Merry Christmas

2017 Island QSO Party Results

Here's the link to this years results for the W/VE Island QSO Party Results....click HERE.

It was nice to see a good increase in the number of Canadian logs submitted......even if it was only 5 of them, its still more than last year.  Hopefully we can keep this trend going!!

It would be great to see some participation from the East & West Coasts, all the submissions came from Ontario and Quebec.  Hmmm.......maybe a DXpedition is in the future to a lonely island off one of the coasts.

Congratulations to the winners and runners up!!

Submitted Logs

The following Canadian logs have been received for this years W/VE Island QSO Party:

VA3PCJ
VA3TIC
VE2GT
VE3FI
VE3SCN

If you have submitted a log for this years contest and it is not listed, please contact Jay, NS4J, at:
ns4j@usislands.org as soon as you can.

Getting the information out to you....

In order to get the information out to those amateurs interested in activating Canadian Islands we have decided to add another piece of social media to our messaging arsenal.  

We have added a group to Groups.io.  You can find us at https://groups.io/g/veislandactivators  You don't need a special ID, or a specific email address, any email address can be used to sign up for this service.

Join us as we try to build up the interest in operating portable, and outdoors on our islands across the country.

Logbook Submission Deadline

Don't forget, the deadline for logbook submissions to the W/VE Island QSO Party is only one week away. 

If you are having difficulty submitting your log due to the daunting submission requirements, Jose, VA3PCJ, has kindly offered his services to help you through the process.  

Jose may be reached through this site if you need help.

A Reminder.........

Don't forget that tomorrow is the W/VE Island QSO Party!!   There are a number of Canadian Stations registered and waiting for the start time.

The rules can be found HERE.

Give a listen on the usual island activating frequencies for us all, and have fun.

Commanda Island ON-221

Just received word that Bob, VE3WY, will be operating from Commanda Island, ON-221, grid EN96vb, which is on the French River.

Bob will be on the air starting the evening of Thursday, Aug 17 until Sunday, August 20.

 He will be on the air after 2100 local.

He is looking at being on the following Frequencies:  3770kHz +/- 10kHz and 7140kHz +/-10kHz, but may also operate on 3755kHz and 7055kHz +/- QRM. SSB only at this time.

Keep your ears open for Bob.

Clifford Allen Island

WX permitting, on Saturday Aug 19, Jose VA3PCJ, may try to qualify "Clifford Allen Island” (Grid Loc. FN25DJ72) in the Rideau River (near Billings Bridge Mall).   This island has never been activated before.

The Island is "water-locked” in the Rideau River - not far from the river shore. Jose may try to launch upriver and paddle to the island in a canoe or kayak. 

If he manages to make a landing he will likely operate his  KX3 and possibly the Buddipole or the PAR EndFed Tribander and operate both CW and SSB mostly on 40m.

Then, for the W/VE Islands QSO Party the following weekend, also WX permitting, he may plan a return to Aylmer Island ON295. Otherwise, Clarence Island ON301 or Rideau Island ON296 are possible alternates.

And another one.......

The Sleeping Giant, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Just received tonight from Bill-VE3XT......

Hello from Thunder Bay.  We're hoping to activate Mission Island (ON232) on August 26.  

We're planning to operate 100w to a Windom using SSB on 20 and 40 from noon to 5 PM EDT on or near the IOTA freq's. 

The call will be VE3FW for the Lakehead ARC.  

We'll have a magnificent view of the Sleeping Giant and hopefully if we get our act together we will offer an eQSL/ certificate to folks that we contact.

There may also be some ancillary QRP CW OPS as well during this time.

Another one for the Island QSO Party

John, VE3ISE, plans to activate Henley Island ON-007, Grid FN03ie, on Aug 26 weekend weather permitting.

He will be operating mobile on 20 and 40 meters, using Hustler antenna running 100 watts SSB

Timing for John will be 1600Z to 2000Z  using the call sign CG3ISE.

If the island is busy and he is unable to set up there, he will move to another island on the Niagara peninsula (secondary island to be determined later).

Bud, VE7SMP

Congratulations to Bud VE7SMP for reaching the 100 + Honor Roll chasing US Islands. 

He recently submitted a list of 238 confirmed USI QSOs. This also included 5 Worked Ten awards (10 USI confirmed in any one state) for Alaska, California, Florida, New Mexico and Texas.

Way to go Bud!!!

Jose - VA3PCJ

Jose contacted us today to let us know that contingent to weather and other unforeseeable circumstances, this Saturday, August 5th, he is considering qualifying Clarence Island (FN25JN09) for the Canadian Island Activation Program.

He will try to be on the air from 18:00z (14:00 EDT), operating QRP/P only in CW in the 40m and 20m bands. CW will be manual at 20 wpm or less

If possible, his position will be in APRS.fi (VA3PCJ-7) QSX info will be sent to Twitter via SMS (follow: @VA3PCJ). 

QSL will be only via LoTW and eQSL(AG) (i.e., no QSL cards).

This another first activation.  We have issued Jose the number ON-301 for this island.

This is a shot Jose sent us of Clarance Island last week....under water

due to flooding with the constant heavy rain we have had here in Ontario 

over this summer.

It's a good job he will using his boat for this activation !!

Update on the activation from Jose......

The island was not as flooded as the one on the picture from last May… and though I did get to it by crossing the river by boat in was not in one of mine (it was in the “Ecolos” ferry). However, the island is directly accessible by road…  I parked the Jeep in a small parking area at the west tip of the island and got the PAR tribander set as a vertical up the 43 ft. telescopic mast resting against a tree behind the Jeep. I operated mainly from a bolder near-by, but transferred inside the Jeep when the wind got too strong and the rain started.

Most of the QSO’s were in the NAQP CW, but 4 were not: one was a long QSO I had with Bob in Staten Island, NY, another was an SSB QSO with the group activating the Barnegat Bay Lighthouse in Long Beach Island (IOTA NA-111). The third was with a POTA /P station in NY and the fourth was with a SOTA station activating a SOTA peak in Indiana. Interestingly, the first 25 QSOs were all with US stations (i.e., a single DXCC),  but number 26 was was with Brian VE3MGY from Sparta, ON. Then I also contacted VE5RAC in SK. 

It required some effort but it was fun.

Island QSO Party Activations...so far

After a slow start to the season due to flooding and - what seems like - endless rain, we have some activation news for the W/VE Island QSO Party...

We received today four notifications for the W/VE Island QSO Party, and they are as follows:

VA3TIC and VE3SCN will be on Howe Island, ON-023, they will be operating SSB and digital modes on all bands.

VE3FI and VE3ULC will be on Simcoe Island, ON-022, and will be operating SSB and digital modes on all bands.

VE3RRH and team will be operating from Byng Island, ON-037.

We also have a first time activation taking place for the QSO Party...

Michel, VE2TH, will be activating Ile Aux Basques, near Trois-Pistoles, Quebec in Grid FN58jd.  He will be operating QRP CW on 40m and 20m.

W / VE Island QSO Party

This year, I suspect due to the major flooding and lousy weather we have had across the country, has been very quiet for Island Activations.   However, coming up soon is this years W / VE Island QSO Party, sponsored by the US Islands Award.

The event runs 15 hours from 1200 UTC, 26 August to 0300 UTC, 27 August, and the Rules for the event can be found HERE on the US Islands page.

Participation by Canadian amateurs has been pretty dismal over the past few years and the disappearance of the Canadian Island Award (CIsA) website did not help.  

However, in case you don't know, out of the ashes has grown another group of guys who have formed Canadian Island Activators with the intent to carry on from where CIsA left off.

The one item the organizers do ask is that you submit your event log.  Last year only three Canadian stations did so.  

Let's try and get as many Canadian stations on the air as we possibly can for this event!!

Jump on a Ferry and activate an island!!!

Wolfe Island ON-009

Wolfe Island Ferry going past the
Royal Military College

This coming Sunday the Frontenac Amateur Radio Club will be activating Wolfe Island, ON-009. Wolfe hasn't been activated since very early 2016.

The last time they activated Wolfe they made a remarkable two HF contacts – due to band conditions….hopefully we can do better this time.

They will be on from 1500 UTC till 1900 UTC, unless propagation is in the toilet again and then they will see how it's going.

Callsign will be VE3FRG, and the SSB frequencies will be:

7.250
14.250 - 14.260
144.200

Digital Frequencies will be:
7.080
14.070