Eyeball-to-Eyeball Off-the-Air QSO Party

One of the best things to emerge from the pandemic was proof that the ham radio community had resiliency as a social network. The pandemic has ended, but one social network born during those years of isolation has remained strong. It's called the Eyeball QSO Party.

It's not a net. It's not a ragchew. It's not even on the air. The Eyeball QSO Party is a welcoming room on Zoom where hams from different countries simply show up. Once a week, they share their opinions, their experiences and even images on their computer screens. It could be a view of their treasured vintage rigs, their radio-controlled planes, astronomy gear or websites about the events in the news.

The QSO Party's host, Hugh Owen, KA3TTW, said he created the room during the pandemic to help ease isolation brought on by the cancellation of club meetings, hamfests and even social morning coffees. The concept is simple, he said: People show up. Some are as local as the Washington, D.C. area where Hugh lives. Sometimes they're dropping by from Canada, Luxembourg, Great Britain or even Argentina.

Although getting on the air is why so many hams got their licenses to begin with, this off-air QSO Party still fills a need.

“This does have the big advantage of people being face-to-face and people can share things on their screens.”

— Hugh Owen, KA3TTW

So every Monday, it happens starting at 1700 UTC between March 9th and November 2nd; and at 1600 UTC the rest of the year.

Best of all, propagation is never an issue. Everyone gets a Five-Nine.

To join the party, send an email to eyeballqsoparty@gmail.com. There is also a groups.io reflector where you can visit and subscribe: https://groups.io/g/EyeballQSOParty

Canada Reviewing Policy on Antennas, Towers

Ham radio operators are among the interested parties weighing in with Canada's radio regulations agency, which is seeking comment until the 16th July 2026 on proposed changes to policies covering antennas and towers. Radio Amateurs of Canada and the Federation of Radio Amateur Clubs of Quebec have responded in support of many of the changes and are pressing the agency known as Innovation, Science and Development Canada to modify an existing rule concerning maximum antenna and tower height. Current law requires consultation with local authorities when antenna and tower heights are above 15 meters, or roughly 48 feet. The two amateur radio groups have asked that the height threshold be raised to 20 meters, or roughly 65 feet, to qualify for the exemption from consultation.

The joint RAC/RAQI position of support on the changes was explained recently by Dave Goodwin, VE3KG, the RAC's regulatory affairs officer, in a YouTube interview with Stuart Crawford VE9CF. Dave told Stuart that the added height would "give us that much more latitude" in putting up antenna structures. He said that a new 20-meter threshold would cover almost all amateurs.

“... though ISED [Eye Said] is proposing these and many procedural changes primarily to make things easier for commercial wireless services, the regulations and any benefits would apply to radio amateurs as well. The RAC has been encouraging amateurs in Canada to submit their feedback to the agency.”

— Dave Goodwin, VE3KG,

In Canada, federal policy has final say on antennas, towers and related structures, but under current policy, local land-use authorities and neighbours must still be informed. The amateur groups also asked for a decrease in the size of the zone within which hams must respond to neighbours’ concerns.

Researchers Create Space 'Wall' to Weaken Solar Storms

Imagine, for a moment, if we could actually repel those severe solar storms that knock out our ability to communicate? Researchers at Boston University have already simulated that scenario - with success.

Researchers believe they have developed an effective line of defence against geomagnetic storms that would protect radio communications, GPS systems, electrical grids and satellites from disruption. It's not quite a vaccination against storms, but it provides what the scientists are calling a bold line of defence. The system, known as StormWall, has emerged from research and computer simulations by a Boston University team led by associate engineering professor Brian Walsh.

Using computer modelling, the researchers said they have found a way to fortify Earth's natural magnetic defences against geomagnetic storms by deploying a half-dozen spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit. The six spacecraft would be used to release sodium, calcium, lithium, barium and other materials into space for ionisation by the sun, creating an artificial cloud of electrically charged plasma. Writing in the journal Space Weather, the team said that process would slow the storm's rate of penetration into our planet's magnetic shield, reducing its power by more than 50 per cent.

StormWall, of course, resides only in theory at the moment, but the researchers believe it shows promise globally. They said the risk of contamination from the released chemicals would be insignificant because the solar wind would disperse the material within several hours, preventing any entry into the Earth's atmosphere.