Welcome to the Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club

aspenWelcome, and thanks for visiting our website. The Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club (SBARC) was established in 1920 and has operated continuously ever since. If you are a licensed amateur radio operator and not yet a member, we hope you will consider joining our club. If you are not yet licensed but have an interest in amateur radio, contact us and we’ll help you get started! Better yet come meet our friendly members at one of our monthly club meetings or at the Red Cross Club Station on Saturday mornings.

Photo caption: Repeaters are the backbone of our local communication systems. SBARC operates numerous repeaters that are open and free to use, including one on Diablo Peak on Santa Cruz Island, which our team accesses with the help of Aspen Helicopters.​

Member Weather Stations

The Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public benefit corporation. Our public service efforts and emergency communications infrastructure are supported by donations from our members and the community. Your tax deductible contributions help ensure our continued success

SBARC Designated Emergency Frequencies

  • SBARC Main Repeater Output 146.79 / Input 146.19 PL 131.8
  • In the event the repeater is not working, use 146.79 SIMPLEX
  • Also monitor 146.52 SIMPLEX

We also maintain a list of local frequencies used by first responders and emergency services. These are useful for programming consumer grade scanners. Please click here.

 


SBARC to Demo Emergency Communications

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Youth-Focused Activities, Earthquake Commemoration, Historic Reenactment, and Public Demonstrations Highlight 2025 Field Day

The Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club invites people of all ages to participate in the nationwide 2025 Amateur Radio Field Day at Chase Palm Park June 28-29. (photo: Jim Smart)

June 23, 2025 – SANTA BARBARA, Calif.

When cell towers fail and internet connections go silent, one form of communication continues to deliver: amateur radio. Each year, the Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club (SBARC) joins thousands of operators across North America to demonstrate this essential technology during the nationwide:

Amateur Radio Field Day
June 28–29 at Chase Palm Park.

Field Day is the most anticipated event on the amateur radio calendar—a 24-hour emergency communication exercise that mixes public service, technical skills, and community outreach. Now in its 92nd year, Field Day reminds us that when all else fails, amateur radio still works.

New for 2025, SBARC will also be activating a special radio station on State Street as part of the City of Santa Barbara’s centennial reenactment of the 1925 earthquake. The station will showcase how amateur radio can provide critical communication in disaster scenarios when modern infrastructure is compromised. We will be located on State Street between Amapamu Street and Figueroa Street. A map showing our location (and others) is shown below. (Click to enlarge)

At the Chase Palm Park Field Day site, SBARC will operate three High Frequency (HF) stations, powered entirely by emergency generators. The public is encouraged to drop by, ask questions, and learn how these stations connect with others across the globe—entirely off-grid. Licensed amateur radio operators are invited to operate under the club’s call sign, within the privileges of their license.

This year, young people are especially encouraged to attend. In 2024, more than 20 local children and teens participated in Field Day, sparking curiosity and even helping scouts fulfill requirements for their Radio Merit Badge. With hands-on demonstrations and real-world communication scenarios, Field Day is a perfect introduction to the world of radio for all ages.

SBARC has served Santa Barbara since 1920, fostering public service, technical experimentation, and emergency preparedness. The club maintains a robust network of repeaters, remote stations, and trained operators dedicated to community resilience.

📍 Join us at Chase Palm Park from Saturday, June 28 at 11:00 AM through Sunday, June 29 at 11:00 AM. Activities will be ongoing throughout the day and night.

📡 Learn more: www.sbarc.org

📘 About ARRL Field Day: www.arrl.org/field-day

Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club (SBARC) is a part of the Santa Barbara Wireless Foundation (SBWF), a non-profit public benefit corporation organized and operated to promote education for persons interested in telecommunications, to disseminate information about scientific discoveries and progress in the field, and to train communicators for public service and emergency communications. SBWF advises and assists other non-profit groups with communications related challenges by leveraging our wide area of expertise. SBWF serves organizations engaged in services that benefit the public such as first responders, animal rescue, event communications, scientific research, aviation safety, and emergency preparedness.



SBARC Members Activate Santa Barbara Island

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On May 19, 2025, KA6KEN and I joined The Explorers Club expedition to Santa Barbara Island. It’s the smallest and most remote in Channel Islands National Park.

There’s no dock, no cell service, and landings are only possible by skiff when the weather cooperates. We brought along a VHF handheld and a directional antenna and made simplex contact with KK6SXA and KN6ZZI from the island’s summit, Signal Peak. It was a quick turnaround. We had less than 90 minutes on shore. But we made it work.

I documented the trip and put together a short film that tells the story, with some help from fellow explorers we met along the way.

📺 Watch the video below:

—Levi, K6LCM

Santa Ynez Peak Repeater Antenna

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Wayne, AF6GX, tilting the 145.18 tower back up into service. Photo: Michael, K6RQV

The antenna for the K6TZ Santa Ynez Peak repeater on 145.18 was replaced today. As a result, its coverage is now vastly improved!

If you haven’t yet, please take a moment to test your signal into this repeater and the new 446.400 repeater on La Cumbre Peak West. Both are standard negative offset, same PL 131.8.

Together, these two repeaters have increased our systemwide coverage tremendously.

Repeater Updates: 446.400 Moved to La Cumbre Peak West

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Wayne, AF6GX and Levi, K6LCM installing the new BridgeCom repeater at La Cumbre Peak West. Photo: Michael, K6RQV

It was a foggy, cool day at La Cumbre Peak when SBARC members Levi, K6LCM; Wayne, AF6GX; and Michael, K6RQV, headed up to the site to install the club’s new BridgeCom FM repeater on 446.400 MHz. Despite the low visibility and brisk weather, the team successfully completed the installation, bringing a significant upgrade to the repeater system.

The new repeater offers excellent coverage and is now linked to the club’s wider system, ensuring even greater range for members and improving communications across the region. This installation is part of SBARC’s ongoing efforts to enhance the reliability and reach of its network for amateur radio operators in Santa Barbara and beyond.

Stay tuned for more updates and make sure to give the new repeater a try on 446.400- PL 131.8.