SBARC and SB Library contact the International Space Station

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On July 3, 2019, with the help of the Santa Barbara Amatuer Radio Club volunteers including satellite station operators Ken N6KTH and Calli KD6OVS, children at the Santa Barbara Public Library talked to Astronaut Nick Hague on the International Space Station as part of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program.

SBARC is supporting the Santa Barbara Public Library’s participation in the ARISS program as part of the library’s comprehensive STEAM programming for upper elementary and junior high students. The ARISS event ties into the Summer Reading Program theme: Choose Adventure in Outer Space. The Santa Barbara Public Library endeavors to provide equal opportunities to all community members to learn about science, space travel, and careers in many fields that utilize these technologies, particularly in light of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing this summer.

As part of the space-themed program, SBARC will host a special licensing event on Saturday, July 20, 2019:

Amateur Radio Technician Class License “Cram ‘n’ Exam”
Saturday, July 20, 2019 – 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM @ Santa Barbara Public Library
Join us to prepare for the amateur radio Technician Class license exam and then stick around after lunch for a specially scheduled test session. Cram is free and open to all ages. There is a $15 fee (check or cash) to sit for the exam.

IMPORTANT: The “Cram ‘n’ Exam” session is not intended to replace advance preparation for the Technician Class amateur radio license exam. During the cram portion, we will spend a couple hours in the morning (10:30am – 12:30pm) answering questions about the material and helping folks with trouble areas in the material before the test begins at 1:30pm. However, one morning of cramming can’t replace studying the test material in depth. We can assist you with strategies for passing the exam but you’ll need to prepare and study for the exam in advance.

Please consider reviewing the exam preparation resources and information and taking a few practice tests online before we meet on Saturday.

Also, be sure you come with everything you need to sit for the exam.
Here are the items that you are required to have with you in order to take the exam.
If you are missing any of these items you may not be able to sit for the test.

Technical Mentoring and Mentoring Net – 7/11/2019

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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 interesting net tonight with 7 check-ins plus net control Frank, K6FLD. Tonight’s topics included:

  • 3D Printing.
  • Recent and past Earthquake discussions (very interesting).
  • Recent HF activity report and experiences.

Tune in to the SBARC TM&E Net every Thursday at 8:00 PM local (2000 Hrs) and see what interesting questions might 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 and contribute the knowledge of new and seasoned amateur radio operators alike.

Technical Mentoring and Elmering Net – 6/27/2019

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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 interesting net tonight with 11 check-ins, plus net control Ken, KA6KEN. Tonight’s topics included:

  • Does modifying a 2M/70CM radio for MARS frequencies affect the power output of the radio?
  • How to contact in reverse the Japan station that calls on our repeater every now and then.
  • EchoLink.
  • FT8 digital mode.
  • Gas Inverter/Generators and RF noise on radios.

Tune in to the SBARC TM&E Net every Thursday at 8:00 PM local (2000 Hrs) and see what interesting questions might 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 and contribute the knowledge of new and seasoned amateur radio operators alike.

July 3: ARISS radio contact with an astronaut aboard ISS

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Join us on July 3 for a live contact with
Astronaut Nick Hague, KG5TMV
aboard the International Space Station

Live Streams (try both): SB City TV Live Stream | SB Library Facebook Live

When: Wednesday, July 3rd. Doors open at 10:00 AM
10-minute contact will begin promptly at 10:54 AM

Where: Santa Barbara Public Library Faulkner Gallery
40 E Anapamu St, Santa Barbara

Children and families will be given priority access to the event, and attendees are encouraged to arrive early. Capacity for the Faulkner Gallery is 175 people, but overflow viewing and listening will be available. 

NASA Astronaut Nick Hague will answer questions from 12 local children as they make a live 2-meter amateur radio contact from the Santa Barbara Public Library to ask him about life on the space station, careers in STEM, experiments in space, and more.

Children and families will have the opportunity to explore space through virtual reality, create rocket ships, and more before and after the contact.

This experience is made possible by Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) in cooperation with NASA. The contact will be coordinated by SBPL youth services staff, Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club volunteers, and ARISS mentors.

All ages have enjoyed space-themed programs and events at the Library over the last few months, including learning about astronomy, an introduction to amateur radio, hands on engineering and technology projects, and more. Related programming will continue through the month of July. A full calendar, including two additional amateur radio-related events, is available at SBPLibrary.org/summer.

Levi C. Maaia, K6LCM
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
ARISS-US Education Committee

About ARISS

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS).  In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the ISS National Lab and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or public forms. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org.

Post expires at 3:00pm on Wednesday July 3rd, 2019 but will still be available in the archives.

Field Day 2019 – Saturday June 22 thru Sunday June 23

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Directions to the SBARC Elings Park Field Day site: If you are coming from the south (see map above), take 101 to Carrillo and head southwest toward the Mesa. Turn west on Cliff Drive and follow 3/4; mile (past Monrow Elementary) to the Elings Park South entrance (not well marked). If you are coming from the north, take 101 to Las Positas and head south. Turn east on Cliff Drive and continue about 1/4 mile to the Elings Park South entrance (not well marked). In either case, turn north into the park passing through a gate and then turn left at the fork, passing through another gate, and continue on the dirt road. Stay LEFT at the next fork (the dirt road becomes one way at this point) and park in the dirt parking lot (we will be sharing with the hang glider folks). Continue on foot until you see the SBARC Rover at the top of the hill. ADVISORY: There is no driving access to the site from the Elings Park main gate off Las Positas.

Directions to the SBARC Elings Park Field Day site: If you are coming from the south (see map above), take 101 to Carrillo and head southwest toward the Mesa. Turn west on Cliff Drive and follow ¾ mile (past Monrow Elementary) to the Elings Park South entrance (not well marked). If you are coming from the north, take 101 to Las Positas and head south. Turn east on Cliff Drive and continue about $frac14; mile to the Elings Park South entrance (not well marked). In either case, turn north into the park passing through a gate and then turn left at the fork, passing through another gate, and continue on the dirt road. Stay LEFT at the next fork (the dirt road becomes one way at this point) and park in the dirt parking lot (we will be sharing with the hang glider folks). Continue on foot until you see the SBARC Rover at the top of the hill.  (Lat/Long 34.410028, -119.735822) ADVISORY: There is no driving access to the site from the Elings Park main gate off Las Positas.

This year we’re putting the “Field” back in Field Day!  We will be operating from Elings Park up on the hill where the hang gliders take off. We will be operating from 11:00am Saturday until 2:00pm Sunday, and we still have several time slots to fill, so we would really appreciate your help. We need three volunteers per time slot, two to operate the two stations (morse code [CW] and voice [SSB] this year), and one to help with outreach to the public (answering questions, etc).  We also need people to help set up before-hand, and help break-down at the end. Operating/outreach time-slots are four hours long (but if you can only do something less, we’ll still fit you in).  We are considering visiting a restaurant for an early dinner after the event Sunday – stay tuned!  Your club needs you! Let’s make this a fun field day for everyone.

We will bring the Rover to just above the hang gliding area at about 10:00am on Saturday, June 22.  We will need a small crew to help assemble di-poles and erect antenna masts and pop-ups.

Check out the ARRL Field Day intro and the ARRL Field Day Rules for more information.  If you want to follow along closely with field day activities, please subscribe to the field day mailing list.

You are more than welcome to work a 4-hour operator shift and a 4-hour outreach shift, if you so desire, or even take two operator shifts at different stations and/or times (lowering the need for as many total volunteers). Feel free to mix it up and hang out.

If you can help out in any way, please contact us immediately, and let us know what hours you are available. Ideally, we’ll be filling shifts for these seven time slots: 11am-3pm, 3pm-7pm, 7pm-11pm, 11pm-3am, 3am-7am, 7am-11am, and 11am-2pm, but again, let us know when you can help, and we’ll fit you in!

Post expires at 8:00pm on Sunday June 23rd, 2019 but will still be available in the archives.

Technical Mentoring and Elmering Net – 6/13/2019

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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 interesting net tonight with 10 check-ins, plus net control Frank, K6FLD. Tonight’s topics included:

  • Local DMR repeater frequencies.
  • FT-8 operations.
  • Field Day 2019.
  • Local Earthquake and K6BPM’s seismograph built on a Raspberry PI (Raspberry Shake).

Tune in to the SBARC TM&E Net every Thursday at 8:00 PM local (2000 Hrs) and see what interesting questions might 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 and contribute the knowledge of new and seasoned amateur radio operators alike.

Amateur Radio in Space: Special Summer Events in Santa Barbara

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Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club members are preparing for a rare event this July that will allow local youngsters to make a live amateur radio contact with a NASA astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS)! The 10-minute live forum will bounce between a radio station at the Santa Barbara Public Library and the ham radio aboard the ISS (NA1SS) as the space station’s orbit passes over Southern California. The event is expected to take place sometime between July 1-3. Details will be forthcoming.

SBARC is supporting the Santa Barbara Public Library’s participation in the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program as part of the library’s comprehensive STEAM programming for upper elementary and junior high students. The ARISS event ties into the Summer Reading Program theme: Choose Adventure in Outer Space. The Santa Barbara Public Library endeavors to provide equal opportunities to all community members to learn about science, space travel, and careers in many fields that utilize these technologies, particularly in light of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing this summer.

As part of the space-themed program, SBARC will host three special events at the main branch library:

What is Amateur Radio? – A Community Conversation
Monday, June 10, 2019 – 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM @ Santa Barbara Public Library
A talk with members of the Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club about modern amateur radio, common misconceptions, digital projects and how to get involved. Everyone is welcome, especially new hams and those who are not yet licensed! Free and open to all ages.

What is Amateur Radio? – Open House
Monday, July 8, 2019 – 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM @ Santa Barbara Public Library
An open house showcasing software defined radio technologies, amateur radio in orbit and other exciting digital equipment and projects. Come join us for hands-on learning and live demonstrations. Free and open to all ages.

Amateur Radio Technician Class License “Cram ‘n’ Exam”
Saturday, July 20, 2019 – 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM @ Santa Barbara Public Library
Join us to prepare for the amateur radio Technician Class license exam and then stick around after lunch for a specially scheduled test session. Cram is free and open to all ages. There is a $15 fee (check or cash) to sit for the exam. IMPORTANT: The “Cram ‘n’ Exam” session is not intended to replace advance preparation for the Technician Class amateur radio license exam. Candidates should expect to review material in advance.  Click here for exam preparation resources and information about exam registration requirements.

About ARISS
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station is a cooperative venture of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the United States, and other international space agencies and international amateur radio organizations around the world. The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or informal education venues. With the help of experienced amateur radio volunteers from radio clubs and coordination from the ARISS team, the ISS crew members speak directly with large group audiences in a variety of public forums such as school assemblies, science centers and museums, scout camporees, jamborees and space camps, where students, teachers, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies and amateur radio. Find more information at www.ariss.org.