Final Report, VB3COPS Special Event May 12 to May 18, 2024

Between May 12 and May 18, 2024, I was able to secure the Special Callsign VB3COPS for use during Police Services Week 2024.

Like the other two events run annually, (VB3EMS and VE3FIRE) this event was to show our appreciation for, and to thank, our Police Services members using amateur radio to send that message.

Mother Nature threw a temper tantrum at the beginning of that week, with a huge CME which severely disrupted radio communications worldwide. 

But maybe she has a soft spot for Police Services members, because band conditions improved as the week went on, to the point that the great group who volunteered worked hard, and we ended up putting nine hundred and sixty nine (969) contacts in the logs of those who participated.  

While I had hoped for more contacts, it is very satisfying to see that 969 contacts were made, given very difficult band conditions where there was very rapid signal fading, very noisy atmospheric interference, but not a lot of adjacent frequency interference because so many hams stayed off the air, despite the bands being somewhat active!

I would like to thank the following operators who volunteered to help out. They chose bands and times, based on conditions that prevailed pre-Mother Nature’s tantrum, and they still tried valiantly to get some contacts in their logs with the tough conditions during the week. I fully understand their frustration, and we can only hope that this event can be run again next year with better conditions.

These operators are: VE3KQK, Mike, VE3NRJ, Brad, VE3GAM, Al, VE3IDT, Doug, VA3ATB, Brian, VE3YOB, Bogdan, VA3ZLS, Luke, VE3FLJ, Joshua, VE3NMW, Terry, VA3CBN, Greg, VE3BTC, Worth, VE3DOU, Peter, VA3WMD, Joanne, VA3PRR, Jay, and yours truly, VE3KGK, David. VE3AMW, Bob, volunteered but health issues precluded his being able to operate. Get well soon Bob!

I would like to personally thank each person on the above list for volunteering to operate during this Special Event. Each of you made a contribution that I very much appreciated. It was very gratifying to hear the comments of those we contacted who thanked us for putting on a Special Event to thank our Police Services for the great job they do under very difficult and dangerous circumstances. It was particularly special when contact was made with someone from past or present Police Services employment. The event was enthusiastically endorsed, and warrants another event in 2025. I’ll be looking for volunteers again then! My personal hilite was when ZL1KEN called me from New Zealand!

The ability to use the club’s two radio positions at the Club location at the 427 Wing building was greatly appreciated and as club members we need to use that facility that is available to us to use. Keep those antennas punching out RF!

Till next time, a heartfelt “Thank You” and I hope it was enough fun to be able to count on you in 2025!

David, VE3KGK, Special Events Coordinator.

VB3COPS May 12 to 18, 2024

The Special Event with the callsign VB3COPS will run from May 12 to May 18, 2024. That week is Police Services Week, and it has been quite a while since Police Services week did not partially overlap with EMS Week. Adding another Special Event has been something I hoped would be possible, and in 2024 everything came together.

The first and last days will see the Club stations being used on 20m and 40m and the use of the Club stations is to allow members of LARC who may not have HF radios or are unable to put up exterior antennas to use the special callsign.

The intervening days of Monday through Friday of the week will be given over to operators from LARC and EARS in St Thomas who have requested and been allocated time slots on their bands of choice, who are able to operate from their home stations.

John VA3MSV has kindly agreed to have his usual Special Events page up and running so we can keep track of what is happening during the week. Please log into this page.

The logs will be kept and sent to Doug VE3IDT as ADI files and he will fold them all into one main log and submit that log to the eQSL site. Please submit your logs at the end of the event.

Bob, N4P in Gainesville Florida will be partnering with us so look out for him and work him as well. QSL cards are being designed and we are also hoping to have downloadable and printable certificates for the event.

This event will be HF SSB only.

David VE3KGK
Special Event Coordinator