Author Archives: VA3QR

About VA3QR

Obtained Basic (Canada) license on March 21, 1994. Received 5WPM Morse Code endorsement in the summer of 2003. Obtained my Advanced in the winter of 2014. Active on all Amateur bands between 160m - 70cm (excl. 1.25m), all modes. Primary rig is a Flex 5000A with ATU, RX2 and VHF/UHF module. Mobile rigs include Kenwood TM-D710A, and TM-480SAT. Antennas include Cushcraft MA-5B, Cushcraft A6270-13S, Hustler 6-BTV (with all 3 DX Engineering mods), 2 x Comet CX-333, Custom-Made Random Wire (tunes 160m - 10m), and MFJ Active Receive Antenna. I host the VE3PAQ Repeaters on 1.25m and 70cm, the VE3YAP APRS Digipeater, and the APRS2 Tier 2 network node for Ontario.

Nepalese Disaster Communications

For those who might be interested, there is a radio “net” going on, and I’ve been involved in attempting to pass radio traffic in and out of Kathmandu, Nepal. What you’re hearing is the live audio feed from my transmitter. When the net closes, I will post my AAR (After Action Report) here, which will include… Read more »

The ONTARS Net

One of the things we do as Amateur Radio operators is participate in “nets.” A net is a group of operators who are guided by a Net Controller, and are given a chance, in turn, to communicate/pass traffic to all others on that frequency at any given time. In a formal setting, such as a… Read more »

What is Amateur (Ham) Radio?

If I had a dollar for every time someone has asked me what the antennas on my truck, or what the tower next to my house are/is for, I wouldn’t have to work. Similarly, once I tell that person they’re for Amateur Radio use, about 80% of the time, the next question out of their… Read more »

PowerSDR Band Text for RAC Band Plan, IARU Region 2

So, I love my Flex Radio 5000A. I love PowerSDR, and I love everything about operating a software defined radio. However, it always bugged me that the PowerSDR software comes with the US band plans loaded, because there is a BIG difference between their plans and the rest of IARU Region 2, much less ours… Read more »

My New Blog

My name is Phil A. McBride. I became interested in radio in general when I was introduced to Dave, VE3RCJ (now VE3YU), who was the father of a couple of school friends when I was 8 or 9 years old. I was playing with a couple of toy 49MHz FM walkie talkies and kept asking… Read more »