! January!2015!

Newsletter of the Saskatoon Amateur Radio Club Celebrating over 80 Years of Service

T h e F e e d l i n e!

Club Email!ve5aa@rac.ca!!

Club Repeater!VE5SK 146.64-

!Club Website!

http://ve5aa.dyndns.org!

The Saskatoon Amateur Radio Club is a great way to become acquainted with amateur radio. Our club has much to offer the beginner, as well as the seasoned veteran. Please join us at an upcoming m e e t i n g o r f o r o u r Saturday breakfast, and discover the SARC.!

Inside this issue !

• Dec. Banquet Meeting!• Jack Kilby & the IC!• An Acceptable Ground!• Wayback Time Machine!• Announcements, etc.!! !!

Saskatoon Amateur Radio Club!

326 Anderson Crescent!

Saskatoon, Sk !S7H 4A3

Best Wishes for a healthy, happy, ham

radio filled 2015 from the President and Executive of the

Saskatoon Amateur Radio Club.

COFFEE Haywood’s Restaurant !Saturdays 9:00 AM !3016 Arlington Avenue

South of Alvin Buckwold School !Everyone is welcome. Hams, non-

Hams, it doesn’t matter. We’re there to have good conversation with good

friends. Committees Repeaters Bruce, VE5BNC Property and Assets Club Executive Training Coordinator Ron, VA5RJF Public Service Club Executive Sick and Visiting Club Members Field Day Vacant Elmer Ken, VE5KRB Trailer Club Members Space Club Mike, VE5MIK, Al, VE5MDC SARC Net John, VE5SJA Feedline Mike, VE5MIK Web-site Terry, VE5TLC Bruce, VE5BNC 50/50 Draw Terry, VE5TLC Little Bear Lake Ken, VE5KRB Amateur Radio/Physics Research Station

Any items for Swap ‘n Shop in the Feedline contact VE5MIK.

Contact Bruce, VE5BNC, or Terry, VE5TLC to put the items on the club

website.

Next Club Meeting

January 8, 2015

7:00 P.M. Cliff Wright Branch Library!

Meeting Room!1635 McKercher Drive!(Lakewood Civic Center)

The Feedline is the official publication of the Saskatoon Amateur Radio Club. This is your newsletter! Amateur radio information of general interest, club member project descriptions and doings, radio applications to other activities, corrections, or suggestions are all welcome. Individual submissions make for variety! We need your input! Electronic submissions are preferred via email. (MSWord, PDF or generic text). Email s u b m i s s i o n s m a y b e s e n t t o mluciuk@gmail.com

President!Garry Schwartz! VE5SG! 2013-2015!!Vice-President!Sylvan Katz! ! VE5ZX! 2013-2015!!Treasurer!Terry Cutler! ! VE5TLC! 2014-2016!!Secretary!Ron Ford! ! VA5RJF! 2013-2015!!Directors!Lawrence Dobranski VA5LD! 2014-2016!Ken Bindle! ! VE5KRB! 2012-2015!Mike Luciuk! ! VE5MIK! 2014-2016!Ned Carroll! ! VE5NED! 2014-2016!

The mission of Saskatoon Amateur Radio Club is to enjoy amateur radio through the

development, promotion, and expansion of amateur radio in and around Saskatoon

Local Area Repeaters!

VE5SK 146.640- Saskatoon, SARC VE5XW 146.730- Rock Point VA5LLR 145.390- Lizard Lake VE5ZH 147.270- 2 MHz offset, Saskatoon, Auto Patch VA5SV 145.330- (100) Ridge East of Saskatoon VE5RPD 145.190- Elbow/Davidson VE5CC 146.970- Saskatoon MARS Linked to VE5SKN, VE5DNA, & IRLP node 1360Link code 502*/503* VE5SKN 146.940- Saskatoon MARS. 100Hz tone on xmt only -Linked to VE5CC, VE5DNA and IRLP node 1360.

IRLP Node! 1360 Hard linked to VE5CC UHF Hub (444.975 +5M) & available to VE5CC, VE5SKN and VE5DNA VHF repeaters when linked.

APRS 144.390!

VE5RHF Saskatoon DIGI VE5BNC-3 Saskatoon IGATE & SATGATE VE5XW-1 Rock Point VE5HAN-4 Hanley DIGI !

Local & Regional Nets!

Sask. WX 80m 1400Z 3735 Khz ARES (Sun.) 80m 1430Z 3753 Khz Aurora 40m 2330Z & 0200Z 7055 Khz Manitoba 80m 0000Z 3747 Khz Montana Tfc 80m 0030Z 3910 Khz Sask. 80m 0100Z 3735 Khz

C O N T E S T S !!• ARRL RTTY Roundup! 1800Z, Jan 3 to 2400Z, Jan 4!• North American QSO Party CW 1800Z, Jan 10 to 0600Z, Jan 11!• North American QSO Party SSB 1800Z, Jan 17 to 0600Z, Jan 18!• CQ 160-Meter Contest CW 2200Z, Jan 23 to 2159Z, Jan 25!

Be kind and respectful to your fellow hams. After all, without them, all you’d hear on the air is static.

Alberta 80m 0130Z 3700 Khz 80m YL Net 80m 0315Z 3755 Khz-Sundays B.C. 80m 0130Z 3729 Khz !SARC Local 2m 0200Z 146.640- Prince Albert 2m 0330Z 147.150+

Saskatoon and Area Frequencies, Nets, Contests, DXpeditions!

L I T T L E B E A R L A K E! •The LBL telemetry address is    dougf.no-ip.com/tlm/test2.txt •The 6 m. beacon address   dougf.no-ip.com/va5mg!

D X p e d i t i o n s!• Jan 05 - 11 Austral Is. TX5W By KK6BT fm Raivavae I (OC-114); 40-10m; SSB; see Web page for QSL details!

• Jan 9 - 15 Easter Is. XR0YJ By JA3ARJ JA3HJI JA3IVU JH3LSS JI3DNN JA3AVO JH3PBL, also using CE0Y/ home_call ; 80-6m; CW SSB + digital !

For a full list of DXpeditions see: Announced DXpeditions

For a full calendar of contests see: WA7BNM Contest Calendar

December 10th, 2014 Meeting

Great food, company, conversation and door prizes were the order of the day at the SARC Christmas Banquet held at The Cave Restaurant on December 10. Before the festivities got rolling Garry, VE5SG, our president called the meeting to order. One item needed attention. The SK repeater. Attendees at the banquet agreed unanimously to the acceptance of the offer from Yaesu of a new repeater at a reduced price to replace the old SK repeater. Motion passed.!

After the business part of the banquet was over, the festivities continued. Ken, VE5KRB, was MC for the evening and handled draws for the door prizes. This Christmas, no expense was spared (and within budget) for some great door prizes. It was just good to get together with everyone to share some smiles, happy thoughts, and have a nice evening together.

The legend of Jack Kilby: 55 years of the integrated circuit

Jack Kilby's small invention changed the face of electronics and made possible much of today's technology. By Hayden Dingman !It's 1958, and Texas Instruments stands deserted. Everyone at the Dallas-based company traditionally takes two weeks of vacation in July, leaving the the plant empty.

Well, almost everyone. Hidden away, quietly toiling within the cavernous Semiconductor Building, is one Jack Kilby. Kilby's the new guy at Texas Instruments--so new he's not entitled to any vacation time yet.

Jack Kilby, shown with his engineering notebook in this 1997 photo below, dreamed up the integrated circuit when he was a newly hired employee at Texas Instruments in 1958, while he was left alone in a laboratory while most of his colleagues took a summer vacation. Kilby won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2000 for his work. (Photo: STR New via Reuters) Kilby's a Midwesterner. Born in Missouri, he spent most of his youth in the oil-rich city of Great Bend, Kansas, named because it nestles up against a curve in the Arkansas River.

He's a lover of amateur radio and Big Band music, a veteran of World War II's Office of Strategic Services (the predecessor of the CIA), and an electrical engineer.

Kilby also was seemingly born into technology--his dad, also an engineer, ran a small electric company.

Left to his own devices at work, Kilby decides he'll try and solve the "tyranny-of-numbers" issue facing the industry.

Electronic components

As electronics got progressively more complicated, they also required an increasing number of components. The invention of the transistor in 1947 rendered the cumbersome vacuum tube obsolete, but now you had hundreds--even thousands--of minuscule components to wire together.

It was labor-intensive, expensive, and (worst of all) unreliable. Every soldered connection formed a potential point-of-failure in the end product. With thousands of soldered wires, circuits became as fragile as the old vacuum tubes.

When Kilby joined Texas Instruments in 1958 the company already had a potential solution, known as the Micro-Module program.

Jack Kilby, shown with his engineering notebook in this 1997 photo, dreamed up the integrated circuit when he was a newly hired employee at Texas Instruments in 1958, while he was left alone in a laboratory while most of his colleagues took a summer vacation. Kilby won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2000 for

The Micro-Module program sought to make all components the same size, which would then snap together like puzzle pieces to form circuits.

However, people still needed to assemble each circuit by hand. It solved the soldering problem, but labor remained an issue.

"Further thought led me to the conclusion that semiconductors were all that were really required--that resistors and capacitors, in particular, could be made from the same material as the active devices," wrote Kilby in 1976.

Sitting there in the abandoned abode of Texas Instruments, Kilby grabbed his lab notebook and described what came to be known as "The Monolithic Idea"--that resistors, capacitors, and transistors could be manufactured from the same block of material and included in a single chip.

Then he sketched out a quick design for a flip-flop circuit using components made entirely of silicon.

Semiconductors

Semiconductors, such as silicon and germanium, are physically unique. In their purest forms, they're just poor electrical conductors--better than an insulator (like glass) but nowhere near as efficient as metal.

You can shape how a semiconductor conducts electricity, however, by modifying the base substance with impurities. Kilby realized each component of a circuit could be built from the same material. The individual pieces wouldn't be as efficient as those made with specialized materials--Teflon, for instance, was a better capacitor than a modified semiconductor--but it could be done.

Said Kilby in his 2000 Nobel Prize lecture, "Resistors were provided by the bulk resistance in the silicon, and capacitors were formed at the p-n junctions"--in other words, where two types of impurities met. Armed with his sketches, Kilby went to his supervisor, a man by the name of Willis Adcock, and asked for time to pursue the theory. He got it.

First, Kilby created a prototype circuit made entirely of discrete pieces of silicon. While not housed on a chip, he'd at least proved that a complete circuit could be made from a single material.

Then came the biggest step. At the time, Texas Instruments built transistors from germanium wafers, and Kilby managed to snag a few of these before they'd been cut up. For such an important device, the first integrated circuit is as unpretentious as it gets: a thin ribbon of germanium, crudely glued to a glass slide, the circuit etched in by hand.

On Sept. 12, 1958, Kilby called together the company's executives. He hooked the crude piece of germanium up to an oscilloscope, passed in a current, and a simple sine wave appeared on-screen.

It was a sine wave that changed the world forever. The integrated circuit, or microchip, is the foundation of modern electronics. It's the reason you can carry an entire computer in your pocket, instead of owning one that takes up an entire office. It enables the Internet to exist. It's the reason humans landed on the moon.

!So that's the legend. Is it the full story? Of course not. Legends never are.

History of the integrated circuit

Like many inventions, the integrated circuit was really a matter of time. Kilby drew upon the works of an Englishman, Geoff Dummer, when coming up with the idea of the integrated circuit. In the early 1950s, Dummer proposed electronics built from a single block of components, but he lacked the technique to make it into a reality.

Then there was Robert Noyce (Noyce and Kilby received the Draper Prize together in 1989). Noyce, often referred to as "the Mayor of Silicon Valley," is credited as the co-inventor of the integrated circuit, and for good reason.

Noyce came up with the same idea completely independently, used silicon instead of germanium (silicon operates at higher temperatures), and had an altogether more-refined design.

The first integrated circuit invented by Jack Kilby is shown here in this undated photograph. (Photo: Courtesy of Texas Instruments via Reuters)

Oh, and he went on to co-found Intel in 1968 with colleague Gordon Moore. Intel, of course, created the first microprocessor, equally important to modern computing.

And you probably know Texas Instruments because--at one point--you took a math class and used one of the company's calculators. Oddly enough, Kilby gets credit for that one as well.

He and two co-workers, Jerry Merryman and James Van Tassel, developed the electronic handheld calculator because Texas Instruments needed a way to sell the public on the consumer benefits of the integrated circuit.

A modest man

Kilby might've laughed if called a legend. By all accounts, he was a simple sort, comfortably middle-class and content with his accomplishments--the consummate engineer who believed solving a problem was its own reward. He died of cancer on June 20, 2005.

While proud of the integrated circuit, he was always quick in speeches and articles to lavish praise on the innovators who came both before and after. "I am pleased to have had even a small part in helping turn the potential of human creativity into practical reality," Kilby said in his Nobel lecture.

Yes, Kilby might've laughed if called a legend, but legends are what we remember.

So we turn it into legend: Dallas, 1958, an abandoned building and a man who helped to completely change the world while his peers were on vacation.

1

BRAZOS VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB

AMATEUR RADIO FOR SOUTHWEST HOUSTON AND FORT BEND COUNTY

NOVEMBER 2014 VOLUME 38 ISSUE 11

BVARC NOVEMBER GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING 7:30 PM, Thursday, November 13, 2014

2511 Eldridge Rd, Sugar Land, 77478, Eldridge Park Conference Center

Chili Cook-Off at the Polls As we close in on the end of the year the temperatures begin to fall, to the delight of many. With the falling temperatures comes the desire for hot chili. The desire for hot chili means that it is time for BVARC to hold a chili cook-off. This year, come to the November meeting with a pot that old family recipe. You could just find yourself leaving with the grand prize. If cooking up chili is not your thing, how about bringing a plate of cornbread. Also, don't forget that it is voting time. Offices in need of fresh perspective are: Vice President; Corresponding Secretary; Treasurer; the Two Year at Large Member: and the One Year at Large Member. If you are interested in any of these positions please notify Rick Hiller, W5RH, to have your name put on the ballot. Being a part of the BVARC board of directors is a great way to not only serve the club, but to be at the forefront of the direction that the club goes. Come and be a part of the vote, and come hungry.

October Meeting Recap – Ham Auction This past October was the second annual BVARC auction. There was a lot of great gear brought in for the auction and those who won their bid came away some great items at some great prices. The auction is still new for the club and we've learned something new each time that we've held it. We hope everyone enjoyed the auction. Next year expect some more changes to make the third year even better than the last.

Hamfests

(within 200 miles of Houston) Hamfest info for the next few months. More information at: http://www.arrl.org/hamfests.html#listing

11/08/2014 | 16th Annual South Texas Hamfest Location: Aransas Pass, TX Type: ARRL Hamfest Sponsor: South Texas Amateur Radio Club (STARC) Website: http://www.southtexashamfest.org 01/10/2015 | San Antonio Radio Club Fiesta Location: Schertz, TX Type: ARRL Hamfest Sponsor: San Antonio Radio Club Website: http://w5sc.org

For those not intimidated by low power!

QRP SSB kits from Spain!

EA3GCY sells a range of QRP kits including single band, single PCB, SSB transceivers for 20m or 40m. These look easy to build and test and good value for money. Currently there is a 5% off offer running too.!

See http://ea3gcy.blogspot.it/2013/03/iler-20-4-5w-qrp-ssb-monoband.html !

See http://ea3gcy.blogspot.it/2013/01/iler-40-4-5w-qrp-ssb-monoband.html !

He also does a CW kit and other accessories. Look out for the ILER range.

Achieving an Acceptable Ground in Poor Soil To ensure your electrical system functions properly, it's important your buried ground system has low impedance. So how do you achieve this goal while keeping safety in mind?

When designing and installing electrical power systems, proper grounding is not just a luxury, but a necessity. All good grounding systems should provide a low-impedance path for fault and lightning-induced currents to enter the earth, ensuring maximum safety from electrical system faults and lightning. More specifically, a properly installed grounding system not only helps safeguard buildings and equipment from damage caused by unintentional fault currents or lightning surges, but also protects a much more important investment: people.

Achieving an acceptable ground is challenging. Proper installation of grounding systems requires knowledge of national standards, conductor materials, and connections and terminations (Fig. 1, in original article). But that's not all. Don't forget to consider soil conditions where you install the ground rods (or grounding grid).

Impact of soil conditions on grounding. Though the overall effectiveness of a buried grounding system depends on many factors, the resistance of the earth (or earth resistivity) significantly impacts overall impedance of the buried conductor. Soil characteristics, such as moisture content, soil temperature and type, determine the overall resistivity of the earth. When grounding your system, always keep the following in mind:

Moisture content The soil's moisture content is important because it helps chemicals in the soil that surround ground conductors carry the electrical current. In general, the higher the moisture content, the lower the soil's resistivity. When moisture content falls below 10%, resistivity increases significantly.

Soil temperature Temperatures below freezing also increase soil resistivity. As soon as moisture turns to ice, resistivity increases sharply. In areas subject to freezing, driving a ground rod below the frost line is required to maintain a low-resistance ground.

Soil type Black dirt, or soils with high organic content, are usually good conductors because they retain higher moisture levels and have a higher electrolyte level: leading to low soil resistivity. Sandy soils, which drain faster, have a much lower moisture content and electrolyte level. Therefore, they have a higher impedance. Solid rock and volcanic ash, such as that found in Hawaii, contain virtually no moisture or electrolytes. These soils have high levels of resistivity, and effective grounding is difficult to achieve. See Table 1 (in original article) for resistivities of different soils.

Measuring earth resistivity The effectiveness of grounding rods largely depends on whether the soil surrounding the rods can conduct large electrical currents. To design a buried grounding system correctly, you must measure earth resistivity with a ground resistance testing instrument. This instrument should also have switches to change the resistance range. You can use various test methods to measure earth resistivity, but the three most common are:

•Four-point method, the most accurate

•Variation in-depth method (three-point method)

•Two-point method

After determining the soil resistivity, you are in a better position to determine what kind of buried grounding scheme will be most effective. Depending on the soil resistivity and grounding scheme requirements, the particular system can vary from a simple buried ground conductor to an extensive ground rod bed. The latter could include a grid system or a ground ring (Fig. 2, in original article). To decrease the grounding system impedance, you can use ground enhancement material or chemical-type electrodes.

How to achieve an acceptable ground There are various options to lower soil resistivity. One method is to increase the moisture content of the soil. Topsoil resistivity may be reduced 800 ohm-m by increasing the moisture from 5% to 10%. An additional reduction in resistivity, although much smaller, can be obtained by increasing moisture from 10% to 20%. The problem with adding moisture to the soil is that it's not a practical option in most cases.

Another way to lower earth resistivity is to treat the soil with a salt, such as copper sulphate, magnesium sulphate, or sodium chloride. Combined with moisture, the salts leach into the soil to reduce earth resistivity. However, this inexpensive process can also cause problems. First, as the salts wash away, the soil reverts to its untreated condition. As a result, you must recharge the system periodically. Second, some salts may corrode the grounding conductors. Lastly, the salt may contaminate ground water. Local environmental regulations and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may object to adding salts to the soil.

In many places, ensuring a low-resistance ground system is as simple as driving a ground rod into the subsurface soil layer that has a relatively permanent and conductive moisture content. Remember, the ground rod must extend below the lowest frost depth. You can also use ground enhancement material to achieve acceptable system resistance.

What you should know when using ground enhancement material Under almost all soil conditions, the use of a ground enhancement material will improve grounding effectiveness. Some are permanent and require no maintenance. You can use them in areas of poor conductivity, such as rocky ground, mountaintops and sandy soil, where you can't drive ground rods or where limited space makes adequate grounding difficult with conventional methods.

There are several kinds of ground enhancement material available. But use care when choosing the material. It should be compatible with the ground rod, conductor, and connection material. Some options include bentonite clay, coke powder, and specially engineered substances.

Bentonite is a clay substance used in areas with high soil resistivity. However, conduction in bentonite clay only takes place via the movement of ions. Ionic conduction can only occur in a solution, which means the bentonite clay must be moist to provide the required resistance levels. When bentonite clay loses moisture, its resistivity increases and volume decreases. This shrinkage results in a discontinuity in the contact between the bentonite clay and surrounding soil, which further increases system resistance.

Coke powder is another choice. A predominantly carbon substance, coke powder is highly conductive. However, groundwater can wash it away.

A noncorrosive low-resistance enhancement substance is a conductive cement that you can install wet or dry. Depending on the substance, it will not leach into the soil and meets EPA requirements for landfill. The railroad and utility industries have successfully used this material. When installed dry, it absorbs moisture from surrounding soil and hardens, retaining moisture within its structure. When used dry, no mixing is required, and you achieve maximum efficiency in a matter of days. This is because it absorbs enough water from the surrounding soil. You can also premix it with water to a heavy slurry. You can add this to the trench containing the grounding conductor or use it around a ground rod in an augured hole. The material binds the water into a cement making a permanent, highly conductive mass.

Some products offer a test-proven resistivity of 0.12 ohm-m or lower, compared with 2.5 ohm-m for bentonite clay. Unlike bentonite clay, the cement-like material does not depend on the continuous presence of water; nor does it require periodic charging treatments/replacement.

An ideal ground enhancement material should not require maintenance. When designing or installing a buried grounding system, look for materials that do not dissolve or decompose over time, require periodic charging treatments or replacements, or depend on the continuous presence of water to maintain conductivity.

Installation of ground enhancement materials After selecting the material, consider the method of installation. Placement of ground enhancement material is quick and easy. For installation around a ground rod (Fig. 4, in original article), auger a 3 in. to 6 in. diameter hole to a depth equal to 6 in. less than the rod length. Drop the rod down the hole with the lower end centred and driven into the earth at least 12 in. Make the connection of the grounding conductor to the ground rod. Then, fill most of the hole using ground enhancement material. Lastly, fill the remainder of the hole with the soil removed during auguring.

The installation of a conductor in a trench involves six steps as listed below.

1. Dig a trench at least 4 in. wide by 30 in. deep, or below the frost line, whichever is deeper.

2. Spread out enough ground enhancement material (either dry or in a slurry) to cover the bottom of the trench, about 1 in. deep.

3. Place the conductor on top of the ground enhancement material.

4. Spread more ground enhancement material on top of the conductor to completely cover the conductor, about l in. deep.

5. Carefully cover the ground enhancement material with soil to a depth of about 4 in., making sure not to expose the conductor.

6. Tamp the soil down, and fill in the trench.

Chemical-type electrodes are another option for difficult grounding situations. These consist of a copper tube filled with salts installed in an augured hole or trench. The electrode is backfilled with a ground enhancement material. The copper tube has holes in it near the top and bottom, and the top of the electrode remains exposed to the atmosphere. Water slowly dissolves the salts, which enter the tube from the top holes exposed to the atmosphere. Highly conductive salt solution leaches into the soil from the holes near the bottom of the tube.

The backfill material is usually bentonite clay or a combination of bentonite clay at the bottom and the cement slurry described above at the top. Chemical-type electrodes require periodic recharging of the salts. Although more expensive than a cement slurry encased ground rod, several long-term tests indicate a chemical-type electrode provides about the same effectiveness.

Measuring installed grounding systems After installation, you may be required to measure the ground resistance of the installed system. Be aware that the 1996 NEC, Sec. 250-84, requires a single electrode consisting of rod, pipe or plate that does not have a resistance to ground of 25 ohms or less shall be augmented by one additional electrode of the type listed in Section 250-81 or 250-83. Always install multiple electrodes so they are more than 6 ft apart.

Maintenance of the grounding system You need an effective inspection and periodic maintenance program to ensure continuity exists throughout the grounding system. Be sure to regularly inspect it, using an approved ground-testing instrument to test electrical resistance and continuity.

Keith Switzer

SARC Wayback Time Machine

If you have a picture or a ham radio related story from WAYBACK, or not so wayback, send it in

and we’ll put it in the Feedline.

1

BRAZOS VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB

AMATEUR RADIO FOR SOUTHWEST HOUSTON AND FORT BEND COUNTY

NOVEMBER 2014 VOLUME 38 ISSUE 11

BVARC NOVEMBER GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING 7:30 PM, Thursday, November 13, 2014

2511 Eldridge Rd, Sugar Land, 77478, Eldridge Park Conference Center

Chili Cook-Off at the Polls As we close in on the end of the year the temperatures begin to fall, to the delight of many. With the falling temperatures comes the desire for hot chili. The desire for hot chili means that it is time for BVARC to hold a chili cook-off. This year, come to the November meeting with a pot that old family recipe. You could just find yourself leaving with the grand prize. If cooking up chili is not your thing, how about bringing a plate of cornbread. Also, don't forget that it is voting time. Offices in need of fresh perspective are: Vice President; Corresponding Secretary; Treasurer; the Two Year at Large Member: and the One Year at Large Member. If you are interested in any of these positions please notify Rick Hiller, W5RH, to have your name put on the ballot. Being a part of the BVARC board of directors is a great way to not only serve the club, but to be at the forefront of the direction that the club goes. Come and be a part of the vote, and come hungry.

October Meeting Recap – Ham Auction This past October was the second annual BVARC auction. There was a lot of great gear brought in for the auction and those who won their bid came away some great items at some great prices. The auction is still new for the club and we've learned something new each time that we've held it. We hope everyone enjoyed the auction. Next year expect some more changes to make the third year even better than the last.

Hamfests

(within 200 miles of Houston) Hamfest info for the next few months. More information at: http://www.arrl.org/hamfests.html#listing

11/08/2014 | 16th Annual South Texas Hamfest Location: Aransas Pass, TX Type: ARRL Hamfest Sponsor: South Texas Amateur Radio Club (STARC) Website: http://www.southtexashamfest.org 01/10/2015 | San Antonio Radio Club Fiesta Location: Schertz, TX Type: ARRL Hamfest Sponsor: San Antonio Radio Club Website: http://w5sc.org

SARC Important Dates!

January 8! ! Club Meeting!Feb. 13 (Friday)! Club Meeting!March 12! ! Club Meeting!April 9! ! Club Meeting!April 26! ! MS Walk!May 14! ! Club Meeting!May 31! ! Sask. Marathon!June 11! ! Club Meeting!June 27/28! ! ARRL Field Day!July 4, 5! ! Saskatchewan Hamfest

A N N O U N C E M E N T S, NEWS, ETC.

Ham Radio Classes!Ham Radio classes sponsored by the Saskatoon Amateur Radio Club will be held in the Cliff Wright Library on McKercher Ave, starting on Thursday, January 8, 2015 at 6:00 PM.!

The course fee is $100, payable at class time. It includes the cost of the text book, a code oscillator kit which we will build about halfway through the course, Industry Canada exam fees and student membership in the Club for a year. The course will be 12 weeks in length, and will conclude with the Industry Canada exam. For more information contact ve5aa@rac.ca!

SARC Ham Radio Class & Meeting Schedule with Locations!Thursday, Jan 8 - 1st Class and Club meeting - Cliff Wright Library!

Thursday, Jan 15 - Class - Cliff Wright Library!Thursday, Jan 22 - Class - Cliff Wright Library!

Thursday, Jan 28 - Class - McClure United Church!Thursday, Feb 5 - Class - McClure United Church!

Thursday, Feb 12 - Class - McClure United Church!Friday, Feb 13 - Club Meeting - Cliff Wright Library!

Thursday, Feb 19 - Class - Cliff Wright Library!Thursday, Feb 26 - Class - McClure United Church!

!!Great ham radio things to look forward to in 2015!

•Meetings, meetings, meetings!•Sharing ham radio knowledge ! with others!•Great breakfasts!•Good DX conditions!•SARC 2m net!•Ham Radio classes!•A short, mild winter!•Lots of sunshine!•Contesting fun!•RAC Winter Contest!•MS Walk volunteering!•Saskatchewan Marathon!•Canada Day contest!

!•Field Day!•Canada Day !•Public Service ! Events!•Some portable HF!•Getting to know that! new radio!•Antenna/tower work!•Fireworks !!•Sask. Hamfest!•A great summer!•Building projects!•Family!

MEEWASIN AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY

SASKATCHEWAN HAMFEST 2015

July 3 to 5, 2015 Martensville

(Northridge Community Centre – 901 3rd Street North)

SAVE THE DATE and plan to attend the Saskatchewan Hamfest 2015 taking place in Martensville from July 3 to 5, 2015.

RADIO AMATEURS OF CANADA (RAC) AGM; we are happy to report that the Radio Amateurs of Canada has chosen to have us host the AGM for 2015. For members or non-members, see what your national representative organization has been up to and interact with the RAC Executive and volunteers.

SASKATCHEWAN AMATEUR RADIO LEAGUE (SARL) AGM;

Saskatchewan is the only province outside of Quebec that has a provincial organization left. Support SARL by attending the AGM and get involved!

D-STAR TRAINING CLASS; Friday night will not only be a meet and greet event, but for those that want to learn more of D-STAR, it is a great opportunity to take in the optional D-STAR Class. More details to follow.

ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET; After the busy program on Saturday, sit down and relax to a home cooked meal and enjoy the awards presentations and keynote.

TALK-IN: FM VE5CC 146.970 (-600) 100.0HZ T FM VE5MBX 145.450 (-600) 114.8HZ T DV VA5DR B 448.125 (-5M) DV VE5MBX B 449.500 (-5M)

COORDINATES: 52.295542N, 106.649443W

www.saskatoon-dstar.ca

¾ SARL AGM ¾ RAC AGM ¾ Flea Market ¾ D-STAR Class ¾ Technical Presentations ¾ IRLP Class ¾ Door Prizes ¾ Radio Raffles ¾ Vendor ¾ HF Station ¾ Talk-In Station ¾ Displays ¾ Special Guests

Hotel & Camping

Information Coming Soon!!!!

WHAT’S HAPPENING?