Calgary Amateur Radio Association

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CARA YouTube Channel ==>> https://www.youtube.com/@CalgaryAmateurRadioAssociation

2024 Learning Conference

The 2024 Learning conference, held in conjunction with the 2024 Spring Flea Market, had the following presentations:

8:00am - NanoVNA Explained and Demo. Pat Spencer VE6PDS
Link to Presentation slides => CARA-NanoVNA_2024-04-13.pdf

10:00am - Updated APRS Messaging , VA6PJB Peter Barry
There has been bad news and good news in the world of APRS messaging in the last year. The good news is that new systems are in place to send text messages by RF from your APRS radio to cell phones or email. Learn about the new developments in this service. They could be life savers when you are off grid.
Link to presentation pending

2024 Presentations

In 2024, we have started moving towards a more "in-person" experience. This is to drive additional attendance to the club meetings and to provide a more social experience. There is a good group of new (younger) ham moving up the ladder and we have good energy to organize and host special events and meetings.

The first such gettogether was on Jan 20th at the Club Station. There was an excellent presentation on Repeaters, how they work, and a hands on session showing some repeater components and Cavity Filters, which are used most repeater sites. We also brought in VE6NQ, teh portable repeater that we use at many car rally's and other events.

Solar Indices and Propagation

A presentation by Jerry VE6TL including a number of links.

Solar Indices and Propagation Presentation links and notes.

RF Filters

Here is a portion of the presentation by Bob Moyer VE6VC.

RF Filters.

Contesting Explained:

Here are links to a Video and also Presentation Notes from the Feb 17, 2024 by Neeroo VE6NRO, and Mike VE6TC.

2023 Learning Conference

The 2023 Learning conference, held in conjunction with the 2023 Spring Flea Market, had the following 3 presentations:

8:00am - Terrain Modeling Demo by Rudy, VE6RDY.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URcLqD46YCY
9:00am - Replay of APRS Basics and Messaging by Peter VA6PRJ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8GkT-NDgDk
11:00am - Replay of the 1991 video of the staging of repeater VE6HWY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u93FgeAnndw

2023 Presentations

VE7VBX, Vernon Balloon eXperiments

What happens when Hams launch 4 Styrofoam coolers with re-purposed radio equipment to reach 100,000 feet? Fun and lessons learned!

This presentation by Wilf, VE7OHM, via Zoom from Vernon, BC details the Vernon Balloon eXperiments (VBX) when a team of enthusiastic amateur radio operators from British Columbia and Alberta get together about 25 years ago to take amateur radio to new heights over the southern interior of BC.

This presentation details the exiting time back before Arduino's, APRS, and today's light weight micro-electronics. See how an enthusiastic group of HAMs in Vernon put together and launched a series of Balloon launches called VBX-1 through VBX-4 in 1997.

YouTube Video of the presentation ==> CARA meeting, VE7VBX, Vernon Balloon eXperiments, and Q&A
TLDR version -> Shortened Video ==> VE7VBX, Vernon Balloon eXperiments

Also, feel free to watch these legacy videos. Link provided by the VE7 group.

VBX-2 https://youtu.be/Ko7EtOefZ4Y
RAC 2002 -video https://youtu.be/oHFlLk-aFXQ?t=1

2022 Presentations

April Flea Market presentations

The April 9th Flea Market was revived after a 2 year hiatus due to Covid restrictions.

The were 3 presentations at this well attended Learning Conference.

New Solar Cycle – Propagation outlook for the next few years - Jerry Spring, VE3TL
Portable Radio Operation in the Canadian Rockies – SOTA and More - Paul Mower, VA6MPM
DMR in Calgary – Basics and the Future of DMR on VE6RYC - Peter Barry, VA6PJB

VHF Group Presentations

VHF Group Presentation by Tom VE6ZC on VHF Propagation Effects from Cycle 25
VHF Group Presentation by Ken Oelke on Moon Bounce, Everything You Wanted To Know About E.M.E. and more!

2021 Video Presentations

With COVID-19 as part of our daily lives, we have had to adapt to using Zoom for our meetings and get used to not meeting in person.
One benefit of this new world is that we can record the presentations and make them available to move people after the fact.
Here is a list of the video's from our Youtube channel. (What? CARA has a YouTube Channel? You bet! Take a look)

CARA YouTube Channel
Awesome video of the erecting of the VE6HWY repeater back in 1991. Professionally produced VHS video captured for viewing on line.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u93FgeAnndw&t=7s
VHF Group Presentation on AllStar by Ralph VA6RHG on Jan 13, 2021 => https://youtu.be/pS46cdgVyKs
VHF Group Presentation on Weak Signal by Tino VE6MB on June 9, 2021 => https://youtu.be/txHjzwHG2S8

2020 Video Presentations

VHF Group Presentation on Shack Tools => https://youtu.be/H_nNaA49Kug
Presentation by Ciff Linton VE6PLC on setting up and using a RasPi as an EchoLink Node

2020 CARA Technical Conference

The conference, originally scheduled in conjunction with the Flea Market, which due to COVID-19, was reborn as a webinar.

Date: Saturday, 18 April, 2020
Presentations:

8:00 APRS Basics and Messaging, Peter Barry, VA6PJB
APRS fundamentals for the newbie, followed by the more advanced topic of APRS messaging using radio-to-radio, radio-to-SMS, and radio-to-email
CARA Technical Conference 2020 - APRS Basics and Messaging VA6PJB

9:00 To VNA or Not to VNA, Vince D’Eon, VE6LK
Join Vince as he shares when a handheld VNA can be used and what you’ll gain from their us.
CARA Technical Conference 2020 - To VNA or not to VNA - VE6LK / AI7LK

10:00 D-Star Basics, Presenter is John Davis WB4QDX, on behalf of ICOM Canada
What is D-Star, comparison to other digital modes, equipment required, D-Star repeaters, how to get started, etc., etc.
CARA Technical Conference 2020 - D-STAR Digital Smart Technology for Amateur Radio - WB4QDX

Quickview: YouTube Videos

This is a summary of the notable videos that have been posted to the CARA YouTube channel

2017 Presenter's Documents

Summits on the Air - VE6IXD Ian Drummond

Introduction to Microcontrollers in HAM Radio - VE6TL Jerry Spring

A Maker's Antenna and video- VE6EY John Fallows

2016 Presenter's Documents

Yaesu Fusion Line of Radios - N0CSW Chris Wilson, Yaesu National Sales Manager

Hardening Your Tower Against Lightning - Part I - VA6DD Dale Coutts

Updated Tower Regulations in Calgary - VE6SH Tim Ellam Q.C.

2015 Presenter's Documents

Intro to Yaesu Fusion Radios - VE6EO Greg Kulinof RadioWorld Central, Calgary

How to Configure Radios for Use With Repeaters - VA6RPL Peter LaGrandeur

PSK31 Fundamentals - VA6PJB Peter Barry

2014 Linking Conference Documents

page moderator: VA6RPL "Peter" VA6RPL@techworld.ca

Agenda
Basic RF UHF Links - CARA and FARS
- Tony Mountjoy "VE6MX" - tonymjoy@telus.net
- Ray Bourne "VE6LG" - president@fars.ca
Basic RF UHF Links - SARA
- Ray Semenoff "VE6RHS"
5 GHz Digital Linking
- Dave Wick "VA6DBA" - VA6DBA@hotmail.com
Internet Relay Linking Project (IRLP)
- Peter Barry "VA6PJB" - barrynscan@hotmail.com
D-STAR Systems for Linking
- Ian Burgess "VA6EMS" - VA6EMS@rac.ca

2013 Repeater Conference Documents

page moderator: VA6RPL "Peter" VA6RPL@techworld.ca

APRS - presentation (Dave Wick "VA6DBA": VA6DBA@gmail.com)

Battery World (Ken Waldrum: barlow@batteryworld.net)

Codan / Daniels Radios (Douglas Bigrigg: douglas.bigrigg@codanradio.com)

ICOM Radios (Paul Veel "VE7PVL": paulveel@icomcanada.com)

Sinclair Antennae and Peripherals (Martine Cardozo "HH2TK": mcardozo@sintech.com)

presentation (available to CARA members only)

Sinclair 'antenna slide rules' are now available, free of charge, for those who attended the conference. Attendees may contact VA6RPL "Peter" at VA6RPL@techworld.ca for info on how to receive theirs.

Skyfire Energy (Dave Kelly P. Eng.: dkelly@skyfireenergy.com)