SAARC Posts

Present: Larry VE6WL, Jim VE6JMB, Steve VE6SCL, David VE6DRL, Tyler VA6TI, Dave VA6SYS, Gary VE6CV, Cory VE6COR, Scott VA6JSR, Barry VE6BGR, Cory VE6CYT, Kalvin VE6KRO, Charlie VE6KN, Wayne VE6WEK, Gary No Call, Austin VE6QBD, Ron VE6PAP, Stan VE6SYS, Bill VA6VIV, Blair VE6AGH, Peter VA6ARI

Call to order by Jim at 10:10 am, seconded by Dave DRL

Reading of the minutes of February 28, 2026, by Peter.

• No errors or omissions.
• Motion to approve minutes by Blair, seconded by Bill. All in favour.

Treasurer’s Report by Dave.

• Motion to approve treasurer’s report by Larry, seconded by Steve. All in favour.

Events Report by Barry in Renze’s absence.

• Christmas party: different or same place? Perhaps early evening Chinese. Or German Canadian Club Kitchen. Let Renze decide.
• FIELD DAY: Campsite is booked. Cory COR will provide info to Peter.

Repeater Committee Report by Cory:

• not much to report. Kenwood still out at site. Will be swapped with the Yeasu end of April. Looking for help with wind turbine project…Ron was suggested. Tyler recommend a high-end one because the low-end ones blow themselves apart. College may have one available. Ron will inquire.

OLD BUSINESS

1) Antenna project

A) Fundraising

• • we are at 75%. Quote will probably go up so would like to get another $1,000. Donations were received.

2) Joint LSCO/SAARC Flea Market

• May 9 is no longer available, so current date suggested is May 30.

NEW BUSINESS

1) Listing of equipment donated to SAARC from the widow of a silent key Marvin Burk. Barry will provide a list to email out.

2) Wayne has a pop-up antenna he is selling

3) Gary has a new info website VE6DOK.net

4) Gary will do the first info training again.

Motion to close the meeting by Steve at 11:01 am.

Election of 2026 Board:

• President: Barry Rushford – VE6BGR
• Vice President: Kalvin Kroker – VE6KRO
• Secretary: Peter Pankonin – VA6ARI
• Treasurer: David Laming – VE6DRL
• Three Directors: Renze Dam – VE6DC (Events), Cory Rushford – VE6CYT (Operations), David Sweetnam – VA6SYS (Training).

Election of Two Auditors:

• Steven La Hay – VE6SCL, Charlie Milazzo – VE6KN

Blair made a motion to close election, seconded by Bill.

Next meeting: April 25, 2026.

Present: Tyler VA6TI, Gary VE6CV, Barry VE6BGR, Cory VE6CYT, Renze VE6DC, David VA7ZYE, Kalvin VE6KRO, Norm VE6NFW, Dave VA6SYS, Kate (no call sign yet), Bill VA6VIV, Peter VA6ARI

Call to order by Kalvin at 10:07 am, seconded by Tyler.

Reading of the minutes of January 24, 2026, by Peter.

• No errors or omissions.
• Motion to approve minutes by Norm, seconded by Renze. All in favour.

Treasurer’s Report by Barry in Dave’s absence.

• Motion to approve treasurer’s report by Dave SYS, seconded by Tyler. All in favour.

Events Report by Renze:

• Nothing planned yet.
• Field Day: Cory COR had a number of questions. Gary will forward them to Peter.

Repeater Committee Report by Cory:

• Nothing more to report. Searched for parts. Replacement parts available in Mexico. Will put the Yeasu back out mid March.

OLD BUSINESS

1) Antenna project

• Since we are very close to the 75% mark, Barry and Cory CYT will begin the ordering process and spec out the antenna.

1. A) Fundraising

• we’re almost 75% there. Wonderful response from the ham community.
• Barry sent letters to counties and has received no response. Gary suggested that the only way to get a response would be by doing a presentation at a board meeting.

1. B) Sale of equipment

• Barry discussed issues with the Motorola repeater which is in the business band. Gary suggested selling the unit and all agreed.

2) Gary’s training development:

• first session will be Thursday, March 5, 7 pm on Teams. Need volunteers to be on air around 7:15 to 7:45, on mobile VHF/UHF, a UHF WIRES-X handheld station that can work his repeater VE6DOK, and an HF station.
• Peter will send out another blast to the contact list regarding the Thursday session.

3) The joint LSCO/SAARC flea market will be May 9 at the LSCO foyer. Vendor setup at 9, done at 12.

4) Broadcasting the meetings: Dave SYS says that the TV and webcam would be available to use. Just need a computer.

NEW BUSINESS

1) AGM will be March 28. General meeting first followed by the AGM.

2) Barry received a phone call from a lady who has asked if the club would spread her father’s ashes at the CAM site. George was very active in the CAM repeater. Land owner Alan is in support of this. There will be a ceremony planned. A plaque will be installed inside the shack at the CAM site. No objections.

3) Tyler recommended contacting MLA’s regarding the shutdown of the weather radio system. He will prepare a letter.

Next meeting: March 28, 2026, will be our AGM.

Motion to close the meeting by Bill at 11:06 am.

Presentation by Dave: a continuation of the last session on path calculations with a deeper dive into path loss calculations.

Questions or for more information, please contact:

Peter Pankonin, VA6ARI, SAARC secretary at peter.pankonin [at] gmail [dot] com.

Present: Scott VA6JSR, Renze VE6DC, Cory VE6COR, Gary VE6CV, Cory VE6CYT, David VA6SYS, Ron VE6PAP, Walter VE6XWG, Barry VE6BGR, Wayne VE6WEK, David VE6DRL, Kate (no call sign yet), Peter VA6ARI

Call to order by Dave DRL at 10:11 am, seconded by Cory COR

Reading of the minutes of November 22, 2025, by Peter.

• One correction: the tower company is Bestway not Waybest.
• Motion to approve minutes by Wayne seconded by Walter. All in favour.

Treasurer’s Report by David (VE6DRL)

• paid RAC insurance and web hosting.
• Motion to approve treasurer’s report by Renze seconded by Dave SYS. All in favour.

Events Report by Renze:

• no events planned yet.
• Cory COR has volunteered to organize field day.

Repeater Committee Report by Cory CYT:

• Kenwood repeater is out at the site right now. Six hours of sunlight is not enough to handle the Yaesu draw. We will need to look at adding the wind turbine.
• also getting interference on the repeater on 146.290. Perry VE6NX is trying to record the interference.

OLD BUSINESS

1) Antenna Project

A) Fundraising

• we’re about half way to the goal.
• Barry will be sending out another plea to members who have not donated.
• Barry has prepared a letter to the counties which he passed around for feedback.

B) Sale of equipment

• nothing new to add

2) Gary’s training development: sunrise sag, grey line propagation, solar weather, etc. are in the works. Will coordinate with Peter to announce presentations.

NEW BUSINESS

1) Update on initiatives taking place at the LSCO radio club

• new executive is very supportive of getting the radio club back up and running. Waiting for LSCO club to present proposals, like a six-month no-LSCO fee. Is open Saturday mornings now. Other initiatives are also on the table. Also interested in developing the relationship between LSCO and SAARC.
• CJOC sponsorship of LSCO.
• Discussed doing a joint LSCO/SAARC flea market in April or May. Will also participate in joint events.

2) Request to have meetings broadcast.

• will table for now and discuss with the executive.

Next meeting: February 28, 2026

Motion to close the meeting by Dave SYS at 11:01 am.

Presentation by Barry: Process of determining expected signal strength on a radio path.

This year’s CARA flea market will be on Saturday, April 11, 2026.

Location: Eastside City Church, 1320 – Abbeydale Dr. SE, Calgary, AB

Admission: $5.

Doors open at 8 am for vendors, 9 am for the public.

Join Gary VE6CV and other locals as we discuss the concept of Mesh Networking in Lethbridge and surrounding areas. Think of this as an off-grid, non-cellular, non-Internet messaging platform for a new era of secure communications.

• Date: Sunday Dec. 14
• Time: 2 pm
• Link: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/cd43a24c-a38e-48a7-8c15-ba072abe6764@c55943f6-d9b9-4073-a7c2-9f90aa933054

Hosts Nathan Schmidt and Gary Wheeler

Present: David VA6SYS, Barry VE6BGR, Larry VE6WL, Wayne VE6WEK, Tyler VA6TI, Steve VE6SCL, Bill KJ7GNB/VA6VIV, David VE6DRL, Peter VA6ARI

Call to Order by Tyler at 10:13 am, seconded by Dave DRL.

Reading of the minutes of October 25, 2025, by Peter.

• No additions or corrections to the minutes.
• Motion to approve minutes by Larry, seconded by Steve. All in favour.

Treasurer’s Report by David (VE6DRL)

• Antenna Project donations received to date: about 40%
• Motion to approve treasurer’s report by Steve, seconded by Bill. All in favour.

Events Report by Barry in Renze’a absence:

• Christmas brunch, 9:30 am, food served at 10:00 am, on Dec. 13 in Coaldale. $24.95/person, free coffee. RSVP to Renze.

Repeater Committee Report by Barry in Cory’s absence.

• Cory, Dave DRL, Barry, and Larry went out to winterize.
• may need a small wind turbine to supplement the power during cloudy days if the solar and batteries can’t handle the draw.
• need to add weatherstripping to door.

OLD BUSINESS

1) Antenna project

A) Fundraising

• • report by Wayne on Lethbridge and community support funds. Community Foundation of Lethbridge and S. Alberta provides funds for various projects. Mar. 15 is next application deadline. Wayne presented the antenna project. Eligibility: needs to be a registered charity, or needs to partner with one. Larry, Barry, and Peter will assist Wayne in developing the application. Dave DRL suggested Lions club and Salvation Army as potential partners.
  • report by Dave DRL on tower contractor costs. Ross uses Waybest, so no cost saving over current quote.
  • Motion by Bill that Barry contact Counties to request donations, seconded by Dave DRL. All in favour.

B) Sale of equipment

• • still have a couple of antennas, and the repeater. Will drop repeater price to $500.

2) RAC Memberships

• Cory is going to be sending in the insurance application toward the end of next week, so if anyone still hasn’t become a RAC member, please do so as soon as possible.

NEW BUSINESS

1) Gary VE6CV is working on developing training courses via Zoom.

No meeting in December due to the Christmas Brunch on Dec. 13.

Next meeting: January 24, 2026

Motion to close the meeting by Bill at 11:06 am.

Presentation by Dave SYS on VHF digital theory

Present: Stan VE6SYS, Bill KJ7GNB/VA6VIV, Cory VE6CYT, Barry VE6BGR, Larry VE6WL, David VA6SYS, Kalvin VE6KRO, Renze VE6DC, David VE6DRL, Norm VE6NFW, Walter VE6XWG, Peter VA6ARI

Call to Order by Dave DRL at 10:10 am, seconded by Cory.

Reading of the minutes of September 27, 2025, by Peter.

• Correction: selling only one repeater.
• Motion to approve minutes by Dave DRL, seconded by Bill. All in favour.

Treasurer’s Report by David (VE6DRL)

• Motion to approve treasurer’s report by Dave SYS, seconded by Walter. All in favour.

Events Report by Renze:

• Christmas brunch on Dec. 13 in Coaldale.
• Barry mentioned Steve’s suggestion to move Field day to Stirling.

Repeater Committee Report by Cory

• No issues with digital mode. Leave as is.
• Dave DRL sometimes has trouble getting a response when punching in the codes to record messages.
• Will be going out this week to button up the shack for winter: insulate the batteries, do some cleanup.

OLD BUSINESS

1) Antenna project

A) Donations

• Barry talked to Alan about the plans for the site: not original land owner, have no immediate plans to sell. Is happy to have us there.
• call for fund raising volunteers: no response
• call for donations: no response

B) Sale of equipment

• have sold the amp
• have items listed on Ham Shack
• Donation tracking spreadsheet has been set up.
• Dave DRL suggested seeing if we can find a climbing crew instead of the crane. He will talk to Ross.
• Norm suggested using a bucket truck to lift person and gear part way up.

2) Training

• Gary VE6CV is willing to do a grey zone 40-meter propagation session.

NEW BUSINESS

1) Donation of climbing belt

• SAARC has received a new climbing safety harness.

2) RAC membership benefits

• Barry outlined the RAC insurance benefits for the club and members.
• Club gets a ~$13 to $15 discount per person
• Fix club info on RAC site. Peter will contact Cory.

Next meeting: November 22, 2025

Motion to close the meeting by Dave DRL at 10:55 am.

Presentation by Dave SYS on modulation

Present: Larry VE6WL, Cory VE6CYT, Steve VE6SCL, Jim VE6JMB, David VE6DRL, Stan VE6SYS, Barry VE6BGR, Blair VE6AGH, Wayne VE6WEK, Kalvin VE6KRO, David VA6IRE, Bill VA6VIV, David VA6SYS, Charlie VE6KN, Peter VA6ARI

Call to Order by Steve at 10:07 am, seconded by Kalvin.

Reading of the minutes of May 24, 2025, by Peter.

• Motion to approve minutes by Steve, seconded by Wayne. All in favour.

Treasurer’s Report by David (VE6DRL)

• Motion to approve treasurer’s report by Wayne, seconded by Cory. All in favour.

No Events Report by Renze who was away:

• Corn Roast was a great success; 35 people. Extra special thanks to Renze and Annetta for hosting and supplying all the food.

Repeater Committee Report by Cory

• tower anchors look good and should do for another 15 to 20 years.
• antenna crew won’t climb so will need a crane ~$4,000
• a little over $10,000 for antenna, heliax, connectors and crane.
• Barry read the information and quote sent by Dave Siggelkow. Quote: $9,858 (tax included).
• Dave IRE can pick up the antenna from Edmonton.
• Barry will ask Alan about the long-term plans for the location.
• thanks to all who have gone out over the summer to do work on the site. We’ll install the cooling fans next year.
• will put the batteries into insulated boxes when we winterize the shack.
• Cory asked if the group would like the repeater’s digital mode turned on. Everyone agreed to try it and see. He can lock back to FM if there are problems. The squelch tone is 110.9 CTCSS to block digital signal from breaking squelch on FM.
• Wayne moved that we proceed with the antenna proposal as outlined pending long-term plans on land use. Bill seconded. All in favour, one opposed.

OLD BUSINESS

1) Fund Raising update:

• we have $6K in the bank. Barry suggested keeping a $2K cushion, so need to raise about $6K.
• Barry will write a proposal looking for donations for the antenna project, to send out to the S. AB hams. Will run it by the executive.
• Blair asked about anyone in the club who might have a govt. contact. Steve suggested other groups who have had casinos. Charlie suggested partnering with CRA license agencies for a grant.
• Barry is looking for a group of 3 to 4 people to manage the fund-raising. Charlie suggested sending out an email asking for volunteers.
• Wayne moved that we keep a $5K float and tap into it if needed. Bill seconded. All in favour.

2) SAARC inventory sales

• we have 1 HF set and 1 VHF/UHF set we’ll keep for loaners.
• we have two repeaters we can sell. Charlie suggested Langley may be interested in the Kenwood.
• lots of antennas, post on web and email group.

NEW BUSINESS

1) Training

• Barry would like to get the business side of the meetings under an hour, allowing for a training portion of about 30 minutes, followed by time to visit.
• Dave SYS and the group listed some topics: SDR radios, FT8, C4FM, antennas, 4G and 5G, Hams over IP, ladderline, baluns, Meshtastic, rebuilding vintage equipment.

2) Field Day

• Steve suggested moving Field Day to a location more publicly accessible, where more people can come and see what it’s all about. Barry will talk to Renze about it.

Next meeting – October 25, 2025 (Room is not available on Oct. 18).

Motion to close the meeting by Steve at 11:43 am.