February 2026 Meeting

Program Change: Unfortunately, ISED Inspector Allan Pawluk is unable to attend as originally scheduled. Instead, Andrew VE4KL will present on LoRa in Amateur Radio.

Event Details

• 📅 Date: Monday, February 9, 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

LoRa in Amateur Radio with Andrew VE4KL

Andrew will discuss:

• What is LoRa
• Applications in amateur radio including:
  • Meshtastic
  • MeshCore
  • LoRa APRS
  • TinyGS

Original Program: ISED Inspector Allan Pawluk. We hope to reschedule this presentation for a future meeting.

We look forward to seeing you there! 📻

Resources

LoRa Modulation Protocol

• YouTube: LoRa CHIRP - Richard Wenner - Explains how the chirp spread spectrum works

MeshCore

• Website: https://meshcore.co.uk/
• Discord: https://discord.gg/bSuST8xvet
• GitHub: https://github.com/meshcore-dev/MeshCore

Meshtastic

• Website: https://meshtastic.org/
• Discord: https://discord.gg/meshtastic
• GitHub: https://github.com/meshtastic

LoRa APRS

• Awesome LoRa APRS - Reference collection of different LoRa APRS projects
• LoRa APRS Tracker - Usable firmware for building LoRa APRS trackers
• LoRa APRS iGate - Usable firmware for building LoRa APRS iGates

TinyGS

• Website: https://tinygs.com/

MeshCore Settings for Winnipeg

Many local users are using the USA/Canada preset with these settings:

• Frequency: 910.525 MHz
• Bandwidth: 62.5 kHz
• Spreading Factor: 7

Supported Devices

Popular devices among local users in Winnipeg include:

• Heltec v3 / v4: Compact, all-in-one devices with built-in OLED displays. Include WiFi and Bluetooth alongside LoRa. Best for beginners due to affordability and ease of use. Form factor is small and portable.

• Lilygo T-Beam and other Lilygo devices: Larger form factor with more integrated features. The T-Beam includes GPS, making it excellent for APRS tracking and location-based applications. Generally more feature-rich than Heltec with extended capabilities, though at a slightly higher price point.

• RAK WisBlock: Fully modular system allowing you to customize functionality by selecting different sensor and interface modules. Offers the greatest flexibility and scalability for advanced users willing to handle more complex assembly. Ideal for building specialized applications requiring specific combinations of features.

Each device type serves different use cases: Heltec for affordability and simplicity, Lilygo for feature integration, and RAK for modularity and customization.