October Club Meeting with Jeff Liebermann AE6KS

Our October guest speaker was Jeff Liebermann on the topics of ADS-B (aircraft tracking) and AIS (ship tracking) using affordable at home setups, along with resources to view tracked results.

Jeff’s Biography

After graduating with a BSEE from Cal Poly Pomona in 1971, I did 2way radio repair for
Pacific Mobile Comm and other small radio shops. I then went to Alpha Electronics to
design 2way radio accessories. In 1973, I worked for Standard Communication (now
part of Yeasu) on radio accessories. I then moved to Santa Clara where I worked for
Intech designing HF/VHF/UHF marine radios. In 1981, I went to Granger Assoc to work
on a 900MHz SCADA system. In 1984, I went back to Intech to help design HF driver
and power amplifiers. In 1984, I continued to work as an RF design consultant, and
started doing computer repair out various offices in Santa Cruz. I officially retired in Dec
2020.
During much of my career, I was involved in various aspects of ham radio under call
signs WB6EEP, WB6SSY, and AE6KS. I’ve built and helped build VHF/UHF repeaters,
designed antennas, and repaired radios. Some of these can be found on my web site
at:
http://www.learnbydestroying.com/jeffl/pics/Old%20Repeaters/
http://www.learnbydestroying.com/jeffl/pics/home/test-equip-mess.jpg
http://www.learnbydestroying.com/jeffl/antennas/

 

Mike Doern (KM6IKE) Now a Silent Key

Dear Radio Operators,
I have been asked by the brother of Mike Doern (KM6IKE) to let you all know that Mike passed away on October 2, and is now a Silent Key.  There will be no services locally for Mike, as his family is abiding by his wishes to have all services and internment in his childhood home town in Upstate New York.  There will be an obituary in the Santa Cruz Sentinel forthcoming.
 
I really want to thank Peter (KE6RAX) and Roberta (AJ6KN) who visited Mike in the final days of his life when he was in Dominican Hospital.  Roberta was actually with Mike as he passed.   Even though Mike could not respond, she told him all about her upcoming plans to help with radio communication on the Sea Otter Classic, and other ARES activities.
 
She held the telephone to his ear when his brother David called so that Mike could hear his brother’s voice.    He passed soon after in a relaxed manner.
 
Mike got his Ham radio license in 2003, and immediately secured his vanity call sign of KM6IKE.  He was active in the Santa Cruz County Amateur Radio Club and served in various capacities, also helping with public service event communication.  He came from a family of nine children.  His parents and two of his siblings precede him in passing, but all of his remaining family reside on the East Coast.
 
I will miss Mike’s friendly manner, and his standard farewell…
“This is Mike, KM6IKE, to the best of my knowledge.  You take care now.”
 
Please send good thoughts to Mike and his family.  If you would like to communicate your wishes to his family, you may do so by sending them to me with Subject Title “Mike Doern (KM6IKE-SK)” and I will forward them to his brother, David.  Feel free to share any memories you may have of Mike on this e-mail reflector, or “reply to sender” if intended only for me.
 
73,  Becky KI6TKB

SCCARC election of new officers is coming up

Dear SCCARC member,

The  time to elect new officers for the club is drawing near.  Most of the current officers are becoming termed out according to our bylaws and therefore there is a requirement to replace them. We are seeking members who would be willing to fill the positions.  We have so many new members with new talent to bring to the club. We hope that some of you will agree to serve in an elected position.
 
We need a new president, vice president, treasurer, and a few board members. We have an election each year, however the term is usually  two years. You don’t have to be experienced, but willing to serve and contribute along with the other club officers to lead the club.
 
Please ask questions or discuss it with our current officers.
 
73, Allen Fugelseth WB6RWU
Treasurer and part of the nominating committee

Field Day 2021 Video

 
Greetings, All,
My friend, Dorothee, just finished editing the Field Day 2021 video, and I think you will really enjoy watching it!  It’s about 26 minutes.
73,  Becky KI6TKB

Thank You for a Fun and Successful Swap Meet Saturday!

Many thanks to all who participated in Saturday’s Sep 25 Swap Meet at the parking lot Upper DeLaveaga Park.  We had fewer vendors than the previous event, but they had amazing equipment and other items that made for a good day of sale, exchange and give-aways.  The event was well-attended and really fun.
 
Also, thanks to all who gave a total of $91 in donations for refreshments.  This money will be given 100% to help the operators in the CZU Fire areas recover.
 
The Fox Hunt was also a great success, with a marvelous maiden test of Mike’s (W6MLB)  home-built fox finder, and mentors Harry (W6HPB) and Scott (WA6LIE) assisting Roberta (AJ6KN), Shawn (KG6WSW) and Mallory (KN6PHG) also find the Fox.
 
Watch for another possible Swap Meet in the same location next month!

 Lowered Annual Membership Dues for 2022

Your Santa Cruz County Amateur Radio Club has lowered the annual membership
dues for 2022!  Hooray, hooray, another good reason to be an active member
again in 2022!”As defined in the Bylaws, Article III Section 3, the annual dues shall be
set by the Board of Directors.  The dues structure which follows was adopted
by the Board at its meeting on April 22, 2021.

Annual Dues, beginning 2022

Full Member  $20.00
Family Members $5.00 (for each additional member at the same address)

Dues for new, first time members (not renewals) shall be pro-rated after
April 1 of each year, as follows:
(       Reduced 25% between April 1 and June 30
(       Reduced 50% between July 1 and September 30
(       Reduced 75% between October 1 and December 1
After December 1, full payment shall be required, and dues shall be applied
to the following yea.

Cap, KE6AFE

Apply for a grant from the ARRL or ARDC

By Dan Romanchik, KB6NU

In our division director’s September missive to the membership yesterday was this nugget:

ARRL IS CURRENTLY OFFERING GRANTS to fund amateur radio projects. This program, sponsored by the ARRL Foundation, is specifically for organizations and aimed primarily for education, licensing and support of ham activities. A special focus is on youth-related plans. We are now entering the last phase of this year’s grant cycle, so the opportunity exists for your club or organization to submit a grant request. You can find the full details on the grant page of the ARRL web pages, check: http://www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-grants.

The ARRL accepts grant requests three times a year:

  • February 1 – February 28
  • June 1 – June 30
  • October 1 – October 31

Since this is September 1, you have two months to get your request in. As I’ve written before, our club was awarded $1,500 to help us put up a tower for a club station at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum. The money is available. Go get it!

Get money from ARDC, too!

You can also get a grant for amateur radio projects from Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), the outfit I’m currently working for. ARDC grants money for projects that fall into one of the following three categories:

  • Support and growth of amateur radio,
  • Education, and
  • Technical innovation.

ARDC has, for example, awarded grants to:

  • An amateur radio club in Wisconsin (https://www.ampr.org/grants-old/grant-chippewa-valley-arc-emergency-trailer-and-equipment/) for upgrading their repeater systems and building an emergency communications trailer that they will also use to promote amateur radio in their area.
  • A California high school (https://www.ampr.org/grant-incorporaing-constructivism-and-the-maker-mentality-at-california-high-school/) whose computer science teacher will use the funds to purchase microcontrollers and transform his classroom into a maker space. With this equipment and facility, students will learn computer science by building their own projects.
  • The M17 Project (https://www.ampr.org/grant-m17-open-protocol/), whose goal is to develop a new, open-source digital radio protocol by hams, for hams, and that is easy to understand and build on.

To be eligible for an ARDC grant, an organization must be a 501(c)(3) public charity or be sponsored by a 501(c)(3) public charity.Other eligible organizations include government entities, schools or universities, and international charities or nonprofits.

For more information on ARDC and how to apply for an ARDC grant, go to https://www.ampr.org/apply.

Dan Romanchik, KB6NU, is the author of the KB6NU amateur radio blog (KB6NU.Com), the “No Nonsense” amateur radio license study guides (https://KB6NU.Com/study-guides/), and often appears on the ICQPodcast (https://icqpodcast.com). He recently joined ARDC as their Content Manager. Among his responsibilities is spreading the word about all the cool things ARDC is doing for amateur radio.

 

Sept 17  SCCARC Meeting Speaker: Mike Ritz W7VO (Past Club Prez)

 
“Every legal ham in the world has a unique callsign provided to them by their government.  But where did these callsigns originate, and what major world event caused them to become necessary? How have they evolved in the years since? Join us on a ham radio journey through history, as we discover “The Storied History of the Ham Radio Callsign”.
 

Here is my bio:

“Currently retired in Scappoose, Oregon and very active ham, Mike was first licensed in 1974 as WN6HKP and earned his Amateur Extra in 1983. His main radio interests are contesting and DX, and mentoring new hams in HF operating. He was also President of the Santa Cruz Amateur Radio Club way back in 1981, exactly 40 years ago!

Mike is an ARRL Accredited Volunteer Examiner, ARRL Registered License Instructor, author, and seminar presenter on a variety of ham radio topics. In November 2018 he was elected Director for the ARRL Northwestern Division, (re-elected in August 2021), and in January 2019 as a Board member for the ARRL Foundation. For more information, check out his website: www.w7vo.com.”

See you on the 17th!
 
73;
Mike
W7VO
The SCCARC is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom club virtual meeting.

Topic: SCCARC Meeting – September 17, 2021
Time: Sep 17, 2021 07:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82104241876?pwd=TVpaM2hBcHNUTjZ6am1lMDRlUnkvdz09

Meeting ID: 821 0424 1876
Passcode: 543271
 

40′ Tower Needs a Home

 
Mike KK6SQB is moving north and would like to Sell it. It has been used on field day a
few times. Here are a couple pics. The tires are in good condition comes with a spare. I want what I paid for it which is $600. I really appreciate you helping me out with thisNumber is 831 3383755 cell 831 226 4375
TNx JV  K6HJU
   

August Meeting with Speaker Ed Fong WB6IQN

This month’s Club meeting  featured Ed Fong (WB6IQN) discussing his well-known antennas and their functions.  

The August meeting was with Ed Fong (WB6IQN).  As many of you know, he is the inventor of the DBJ-1 and DBJ-2 antenna that was featured in the February 2003 and March 2007 QST.    His most recent antenna was the TBJ-1 – a triband base antenna that was published in March 2017 QST.  The DBJ-1 is a highly effective dual band VHF/UHF base station antenna and the DBJ-2 is the portable roll up version.   The DBJ-2 won the QST Plaque of the Month Award. Both of these antennas are featured in the ARRL VHF antenna Handbook and also in the ARRL Antenna Classic Handbook.  There are over 18,000 of these antennas in use today.   About half are used by hams and the other half by government and commercial agencies. He will also give a brief discussion of his triband antenna (TBJ-1) that was featured in March 2017 QST.                                                                                                                       

Ed gave a history on how these antennas were developed and the theory on how and why they work so well.  There is no “black magic” to antennas.  He will explain in a non-mathematical manner why these antennas work so well.

Biography –

Ed Fong was first licensed in 1968 as WN6IQN.  He later upgraded to Extra Class with his present call of WB6IQN.  He obtained the BSEE and MSEE degrees from the Univ. of California at Berkeley and his Ph.D. from the Univ. of San Francisco.  A Senior Member of the IEEE, he has 12 patents and over 40  published papers and books in the area of communications and integrated circuit design.  Presently, he is employed by the University of California,  Santa Cruz (previously with Berkeley from 1997-2010) as an instructor teaching graduate classes in RF design and high speed interface.  In his 35 year career, he has done work for Stanford University, National Semiconductor, Advanced Micro Devices, numerous startup companies in the Silicon Valley.

 

SCCARC Field Day 2021 Photos

 

A High and Awful Price…Lessons Learned from the Camp Fire

Last year at this time, thousands in our community were evacuated in the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, forever changing their lives.
 
I hope that you will all take a moment and send good thoughts to all those who lost their homes, and are still working to recover their lives.
 
Here is a link Bob Wiser (K6RMW) sent to a video made by a Camp Fire survivor who interviewed local emergency response agencies about what lessons they learned.  it is an excellent video, especially the Part 4 Lessons about communication….plan for 1950’s level communication.  Plan to be on your own because it is likely that no fire responders will come when you call 911.
 
That is one of the many lessons learned in the CZU Fire.
 
 
Take a look at this video and use it to begin preparing your home and family for a disaster that is 10 times worse than you ever thought could happen.
 
Please pass this along to others.
 
Many thanks to Bob Wiser (K6RMW) for sharing this on his website as “Lessons Learned” on  http://www.k6rmw.net.
 
73,
Becky
KI6TKB
 

Our May Club Meeting

Our guest speaker for our May was George KJ6VU on the topic of projects from the ham radio workbench.

George, KJ6VU, has been a ham since 1972 when he was first licensed as WN6CMM.  George is the co-host of the Ham Radio Workbench podcast, the designer of several projects featured on the show and commercial ham radio products including the PackTenna line of portable antennas and the Sierra Radio Systems linking repeater controllers.  George’s favorite operating activities are Field Day and portable operating in general.  He is the founder of the BayNet Amateur Radio Club and trustee for their analog and digital repeater systems and host of the annual BayCon BayNet Radio Conference.  George has spent his career in the semiconductor and enterprise software world.
We  have the recorded the May Zoom meeting. Here is the link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1XzC3LAlS5VoND9KAmYUJP4RmhKK1HDai
 
This a link of an interview of George on the “QSO Today podcast”:  https://www.qsotoday.com/podcasts/kj6vu

Good Work Building Fire Defensible Space at the Club Repeater Shack

Many thanks to Ann (KE6BQA) and John (KN6MFL) who came to the Club Work Day today!  Thanks to their good work, the Club Repeater Shack has  good fire defensible space.
 
The next phase of that work will be to install metal screens over all vents to prevent embers from entering the building in the event of a wildland fire.  Stay tuned!
 
73,
Becky
KI6TKB
 

John Reinartz K6BJ QSL Card. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2019 Holiday Luncheon

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