Radio Amateurs of Manitoba

June 2026 Meeting - POTA BBQ at Assiniboine Park

Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

June 2026 Meeting — POTA BBQ

Our June meeting is taking place outdoors this year! We’re heading to Assiniboine Park for a Parks on the Air (POTA) activation and club BBQ.

For full event details, see the POTA BBQ announcement.

Event Details

📅 Date: Monday, June 8, 2026
🕓 Setup: ~4:30 PM CDT
🍔 Food served: 5:30–6:30 PM CDT
📍 Location: Picnic Site 8, Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg

Note: This is an outdoor event — no clubhouse or Zoom this month.

We look forward to seeing you there! 73

VE4WPG Output Tone Changing to 88.5 Hz

Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The RAM Technical Committee is changing the VE4WPG output CTCSS tone from 127.3 Hz to 88.5 Hz to mitigate an intermittent noise issue at Richardson Centre. The input tone you transmit to access the repeater remains 127.3 Hz. Depending on how your radio is currently programmed, you may need to make a small change.

This is the same configuration already in use on VE4ACX, VE4CNR and VE4GIM.

What Is Changing

	Before	After
Input tone (you transmit)	127.3 Hz	127.3 Hz, unchanged
Output tone (repeater transmits)	127.3 Hz	88.5 Hz

What You Need to Do

If you transmit 127.3 Hz and receive on carrier squelch (no tone decode today): Your transmit setting is still correct. No change is needed.

If you receive on tone squelch with 127.3 Hz decode today: Update your radio’s receive decode tone to 88.5 Hz. Leave your transmit tone at 127.3 Hz. If your radio supports split tones (separate encode and decode), program encode at 127.3 Hz and decode at 88.5 Hz.

If your radio cannot store separate transmit and receive tones: Most such radios still support tone encode only. Set your transmit to 127.3 Hz and switch your receive to carrier squelch. Having 88.5 Hz on the repeater output does not prevent carrier squelch reception. The sub-audible tone is filtered out by your radio’s audio circuits and you will not hear it.

The technical committee has updated the club CHIRP file as of May 14, 2026 with a tone-encode-only configuration for VE4WPG. Loading the current file is the simplest path to a working setup.

Why We Are Making This Change

The site at Richardson Centre is a difficult RF environment. A new FM broadcast station was approved and installed at the site within the past year, joining an existing co-located broadcaster. Other land mobile radio (LMR) systems on the roof contribute further noise and intermodulation products to the environment.

The specific issue we are addressing is intermodulation between VE4WPG’s own transmit signal and the two co-sited FM broadcast stations. The two broadcasters are spaced 600 kHz apart in frequency. Because 2 m amateur repeaters use a 600 kHz offset between input and output, a third-order intermodulation product of these three signals lands directly on the repeater’s own receive frequency.

That intermod product carries the same 127.3 Hz CTCSS tone the repeater is transmitting. The repeater’s receiver, listening for 127.3 Hz on its input, accepts the intermod as a valid signal, opens its squelch, and retransmits the noise.

By changing the repeater’s transmit tone to 88.5 Hz while leaving the input decode at 127.3 Hz, the intermod product derived from the repeater’s own signal no longer carries the tone the receiver is listening for.

For background, see also Continuous Tone-Coded Squelch System (CTCSS) on Wikipedia.

Why We Tried Filtering First

The committee installed additional filtering ahead of the VE4WPG receiver in earlier work this year. Filtering helped, but did not fully isolate the receiver from the intermod product. The broadcasters operate at high power at very close range, and the unwanted product remains strong enough to be a problem after the filtering we are able to apply.

Why Picking a Different Single Tone Would Not Help

A natural question is: why not just change VE4WPG to a different single CTCSS tone? The reason a single new tone does not fix the problem is that the intermod product always echoes back whatever tone the repeater is transmitting. If the repeater transmits 100 Hz, the intermod product carries 100 Hz, and the receiver (listening for 100 Hz to validate users) is fooled by its own intermod in exactly the same way as before.

The loop is only broken when the transmit tone differs from the input decode tone. That is what split tone gives us.

Why Swapping VE4WPG Onto Different Frequencies Would Not Help

Another natural question is whether VE4WPG could be moved onto a different frequency pair, for example by swapping with VE4WRS. The arithmetic that produces the intermod product is driven by the 600 kHz separation between the two broadcasters combined with the 600 kHz repeater offset used on the 2 m amateur band. No matter which 2 m frequency pair the repeater uses, the intermod product produced by mixing its transmit signal with the two broadcasters lands on a frequency 600 kHz away from the transmit, which is the receive frequency.

The only way to escape this relationship would be to change the repeater offset itself away from 600 kHz, which is not an option under the standard amateur 2 m band plan. Moving onto another 2 m pair simply moves the same problem to that pair, while requiring every user to reprogram.

Need Help Reprogramming?

We know radio programming is not everyone’s strong suit, and we want to make sure no one ends up off the network because of this change.

Wednesday evenings at the WSC Clubhouse: Bring your radio and, if you have it, your operating manual. Send a quick email to tech@ramb.ca ahead of time with your radio model so we know what to expect. The technical committee has programming cables for nearly all common radios and software for most.

If mobility is a barrier: Email tech@ramb.ca and we will do our best to find a volunteer to pick up your radio, get it programmed, and return it to you.

We Are Here to Help

We understand that changes like this are inconvenient, and we appreciate your patience as we work through an RF environment that is largely outside our direct control. We are a club that works together, and there are many members who want to help. If you are unsure about the programming, the concepts, or the logistics, please reach out. No question is too basic, and no one should be left off the network over a tone setting.

73, the RAM Technical Committee
tech@ramb.ca

POTA BBQ at Assiniboine Park, June 8 2026

Wed, 06 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We’re heading outside this summer! Join the Radio Amateurs of Manitoba for a Parks on the Air (POTA) activation paired with a club BBQ at Assiniboine Park. Whether you’re chasing parks, operating HF, or just coming out for a burger, there’s something for everyone — and bring your family!

Event Details

📅 Date: Monday, June 8, 2026
🕖 Time: Setup ~4:30 PM CDT — Food served 5:30–6:30 PM — Cleanup by 8:30 PM
📍 Location: Picnic Site 8, Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg
👨‍👩‍👧 Family: All are welcome!

Food & Drinks

We’ll be firing up the grill with:

Burgers
Hot dogs
Salads
Drinks

RSVP

Please fill out the form below so we can gauge attendance and make sure we have enough food for everyone!

RSVP Here

Finding Us — Picnic Site 8

Use the map below to find Picnic Site 8. The site is circled for easy reference.

Picnic Site 8 is circled on the map above.

Parks on the Air Activation

Assiniboine Park (CA-1048) is a valid POTA location, and we’re making the most of it! The club will be supporting two HF stations operating on different bands, both activating under the club callsign VE4BB.

We also encourage members to bring their handhelds, tripods, and roll-up J-Poles — and this is where it gets really interesting for credits (see below)!

How Logging Works for Club Activations

Just like Field Day, the club callsign VE4BB is used over the air and recorded in the STATION_CALLSIGN field. The individual making the contact logs their own callsign in the OPERATOR field. Once uploaded to the VE4BB account, POTA awards credit to both the club callsign and the individual operator’s callsign. That means if you sit down at one of the HF stations as the control operator, your 10 contacts count toward activating Assiniboine Park for you personally — not just for VE4BB!

Note that the two club HF stations cannot work each other for contact credit, as POTA prevents a callsign from working itself.

The Handheld Angle — Your Own Mini Activation

Here’s where it gets even better for those bringing handhelds. If you operate under your personal callsign rather than VE4BB, you are essentially running your own mini-activation alongside the club’s. Make contacts with the club stations (or other members on simplex), submit your own separate log, and you can earn your own QSO, Park-to-Park, and activation credits for CA-1048!

If you want to understand the rules a bit more, you can read them over here.

We look forward to seeing you out there. 73, Radio Amateurs of Manitoba

Boost Your Signal: J-Pole Build Nights

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Are you looking to boost your signal from home or out in the field? One of the most effective and rewarding ways to improve your station’s performance is by building your own antenna.

As mentioned in the latest Newscaster, a J-Pole can improve your signal by roughly 10 times compared to a stock “rubber duck” antenna. Join us for this two-part hands-on workshop!

📅 When: Thursday, April 23 & April 30
🕖 Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
📍 Where: The WSC Clubrooms, 598 St Mary’s Road

The Schedule

🔬 Night 1: Theory & Prep (April 23) We’ll dive into the physics of J-Pole operation and discuss design differences between single-band and dual-band models. We will also begin measuring the 300-ohm twin-lead and prepping elements for assembly.

🛠️ Night 2: Assembly & Tuning (April 30) This is the “hands-on” night! We will be soldering SO-239 bulkhead connectors, completing final assembly, and precision-tuning the antennas to ensure they are resonant and ready for the air.

Registration & Materials

To participate, please complete the following two steps:

📧 Register: Send an email to Info@ramb.ca to confirm your attendance.
🛒 Purchase Parts: Visit the RAM Cable Shop to pre-purchase:
- 5 feet of twin-lead
- SO-239 connector

⚙️ Important Gear Notes

Mounting: If you plan to mount your J-Pole outdoors in a PVC or ABS pipe, you will need the SO-239 connector and a few inches of coax (RG-58, RG-174, or RG-8) for the internal connection. Please talk to the organizers about exactly what to order from the Cable Shop.
Portable Use: If you are not using an SO-239 connector, ensure you have a length of transmission cable long enough to reach from your antenna to your radio.
🔥 Tools: If you have a soldering iron and solder, please bring them along for Night 2.

We look forward to seeing you there and getting you loud and clear on the air! 📻

73, Radio Amateurs of Manitoba

Solar Weather & Ionospheric Science

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

May 2026 Meeting

Join us for our May meeting featuring two informative presentations.

Note: This meeting was amended. Natalie VE4NAT was originally scheduled to present on Environment Canada Weather Safety but had to cancel. Geoff VE4AE has graciously stepped in as a replacement.

Event Details

📅 Date: Monday, May 11, 2026
🕒 Time: 7:00 PM CST (01:00 UTC)

📍 In-Person Location:
VE4WSC Clubhouse (Old Firehall)
598 St. Mary’s Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba
View on Google Maps

💻 Join via Zoom:
Zoom Link

Program

Solar Weather & Ionospheric Science – by Geoff, VE4AE

Geoff will present on his radio research work, including:

Ionospheric disruption and its effects on radio propagation
Solar weather and space weather monitoring
GOES satellite data and its applications

We look forward to seeing you there! 📻

Homebrew Night 2026

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

On April 13, 2026, the Radio Amateurs of Manitoba held Homebrew Night, where four members presented their amateur radio projects to the club.

Presentations

VE4SNI (James) – Digital Unnamed Project
VA4MAJ (Mark) – Speaker Wire Dipole
VE4TUR (Walter) – DDS Signal Generator
VE4ELB (Jorge) – Ham Pulse Propagation Tool

Prize Winners

Congratulations to our prize winners, selected by the club following the presentations.

First Prize -- $100 Princess Auto Gift Card

Second Prize -- $50 Princess Auto Gift Card

VA4STC Site Visit

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

On April 2, 2026, Andrew VE4KL and Evan VE4EVN visited the VA4STC repeater site in the Sturgeon Creek area of Winnipeg to carry out site maintenance and system upgrades.

Controller Upgrade to ASL3

The primary task of the visit was upgrading the repeater controller from ASL2 to ASL3. ASL2 has reached end of life and is no longer receiving updates, so moving to ASL3 ensures the controller continues to benefit from ongoing security patches and software improvements. The upgrade went smoothly and the system was verified on the air following the work.

While on site, the crew also took the opportunity to ensure the configurations are in place to establish VE4CDN in Morris and VE4MAN in Starbuck as their own dedicated nodes on the AllStar network. This groundwork sets the stage for future linking activity between these sites.

Equipment and Site Inspection

A general visual inspection of the indoor equipment was carried out. Everything looked to be in good order, with no obvious concerns, and the cooling fans were sounding healthy.

The antenna systems at the site were also surveyed and photographed to support planning for future VA4WAN infrastructure work. The site hosts a triband vertical serving the club’s VHF repeater as well as a privately owned 220 MHz repeater. Two link yagis are installed to support the CDN and MAN links. The VA4WAN equipment at the site includes point-to-point links to Inkster, Osborne Village, and St. Vital, along with a 2.3 GHz omni antenna for wireless access.

Test QSO

A thank you goes out to Nolan VE4NOL for getting on the air to conduct a test QSO over the network while the crew was still on site, confirming the system was functioning correctly following the upgrade. After departing, a second test QSO with Dan VE4DRK was also successful, with good audio reported in both directions over the network.

VE4GIM Gimli Site Visit

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

On March 24, 2026, Derek VE4HAY, Dan VE4DRK, Bill VE4AAZ, and Stephane VA4SPT travelled to Gimli to begin work on bringing VE4GIM onto the RAM AllStar Network. Unfortunately, upon arrival the crew discovered that the repeater site had no power, with the supply to the equipment having been lost at some point prior to the visit.

While on site, three of the four crew members completed the host site safety orientation, passing with flying colours. With that requirement out of the way, future visits will be able to get straight to work.

Host site electricians have been engaged to restore power to the site. Once that work is complete, a follow-up site visit will be scheduled to resume the AllStar integration work. All was not lost, however, as the crew made a well-deserved stop at Chicken Chef on the way home.

We’re looking forward to having VE4GIM sorted out and connected to the network before the busy summer cottage and boating season.

2026 Officer and Committee Chair Appointments

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

At the March 23, 2026 Board meeting, the Board of Directors made the following appointments for the 2026 term, in accordance with the RAM Bylaws. The current roster of officers and committee chairs is always available on the Governance page.

Officers are appointed under section 4(f) of the bylaws, which requires the Board to choose from among its members who will fill the executive positions at a Directors Meeting held within fifteen days of the AGM. Committee chairs are appointed under section 4(j), which authorizes the Board to establish committees and appoint a chair from either the Board or the general membership.

Officers

The Board appointed the following officers from among its members:

Position	Name	Callsign
President	Rod	VE4TM
Vice-President	Geoff	VE4AE
Secretary	Nicholas	VA4NJF
Treasurer	Andrew	VE4KL

Committee Chairs

The Board also appointed chairs for the following committees:

Committee	Chair	Callsign
Technical	Wyatt	VE4WDZ
Communications	Mark	VE4MAB
Education	Drago	VE4DBV
Membership	Scott	VE4TQ
Programs	Jamie	VE4JHT

The Events, Fundraising, and Social committee chair positions remain vacant. Members interested in chairing one of these committees are encouraged to contact the President.

VE4PLP Site Visit and Repeater Upgrade

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

On March 13, 2026, Andrew VE4KL made a site visit to the VE4PLP repeater site southwest of Portage la Prairie to perform a full equipment audit and upgrade. The work focused on stabilizing the site, replacing aging equipment, and preparing the repeater for the next stage of network integration. Including travel time, the total volunteer effort for this work was approximately 6 hours.

Equipment Work

The legacy VHF repeater, two MSR2000 UHF link radios, and the Palomar repeater controller were removed from the site and returned to Winnipeg. A Kenwood TKR-750 VHF FM repeater was installed in their place, giving the site a cleaner and more serviceable foundation for ongoing work. The Astron RM-35A power supply on site was confirmed healthy at 13.9 V DC.

A multi-coupler was also retrieved from the right cabinet and brought back to Winnipeg for tuning ahead of its planned deployment for APRS service. This visit was as much about clearing out legacy hardware and documenting the condition of the site as it was about getting the repeater back into dependable operation.

Antenna and RF Checks

SWR scans were performed on-site using a RigExpert Stick Pro antenna analyzer. The VHF duplexer was confirmed tuned and performing correctly across VE4PLP’s operating frequencies (147.165 MHz TX / 147.765 MHz RX). Both UHF link antennas — one oriented toward VE4MAN and one toward VE4HS — showed acceptable SWR across the operating band.

Initial reports after the work indicate the repeater is usable from roughly Carberry to Elie by mobile while travelling along Highway 1, which is a promising early sign for the refreshed installation.

Current Operating Status

At present, VE4PLP is operating in Local Repeat only while the next stage of integration work is planned. The technical crew is continuing to evaluate linking options that would allow the site to provide broader network value while working within the limits of the current infrastructure.

Because there is currently no IP connectivity available at VE4PLP, one possible path forward is a UHF link to VE4HS in Bruxelles. Another option under consideration is a half-duplex site in Portage la Prairie.

If any hams in Portage la Prairie are interested in helping with IP connectivity for a half-duplex link or APRS iGate, the technical crew would like to hear from you at tech@ramb.ca.

Photos

The tower at VE4PLP.

One of the equipment cabinets before being stripped of legacy equipment.

The two equipment cabinets stripped and prepared for new equipment, with the TKR-750 installed.