NEW MEMBERS
and RENEWALS WELCOME - - PLEASE RENEW or JOIN US NOW for 2020-21 !
***The club year runs from September to August. Dues are due in SEPTEMBER every year.
TO JOIN US:
Simply send a cheque or money order to our mailing address above, along with your callsign and contact info.
Dues are only $20 per year for full membership (licensed amateur)
or associate membership (individual interested in amateur radio) plus $10 for
NSARA membership for a total of $30 annually. Support the fine work that SARC and the NSARA does for YOU!
Congratulations to Enos, VE1YR, on his 55th anniversary in amateur radio !
...also congratulations to Mike MacDonald, VE1ASE, for being our newest member !
August 10, 2019.
(Enos is 2nd from left, and Mike is 2nd from right.)
Mark, VE3PZR gave a very comprehensive demonstration of DMR, hotspots and how to obtain equipment - Saturday, September 1, 2018.
VE1GV photo
Jim, VE1PPA visited with SARC members - Saturday, July 28, 2018.
GREAT NEWS ! Saturday, March 24, 2018 - Brian, VE1MBT, scored 90% on his Advanced Amateur qualification.
Brian is congratulated by club president, George, VE1GV, with Stuart, VE1AJ and Robert/Bob, VA1RM/VA1BOB.
"No person shall, except under and in accordance with a radio authorization, install, operate or possess radio apparatus"...
In other words, if you don't have at least your Basic qualification, you should not even have amateur transmitting equipment in your possession !
Bill (VE1DM) with Electro Voice model 731 - June 11, 2016. Bill is admired and respected for his innumerable
contributions to amateur radio and SARC in particular, and is our most beloved member. He is known for his warmth
and caring for others! We salute you, Bill!
VE1GV photo
Here is Frank, VE1FEK, in the bucket attaching balun to our Yagi at Marconi Centre - July 11, 2018. Thanks Frank !
Please come visit us on Saturday Mornings at the club at
11 St. Bridget Street, Sydney, Nova Scotia. ...from 10 AM until 1 PM or so...
SEPTEMBER MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL (2020 - 2021) TIME IS HERE!
Dues are only $20 per year for full membership (licensed amateur)
or associate membership (individual interested in amateur radio) plus $10 for
NSARA membership for a total of $30 annually. Support the fine work that SARC and the NSARA does for YOU!
***Please remember that membership dues are necessary to finance club operations - especially the Cape Breton linked system and Echolink!
If you live in the area served by our repeaters and USE them, then please join the club and contribute to their maintenance !
Donations of equipment, tools, or funds are always appreciated.
Don't forget: NSARA CONTEST: March 1, 2020.
(NOW the NSARA contest takes place each year on the FIRST Sunday in March.)
Click for more info.
2 Meter Wake-up Net - Weekdays at 07:30 AM.
The 2 Meter Wake Up Net was established by Percy - VE1PLV. Controllers are
Bob - VE1DR, Al - VE1ZS, Norm - VY2NR, Mike - VE1MWJ, Max - VE1XAM, and of course Percy.
We operate five days a week, including most holidays, and we run from 0730 to 0845 hrs if traffic justifies the use of the repeaters.
On the last Tuesday of every month at 19:00 AST/ADT, there is an Emergency Radio Communications Exercise that takes place on the NS VHF amateur radio network, on Echolink, and on HF at 3675 kHz.
An assigned NET Control Operator, at a scheduled EOC Center, takes “check-ins” from: Municipal EMO Stations,
EOC’s, ARES, Canwarn and individual Amateur Radio Operators throughout the province. The name of this exercise is
“Exercise Handshake”. It is extremely important that all SARC members take the time to check in to this NET Control,
and identify themselves as members of SARC. The statistics or activity counts that are generated from this
exercise are used as part of a justification or assessment of a region’s AR communications participation.
If our participation is high it is much easier to apply for funding, surplus equipment, or support resources.
If participation is low the numbers will indicate a lack of support activity on our part.
REMEMBER: "EXERCISE HANDSHAKE" is on the last Tuesday of every month, at 19:00 AST/ADT.
VE1HK Hunter's Mountain (new location as of 04 Aug 2014) 146.610 (-)
QRZ.com listing
(The above 5 are all now continuously and permanently linked via UHF. Some amateur radio organizations would call this "hard-linked" although the linking here is by UHF)
The Oban repeater,VE1OBN 147.105 (+) near St. Peters, is operated by the NSARA. It is UHF linked to VE1HAM, so it is permanently linked to the SARC Cape Breton repeaters. QRZ.com listing
To link the Cape Breton system (via Oban) to the mainland UHF backbone, dial: 196*, to disconnect: 197*.
The mainland link is via VE1RTI in Antigonish, the provincial hub repeater. So by dialing 196* on any Cape Breton repeater, you are linking all Cape Breton repeaters (via Oban) to the UHF backbone through VE1RTI. (Antigonish) Once this is done, you can link to any other maritime repeater, including VE1RTI, using the appropriate link code.
For example, suppose you wish to connect to the Fredericton repeater, VE1BN. After linking to the mainland UHF backbone by dialing 196* and hearing the voice announcement confirming the link, then dial 150*, and you are connected. Of course, please identify your station as per regulations, before inputting any tones! Please also consider that unnecessary linking/unlinking/linking for amusement may be irritating to other operators. We all pay dues to our respective clubs, and we expect members to act responsibly.
All local amateurs are also encouraged to ensure that their SARC Club and NSARA dues are currently paid and up to date. All amateurs should also realize, while they are using the SARC repeater system, they should conduct themselves appropriately and RESPECTFULLY, and any and all use of the SARC repeater network system is a privilege. Please be CONSIDERATE OF OTHERS !!! If you live in the area served by our repeaters and USE them, then please join the club and contribute to their maintenance ! From time to time SARC may take the network out of regular service for technical adjustments, special events and communications exercises. In the event of this occurring only emergency traffic will be permitted by the NET Controller. SARC also wishes to thank the NSARA for their much needed assistance in providing the equipment for our upgrades. All visiting amateurs are welcome to use our repeater network. This repeater network is for the pleasure and enjoyment of everyone, 73 to all.
SYDNEY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
NEW MEMBERS and RENEWALS WELCOME - - PLEASE RENEW NOW for 2020-2021 !
***The club year runs from September to August. Dues are due in SEPTEMBER every year.
REGULAR MEMBERS 2020 - 2021 (so far...)
As of Apr. 11, 2021.
*VE1DM Bill Appleton *Life Member
*VE1YR Enos Ash *Life Member
VE1AG Andrew Gillan
VE1AJ Stuart MacLeod
VE1ASE Mike MacDonald
VE1AWA Roy MacIntosh
VE1AWI Archie Guy
VE1BVD Phil Irons
VE1CKT Gordon Sheriff
VE1CRR Bob Roper
VE3CWR Gerard Randall
VE1CYO Mike Butler
VE1DEW Donald Wareham
VE1DPG Paul Gillis
VE1FEK Frank King
VE1FHK Frank Kober
VE1FJG Fred Gillespie
VE1GV George Ernst
VE1GWE Greg Weir
VE1HF Daryl Stevens
VE1HP Raye Mossman
VA1IRO Jarrod David
VE1KRL Carol Guy
VE1LAV Lavato Harrietha
VE1LL Jim White
VE1MBT Brian Timmons
VA1RM / VA1BOB Robert Bob McGrath
VE1SN Earl Osborne
VE1SVP / KB4SVP Richard Bascom
VE1TB Pierre LeBlanc
VA1UD Dave Hart
VE1VR Anna Abraham
VE1WH William Stewart
VE1YL Diane Ernst
VE1ZV Robert Smith
N1CSO Ed Gillespie
VE1SMC Shane McDougall *Honorary Member
Associate Members:
Ben Edelenbos
39 MEMBERS
"Silent Key" is an endearing and respectful term for a deceased amateur radio operator. Since the early days of amateur radio, the Morse key played a vital role in amateur communication. In the beginning, it was the only means of communicating. Now that there are a multitude of voice, video, and digital communication modes, Morse code is still a vital, vibrant, and popular way for amateurs to enjoy radio, and the Morse key remains an enduring symbol of amateur radio. For proof, just check the lower end of 20M on any day the band is open!
"Silent Key" is sometimes abbreviated "SK" - when sent without spaces, this prosign means "end of contact".
We miss all our Silent Keys. Their contributions to amateur radio in Cape Breton are an inspiratation to us all. Let us remember them fondly!
Our condolences go out to the family of our longtime member Danny Randall, VE1RA, who passed away on December 2, 2019.
Online Obituary for Danny Randall
List of Sydney Amateur Radio Club SILENT KEYS -
MS Word OR
pdf
SATURDAY MORNING RAGCHEW
Here are the friendly members of the SARC ready to welcome you to the Saturday morning ragchew! EVERYONE IS WELCOME - especially those interested in getting licensed as an amateur radio operator!
Every Saturday, from 10 AM 'til 1 PM...
Enos Daryl Richard George Frank and Bill
VE1VAS / VA1VAS MARCONI National Historic Site Callsigns
The Sydney Amateur Radio Club operates and maintains
VE1VAS / VA1VAS at the Marconi National Historic Site.
For more MARCONI related information, please visit:
VE1VAS / VA1VAS - SARC Marconi Page.
VA1 VAS QSL Card.
This card depicts the Marconi National Historic Site, Glace Bay, NS.
NCDXF/IARU International Beacon Project
"The NCDXF, in cooperation with the IARU, constructed and operates a worldwide network of high-frequency radio beacons on 14.100, 18.110, 21.150, 24.930, and 28.200 MHz. These beacons help both amateur and commercial high-frequency radio users assess the current condition of the ionosphere
Each beacon transmits once on each band once every three minutes, 24 hours a day.
A transmission consists of the callsign of the beacon sent at 22 words per minute followed by four one-second dashes.
The callsign and the first dash are sent at 100 watts. The remaining dashes are sent at 10 watts, 1 watt and 100 milliwatts.
At the end of each 10 second transmission, the beacon steps to the next higher band and the next beacon in the sequence begins transmitting." (quoted from
the IBP pages)
Want to become a licensed radio amateur, or upgrade your quailfications?
This Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (formerly Industry Canada)
page should be your first stop:
Amateur Radio Service
AND you can do a practice Basic exam (I advise people to do MANY): HERE.
The exam generator, question bank, practice tests, etc., for BASIC and ADVANCED are on
the
Amateur Radio Exam Generator page.
I urge you to be familiar with the material on THIS page. Your exam will be generated
from the questions contained there. Please BEWARE of material from
other sources!
Candidates have wasted time studying outdated/piecemeal/cobbled
together and unofficial exam preparation materials...!!! Please contact me at [email protected] or 902-736-9404
for guidance in studying. I can help. I know some neat practice tricks to help you. (especially with Block Diagrams)
Please do not listen to people who may try to discourage you from writing a test, or from doing well.
I know that you want to do the best you can ! Remember, the pass mark on BASIC is 70%,
but Honours standing is 80%,
and that is what you want for full privileges. (access to all frequency bands)
The fee for each test is $20.00, with a reduced rate ($5.00) for SARC members.
Please contact me one week or so before any potential testing date,
in order to make arrangements to write a test. I can give a test ANY TIME that is convenient for both of us.
Although testing is done informally and with low stress,
ISEDC has strict rules for testing procedure and reporting of results.
-Robert (Bob) McGrath, accredited examiner for SARC
I am also a substitute teacher - all grades/all subjects. (NS #663179)
I am also happy to arrange an Advanced Qualification test for you, pretty much any time.
Phone me (above number) and we can arrange a convenient time and place. Also call for ANY questions you may have. This is not "rocket science", but it just takes a bit of work and understanding. I can help - just ask.
This is A 1 - 5 - 7, but was previously A 1 - 5 - 1 in old question bank.
(just an example of how things change)
- BE SURE TO ALWAYS USE THE CURRENT QUESTION BANK !
For comprehensive study materials for Basic and Advanced, why not visit: COAX PUBLICATIONS: Publications For the Radio Amateur Purchase of a study guide includes access to their web-based Student Success Pages, and other great resources !
