Minutes of the Spring 2008 Meeting

The meeting was held in the upstairs lounge of the Smiths Fall Youth Arena, at 1:00 PM May 10^th, 2008, immediately following the Smiths Falls Amateur Radio Flea Market.

The following members and participants were present:

I – Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 1:00 PM by Chairman Tim VE3UO. The head table consisting of the executive was introduced. 21 Members including the executive were present.

II - SLVRC Activities and Status

Tim opened the meeting by explaining the difficulties that the SLVRC has been experiencing with the Website through 2007. This situation has been stabilized with RAC currently hosting the Website. The address for the SLVRC Web site is http://www.slvrc.org

In addition the database has been restored and reports generated from the database are being posted on the Website.

Unfortunately the Technical Information Report Form functionality has not been restored. In the interim the “cut and paste” method should be used. Complete the form on line, then select the completed form, Copy it and then Paste it to an e-mail. Send the e mail to freqcoord@slvrc.org with a copy to secretary@slvrc.org

Reported problems with this method using Firefox are due to a Firefox bug. Contact the secretary for further information.

Your patience in this matter is appreciated.

The mail links to the executive have been restored so that mail to Chairman@SLVRC.org will be re-directed to TimVE3UO the Chairman of SLVRC. The other executive members addresses are also now functional.

The SLVRC mail list has been restored, and has been used to distribute mail and notices to members of the mail list.

To sign up for the mail list go to http://lists.ca/listinfo/slvrclist

To post an e mail to the SLVRC list send the message to slvrclist@lists.ca.

Pierre VE3FLO (Treasurer) provided a financial statement, having assumed the duties this past year. Pierre reported that he has established a bank account in Smiths Falls for the SLVRC and transferred funds from the previous bank account. The current balance is $2.580.65. The only expenditure that he has made on behalf of the SLVRC this year was the payment of $36.75 for the cost of the SLVRC.ORG domain name registration.

It was noted that at the last SLVRC Spring meeting it was decided to suspend the membership dues. Pierre suggested that in light of the current limited costs incurred by the SLVRC that the suspension of dues continue for the time being.

It was therefore agreed that dues for this year will again be suspended.

III - Do DStar and other digital modes need segments separate from FM Systems?

Tim VE3UO noted that most of the activity on the SLVRC area was centered around the Ottawa area. In addition Rich N2TW noted the plans the Clarkson University ARC (K2CC) at Clarkson University in New York to establish a DStar repeater. This system would consist of a 70cm Digital Voice repeater, 23cm Digital Voice Repeater and a 23cm Digital Data Access point.

It was reported that in a recent (May 7, 2008) FCC decision in response to a Petition for Rule Making denied a request for permission to establish a DStar repeater in the 145.5 to 145.8 Mhz sub-band.

In light of this information and other discussion in the amateur community, the SLVRC has taken a position that DStar repeater systems should coordinated within the existing FM voice repeater sub-bands using the same channel spacing as FM voice repeaters.

Notwithstanding that the Ottawa DStar repeater VE3ODG has been coordinated by the SLVRC on 145.530Mhz the SLVRC will coordinate all requests for DStar coordination in keeping with this policy. The VE3ODG coordination will be grandfathered.

Therefore it is recommended that the Clarkson ARC use it's current 70cm assignment of 443.350Mhz for it's DStar voice repeater.

Discussion amongst the members present indicated support for this policy.

IV – The 902-928 Mhz Band and the Impact of Smart Meters by Hydro Companies.

Ontario Hydro are implementing a plan to install “Smart Meters” in consumer's homes starting within the Ottawa and Chatham, Ontario areas. The longer term plans are for this system to be install province wide by 2011.

Interference from these devices into amateur radio systems has been noted.

Norm Rashleigh VE3LC as the newly appointed RAC Vice Chairman of Industry Liaison has been active in this matter. Norm provided a presentation to the group on some of the data found on this matter.

The Smart Meters are manufactured by two companies Elster, a European based company and Tantalus, a Vancouver based company. The two types of systems are being tested in Ottawa and Chatham respectively.

Norm's presentation showed the level of interference measured by Wayne VE3CZO at his home QTH in south Ottawa on the ATV Repeater signal on 914 Mhz and Smart Meter interference across the whole band from 902 to 928 MHz. This interference had a significant impact on the ATV signal and has had a very detrimental impact on other users of this band, in particular making weak signal work next to impossible.

The Smart Meters fall under the Industry Canada Radio Standards Specification RSS-210

V – Continued Coordination of Inactive Repeaters on the 144Mhz and 400 Mhz Bands

VI - Submission of Technical Information Reports Annually.

VII – De-coordination of Systems Lacking Full Technical Reports

These agenda items were grouped together since they followed the same theme.
As a start to the discussion, each attendee was asked to make a verbal report on the repeater that they represented.

Repeater Sponsor Reports:

After the brief up-date from each representative, Tim outlined SLVRC's position on getting all Technical Information Reports submitted to the council.

These reports are an essential tool to the allow the Frequency Coordinator to do his job.

Notwithstanding the recent problems with the SLVRC, Tim noted that it was still possible to “cut and paste” the completed form and e mail to the SLVRC Frequency Coordinator and Secretary. In fact several representatives had still managed to submit their TI reports for 2007.

This lead to the discussion on repeaters that were inactive or had failed to submit their Tech Information reports as required by the policy of the SLVRC.

It was noted that the policy, posted on the SLVRC Web site, states that the coordinated status of a repeater may be revoked if the system remains non-operational for a period of longer than 6 months.

Further, if the SLVRC does not receive a Technical Information Report for a system, then the SLVRC may assume that the system is non-operational, and may de-coordinate that system and return the frequencies to the repeater pool for re-assignment elsewhere.

These policies were discussed amongst the members present, and there was general consensus that the SLVRC should adhere to these policies and take action as appropriate.

In addition, the SLVRC should report these actions to the membership at large by means of quarterly reports as had been the practice in the past.

A status report should also be posted reflecting those systems for which TI reports had been submitted versus those that had not.

In light of the recent work at clearing the backlog of inputs to the database and work done in getting the Web site back into operational mode, it was requested that all repeater sponsors submit a full report for the year 2008. This would allow a clean up of the database.

An abbreviated report for the following two years would be sufficient, providing that there have been no system administrative or technical changes since the last full report.

VIII - Letter to Kingston ARC Concerning CTCSS tone on VE3KBR 146.940

Several reports in the past have been received by the SLVRC of interference between VE2CRA Gatineau and VE3KBR Kingston both operating on 146.940 Mhz. In light of this, the sponsors for the VE2CRA repeater have implemented a CTCSS tone of 100 Hz on the input and output of their repeater.

Chairman Tim, VE3UO sent a letter March 18^th, 2008 suggesting that the Kingston ARC implement the same measure on their repeater in order to minimize the interference.

To-date, no response has been received from the Kingston ARC.

A matter was also raised that the Kingston ARC was reportedly planning a repeater in the Clarendon Station area north of Sharbot Lake on 147.09 Mhz.  No coordination request has been received by the SLVRC for any such repeater.

IX - Other Business

The matter of frequency coordination with repeaters in Quebec was raised. Luc VE3JGL the SLVRC Frequency Coordinator indicated that the previous coordinator CCFQ was no longer functional, and that he had discussed the matter with RAQI but with little success.

The question of repeater coordination within Quebec remains uncertain at this time.

X – Determination of Tentative Date and Location for the Fall 2008 SLVRC Meeting.

The suggestion was made that the Fall meeting be held in Ottawa on Saturday, November 1^st,. 2008 Proposed location was the Summerhays Grill on the north side of Baseline Road just east of Woodroffe Avenue.  Graham VE3BYT undertook to coordinate that matter.

Norm VE3LC also offered to demonstrate some coordination software used in professional circles.

X I – Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 3:00 PM

Mike Ligeza - VE3UIL
Secretary - SLVRC