Yellowknife Amateur Radio Society (VE8YK)

Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, CANADA

DP22sn

Report of Event

Three 44 Squadron Avro Lancaster B.Is in 1942

VE8IR has been operating VE80LAN mostly in FT-8 mode on 14.074 MHz (20 m) on Sundays in March.  His set-up was a Yaesu FT-817 in digital mode using WSJT-X and the FT-8 mode.  The antenna used was an MFJ magnetic loop facing northwest from his apartment windowsill.  On occasion he would disconnect the computer and try CW.  

On 6 March he was able to receive some stations but could not properly transmit.  He could see VE8PR's FT-8 signal all over the waterfall plot, but could not even reach him. 

After some troubleshooting on 13 March, VE8IR found out that the radio was in the wrong digital mode and then was able to transmit.  The SWR was very high (5:1 at least) and only about .24 to .5 W was getting out.  Nobody returned his calls.  VE8IR also found a loose connection with his CW paddles which he fixed and tried CW and other digital modes on 14.070 MHz as well as on higher HF bands.  On occasion the bands would open up briefly and he could hear stations from France, Germany, Russia and Lithuania.  There was also a steep learning curve using DXSummit.fi as he has never used DX spotting before.      

Attempts were made in FT-8 on the other Sundays of March and finally on 24 March he successfully made an FT-8 QSO with VE8CK, in Yellowknife.  He was transmitting with 3 W of power.  VE8IR reported this to Rick Danby VE3BK, the organizer of the event.  

Amateur Radio Event

The Hamilton Amateur Radio Club, in cooperation with the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum (VA3CWM), the Royal Air Force Amateur Radio Society (RAFARS) and the Western Australia VHF Group.  There are only a handful of these aircraft remaining in the UK, Canada and Australia.  During World War II, the AVRO Lancaster was the main heavy bomber of the Commonwealth.  A coordinated amateur radio event between these three countries will be commenced for the month of March 2022 with special callsign stations VE80LAN, VK80LAN and GB80LAN.  VE8WD, on behalf of the Yellowknife Amateur Radio Society, will be the trustee of the callsign due to its prefix (VE8-).  

QSL Cards will be issued and the Contesting Manager's details are as follows:


Rick Danby    VE3BK       http://www.eqsl.cc/Member.cfm?VE3BK 
Contesting  Manager  for  VE3DC
Hamilton Amateur Radio Club
Hamilton, Ontario Canada
http://www.hamiltonarc.com 
 
A HAM since 1985 - Advanced since 1986
Qualifications : Advanced Amateur
Morse Code 15 WPM


GB80LAN QSL via the RAFARS QSL Manager

QSL BUREAU MANAGER RAFARS 898
Andrew Humphriss 2E0NDZ
44 Bishops Close
Stratford upon Avon
Warwickshire
CV37 9ED


VK80LAN 

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And here is the announcement from VE3BK (Rick):

It is time to ask for your help, putting this Special Event Call on the air. VE80LAN joins with GB80LAN & VK80LAN to celebrate the 80Th Anniversary of the first Sortie out of Great Britain for WWII.

You can check out what is happening on QRZ.com, looking up the 3 calls. The 3 Allies that made the Lancaster for the War effort, are doing this Special Event. The Operators from the Radio Room VA3CWM are arranging this with the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, that has the only flying Lancaster in North America, is sponsoring our effort in Canada.

So I am looking for Volunteers to put our VE80LAN on the air for the month of March 2022. Pick a time that you or your Club can do this for us. I am suggesting a weekend or a day for any Club to get their members involved and maybe a day or 4 hour time slot for any individual Hams that want to help out. I am expecting great support from our Radio Room volunteers from the Warplane Heritage Museum as well.

Please email me at above email address or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to give me your choice of time to help out. We will try to accommodate everyone and then make up a schedule for the month of March. Read details on QRZ for the times the other stations are on, so that you can work them as well.

Please let me know when you or your Club is available.

Thanks for your consideration, 73 Rick VE3BK

If any amateur radio operator in the Society, Yellowknife or the Northwest Territories, Yukon or Nunavut is interested in participating, you can either contact the Yellowknife Amateur Radio Society (Chris Cameron (VE8WD)  or Ian Rennie (VE8IR)) or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. directly.  There is to be a schedule as the VE80LAN callsign will be used nationally.  Log formats are to be in ADIF and CADBRILLO formats.  Most logging software has these formats - including N1MM.

History - 80th Anniversary of First Operational Sortie 2 March 1942 Over Heligoland Bight

The AVRO Lancaster was a heavy bomber used during World War II.  Its design began in the 1930s and was designed by Roy Chadwick.  It saw its first operational service on 2 March 1942 and became the main bomber for night-time bombing campaigns over occupied Europe and Germany.  It was used by the Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and other Commonwealth and European forces serving with the Royal Air Force.  The Royal Air Force had 1,070 of the aircraft built in the United Kingdom (in Lancashire, Cheshire and Birmingham) while in early 1942 production was carried on overseas in Canada at Victory Aircraft in Malton, Ontario (Toronto, Ontario).  430 of the 7,377 aircraft built were built in Canada (6%).  Canada used this aircraft for maritime patrols, search and rescue and reconnaissance until 1964. 

AVRO Lancaster at Hamilton's Canadian Warplane Museum (Packard Merlin Engines exposed)

Sources: