Single-sideband, repeaters, packet radio, and microprocessor technology all took radio to new levels. Now D-STAR’s protocols are opening up new possibilities for casual users, system builders, group leaders, and good, old ham radio experimentation. Just as highspeed digital networks led to brand-new ways to communicate, D-STAR brings digital systems to the amateur bands to create entirely new radio systems and services. More infromation on what it is, features, glossary and tech specs from the D-STAR Site
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From The Editor of The TRI - BANDER Ray King, VE3GRK
As submitted and told by Ralph Barnes, VE3PBR
( Ralph VE3PBR is now a silent key but we thought it would be nice to share some of his stories with you.)
Now think back to December the 25th 2001. What were you doing (?). You could have been un-wrapping that Yaesu FT817 that your YL got you for Christmas (dream on!).
Well Ralph, VE3PBR spent a very different Christmas day. Ralph was listening out for his friend Herman, VE3LX from Thunder Bay , on 20m. At approx. 2200Z on 14147MHz he intercepted two stations, VE9MM and VK6VU, attempting to communicate with a maritime mobile station who was acting as a relay station for a French vessel, a 46’ catamaran bearing the name ‘Tian’, heading for the Island of Martinique in the Atlantic Ocean under good sea and weather conditions.
On board were five occupants including a 27 year old woman, Maya Bouchet. On Dec 24th, Maya who was a few weeks pregnant at the time suffered a miscarriage and had lost approx. 2 litres of blood. She was in a distressed state and the crew was seeking medical advice via their marine VHF equipment.
The Tian’s call for help was heard by a Vancouver registered vessel the ‘Harmony II’, which was 15 nautical miles away. The Captain, Peter Paget, VE0MPB was on route to the Panama Canal returning to BC after a 3 year trip of the south seas in and around New Zealand.
Peter kept in contact with the Tian via marine VHF and put out a call for medical assistance via HF on the US Bands for assistance but to no avail, so he then moved down to the Canadian portion and was heard by the aforementioned VE9MM and VK6VU.
However they passed on the responsibility of handling the QSO to Ralph as he was capable of receiving and being heard very well by Peter.
At 2225Z - Peter advised the crew of the Tian to monitor the HF frequency that he was using which had been moved to 14144MHz due to QRM.
In the meantime Ralph attempted to find (on Christmas Day!) some form of medical advice by contacting first ‘911’ who advised him to call ‘Ontario Triage’ (1-866-397-0000). They said they could not give advice to third parties relying to a ‘victim’ - the victim had to call them. He was then referred to ‘ Kingston General Hospital ’ (613-548-3232) who passed the buck on to ‘Trenton Coastguard Search & Rescue’ (1-800-965-7262). The Duty Officer advised Ralph to contact a ham - Herb Hilgenberg, VE3LML (also VP9LM in Bermuda) from Burlington (905-681-7114). At last some real help was forthcoming - well it has to be if a ham gets involved!
Now Herb is well known for many years amongst the Maritime community as a provider of valuable weather information and as a contact on the marine band at 12359MHz handling and passing messages (he has a licence to operate the maritime bands). Herb told Ralph to get in touch with a Dr. Ernie Meyer, VE3EGM (905-274-5389) who has given emergency medical advice on air via the Mississauga Maritime Mobile Net on 14312MHz, however he was unavailable. Herb then called on Don, VE3HGN.
At 2315Z - Don, VE3HGN contacted, via 80m, Dr. George Neeson, VE3BDM from Brockville who came to 14144MHz and suggested patient care to Peter, VE0MPB on board the Harmony II - That advice was “to rest, keep warm, take lots and lots of fluids with salt and/or sugar”. The patient it would appear started to recover from the shock/panic and calmed down as a result of monitoring the attempts being made on her behalf and reassurance from Dr. George Neeson, VE3BDM.
At 2330Z - Herb called Ralph to advise that he had made contact with Peter VE0MPB and that he was taking over. At which point Ralph dropped out.
Finally, The US Coast Guard in San Juan , Puerto Rico were called to be at the ready when the Tian called in.
At 0200Z Dec 26 - Canadian Coast Guard Trenton, Duty Officer Dana Watling phoned Ralph to check on the progress and thanked him and The Canadian Amateurs for the fine service that they provided.
Someone at CHUC FM got hold of this story as it was heard by Burton VE3KFF amongst others and soon Ralph could not keep his Christmas Day activities quiet!
I had the opportunity to speak to Herb on the phone whilst visiting Ralph to get this story.
I asked Herb what procedures one should follow in a case like this and he suggested that you call the coast guard or get in touch with him. He had nothing but praise for Ralph’s efforts - well done Ralph and to all the other Canadian hams mentioned here - what a great team!
Thanks for a great Christmas Day story - 73’s Ray King, VE3GRK.
( Feb.23/07)
by Eric Olsen VE3GGO The Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (RCCS) were instrumental in training hundreds of wireless personnel across Canada in WW2. They provided important communications in several theatres of war. Without proper communications you do not win battles.
This story is about one of their Signallers or Signalmen, a young 19 year old from the Montreal area name Bob McGee. Bob was posted with RCCS to Germany after the war with the peace keeping forces. When a bit of leave came along, he rented a car and took off to fulfill a dream visiting Switzerland and the mighty Alps.
Regretably there was a car crash and this young fellow was seriously injured with a severed spine. Many long stays in hospitals in Europe ensued and eventually he was returned to Canada and admitted to a long term care facility in Sherbrooke, QC just south of Montreal.
The local RCCS rallied around and installed a complete amateur radio station with exterior "hard wires" so as to avoid interfering with the hospital's electrical systems into Bob's room where he was confined to bed. They then aided him in obtaining his amateur license and he was issued the call VE2DNH ( darned nice hobby ) is what Bob smilingly says.
Now several years have gone by.. he is now 61.. and he has enjoyed several thousand thrilling contacts on the air in this marvellous hobby even though he has little use of his arms and legs and requires daily shots of morphine for pain.
I hooked up with Bob one evening a few years ago on the Sandbox Net, 7063.5, 6.30-8.30 p.m. daily 365 days a year.When he briefly told us the above story, I asked him if he might have fun seeking VEs across Canada for the CANADIAN PROVINCES AWARD also known as Candians Talking to Canadians. When he said an enthusiastic "sure ", I mailed him an information package as our club has done to over a thousand VEs from coast to coast to coast. His only problem would be logging the contacts, but he said he would record them on a tape recorder and mail in the tape for attestation. A couple of years go by and I meet Bob again on the SANDBOX NET. In answer to my enquiry, he regrets that it was a difficult task recording these QSOs even though he was remaining active on the air. My reply was what an Canadian ham would say; " Forget the tape recording. We know you have made more than enough VE contacts to earn the 300 points necessary for the GOLD Award. " Therefore, the club computer under the expert guidance of Larry VE3LGH and his lovely BMW (beautiful married woman .... better than XYL? ) Vicky, punched out the GOLD Award on their computer beautifully inscribed with this tribute: "Let it be known Bob McGee, VE2DNH is being honoured by his peers in the Canadian amateur radio fraternity for an excellent operating endeavour, contacting by radio several amateur radio stations in various Canadian provinces earning 300 points. "
We are proud to have Bob as a member of this coast to coast Canadian fraternity.
Heritage Amateur Radio Club Cobourg/Port Hope On.
Awards Chairman Eric Olsen VE3GGO
( Feb.3/07)
Effective November 10, 2006 TCA's email address has been changed to "tcamag@yahoo.ca". If you have sent messages to TCA within the past few weeks and have not received a response, please resend your messages.(Jan.10/07)
U.S. sailor rescued after three days adrift
January 7, 2007
Santiago, Chile — An American sailor was rescued early Friday after three days adrift on a disabled yacht in treacherous seas off the southern tip of South America, the Chilean navy said. Ken Barnes, 47, was picked up shortly before 6 a.m. EST by the Chilean trawler Polar Pesca 1, the navy's Operations Department reported in Punta Arenas, on Chile's southwestern tip. An officer who asked not to be identified in line with the department's rules said by telephone that Mr. Barnes was in good condition.
A navy plane guided the trawler to the disabled yacht, using a flare fired by Mr. Barnes as its beacon. At first the pilots only saw the flare. Then they spotted sailor wearing a yellow jacket and waving to the plane. The trawler sent four men on an inflatable boat to pick up the sailor.
“Once on board the trawler, he contacted us by radio,” said plane pilot Captain Cesar Delgado. “He said he was well, except for a minor cut in his right thigh. And he repeatedly thanked the help of the Chilean navy.”
The navy officer said Mr. Barnes would be taken to Punta Arenas, a trip that could last up to two days, depending on the weather. The fishing vessel had a paramedic team, food and fresh clothing on board.
Mr. Barnes' mother, June Dee Linn, broke into tears of relief on learning he had been rescued. “I'm just picturing him on the ship and being grateful that he's been picked up,” she said. She spoke from Mr. Barnes' condo in Newport, Calif., where his relatives had gathered to await word on his fate. Among them was Mr. Barnes' sister Teri Ashurst, who said she was “feeling great.” “I was very fearful of this trip, but I was very supportive of his quest. It's his dream, not mine,” she said.
Another sister, Beverly Smith, said she was thrilled and elated that he would be coming home.
Mr. Barnes left Long Beach, Calif., on Oct. 28 in the Privateer, a 44-foot ketch. He hoped to be the first solo sailor from the West Coast to circumnavigate the globe. But about a week ago he ran into a fierce storm that broke both the vessel's masts and its hatches, disabled the steering and soaked Mr. Barnes' supplies and food. The U.S. Coast Guard and Chilean maritime officials picked up signals from his distress beacon Tuesday afternoon, just minutes after Mr. Barnes called his girlfriend on his satellite phone to report he was in trouble.
A Chilean navy search plane spotted Mr. Barnes about 800 kilometres off the Chilean coast around 5 p.m. Wednesday and dropped a life raft that missed the boat, said Mr. Barnes' long-time girlfriend, Cathy Chambers. The trawler, at the time about 480 kilometres away, was dispatched to the scene as two Chilean planes hovered over the boat to keep it in sight. During the ordeal Mr. Barnes wore a survival suit to keep him warm and survived on Pop Tarts and granola bars, Ms. Chambers said. She said he has a gash in his leg.
Ms. Chambers said a Chilean and an American HAM radio operator in Riverside, Calif., had been instrumental in co-ordinating the rescue with the commercial fishing vessel. The operator, Michael Morales, contacted HAM operators in Chile, who talked to the fishing vessel, she said.
The FCC has eleminated Morse for Amateurs in the USA...(Dec15) ...Click on the information here... Solar Storms Most Ham Radio operators are well aware of the effects of solar storms have on radio conditions. NASA plans for next Wednesday ( Oct 25 ) a launch of two satellites to give earthlings a 3D early warning system for violent solar storms. When the storms are unleased across the surface of the sun, enormous amounts of energy and strong magnetic fields are flung into space. These events can damage space satellites and occasionally power networks on earth. It is hoped that the satellites will predict the strength and direction of solar storms about two and a half days before they occur..( Oct.18 )
( From RAC ) PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE sent in by Jamie VE3RSJ Amateur Radio in Canada and elsewhere is changing and to survive we must be sure to change with it. Britain, Gibraltar and Australia have already taken the dramatic step of introducing a new entry level license with considerable success. Should Canada consider moving in a similar direction? Check out the RAC page for more information...CLICK HERE...(Oct28)
Joint Canadian-American Amateur Radio Emergency Communication Event
sent in by Jamie VE3RSJ A special events station will be set up at a date to be determined in early March 2007 to demonstrate co-operation between Canadian and American Ham Radio Operators for emergency communications preparedness.
This will be the first time such an official activity like this has been conducted and Hams from all across the US and Canada are urged to participate. It will feature virtually all transmission modes and operated over a two day weekend with the exact date to be determined shortly.
This will be a joint effort between RAC (Radio Amateurs of Canada) and the ARRL (American Radio Relay League).
The site chosen is the historic Marconi Memorial station on Signal Hill, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, the site of the reception of the first trans-Atlantic wireless transmission in 1901.
Upcoming issues of QST (ARRL) and TCA (RAC) will contain details on the event as well as how to obtain participation certificates....(Oct29/06).Emergencies ! It is important to understand how well Ham Radio has become in times of disasters.
With weather conditions changing rapidly around the world Ham radio has become the only means at times of getting news out of remote areas.
In the past locally with severe storms and local emergenies it is important that ham radio has still a place to help in the all important task of supplying communications.
