Technical Mentoring and Elmering Net – 6/27/2024

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The audio archive of this and other SBARC nets have been indefinitely discontinued. Hopefully the audio recordings will be resumed before too long by another local ham enthusiast with the technical ability and resources necessary to do so.

We had another interesting net tonight with 7 check-ins plus net control Ken, KA6KEN. Tonight’s topics included:

  • Radio w/battery pack on water meter, has clipped wires. Anyone know why?
  • Barrel Connectors, how to identify size, etc. for replacement and/or if you need a new power supply and need to know the size of the barrel.
  • APRS.

Tune in to the SBARC TM&E Net every Thursday at 8:00 PM local (2000 Hrs) and see what interesting ham radio questions might arise or ask some of your own! All club members and visitors are encouraged to check in to the net each week.

Technical Mentoring and Elmering Net – 6/20/2024

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The audio archive of this and other SBARC nets have been indefinitely discontinued. Hopefully the audio recordings will be resumed before too long by another local ham enthusiast with the technical ability and resources necessary to do so.

We had another interesting net tonight with 9 check-ins plus net control Warren, KN6ZZI. Tonight’s topics included:

  • Meshtastic discussion.
  • Field Day logging software.
  • HF Band propagation report.

Tune in to the SBARC TM&E Net every Thursday at 8:00 PM local (2000 Hrs) and see what interesting ham radio questions might arise or ask some of your own! All club members and visitors are encouraged to check in to the net each week.

Quick Tip: Yaesu FTM-400 / FTM-500 10-Pin Data Connector

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The newer line of Yaesu System Fusion-capable mobile radios come with APRS, serial and data connections combined into a single 10-pin data connector on the back of the unit. This allows you to have some basic access to the internal TNC, connect an external TNC for additional features and access discriminator audio for “high-speed” data.

In the past, radios used fairly standard DIN connectors that could be sourced from Digikey or Amazon for $5-10 as a low-cost alternative to the OEM one specifically for radios. In the case of the newer line of Yaesu System Fusion mobile radios, Yaesu has switched to a non-standard 10-pin data connector. The cheapest I can find these new connector assemblies, even just with bare wires, is $30 (part CT-167)!

At first I thought there was  nothing similar in size or shape (note the notch) from non-ham sources until I found this Amazon Mini-DIN 10-Pin Male plug designed for analog A/V applications.

However, this is not an exact fit. Notice the protruding notch. This will not allow this plug to fit into the port on the Yaesu. Using a needle nose pliers I flattened out the triangular notch to match the proprietary connection and it works!

Field Day Information Bulletin

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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.

News Release: Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Operators Demo Emergency Communications

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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.

map of Field Day Site



Post expires at 11:01am on Sunday June 23rd, 2024 but will still be available in the archives.

Technical Mentoring and Elmering Net – 6/13/2024

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The audio archive of this and other SBARC nets have been indefinitely discontinued. Hopefully the audio recordings will be resumed before too long by another local ham enthusiast with the technical ability and resources necessary to do so.

We had another interesting net tonight with 6 check-ins plus net control Dave, AI6VX. Tonight’s topics included:

  • Meshtastic discussion.
  • Field Day ’24.
  • Satellite Amateur Radio Club Ham Fest this weekend.
  • How to tune a Kenwood TS-530S for radio rather than amplifier.

Tune in to the SBARC TM&E Net every Thursday at 8:00 PM local (2000 Hrs) and see what interesting ham radio questions might arise or ask some of your own! All club members and visitors are encouraged to check in to the net each week.