Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) is pleased again to announce that in 2015 we will be offering scholarships to young Amateurs who are enrolled at the post secondary level in Electrical, Electronic and Software engineering. Students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs will be considered on a case by case basis. You must be an Amateur and the deadline for applications is July 31, 2015.

In 2014 RAC gave Continue reading RAC ANNOUNCES SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. →

June 9th 2015, the BC Government has asked users, both private and commercial to reduce water consumption by 20 % in view of the drought conditions. To see the story go to

http://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/conservation-urged-as-level-3-drought-conditions-hit-vancouver-island-haida-gwaii-1.2413903

We have officially cut over to our Word Press based Radio Amateurs of Canada website. This site can be accessed via wp.rac.ca or www.rac.ca. The old site will no longer be available.

Please ensure you  login in with your call sign and password (Associate Members use their membership number). There is an option to reset your password below the login screen. The math question is a security requirement to ensure human input and not a robot  program trying to hack your password.

We are still moving content over from the old site as required. If there is a particular article from the old site that you cannot locate please email the webmaster and we will endeavour to port that content over to the new site.

In the coming weeks we will be changing the URL to www.rac.ca and launching further enhancements to the site.

Paul Burggraaf VO1PRB

RAC Chief Information and Technology Officer

With the recent severe weather in Ontario some folks have started to realize the value of amateur radio. Here is some positive press with even a mention of BC

http://www.thewhig.com/2015/05/25/communications-is-amateur-radio-groups-specialty

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) published proposed changes to the US HF band plan for comment in the April edition of QST. Being proactive, the RAC Band Planning Committee reviewed their proposals for potential impacts on Canadian Amateurs.

Most of the proposed ARRL changes increase the sub-bands allocated to digital operations by extending the existing frequency limits upwards into band segments usually used for phone communications outside the US. While the RAC Band Planning Committee understands and supports the ARRL’s goal to provide additional space to accommodate the growth in digital modes, the proposed changes will have unintended consequences. As Canadian phone operations in the 80m and 40m bands take place primarily below the current US phone sub-bands to minimize mutual interference, the effect of the proposed changes would be to reduce the space available to Canadian Amateurs. On 40m and 20m, the proposed changes would also negatively impact DX phone operations throughout the Americas, and the rest of the world.

RAC has formally communicated our concerns to ARRL with the request that they include these concerns in their consideration of any changes to the US sub-bands.

George Gorsline, VE3YV
RAC International Affairs Officer

The mailing address will not change as the office is relocating down the hallway within the same building.

The National Hurricane Centre has announced they will conduct their annual test on May 30th 2015.  To get all the information go to

http://www.arrl.org/news/wx4nhc-at-national-hurricane-center-to-conduct-annual-station-test-on-may-30

Fires in Alberta have resulted in the activation of Emergency Management Alberta and the subsequent activation of amateur radio assets.  RAC requests that Canadian and US amateurs honour the request of Alberta ARES that priority be given to Alberta amateurs on 14.135, 7.135 and 3.675 in their support of the Alberta government during the emergency.

Bill Boskwick, VE4BOZ

RAC Chief Field Services Officer

ve4boz@rac.ca

Next week the ARRL will release two separate manuals, one NTS and one ARES. Here is the release from the ARRL

The week following Dayton Hamvention will see the release of the new and updated ARES Manual. The ARES Manual and NTS Manual have together long been part of a single publication, The Public Service Communications Manual. The two manuals will now be separate publications. NTS leadership is currently reviewing and preparing to update the NTS Manual.

The new ARES Manual includes several new additions – inclusion of ICS forms 213, 205, and 214 for ARES use; an expanded discussion on training resources; clarification on the role and purpose of RACES; and copies of all current ARRL MOUs. The update is the first in over two decades and was a collaborative effort of field organization leaders, federal partners, and ARRL staff. The new manual will be made available online as a downloadable PDF.