Page 11 May June 2014 TCA

CANADIAN HAMS ATTEMPT TO CROSS THE POND ON TWO METRES RAC WILL BE AT DAYTON!
Brendan Quest: Working NA to EU on 2 metres The Radio Amateurs of Canada will once
again be at Dayton for Hamvention 2014
from May 16 to 18. This is the fourth year
A group of Amateur Radio operators from Frequency and Modes: 144.270 MHz +/- in a row that Radio Amateurs of Canada
Atlantic Canada will operate from Pouch 20 Hz operating 24 hours a day for the will be operating a Booth at the Dayton
Cove, Newfoundland from July 4 to 12 in a entire period, transmitting full legal power Hamvention.
bid to complete a 2 metre Trans-Atlantic on even minutes and receiving on odd
QSO and claim the Brendan Trophy. minutes using JT65B. Other modes may be RAC offcers, Directors and many
attempted as required. Audible members will be there to meet and greet
The expedition will operate from transatlantic JT65B reception and QSO will and tell you what Radio Amateurs of
Maidenhead Grid GN37os on 144.270 be followed by a CW attempt. Canada has been doing for you lately.
MHz. It will run 750 watts into a 30 metre Come visit, we’re in the same area as the
long rope yagi with a gain of more than North America QTH: Pouch Cove, ARRL and the booths of other international
23 dB over a dipole. Newfoundland. Amateur Radio organizations.
The group will concentrate its efforts on Latitude 47.76942° North, This is the 63rd year of the Dayton
JT65B, a digital mode that offers greatly Longitude 52.76384° West Hamvention, sponsored by the Dayton
enhanced performance over more Amateur Radio Association. Each year, a
conventional modes. It will have the Elevation: 65 feet (20 metres) above sea specifc theme – such as Amateur Radio
capability to use other modes including level. clubs, global friendship or the advent of
CW and SSB if conditions warrant however. Grid Square: GN37os. digital modes – spotlights one of the many
facets of the Amateur Radio Service. This
The Brendan Trophy is a series of awards IOTA island NA-027. year’s theme “Makers: the Future of Ham
offered by the Irish Radio Transmitters Radio” will refect an important part of
Society to the frst Amateur Radio Antenna height is 85 feet (26 metres) Amateur Radio: “We in Amateur Radio are
operators to complete a 2 metre above sea level on a bluff on the edge of all ‘makers’ at heart.”
Trans-Atlantic QSO. the Atlantic. There is no land between the As has been the case for many years,
transmit location and Europe through
Details on the expedition can be found on bearing range of 013 to 108 degrees True. this year’s Hamvention will be at the
Hara Arena Complex on the north side
the team’s website: The transmit location is 3040 km from the of Dayton, Ohio. Further information,
http://www.brendanquest.org Irish coast, 3400 km from Poldhu, and 23 including advance ticket sales and motel
km from Marconi’s 1901 reception site.
Real time information on operating modes accommodations, can be found online at:
and schedules will be posted during the Antenna: A horizontally polarized “rope http://www.hamvention.org
expedition on the team’s website, the ladder” Yagi, with 43 elements consisting So come visit the Radio Amateur of
ON4KST site and the G4CQM Shoutbox. of one refector, one driven element and Canada booth BA0436 and talk to your
Facebook users are also welcome to join 41 directors, suspended and aligned on RAC volunteers. Better yet contact us and
the group’s page “Brendan Quest” two strands of Kevlar rope 65 cm apart. Its volunteer to work at the booth.
2 metre Trans-Atlantic Attempt 2014. overall length is 30 metres. Because the RAC Headquarters: racgm@rac.ca;
Background Information: ground slopes towards the ocean, the 1-877-273-8304
height of the antenna varies from 6 metres
2014 Transatlantic Two Metre above ground at the refector, to 8.5 metres Geoff Bawden, VE4BAW
“Brendan Quest” Objectives: at the opposite end. Its feedpoint RAC President and Chair
impedance is 50 ohms, and it will employ
1) Complete one or more legal, confrmed,
two-way QSOs between North America a ferrite choke balun. Licensed
and Europe on the Amateur Radio 2 metre The SWR is 1.1 to 1.2. Forward gain is 23.9 Before 1989?
band using terrestrial propagation modes. dB over a dipole. The front to back ratio is
32 db, while the front to side ratio is
2) Complete such contacts using both greater than 25 db (270°). The takeoff QCWA invites you to join with those
“traditional” (CW or SSB) and distinguished Amateurs licensed 25
“non-traditional” (JT65B or ISCAT) modes. angle of the main lobe is 4.5°. The years ago and licensed today.
beamwidth is 15.6° at the -3 db points,
3) Failing the above, to be heard in and beam thickness is 4.7° at the -3 db To join or renew with QCWA visit:
Europe. points. When driven with 750W, the
Effective Radiated Power in the centre of http://www.qcwa.org/join-renew.php
Operators (North America): the major lobe should be about 150 kW. For more information please contact
Fred Archibald, VE1FA; Helen Archibald, Antenna coverage in Europe at -3 db QCWA at: execadmin@qcwa.org
VA1YL; Al Penney, VO1NO; Rich Pieniaczek, points: Based on an antenna azimuth of
VA1CHP; Roger, Sturtevant VE1SKY.
062° True and a beamwidth of 15.8° at the
Operation: July 4 to 12 -3 db points, the antenna beam width will
be 069° to 054° True, so straight line
Call: A special call sign has been propagation will cover all Ireland, the
requested. In the event one is not issued, United Kingdom and parts of Norway,
the group will use the call sign VO1NO. France and Holland. Of course
propagation paths may be skewed.

9