Chris Plummer's Canada Updates
Chris is currently working in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Here
are some recent updates and photos he's sent us...
10th May
2007
9th December 2006
17th
November
4th
September
10th
June
12th
May
3rd April (photos)
27th
February (photos)
14th February
23rd January
9th January
5th December 2005
28th November (photos)
9th November
6th November
2004 Trophy Collection
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I realise that I have not been in touch for a while, in fact the last letter was December 9th last year. so what has been happening since then? Well Christmas came and went, with a fiasco with baggage at Heathrow....again. This was due to SNOW, a full 1/4" of it and BA cancelling flights all over the place, BUT blocking the gates by leaving their planes on the gates. It was just as well that I had the high value Christmas presents in my hand baggage, but all the 'stocking fillers' were in the bag that got lost, not just for a day, or two, but three days, it was eventually delivered at 2PM on Christmas day..... My last trip via Heathrow was also eventful. I got to Heathrow Terminal 1 all the way from Calgary with TWO handbags, "sorry sir not allowed more than one, you will have to go out and check the other one in." I had $1000 portable computer in one bag, and a $1500 camera and credit card bum bag in the other. So went out, took the camera and bum bag out of the second bag and went to security. This time they then said I had THREE bags, and turned me away.... furious by then (Little bloody Hitlas) back to BMI check-in steaming, "Get my bum bag I will go by Rail" I said. This brought out the duty manager for BMI at Heathrow. We then worked out that if I put my brief case, bum bag and camera in a big plastic bag, the whole thing would fit in the bag gauge. So back again I went with the instruction to call the security duty manager if there was more trouble. As I approached, the Hitla that caused my second trouble scooted off out of harms way. No trouble getting through the Hitlas, then took out the items from my plastic bag folded it up and put it in the briefcase. No trouble with X-rays and continued on to Manchester without further hitch. So March trip home was busy but no further trouble, just it was too short, only a week at home. Amongst other things like dentists opticians and doctors appointments, I did manage to get at the smaller tower and replace the rotator, whilst standing in the mud over the hard core standing at the back of the barn. Next time round it will be replacing the damaged 2m antenna and replacing the rotator on the 70' tower. I was thinking of getting the base prepared for the third tower as well, now that I am fired with interest in HF. This interest has grown with the success of contest work with VE6AO. We won the Phone section of ARRL WPX contest in November 2005, and the CW equivalent in 2006, and really whipped the opposition in Canada Day contest Multi station multi operator. Us four operators got more than twice the score of the second placed team and they had ten operators. In fact we closed down for a couple of hours due to thunderstorms in our area and earthed down the antennas. Since last November we had another break-in and had the gear stolen, and its taken us up to now to get back to operations again. I went out and purchased two new FT2000s and the control gear, microphones, Heil head sets etc that we had lost. In the meantime we repaired the damage, and upgraded the security system, 25,000 volts on the door etc.... We have insurance, but we have to present receipts for the replacements before we get paid out. Back at the house, now that the deep frosts have gone (its +25 deg C today outside) I have put up a 9 band HF vertical and got my IC756Pro3 operating on Phone and RTTY with computer control of the rig and the RTTY logging etc. Looks good in the corner of my lounge. When we were trying out the FT2000s for the Club, I was so impressed that I went out and bought one for myself with all the bells and whistles added on, like a DMU Data Management unit, which displays configurations and spectrums on a TFT screen etc... Twin rig man now, but only one antenna at the moment. Thinking about a tower this year sometime before the frosts again. As an Advanced license holder in Canada I am allowed to run up to 1500W PEP output, so back in March I ordered an Ameritron AL1500 full power linear, just as well that the antenna is rated for full power. I just don't get out well enough with 100W, I can hear them, they don't hear me too well. This year I remembered in time to organise a trip to Ohio to the Dayton Hamfest. The biggest Ham radio rally in the world, or so I am told. So weekend of 18th-20th. I have arranged a trip to Dayton. Probably will be the first and the last when Ann finds out... Not telling her until I get back...When also know how much I have spent on shiny new toys.... Just yesterday decided that Winter was over and changed the car tyres back to Summer ones from the softer grippy winter treads I had had put on. 2 hours with jack and wrenches... but most of that was taken up digging the stones out of the treads before storing the winter ones. At the end of January I turned the big 60, so Ann came over and organised a party at the house. My brother came over from Sudbury Ontario for a week, and we have a picture of us both under the 'Plummer's Road' sign. At Easter Matthew came over for a break from his University studies, and we went on various outings, including going up to the Columbia Glacier up the Icefields Highway. In the 15 years since I last saw that glacier it has retreated over 1.2 mile, global warming has taken effect, or ice field cycle has. The temperature was in the low 20s C when we were up there, and when we got back we had done over 800km in the day out. On the return leg, I don't like coming back the same way so we headed east from Saskatoon River Crossing towards Rocky Mountain house (back on the plains), but got bored with the straight roads and turned off down a forest road #734, 150 km later after sliding about on ice and mud, and raising a dust trail over a mile long, seeing only 7 other vehicles coming the other way, we decided the better option was to head back towards tarmac'ed roads. This section of 734 was the one Mike had tried last summer and given up after being pelted with stones from other speeding cars, but we made it. Ann would not have approved, but Matt enjoyed it and we saw areas we would not have from main roads. A couple of weeks ago Mike Brandley and myself went a tour of Highway 40 and Forest road 734 (the other lower section I had not driven at Easter). These are dirt roads up the eastern side of the Rockies. We raised dust and saw Moose and birds etc. in a good drive out. Last weekend Ed Reczek took Mike and myself off-road into the back of Banff National Park and went off walking and scree clambering for 4 hours. Mike and I were right stiff on the Monday after, Ed being a Football (Soccer) Referee is a lot fitter and younger than us so he had no sympathy from us when he said he was sore as well. I am due back in the UK for a few days from 23rd May, then again in June for my holiday with the Caterham on the French race tracks down near Avignon and Pau. Then Ann and Matt come out for the Stampede and Calgary Marathon respectively, and I return in July for Matthew's Graduation ceremony. I'll see if I can get out for beers on one of the trips. Cheers for now and 73 to the guys at SMRCC. |
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Well Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat, or so the saying goes. Less than ten days to go before the Eagle lands back in the UK for Christmas, and all the rushing around that that entails. It has been d****d cold here for about ten days up to last week when the temperature climbed back near to December average of -1 deg C. It got down to -30 on my outside thermometer even on the ride home. So the car got put in the garage and the block heater plugged in to keep it warm... As regards the car, it now has the 'cherished' plate VA6APB on it ie my full Advanced Canadian amateur radio license. Back in the UK the incredible palaver that I had to go to to get G8APB and G18APB was endless, or seemed so, and the cost of each ended up at around 500 GBP.... Here it was a matter of showing my license to the registration agency, just about ten minutes ride away, paying $CD 10 and waiting for the plates to arrive...... Just shows another avenue where Rip-off Britain works in the Treasuries favour... We had about 6" of snow about two weeks ago, and this made things quite pretty out at the house, so spent some time freezing my fingers off putting up some Christmas lights out around the deck rail, and also some up the stair handrails. Shame really as its only me that sees them apart from the horses in the paddock next door. Still its the spirit of the thing really. We had a break-in at the Club DX station and lost the computers and main rigs, so we were repairing damage over the last weeks and contemplating how to operate contests without rigs etc. One of our new members, a VE2 from Montréal who is working over here (sans family like me) wanted to operate so we set up with his IC756Pro3 and Ameritron 1500 watts linear to the club aerials and operated last weekend on a Mêlée Contest on RTTY, quite good fun as I haven't operated Radio Teletype for quite a while. This is now all computer driven, controlled and logged, so its a matter of pressing buttons now, rather than having a clanking grinding and whirring machine next to your ears.. Loud or what. The was a study carried out here for one of the Finals of the ice hockey championships here and they came to the conclusion that people were being subjected to the equivalent of sitting 3' from a petrol driven chain saw for 3 hours with the occasional jet engine thrown in. But they have never sat near a Creed 7B reperf. on full auto-start for the same period.... We are planning another RTTY contest next weekend from the club, but must remember to take a fan heater to keep my feet warm.... solid concrete floor of the basement near the water table gets a bit cold... Christmas party time here , some gone and some to come, but I get to be the designated drive (sober) as I have to drive furthest... One of my guys (expat) who's home is in Scotland, has joined the local curling club and has got himself some skis and goes off on the slopes most weekends 60 miles away and d****d cold too boot. (Not for me, the old knees wouldn't take it). One of the others has started skiing lessons at the Calgary Olympic Park (on the west edge of town) on the nursery slopes, and was sore last Tuesday after the evening lesson on Monday (serves him right). Not getting me near the slopes unless there is a promise of Après-ski... 73 for now CU at Christmas |
View from the office window - downtown Calgary at 09:30 MST
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Well since the last epistle loads of things have happened. On 1st Sept. I took possession of the new (old) property off Plummers Road, and then had son Matthew over to help me move the new furniture and accumulated junk from the rented house. Several journeys with sofas or tables on the roof of the Forester (fortunately fine days with not too many flying objects etc.) So then had to construct the flat pack beds bought from IKEA and other stuff so I could eat, sleep and sit down at least. One thing to observe, the furniture flat packs here are made from solid wood, not MDF, so if holes are in the wrong place, as did happen, it was just drill new ones in the right place etc. If it had been MDF as in the UK , no doubt I would be sleeping on the floor by now. Matt left after a week, but I was not in full residence then, still out in the sticks. Late in the month I had a couple if Brits come over to join my team, so they needed somewhere to stay, so sub-let the rented house to them and moved out properly. One thing I needed was insurance cover for the house etc. as its mostly made of wood. You would not believe the cost of insurance over here....excessive profits being made somewhere I'm sure. Mid September, I returned for the weekend of the DF National Final only to be greeted when I turned my mobile phone on at Manchester airport by a phone call informing me that my father had passed away that night, I was due to make a hospital visit the next day. It was not unexpected as he was just a week shy of his 92nd birthday, and had been in hospital since August and had had the MRSA bug. That set the tone for the weekend and my miserable performance in the DF Final. The Monday was spent dashing about getting Dad's death registered and the process of probate started. I then returned to Calgary for the rest of the week, only to be back again the next weekend for the funeral. All this made it impractical for Ann's planned visit, so I missed seeing her in the new house, and her seeing / approving the furniture I had bought for it. Eventually Ann did get out to Plummer's Eerie in late October the week before my next planned visit home to the UK. Approval was given by management and Ann took a video of inside and out to show to her elderly parents back in Coventry. It turned out rather like a 'Blair Witch' project with the shaky video and things jumping out at her (a white tailed deer buck ran or rather bounded passed her whilst she was videoing the outside of the house). Back at the farm in the UK, friend Clive who was house sitting for us had fed the dogs on cat food and left the cats to starve, until Matt came up and set things straight. I set off from Calgary an hour before Ann, but she got to Manchester directly 4 hours before me, as I had to wait at Heathrow for a connection. I take scheduled flights so that I can change if needed, but there are non direct Man-Calgary, whereas Ann flew on the once a week Air Transat flight direct to Manchester. Two weeks at home , busy, busy ,busy as usual, but at least I got some good old British beer down my neck, car serviced, more on probate etc. I did promise myself that I would tidy up the office/shack, but apart from a bit of Ham radio activity during CQ WW SSB contest on 10,15 & 20m from G8APB, the office did not get done, so that is a job for Christmas, as well as all the other jobs I will have to do... Back in Alberta on Sunday. The only thing that was missing in the early days of the new house, was a TV. A visit to Best Buy and got a TV and Sat. tuner, but the existing dish had to be changed. Now have to find some channels with anything worth watching on them... just like UK TV really. There had been snow whilst I was away, and with -10 deg C temperatures at night, it was a good job Ann had set the thermostat too high whilst I was away, as I came into a nice warm house. However, Wednesday was warm and VERY windy, so when I got home the drive was blocked by a 60' fallen pine tree. Hoofed it up to the house to get the bow saw I had bought, to find the power was off anyway. Back to the tree, I attacked it with gusto and the hand saw taking off branches and throwing them into the woods until I got to a diameter of truck that I could tackle with the bow saw. After an hour and a half of cardio-vascular exercise, I had the tree lopped and shortened to about 50' and attached the tow hook of the Forester and managed to shift the tree trunk enough to get past it and up the rest of the drive. Of course the garage door being electric wouldn't open, and with a flagging torch decided to go to bed (I was knackered after all the exercise). Thursday was a trip to Canadian Tire hardware shopping, bought a chain saw, generator and candles, knowing that they will probably not be required again. However, I will be attacking the tree further with the petrol driven saw. (If I come home permanently and sell the house, what do you think airport security will say when I take the saw home as hand baggage...?? No if that came about I would need a container to bring back all the stuff I have collected so far, Ann said if she could pack up the house and bring it back to the UK she would, and that goes for the furniture as well). Enough for now, I am off to saw up the tree tonight. I
have to work tomorrow to catch up with all the emails that got left whilst I was
away, over 300 of them. and will be operating the club station on the ARRL
Sweepstakes SSB contest this weekend as well. By the way I have got dipole
aerials up and working on 40m and 80m (the 20m one is not good) and have ordered
a 9 bend Butternut Vertical antenna for 80m to 6m and with the IC756 Pro III, I
shall be operational from the house here as well through the winter. Back
at the farm from 22nd December for 10 days so see you then if I run a Xmas Pud
DF... Dave was quite keen when I saw him for beers whilst I was home. |
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I came home to the UK in August, and made the mistake of going to the Torbay DF, mistake cause I qualified for the National Final. So had to sort out a flight for a long weekend at the end of September over and above my normal (!!!) visits home. To continue the 'normal' visit I arrived home to find my father had been taken back into hospital with an infection following dehydration from the heat in the UK in July, so a rapid hospital visit was made. Tuesday and Wednesday mornings were spent over in Chester having laser correction surgery on my short sighted eyes. This went well, blurry the first day, but was allowed to drive after the second visit, WITHOUT glasses. Now though I have to wear reading glasses, but regular sun glasses for outdoors. The eyes are a bit light sensitive and will be for a while, but are healing nicely. The whole operation took 15 seconds per eye, and the most disconcerting effect was the smell of burning flesh.... cornea being burnt away. Eye drops for the first week 4 times a day, with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drops to both eyes, but now I only use drops if the eyes dry out too much (this happens during the flight over etc, and the dry atmosphere with air-conditioning out here). Talking of flying, I arrived in the UK at Heathrow on Chaos Friday. BMI were not bad, but had to check in all my baggage except wallet etc, but for BA it was absolute chaos, they had cancelled ALL UK flights and EU up to 3 hours flight time, so Terminal 1 was heaving with unhappy holiday makers.... The queue for UK flight internal security must have had over 1000 people in it. It took over an hour to get through that, and they confiscated a pencil and a packet of explosive Tic-Tacs.......!!! The second weekend was more relaxed with son #2 Colin, his partner Charlotte and our first grandchild Hugh visiting over night Friday/Sat, on their way to show off Hugh to Charlottes relatives in SW Wales. They returned on the Monday PM after visiting Hugh's Great Grandparents (Ann's Mum and Dad) in Coventry, and my dad in Hospital in Nuneaton. Other meetings with accountants and the dentist then set me up for a trip to EU on the Tuesday. Tuesday was Caterham Day. Matt, Richard (my Brother in law) Roger T, and I set off down to E Sussex to stay with another pair of Caterham nutters, ready for the ferry on Wednesday. Merry evening had by all, but still up bright and early for the ferry to Boulogne. Driving off through northern France into Belgium to Spa for the Caterham Club track day on the Thursday. The Hotel I found outside Spa was superb, if anyone wants to stay in Belgium, we would recommend it well. Thursday dawned wet (well very wet) so the F1 track at Spa Francochamps was a bit slippery, until dry lines developed. Got in some dry laps towards the end of the day before the rain came down again. Friday was a very wet drive to Brussels to dump Roger at the airport to fly home, and some of the loonies had paid for an extra day at the track thinking it might be dry on the Friday, NO.... We had originally planned to go on to the Nurburgring on the Saturday, but we found it had been booked for some VLN race, it would have been OK on the Sunday, but that would be too tight to get back to the ferry and home etc. Anyway I abandoned the rest of them on the Saturday and went standby on an earlier ferry. That was a mess as Speed ferries are Car only (no Trailers) but because a couple of ignorant B's took trailers and 4 way bike racks hanging out the back, made it so that my little Cat wouldn't fit in. I eventually ended up in Dover at 11:30 PM Saturday and home at 4:00AM Sunday. Got some brownie points though as was in time to go over to Ilkley to Hugh's Christening on the Sunday (Ann driving ...) Bank Holiday Monday it was back to Manchester airport and Calgary via the hated Heathrow. Got to Heathrow to find that Air Canada had cancelled the direct flight to Calgary and rerouted me to Vancouver. When there the baggage handlers were going slow so missed my connection to Calgary, and had to take the next plane an hour later. Ended up in Calgary at 11:30 PM after travelling for 24 hours again. Back in the office on Tuesday to find 22 voicemail messages, many about the house purchase, and 380 emails to handle. The auto-forward had not worked so I am now three weeks behind on emails. Having got back to heavy workload in the office. I also had to sort out the final signing of documents and coming up with the funds for the balance of the deposit on the house I am buying out here. It was incredible how long it took for the bank to credit me with the proceeds of the sale of some Mutual Fund bonds, so much so that I had to rush out and arrange an extended line of credit to pay the balance. All worked out fine in the end and collected the moving contractor help (son #1 Matthew) from the airport on Thursday to help with humping stuff into the house. We have spent the last three afternoons buying in sales, collecting and carting furniture for the house. Now we have something to sit on, something to sleep on, and something to cook with, so could be out there now, but we are having a day off to play Golf today as it is a public holiday here (Labour Day). Back to building beds etc tomorrow evening. Thank goodness the Subaru Forrester comes with a hefty roof rack, as I bought a 2 seater and 3 seater sofa and needed to get them 40 odd kilometres out to the house whilst the sun shines... Ann has allocated a room for my radio gear, so will set up the IC7000 and IC 756 Pro III in the near future. Probably will enlist help from the local Hams to erect a tower and HF beam. I am going to suggest to the local radio broadband supplier that he rent space to get broadband into the valley so might get permission for a bigger tower than normal. Normal height limit is 48', which is really a bit low for a 40-10m multi-band beam. Matt is out looking for a multi-region DVD player this morning so the Sat / TV system can be set up this week. Well I've got to be able to do something else until the sun-spot cycle recovers and the bands open up a bit. Anyway enough for now, will take some more picture soon and
email etc. |
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Well the vacation back home was far too short and very busy. Arrived 1800 on Saturday, up early to go to the Colchester DF on the Sunday, appointments with dentist, doctor, and laser vision correction clinic, filled the rest of the first week; even got to go to SMRCC meeting as well. Weekend filled with various visitations, then Monday visit to Ilkley (set across the great divide into Gods own county) to see Grandson Hugh. Game of Golf, visit to my Father, getting dragged off to Stafford horse show and doing accounts, filled Thursday and Friday, then a Ladies night Dinner dance in Kettering on Saturday and up early to fly back over here on Sunday. Two weeks vacation was gone in a flash. So it's back to the normal routine of office work and catching up on two weeks of emails. Meeting Meetings Meetings all the rest of the week will give me a chance to recover from my vacation. Back home all is in more chaos than usual; we are having the Bathroom renovated, but it has hardly been touched yet as we need to install two lots of ensuite facilities in the main bedrooms first before the bathroom is gutted. So piles of clothes all over the house and builders, plumbers and sparkies making more mess than anyone can imagine. The only room in the house that has not been affected is the kitchen. It seems that to do anything to the bathroom affects virtually every other room, well it is buried in the middle of the house. However, we will be able to be more organised following the work. So I have left Ann to cope with the mess, again... The Radio club DX Contest station is nearly back up and running, the gear goes back in this week, with planning needed to replace the Henry linears with the new Alpha 9500 no tune amps when they arrive in October. (First off the production line we are told). I bet it won't all fit, or we have lost vital bits in all the upheaval. Anyway plans are afoot to sell the Henrys and replace the 40m and Multiband 10/15/20m beams (selling the old ones). Guess who would like one of each for his own VE6 station? But bringing one home after I finish out here could be a problem, definitely NOT hand baggage, as it takes two of us to move each linear with its PSU attached. I hope to christen my new callsign in a field day contest before the end of the month. We are planning a field day for the weekend of 24/25th. June out at a quiet location on a campsite to the south of the city, so will try to set up some schedules for then with Ron Smith and co. from SMRCC. Back to flying this week, and glory be, I had not forgotten much so will soon go solo.... then it's cross country and navigation exercises, a final written exam, and a flight test. Then I will be entitled to rent a plane and go where I like etc. Might even go for a plane of my own sometime maybe later this year or early next. Will have to see what time I get free when I have moved into the house on Plummer's Road in September. I am expecting Ann and Matthew to appear out here later this month for two weeks over the Rodeo / Stampede week, so will be busy then as well having to ferry them about all over the place. That's one thing with Canada, there is always vast distances to get anywhere out here, so miles get cranked up on the car... Cheers and 73 for now from Chris G8APB & VA6APB |
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Well I am flying circuits now (getting bored doing circuits and bumps, but they still are bumps not landings proper) but give me a calmer day I will be going solo as a pilot maybe this weekend. Done the spiral dives and spins, don't need or want to do them again, thankfully. Got round to experiencing the Canadian Radio Amateurs exams this afternoon. Took the Basic and the Advanced level exams multiple choice papers (for the UK guys, you can act as an examiner if you do the Basic and Advance papers and apply to Radio Amateur Canada (RSGB equivalent)). Anyway sat both papers in less than an hour and got 90% on both, so will have a Canadian licence probably by Monday next week. My first choice callsign is VA6APB (the VE6 had been allocated). Not a bit like when I sat the RAE 40 years ago, but got a high distinction mark then as well. Evidently taking the Basic exam and getting a pass >70% gives you the privileges as per the old UK Class B i.e. 30MHz and upwards, if you take a 5 WPM Morse test they let you on HF (<30mHz) with limited power, but if you get over 80% in Basic exam they let you down there anyway. The main limitation is that with a Basic pass you are not allowed to build your own gear. With a pass at Advance level you get allowed more power, up to 1000w PEP, you can then build or repair you gear and install club stations, and finally examine other budding Hams. Anyway that's 4 out of 7 exams out of the way, two Ham radio, one student pilots licence, one pilots radio test, driving test not needed these days, so that 5 out of 7 really. Two to go, final pilots air test, and a written pilots exam both sometime this summer. Add to that it's now golf season, playing with the project staff tomorrow and a charity match on Saturday. Also in the final stages of renovating the DX Section Contest Station for the Radio club, and preparing to take on a house of our own out in the country SW of Calgart. Keeps me busy.... Cheers and 73 to the Ham |
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After a short break back in the UK I am back out in the West again. Whilst at home, I managed a day trip to Guildford for dinner with some of my old colleagues, curry on the rocks.... No. 2 son Colin's partner, Charlotte, produced our first Grandson bang on the due date, baby Hugh Vincent, weighed in at 8lb 11oz. I went over to Gods own country (Ilkley) to see the three of them whilst in hospital the next day, so have pictures of them all with Hugh only 30 hours old. (Good pair of lungs on him, he was hungry and let us all know). Saturday was down to pick up my father and step mother and take them down to Evesham for the wedding of my deceased brothers elder daughter Joanne, and Sunday was flying back out here via Vancouver this time (Stay away from Chicago at all costs). Back to the daily grind, still no expert help here as the Albertan Civil Service have decided not to process work permit applications in 4 weeks as normal, but they are now processing applications from 8 weeks ago. This means that the guy I wanted from the UK is delayed, so I lost patience this week and set him tasks to do whilst he is still in the UK. Yes he will get paid eventually, and as he is working from the UK for an overseas outfit, he will not get taxed on his income until he gets here. Today I got the other guy starting, he's a Canadian, so no work permit problems, but he was working in Holland and had to give notice etc. At least I can now delegate some of the work to someone else, pity I can't delegate the responsibility for getting it done though. This might mean that I can get some time off at weekends though. Calgary Radio Amateurs' club contest station rebuild has been on hold due to permits required, but we got back to hanging plaster board last Saturday morning, then internal doors got fitted. We still have to wait for inspections so the drywall boards may have to be taken off again, but at least they are fitted now so its just align up and screw again. Tonight is the monthly meeting evening for the HF guys, and I am giving a lecture presentation on UK Top Band Dfing, I will send a copy for anyone interested, its quite colourful with lots of photos from SMRCC and National events. When I came out here in October/Nov and got the car, I had to accept the only insurance offer I was given as they were the only ones who would quote. The problem there is that the insurers regarded driving on a UK driving licence as high risk, like drunks and folk who had had three accidents in a year. Thus the premium was sky high 1860$CD for only six months. Now it's coming round to renewal time, I thought I had better get an Alberta driving license so as to get better quotes/ insurance rates. So I contacted a registered driving examiner, who told me that I would have to sit a written exam first and thus go to a registration office for this preliminary. When I presented myself there, they told me 'No need for that we can issue you a full Alberta driving licence straight away' (no written or driving test at all). Evidently the UK/Canada now have a reciprocal arrangement since 10th Jan 2006. So I said go ahead. Well that was all well and good, BUT, (and here's the nub) due to Canadian identity fraud regulation, I could not hold two licenses (UK & Alberta) so they took my UK license off me. This would be a drag in the UK as I would be driving on an Albertan licence. They said that I should reapply for my UK licence when at home, and surrender my Alberta license, and vice versa out here again..... Bureaucracy gone mad. However I intend to re-apply for my UK licence as it has been LOST somewhere. (That will cost me again a further 19 pounds.... !!!!!!
Cheers for now and 73 from VE6/G8APB |
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Photos sent 27th February 2006: |
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Avalanche country |
See the folding of the rocks made as the Rockies
formed |
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Spent most of the last month snowed in, but with paper on my desk. Now have the attitude that if no-one has asked about it for two weeks, they are not interested, and it goes into the recycling bin (lots of that, desk quite clear at the moment). But it won't stay like that... My opposite number with the client was back in the UK last week, but that didn't lighten the load any. Meetings, meetings, meetings, that seems to be the way things get along here, never time to actually do anything though. Ann came over the Friday before last, and we spent most of the weekend scouting possible areas for a house if we decide to buy out here. South and West seems to be the best areas for a house with some ground for either aerials or horses, but may end up in town without too much land, just to get a foot on the ladder as the prices are shooting up out here virtually daily. Oil capital of the west etc... Ann then had three days for shopping, and filled the empty bag she brought over, with evenings out with various of the people I work with over here. The weather here has been warm (warmer than the UK) and snow free, but Thursday we fly over to Toronto and took a limo up to my brothers place near Sudbury Ontario. We found snow there, 70cm of the stuff, and temperatures overnight down to -25 deg C. Had a good visit there and returned here on Sunday to +10 deg C, whilst Ann flew home to -2. I don't know if I mentioned it before but the place behind the "Plummer's Road" sign is up for sale with towers if wanted, but I think it's a bit steep, unless we take the plunge and move out here permanently and sell the farm in Staffs. Possible, but that makes one less DFer for Nationals... I might have mentioned that I was interested in getting a private pilots licence whilst I'm out here, its much cheaper than in the UK, and it would give me something to do in the long winter evenings with the classroom study stuff (Radio techniques and control discipline) and long summer evenings to get in the required flying time. The long term objective is to build a micro light and fly it from the farm once I retire, or at least get to work back in the UK. Anyway went for the medical today and passed so there is no obstacle to getting the ppl. It would then require a barn conversion at the farm, and flatten a runway in the fields. That ought to keep me busy between DFs. The Calgary Radio Club DX section is progressing well with the refurbishment of the DX shack, so I might get back on the air soon as well with a big beam system. The VHF section has got me down to help with a RAYNET type exercise with a cross country skiing event in a couple of weeks time, but my IC706 (European version) does not cover the repeater band for 2m here, so have splashed out and ordered a new rig an IC7000 which will do the job. They are cheaper here than the UK by 30 odd pounds and I can recover the GST (Canadian VAT) when I bring it home, so ordered that yesterday to play with. The only problem is that I have just finished wiring the car for the IC706 and the power plug on the IC7000 is different, typical isn't it? Nuff for now |
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Have been a bit busy at work recently, being the only one in my department, with 5 men's work to do, so have been working holidays and weekends (well Saturdays at least). But I have a plan, I put in a request for more staff with a tight job specification, put it through the system, and guess what - an agent had just the men I want. You guessed it men from the UK, in fact friends of mine, well, qualified for all that. So will interview them next week, and once on board (5-6 weeks generally) I will have more spare time. I have been in touch with the Flying Dutchman, and may have a job for him when I need to man up in the summer in detailed engineering phase. Well not really spare time. The building that the Calgary DX radio section have their station in, was water damaged last June by heavy rain and floods, which came into the basement area that the Radio club uses. The owners of the building, the Calgary Sports car club, have decided to renovate it. So the radio gear was removed last weekend, that lovely set up destroyed, all-be-it temporarily. This last two days was spent ripping out the water damaged dry walling and such, digging holes for sumps in the concrete floor, and trying to get the vinyl tiles off the concrete, some were real pigs. This gave us all a good workout yesterday and today, we will all sleep well tonight, and get up sore tomorrow. Still we are on target for completion by the end of Feb, then have to re-install the radio station with some improvements. I have been going to the gym regularly since the new year, I ache at times, but must be fitter, even if there doesn't seem to be any loss of weight. Still, summer is coming and can get out and about walking hiking mountain climbing etc. In fact I was invited to go ice climbing yesterday, but declined due to work, next time I shall go and watch, that's energetic enough for me. Ann is due over the first weekend in February, and I took a ride out to the SW of the city this afternoon after the demolition work at the radio club. I was flabbergasted that the news that we were in Alberta had leaked out and that we may be house hunting out in that direction come the summer. Anyway the locals are obviously prepared having named a road after us already. See picture below. In the background you can also see three towers for what seems to be a local HF DX chaser, the left hand tower has a three element triband beam on top, I couldn't see what the other two were dressed with, but quite wide spread in the field. This is the second Plummer/Plummer's road in Canada that we have found, one in Ontario and one here in Alberta, the other one is in Burton on Trent, and could have been named after the family who lived there for several generations. Nuff aid for now, except the sam picture I sent last time has appeared in the local club monthly magazine Key-Klix as a picture of a club member in his shack (a little tongue in cheek as it is the club's DX station a few weeks ago) but will be planning a similar installation when I get time back home. Cheers PS will have to send a picture of me in my cow-boy gear as well.
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Firstly Happy New Year. Now then, Calgary is in Alberta, should be cold and snowy, but it's a balmy +5 here today, warmer than the UK for the last three weeks, and NO SNOW until you go to the mountains. DFing, they don't seem to understand it here, but then Alberta is three times the size of the whole of the UK, and the maps are not good definition, so they have a lot to learn here, even the Radio Club wants me to do a lecture on it. Not seen any lost Polar Bears to track in town, so no Attenboroughs either. I was home over Christmas and new year and came back from Manchester via Chicago, a BIG mistake...... Travelled back here on Tuesday, Manchester to Chicago on to Calgary, to avoid terminal changes in Heathrow, but it turned out to be a nightmare in Chicago. Arrived on time from Manchester, had to come through US Immigration even though I was in transit, then claim my checked baggage and put through US Customs where it was x-rayed. Bit dodgy that as I was bringing some good British bacon and sausages back with me, however got through that and dumped my bag back with the next carrier. Then I found that O'Hare has 5 terminals, and no-one could tell me which terminal my flight was to go from. They have a maglift train system connecting the terminals so rode that for a while. Next I found that it wasn't Air Canada flight, but a partner airline United (isn't that the one under Chapter 11 bankruptcy?). Eventually found I was still in the wrong terminal, so transferred and went to wait at the gate. The gate was then changed twice in two hours, as the flight inbound from Atlanta was late and the gates were still occupied by other late flights. Finally we were embarked, but the computer system had gone down, so that was chaos as well, and it then took 2 hours to hand check all the hold bags against passengers, so ended up 3 hours late. Finally got into Calgary about 11PM local (0600 GMT, 24 hours after I got up to start the journey) only to have to go through Canadian Customs as well as the US ones. Final insult was when I opened my hold bags I found a note from US Customs that they had opened the bag for inspection (but not removed my bacon etc.) I have a return half to do via Chicago, but next trip will not be on that route. The first time I came out it was Manchester-Heathrow-Calgary with London-Calgary as a 9 hour flight, Man-Chicago was 8 hours and Chicago-Calgary was 3.5 without counting the delays. It seems incredibly difficult to get flight booking software to route Manchester to Calgary without going through London, and that's difficult with the terminal change from 1 to 3 or 4 and visa versa. KLM seems to fly direct to Calgary but via Amsterdam, Air Canada flies only via London, but I am trying to get routed Manchester-Toronto-Calgary, but I have to force it to go direct, (not via London) and book the two legs separately. Oh Joy. Every four weeks or so we get what is called an "Earned day off" because the standard working hours / week is 42.5 (8.5 hour day), but this is no good to me as I'm on a day rate. Not that I clock watch and work 8.5 hours a day, generally it's more, and they are fairly flexible on hours anyway as long as you don't abuse the system. Anyway I have one coming up on Feb 10th, so as my wife Ann is coming over for a visit on the 3rd we are going to use the long weekend 10th-12th and fly over to Toronto and get a limo ride up to Sudbury to visit my brother and his wife. That way when we return to Toronto, Ann will go back to the UK and I go in the opposite direction back to Calgary. I managed to book this route for Ann, but she still has to go via Heathrow at this time of year. I think they fly to the north of the UK only in the summer, it must be something to do with snow.....up north. The Canadians also get more Bank holidays than the UK, so we get a day off (if you take it) every two or three weeks with stat. hols. and EDO's. My next trip home is in March for several meetings and my niece's wedding on 18th March and the SMRCC final Winter DF on the 12th. I am trying to avoid cold sports pursuits, like skiing, skating, even snow climbing (though I used to rock climb in my youth) and trying to get active on Radio again. Yes I know I've got all that gear at home, but don't have the time or incentive to use it much. As you have seen from my previous letters I have found where I can get active on Radio without much trouble, just drive across the city and unlock the club shack, switch on and go. In fact I was operating for about 11 hours over this last weekend in the ARRL RTTY contest. This mode seems to be very popular now with computer drivers and logging. Just had to push a few buttons, even got up to a contact rate of 95/hour at one point on 40m yesterday afternoon. With a bit of encouragement I passed 10,000 points with 70 minutes to go to the end of time, and actually surpassed 15,000 by the end... Real fun, not been like that for years, and then we had to write everything down. This way all the duplicates are automatically warned as you go along, the log scored and we submitted it by email within ten minutes of the end of the contest.... A record even for the Calgary club. Another possible pastime is getting a Private Pilots License whilst I'm here, then building a microlight (whilst at home), and eventually flying off my own airstrip at the farm (bet Ann will take out more life insurance then). But this is also at the cost of having an indoor arena / schooling area for Ann's horses/ponies. Last time I had a project, the Caterham 7 build, Ann forced my arm into forking out for a newer horse box for her so the Caterham cost 50% more than budget.... Evidently Brits (and some suicidal Arabs) find it quicker and cheaper to get a PPL over here, its about half the UK cost, so it must be usable back home, just need to keep up flying hours per year to keep it current. Just think what nasty places for DF transmitters I could find from the air (I used to select ones on the Manchester Map when flying into and out of Manchester back and forth to Aberdeen). Reasonably successful in RDF last year, second in the National Final last year (AGAIN) but then I did win it once upon a time. GPS doesn't improve the bearings taken, but at least you know where you are, even if its in the wrong place. I have now got a pair of GPS walky-talkies, that allow the position of the other unit to be plotted on screen, so theoretically I should not now get lost getting back to the car. So enough of an epistle from here, let's see if I can get to the club around 17th March. Next trip after that would be late May / early June (with a National DF date thrown in for good measure). Cheers
ARRLRTTY Score Summary Sheet |
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Working out here as the 'Expert' HSE specialist on a Tar Sands project for Shell. It's amazing how backward they are here, but I suppose that's what nearly 40 years of experience gives me. It's really not rocket science, but then I suspect the Americans put 10 times as much mass on the moon as was really necessary, so that comparison doesn't work.... Have found an active group of HF DXers in Calgary, and they have a superb setup. See below for pictures I took during one of the contests recently included in the DF section, have a look and admire the effort and cash that has gone in to the aerial farm and the dual contest station. I've not been to the VHF section of the club yet but I don't think they are that active. Set up here now with a rented house and leased car and have erected an HF aerial for my IC706, and after some advice from the pro's here did some trimming and it now works at least on bands that have been active. Also set up mobile for 75, 40, 20 & 2m so that I can get away from the noisy lines and TVs, but its a bit cold to sit out in the car this time of year, 24 below zero last week, but warming to +1 by Tuesday. With the encouragement of my colleague Jean-Claude we have now both joined a local gym to get a bit fitter and loose some weight. I know I've been saying this for years, especially when JJ put DF TX's on top of lookout hills, but my doctor has threatened me with another set of pills if I don't comply with his orders. From what Boycey says about them they leave you short of breath and with an incessant tickly cough, but then I suppose I don't have to take them.....unless Ann gets at me as well. This said I have just come back from my second session this weekend so am feeling virtuous but knackered. I'm sat here this evening with an apple, banana and a bottle of water..... (It's the club Christmas Pizza evening tomorrow, so probably put it back on again tomorrow and have to work twice as hard on Tuesday in the gym). Must think of something to buy for Christmas presents, as I only have one weekend left before I travel home, I will be in the UK on 18th Dec until 3rd Jan. The pictures have turned out well on the club website, the guys here are impressed by the quality of the site 73 for now, |
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Photos sent 28th November 2005: |
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I have been battling to get the broadband from the new home, it was not working yesterday, but a good kick in the ear got it going tonite (pull the PSU out and then restart it, I have the power of control over the modem....just pull the plug out of the wall). So am now able to converse outside the office, or a hotel stairs landing where the net hole in the wall was. I am going to install the webcam and headset tomorrow, and possibly the skype phone. I had meetings all day today, but went out this afternoon to get registered into the Canadian Social insurance system (a necessary evil like National Insurance in the UK), it gives the government more excuses to deduct money from your invoices. It seems that it takes longer each time I get to organise anything, this time it took 2.5 hours. I had put in my form last week and was told to collect the social insurance number in person today after 2pm. But guess what, there was a problem and I had to go over to the other side of the city to sort it out. I had been told that my student working in Canada 37 years ago, wouldn't count, but the Canadian system is more efficient than the UK and it recognised that I had been registered before. However this wasn't a problem except that I was given a number in the wrong series (as a permanent resident) all those years ago, so that one has to be revived, then cancelled, cross referenced to a new temporary worker number and only then can it be issued to me. This all has to be done way over the other side of Canada in Bathurst in New Brunswick with a three hour time difference, and of course they had gone home by the time this gets into the system. Never simple dealing with bureaucracy... Going back to Monday, I signed my life away, and took over tenancy of the house in Canyon Meadows district of Calgary. The phone number is 001 403 692 4904, mobile is 403 605 7456. Nice place, and with permission to put up an aerial and operate on amateur radio. TVI should not be a problem as TV here is mostly cable. I brought an IC706 with me but had to find a place to get a 110vAC to 12vDC PSU to run it. There is only two places in Alberta to get anything to do with Ham radio, and only one is in Calgary. Went over there on Saturday morning and picked up a 25amp MFJ PSU new at around GBP 60 about the same as the UK. It seems that you have to get a mate in the USA to buy something for you at US prices and either go down and fetch it or get it shipped up, hoping not to pay too much import duty. The proprietor Nick is native extraction and found me a second have Auto ATU that goes with the IC706 (this doesn't seem to be available in the UK) a hank of dralon rope with inserted flex weave copper and a couple of egg insulators completed my purchases. Just need a clear evening to put it all together. Monday evening was also the night for the DX section of Calgary Amateur Radio Association CARA, so as I had an invite, I went over here for the evening, and met a younger crowd of Hams, than the guys at the coffee klatch on Saturday morning. They have a super permanent contest setup. Go to www.ve6ao.org to see the stations Henry linears, stearable arrays for 80 to 10... The evening started quite formally like a committee mtg, then had the A25A DXpedition video (Butan to you and me). They used 7 off ICOM 756 Pros, one for each band, made me feel at home. The VE6AO contest group is about the same size as an SMRCC mtg, but only meet once a month apart from contest operation. They took part in CQWW SSB the weekend I arrived, and intend to go in for three more HF contests over the next month. (Ron would be proud of their determination and setup) They are also running a flea market next Saturday morning, Iwill go over just for something to do. Having met the HF guys, need now to meet the VHF section of CARA that meets on different days of the month, some will be there on Saturday I suppose. It turns out that there is another Ham at the other end of the same road as me about 1/2 mile away. They are keen to get me on the air and offered o have an aerial erection morning , and also offered an 'easy-up' to help. This turns out to be a catapult attached to a fishing reel, its easy enough with a bolt on the end of the wire HI. So off to the kitchen to cook up, or rather heat up half a pizza for evening meal. At least I went shopping for some fresh food today, so wont be living out of a hotel room and restaurants for a while. 73 for now de VE6/G8APB |
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Hi folks, Well I've been here a week now, and its trying to snow for the second time this week. I see Sudbury is getting it this morning worse than here, high winds and ice pellets too. It was like being in England on Wednesday morning with an inch of snow in the city, all traffic was chaos, just like UK. They seem to loose all idea of how to drive in snow until the next winter. A 15 minute journey took over an hour, I was glad I am within walking distance of the office. Just off MacLoed Trail south of the city centre. Arrived on Sunday afternoon, and was picked up by my agent and ferried about. In and out of the office all week sorting out a number of things. First off was to get a phone card for my mobile phone but as its pay-a-you-go I pay for incoming calls as well. Next was select a vehicle, I went to Fords Kia and Subaru as they were near the office and selected a nice new Subaru Forester, OK for me and suitable for Ann when she visits. Arranging lease took only 3/4 hour, then it was arranging insurance the next day, which took twice as long and cost the earth as they don't take into account my driving insurance record in the UK. Next day was banking, that took even longer, and won't be active until I get a Social insurance number. That I discovered takes three days, so officially I am working here illegally. Thursday was a good day, as I was house hunting, a rental at least for now. I had to get in before the rates shoot up as with the high oil price this is a boom town again. I looked at several apartments towards downtown, and although they were ok, in fact one was good, but only one bedroom, no room for visitors etc. Have found one in the afternoon that fits my requirements, its a townhouse condo, down south in Canyon Meadows, nearly overlooking Fish creek park. Good sized place 3 bed, dining room/study, kitchen/diner, lounge with fireplace and 42" TV, another area in the basement for games/study, garage 3 beds and 2.5 baths, patio backyard, with BBQ and a vitl tre just on the edge of the yard. All fully furnished and ready to go from Monday. Also one of the plusses is that it has free broadband internet and free N. American phone calls. The tree is vital as I have brought some Amateur radio gear and need to put up a wire as an aerial, this is where the tree comes in. Also the broadband is vital to stay in touch both on email as well as with the free skype phone VOIP system that I have set up. Both Ann and Matt have the systems at home and calls skype to skype are currently free. I have also brought a set-up for video calls so will see how that works out. I've been on the web and found several local Amateur radio clubs and will be going to the biggest one on Monday evening after moving in to the house. That's really just carrying in the cases and plugging in the computer. I had coffee in the Chinook centre with about 10 local Hams, and found I'm about the youngest here, that makes a change. Anyway more next time round 73 de VE6/G8APB |
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Here is Chris's collection of trophies from 2004:
In 2005 Chris retained the Collier cup and Bill North
trophies, and shared the H-P trophy with Dave Chippendale, and retained with
some pride for the SMRCC National final placing (second overall). |
Yesterday
was a busy day. Starting by working in the office all morning, flying
until 5pm, and then dashing off to the south west to view a property out in the
Foothills region nearer to the Rockies. Viewed, then had to decide to make
an offer and get it presented all within the evening, it was then presented and
to my surprise accepted. So by the autumn I will be a land owner in Canada
as well as half of Staffordshire as Fred Jones G8HTP states. The view is
fantastic from the front windows, there is a deck area around 3 sides of the
house out to a hot tub and a Gazebo, all on 8.48 acres of partly wooded
hillside. Ideal for an HF tower, and wouldn't need a permit for it as it
would be well hidden. The arrangement is to buy all the current fixtures
and fittings, and the furniture as well in the deal, so will not have to do much
furnishings shopping, unless Ann does not like the existing ones. The idea
is to get into the hot property market out here approx +20% per year or more in
some cases, or even retire out here eventually, but then we have just about got
the farm in Biddulph Park just about how we want it. (The bathroom is being
remodelled once we have finished putting in an ensuite in the second bedroom).
When you think of it I have fixed the price now, but don't take possession until
1st September so I could sell it again without even moving in for a good profit.
I would make more money if I tackled some of the jobs needed though, like
re-vanishing the deck.
