2015 W / VE Island QSO Party

Coming up in late August is this years Island QSO Party....we hope you're getting ready!!  Over the past few years participation from Canadian stations has been very low, we hope that we can change that fact.

This year the date has been moved up to allow us to have some decent weather to operate as last year we all froze!  The date this year is August 29th 1200 UTC to August 30th 0300 UTC.   Mark your calendars now and pick an island.......there's thousands to chose from.

The results from last year can be found HERE.   You will note that only three (3) Canadian stations bothered to even submit a log.

You don't have to be on a coast to take part in this event, all provinces and territories have islands, check out the list on the right side of this page.

This page will be updated when the rules are issued for this year.

Start getting ready !!

Marathon Activation on July 11th !!

Bates Island, Ottawa.

The following email was received from Gilles, VE2MAM........

I will be activating four or five islands Saturday the 11th of July.


The order will be the following:

Victoria isl. ON-123    Green isl. ON-122   Porter ON-121 and North Petri ON-119.

Bates isl. ON-283 will be activated the last if all goes well with the others.  Since I go on Bate isl. a few time each week it will be easy to make a sked if I skip Bate because of time constraint.

I will be on Victoria isl. at 9 AM (1300Z) and transmit on 7.250 (plus or minus) until there is no more takers. Then to 14.250 (plus or minus) again until no more takers. I will then move on to the next island.

It will be the same for every islands, 40M then 20M. The exchange will probably be contest style.

Victoria, Green and Porter are close to each other so it won't be too long between each of them.  North Petri is a bit farther, maximum one hour to get there.


One QSL card from you will be OK to confirm one or all the islands. I will send back one card that will confirm one or all the islands. QSL info is on QRZ.com

The order of the run could change or be cancel because of weather or for reasons that are unknown at this time.

It should be a lot of fun !!!   Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.


Gil  ve2mam@gmail.com

Need an Ottawa - Hull area activation?

Just received the following email from Gil, VE2MAM.  It will be of interest to those looking for a contact on Bates Island, ON-283:


4-5 times a week, every week of the year I'm on Bate island ON-283
with my mobile.  I  chase US counties so in my CQ call I don't mention
that I'm on ON-283 I say that I'm "chasing counties".

Bates island is just 3 kilometers from my home QTH.  I like to
bring a newspaper and a small lunch and pass one or two hours on the
island.

'm there mostly in the morning but sometime I will go on Bate
island just before the sun goes down.

If any of your members would like a contact with this island we
could easely make a sked.   I'm retired... just send me an e-mail at
ve2mam@gmail.com

 In the past I was on QC-007, QC-006, QC-038

 Best 73

Gilles (Gil) VE2MAM

Forans Island - ON-293

John, VE3ISE, will be activating Forans Island, ON-293, on Wednesday, June 17th.   This island is near Grimsby, Ontario and is at Grid FN03fe.

His schedule will be:

1600Z on 7.260
and
1700Z on 14.250

All frequencies are +/- QRM.

John mentions that other bands may be available depending on conditions.  This is the second activation for this island.

Success at Upper Brewers Mill Island

The Frontenac Radio Group were finally successful today, after two years of trying and four attempts they finally managed to activate Upper Brewers Mill Island.  The Island has been assigned the identifier ON-294.

The bands were not in the best of conditions today, 20m and 40m were both very noisy and had deep QSB on them.  No contacts were managed on 10m or 15m.

Our thanks to both the Canadian and US operators who came up on frequency and made this activation finally successful.

This is the second successful activation of islands we have had in a few weeks.........who's next?

Upper Brewers Mill Island

OK, Frontenac Radio group is going to try and do this again......for the fourth time!

This Saturday morning between 1300 UTC and 1700 UTC the Frontenac Radio Group is going to attempt to break the jinx, and finally activate Upper Brewers Mill Island, which is located on the Rideau Canal system.

Grid is FN14uj.

Callsign in use will be the group's call, VE3FRG.

Hopefully the bands will be singing so we can get this activation over done with.  The propagation needs to improve quite a bit to get this activation done.

There will be two HF station on the air, and as usual, the frequencies will be +/-........

7.250
14.250 to 14.260
21.350
28.450

A Successful First Activation

Congratulations go out to John, VE3ISE, who has successfully activated Forans Island, near Grimsby, Ontario, last Tuesday evening.

Forans Island is now officially ON-293.  The island is located at FN03fe.

Well done John. we look forward to your next activation!