Category Archives: News

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Sunspots, CMEs and HF

27 Aug

If the prognosticators for increasing numbers of sunspots and the ramp up of the new sunspot cycle are correct, then those radio amateurs who enjoy HF will be dusting off their rigs, keys and microphones in anticipation of good DX.

Here’s a link to the Sunspot Index and Long-term Solar Observations which gives us a taste of what’s to come for sunspot numbers. Today’s numbers can be found at Space Weather Live.

There’s always a possible fly in the sunspot ointment and they’re called Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) which can disrupt communications. A nice CME was observed on Tuesday August 4th. Check out this GIF.

Lancaster Bomber project in Sidney – parts needed

3 Aug

The British Columbia Aviation Museum (BCAM) at the Victoria International Airport is in the process of restoring a Canadian built Lancaster Mk.X Bomber, eventually to return the airframe to certified flying status. The airframe, serial FM104, was on unprotected display on the Toronto waterfront for many years, resulting in the loss of all equipment on the inside of the aircraft fuselage. The aircraft will be restored as a post-war Search & Rescue variant which had been converted from the Maritime Reconnaissance role.

The artifacts the project is looking for (which radio amateurs might help find) include transmitters, receivers, power supplies / dynamotors, antennas, interphone station boxes, mounts for any of this equipment and also cabling and connectors.

This link will take you to a well-researched website that describes in detail these various electronic systems incorporated into a post-war RCAF Lancaster. BCAM would be interested in hearing from you if you have any of the components of these systems that you would be willing to donate to the museum.

For donations or questions, please contact restorer Paul MacNeill at paulmn@shaw.ca