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Radio Canada DX Group Home

Welcome to the new collaborative web site for the Radio Canada DX Group.
It is powered by MediaWiki - a powerful Open Source community project served on Fedora Linux.

The "Radio Canada DX Group" is a non-profit, 11-meter SSB (Single Side Band), Citizens Band Radio Group, established in 1969. It replaced "Radio Free Canada" which was adopted in Saskatchewan sometime in the middle 60's. We are known internationally as the Largest DX Group in Canada with a membership of approximately 2000 members. Our Group is open to all Canadians and we take great pride in representing our country to the rest of the World. Our aim is to promote a degree of professionalism in the Canadian "Theater of Radio Operations" and to unite the collective voice of Canadians. Our Group enjoys a worldwide reputation, of first class Radio Operation. Hello fellow radio operators from all over the world. This page was designed to inform other radio operator's world wide of the Radio Canada Club and some of the happenings in and around Manitoba, Canada.


ATTENTION! Any provincial coordinators of the Radio Canada DX Group please contact Doug (RC02)
to update contact information. We would like to begin preparing a new national roster for 2008.

  • Manitoba Provincial Coordinator Doug Kaebe can be contacted at dkaebe@radiocanadadxgroup.com
  • Alberta Provincial Coordinator Jim Currie can be contacted at rc02ab@live.com


Visit the DX Zone
dxzone_ham_radio_b.gif


NEW Qrz11.net
Official 11-Meter qrz radio callsign database.

Contents

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Radio Club Related


  • June 5th, 2008
    • Added an 11m DX cluster spot to the Propagation section. Useful for overseas DX opportunities.
    • Added link to the QRZ11m.net 11m callsign database.
  • May 25th, 2008
    • More DX coming in over the past few days. Lots of short skip conditions to the U.S.
  • May 19th, 2008
    • DX coming in form the southern U.S. and the west coast of Canada this weekend.
    • Good to hear from our Radio Canada chapters on the west coast again.
  • Last check-in of the 2007/2008 season will be held on May 25th
    • Check-ins will resume September 7th, 2008 for the 2008/2009 fall/winter season
    • Regular monthly breakfast and supper meetings will continue as usual. Please check the current events page for details.
  • April 12th, 2008
    • Welcome Todd G from Winnipeg - another new member of the Radio Canada Group. Todd is callsign Radio Canada 427
  • March 25, 2008
    • Welcome! Tony N from Winnipeg - our newest member Radio Canada 959
  • March 16, 2008
    • For those who drive pickup truck, vans or other large vehicles, RC64 Rob operates Xtra-Mile Truck Wash in Headingley (5540 Portage Avenue, R4H 1E8, 204-831-1083) cleverly hidden behind the Co-op formerly Big Sky Truck Stop.
  • March 16, 2008
    • Starting with tonight's check-in we're rotating members to help with the Sunday Check-in nets. This gives others Radio Canada members a chance to help out and give them input into the group on the air. Wayne and Doug's tireless efforts over the past many years are greatly appreciated. The Manitoba Chapter of the Radio Canada DX Group has been continuously active for decades thanks in large part to their efforts and others in the group. Thanks again.
  • January 19th, 2008
    • Tony the tailor will be at the breakfast measuring interested people for jackets and taking deposits
  • January 13th, 2008
    • Welcome to our newest member Duane F. from Transcona. His callsign is Radio Canada 296.
  • December 15/16th 2007
    • DX opening were stronger over the past two days than they have been for quite some time. Openings to the Rockies and Eastern Canada were usable for a couple of hours around midday. Perhaps the next Solar Cycle has finally started...
  • December 15, 2007
    • Annual Radio Canada Christmas Dinner was held at Alto's dining room and attended by 41 members. Thanks to all those who participated. The raffle draw was held and a winner picked. Doug (RC02) will be contacting the winner.
  • November 18, 2007
    • Ross (RC4455) - I got an email from Dxzone.com this morning after months of (unsuccessfully) trying to contact them, to add a link on their CB radio organizations page. I gave up and hadn't thought about it for a couple of months and then an email from them appears. Miracle! Anyway I'm putting the reciprocal link back on the main page.
  • Christmas Cheer Board 2007/2008
    • Message from Doug -- It WAS DECIDED @ THE RADIO CANADA SUPPER ON OCTOBER 20 THAT WE WOULD DO ANOTHER XMAS CHEERBOARD DRAW & DO 3 HAMPERS AGAIN THIS YEAR. TICKETS ARE 3 / $ 5.00 WITH THE PRIZES BEING A $ 250 MEAT ORDER OR $ 250 FISHING GEAR OR A COMBINATION OF BOTH OR A MOBILE SSB RADIO. DRAW DATE IS DEC 15 @ THE XMAS SUPPER. WE WILL ALSO BE ACCEPTING EITHER CASH OR FOOD DONATIONS. IF YOU CAN HELP US WE APPRECIATE IT. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SELL TICKETS CALL ME OR DROP BY & PICK SOME UP. IF YOU WANT TO DONATE FOOD OR CASH WE WILL GLADLY ACCEPT IT.
  • RADIO CANADA DX GROUP JACKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE. HURRY! THERE IS A $30 DISCOUNT UP UNTIL DECEMBER 1ST, 2007.
    • Please contact Doug for details
    • Tony the tailor will be at the supper on October 20th measuring interested people for jackets
    • Update! Tony will also be at the RCDX Breakfast on November 17th, 2007
Back view
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Back view
Front view
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Front view

  • September 12, 2007
    • A new discussion forum area has been added to the Radio Canada website. You are invited to participate in discussions, create topics, etc. There are radio and non-radio related categories.
    • Thanks to Ray RC173 for helping move this along - much appreciated!
  • Check-ins will resume Sunday, September 9th, 2007 from 7:55pm to 10:05pm
    • Radio Canada DX Group custom QSL cards now available!!!
    • These professionally printed QSL cards prominently display an outline of our great country complete with the crests of every province and territory.
    • On the reverse side important details of a QSO confirmation are listed in an easy to read font.</li>
    • Only $7.50 for 50 cards plus tax. Available at 11 Meters radio Shop
  • Darryl (RC483) stringing the Christmas lights on the tower 2006
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[edit]

General Radio Interest


Fact of the Day

  • November 25th, 2007
    • Going on a road trip? Don't forget your CB Radio
  • November 18th, 2007
  • November 10th, 2007 Ross (RC4455) - I've Been reading a lot of articles on the popularity of FRS and GMRS FM radio especially in emergency communications. There have been 10's of millions of these cheap handheld FRS and more recently GMRS radio sold in North America. What is most interesting is the exaggerated claims of range by the manufacturers. Recent articles in Popular communications magazine from REACT have shown that the organization has moved significantly toward FRS/GMS and amateur radio and away from their roots as a CB radio emergency organization. To me this is bordering on the patently stupid.
    • FRS and GMRS have severely limited range and are subject to line-of-site condition.
    • UHF frequencies don't penetrate vegetation or other obstructions very well
    • The power limitations are stiff - just 0.5 watts for FRS and 2 watts for GMRS in Canada (and no repeaters allowed either). No external antennas are allowed either. UHF FM is very quiet compared to an HF AM signal like CB AM however CB radio has some major advantages especially CB SSB.
    • For emergency communications use a cell phone. Really! Use a cell phone! But in those rare circumstances that cell reception is poor a mobile mounted CB radio even just an AM unit will be useful for 8-10 KM or more even at the noisy Solar Cycle peak. And every trucker on the road has a CB radio probably set to Ch 19. Where REACT is still monitoring CB CH9 base stations will easily picked up a signal for dozens of miles on AM. CB CH9 is an official emergency channel. FRS / GMRS has no official emergency channel.
    • REACT and other organizations should be encouraging CB SSB over CB AM, FRS and GMRS for several key reasons.
      • Single Side Band transmission is four times more effective at the same power level.
      • The noise level is half that of AM.
      • The legal power limit is 3 times that of AM, 12 watts vs 4 watts. 40Km mobile to base is not uncommon.

Obviously, a good CB SSB mobile rig and antenna cost more the FRS GMRS but then it's useful range and talk power are far greater. For personal communications at the park or the mall FRS/GMRS are great. I use them all the time for that purpose.

A lot of mention is made is made about CB that states that skip increases noise levels and therefore reduces range. This may be true when trying to talk to a specific person some distance away but in an emergency siutations you want to contact ANYBODY! Generally speaking in HF radio, if you can hear them they can hear you. And that's the whole point of emergency radio communications.

  • November 4th, 2007
    • Check out CB Radio Magazine online and read some interesting and informative articles all relating to CB Radio antennas, radios, operating issues and trends. Next online issue due mid-November.
  • September 24th, 2007
    • A recent blog on one man's history and current interest in 11m DX'ing from a European perspective.
  • September 9th, 2007
    • Here's a site from Europe of some hardcore 11m DXers.
  • September. 1, 2007
    • The Aurigids Meter Shower Photo Gallery,
  • CB Radio Short Stories by Jeff Alan - Interesting read about one man's experience in the hobby
  • The United States Radio Frequency Allocation chart
  • The Radio Amateurs of Canada website
  • NASA 3D Satellite tracking site JAVA plugin needed
  • Interesting Daily radio fact
  • Information by Industry Canada for Radio Operators
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Propagation Related

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  • November 22nd, 2007 NOAA updates Solar Cycle Progression chart with predicted curves through 2016
  • October 28th, 2007 Quote form the K7RA Solar report:
    • Zero, zero, zero sunspots for 18 straight days now. A single sunspot appeared briefly October 6-7, no sunspots for four days prior, one sunspot for the final few days of September, and none for the three whole weeks prior to that.
  • October 14th, 2007 The Sun is blank again. No sunspots at all. The continuing low activity suggests by many forecasters to signal a moderate to moderate-weak next cycle.
  • September 21st, 2007 The K7RA Solar Update reports "...fifteen days in a row with no sunspots,but this may change soon."
    • Also of note from the update is a quote by "Bob Marston, K6TR, of Fremont, California, says, "If Cycle 23 continues through January 2008, it will match Cycle 20 as one of the longest in recent history. You have to go back to Cycle 9 in the mid-1800s to find a longer one. My own estimate is Cycle 23 will end in February 2008 with a SSN (smoothed, or average, sunspot number) between 6.8 and 7.2."
  • September 20th, 2007 Again there are no sunspots at all today. No Surprise...
  • September 9th, 2007 There are no sunspots on the surface of the sun at all. Not good for 11m propagation! Cycle 24 is about to start on its upward swing
  • May 6, 2007 Solar Cycle 24 Prediction from NOAA/NASA
  • February 25, 2007 No much to report for propagation on 11m due to being in the low spot of the 11-year sunspot cycle. All is quiet except for some very sporadic and brief DX.
  • December 28, 2006 "Sunspots 931 and 932 are fading away, leaving the sun blank and quiet." - Spaceweather.com
  • December 23rd, 2006 New large solar cycle predicted by NASA
  • December 19, 2006 There are no sunspots again on the Sun. The sunspot number is zero.
  • December 10, 2006 a major solar flare over the past few days has produced some good DX conditions today. Lots of activity mid-day.ARRL 10M contest is also running today.
  • November 25th, 2006 There are again no sunspots anywhere on the surface of the sun. Some DX is coming from the Southern Eastern U.S.
  • November 6th, 2006 an explosion on the Sun produced a strong burst of noise between 18-22Mhz. Other solar recordings are presented as well. Interesting web site that has recorded the sounds of the Sun.
  • October 17th,18th,19th,26th 2006 There are no sunspots at all on the entire surface of the sun today
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Computer software for radio

  • Coming soon
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