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VVC Dissolution - Board checking whether marking volunteers inactive in VVC affects your status in VECTOR's membership database.
More Practice - Board supports interested members holding practice workshops in the Zoom Room (radiogram review, voice practice, data setup, DSA Awareness, radio contact practice, instructional nets, etc). Please also get radios, a small, used VHF handheld is enough.
CERV Stasis - VECTOR will renew the 2020 insurance for the CERV. City requires a licence plate for storage and we can get started working on retiring it while it's here. Mike VE7WV or Hiroshi VA7LET(keyholders) will evaluate how well members can access the CERV in advance of setting out to use the CERV systems to join the communications checks in 2020. Tyson VE7TYS will get keys.
MOU - Linda VE7LMP and Stuart VE7SWS are reviewing how the VVC Dissolution will impact our MOU. Board intends to collaborate in Google Docs to draft a revised MOU that suits our current reality without VVC, including how "City Volunteers" relate to VECTOR.
Help Preparing to Spend Grant - VECTOR would like to begin accepting members taking on elements from our Gaming Grant Proposal.
Field Day - Simplex Day - Field Day Bi-weekly Zoom sessions: only two members came forward so any effort now focuses on VECTOR Simplex Relay Day under the emerging pandemic conditions. It's an alternative for us to build capacity in members and give members some degree of normalcy. (See "VECTOR Day Planning Huddle", above)
VPD, VEMA, and VECTOR - (on hold due to COVID-19) Coordination with Kirsten Jasper, Manager, Operational Readiness, VEMA (Vancouver Emergency Management Agency) to arrange initial strategy chat with VECTOR representatives.
Radio Room Remote Access - We want to investigate how to fully remotely access VECTOR equipment at the Radio Room so that we can operate our required communications bands when we cannot access our in-person stations, with the potential to invest VECTOR funds as early as 2020 to complete the system.
Annual Report to Partners - Board still needs to assemble the annual report we review with our key partners.
Our members' meeting will be held May 6 online using Zoom.
Please register in BetterImpact if you will be attending, and make sure you have updated your Zoom software.
VECTOR COVID-19 Update and Major Civic Event Status
Due to the physical distancing requirements of our present COVID-19 situation, all VECTOR activities for now and the near future are being conducted by radio or through Zoom online conferencing.
VECTOR will update members on any changes in our activities as BC public health begins to lift some restrictions on businesses and activities for the public.
Thank you for doing your part to "flatten the curve" to protect vulnerable members of our society. We are now emerging from the ravages of the first wave of COVID-19.
"Be kind, be calm, and be safe." --Dr. Bonnie Henry, BC Provincial Health Officer.
National Special Event Call Sign Authority for May
Canadian Amateur Radio operators may use CF and CG prefixes for the COVID-19 Pandemic until June 20, 2020, according to Industry Canada's Amateur Radio Service Centre.
What this means is when your regular call sign begins with VA or VE, you will have the option to use the CF or CG prefix instead. For example, instead of VA7LET you could use CF7LET. Likewise, VE7NCD would become CG7NCD.
Are you feeling bored, lonely or isolated during this COVID-19 social distancing phase? Hang out for a bit on VECTOR's informal social net. Join the chat at 19:05 every day on VE7RVF, right after the 19:00 evening cheer for our front line workers. VECTOR is bringing together members and other amateur radio operators, all while staying a safe distance apart during this time of crisis.
Also, did you catch the special call sign for our daily informal net this month? Confirm the spelling at Spectrum Management. You can also look for VC2STAYHOM while it is active April 6 to May 6.
Upcoming Training & Practice Opportunities
Net Control Operator training
If you've checked in to the VECTOR weekly Wednesday night net, then you've participated in a directed net under the supervision of a Net Control Operator (NCO). The NCO training sessions will take you from being a participant to being that control operator.
You only need to commit one Wednesday night a month (from approximately 19:30 to 21:00) for about 9 months. The schedule consists of:
3 months receiving training during the weekly net from a current NCO.
Each month you will work with a different NCO as you progress from monitoring to running the net.
3 months on the weekly net rota and running the net without assistance.
3 months helping the next batch of incoming net control trainees.
After successfully completing the NCO training further opportunities for running nets during events and exercises become available to you.
If you would be interested in attending an introductory session on the net control operator program send an email to Andrew VA7YAA and we'll contact you once viral circumstances permit.
Radio Skills Course
The next Radio Skills Course will be offered on Mondays, from October 26 to November 23. Consideration is being given to add one classroom session bringing the total to five evenings. Four instructional nets will be held on Thursday evenings rather than Wednesdays to avoid conflicts with VECTOR nets and our members' meeting.
Feedback from past and prospective participants is welcome as well as from members who have yet to attend. Please share your thoughts on what would facilitate or encourage your participation as well as what might be hindering it.
Are you interested in delivering a course module or two? Please let us know!
Since our last newsletter, we started the Weekly Previews note to share all the activities. You might also catch small activities on our repeaters. Look for activities on our calendar.
Contact Kevin VE7SFA and Jessé VE7DET to get involved.
Upcoming Service Opportunities
VECTOR Simplex Relay Day July 11
VECTOR Day Planning Huddle on Thursdays at 11:30
VECTOR Simplex Relay Day is Saturday, July 11, from 19:00 to 22:00. Planning Meet-ups are held every Thursday at 11:30 in the VECTOR Zoom room. Join our planning team: we would love your input. Ground work for message format, score sheet and communications plan are materializing. Next: How would we involve participants beyond VECTOR?
We're using Zoom and our folder on Drive to build our idea. See you on Thursday. Join Ernst VA7WAC, Richard VE7PNP, Dave VE7CNV, Melinda VE7OLO, Erland VE7EFK, and Nick VE7NTX.
Please help us figure out how to build our dream projects, to make VECTOR stronger. We need volunteers to plan and initiate steps to make each of these dreams happen, to bring together a concept and cost summary. We'll use these plans to order parts we can use next year to build our dreams.
Dreams we know:
High speed links at Fire Hall 5 to TEL and HAMWAN
5 new "next gen" grab-n-go kits
Replace outdated and old donated items
High speed data links between our sites
Full remote control of our Radio Room systems
Multiple Winlink receiving stations
Wi-Fi bubble and email intake system
Which dream can you help build? Contact Jessé VE7DET to learn how you can help.
Announcements, Notable, etc.
Financial Resources for folks affected by COVID-19
A compilation by VECTOR member Halldor K. Bjarnason VA7ETF, on our Google Drive
VECTOR Seeking First Nations Contacts
VECTOR is interested in connecting to our First Nations communities, particularly Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh. We have approached a few sources in the city for advice about who to speak to, but so far haven't got very far with this idea. If you have some First Nations connections or ideas on how to proceed, we would welcome your input. Contact Jessé VE7DET.
Seeking new Treasurer
Are you good with numbers? A whiz in the area of finances, accounting, spreadsheets and all that other money stuff? VECTOR is seeking assistance filling the volunteer role of VECTOR Treasurer. If you yourself are interested or if you know anyone suitable in your circle of acquaintences, please pass this info along and get in touch with VECTOR.
Highlights from the Board Meetings
Learn the highlights from the board meetings in Drive. Let us know if you value links to meeting minutes at newsletter@vectorradio.ca.
Weekly Net
The weekly net takes place at 20:00 every Wednesday on the VE7TEL repeater: VECTOR channel 2, 145.170 MHz, -0.6 MHz offset.
Each week, a secondary net follows on a different frequency, providing an opportunity for amateur radio operators to test their radio with other bands and modes of operation.
Schedule for upcoming secondary net frequencies:
Date
Channel
Frequency Information
April 29
4
146.580 MHz simplex
May 6
201 (VE7RVK)
224.640 MHz, -1.6 MHz offset
May 13
4
146.580 MHz, Simplex 1
May 20
401 (VE7RVU)
443.725 MHz, 5 MHz offset, 88.5 Hz tone
May 27
20 (VE7RVZ)
147.200 MHz, 0.6 MHz offset, 100.0 Hz tone
Monthly Members' Meeting
The monthly VECTOR members' meeting is the first Wednesday of every month.
The next 3 Monthly Members' Meeting dates:
May 6 online using Zoom at 18:30
June 3 online using Zoom at 18:30
July 1 in person to be decided at 18:30
August 5 in person to be decided at 18:30
Look for a link to the Zoom online conference room in your email ahead of the meeting to join remotely. You can sign up for upcoming members' meetings in BetterImpact.
TU 73
VA7SWZ || Simone Hoedel, Writer (she|her)
VA7DPO || Darryl Pogue, Director (he|him)
VE7DET || Jessé Neri, Director (he|him) newsletter@vectorradio.ca
