It’s May already! That means Hot RF Nights is happening! This time we’re doing it earlier than we’ve ever done so we can enjoy some nicer weather and a new larger venue. On the 17th, amateur radio operators and emergency communications personnel from all over the area will spend an afternoon checking out each others’ setups, exchanging ideas, learning a thing or two, all while enjoying great food and social time. Whether it’s you car, truck, van, or RV, bring it by so we can all admire your work and get inspired to take radio out into the field. No mobile install? No problem, because go kits big or small have stories to tell! Whatever it is you’ve got, come show it off and be a part of the action.

The first full week of the month is its busiest, with a club VE session on the evening of the 5th. Come join us and help out with showing new and upgraded licensees what ham radio is all about! Our club board meeting is on the 8th, and following that is the general meeting on the 9th. With so much of our lives happening on digital devices, it’s important to safeguard our data. Smitty (WB1G) has an excellent presentation on how to store, preserve, and ultimately retrieve important data so you’re left with peace of mind in case emergencies arise. Come join us and learn all about how you can take control of your digital assets and make sure it’s all there when you need it!

Field Day is in June, and we’ve got a T-shirt design contest going on this month! We’re accepting submissions starting on the 2nd and we’ll take designs until the end of the 16th. For more information on the contest, head on over to http://w6ek.org/contest. The winner will be announced on the 19th, and I look forward to what you all come up with for this year’s Field Day T-shirt!

73,

Jim Zheng (W6JCZ)
SFARC Vice President

Welcome to April! What’s coming up next is no joke, because Hot RF Nights, our annual ham radio themed car show, will take place in May! That’s right, on May 17 amateur radio operators and emergency communications personnel from all over the area will spend an afternoon checking out each others’ setups, exchanging ideas, learning a thing or two, all while enjoying great food and social time. Whether it’s you car, truck, van, or RV, bring it by so we can all admire your work and get inspired to take radio out into the field. No mobile install? No problem, because go kits big or small have stories to tell! Whatever it is you’ve got, come show it off and be a part of the action. Need something to get you in gear? SFARC will be there to strut our newest rigs, just in time for Field Day in June!

Closer than all that is the club VE session on the 7th, a club meeting on the 11th, and our monthly breakfast and radio direction finding exercise on the 26th. We’re not quite through with events after that, because this month we’ve got a special special session on the evening of the 30th with Craig (KM6LYW), developer of the DigiPi, a complete ham radio digital interface built around the Raspberry Pi. Operate APRS, WinLink, FT8, RTTY, and a whole lot more with one ultraportable device that integrates neatly into your existing station. This is one event you won’t want to miss, and even if you’re a seasoned DigiPi user there’s always an opportunity to learn about how others are using theirs and show all the cool things you’ve done with yours!

Hope to see you around, whether it’s in person on online!

Jim Zheng (W6JCZ)
SFARC Vice President

The month of March is filled with fun and excitement, starting off with the ARRL’s SSB International DX Contest. It’s an excellent opportunity to fill your log with international (DX) stations and put your equipment and skills to the test. Our first club event of the month is the VE session on the 3rd, where I’ll be Elmering the candidates. It’s always a great experience to mentor someone as they explore the amateur radio hobby, and often times I learn about things I hadn’t thought of before.

I’m really looking forward to Hamtrak, a trip to Reno and back by train. I hear the scenery is beautiful, and I’m always down for some relaxed sightseeing. A big thanks goes out to Gerry (WA6E) for organizing and promoting the event!

This month’s club meeting on the 14th features Aaron (K6ABJ) and the SFARC Hamfest crew, who will be showing us all the activities and festivities that will take place during the area’s first hamfest of the year. Local communications team leads will also discuss all the upcoming opportunities to volunteer in community events as on-location radio operators. Whether you’ve volunteered in these events in the past or are interested in exploring ways ham radio can serve your community, consider helping out and making a difference.

Our club-sponsored hamfest will take place on the morning of the 22nd at the Loomis Train Depot, and I’m really excited to meet up with everyone and help set up the venue. The swap meet always attracts hams from all over, and what’s more important that the awesome variety of equipment and parts to peruse are the people you’ll be able to talk to and catch up with.

We finish out the month with our club breakfast on the morning of the 29th, followed by a radio direction finding exercise. I haven’t had the opportunity to participate in the past two months, so I’m planning on getting back in the game this time and dusting off the fox hunting equipment.

There are plenty of excellent talks lined up for the coming months, so stop by and get your fill of interesting and insightful ideas!

It’s hard to believe we’ve already made it a month into the new year! The shortest month brings with it a few events of note, starting off with our club VE session at 7 PM on the 3rd. We’re always looking for volunteers to help with mentorship of test candidates both before and after their exams, so come on by and give a little back to the ham radio community. Our meeting will take place at 7:30 PM on the 14th, and the monthly breakfast at 7:30 AM on the 22nd. Keep an eye out for information on our website about the radio direction finding exercise right after breakfast.

I’m really looking forward to several major activities coming up, especially Hamtrak II. A big thank-you to Gerry (WA6E) for organizing the event once again, and I hope to meet up with you all for a memorable trip.

At last but not least, our annual hamfest in March is always a huge event, and this year’s will be no different. Long before the sun comes up, I’ll be out helping set up and enjoying great chats with hams all around the area (and perhaps beyond).

73, and I hope to see you at our many club activities in the near future!

Jim Zheng
W6JCZ

Welcome to 2025! May the new year bring you good times and lasting memories! Here at SFARC, the new year means more opportunities to engage with the community and demonstrate the many uses of amateur radio.

One of the best ways to do just that is through our monthly VE sessions, the first of which will take place on the 6th. I love meeting up with everyone for the pre-session dinners, and getting together with the candidates to discuss what interests them in ham radio always opens up new perspectives into the hobby. I highly encourage you to help out by Elmering candidates at the VE sessions because everyone has something to share. Help someone out, and perhaps even learn a thing or two yourself.

Our next club meeting will take place on January 10th at 7:30 PM at the Confluence Church Gym in Auburn, California and on Zoom at zoom.w6ek.org. Please welcome Scott (KM6RFB), who put together a comprehensive portable communications backpack inspired by medic bags. We all have plenty of radio gear, and sometimes it can be difficult to pack it all together for field use and transport. Come join us as Scott tells us about the items he used to get everything organized, where you can obtain them, and how easy it can be to tidy up your equipment for that next casual outing or an emergency event that requires rapid response and deployment. After hearing about what he’s done, I’m excited to build something like that myself so I can make better use of what I have and hopefully reduce the time it takes to set things up for outdoor operations.

For the contesters out there, January comes with two major events, the North American QSO Party. The CW contest starts at 10 AM on the 11th, and the SSB contest starts at 10 AM on the 18th. Both run for 12 hours, and the playing field is leveled by limiting the maximum transmitter power to 100 W. If you’ve never participated in a contest before or are interested in making contacts with hams all over the world, give the rules a read and get your station set up. It’s also a great way to learn about and experience for yourself how HF propagation is affected by the time of day as the different bands come alive and go quiet.

We finish up the month with our club breakfast at 7:30 AM on the 25th. This month’s breakfast will be at Mel’s Diner in Auburn, and following the breakfast we’ll go on a fox hunt. After a rainy December breakfast, I’m looking forward to better weather and a well-attended radio direction finding event this time around.

Can you believe 2024 is nearing its end? We’ve had a year full of fun and we’ll be wrapping it up with the club Christmas party on Saturday, December 7. I’m really looking forward to seeing all of you at the Confluence Church gym for a night of festivities, a perfect way to celebrate all we’ve accomplished this year.

Don’t forget, we’ll be meeting at Mel’s in Auburn at 7:30 AM on the 28th for breakfast, followed by a fox hunt at 9:00 AM. Hopefully you’ve kept your appetite after all the parties and gatherings and can join us for great food and social time.

It’s been an honor serving as the club vice president, and I look forward to an awesome 2025.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season,

Jim Zheng
W6JCZ

The month of November brings with it an event-filled week, starting with a club VE session on the 4th. Come join us and get your license to transmit, or upgrade to receive additional band privileges. More than just an exam session, we provide one-on-one mentoring before and after the test so you’re ready to get on the air with confidence!

Our club meeting on the 8th features a great presentation on battery-operated power sources from Brian (KM6MDM). If you’ve ever been interested in building your own power source for taking out into the field, emergency back-up, or to enhance your electronics DIY skill set, join us for an informative night as Brian goes over what he used to put together his battery box, what motivated him to build it, and what he uses it for.

The next day many of us will gather at Beales Point for a Parks On The Air activation. Starting at 8 AM on the 9th we’ll have 3 HF stations you can use to make contacts with others all over the world. Take a moment to hang out with friends and family, and bring some food for a picnic. This is a great time to experience field operation away from your home station and enjoy the view of Folsom Lake.

Our monthly club breakfast will take place on the 30th, where we’ll meet at Mel’s Diner in Auburn at 7:30 AM for some great food before we head off on a special radio direction finding event! Bring your friends and family for a relaxed hunt through the park as you have fun while learning about the techniques and skills that go into RDF!

Wishing you all a great Thanksgiving!

As we head into the first double-digit month (and last quarter) of the year there are plenty of activities lined up. The California QSO Party, that one weekend where the world wants to talk to 6-calls, starts at 11 AM on the 5^th and runs through 3 PM on the 6^th. I’ll be working CW from home this year, so come find me on HF and get Yolo County in your log.

The second week of October is filled to the top with club events, starting off with our monthly VE testing session at 7 PM on the 7^th. We’ll be meeting at Smokey Pit Barbeque for our pre-session dinner, and everyone is invited to join the fun regardless of whether you’re proctoring, Elmering, testing, or just stopping by. We always have a great time helping new and upgrading hams discover their next step into the world of amateur radio!

Every second and fourth Wednesday of the month we have our “In the Shack” Zoom meeting where we talk about and show off all the projects we’re working on in (and sometimes out of) our radio shacks. On the 9^th, however, we have a special session featuring Kristen (K6WX) who will tell us all about grounding. Whether it’s electrical ground or RF ground, she’s got a lot to tell us about an important aspect in setting up a ham radio station. Everyone is invited, and you’ll likely see some new faces on Zoom at 7:30 PM.

This month’s club meeting will take place at 7:30 PM on the 11th at the Confluence (formerly Crossroads) Church in Auburn. Orion (AI6JB) has prepared a talk about radiosport, complete with tips and hints on how to maximize your score and work contests efficiently. Whether you’re a seasoned contester or new to this exciting side of amateur radio, join us for an informative time. Clyde (AB4CC) has a presentation all about antennas, so whether you’re unsure of which one to buy, setting out to build your own, or want to increase the performance of what you already have, this is one talk you definitely don’t want to miss! If you’re unable to attend in person, we always have an interactive meeting on Zoom where you can join the audience and ask questions just as if you were there.

The following day, we will have our yearly Fall picnic at Recreation Park in Auburn at 4 PM. This year’s event is a potluck, so bring your best and share it with the group while sampling all the great food everyone has to bring. Even though I’ll be at work on the 12^th, I’m not going to miss out on the fun and the moment closing duties are completed I’ll be heading up the hill to join in on the festivities.

We round out the month with our club breakfast at 7:30 AM on the 26^th. After three months of excellent food and atmosphere at Wings we’ll return to the cozy environment of Mels for some great portions and conversations. Following this, the first ever SFARC 24-hour long fox hunt starts at 9:30 AM. Designed to simulate an on-air jammer, this event will take you within 20 miles of downtown Auburn as you put your radio direction finding skills to the test. Remember, you don’t have to hold an amateur radio license to attend, and all you need is a receiver and the ability to locate the hidden transmitter! Have fun, make awesome memories, win great prizes, but first and foremost stay safe out there!

73 DE W6JCZ

We start off the month of September with a VE testing session on the evening of the 9th. A few weeks ago John (KO6COW) and his son visited me at work to get an older-model 2 meter radio tested and repaired. Among other things he mentioned his son might be ready to test for his Technician license soon, so I’m looking forward to seeing them there and helping them along the way.  Testing starts at around 7 PM, but the VEs and Elmers will be gathering for a dinner at 5 PM. If you’re planning on coming by to take an exam, why not come and join us for some great food?

Our next club meeting will be on September 13 at 7:30 PM at the Auburn Crossroads Church and on Zoom at zoom.w6ek.org. With the California QSO Party approaching fast, Jim (W6JCZ) will be giving a talk on how to optimize your HF reception. Going beyond the volume and tuning knob, there are many controls and functions on HF transceivers that increase signal intelligibility. Whether you’re looking to score higher in contests or increase your chances of copying a distant station, join us to learn about everything you can do to make your radio sound better!

The club campout at Stampede Reservoir officially starts a week later on the 19th and runs through the 22nd. I’m looking forward to the great pictures and stories that’ll be shared on the website and repeater, and I hope everyone has a fun and safe time throughout.

This month we’ll meet at Wings Grill & Espresso Bar (at the Auburn Airport) for our breakfast on the 28th at 7:30 AM, followed by a radio direction finding exercise. These events are always fun, and they’re essentially a radio hide-and-seek game in which participants arm themselves with receiving equipment to find the hidden transmitter placed in a given area. Our club fox hunts have attracted quite a few members recently, and I always love it when we all gather at the end to talk about what worked and what didn’t this time around.

And finally, here’s something we can all look forward to:

Cooler weather and more opportunities to be comfortable outside. Maybe I’ll catch you activating POTA or just operating portable one of these days.

73 DE W6JCZ

After two exciting months of back-to-back club events, the month of August is rather light with a few things of note.

After a break in July, we will resume VE testing on the evening of the 5th. Following a dinner VEs and Elmers will gather at 7 PM to administer exams for new hams and those looking to upgrade their license. It’s always a good time and I love seeing the candidates get their new amateur radio privileges at the end of the night. More than just an exam session, we answer candidates’ questions before and after the exam to give them a personalized experience.

That same week we will have our club meeting at 7:30 PM on Friday at the Auburn Crossroads Church South Campus Gym and on Zoom. Scott (KM6RFB) will give a talk on internet resources providing situational awareness. With rapidly changing weather and emergency events that can arise at a moment’s notice, come join us and learn about free public resources that you can rely on when disaster strikes.

Our monthly club breakfast will be held at Wings on the 31st. Stick around after the meal for a fox hunt and put your equipment (and skills) to the test in finding the hidden transmitter!

Oh, and one last thing: I’m sure we’re all looking forward to cooler weather ahead, since this summer’s been one of the hottest around with record-breaking heat waves. Keep cool and stay hydrated, and look after your friends and family.

73 DE W6JCZ