SCCARC March Meeting and Presentation by W6OJE
Many Mathematical models have been proposed to predict the quality of radio links or station coverage maps or coverage radii. One well-respected model for predicting VHF/UHF/Microwave communications is the ITS-Irregular Terrain Model, or Longley-Rice Model.
Roger Coud’e (VE2DBE) has developed a software package called Radio Mobile that uses this model in a user friendly way. It connects with on-line Terrain, Land Cover and map databases and allows easy entry of your station parameters (location, radio and antenna specs). It can predict pretty accurately, performance of a link between sites or map your station’s coverage to mobile or hand held users based on statistical success criteria you can set.
I plan to share my screen while I go through the process of entering the required parameters into Radio Mobile and we investigate some point-to-point paths between members’ QTH’s and other members and/or repeaters. We will also generate coverage maps that take into account available terrain elevation data that is relatively fine-grained (on 30 foot spacing grids). I hope it will be fun and introduce you to a very useful tool that some may not have known about before.
Jerry, W6OJE
SCCARC Monthly Zoom Meeting, March 17, at 7:30 pm
This is a NEW Zoom Meeting link for March 2023 – – – REVISED MARCH 16 pm
Santa Cruz County Amateur Radio Club K6BJ is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: SCCARC March Meeting 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Time: Mar 17, 2023 19:30 Pacific Time (US and Canada)Join Zoom Meeting
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Passcode: V97g8e
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John Reinartz K6BJ Testimonial Banquet 1960
The testimonial banquet program for John Reinartz K6BJ February 1, 1960 at the Villa Hotel, San Mateo.
Watsonville 147.945 repeater status update
As I’m sure you all know, the Watsonville 147.945 linked repeater was taken out of service a few weeks ago due to the sale of the tower at Fire Station II.
The repeater has been transported to my home shop and re packaged into a simpler foot print. I am attempting to put it back on the air shortly in a temporary location, utilizing the make-shift link.
The new anticipated location for the repeater is going to be the roof of the Watsonville Hospital. WCH management has given their blessing and will not require any rent. Several path studies have been run and the simplex UHF link path appears to be as good as was the case at the Fire Station location.
In order to make an installation into the Hospital building, management has informed me that a set of plans will need to be generated and approved by a State Hospital Management agency before we can cut a hole for coax entry into the radio vault. Once we get an approval that Hospital Management said they would press for, the hospital staff said they would do the work to create the coax entry hole.
I’ll put out another status update as soon as there’s a change to report. K6BJ can currently be accessed from the Pajaro Valley region using the K6RMW 443.050 repeater; PL 94.8. The repeater is being disabled on Sunday evenings to help with the Internet based nets.
73 . . .
Bob Wiser K6RMW
Sea Otter Classic
Neighboring Ham Radio groups
The 2023 Lifetime Sea Otter Classic will be held on April 20-23, 2023. Help from amateur radio operators has been a vital resource for communication in the Fort Ord National Monument backcountry. Thank you to those of you who have volunteered in the past.
The Lifetime Sea Otter Classic attracts thousands of athletes and spectators and is now regarded as the world’s premiere cycling festival. The areas where we assist have little or no cellular or repeater coverage. It is an excellent opportunity for demonstration and practice of emergency communications and help build readiness for a real disaster.
This year help will be needed for the following times:
Thursday 4/20 – Enduro Support – Morning through mid afternoon
Friday 4/21 – Back Country Support – MTB Gravilla Backcountry Radio – Very Early Morning to Mid Afternoon.
Saturday 422 – Back Country Support – MTB Fuego Backcountry Radio – Very Early Morning to Late Afternoon.
Sunday 4/23 – Back Country Support – MTB Fuego Backcountry Radio, and Robles Tour – Very Early Morning to Late Afternoon
Camping is available directly from the event (https://www.seaotterclassic.com/camping/ – subject to availability and sells out quickly – some campgrounds are already sold out) or we have the option of camping for no charge in the Laguna Seca paddock.
Ham radio operators will be primarily working radios including ham radios and/or commercial/public safety radios (i.e. You may be asked to coordinate on a public safety frequency to guide in an ambulance while the medic provides care). We’ll always try to pair experienced hams with new hams as needed. First aid and course marshal support will be provided by National Ski Patrol as in the past.
Please let me know as soon as possible if you’re interested in volunteering. We’ll need a volunteer waiver signed and we will have more details available soon.
Volunteers receive a volunteer T-Shirt, a pass to the Sea Otter Classic Festival (a $70 value), and a lunch.
Please note that the times and details are subject to change, but we will keep you updated if you volunteer. Please keep in mind that end times are estimates. In most cases the event will end earlier, but if we have a significant incident, demobilization may go much later and especially in the backcountry, exit routes are closed to vehicle traffic during the event. Updates will be available at http://sbcara.org/otter (It is still early and this page is still being updated for this year – 2022’s information is here for reference).
To sign up please go to this link https://tinyurl.com/soc2023hro or if this doesn’t work for you, feel free to just reply to takeuchi@sbcares.org via e-mail.
Also, please go to https://sea-otter-classic.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/?id=68024 and in the password field, enter the word “Radio” (without quotes) do not enter anything else on the page and click on “Submit”. The page will update with the Amateur Radio shifts. Click on the check box to click on if you’re available and interested in that volunteer activity. All the events are for the backcountry at Fort Ord. For “Group – Organization Name” please select “San Benito Amateur Radio Association”. You can fill out your information. Under “Is anyone volunteering with you” please enter “None”. We need a separate submission for each volunteer. Sign the disclaimer by clicking the check box and entering your name and submit. You’ll receive an email from Jeff Lindenthal to confirm your registration. This process needs to be done for each volunteer.
Like many ham radio groups, we’re migrating to groups.io for our email system. If you’re volunteering this year, please go to https://sbcara.groups.io/g/soc and sign up for our email system so you can get updates. The nice thing about this is that this year, you can see emails, even those before your sign up, and don’t have to store them on your own email system. I send out the information about on-line volunteer registration as soon as it is available. I can also sign you up for updates, but you must confirm your email in order to receive updates.
Please pass this email along to anyone you think might be interested. We’re going to have challenges since some of our regular volunteers aren’t available this year due to the change of date this year.
Thanks & 73,
– Timothy S. Takeuchi – sbcares.org
San Benito County (XBE) COM-L: Communication Unit Leader – W6TST
Chief ACS/RACES Officer / ARES DEC: District Emergency Coordinator / ARRL PIO
Sea Otter Classic Volunteer Communications Leader
Holiday Gathering
Richard K8SQB, Becky KB6TKB
- Richard K8SQB, Becky KB6TKB
The club met on Sunday December 18, for our annual Holiday Gathering and installation of new Club Officers.at Woodhouse Blending & Brewing in Santa Cruz.
New 2023 SCCARC Club Officers
Congratulations to the 2023 Club Board leaders elected at last night’s meeting. Thanks to good Club member response, we easily had a quorum, with 41 operators checking into the meeting! Thank you!
President: Jerry (W6OJE)
Vice President: Richard (K8SQB)
Secretary: Mike (W6MLB)
Treasurer: Cap (KE6AFE) Incumbent
At-Large: Ben (KN6NDM)
At-Large: Jim (KN6NCG)
Ex-Officio: Craig (N6SBN)
Many thanks to the outgoing Board for their service:
President: Craig (N6SBN)
Vice President; vacant
Secretary: David (N6DTA)
Treasurer: Cap (KE6AFE) remaining in office
At-Large: Gary (K6PDL)
At-Large: Vince (KM6YHE)
73 and Happy Thanksgiving,
Becky
KI6TKB
Ray Wentz W6LPW SK
Ray was the son of a ham radio operator, and had been licensed since
he was a teenager. He had worked in the electronics and aerospace
industries. He was an active member of St. Andrews Church in Ben
Lomond.
For many years, Ray taught evening classes which enabled many SLV
residents to obtain their ham licenses. He was also a captain of the
Get-On-The-Air station on Field Day, coaching newcomers to make voice
contacts on 40 meters.
-John AC6SL
Ray wonderfully assisted and promoted ham radio operations in our community for many years. Among other fine efforts, I remember Ray’s work in support of our club’s 100-year anniversary event at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History in 2016.
We won’t forget Ray’s cheerful smirk.
73, Cap KE6AFE
Last Swap Meet of the Season
Pictures from the last swap meet on October 8 at the Shakespeare Santa Cruz site by our club repeater.
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September Club Meeting -Craig, N6SBN will finally talk about SDR
The September 16 K6BJ club meeting will have a presentation on the basics of SDR radios given by our club president Craig N6SBN. There will be discussions on the set up and operation of SmartSDR. Following the presentation, we will open up the meeting for a question and answer period. Craig running the SDR station at field day.
SCCARC is inviting you to our monthly meeting.
Note: Due to county’s currrent restriction, Santa Cruz County Amateur Radio Club meeting are held on the third Friday at 7:30pm via ZOOM.
Topic: SCCARC Monthly Meeting
Time: 07:30 PM Pacific Time Every month on the Third Fri, until Nov 18, 2022
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8251
Meeting ID: 825 1812 8630
Passcode: 408373
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Meeting ID: 825 1812 8630
Passcode: 408373
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kesy4IPgb
Russ Mackey NW6U SK
My dear friend and favorite ham radio mentor/elmer Russ Mackey, NW6U, passed away yesterday. Russ was a member of our Club these last 32 years and was our vice president when I was first licensed. Chairing the repeater committee, Russ spent countless hours over years working on our Club’s repeaters, remotely and in-person.. Supremely knowledgeable in many fields, and he knew more about repeaters than anyone I’ve ever known. Russ was always kind and supportive. 73, Cap KE6AFE
SCCARC – SLVARC Field Day 2022
A joint Field Day of the Santa Cruz County Amateur Radio Club and the San Lorenzo Valley Amateur Radio Club held June 25-26, 2022 at the Bonny Doon Airport in the Santa Cruz mountain’s
Gary K6PDL, Maggie K6ACT
Swap Meet and Club Station Cleanout 5/22/22
A worldwide collection of QSL cards from Cecilia Huntoon a SWL (shortwave listener)
http://www.k6bj.org/archives/5659