<![CDATA[NORTH FRASER AMATEUR RADIO CLUB VE7NFR - The DIPOLE

<![CDATA[NORTH FRASER AMATEUR RADIO CLUB VE7NFR - The DIPOLE - Blog]]>Sat, 27 Apr 2024 18:36:12 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[AMSAT Proposes Solution to Global Warming]]>Sun, 29 Oct 2023 19:16:04 GMThttp://ve7nfr.com/thedipole/amsat-proposes-solution-to-global-warming

AMSAT is making a proposal at the upcoming “United Nations Climate Change Conference on Global Warming” for the launch of 500,000 Low Earth Orbit Satellites (LEOs). The proposal will provide unprecedented communications capabilities for ham radio operators while also solving global warming (also known as “Climate Change” for those who remember when Canada used to be a cold country).

Hams have been launching LEOs for many years, but never on the scale of companies like StarLink, who have around 5,000 LEOs providing worldwide internet service.

But now AMSAT proposes a bold new vision: launching 500,000 satellites that will provide not only a reliable emergency communications network, but will also block enough sunlight to reduce the Earth’s temperature back to the pre-climate change conditions.

“The plan is genius,” said Professor H. D. Mellon, a noted climate change expert. “Finally someone has realized the real source of global warming is the Sun. It must be blocked. I don’t know why we never thought of this before!”

Dubbed “sunglasses for the planet” the first 100,000 satellites will be launched early in the new year to provide the first level of protection in time for summer. The remaining sunlight that gets through will be reflected back to space, where it belongs, by the metal 10 GHz antennas used by hams on the ground.

The Climate Change Conference is expected to approve the proposal at next week’s session in Hawaii, once all delegates have arrived by jet aircraft.

-Reporting from live from Hawaii, Adrian VE7NZ/KH6.
The DIPOLE - the Worlds finest Amateur Radio News Source, like a Dipole there are two sides to every story, we ignore those sides, digging deeper for unwanted lobes and parasitic reactions

]]><![CDATA[Amateur Radio Fashion Month]]>Sat, 17 Jun 2023 18:51:55 GMThttp://ve7nfr.com/thedipole/amateur-radio-fashion-monthSpring has Sprung and has now nearly come to an end as Summer approaches. There can only be one thing on the collective minds of Amateur Radio operators around North America. All tenured Hams know that Field Day is booked and calendarized for the weekend of June 24/25 and it is also the yearly solar maximum for Ham-fests and Swap Meets so now is the time to show off your Radio Fashion on the cat walks of community centers and parks all over the land.

For the 50th straight year, everywhere we looked the discerning Amateur was rocking out a Baseball cap. This timeless piece of couture affords so many opportunities for an OP to express themselves. One small exception was a trend we see being adopted from Motorcycle meets: The Dew Rag. We also want to give a big shout out to the ballsey move by some to wear camouflage pants even after the January 6th debacle.

Another trend we noticed was the wide scale adoption of the sleeveless sweater vest by the older crowd, this choice of apparel allows the Ham to match his shirt and pants or not. These vests allow the adornment of patches, pins and stickers that really show off your commitment to the hobby.

Something new we are seeing this year is this statement making Yellow Safety vest which really says "I'm here" like nothing else on the market today. Pockets, pockets, pockets lets you tuck away HT's, spare batteries and girls phone numbers like nobodies business.

All in all an exciting year in Radio Apparel with timeless classics and new trends spicing up the airwaves.

-Scott VA7SL reporting from The Cat Walk

The DIPOLE - the Worlds finest Amateur Radio News Source, like a Dipole there are two sides to every story, we ignore those sides, digging deeper for unwanted lobes and parasitic reactions

]]><![CDATA[North Fraser ARC Announces “Pico Pet Program” - Taking Pets to New Heights]]>Sun, 23 Apr 2023 16:34:09 GMThttp://ve7nfr.com/thedipole/north-fraser-arc-announces-pico-pet-program-taking-pets-to-new-heights

Building on its recent successful pico-balloon launches, the North Fraser Amateur Radio Club recently announced the “Pico Pet Program” where pet owners can send their pets to the heavens as part of a high-altitude balloon payload.
After announcing the program during the weekly Trans-Canada Net, Scott VA7SL, said hundreds of submissions were received including cats, dogs, fish, and even birds (the birds were disqualified for having an unfair advantage).
One applicant wrote, “I am submitting my application for Fluffy the Cat to be the first cat to float up to 40,000 feet. He mostly sits in front of the fire doing nothing, so we decided he needed a new challenge to bring back the joy of discovery he had in his younger days.”
The shortlisted candidates will have to undergo extensive training like any test pilot. This will include time in the tumble dryer and survival training in the fridge to simulate temperatures found in the upper atmosphere.

http://ve7nfr.com/pico-balloons.html
-
Reporting from Flight Training Headquarters, Adrian VE7NZ
The DIPOLE - the Worlds finest Amateur Radio News Source, like a Dipole there are two sides to every story, we ignore those sides, digging deeper for unwanted lobes and parasitic reactions

]]><![CDATA[Pico-Balloonists to Fight Back]]>Sat, 01 Apr 2023 07:01:00 GMThttp://ve7nfr.com/thedipole/pico-balloonists-to-fight-back

It is now believed that a United States F-22 Raptor fighter jet, under NORAD command, on February 11, 2023 shot down a Amateur Radio Pico-Balloon over the Yukon Territories of Canada. This illegal, proactive and unnecessary act of War has outraged the international Amateur Radio community. Operators from all over the World have been hastily meeting to strategize countermeasures to deter and protect their perfectly legal payloads.

Top Pico-Ballooners such as W5KUB, VE3KCL, SA6BSS, NU7B, KO6FE and the owner of the shot down balloon, K9YO are set to implement counter-measures to protect their aerial investments from now on. State of the art tactical flare and chaff systems will now be employed as well as electronic warfare jamming techniques switched on when payloads are approached by military aircraft . When asked if the Amateurs were concerned that these tactics would "up the ante" for NATO the spokesperson for the collective responded with , " Just go ahead and try us".

If NORAD is willing to shoot a half million dollar missile at a bag of gas then our crowd funding will offset that with half a million in countermeasures. The Amateur Radio community is notorious for their generosity and willingness to spend money on expensive, cutting edge, modern technology. Green stamps have already started flooding into W5KUB mission control at the mere rumor of this development. "We have less trouble over Ukraine and Russia then over NATO territories." the spokesperson went on to say. Watch this space for future updates on this evolving story.

-Scott VA7SL reporting from Ham-tv.com

The DIPOLE - the Worlds finest Amateur Radio News Source, like a Dipole there are two sides to every story, we ignore those sides, digging deeper for unwanted lobes and parasitic reactions

]]><![CDATA[Bouvet Island Expedition's Biggest Surprise]]>Fri, 10 Mar 2023 22:09:34 GMThttp://ve7nfr.com/thedipole/bouvet-island-expeditions-biggest-surprise

Bouvet DXpedition Surprised to Find Starbucks on Island

The Bouvet Island DXpedition has generated a lot of attention. Bouvet is noted for being the land mass that is the furthest from any other humans on the planet. It is listed on CLUBLOG™ as the second most-wanted country after North Korea which is impressive, given North Korea does have people, and Bouvet is home to just lost seals and a few anti-vaxxers.

Or so it was thought, until the team arrived on January 31st.

As reported on dxnews.com, team co-leader LA7GIA couldn’t even get to the island without swimming the last 10 meters in the freezing south Atlantic while the other members of the team watched from the boat and cheered him on. Imagine his surprise when looking up and gasping for air, holding a radio in one hand and a Buddipole™ in the other, he saw a familiar sight: Yes, it was a Starbucks® - the hallmark of civilization to be found in any respectable town since man landed on the moon (allegedly).

After stumbling up the beach he informed the team via VHF that he had just had a venti caramel Frappuccino with one pump of caramel sauce, one pump of mocha, one pump of white mocha, and an affogato shot. Suddenly everyone on the boat had wished they had jumped into the water. They were also impressed he could speak the native language.

We reached Starbucks spokesperson Scott Presso who informed us, on the condition of anonymity, that they had been planning a Starbucks on Bouvet for some time, after realizing it was the only place they hadn’t put a location. However, when they heard about the DXpedition S. Presso said, “We simply had to get there ahead of the team, to welcome them and show how much we appreciate what they are doing and how much their wives appreciate the break.”

The new Starbucks is already prepared for the expected rush of customers. With a drive-through window and baked goods for the price of a dinner in New York, visitors will be able to enjoy a little taste of home while passing through from somewhere to nowhere.

As for the DXpedition team, they have applied for the special callsign 3Y0JOE so everyone can have a virtual “cup of Joe” with them. QSL via the bureau.

-Adrian VE7NZ reporting from the pileup

The DIPOLE - the Worlds finest Amateur Radio News Source, like a Dipole there are two sides to every story, we ignore those sides, digging deeper for unwanted lobes and parasitic reactions

]]><![CDATA[Yaesu USA going Vegan]]>Thu, 15 Sep 2022 18:57:11 GMThttp://ve7nfr.com/thedipole/yaesu-usa-going-vegan

Amateur Radio has existed in a bubble for decades having avoided many political controversies but in recent times controversy finds us more and more . Many younger Amateur Radio license holders have recognized such things as Climate Change, LGBTQ rights and now Animal Cruelty. This is why a young band of American Amateurs have banded together to promote Veganism in Ham Radio. It all started at the 2022 Dayton Hamvention with a small booth, off in a quieter part of the convention, where a small group of young Hams lead by 16 year old KA6VEG, Versaille Barnette lobbied for change. Barnette claims that much of Amateur Radio equipment is made with little or no concern for animal welfare of the monetization of animals as a commodity. Yaesu USA representative Mikio Maruya took notice and has pledged to the young operators that Yaesu has taken their concerns seriously and will be developing future product lines with Veganism in mind.

Maruya says that Yaesu will be developing future product lines with these goals in mind and he is quite certain most major radio manufacturers will be forced to adopt these measures :

No Animal Testing of products, they will use humans in all tests.
Soy based semiconductors and other components also free of Gluten.
and Biodegradable solders that will dissolve harmlessly when disposed of in landfills or exposed to liquids.

It is widely believed that transmitter output power levels will be significantly degraded as these new technologies generally operate at much lower voltages but they are confident that Hams will adapt as the leaders they are and have always been.

Veganism is a movement founded on a compassion for animals. Followers believe that animals should not be treated as commodities for our consumption or enjoyment. Instead, they should be protected from the impacts humanity has on the environment. For many years, this was expressed as a desire to remove animal products from your diet. It was also considered a fringe movement and, in some cases, derided. The movement is becoming very mainstream with many high profile celebrities and activists leading the way and now Amateur Radio.

Scott VA7SL reporting from Yaesu USA, Cypress California.

The DIPOLE - the Worlds finest Amateur Radio News Source, like a Dipole there are two sides to every story, we ignore those sides, digging deeper for unwanted lobes and parasitic reactions

]]><![CDATA[ARRL Exposes Massive Contesting Fraud]]>Thu, 14 Jul 2022 15:50:40 GMThttp://ve7nfr.com/thedipole/arrl-exposes-massive-contesting-fraud

“No More Monkey Business” - Says ARRL Contest Manager

A recent undercover operation has exposed some questionable operating techniques at big gun contesting stations. Posing as visiting operators, our reporters presented ARRL with videos of operators wearing adult diapers to maximize operating time, taking Red Bull intravenously and, most disturbingly, using trained monkeys to operate digital modes.

ARRL Contest Manager, Dwayne “Dupe” Checker, K1NFW, said he had thought such stories were just tall tales, but the secret footage clearly shows monkeys making digital contacts during the recent ARRL digital contest. In an announcement from ARRL HQ he stated, “We simply cannot allow this monkey business to continue. We are hams, not monkeys!”

But the station owner in question said there is no requirement in the rules that an operator must be a human. “Besides, the monkeys all passed their Technician exam, which thankfully was multiple choice, so with so many monkeys taking the test, it was just a matter of time. We just happened to be first.”

The ARRL complaint is now going to court in what is expected to be the most watched monkey court case since ‘Monkey #13 vs Michael Jackson.’ Mr. Checker, speaking from ARRL’s Newington CT headquarters, and surrounded by a team of celebrity lawyers, said, “We have to do this. Our membership expects us to do this. If we let monkeys operate digital modes - what’s next? CW? What if we have parrots saying ’59 Florida’ in SSB contests? It’s not right. It’s not natural. It’s not REAL HAM RADIO and it’s not going to happen!”

Monitor this website for daily updates from the courtroom. The trial is set to start April 1, 2023.

- Adrian VE7NZ, reporting from ARRL HQ, Newington CT.

The DIPOLE - the Worlds finest Amateur Radio News Source, like a Dipole there are two sides to every story, we ignore those sides, digging deeper for unwanted lobes and parasitic reactions

]]><![CDATA[ARRL creates "Elite Jammer Eradication Squad"]]>Sun, 27 Mar 2022 15:45:57 GMThttp://ve7nfr.com/thedipole/arrl-creates-elite-jammer-eradication-squad

ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR

In a decisive move Rick Roderick, K5UR President of the American Radio Relay League announced that the ARRL will form an elite paramilitary squad for the eradication of severe cases of jamming and interference on Amateur Radio frequencies in the United States. This squad will be comprised of former military personnel experienced in communication and radio direction finding tactics. This armed militia will travel the U.S. following severe reports of belligerent behavior and will have the eventual capability of being deployed anywhere in the nation within 8 hours. Each Amateur Radio call area will have it's own recallable team ready to roll on page out notice. The full implementation deadline is January 6th, 2023.

"Enough is enough" said Roderick, "The number one complaint of our membership is about goofs on repeaters and pirates on 20M & 80M." With this move Roderick hopes that decades of Ham Operator angst over "doing nothing" will be solved in a mater of weeks as the militia rolls in and out of towns and cities all over America destroying radios and antennas of offenders. Although most of the tactics will remain a secret it is widely thought that this hit and run squad will employ tactics made famous in Iraq by Blackwater employees and in the 1970's movie Citizens Band.

Scott VA7SL, reporting from ARRL HQ, Newington CT. , 04/01/2022 0:00 Zulu

The DIPOLE - the Worlds finest Amateur Radio News Source, like a Dipole there are two sides to every story, we ignore those sides, digging deeper for unwanted lobes and parasitic reactions

]]><![CDATA[Worldwide Controversy Over Radio Manufacturer’s Plans to Have S-Meters go to S-10.]]>Sun, 27 Mar 2022 15:32:59 GMThttp://ve7nfr.com/thedipole/worldwide-controversy-over-radio-manufacturers-plans-to-have-s-meters-go-to-s-10

From recently leaked documents it appears that Amateur Radio equipment manufacturers are about to part with tradition and change S-meters to go to S-10 instead of S-9. This has caused a huge debate on social media. While some hams see the higher signal reports as a boost to otherwise poor conditions, many are outraged that only people with money for new radios get to hear these stronger signals.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, Hitoshi Yakamoto from Yaesu said that they wanted to do something truly innovative for ham radio. After much discussion, the design team agreed an extra S-unit was perfect, although one of the new engineers said he couldn’t recall studying S-units in school at all.

The debates are intense. Contesters are wondering if everyone is now “5-10” or just those with the new radios. British and US hams are united in their opposition, complaining it’s yet another example of metric being used to confuse everyone.

AdrianVE7NZ/JA1 reporting from an undisclosed location in Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 04/01/2022 0:00 Zulu

The DIPOLE - the Worlds finest Amateur Radio News Source, like a Dipole there are two sides to every story, we ignore those sides, digging deeper for unwanted lobes and parasitic reactions

]]><![CDATA[DXCC Award Threatened by Russian Invasion of Ukraine]]>Tue, 15 Feb 2022 18:46:10 GMThttp://ve7nfr.com/thedipole/dxcc-award-threatened-by-russian-invasion-of-ukraine

With Russia massing the bulk of its military and surrounding the independent nation of Ukraine over the last many weeks, leader Vladimir Putin has fired what those in the Amateur Radio Community consider to be the first shot in this coming war.

A Putin spokesman has stated that among the first order of business, post invasion, will be to discontinue the use of current Ukraine callsign prefixes EM-EO and UR-UZ and replace them with a good solid Russian prefix in the range of RA-RZ or UA-UI. Thus Amateur Radio will be changed forever.

The World Wide DXCC chasing community is in complete disarray as loss of Ukraine will threaten Awards and Endorsements causing delays of several days in fulfilling DXCC requirements. Currently all Yagi's are pointing towards Ukraine as last ditched attempts to log a QSO are at a fevered pitch on all HF bands as complete jamming of the spectrum by Russian military forces is considered imminent.

It is widely known that Putin was denied his DXCC many years ago during his time in the KGB and has never forgiven or forgotten this traumatic moment in his life and now seeks revenge on former Soviet Republics like Ukraine.

Scott VA7SL, reporting from the Russian Front

The DIPOLE - the Worlds finest Amateur Radio News Source like a Dipole there are two sides to every story, we ignore those sides, digging deeper for unwanted lobes and parasitic reactions

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