This activity spawned from a need to create something for RARC members to get outdoors and interact using their radios during the pandemic in 2021. The event takes place on the last Sunday of every month from 1 PM to 2 PM and is often preceeded by a brief get together for brunch at a location in Steveston whenever the occasion is appropriate. All radio Amateurs are invited to join us and participate. Please contact our Simplex Sunday Coordinator, Roy, VA7RTL for more info about the event.
WHY SIMPLEX SUNDAY? - Objectives of the event are to get club members, especially new course graduates, out to meet other members, provide motivativation use their radios without relying on repeaters, learn about direct line of sight propagation, and discover where simplex contacts can be possible from different locations in the Vancouver area. FREQUENCY USED - The following frequencies will be monitored: HOW IS IT DONE? - Set your transceiver to the dedicated simplex frequency and then check in with the event's net control station VE7GOG at the GOG Cannery site, unless otherwise noted for the event: VE7GOG, THIS IS... (your call sign) FROM (your location) FOR SIMPLEX SUNDAY... Info required for the check-in is your name and call sign, location (using street coordinates if possible) and other physical features around the location that might interfere with your line of sight. Other stations may then check in to report their location and whether they can also copy the previous transmission to VE7GOG. The RARC repeater frequency may be used for offline chats to discuss the simplex contacts. RADIO EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES - One can simply use a handheld (but do not transmit unsafely while driving). The outing is opportune to test addition radio equipment, like a mag mount and other antennas and accessories to improve transmission for the simplex contact. In the above image, the 'portable' station (not mobile), on the shore of the South Fraser across from Steveston (Shady) Island, is using a handheld connected to a 30W VHF amplifier with power supplied from a 12V battery cell and mag mount antenna on the vehicle roof. A similar radio is used as spare and for monitoring the repeater frequency. Also part of the accessories are pens and a notebook to record all contact info for later analysis. TRANSMISSION RESULTS - From that location about 3km from VE7GOG, a signal transmitted from more than 10km away in Surrey was clearly copied while signals with the club station were weak. On other sessions, transmissions from as far away as Cypress Mountain on the North Shore and Burke Mountain in Coquitlam were successfully copied. |
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Updated: Nov. 25, 2022 |
