What’s happening at SBARC? Here you will find the latest club news, events, projects, net activities, and news from our special interest groups (SIGS).
Be sure to check in frequently so you don’t miss out on any of the interesting things going on with the club and its members!
We have moved content for the Technical Mentoring and Elmering Net here, and content for the Digital Modes Net here.
Big thanks to everyone who pitched in on Saturday to help with the move from our expensive storage locker to our brand new container.
This portion of our relocation project is more than halfway complete. We still have three more shelf units to move and more storage items to relocate, and we will be able to vacate our storage locker for good, saving us about $6000 a year, and possibly more as the rent surely would have been bumped up another hundred dollars a month later this year.
Here’s where we stand as of today:
We will be moving the rest of the storage items next weekend and will put out a worker help request later in the week.
If you haven’t yet signed up to the project mailing list, you can do so by sending a blank email to workers+subscribe@sbarc.org. We are mailing list members about dates, times and location when we anticipate needing help, and if you can help, that’s great.
Post expires at 8:23am on Tuesday August 20th, 2024 but will still be available in the archives.
A quick update on the K6TZ repeater situation …
We are aware that the move of the K6TZ 146.79 repeater to TV Hill / KEYT-TV Studios has had a significant impact for some users. Some who had reliable coverage using a handheld transceiver in the past have been unable to make reliable contact now using the same. Others, particularly on the Riviera and in Montecito, have experienced improved coverage with the repeater move.
With this in mind, we have begun a search for a solution that can preserve the best of these changes while improving usability for those who are experiencing a degradation in service. For the time being, the K6TZ 70cm repeater on 446.400 (minus offset, 131.8 Hz PL) has been restored to service at Vic Trace (aka La Vigia, aka Talanian Communications Facility) and linked to the SBARC Hub network, until we can find a more permanent solution.
I encourage you to try this 70cm linked repeater if you have difficulties using 146.79 or any other linked repeater from your location. Signal reports are appreciated.
I am also trying to keep our K6TZ Repeaters & Data Systems page current to reflect the real-world state of the SBARC network.
-Levi, K6LCM
K6TZ Trustee
As we all know, our time at our main repeater site will soon end. Our core engineering group has been working tirelessly to make sure our communications are impacted as little as possible.
If you haven’t heard, the main K6TZ repeater is moving to TV-Hill after KEYT Channel 3 generously offered space in their radio building. As of now, coverage checks have been done, the antenna has been installed, and the microwave link is up and running. We will be moving the repeater within the next few days. We expect the 146.79 repeater, Allstar, and the USCB remote link to all be working when the move is completed.
We Still Have More Work To Do
Moving the main repeater is only part of the job. We still need to remove all our other equipment. Some may find new homes relatively quickly, but we have a lot of gear that will need to be moved and stored.
Most of our core engineering group are in their 60’s, 70’s, 80’s or even 90’s. We cannot do everything by ourselves and some of us have physical limitations.
How You Can Help
Simply put, we need volunteers. We don’t yet know when, or what work might be involved. What we need right now is to build a list of members who might be available to volunteer when we need them.
Get On The Mailing List
We’ve set up a mailing list for members to join that we’ll use when we’re in need of help. If you can step up, that’s great, but it you can’t at the time, that’s fine too. We’ll undoubtedly have multiple opportunities to volunteer and we understand that members have jobs and other obligations.
When we need some help, we’ll send out an email to the list and if you can help, just reply to the message to let us know. We’ll try to give as much advance notice as possible.
Getting on the mailing list is easy. Just send a blank email to the address below. No subject or message is necessary.
workers+subscribe@sbarc.org
You will receive a one time confirmation email you will need to reply to so we can make sure we don’t get any spammers in the group. Just follow the instructions.
Once you have joined, you will receive mails from [SBARC Work Crew], and be able to send emails to the group by sending them to workers@sbarc.org.
This is a big and complicated job. We will be grateful for any help you can offer.
If you haven’t heard, we were offered a place for our main K6TZ repeater (146.79) on TV hill, the decades old home of KEYT. Much of the credit goes to Senior Reporter John Palminteri. John was one of the first to report on our situation, and immediately stepped up to help. We are extremely grateful.
Here is Wayne AF6GX up on the KEYT mast installing a new Comet tri-band antenna. The tri-bander will provide some flexibility if we decide to change things later on. It will work for 2 meter, 440 and 220.
This is the first step in relocating the repeater. Next, we’ll be performing some coverage tests to get an idea how our coverage might differ from the current location. Next, we’ll be preparing to relocate the 440 input from UCSB and adding a microwave link back to the shack at the Red Cross. Then finally, we’ll be moving the repeater and other connected equipment.
There will likely be a day or two down-time when we do the physical repeater move. There is a lot of stuff to disconnect and reconnect and test. Our repairs at Santa Ynez Peak and Diablo Peak on Santa Cruz Island will remain on-the-air and linked through the period.
Post expires at 1:00am on Wednesday July 31st, 2024 but will still be available in the archives.
SBARC’s 2024 Field Day at Chase Palm Park in Santa Barbara was a huge success! The club came roaring back after a several-year hiatus participating in the international event. KEYT News Channel 3 senior reporter John Palminteri reports.
With Field Day coming this Saturday and Sunday, this will be our final update before the event. Contact the Field Day team if you have questions at fieldday@sbarc.org.
Set-up & Break Down:
The operations team and those planning to set-up their own station may begin work at 7:00 AM this Saturday. You may drive your vehicle onto the field to unload gear. If you do drive onto the field, please use the auto ramp located at the pedestrian cross-walk. Driving onto the curb/sidewalk at other locations may damage the concrete.
Once vehicles have been unloaded, please park in the “Palm” parking lot, just West of Chase Palm Field. Those planning to operate after dark Saturday may park in the small lot across E Cabrillo Blvd from our operating area – please contact Warren or Mike if you require nighttime parking.
Field day operations officially begin at 11:00 AM Saturday and end at 11:00 AM Sunday. We must be entirely vacated from Chase Palm Field by 3:00 PM. This will allow ample time to enjoy the Field Day picnic before we pack-up our equipment.
Operating Details:
We expect a good turn-out, nicely spread over the 24 hour operations window. And, we identified a third club transceiver so operators will have a choice of ICOM IC-7300 and Yaesu FTdx-10. What a good opportunity to compare two of the better transceivers on the market today!
Please bring your own Key if you plan to operate CW during the contest. You may also wish to consider bringing a pair of headphones.
As for logging QSOs, Jim – W6JFE, has prepared three laptop computers with N3FJP logging software. We will provide instruction sheets for N3FJP, as well as for the Field Day “QSO Exchange” (callsign is K6TZ, section is Santa Barbara (SB)). We will also have traditional paper logs on hand for those that prefer them.
For those operators licensed within the past year, as well as those that have not worked HF for a while, please plan to operate as a “GOTA” (Get On The Air) operator. GOTA QSOs bring a scoring bonus! Please ask Warren – KN6ZZI, Mike – K6QD, Jim – W6JFE or Michael – K6RQV for instruction. Hint: GOTA QSOs are worked the same as regular station but with using the callsign K6SBA, instead of K6TZ).
Public Relations:
Levi has issued a nice Press Release to the Santa Barbara media. And so, we may well be visited by news media, in addition to the general public.
Please wear your SBARC badge! Doing so make it obvious which of us are radio operators and club members. Wearing a badge will also lend an air of professionalism to our presence during Field Day.
Please bring your HTs. We will use them to coordinate amongst the group, and also to demonstrate our repeater network, in the event of public interest/inquiry.
We will have a public information table facing E Cabrillo Blvd. The table will help steer members of the public to a safe location (away from antenna masts, guy-lines, and feed-lines). The table will also hold reference materials on SBARC and amateur radio. Please encourage visitors to move to this location during conversation. Please also accompany visitors in the event that they wish to view radio stations & antennae.
If you will, please try and spend some time at the Public Information Table. This will help SBARC make best use of our time in the public eye.
Weather and Meals:
Sunny warm days and cool evenings are forecast. We will have sun-shades covering the club stations and public information table. Do bring sunscreen and hats though as you won’t be under cover all of the time. And, bring warm clothes if you intend to operate Saturday evening/night time.
Meals have been arranged for Sunday breakfast (JoAnn – KA6RPN is preparing breakfast burritos), and Sunday lunch (Steve – AK6CE is bringing a grill, hotdogs & hamburgers, and summer trimmings for our picnic lunch). Importantly given the sun, Les – KN6CKG, is bringing beverages! Given the relatively few participants on Saturday evening, we will order take-out food to suit preferences of those present. Please note that donations are encouraged to cover the costs of these meals – look for the donation box near the food service table.
Local radio operators to participate in national Field Day exercises at Chase Palm Park on June 22-23
The Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club invites people of all ages to participate in the nationwide 2024 Amateur Radio Field Day at Chase Palm Park this weekend. (SBARC file photo)
June 18, 2024 – SANTA BARBARA, Calif.
Despite the ubiquity of Internet-enabled cell phones, email, and text messaging, every year, whole regions find themselves in the dark, or worse. Wildfires, earthquakes, mudslides, storms, ice, and other disasters often leave people without the means to communicate. In these cases, the one consistent communications service that has never failed has been amateur (ham) radio.
On the weekend of June 22-23, the public will have a chance to meet and talk with Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club (SBARC) operators and see for themselves what the amateur radio service is about, as radio operators across the nation will be holding public demonstrations of emergency communications abilities as part of the nationwide 2024 Amateur Radio Field Day.
Every June, more than 40,000 amateur radio operators throughout North America set up temporary transmitting stations in public places to demonstrate amateur radio’s science, skill, and service to our communities and our nation. Field Day combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach, and technical skills all in a single event. Field Day has been an annual event since 1933, and remains the most popular event in amateur radio.
Using only emergency power supplies, radio operators in all 50 states and Canada will construct emergency stations in parks, shopping malls, schools, and backyards. Their slogan, “when all else fails, amateur radio works,” is more than just words to the operators as they prove they can send analog and digital communications without the use of phone systems, the internet, or other infrastructure that can be compromised in a crisis.
SBARC, established in 1920, has a long history of promoting education and emergency preparedness through amateur radio. SBARC is a non-profit, public benefit corporation organized 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. SBARC also encourages and sponsors experiments in electronics and promotes the highest standards of practice and ethics in the conduct of communications.
This year, the SBARC Field Day site will feature several stations set up for worldwide, direct radio communication as well as our local radio repeater system. The public is welcome to observe and learn at the information table available on site.
Members of the public interested in learning more are invited to visit the SBARC Field Day site at Chase Palm Park on Saturday, June 22 from 11:00 AM through Sunday, June 23 at 11:00 AM. Santa Barbara amateur radio operators will contact thousands of other stations throughout the US, Canada, and the world using a variety of wireless techniques, including the use of frequencies from shortwave though microwave bands and amateur radio satellites in orbit.
Encourage your friends and family to visit and learn about the vital role of amateur radio in our community and nation.
Post expires at 11:01am on Sunday June 23rd, 2024 but will still be available in the archives.
