In this issue: Upcoming Monthly Meetings, OARC winter 2026 workshop series, Membership reminder, Planning and reporting, YLRL scholarships, and News from the Ottawa Vintage Radio Club.
Upcoming Monthly Meetings
- February 2026: We’re looking forward to hearing from Allan Boyd, President of Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC), who will deliver a presentation on DSTAR (the basics of all the systems, how it works, and the reflector systems and basic programming) as well as how DSTAR relates to the new ACS (Auxiliary Communications Service) program. Allan will also talk to us about the benefits of RAC membership.
- March 2026: This meeting will feature a presentation on Meshtastic and MeshCore and also spend some time talking about the “why” of Mesh networks and the value, pros and cons, and design considerations for both an urban and rural setting. I will be away for the March meeting so Club Secretary Ryan, VA3WSO, will be our M.C. for the evening. In addition, all our usual A/V and Teams support volunteers are away so we are looking for someone to run the A/V (projector, screen, cameras, microphones, and the MS Teams portion (start/end, respond to the chat).
- April 2026 is OARC’s Homebrew Night. That may seem a long way off but, if you start right now, you will be rewarded for all your hard work by your peers and the esteemed judges (who will remain anonymous to avoid the possibility of bribery). It’s not only about the fun and bragging rights…there will be prizes too! More details and the link to register yourself and your project will appear in the online calendar soon.
OARC winter 2026 workshop series
Planning for the OARC spring 2026 workshop series is nearly final. We’re looking at a workshop from 1pm to 4pm every Sunday in March and April, alternating between a Soldering Skills workshop and a Project Build. There will likely be five Soldering Skills sessions and three project builds including: Ground Plane Antenna Build, EFHW Antenna Build and a Roll-up J-Pole Antenna Build.
Watch the OARC online calendar and, when the item appears, click on it for more information and the link to register and pay.
Memberships
A reminder that you will receive an automatically generated reminder email 30 days before your OARC membership expires.
- Over 70% of you have set up automatic renewal and so there’s nothing you need to do, unless you need to make a change, such as updating your payment method.
- For approximately 30% of you who made a one-time payment or whose automatic renewal was stopped (there were a few, due to a technical issue at our end), you will receive a second email with instructions and a link to renew.
Planning and reporting
The Board has been working hard the 2025 Annual Report and on developing our 2026 Operational Plan and budget. Stay tuned!
Apply for a YLRL Scholarship before April 30, 2026
The Young Ladies’ Radio League (YLRL) provides two $2500 scholarships and one $1500 scholarship each year. Deadline for application: April 30, 2026. Eligibility:
- Being in Canada is not a barrier. There are no residency restrictions. Non-US amateurs are eligible.
- Applicant must be female.
- Applicant must have an Amateur Radio license.
- Preference will be given to students studying communications, radio, electronics, or Amateur Radio related arts and sciences.
- Preference will be given to members of the YLRL. (a Canadian membership is $15 USD/year. Click here to join the YLRL)
Click here for more information on the YLRL scholarships and the link to apply.
Note: We know that some members of our Amateur Radio community may find the term “young ladies” outdated. We’ve included some thoughts on that at the bottom of the post so be sure to scroll down and read that and then share your thoughts with us.
News from the Ottawa Vintage Radio Club: a trip to Montreal and an online auction
- Members of the Ottawa Vintage Radio Club (OVRC) are planning a trip to Montreal to see the “Talk with Electricity: 150 years of voice transmission” exhibit (see poster below). The plan is to go on Saturday, March 7 by train. If you are interested, please click here to email Gord, VE3ILZ, President OVRC.
- The OVRC On-Line Silent Auction is now online and closes February 20, 2026 at 6 PM.
- The auction is open to everyone, members and non-members.
- It features test equipment, some early high-end transistor radios, and parts (especially power transformers and chokes).
- Submit your bids by email – click here to e-mail Gord, VE3ILZ, President OVRC.
- Pay for your winnings with Interac e-transfer. Pick up your items in Ottawa.
- Additional information is provided in the following four catalogues:
Hope you are all staying safe and cozy and enjoying Winterlude!
All my best and 73,
Roger Egan VA3EGY
The Prez
Last Updated on 2026-02-18 by Joannadanna