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Jamboree-on-the-Air is on October 20 – 22, 2023

The following was received by the ARRL

 

Special Bulletin 14  ARLX014
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  October 16, 2023
To all radio amateurs

SB SPCL ARL ARLX014
ARLX014 Jamboree-on-the-Air is on October 20 – 22, 2023

Jamboree-on-the-Air (JOTA), the largest Scouting event in the world, takes place on the third weekend of October (10/20 – 10/22).

This annual global operating event allows Scouts to use amateur
radio to connect with hams around the world. The event is supported by many local amateur radio clubs and individual operators. JOTA starts Friday and ends Sunday, but there are no official hours of operation, so you have the whole weekend to make JOTA contacts.

Here are the event rules:

* All radio operators must operate their stations strictly in
accordance with FCC regulations.

* Stations should try to contact each other by calling “CQ Jamboree”
or “CQ JOTA,” or by answering other stations sending this call.

* Any authorized amateur radio frequency may be used. It’s suggested that the Scout frequencies be used, at least for a starting point. Remember that your radio has a dial and to move away from active nets and contesters.

* Any amateur mode of operation can be used, such as CW, SSB, PSK,
SSTV, FM, and satellite. The more modes in operation, the more
exciting the event will be for the Scouts.

JOTA is not a contest. The idea is to contact other Scout stations
and allow as many Scouts as possible to talk to other Scouts and
learn about who they are and what they are doing. You might think
about counting the Scouts on both sides of the QSO rather than the
number of QSOs!

Scout Camps on the Air is still being developed, but ensure you log
your contacts for inclusion in this special program once submissions
are tracked.  The SCOTA website is, https://scota.us/ .

More information about JOTA may be found on the Scouting website at,
https://www.scouting.org/international/jota-joti/jota/ .
NNNN
/EX

2023 BC SHAKEOUT EXERCISE 19 OCT 2023

The annual BC Shakeout Exercise will be held on Oct 19th 2023. At this point in time only six radio groups in the Province have registered. We can do better.  Sign up and participate. An excellent way to enhance public  relations and radio team efficiency.

 

Go to           shakeoutbc.ca

 

CANADIAN NATIONAL HF EMERGENCY FREQUENCIES OCT 2023

National HF Emergency Communications Frequencies

The following frequencies and modes have been pre-determined for suggested use of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service during a declared emergency, or a disaster declared or otherwise, occurring anywhere in Canada. These frequencies have been registered with the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) for its listings of Canadian national emergency frequencies in IARU Region 2.

These are suggested frequencies and should not be construed as meaning that other HF frequencies may not be considered for Emcomm operations.

No Amateur Radio operator or group has exclusive ownership of any particular frequency on any band and, while common sense and courtesy logically would dictate that other Radio Amateurs should keep clear of frequencies being used for emergency or disaster operations, the affected ARES Net Control Station (NCS) must be prepared to move up or down from the pre-determined frequency, as required, in order to conduct operations. Entering into an on-air argument must be avoided.

Single Sideband CW Digital
Band Frequency Tactical Frequency Tactical Frequency Tactical
80 M 3.675 MHz LSB Alfa 3.535 MHz Golf 3.596 MHz Mike
40 M 7.135 MHz LSB Bravo 7.035 MHz Hotel 7.096 MHz November
20 M 14.135 MHz USB Charlie 14.035 MHz India 14.096 MHz Oscar
17 M 18.135 MHz USB Delta 18.075 MHz Juliet 18.096 MHz Papa
15 M 21.235 MHz USB Echo 21.035 MHz Kilo 21.096 MHz Quebec
10 M 28.235 MHz USB Foxtrot 28.035 MHz Lima 28.096 MHz Romeo

 

The frequencies may also be used during a local ARES exercise or for RAC/ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET) operations held annually each Fall, provided such operations do not interfere with those of higher priority.

Each frequency has been given a tactical designation to facilitate quick change to another pre-determined frequency and/or mode by simply indicating the designation. Use of the tactical designations, while optional, is encouraged.

In all cases, these frequencies must be considered as being “plus or minus” to allow for QRM or other conditions impeding useful communications.

 

Ref:  National HF Emergency Communications Frequencies – Radio Amateurs of Canada (rac.ca)

CECA AGM OCT 26 2023

The Annual General Meeting of the Coast Emergency Communications Association will be held at 1900 hrs October 26 2023 at the #1 Fire Hall of Nanaimo Fire Rescue in Nanaimo B.C. Access to the building is controlled.  If you would like to attend the meeting please use the contact us page on this website.

 

Cybersecurity Update: Phishing attempt being sent to RAC emails

Cybersecurity Update: Phishing attempt being sent to RAC emails

RAC Bulletin September  27, 2023:

There have been several recent reports from RAC members of phishing attempts by someone purporting to be from Radio Amateurs of Canada.

Microsoft: “Phishing attacks come from scammers disguised as trustworthy sources and can facilitate access to all types of sensitive data. As technologies evolve, so do cyberattacks.”

Phishing attempts use publicly available information to fake legitimacy. In some cases they use the names and contact information of RAC officials to gain your trust. For example, today’s phishing attempt falsely states that it originates from “Phil A McBride” and this is not the case. It also uses the fake heading “Radio Amateurs of Canada Closing Special Report ’23” to encourage users to open the document by clicking on a link. Please do not!

RAC’s Cybersecurity Efforts

To date, there have been no direct successful attacks on the RAC computer system. Unfortunately attempts to defraud people through email messages and phone calls are a part of the world we live in today.

We will continue to take measures to ensure that our computer system is as safe as possible and that our members are provided with information.

Radio Amateurs of Canada is continuing to increase our cybersecurity. We do not keep any financial information and only widely available personal information (such as name, call sign and dates relating to current membership) is available in our system so our risks are considerably less than compared to commercial systems.

Note: Radio Amateurs of Canada collects personally identifiable information about you when you voluntarily provide it. When you apply for membership and subscription services, or provide your personal contact information for publication or product orders, every effort will be made to ensure that the information provided will be securely maintained. For more information please see our Privacy Policy and our Cybersecurity webpage.

Tips on Avoiding Email Scams

Here are a few tips on how to avoid email scams:

1) Filter spam.

2) Don’t trust unsolicited email.

3) Treat email attachments with caution.

4) Don’t click links in email messages unless you are confident you know who the sender is.

5) Install antivirus software and keep it up to date.

6) Install a personal firewall and keep it up to date.

7) Configure your email client for security.

In closing, any email claiming to have your @myrac.ca address and password is a scam and should be deleted.

Radio Amateurs of Canada will never ask people to download files from a third-party site in their email communication.

Always check to see if the sender of a suspicious email has an @rac.ca email address as all RAC officials use @rac.

If you are concerned or suspicious always contact the RAC office before opening any files in an email message that appears to come from RAC.

Thank you for continuing to notify us about cybersecurity threats!

Alan Griffin
RAC MarCom Director

Ham Radio and Disasters

The site below has an interesting article.  Climate change is a topic all unto itself and at this point it is still under discussion. The take away from this article is once again we have to learn the hard way.

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/cimate-change-telecommunications-ham-radio-help-1.6884108