. The full article is is
available at www.policeone.com

This concludes this week's bulletin. Does anyone require repeats or
clarifications?

Hearing none, This is V__3____ returning the frequency to net control.