My highlight this past weekend was going to the SBARC picnic on Sunday. On my drive up it was raining in a few spots and I was worried we would be dealing with the wetness, but the weather ended up being really nice. Good to see and chat with everyone in person – it’s been a while. I should have taken more photos, but here’s a few that I did take. Dave – AI6VX
Greetings dedicated Swap Net listeners! Starting September 5th, 2023, the SBARC Swap Net will be moving to Tuesdays at 7:30pm. Make sure you update your calendars for the new time. Dave AI6VX – Swap Net Host
Levi, K6LCM, a member of the SBARC Board of Directors and the K6TZ Trustee, was on TWiT Network’s FLOSS Weekly on March 22, 2023 with Doc Searls to take a deep dive into open source and radio. They discussed many of the club’s data gathering tools and the unique telecom sites around Santa Barbara County. Watch and download!
On Monday, December 19, we did a little tower work. We removed some old antennas and did quite a bit of cable removal as well. Part of the work also involved installing a new microwave dish to provide a network link to La Cumbre Peak. As soon as the La Cumbre Peak dish is installed, we’ll have a full time link between the two locations. Our first installed device will be an ADS-B receiver that will add to our constellation of receivers and provide coverage of the back country below the coastal mountain range. This will help Santa Barbara Search and Rescue obtain real time aircraft location information that is currently unavailable when an aircraft drops below the mountain tops. Wayne – AF6GX (picture shown) did the tower climbing, Michael – K6RQV provided ground assistance, and Brian – K6BPM programmed and tested the microwave radios.
For several decades SBARC has sponsored monitoring of the emergency beacon channel on 121.5. This was originally prompted and set up with L-Tronics receivers at several locations. Today we have a blend of L-Tronics and FAA 121.5 GRR receivers. The L-Tronics receivers shall in time be replaced by GRR receivers. Presently we have two GRR receivers in service, one at UCSB, and one at Santa Ynez Peak. A third unit shall be installed at the La Vigia TCF facility followed by a fourth unit at either La Cumbre or Diablo. This program is being privately funded by Bill, W1UUQ for as a public service benefit for public safety. If you are interested in more details, please contact us.
