Calgary Amateur Radio Association upcoming events

CANCELLED General Meeting/Elections (20 Jun 2026)

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Meeting has been cancelled in lieu of Ralph Garnett's Memorial

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/en-ca/obituaries/calgary-ab/ralph-garnett-12906169

~~The General Meeting on Saturday, June 20th at 1 PM is the final meeting for the summer. The meeting is critical for the club, and all members should attend.~~

There will be further details in the June Key Klix on the agenda for the June meeting, but the main focus is on our elections. If you wish to have the Calgary Amateur Radio Association thrive as a viable club, for your Special Interest Group to continue on whatever it’s focused on, then the June meeting requires your attendance in order to achieve a quorum to hold our elections.

Ghost of the Gravel (27 Jun 2026)

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 06:00:00 GMT

Organization	Deadgoat Racing
Type	PSE
Activity	Gravel Cycling
Coordinator	VE6DLN - ve6dln @ proton.me
Other Information	Volunteer Sign-up form Event Site: https://deadgoat.ca/ghostofthegravel/

Volunteer Sign-up form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfOoIbbURJGrKD5o3nWHKEJp5TWOT-eO_Qto4dpQoB6CNJmpQ/viewform

DRAFT Radio Guide:
Please send corrections to VE6DLN and watch for updates closer to the event:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xg4fxxV10gmGvuhec8oJV0b7egSJsLHa/edit

ARRL Field Day 2026 (27 Jun 2026)

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 06:00:00 GMT

Organization	ARRL
Type	PR, HAM
Activity	Contesting
Coordinator	VE6NQ - Peter Dwan ve6dwn@caraham.org VE6AO - Rob Wilson ve6ccl@shaw.ca
Other Information	https://www.arrl.org/field-day http://www.arrl.org/field-day#rules

VE6NQ will be setting up at Conrich AB east of Calgary again this year

Please contact Larry to book your seat time or with any questions you may have!

New Operator's are welcome! Come out and play radio!!!

We will be using the same location as last year in Conrich!

Google Map Link

only about ~1 KM from the Conrich corner (4 way stop sign), and going further east, and after crossing the railway track, is the 5th driveway on the right.

we do have lots of other radio equipment and assets available for setting up a portable entry

We will also participate using the Club Station VE6AO at the CSCC as Class D working only Field Day stations.

if we deploy the Generator we can enter as in (Class E) Home stations - Emergency power: Same as Class D, but using emergency power for transmitters and receivers. Class E may work all Field Day stations

RAC Canada Day Contest - SSB & CW Operators Wanted ! (30 Jun 2026)

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Celebrate Canada's Birthday with us: July 1

rac-canada-day-rules

If you would like to operate this contest from the club station

please register for this event on the CARA webpage

with your available days and times.

Contest Period:

0000 UTC to 2359 UTC on July 1, 2025

untill 6pm on Canada Day

Each year on July 1, the anniversary of Canada’s Confederation, Radio Amateurs of Canada sponsors the Canada Day Contest and Amateurs all over the world are invited to Canada’s Birthday Party on the air.

Contest Period: 0000 UTC to 2359 UTC July 1, 2025

Bands and Modes: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6 and 2 metres, CW and phone (SSB, FM, AM, etc.)

Suggested frequencies: CW – 25 kHz up from the band edge and for SSB – 1850, 3775, 7075, 7225, 14175, 21250, 28500 kHz. Check for CW activity on the half-hour.

Exchange: Stations in Canada send RS(T) and province or territory. VEØs and stations outside Canada send RS(T) and a serial number.

QSOs: Contacts with stations in Canada or VEØs are worth 10 points. Contacts with stations outside Canada are worth 2 points. Contacts with RAC official stations are worth 20 points. RAC official stations are: VA2RAC, VA3RAC, VE1RAC, VE4RAC, VE5RAC, VE6RAC, VE7RAC, VE8RAC, VE9RAC, VO1RAC, VO2RAC, VY0RAC, VY1RAC and VY2RAC. You may work any station once on each of the two modes, on each of the eight contest bands.

It is prohibited to make CW contacts in the conventional phone sub-bands and phone contacts in the conventional CW sub-bands. Contacts or soliciting QSOs through a repeater during the contest period is not allowed.

Multipliers: Thirteen in total, Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories. Each multiplier may be counted once on each mode on each of the eight contest bands. The multipliers, with their postal abbreviations and prefixes are: Nova Scotia [NS] (VE1, VA1, CY9, CYØ); Quebec [QC] (VE2, VA2); Ontario [ON] (VE3, VA3); Manitoba [MB] (VE4, VA4); Saskatchewan [SK] (VE5, VA5); Alberta [AB] (VE6, VA6); British Columbia [BC] (VE7, VA7); Northwest Territories [NT] (VE8); New Brunswick [NB] (VE9); Newfoundland and Labrador [NL] (VO1, VO2); Nunavut [NU] (VYØ); Yukon [YT] (VY1); and Prince Edward Island [PE] (VY2). Certain special Canadian prefixes in use at the time of the contest may also apply; however there may be no more than 13 multipliers on each band/mode. Please use the multiplier abbreviations, in square brackets, noted above.

Final Score: The total QSO from all bands multiplied by the total number of multipliers from all bands.

Categories: The following nine categories are eligible for plaques or certificates as detailed in the Awards section of the rules.

Single Operator All Bands High Power (>100 watts) – Radioworld
Single Operator All Bands Low Power (max. 100 watts output) – Contest Club Ontario
Single Operator QRP (max. 5 watt output) All Bands & Single Band ** – Radioworld
Single Operator All Bands CW only, any authorized power – Maritime Contest Club
Single Operator All Bands PH only, any authorized power – Saskatchewan Contest Club
Single Operator Single Band, any authorized power *** – Radioworld
Multi-Operator Single Transmitter High Power (>100 watts) * – Alfa Radio
Multi-Operator Single Transmitter Low Power (max. 100 watts output) * – Tony Allsop VE3FTA Memorial by the Mississauga ARC
Multi-Operator Multi-Transmitter, any authorized power – Radioworld

For the Canada Day Contest a special trophy is awarded for the highest Single Operator (no power classification) Foreign Entrant – Larry Kayser VA3LK Memorial by Alan Goodacre, VE3HX.

Special thanks to our sponsors for their support of the RAC contests.

Kids Cancer Care: Ride of Courage (10 Jul 2026)

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 06:00:00 GMT

Organization	Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta
Type	PSE
Activity	Road Cycling
Coordinator	kcc2026-leadteam@caraham.org
Other Information	https://sites.google.com/caraham.org/kcc2026/home

Amateur Radio Team volunteer information site:

https://sites.google.com/caraham.org/kcc2026/home

This road cycling event starts and finishes in Water Valley each day, travelling to the extents of Sundre, Didsbury, and Cochrane.

Amateur Radio Volunteer Information: {Site under construction, link will be posted here}

Participants fundraise for Kids Cancer Care https://www.kidscancercare.ab.ca and receive planning and support for this multi-day ride.

Bomber Command Museum of Canada (BCM) Radio Days (03 Aug 2026)

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Take part in another of Bomber Command Museum (BCM) of Canada's Radio Days, in Nanton, Alberta! This event, starting at 10 AM, will include a Lancaster engine run-up and other aviation displays.

“The Museum on the Air" group will be demonstrating the Lancaster Radio and DMR and will have other World War II radios on display.

BCM (VA6BCM), has plans to install an antenna so QSOs can be made from the museum.

The objective of the “VA6BCM -Museum on the Air group” is to demonstrate and display Aviation radios used during WWII and display the evolution of the technology.

It would be great to add pre-war radio aviation technology if anyone has any ideas.

If you are interested in participating, let me know.

Ken Hill VE6AGD, 73

hillkenm@gmail.com

Priddis & Millarville Fair (15 Aug 2026)

Sat, 15 Aug 2026 06:00:00 GMT

Organization	Millarville Racing and Agricultural Society (MRAS)
Type	PR
Activity	Fair / Exhibition
Coordinator	Harry Maylor VE6HRY
Other Information	https://millarvilleracetrack.com/the-priddis-millarville-fair/

Millarville Racing and Agricultural Society
306097 192 St W, Millarville, AB T0L 1K0

Moose Mountain Trail Races (22 Aug 2026)

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 06:00:00 GMT

Organization	Lewiston Ultra Events
Type	PSE
Activity	Trail Running
Coordinator	VE6DE
Other Information

Bomber Command Museum of Canada (BCM) Radio Days (22 Aug 2026)

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Take part in another of Bomber Command Museum (BCM) of Canada's Radio Days, in Nanton, Alberta! This event, starting at 10 AM, will include a Lancaster engine run-up and other aviation displays.

“The Museum on the Air" group will be demonstrating the Lancaster Radio and DMR and will have other World War II radios on display.

BCM (VA6BCM), has plans to install an antenna so QSOs can be made from the museum.

The objective of the “VA6BCM -Museum on the Air group” is to demonstrate and display Aviation radios used during WWII and display the evolution of the technology.

It would be great to add pre-war radio aviation technology if anyone has any ideas.

If you are interested in participating, let me know.

Ken Hill VE6AGD, 73

hillkenm@gmail.com

Bomber Command Museum of Canada (BCM) Radio Days (12 Sep 2026)

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Take part in another of Bomber Command Museum (BCM) of Canada's Radio Days, in Nanton, Alberta! This event, starting at 10 AM, will include a Lancaster engine run-up and other aviation displays.

“The Museum on the Air" group will be demonstrating the Lancaster Radio and DMR and will have other World War II radios on display.

BCM (VA6BCM), has plans to install an antenna so QSOs can be made from the museum.

The objective of the “VA6BCM -Museum on the Air group” is to demonstrate and display Aviation radios used during WWII and display the evolution of the technology.

It would be great to add pre-war radio aviation technology if anyone has any ideas.

If you are interested in participating, let me know.

Ken Hill VE6AGD, 73

hillkenm@gmail.com

Basic Amateur Radio Class, 2026 (13 Sep 2026)

Sun, 13 Sep 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Basic Amateur Ham Radio Course is scheduled

Start Date: Sept 13, 2026 at 1:00 PM

Place: Calgary Sports Car Club, 4215 80 Ave NE, Calgary, AB

There will be 13 sessions, each Sunday Afternoon until Dec 13, Note: there will be no class on Oct 11 for Thanksgiving.

You can register by clicking on the button at the bottom of this page and either paying online, pay be e-Transfer, or you make payment the day of the class by cash or cheque.

Cost: Regular tuition is $80.00. (Course fee only) plus an optional $60 for a Study Guide (Total $140).

Study Guides: The publisher of the Study Guide for this course has announced that they have discontinued operation. That does not mean that the book is unavailable, but we do need to manage our inventory until another publisher comes forward.

The Basic Study Guides are available from: Radio World Calgary Ph. (403) 239 – 1400. or as mentioned above can also be ordered at the time of registration for an additional $60. If you choose this option and decide to return the books at the end of the class in a clean reusable condition, you are eligible for a $30 refund.

We encourage you to purchase them ahead of time, or if you like to keep notes and want to keep the books.

Passing the Basic Qualification Exam (70% pass mark) is the starting point for becoming a ham, and it will get you "on the air" with access to many of the ham bands. More about amateur radio qualification levels and privileges can be found on Industry Canada's Amateur Radio Centre web site at http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/radioamateur.e

If you chose to pay by e-transfer, select “Invoice me” in the payment options, and then send an e-transfer to “paycara@caraham.org”, with a comment saying that is for the Basic Class, and include the invoice number.

If you have any questions or need further information, feel free to reach out to our training coordinator at training@caraham.org.