ARRL East Bay Section

25-25 WIDE Net on 3-24-10: Our Three-Year Anniversary/Extended Coverage?

af6aq — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:53:46 +0000

As you may recall, my name is John Vargas and I am the co-founder of The 25-25 Net…
http://www.25-25.net
…a SF Bay Area 2-meter sideband Net that is held on Wednesday nights at 8:00PM (144.230 MHz USB).

In the past three years ARRL and the SideWinders On Two club has been very supportive of The 25-25 Net. We really appreciate your support by publicizing it on ARRL section Web pages and other news, and by QSTs sent to The SideWinders On Two Club.

Wednesday March 24, 2010 marks our three-year anniversary in the Sideband Net business. To celebrate that, we’re holding a special 25-25 WIDE session of the net.

Our NetControls

Central Valley and Sierras: Chris (N6WM), will kick the Net off, from the K6LRG Contest Station in the Livermore Hills

Bay Area: Sawson (KG6NUB), from the W6YX Contest Station at Stanford University

Central Coast: Rich (KE1B), from his QTH atop the Santa Cruz Mountains

Logging: Joe (WB6TFD), Dan (N6WN), Jerry (N6BY) and I (KI6BEN) will give up our NetControl hats, and we will sit on the sidelines and log contacts.

At the top of the hour at 8:00PM, Chris (N6WM) will kickoff the call for check-ins, and he will pass off to the next NetControl, and they will alternate through the duration of the net.

We hope this will give all a chance to check-in. We’re looking forward to hearing folks from all over Northern California.

Have a wonderful day, God Bless and 73

John Vargas

KI6BEN

The 25-25 Net

http://www.25-25.net

EMCOMM WEST Presentation on “PavePAWS”

af6aq — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:41:15 +0000

PavePAWS

EMCOMMWEST

EMCOMMWEST 2010 Forum, Saturday Morning, 9:00 a.m. - Promenade Room

Lt Col Corey Keppler, USAF

Lieutanant Colonel Corey Keppler is Commander of the 7th Space Warning Squadron at Beale Air Force Base, California. Colonel Keppler will host a two-hour forum and Q&A session on Pave PAWS at 9:00 a.m. Saturday morning. The discussion will center around the Pave PAWS 70cm band restrictions surrounding Beale AFB in Northern California. The presentation will be made by Colonel Keppler and his staff who work directly with the project at Beale. They will present an overview of the unit mission, explain the project, their use of the 420-450 MHz band and why the mitigation of interference is important to their mission. Their presentation will be followed by a full hour of Q&A to answer questions from the amateur radio community.

Pave PAWS for Peace

The heart of the nation’s missile warning capabilities, the Pave Phased Array Warning System, or Pave PAWS, has been monitoring the skies surrounding North America since the early 1980s. The system’s main purpose is to detect and track both intercontinental and sea-launched ballistic missiles. It’s a job it does well.

“If something’s out there, we’ll see it,” said Colonel Keppler in a 2009 interview. “And that’s really what our job is, to detect launches, track them and provide data to the right agencies.”

Beale Air Force Base is one of five Pave PAWS sites that are scattered around the globe. For more information on Pave PAWS, you can view the Pave PAWS Fact Sheet.

General Session Forums and Exhibits require a badge: REGISTRATION tickets@emcommwest.org

Beale Air Force Radar and the Amateur 70 cm Band - MDARC Meeting March 19

af6aq — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:17:24 +0000

To MDARC AND our colleagues in the Amateur Radio Community;

On March 19, 2010 MDARC will be visited by Lt. Coln. Keppler and Captain Leineger from Seventh Space Warning Squadron at BEALE Air Force Base.

These two US Air Force officers will present a program at the MDARC meeting on the upgraded radar system that we share the 440 band with.

You and your ARRL affliated organization are cordially invited to join us.

It is important that we all attend so we may understand the mission of the Beale Air Force Space Warning radar system. We share the 70 cm band with the Beal radar system for which the FCC has assigned the primary use for the band.

Our Amateur radio operations on 440 MHz crucially affect the Air Force radar noise threshold and the ability of the Beale radar to detect and resolve space objects.

We have been asked to lower transmitter power of a number of 440 band repeaters in Northern CA to reduce the noise threshold at the Beal AFB radar.

The missions of the Seventh Space Warning Squadron at BEALE AFB are:

(1.) Detect and track hostile missiles from the moment of launch.
(2.) Guide US defensive interceptor missiles, to destroy these hostile missiles in flight.
(3.) To track thousands of space debris objects.

Even miniscule space debris poses a threat of serious damage to the International Space Station, Space Shuttle, the GPS satilites and communications satellites.

Our meeting will be held at Our Saviors Lutheran Church, 1035 Carol Lane, Lafayette, CA at 7:30PM.

Due to another major event at the church that night we are upstairs in the sanctuary that seats 330 people.

Our normal parking lot will probably be full with the other event so we will use the upper parking lot and street parking. Please do not park directly on the street in front of the church because that is an enforced no parking zone.

We ask that if possible, you car pool to this meeting and monitor 147.06 W6CX repeater for parking instructions. If you should have questions, please contact us at jtronan@aol. com or 510 649 9045.

My most cordial 73,

JohN K3ZJJ

David Warner, K6OLL - SK

af6aq — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 03:01:42 +0000

David Barrow Warner

July 16, 1935 — Feb. 20, 2010
David Barrow Warner, 74, passed away at NorthBay Medical Center on Saturday, February 20, after a series of strokes.
Dave was born on July 16, 1935, to Edwin and Marian Barrow Warner in Meadville, Pennsylvania. He also lived in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Fort Collins and Greeley, Colorado. He later moved to California where he graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, majoring in electronic engineering. After working at Lytton Industries, he received his teaching credentials and taught at Golden West, Armijo High School, and for over 30 years at Fairfield High School in Fairfield, California.
Dave was preceded in death by his parents and his son, Brian.
Survivors include his wife, Jacklyn of Fairfield; daughter, Jennifer (Glen) Martin of Reno, Nevada; brothers, James (Janet) of Squaw Valley, California, and Richard (July) of Placerville, California; and seven grandchildren.
Dave loved the outdoors, especially hiking with the Boy Scouts, and was a docent at Lynch Canyon. He was also an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in various capacities. Recently, he was helping with the 11-year-old scouts and helping at the Oakland Temple. Another interest of his was ham radio.
He will be missed deeply by his family and members of the various activities he was so involved in.
Interment will be private at Rockville Cemetery. A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 27, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 2700 Camrose Ave., Fairfield.
Donations are requested to the Boy Scouts of America, Golden Empire Council, 251 Commerce Circle, P.O. Box 13558, Sacramento, CA, 95815, or www.scouting.org.
Arrangements are entrusted to the care of Nadeau Family Funeral Home, 455-7700.

Get on the Air Class

af6aq — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:38:09 +0000

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MDARC is holding a free two part “Get on the Air Class” March 3rd and March 4th 2010 in Concord. Part I of the class will begin at 7:00 pm on Wedensday 3rd March and will finish around 9:00 pm. Students are encouraged to bring their HT and User Guide to the class. Part II of the class will begin at 7:00 pm on Thursday 4th March. For a class outline see below.

These class sessions will be held at the Concord Salvation Army facility 3950 Clayton Road, Concord CA 94521. Instructors will be David Haycock, KI6AWR and Paul Bailey-Gates, KA6GEM. Advanced registration is not required.

For more information contact David Haycock, KI6AWR (ki6awr@arrl.net) or Paul Bailey Gates (paulcbg@comcast.net)

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PART I – Understanding the 2 Meter Band and how to use your HT

Tech Class Operating Privileges

Getting your bearings

o Band Plans: How the 2 Meter Band is Organized

Handi-Talkies – Anatomy of a hand-held transceiver (HT)

o Quick overview of some common makes and models

o Familiarity with basic controls on your HT

Get On the Air

o Etiquette, Protocol and Voice Projection

§ What to say and how and when to say it

o A Simplex QSO

Important HT Accessories

o External antennas to increase range

o Spare Battery and/or Power Supply

§ Battery care

§ External power supplies

More radio features

o Scanning

o Dual Watch

PART II – Understanding Repeaters, Programming your HT and Nets

Brief overview of the 70 cm band plan

Repeater Review (Simplex vs. Duplex)

o Fixed frequency for Tx / Rx

o Offsets and Reverse

o CTCSS “PL” Tones

Programming your HT for Repeater Use (V O T E)

Using your HT memories

o Organizing your radio memory usage

o Using a PC to store settings

A QSO on a Repeater

o Repeater etiquette and protocol

What a net is and how it works

o Participation in our own special net

Advanced Applications

o IRLP / Echolink, APRS, SSTV, PSK31

LARK Announces Free Training Class

af6aq — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:05:12 +0000

The Livermore Amateur Radio “Klub” (LARK) is providing a free class for those interested in obtaining an amateur radio Technician Class license. Immediately following the class, an examination will be available. There is no cost for the class and classroom materials, but the ARRL VEC test fee is $15.

The class will be held on Saturday, March 27, 2010, from 8 AM to approximately 4 PM. The testing will follow immediately afterward. The instructor will be Rich Harrington, KN6FW. It will be held at the Livermore City Council Chambers, 3575 Pacific Ave, Livermore, California. (GPS Location: N37° 40.565′ W121° 45.254′)

Rich teaches a fast paced, informative class and averages about a 90% success rate. Rich has taught students from all walks of life. He starts with the basics, and quickly expands into the complexities of ham radio knowledge students need. While the information is fresh, the LARK Volunteer Examiners show up to administer the Technician class 35-question multiple choice exam. No Morse code test is required. The exam covers basic regulations, operating practices, and electronics theory, with a focus on VHF and UHF applications.

If you would like to register for the class, or have questions, please send an email to Mike Haas at AD6TA@ARRL.net. Or call the instructor, Rich, at 925.462.1467.

What do you need to bring to the exam session? You should bring a picture ID (drivers license, passport) OR, when no photo ID is available, two forms of identification must be presented (birth certificate, report card, library card, Social Security card, utility bill, bank statement, etc.). Students may bring a school ID, and/or a written note from a legal guardian. To be prepared you should also bring two number two pencils with erasers and a pen. A calculator with the memory erased is allowed. You may not bring any written notes or calculations into the exam session.

Psst! Do you want a head start in the class?
Be able to answer these questions:
What is Ohm’s Law?
What is a picoFarad?
What is a microAmp?
What is a milliHenry?
What is a kiloWatt?
What is a megaOhm?
What is gigaHertz?

Announcing a new ARRL exam testing location – the Tri-City VE Group

af6aq — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:16:07 +0000

Please let your members know that we welcome candidates to our location near highways 680 and 880 at Hurricane Electric, 48233 Warm Springs Boulevard, Fremont.

Here are the scheduled 2010 test dates:

March 13 Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

April 15 Thursday 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.

May 8 Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

July 10 Saturday 9:00 a.m.– 11:30 a.m.

August 19 Thursday 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

September 9 Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

November 13 Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

December 16 Thursday 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

We’re excited to provide more options for new hams and upgrades. For further information, contact Bernhard AE6YN@arrl.net (510) 364-0611 or myself, Rita, KI6SSQ@arrl.net (510) 703-7090, or check the ARRL website.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

73,

Rita Derbas

ARRL Award Nominations are Open

af6aq — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:09:47 +0000

Each year the ARRL Board of Directors has the opportunity to select recipients for a number of awards in various categories that honor Amateur Radio operators.

The nomination period is now open for the ARRL awards that are designed to recognize educational and technological pursuits in Amateur Radio. There is also an award to honor a young Amateur Radio operator. Please log onto www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/edunom.html for specific award details and information on how to nominate or submit supporting endorsements.

The ARRL Herb S. Brier Instructor of the Year Award will be awarded to an ARRL volunteer Amateur Radio instructor or to an ARRL professional classroom teacher who uses creative institutional approaches and models the highest values of the Amateur Radio community. Please note that this award’s criteria and nomination submission requirements have undergone some changes from previous years. The award has been focused to reflect quality of instruction and commitment to licensing instruction. Nominations must be received by March 15, 2010, to be considered this year.

The Hiram Percy Maxim Award is for a licensed radio amateur under age 21 (and an ARRL member) whose accomplishments and contributions are of the most exemplary nature within the framework of Amateur Radio activities. Nominations for this particular award need to be made through your Section Manager (see page 16) who will then forward the nomination to ARRL Headquarters by March 31, 2010.

The ARRL Microwave Development Award is presented to a licensed radio amateur or to individuals who are licensed radio amateurs contribute to the development of the Amateur Radio microwave bands. The nomination deadline is March 31, 2010.

The ARRL Technical Service Award recognizes a licensed radio amateur or to individuals who are licensed radio amateurs that provide Amateur Radio technical assistance or training to others. The nomination deadline is March 31, 2010.

The ARRL Technical Innovation Award is granted to the licensed radio amateur or to individuals who are licensed radio amateurs that develop and apply new technical ideas or techniques in Amateur Radio. The nomination deadline is March 31, 2010.

For some more information about these awards, visit www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/award and www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/instructor/instructor/awards.html. You may also contact Steve Ewald, WV1X, at wv1x@arrl.org or 860-594-0265 at ARRL Headquarters.

New ARRL Web Site Coming Soon

af6aq — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:06:18 +0000

After more than two years of planning, designing and writing, we here at the ARRL are eagerly anticipating the launch of the new ARRL Web site. We’ve been able to make the online experience easier for our members — from the online store, to registering for a class, to finding a club — plus we’ve created a new, enhanced member profile with many more options available. We’ve made improvements with you in mind, making sure that we’ve created the easiest, most enjoyable online experience possible. The new Web site will be available at the end of February.
Link to this item

Alameda ARCA/ARES EmComm Class

af6aq — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:23:45 +0000

In preparation for two Alameda Emergency Preparedness Exercises (April 24, 2010, Fall 2010), I’d like to announce an upcoming ARES Emergency Communications class.

This class will be a review of lessons learned from our January exercise and a discussion of operations and procedures to be used by Alameda
ARES.

While it is not a beginners EmComm class, all interested radio operators are welcome to attend. You don’t have to be an ARES or ARCA member.

The date for the first ARES EmComm class is Saturday February 27th at 8:00 AM. While I have reserved the classroom for three hours, the class itself will last two hours including Q&A.

Attendees should have basic emergency communications knowledge; I plan to conduct the class in a review/Q&A/Discussion format.

The basis of the review portion is to cover lessons learned from the January drill followed by proposals for correcting problems encountered.

During the review session I will specifically review the following:

1. Initial Resource net procedures

2. Procedures upon arriving at the assigned site (EOC, OPS center, Shelter, etc.) and ICS structure (light review)

3. Conducting and participating in Tactical Nets

4. Message handling and tracking

The Q/A portion will be specific to the review, but also an opportunity for attendees to ask questions about other EmComm topics.

The discussion portion would be specific to the April 24th exercise and to discuss ideas on other types of exercises.

For those who cannot attend the Saturday morning class, I plan to conduct an identical session on the evening of Monday, March 15th at
7:30 PM.

If necessary; we may have planning session for the April 24th exercise on Saturday April 10th.

Please let me know if you are planning to attend, and if you prefer a Monday evening class or a Saturday morning class

73,

Sandy Lavine, KO6JF
ARES Emergency Coordinator, City of Alameda