Saturday 12 May 2012

Industry Canada Announcement on 60meter band

Notice from Industry Canada re 60meter Assignment
DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY
RADIOCOMMUNICATION ACT

Notice No. SMSE-010-12

The purpose of this notice is to announce the release of the above-mentioned document, which initiates a consultation on the addition of a footnote to the Canadian Table of Frequency Allocations to allow the amateur radio service to operate on six frequencies in the 5 MHz range on a no-protection, no-interference basis. Industry Canada is also consulting on possible amendments to Regulation by Reference RBR-4, Standards for the Operation of Radio Stations in the Amateur Radio Service. These amendments specify emission designators, transmit power and occupied bandwidth for amateur radio service transmissions on these frequencies.
— Consultation on Changes to the Canadian Table of Frequency Allocations and to RBR-4 to Allow for Amateur Radio Service Use in the 5 MHz Band.
Background

In 2010, the Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) approached Industry Canada and requested the use of five centre frequencies in the 5 MHz band, namely 5332 kHz, 5348 kHz, 5358.5 kHz, 5373 kHz and 5405 kHz. The RAC stated that the use of these frequencies would allow for more reliable communications during emergency operations. The RAC indicated that the propagation characteristics in the 5 MHz frequency range allow for both local and interprovincial communications.

The RAC highlighted that the U.S. amateur radio community has access to these frequencies and that harmonizing frequency use would allow Canadian radio amateurs to conduct regional emergency communications on a coordinated basis with U.S. radio amateurs. The RAC noted that many administrations around the world have authorized radio amateurs to use the frequency 5405 kHz.

The RAC also requested the use of two additional frequencies, 5319 kHz and 5329 kHz, for Canadian domestic use. After conducting a review of domestic and international use of the frequency 5319 kHz, Industry Canada determined that this frequency is unavailable for use by the amateur radio service in Canada.

This consultation provides an opportunity to comment on the use of six frequencies in the 5 MHz band by the amateur radio service and the associated technical rules for these frequencies.
Submitting comments

Respondents are requested to submit their comments in electronic format (WordPerfect, Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF) to the following email address: spectrum.engineering@ic.gc.ca, along with a note specifying the software, version number and operating system used.

Written submissions should be addressed to the Manager, Mobile Systems, Industry Canada, 300 Slater Street, 19th Floor, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0C8.

All submissions should cite the Canada Gazette, Part , the publication date, the title and the notice reference number (SMSE-010-12). To ensure consideration, parties should submit their comments no later than 30 days after the date of publication (June 12, 2012). Soon after the close of the comment period, all comments received will be posted on Industry Canada’s Spectrum Management and Telecommunications Web site at www.ic.gc.ca/spectrum.
Obtaining copies

Copies of this notice and of documents referred to herein are available electronically on Industry Canada’s Spectrum Management and Telecommunications Web site at www.ic.gc.ca/spectrum.

Official versions of Canada Gazette notices can be viewed at www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/index-eng.html. Printed copies of the Canada Gazette can be ordered by telephoning the sales counter of Publishing and Depository Services at 613-941-5995 or 1-800-635-7943.

May 4, 2012
MARC DUPUIS
Director General
Engineering, Planning and Standards Branch

Friday 11 May 2012

Canwarn Update No. 3

Canwarn training has now been completed in a number of locations in Southwestern and Southcentral Ontario.

The attendance has been up at almost every venue from numbers we have seen in recent years. Great to see many familiar faces and also to meet new volunteers. This training release now includes the dates/times/venues for the Northwestern Ontario training as well as a correction to the Belleville training (starts at 10 AM not 9 AM) and the addition of a training session in Renfrew on June 6th. Also the start times for the Timmins session (6:30 PM) and the Temiskaming Shores session (6 PM) have been added to the list below after being accidentally omitted on Release 2.

I will be sending out another email in a couple of weeks with a reporting tip sheet and list of useful storm spotting websites once our summer students have had a chance to input the large number of new volunteers into the database.

Please find following the remaining CANWARN training sessions for the spring of 2012.

May 16 – Dufferin County – 7 PM Dufferin County Museum, Highway 89 and Airport Road in Mulmur

May 26 – Belleville – 10 AM – Belleville Library Conference Room, 254 Pinnacle St

May 26 – Sudbury – 9 AM – Lionel E. Lalonde Centre, 239 Montee Principale in Azilda

May 27 – Espanola – 1 PM – Pinewood Inn – 378 Centre St.

May 27 – Elliot Lake – 7 PM – Renaissance Centre, 20 Veterans Way

May 28 – Sault Ste Marie – 7 PM – Delta Sault Ste Marie, 208 St. Mary’s Drive

May 29 – Timmins – 6:30 PM – Timmins Inn and Suites, 1800 Riverside Drive

May 30 – Temiskaming Shores – 6 PM – College Boreal, 280 Armstrong St.

May 31 – North Bay – 6:30 PM - North Bay Public Library, 271 Worthington

June 4 – Thunder Bay – 7 PM - Room 196 Shuniah Building, Confederation College, William and Edward St.

June 5 – Atikokan – 7 PM - Atikokan Fire Hall, 101 Goodwin St.

June 6 – Fort Frances/Emo – 7 PM - Lavallee Community Centre in Emo, 78 Colonization Road

June 6 – Renfrew – 6:30 PM – Best Western, 760 Gibbons Road

June 7 – Kenora – 7 PM – Fire and Emergency Services Facility and Regional Training Centre, 100 14th Street North

June 11 – Dryden – 7 PM – Dryden Fire Services Training Room – 189 Colonization Avenue

Geoff Coulson
Warning Preparedness Meteorologist |
Météorologue de sensibilisation aux conditions menaçantes
Ontario Region Client Services |
Service à la clientèle, Région de l'Ontario
Environment Canada | Environnement Canada
Goverment of Canada | Gouvernement du Canada
4905 Dufferin St | 4905 rue Dufferin
Toronto, ON M3H 5T4

Wednesday 9 May 2012

60 Meter News by Russ Hemphill VX9GHD

Its been over a month now that the new developmental 60 meter band has been opened up the Canadian Amateurs. The first couple of nights that I was on, I had a pileup from the USA, wanting to get another country for this Band.  They were very polite and eager to talk to Canadians and are hopeful more will come on in the future.  At the moment we only have about ten amateurs on in Ontario and Quebec.  Not all the licensed amateurs have been able to get on the air yet.  I know more are coming on soon, once they recieve their license and get an antenna for the 5 channels we are on. 
 The band is works well when is not noisy, which is has been for the last couple of days.  I have managed to talk into England, Ireland, Spain, and the Bahamas. 
 Hopefully we will here more amateurs across Canada in the next few weeks.   I will keep updating the blog with more information as it comes in.  
 So if you here me on  give me a call.
73s   Russ VX9GHD