April 14, 2020 – Hello fellow WARA members, I hope everyone is doing OK during these new and unsettling times. I am hearing some new call signs on the WARA repeater systems. Welcome to all the newly minted operators.
During this time of Social Isolation, we all have some time to use our radios. For the newer operators, using your radios is the best ways to overcome mic fright.
NETS: For the VHF/UHF crowd, there are some local nets you can connect to.
- WARA runs our club net every Monday on our VE7VIC repeater network, 146.840 MHz with 100 Hz tone.
- There is a very active morning net on the Island Trunk network, run by CVARS, the Cowichan Valley Amateur Radio Society. The net covers the Vancocuver Island and over to the lower mainland. The closest repeater is on Mt. Brenton north of Duncan. Some of us can’t hit it but give it a try on 146.680 MHz with a 141.3 Hz tone. There is also a Monday night social net on that system.
- The Victoria New Horizons Amateur Radio Club holds a morning net EVERY morning on 146.980 MHz with a 103.5 Hz tone.
For the HF operators, there are a number of nets, search the web. Check out The BC Public Service Net which runs every day at 01:30Z on 3729 kHz.
Radio Amateurs of Canada (www.rac.ca) has announced two special events.
The first Special Event VC2STAYHOM is now active, April 6 to May6. Please see the webpage at https://www.rac.ca/special-event-vc2stayhom-now-active/
The second event is GOTA “Get on the Air on World Amateur Radio Day” Saturday, April 18, 2020. https://www.rac.ca/get-on-the-air-on-world-amateur-radio-day-event/
MORSE CODE: This may be the time for you to learn Morse code, or explore the world FT8 and various other digital modes. There are a lot of things to learn in the world of Amateur Radio. For Morse Code, some useful information was developed by our fellow member, Larry Gagnon VE7EA, look at www.ve7vic.ca/morse-code-course-wara/
As always, follow the advice of the Federal and Provincial governments, Stay home, wash your hands frequently, and practice social distancing. For us radio operators that is 146.000 MHz (2 metres!! Get it??)
Bet wishes to eveyone, Brent Besse VA7BNB