Category Archives: Club News

The audio archive of this net can best be followed by downloading the .mp3 file for the appropriate date here and listening with the media player of your choice. You can move the progress slider forward or backward to the subject of interest to you. We had another informative net tonight with 12 check-ins plus net control, Brian – K6BPM and some chat room visitors! Tonight’s subjects included: Guidance on receiving a new AnyTone DMR radio and getting it set up. When you build an antenna, how can you test it and know you built it properly? (Amount of gain, etc.) Chuck, K5CAW’s new ZUMspot display. What do you do if you’re ever involved in answering a distress call on ham radio. Tune in to the SBARC TM&E Net every Thursday at 8:00 PM local (2000 Hrs) and see what interesting questions will arise or ask some of your own! All club members and visitors are encouraged to check in to the net each week and join in with questions and /or answers to and contribute the knowledge of new and seasoned amateur radio operators alike.

Wayne Beckman AF6GX will be the speaker this month, presenting a “Test Bench in a Backpack” program. He will give us a talk and demonstration of very portable and powerful test equipment that is much smaller and less expensive than earlier instruments because these new devices rely on being connected to a computer to utilize the processing and display capability of the computer. When used with a laptop computer this also makes the instruments battery powered very portable. Wayne works along with Bill, W1UUQ keeping our infrastructure maintained and frequently works in remote places where it is difficult if not impossible to run back to the shop for a tool or piece of equipment. See how he makes the best use of sometimes limited space and weight so that they can get the job done. SBARC General Club Meeting Friday, April 20th, 2018 at 7:30 PM Goleta Union School District Board Room 401 North Fairview Avenue in Goleta We hope to see you all at the meeting! Post expires at 1:00am on Saturday April 21st, 2018 but will still be available in the archives.

Storm Resources Windy.com (iOS, Android apps) rain, wind and forecast models MyRadar iOS and Android app for realtime radar (aviators’ choice!) National Weather Service Los Angeles Office Scientific Forecast Discussion OneRain realtime rainfall and waterway data   The National Weather Service is predicting a major rain event on March 20-21.  Presently and as the storm approaches, the 146.79 repeater will remain in normal operation, however we ask that you keep your communications brief and leave plenty of breaks so that other stations are able to pass along important traffic. Should this storm event reach a level that presents a danger to the larger community, a member of the SBARC Board of Directors or the K6TZ Trustee may appoint Special Tactical net controllers to handle priority and emergency traffic. Special Tactical operations will be signaled by the presence of a “double-beep” courtesy tone, during which time transmissions from all stations with information are welcome. However, all transmissions during Special Tactical operations should be kept brief and relevant to the situation. Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated. If Special Tactical operations are initiated on the 146.790 repeater, the “double-beep” courtesy tone will be activated. Radio amateurs with pertinent information are encouraged to check in.  SBARC may also be providing information via Twitter @K6TZ. SBARC Repeater Operations Normal Operations Under normal operations, the Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club repeaters are open to use by all licensed radio amateurs. One need not be a member of the Club in order to use the repeaters, however, membership is encouraged. Under all circumstances, on-air discussions should be congenial and operators should treat others as they wish to be treated and always with respect and patience. Special Events Operations During special events supported by the Club (e.g. parades, Fiesta, road races, etc.) a “double-beep” courtesy tone on the main club 146.79 MHz repeater indicates that its use is restricted to stations participating in event support. ARES Operations During Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) activities, ARES leaders may activate a “triple-beep” courtsey tone on the 146.79 repeater. This indicates that ARES has exclusive use of the repeater. Special Tactical Operations Under certain circumstances during severe weather, disasters or other urgent situations, a member of the SBARC Board of Directors or the K6TZ Trustee may appoint Special Tactical net controllers to handle priority and emergency traffic on the 146.790 repeater. Special Tactical operations will be signaled by the presence of a “double-beep” courtesy tone, during which time transmissions from all stations… Continue reading →

Overview of LiFePO4 Batteries for Ham Radio / Solar Applications Kevin Zanjani from Bioenno Power will be providing an overview about LiFePO4 batteries for use in ham radio applications.  This exciting presentation will discuss typical applications and have an exciting show-and-tell of the various products!  Bioenno Power has attended various hamfests and hamventions including the Palm Springs Hamfest, Visalia DX Convention, Dayton Hamvention, Orlando HamCation, Nevada State Convention, PacificCon among others, and the products have been featured on HamNation, along with articles written in CQ Magazine and QST Magazine. SBARC General Club Meeting Friday, March 16, 2018 at 7:30 PM Goleta Union School District Board Room 401 North Fairview Avenue in Goleta Post expires at 11:11pm on Friday March 16th, 2018 but will still be available in the archives.

SBARC General Club Meeting Friday, January 19, 2018 at 7:30 PM Goleta Union School District Board Room 400 North Fairview Avenue in Goleta Amateur radio operators in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties proved to be valuable assets in the Thomas Fire and now once again with the ongoing Montecito mudslide disaster. As a result of our members’ efforts to keep our analog and digital communications systems up-to-date with relevant information about evacuations, firefighting efforts and recovery operations, the ARRL featured SBARC in an article in its weekly email newsletter last week. Everyone on the air rose to the occasion, especially during the critical days of the Thomas Fire. Amatuer radio remains a critical lifeline for those now affected by the disaster in Montecito. At our meeting on Friday, we will host a debriefing and discussion with our membership about what the Club did well and what we can improve upon for future emergency responses. Please join us on Friday to let us know your thoughts on the future of amateur emergency communications in Santa Barbara. We hope to see you all at the meeting! Post expires at 1:00am on Saturday January 20th, 2018 but will still be available in the archives.