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.
We’re getting geared up for our annual pot luck BBQ coming up on October 4, 2026. We are changing locations this year. We will be having the event at Tuckers Grove Area 4. It is a really nice spot with lots of shade. Dave, AI6VX has once again volunteered to to the cooking!
As we have done for the last few years, SBARC will provide the hamburgers and hotdogs with all the trimmings. Members can bring a side dish, salad, desert, chips, drinks or anything they like. If you can’t bring anything, that’s OK too. Spouses and families are welcome or bring a friend to meet the nice people in amateur radio.
When: Sunday October 4th, 2026
Time: 10:30am until 3:00pm
Where: Tuckers Grove Park Space 4
Tuckers Grove is at the mountain end of Turnpike Road
We hope to see you there!
Post expires at 3:49pm on Monday October 5th, 2026 but will still be available in the archives.
This month’s meeting we will have an in-person presentation by Kent Olsen N6WT. He will be introducing the DX Marathon.
This is a DXCC and Worked All Zone chase that runs all year, every year. Scores are calculated and awards presented after the year ends on December 31. Then a new year begins.
Participation is easy and since it runs all year, you can work DX when it is convenient. You can participate even if you are a casual DX’er.
Zoom Link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81329247684?pwd=UEWLEpXKnKIl751zP4qhCWzYboAr9U.1
Please join us this Friday!
SBARC General Club Meeting
Friday, September 18, 2026 at 7:30 PM (Doors open at 7pm)
Goleta Union School District Board Room
401 North Fairview Avenue in Goleta
Post expires at 4:24pm on Saturday September 19th, 2026 but will still be available in the archives.
This months meeting is going to be a little different than usual. If you attended the last meeting, we talked about getting our members getting set up to do MeshCore communications. So this meeting is going to be a HANDS ON and we will help everyone get set up and on the air.
MeshCore is an OFF-THE-GRID messaging system and works whether you have internet/cellular or not. If everything is down, you can still communicate.
THIS IS NOT COMPLICATED. If you can use text messages on your smartphone, you already know how to use this. It also requires repeaters, but SBARC/SBWF has already installed 9 repeaters that blanket most of the area with coverage.
You only need 2 things to get set up, a smartphone and a small “Companion” transceiver. The smartphone app is called MeshCore. It is available for FREE on the iPhone App Store and also on Google Play App Store for Android users.
There are a lot of options for companion nodes. There are several models that are ready to go, right out of the box, or you can build one yourself, There are several kits available, or you can buy the individual parts and assemble them yourself. This may not be a good option for many users because you need a little experience choosing and using transceiver boards, batteries, and all the assorted little parts that go along with it.
I evaluated some of the off-the-shelf units and found one I particularly like and think would be a good option for a lot of our members. They are called “ThinkNode M1”. Everything is assembled and ready to use. They use a Nordic processor which is very power efficient. They have a built in battery that provides about 2.5 days of use on a charge. They also have built-in GPS which is switchable so you can use it only when needed. This is nice because GPS cuts your battery life in half, GPS is rarely useful, so being able to turn it on and off is very useful. They also use an ePaper display that only uses power when the display changes. These are very small and lightweight, and you can easily put one in a pocket.
We purchased a few of these and they will be available to club members for a $63.00 reimbursement at the meeting. Tax and Shipping is included. You can also purchase these on Amazon here: https://a.co/d/0bxv9g7N. They are currently on sale as of this writing.
There are many more off-the-shelf systems available on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=meshcore. You will also see bare boards with display as well. Remember that these also require a battery, case, and 915 MHz antenna.
This meeting will NOT be on Zoom.
Please join us this Friday!
SBARC General Club Meeting
Friday, August 21, 2026 at 7:30 PM (Doors open at 7pm)
Goleta Union School District Board Room
401 North Fairview Avenue in Goleta
Post expires at 1:58am on Thursday October 22nd, 2026 but will still be available in the archives.
ITU Corporation has acquired Ameritron and Mirage RF Amplifier brands from MFJ Enterprises. Its has previously acquired HyGain and Cushcraft lines from the now defunct MFJ so some of our favorite brands are getting new life.
Read the article here:
Post expires at 7:35am on Saturday August 1st, 2026 but will still be available in the archives.
Part of the attraction to amateur radio is experimenting with new things and learning things you thought you would not be able to understand. A couple of members have suggested we have some sort of group projects that everyone can participate in and learn new things that have been confusing in the past. Some of the fun things our members do seem too complicated or confusing and a lot of us miss out on things they would enjoy. It doesn’t matter what your age is, or what background you have, you studied, passed a test, and have an amateur radio license.
This meeting I am going to be introduce a couple of projects you can participate in that will provide you with hours of entertainment after they’re finished. If everyone is interested then we’ll devote next months meeting to providing hands on instruction. We have a couple of projects in mind that anyone can do with minimal expense, and involve no soldering and the only tools you will need is a screwdriver. We’ll have some additional informational handouts at the meeting.
Please join us this Friday!
SBARC General Club Meeting
Friday, July 17, 2026 at 7:30 PM (Doors open at 7pm)
Goleta Union School District Board Room
401 North Fairview Avenue in Goleta
Zoom Link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84169511388?pwd=oQFS75Hb6VrOa9oWQ1eHWD5xAfcX7H.1
Post expires at 1:04am on Friday September 18th, 2026 but will still be available in the archives.
Last month we watched a preview of a video about the Great Santa Barbara earthquake. We ran out of time, so we will show it in its entirety this evening.
Do you have plans for Field Day? SBARC is not sponsoring an event this year, so some members may be looking for some way to participate. Let everyone know if you have any activities in mind this year.
Last month we also missed playing a video that was passed around by board members. It is called “Is Ham Radio Dying?”. It is worth the time to watch. Many clubs are experiencing the same problems. Low participation, lack of interest in projects, and other symptoms are things we might be able to find a way to address.
Please join us this Friday!
SBARC General Club Meeting
Friday, June 19, 2026 at 7:30 PM (Doors open at 7pm)
Goleta Union School District Board Room
401 North Fairview Avenue in Goleta
Zoom Details:
Topic: January Club Meeting
Time: June 19, 2026 07:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81662893439?pwd=gabpWn58dz8zqvPggslZuwAdN44VU5.1
Meeting ID: 816 6289 3439
Passcode: 806157
Post expires at 1:00am on Saturday June 20th, 2026 but will still be available in the archives.
Levi C. Maaia, PhD, scholarship committee chair (left) and Brian Milburn, foundation president and CEO (middle) presented Kenneth Smith (right) with a scholarship award on behalf of the Santa Barbara Wireless Foundation at the Santa Barbara Courthouse.
May 29, 2026 – SANTA BARBARA, Calif.
The Santa Barbara Wireless Foundation is pleased to announce the recipient of its annual $1,000 scholarship, awarded to an outstanding local high school graduate who plans to pursue higher education in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM).
Kenneth Smith, a senior at Valley Christian Academy, was selected as the 2026 recipient. Smith is graduating with a 4.0 GPA and plans to study chemical engineering at Oregon State University in the fall.
Smith holds the Amateur Extra class radio callsign AA7KS. He is an active student on campus and in the community and has been a member of the Satellite Amateur Radio Club W6AB for more than three years. He restarted Northern Santa Barbara County Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) in Santa Maria and acted as the organization’s emergency coordinator. He is involved in the Boy Scouts, Troop 91 of Orcutt, helping with the coordination and execution of the yearly Boy Scout Jamboree-on-the-Air event. He also enjoys playing tenor saxophone in his school band.
“This scholarship will help me attend Oregon State University, which is an extremely highly rated school for chemistry and chemical engineering,” said Smith. “I will have access to high quality education and training as an engineer, while still being close enough to fulfill my responsibilities in taking care of my parents’ farm for them.”
We look for students who have the potential to turn technical skills into service for their community,” said Brian Milburn, the president and CEO of the Santa Barbara Wireless Foundation. “Kenneth doesn’t just show that potential, he’s already acted on it. We’re proud to support his pathway into higher education.”
Smith is the latest recipient of this scholarship, which is awarded annually. Applicants must be graduating high school seniors in Santa Barbara, Ventura or San Luis Obispo counties who plan to study a STEM field in higher education. Applicants should have an excellent academic record. While not requirements, preference is given to applicants who hold an active FCC amateur radio license.
Donations to the scholarship fund and applications by members of the class of 2027 may be submitted at scholarships.sbwireless.org.
The Santa Barbara Wireless Foundation is a nonprofit, public benefit organization that develops and supports wireless telecommunications technologies in support of public safety, emergency communications, community service, and scientific research in the Santa Barbara region. The foundation supports local amateur radio activities and services through the Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club. More information can be found at www.sbwireless.org and www.sbarc.org.
