
The husband and wife team of Rob Noakes, VE3PCP and Alicia Noakes, VA3KGZ, along with their son Justin Noakes, VA3AQZ, operating as VE3IHR, Inverhuron Ham Radio Club, continued their activations of the Point Clark Lighthouse National Historic Site (ON37) and have now completed 20 activations of the lighthouse! They also completed an activation of Bruce Peninsula National Park (ON01) and Woodside National Historic Site (ON47). The activations have been done mostly with mobile antennas and 100 Watts of power with their classic Kenwood TS850 running strictly on dedicated battery power separate from the vehicle power system and no generator. They have run both SSB and FT8 digital modes at all locations on many bands from 80m through 10m.
Pierre Jolin, VE2GT, visited eight Parks Canada sites in the Montreal, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières, Quebec City and Ottawa areas and completed 11 activations. Pierre says “people are often surprised when I tell them that I’m a Radio Amateur and can talk to Europe from my car”.
Al Penney, VO1NO and Scot Austin, VA1WTF, operating under the Annapolis Valley Amateur Radio Club VA1AVR call sign, visited nine different Parks Canada sites in the Annapolis Valley area of Nova Scotia and completed a total of 15 activations. Unlike many activators, Al and Scot have decided not to rely on mobile antennas and operating in the comfort (and warmth!) of a vehicle’s interior. Instead, they set up half-wave dipoles outside on telescoping poles and operate underneath the tailgate of Al’s Xterra. With propagation conditions as bad as they are, they try to take advantage of the benefits of full-size antennas. They also regard this as excellent practice for emergencies, and they can set up a complete HF station in minutes. Of course, winter in Nova Scotia can be unpleasant at times and, as veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces, they have been overheard using the expression “embrace the suck” on occasion!
- VE2GT and VE1JMB activated Cartier-Brébeuf National Historic Site (QC14)
- VE2GT and VE3AIR activated Fort Wellington National Historic Site (ON25)
- VE2GT and VE3AIR Laurier House National Historic Site of Canada (ON30)
- Point Pelee National Park (ON03) by Ron Bondy, ADODX. This included a park-to-park satellite contact with Mike Diehl, VE6LID at Fort Malden National Historic Site (ON22).
- Fort Beauséjour – Fort Cumberland National Historic Site (NB13) by Dave Goodwin, VE9CB.
- upload log files in ADIF and Cabrillo formats. (To date, over 1100 log files have been uploaded).
- obtain information on Canadian national parks and historic sites
- obtain information on CNPOTA rules, honour roll and available certificates
- get answers to frequently asked questions
- review progress on three leader boards and the honour roll
- track confirmed contacts for any call sign