The meeting was held on November 4, 2001 in room 3235 of the 
Mackenzie Engineering Building, Carleton University, Ottawa.

The following members were present:

The Chairman Tim, VE3UO, brought the meeting to order at 1:30 and welcomed 
everyone.  Tim thanked Mike, VE3FFK, for arranging for the room 
at Carleton. Introductions were held around the room.

Tim noted that Rick, VE3IHI, had resigned from the post of 
Secretary.  Graham, VE3BYT, will take the minutes for this 
meeting.

Jack, VE2CV, Treasurer/Technical Advisor, noted that the Council 
has $1298.00 in the bank. Some dues were collected in cash at 
the spring meeting but the former Secretary did not record who 
paid.  Cheques collected are now out of date. Jack will have to 
contact these members for replacement cheques.

Note: If you paid dues in cash at the spring meeting, please 
contact Jack Belrose at <john.belrose@crc.ca> and let him know.

The minutes from the spring meeting were approved.

Business arising from the minutes -

Richard, VE3UNW, presented his report on his review of the 
question of revising the channel spacing on the 440 band from 25 
KHz.  Richard had surveyed the minutes from a considerable 
number of frequency coordinating bodies in Canada and the USA.  
He found essentially no movement to change from 25 KHz spacing 
at this time.  He did find a tendency to reduce the geographic 
separation between systems and increasing use of sub-audible 
tone access.  As this Council is not short of 440 band frequencies 
at present, Richard recommended that the subject be reconsidered 
and discussed in the future as seems necessary, and that a 
channel spacing of 12.5 KHz be considered at that time.

Graham, VE3BYT, noted that he was completing the 
amalgamation of the policy changes and that the complete policy 
would be reposted on the web site.  Further, the repeater 
information on the web site needs updating. This will be done soon.

New Business -

There was an active discussion on the increasing move to IRLP 
both on repeaters and simplex frequencies by groups and individual 
operators, and on whether or not the Council should coordinate 
IRLP installations on simplex frequencies.  Eric, VE3EI, gave a 
rundown on local IRLP developments since the spring meeting.  
The number of nodes in the world has more than doubled in that 
time, and the rate of joining the move to IRLP is expected to 
increase.  IRLP installations are popping up on simplex frequencies 
in the 2 Meter band, including frequencies formerly dedicated to 
packet radio.  Some of these instances are for testing prior to 
moving the installations to repeaters.

Some members expressed the opinion that IRLP installations 
on simplex frequencies need to be coordinated by the Council 
above 147 MHz and on unused former packet channels, as there 
are established activities on some simplex channels in the 2 meter 
band, and further that use of the 220 and 440 bands should be 
encouraged.  Others felt that the Council could observe 
developments until the spring 2002 meeting.

The motion was carried that:
- IRLP installers should inform the Frequency Coordinator about 
their projects’ frequency
- installations should be listed on the SLVRC web site, with 
warnings to inform the FC about new projects
- the Council would reconsider the need for coordination of IRLP 
simplex frequencies at the spring 2002 meeting.

Manfred, VA3MWK, Frequency Coordinator, indicated that he 
was somewhat uncertain of the status of some systems with 
coordinated frequencies.  Manfred has received only 6 or 7 
Technical Information Reports for this year.  He will send out 
appropriate notices to those systems which have not reported, to 
discern their activity.  Those which are found to be living-challenged
will be dealt with in the proper manner.

Manfred proposes to place a database of coordinated 
frequencies on the SLVRC web site so that members can be better 
informed of their coordination status.  This is expected to replace the current frequency listings.

Doug, VE3XK, gave an update of Radio Amateurs of Canada 
activities.  He noted that RAC delegates participated at the IARU 
conference in Guatemala, preparation for the next WARC.  Doug 
indicated that Holland is pushing at the ITU for a 70 cm assignment 
for synthetic aperture radar, which potentially could cause 
‘secondary-status’ amateurs to shut down on this band.  Some 
acceptance of interference from amateurs is hoped for.

Doug has 13 Assistant Directors in his region.  Dave Parks, 
VE3AV, is the local ADir.  Doug showed the Advanced Study 
Guide, available on CD-ROM for $25.00 - an excellent refresher for 
all advanced amateurs.  The updated RAC Operating Manual 
should be available in book form soon.

There will be an election in November for President of RAC.  This 
election will be by the Board of Directors, according to RAC policy.

Representatives’ Reports:

VE2REH network - There are four 2 meter, two 440, and a 6 meter, 
220 MHz and 10meter repeaters in the system.  There is a new 
repeater at Mont. Laurier, and a link into Montreal.  Experiencing a
bootlegger problem (as are others in the eastern part of the National
Capital Region).

VE3TWO, VE3RVI - N/C for TWO. Change in antenna height for 
RVI to clear an iron railing that was interfering with the pattern.
. 
VE3TQX - Carleton Place. Needs some adjustment and tuning.

VE3YYS - IRLP on 145.690 simplex, beamed across Ottawa.

VE3CPA - should be operational in three weeks on 200 foot tower.

VE3MPC - N/C - will request 6 meter pair again for MPC.  MPC 
may be linked to IRLP on a call-out basis.  Link to Foymount still 
there, but gets little use.

VE3PGC - active on IRLP.

VE3SVR - N/C

VE3YGM - N/C

VA3MTN - Martintown repeater on 145.350 not active.

VE3MD - will get on eventually in Finch.

VE2KPG - N/C. reliable.  May disconnect autopatch as it gets 
little use.

VA3IGS - N/C in 2 meter repeater at Franktown.  220 repeater still 
off the air?

VE3TSP - Tower C, Ottawa.  Has link on 438.2 MHz.  It was 
suggested VE3HXP should consult with the Frequency 
Coordinator, and move this link out of the input passband to 
VE3TVA, the ATV repeater in Ottawa.


Next Meetings:  The spring meeting will be held in conjunction with 
the flea market in either Iroquois or Smiths Falls, if possible.

Fall meetings will be planned for the first week of November.


The meeting was adjourned at about 4:00 PM.


Graham Ide, VE3BYT, Interim Secretary.