Hugo Kneve, VE3KTN

OVMRC Nets & Ops Chair

Greetings to all OVMRC members and participants in our weekly nets. I'm happy to say that attendance at the HF and VHF nets has continued to do well over the past season now that we're getting over the COVID hiatus.

The Thursday evening 2 metre FM net has continued with good attendance and lively discussion. The weekly attendance trend chart shows an average of 20 check-ins each week which is a very healthy indicator for this net and is at the same level as was during the 2021-22 season. The net will be taking a break for the summer, as it normally does, with the last session of the season taking place on Thursday, June 22 and resuming on Thursday, September 7.

The 80 metre Pothole Net resumed operation after the 2022 summer break and continued at the same level of attendance, averaging 9 participants each Sunday morning. The increase in Cycle 25 solar activity has taken a toll on 80 metre propagation making it rather hard to conduct the net at its usual
10 A.M. time slot. Nevertheless, Ernie, ve3ejj, lead net controller and Glenn, ve3xra, have persevered through it with the help of some relays and, recently, the aid of monitors available on third-party SDR sites which have better-than-average antennas and noise floor. In consideration of the expected poor daytime conditions on 80 metres the PHN will be taking a break for the summer with the last net being held on Sunday, June 18 and returning on September 10.

Finally, the Potlid Slow Speed CW net continues with a core attendance of 5 local hams. There have been a couple of changes as of the September 2022 season start, those being the addition of Ante, va2bbw, as our third net controller and the net having moved from 2 metres to 6 metres, now operating on 50.090 MHz. I'm pleased to have Ante join as a net controller since it helps spread the load of running the net and provides a new location for coverage into Gatineau and, hopefully, the western parts of Ottawa; we now have rotating coverage via my own station in the extreme east of Ottawa, Norm, ve3lc, in Orleans and east Ottawa and now Ante, as described. As with the other OVMRC nets, the PLN will take a summer break with the last net being run on Sunday, June 18 and resuming on September 10.

With that, I'd like to wish all OVMRC members a good summer whether it be with ham radio or family-friends summer activity. Please remember to join in the nets again starting the 2023-24 season on the first net day after Labour Day, September 4.

73,

Hugo, VE3KTN.

Appears in: Rambler Vol. 65 Issue 10