Category: Meetings

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October 2024 Meeting: AREDN and Meshtastic

Slide explaining the components of an AREDN mesh node

At our October 2 member meeting, we discussed two popular forms of mesh networking. For those unfamiliar with it, mesh networking is essentially Wi-Fi over amateur radio or unlicensed frequencies.

First, Orv Beach, W6BI discussed the current state of AREDN, the Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network. Orv lives in Simi Valley and volunteers as an AREDN Ambassador. He helps coordinate the deployment and maintenance of AREDN in Southern California, from Paso Robles to the Mexican border and east to Las Vegas. He explained the basic requirements of setting up an AREDN node and provided examples of the many services one can run on the network. For example, live video feeds on AREDN have helped state officials track wildfire activity. The AREDN software was just updated, and Orv detailed some of its improvements.

Example of an outdoor Meshtastic node

Next, SPARC member Adrian Pinedo, KN6MHG discussed his experiments with Meshtastic, a low-power form of mesh networking that doesn’t require a ham license to use. Meshtastic runs on relatively inexpensive nodes — often sold as kits — and is accessed with a phone app. During an emergency, Meshtastic can allow a neighborhood, or even a whole city, to maintain simple text communications.

Map of Meshtastic nodes near South Pasadena

In addition to the main Meshtastic website, Adrian recommended other resources including SoCalMesh.org, Liam Cottle’s mesh map, and the Rokland store.

Based on member interest, SPARC may have a Meshtastic group build and hopefully deploy a local network. If you’re interested in participating, join our mailing list for updates.

Below is a copy of Adrian’s presentation.

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September 2024 Meeting: FEMA Community Preparedness Officer Christian Erickson

At our September meeting, SPARC welcomed Christian Erickson, Community Preparedness Officer for FEMA Region IX. Christian explained that his territory covers California, Arizona, Nevada, and Hawaii, as well as the U.S. territories of the Pacific, including Samoa and Guam. In conjunction with National Preparedness Month, Christian spoke about the state of readiness in Southern California. He said that, thankfully, people in the Los Angeles area are highly motivated to anticipate and train for emergencies. Southern California was “the birthplace of CERT.” He also explained how FEMA thinks about the three stages of emergency preparedness: mitigation, near-term recovery, and long-term support.

FEMA Community Preparedness Officer Christian Erickson speaking to SPARC on September 4, 2024

When asked how to encourage a community to engage in preparedness, Christian replied that one effective method is to inspire youth to participate. When young people are motivated to address preparedness, they frequently convince their parents to take the issue more seriously. Finding methods that are fun and welcoming are also key — fear mongering leads to worry but not action. One tool he is excited about is a tabletop game called Disasterville. Christian also recommended Quake Heroes, a documentary released to coincide with the thirtieth anniversary of the Northridge Earthquake.

After Christian’s remarks, John, KK6ZVQ shared “How to Build an Emergency Plan,” a step-by-step guide to personal preparedness. The presentation is embedded below. Most of the resources mentioned in the slides are available at SPARC’s dedicated preparedness page.

SPARC thanks Christian Erickson for his time and insight. And we’d like to thank all of the community members who joined us to discuss this vital topic.

SPARC How to Build an Emergency PlanDownload
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August 2024 Meeting: SOTA and POTA


At our August 2024 meeting, SPARC members enjoyed presentations on SOTA (Summits on the Air) and POTA (Parks on the Air). Walter “Savi” Savinovich, W1SAV led with his talk on the joys and challenges of operating from parks. A video of Savi’s presentation is embedded below and is available on his YouTube Channel. Next, David Hodge, N6AN explained how he tackles SOTA activations and showed off photos from local peaks. David is a past president of the Pasadena Radio Club and a well-known competitive DXer. 

Walter Savinovich, W1SAV
David Hodge, N6AN

We concluded the evening with a door prize drawing. Two attendees went home with multi-purpose Teraoka tape donated by Carol KE6SRN. And in honor of David N6AN, our third prize was  Contact Sport, a book about the 2014 World Radiosport Team Championship, in which David participated. (There’s a picture of him on page 45.)    

On August 17, SPARC will hold its very own SOTA POTA Fest. We’ll be activating Flint Peak for SOTA and Rio de Los Angeles Park for POTA. If you’d like to participate, join our Groups.io mailing list.  

Click here to download Savi’s slides.

Links from Savi’s presentation:

Mapping Contacts | Global DX Map w/ Propagation

POTA main page | POTA spotting page | POTA scheduling page

Field equipment: Chameleon Antennas | Yaesu Radios | Elecraft Radios

Savi’s home logging program: Amateur Contact Log | Mobile logging software: HAMRS

Savi’s dashboard of Log Analytics (built with Tableau Public)

Savi’s Blog | Savi’s YouTube Channel | Email: w1sav [at] arrl [dot] net

More SOTA/POTA inspiration:

“Radio and Rides” blog by SPARC member Carol K6SRN

Article on POTA by Jenna Canillas, WW0MAN for the Rio Hondo ARC June 2022 newsletter

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June 2024 Meeting: Preparing for Field Day

At our June monthly meeting, we discussed SPARC’s upcoming joint deployment with the Pasadena Radio Club for Field Day. This will be our clubs’ first in-person Field Day since 2019. SPARC has volunteered to set up a VHF/UHF station and organize its operators. The details are:

Start: Saturday, June 22 at 11:00 a.m.
End: Sunday, June 23 at 10:59 a.m.
Location: Art Center College of Design parking lot
Enter at 1700 Lida St., Pasadena, CA 91103
What3Words location: help.rock.vouch

If you were unable to attend the meeting and would like to operate with us, please reach out to us through our contact form.

Click this link or the image below to download a copy ( 1.9 MB PDF) of this year’s Field Day presentation.

If you can’t be with us in person for Field Day, we hope to hear you on the air!

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May 2024 Meeting: Learning CW with Carol, KE6SRN

At our May 2024 meeting, SPARC member Carol Bruegge, KE6SRN gave an overview of proper Morse code usage and shared tips for how to become proficient. (Apologies for the blurry photo above.) Fun fact: What we refer to as “Morse code” is more accurately called “Gerke code” because it was standardized by a German telegraph pioneer named Fredriche Gerke. Carol covered several topics including efficient communication and free learning tools. Below are links to the tools that Carol recommended.

Click here to download all of Carol’s slides (1.7 MB PDF).

After Carol’s presentation, we had a show and tell session with paddles, straight keys, and “bugs” from SPARC members’ collections.

To the left of the paddles were laptops loaded with RufzXP, Morse Runner, and Iambic Master. Attendees could compare the programs and see which ones might be worth trying at home.

At 9:13 p.m. the ham radio satellite SO-50 passed overhead, and Rick Besocke, KI6ZKM led the group in a contact demonstration. This was an opportunity to see a satellite contact in action, inspired by our February meeting on the topic.

Rick, KI6ZKM contacts SO-50

Next month, it’s time to talk Field Day! Join us on June 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Eddie Park House.

73,
John Aboud, KK6ZVQ

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April 2024 Meeting: State of the Hobby with Diana Feinberg, AI6DF

At our April member meeting, SPARC welcomed ARRL LAX Section Manager Diana Feinberg, AI6DF. Diana has served the local ham community as section manager since 2016 and in numerous other capacities before that.  She is currently president of the Palos Verdes Amateur Radio Club, and she was formerly president of the 220 Spectrum Management Association of Southern California. She has chaired the Los Angeles Area Council of Amateur Radio Clubs, served as the chair of the HAMCON hamfest, and has been active in the Los Angeles County Disaster Communication Service.

Diana opened by discussing what is new with the ARRL both nationally and locally. Topics included:

  • How to know when the digital editions of ARRL magazines are available.
  • The fight to protect radio spectrum from high-speed trading systems.
  • ARRL membership numbers in LA County. 
  • A program that helps members locate sources of RFI (hint: check your dimmer switches first). 
  • Patterns of volunteering.

The second part of her presentation was titled “Surprises in Amateur Radio.”  It covered the aspects that make our hobby unique, including the constant improvement of its equipment and development of new modes such as the M17 standard.

As a gesture of our thanks, we presented Diana with a bag of Li’l Sparky’s Blend whole beans (actually the Lost Parrot Blend from Jones Coffee Roasters).

UPCOMING EVENTS

ARRL SSB Rookie Roundup, 4/21

For the purposes of the event, a Rookie is defined has having been first licensed in the current calendar year or the previous three calendar years, regardless of license class. You can also be a Rookie if you haven’t made any contest contacts on the contest mode (in this case, SSB).

May Meeting, 5/1

We’ll be discussing CW and Morse code. Do you have an interesting Morse key, bug, or paddle? Bring it in for a show and tell.

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March 2024 Meeting: Restoring Vintage Radios

At our March 2024 meeting, SPARC welcomed Joe and Sandra Fekete to discuss vintage and antique radio restoration. Joe Fekete is an active member of SCARS, the Southern California Antique Radio Society. He was a ham in 1970s and has served as an FCC liaison. He currently lives in Monrovia with his wife Sandra who is a self-described “conehead,” which in the restoration hobby means someone who specializes in repairing speakers.

Sandra and Joe Fekete

Joe and Sandra demonstrated their techniques for restoring old radios to appear “right off the assembly line.” For example, when stuffing capacitors they recreate vintage labels to preserve technical information and capture the look of the original components.

Vintage capacitor labels ready to be scanned and reprinted

The meticulous couple spent three years restoring the radio of a 1957 Corvette on behalf of Cerritos collector Kent Browning.

Sandra holds the metal frame of a classic Corvette speaker.

Here are a few resources the Feketes mentioned for anyone interested in attempting a restoration:

If you’re interested in acquiring a vintage radio, SCARS will hold a swap meet in Burbank on June 15.

Several SPARC members have extensive experience with vintage ham equipment. Bob WB6YJJ brought in two beautiful vintage radios and an oscilloscope, seen below.

A nonworking 1930s commercial radio from the Feketes (top left) and three working pieces of equipment from Bob WB6YJJ

The gleaming transmitter on the right is a working Johnson “Viking Valiant” from the late 1950s. Rick KI6ZKM brought a Hallicrafters rig that he plans to repair.

Interior view of a Hallicrafters rig owned by Rick KI6ZKM

Tony K6TTP shared several tips for anyone embarking on a restoration:

  • Document everything with photos.
  • Locate a trustworthy schematic for your rig and compare it to the physical equipment.
  • Replace all the capacitors. If a vintage capacitor hasn’t failed, it will. 

Tony recommends Old Radio Parts for obtaining replacement components and the website HiFiAudio.com for its many kits and guides. Tony is restoring a Hallicrafters SX-140 with help from HiFiAudio’s guide.

Mark WB6CIA suggested building a collection of vintage tube substitution books. He also consults SAMS Photofact manuals which can be ordered online or found in vintage bookstores.

SPARC thanks the Feketes for a fascinating presentation, and thanks all the members who shared their equipment and wisdom.

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February 2024 Meeting: Working Satellites with Clint Bradford, K6LCS

Our February 2024 meeting was held via Zoom and featured Clint Bradford, K6LCS presenting “How to Work Amateur Satellites with Your HT.” Clint has been a ham since 1994. His niche in the hobby is working amateur satellites with minimal equipment and spreading the word on how to do it. He has served as a liaison between NASA, the ARISS team, and schools coordinating amateur radio contacts between the International Space Station and students. Clint has created a support Web site at work-sat.com that’s a one-stop source for all the citations, equipment recommendations, and software suggestions made in his presentation. He also maintains a Groups.io list at work-sat.groups.io. He resides in Jurupa Valley, California, with his wife Karen, who expertly handled Zoom duties during the meeting.

Some notable Clint quotes:

  • Why work satellites? It’s just another cool thing we can do in this wonderful hobby of amateur radio. 
  • Tips to improve your HT’s battery life: Cut your output power in half, improve your antenna, use an earpiece. 
  • It’s rocket science… but it ain’t rocket science.
Photo from Clint’s QSL card. He’s seen here at the LA County Fair, where he worked three countries using only 2W of power.

Some slides from the presentation:

There have been over 125 OSCARs (orbital satellites carrying amateur radio)
Cliff’s portable station in an Igloo cooler.
At a Santa Barbara hamfest.
Clint’s HT of choice for working the birds
Facilitating an ISS contact for high school students in Rancho Cucamonga

Other useful links besides work-sat.com:

Software recommendations:

SPARC thanks Cliff and Karen for an informative (and funny!) evening.

OTHER CLUB BUSINESS

  • Join our Groups.io list and become a member! 
  • Our simplex net returns next week on 2/14. Chris KM6OUK is compiling signal reports from the simplex nets so we can map propagation behavior in our area.
  • The Battleship Iowa Amateur Radio Association (BIARA) will hold a special event station on February 22 from 1600 to 2400 UTC. Try contacting this unique radio station to our south in San Pedro.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

  • March 6 at 7:30 p.m. — We’re back at the Eddie Park House where we will be joined by Joe Fakete, an active member of the Southern California Antique Radio Society. Joe will speak on vintage and antique radio restoration. Bring an old ham rig or vintage consumer radio, and Joe will walk you through the steps to put it back in working order. Email us if you would like to bring some equipment but need help transporting it. Related: Jim Fisher, the president of SCARS, invites everyone to learn more about the group, become a member, and participate in SCARS’s annual auction. It takes place on 2/17 in Tustin. 

  • April 3 at 7:30 p.m. — Also back at Eddie Park House, our guest will be Diana Feinberg, AI6DF. Diana is section manager for the ARRL LAX section. Her visits to SPARC to update us on League business and the state of amateur radio are an annual tradition.

73!

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January 2024 Meeting: Simplex Operations

Radio Mobile Online propagation prediction

At our January member meeting we introduced the new club officers for 2024 and thanked outgoing president Stan Tahara KR6CV and outgoing treasurer Bob Vanderwall WB6YJJ for all their hard work.

Our featured topic was simplex operation and tips for participating in a simplex net. Jeff Liter, W2JCL gave a presentation which you can view embedded below. Download a PDF copy (1.1 MB) of it by clicking here.

Links from the presentation:
Radio Mobile Online propagation prediction tool
“Having Fun with VHF” presentation by Bob Witte K0NR
Ed’s Radio, site listing Southern California nets

In conjunction with the discussion of simplex, we announced the addition of a new simplex net to our monthly schedule (click here for full details).

SAVE THE DATES
January 20: ARRL January VHF Contest. A good opportunity to get on the air and test your equipment. We encourage you to participate from home or the field.

January 27: Winter Field Day. Join SPARC in Eddie Park for this annual emcomm practice event.

JOIN OUR GROUPS.IO
SPARC is migrating its mailing list to groups.io so members and friends can have more control over how they receive news and updates from the club. Whether you are a long-time member or simply interested in hearing about our activities, we hope you will subscribe and stay in touch.

IT’S DUES TIME
And speaking of membership, now is the time to join or renew. Dues are only $20 per year, per household. Cover all hams at the same address with one payment!

📻 Returning members renew by clicking here.

🙌 New members join by clicking here.

If you have more than one ham in your household, please submit a membership form for each person so we can add everyone to our member database.

73!

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Wrapping Up 2023 and Looking Ahead to 2024

The Canoe House

Our November 2023 membership meeting was cancelled due to a guest speaker falling through, but spirits were high at our annual December social at the Canoe House restaurant. Over a dozen members gathered to catch up and discuss their various radio-related projects.

A week later, during our December 13 on-air net, participants described their favorite ham radio gifts, either received or purchased for themselves. The fond memories included:

To inspire future hams, Mark WB6CIA suggested donating a pair of walkie-talkies to a Toys For Tots drive.

On behalf of everyone at SPARC, we hope you have a happy, healthy, and radio-active 2024!