VE5RI is a callsign used by Sask Alta Contesters, a sub group of the Sask Alta Radio Club, headquartered at Lloydminster SK/AB, a city of some 26,000 located astride the SK/AB border halfway between Saskatoon SK and Edmonton AB. The station has been active for over15 years. Members include both VE5s and VE6s and we have had many guest ops from other areas over the years.

See our web page at www.lloydminster.org/sarc.

An alternate callsign used by our group is VE5PV which was used for the first time in the RAC Canada Winter Contest on 27 December 2008. The callsign was heard for the first time in about 40 years since last used by Basil King, the original VE5PV.

Another alternate callsign used by our contest group is VA5AA which we use in the WPX contests because of its comparative rarity. It makes another prefix available for a WPX multiplier.

The contest station is located at a farmsite some 16 miles SE OF Lloydminster in grid square DO53. At present (2012) we have 8 towers varying from 50' to 90' plus a 40 meter 4 square tower group and an 80 meter 4 square tower set. We usually enter contests in Multi-Multi category to give new or casual operators as much operating time as they like. Due to our latitude and inland location, the only time we can be anywhere nearly competitive is during sunspot peaks but with our farmhouse operating atmosphere, we always have lots of fun and fellowship regardless. It seems we are usually the dominant if not the only M/M station in VE5 land as witness our large collection of wallpaper.

We can be heard in most of the major contests and we invite guest operators to contact us at any time.

Due to sheer volume and the fact that all our available funds go into antennas and radio gadgets, we do not do burueau QSLing but if you'd like a card from us, we do reply to all direct QSLs that include an IRC, green stamp or Canadian postage.

The Sask Alta Radio Club operates two 2 meter repeaters in the area.  VE5RI (146.940-) on the Blackfoot Hill about 15 miles SW of Lloydminster and VE6YVG (147.315+) about 5 miles north of Vermilion AB.  They are hard linked and are also usually connected via Echolink to the VE6MO node in Camrose AB.  The club also has VE5YLL, a UHF repeater in downtown Lloydminster on 444.725+.

QSL via VE5FN or VE5WI please. Contact through the rac.ca email forwarding service (call@rac.ca).