Category Archives: News
Repeater News
A couple of updates for the island-wide linked repeater system:
- VO1 ISR Goulds is now linked to the island-wide system. If you already had this repeater programmed in your radio, it will now function with the link. Coverage is Goulds, Mount Pearl and the highway south-west towards Bay Bulls and Outer Ring Road. Freq: 146.640 –
- VO1 MST Marystown is now back on the air and on the island-wide link! Special thanks to VO1 DNK. Freq: 146.850 –
The nightly Caribou Net happens 9pm NT on the linked system.
Thanks to VO1 MXZ for his continued work on the repeaters and all others who have been helping!
St. Anthony repeater is being worked on and we will provide an update soon. Plans for Birchy Lake & Baie Verte are in the works as well.
SONRA en français
Thanks to our VO1BZM summer student, Kassie, much of the SONRA website static content is now available in perfectly translated French.
Some content, including news items, may either be unavailable in French, or translated using an automatic service.
The site should automatically detect the correct language based on browser settings, but you may also choose manually.
We are still making some adjustments, so feel free to let us know if you discover any issues!
Today’s The Day! RAC AGM & Ham Fest
The best place to follow for updates would be the SONRA Twitter & Facebook pages.
RAC AGM Webinar stream for those who wish to view from anywhere begins around 11am ET. Registration closes 1 hour before the meeting begins. Click here to register.
RAC lineup of events can be found here: http://wp.rac.ca/agm/
And the entire day schedule here: https://sonra.ca/en/2016/07/rac-agm-hearts-content-cable-station-150th-anniversary-ham-fest/
VO1BLR Birchy Lake Repeater ONLINE!
Great news! The VO1 BLR Birchy Lake Repeater is once again ONLINE after some hard work and contributions. For a full list of those who helped with the project, please see our previous post.
VO1MXZ & VO1VXC continued upgrade work this past week with new electrical, insulation, vapour barrier, floor & heating system. Oh, and of course the repeater! It is online with APRS and CW identifier at 146.640-. A few minor things left to complete at the site, but it is now operational and ready for winter.
Thanks to all those who helped make this project happen!
VO1BLR is a standalone repeater, but hope is to someday connect it to the NL Linked Repeater System. It is now on the linked system.
RAC AGM & Hearts Content Cable Station 150th Anniversary Ham Fest
The Radio Amateurs of Canada 2016 Annual General Meeting and the Hearts Content Cable Station 150th anniversary Ham Fest will take place at the Hearts Content Cable Station on September 10th, 2016. Afterwards, enjoy a meet & greet social at VO1DM’s summer home in Greens Harbour. Sponsored by SONRA (Society of Newfoundland Radio Amateurs), BARK (Baccalieu Amateur Radio Club) and UTARC (Upper Trinity Amateur Radio Club).
Read on for details!
VO1BLR Birchy Lake Repeater Rebuild Project
VO1MXZ is the lead on a project to rebuild the VO1BLR repeater in Birchy Lake, NL. Once complete, it will operate on on 146.640 MHz with a negative offset. This site will feature APRS capabilities as well.
It’s coming along, but there’s still some work to be done before it is operational. We will post updates here, as well as Facebook and Twitter once it’s ready to go.
Pictures of the work are below.
Big thank you to the following contributors for making this possible:
Ken Whalen VO1ST
Dan Pike VO1VCP
Rodney Ellis VO1TWO
Bill Crann VO1BIL
Bryan Taylor VO1MXZ & XYL Sara Taylor
Craig Moore VO1VXC
Pat Hurley VO1PH
Brian Kelly VO1AW
Rene Ozon VO1RPO
Chris Cuff VO1CFC,
Jason Slade VO1JNS,
Daisy Tucker VO1DJT,
Ken Tucker VO1KVT,
Janet Brake VO1JBB,
Terry Hollett VO1TH,
Hayward Stratton VO1EHS,
Calvin Janes VO1CAL,
Perry Cooper VO1KVJ
Field Day 2016
We had a great Field Day 2016! The weather was beautiful, and there were lots of people on Signal Hill. It’s always an honor to operate from Signal Hill, where Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless signal. We had a great attendance, with plenty of new hams included. Unfortunately band conditions weren’t excellent, but that didn’t stop us from making plenty of contacts and having a great time!
We also enjoyed communicating with other clubs and stations via social media. Although our favorite place to be is on the air, being able to share pictures and educate the public via Facebook and Twitter is a great thing.
Thanks to all who made contact with us. We look forward to next year!
Click Read More to see pics!
HF Antenna Repair at VO1BZM
On June 18th, 2016 we were finally able to make repairs to the SONRA club station HF antenna at Admiralty House Museum (VO1BZM).