History of the
NORAC
began with an idea of the hams of the
The
NORAC’s official founding fathers are Fred Amburger VE7ALB, Harvey Bell VE7YH, Mike Castrucow VE7BTJ / VE7MK, Jack Comley VE7CAE, Laurie Devitte VE7DE, Denny Glowa VE7BNN / VE7QP, Eric Hall VE7BV, Len Hoover VE7PE, Walter Joe VE7SO, Truman Locheed VE7DKI, George Martinsen VE7BHT / VE7FE, Peter Van Overbeek VE7ACG, Jim Pringle VE7BIM, Wally Porter VE7WP, Bernie Rose VE7YS, Art Spence VE7DKY, Bert Thorburn VE7HQ, Dennis Warner VE7ASY and Mike Webb VE7BCT.
At the time a funding project from the government called The New Horizons Project was available to clubs whose members were over 65 years old. A new Society called the North Okanagan Amateur Radio Social Club (NOARS) was made to gain access to this funding source. Members of the NOARS were automatically members of NORAC although both clubs were independent. This Project would prove to be a major source of funding for NORAC’s early projects.
The original 146.88 repeater was a Systcom repeater tube type, built by Denny Warner VE7ASY and was installed in the Silver Star ski chalet sometime in 1976. On Sunday September 11, 1977 the new 6 dB gain fiberglass Sinclair antenna was installed though the roof on the chalet to replace the original Ringo Ranger. Reports that day showed quite an improvement over the old antenna. The original antenna extended 8 ft above where it sits today due to a winter snow load that had bent the 3 ½ inch aluminum pipe mast. The bent portion of the pipe was cut and the antenna remains in operation today as NORAC’s APRS digipeater antenna. The location of 88 has also never moved, although a tower was installed at some point which houses 146.88’s 4 dipole antenna.
On
September 22 1977 a grant of $15,059 for a club station and new Motorola Micor repeater and was received by the NOARS via The New
Horizons Project to replace the original tube type repeater ($4000 for the
repeater, and about $10,000 for the club station). It was installed in early
1978 and was used until recently when NORAC purchased, via a BC Lottery Direct
Access Grant, the Daniels repeater. The Micor
repeater didn’t go off the air however; it was moved to
In December of 1978 a motion was passed that NORAC’s 6 dB Sinclair antenna that 146.88 was using be sold to the NOARS which had earmarked funds for maintenance of VE7RSS.
Also in
fall of 1978 NOARS and NORAC started working on a club station in the NORD
building,
In the Ragchew of April 1979 the first report of a jammer of 146.88 was documented. A silent carrier on the
output of the repeater was heard, and its heading from various signal reports
seemed to be in the north end of
In September of 1979 NORAC and NOARS was merged. Members of NOARS were given a special class of membership called “New Horizons Members”. These members were given life memberships and this membership class was frozen. The NOARS banner continued to be printed on the Ragchew through 1980, but in 81 the name was removed entirely.
In January of 1983 a 154B Western Radio donated by Frank VE7DKN was installed to replace the VE7RVN tube autopatch. NORAC’s first encounter with the Falkland Sled Dog races.
In
November of 1985 the OCARC had plans to link with
In Dec of 1985 fly hills 146.76 comes online.
Sep 87 new
repeater project for Thynne Mtn
146.98 is announced with plans to link it to
Frequency
changes in
March of 1988 new digipeater for Silver Star on 145.01 was purchased for $1223.13
Sep 1988:
Since
1977 146.94 was on Mt Kobau the
April of 1989 Iron Mtn 146.66 – is installed and the NORD building which houses our autopatch is up for sale, NORD building is moving to Hwy 6.
May 1989
IPARN wanting to set up a link from Silver Star to
The Shuswap Seniors Radio Amateur Society puts a new repeater on Bastion Mtn, which later (unsure how many years) moved to Kault Hill.
In Dec 89 it was mentioned that Thynne, Lime and Lolo are linked together in a small network.
The Jan 1990 Ragchew has a good repeater list in it (will attach it in the history at a later date)
May 1990 Club Station of NORAC/NORAS was taken down. The new NORD building on Highway 6 is to be the new club station. Application for the VE7RVN autopatch to be moved to the BC Hydro building on the commonage was made.
June 1990 New 147.02 repeater -600 is running in Salmon Arm
GAP FROM July 1990 to December 1993. If anyone has copies of these please email me at ve7lyd
1993 Noracs 1st Hamfest was held at Silver Star
Jan 1994 This months Ragchew shows the VE7RVN autopatch (147.04) with a + offset. 147.06 VE7RNR is on the air at this point. Armstrongs VE7NOK 146.700 is also on the air.
Feb 94 NORAC’s 2nd Sky High hamfest is a go. Duncan VE7ZAV looking into obtaining the Vernon weather station as a club station, next month it is written “it appears that NORAC will not be successful in obtaining the facility”.
March 94 The Ragchew of this month includes this title: “Amateur Radio Now Permitted In China”
April 94 NORAC voted in favor of pursuing a new UHF repeater
for the
May 94 Tech committee determines that the noise coming from 88 is not serious to justify replacing the repeater. Bill VE7HW is looking into replacing the PA deck ($1000) on 88 as the finals are failing.
June 94 VE7RSS Sunday net moved forward to 10:00 am from
9:45 am due to conflicts with the
Sep 94 The VE7EGO 444.525+ UHF repeater will be installed at
the Commonage West site (VE7EGO). A Motorola
repeater has been ordered and the
Nov 94 VE7RSS went spurious and was pulled off the air by Duncan VE7ZAV. Replacement parts were ordered and 88 went back on the air. Fundraising begins for replacing VE7RSS with a new repeater.
May 95 Summer break is removed and NORAC holds meetings all year long.
August 95 Doug VE7TVT takes over the Sunday net on 88 from Trudy who took over from Norm VE7EGO when he passed away. Bill VE7WFG and Blake VE7EFA / VE7DO met with Pike Anderson regarding the VE7EGO site and agreed on $250.00/year and no charge for power.
Sep 95 New Motorola 444.525 repeater has been tested and is installed at the Commonage.
Nov 95 Work began for NORAC’s new Club station at the Chamber of Commerce building (Watson House)
Missing Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb.
March 96 Wilf VE7OHM and James VE7JVL installed the new 146.88 Daniels repeater at Silver Star
April 96 Wilf VE7OHM proposes a new repeater on Scaia, which would consist of the old 88 Micor repeater and a new PA deck.
Sep 96 Tuk repeater changes frequency to 145.41-
Nov 96 Anita Pearson resigns as editor of Ragchew (Sep 93 to Oct 96) Michael VE7TFD and Wilf VE7OHM Take it over.
Dec 96 Michael VE7TFD starts NORAC’s website
March 97 Derric VE7GES takes over a chief editor of the Ragchew.
May 97 Motion to install the old Micor
88 repeater on Scaia passed. 2 210C2 antennas donated to the club from
Harvey Bell VE7YH. These antennas are
still in use on Scaia and on
Aug 9 97 VBX-1 is launched at Silver Star mountain
during the hamfest.
It consisted of a crossband repeater. The furthest contact was Lyle KC7KSA in
Sep 97 Scaia repeater gets
installed by Wilf VE7OHM. A link from VE7EGO to Scaia
was made on Sep 21st. 6 meter
on Tuk was disabled due to interference on
Oct 97 Tuk repeater is now linked to Mt Baldy.
May 98 Wilf is the editor for the Ragchew
June 98 NORAC entered an agreement with the chamber of commerce for the use of Watson House as our club station. Ground radials were placed in the walls and foundation during construction and our 60 ft tower will be installed. Dodie VE7DLT takes over as editor of the Ragchew. A motion is made that there will be no July or August meeting this year. A motion to purchase lightening protection for all of NORAC’s repeaters was passed as well.
Aug 8 1998 11:08 am VBX-2 is launched and contains a crossband repeater and an APRS tracker. The package was recovered 70 Km E of Vernon hanging in a tree 40 ft above the ground.
Aug 1998 NORAC’s 5th and final Hamfest.
Nov 98 Lease signed for club station at Watson House. The 444.275 UHF Hub repeater originally located on Tuk has been moved to Silver Star. SIRG network is born.
Jan feb missing
Mar 1999 VE7RVN autopatch callsign was renamed to VE7RIP in memory of RIP. Cracks found in the Watson House foundation will require a geo-technical survey before occupancy can be approved. A motion was passed to Link VE7RSS to the Silver Star hub in the event of an emergency.
Aug 7 1999 11:45 am VBX-3 is launched with a payload
consisting of a crossband repeater, APRS tracking and
a Slow Scan TV transmitter. The package was recovered in the
Oct 99 VE7EGO UHF repeater was moved from commonage to
Silver Star and replaces the UHF hub. The
VE7RHW 146.900 repeater is installed and SIRG consists of Mt Baldy, Silver Star,
Tuk and
Feb 2000 VE7TUK is taken off the air.
March 2000 Chamber of commerce executive changes. New executive was not informed of NORAC’s involvement with the building of Watson House. The future of NORAC’s club station at Watson House does not look good
Aug 12 2000 VBX-4 NORAC’s
final balloon launch was successful. The
payload was recovered in
Oct 2000 VE7RIP BC Hydro building roof was replaced and siding was painted.
Feb 2001 A motion was made to
accept the proposed letter of agreement between the