For the July club meeting Jim W6JCZ will give a brief presentation and demonstration on OpenHamClock, a web app built in the spirit of the original HamClock project. OpenHamClock does not require special hardware or even software installation, and provides a wealth of information useful to ham radio operators. It uses a modern scalable interface and works on all devices from computers to smartphones and even TVs. Jim will also compare OHC to HamClock as well as the GeoChron Atlas computer.
Category Archives: Looking Forward
June 2026 Meeting Presentation
For the June meeting we will have the Field Day leadership team of Mark W2MWK and Smitty WB1G give us an overview of the club’s plan for this iconic Ham Radio event. Field Day is an operating event dating back to 1933, with a basis in emergency preparedness. SFARC events are typically social events and FD is truly a social with a component of off-grid and a healthy dose of getting on the air. Our club leans into all aspects of the event, making it something to be enjoyed by all.
The event is held yearly on the last full weekend of June, this year from June 26th through the 28th.
May 2026 Meeting Presentation
For the May meeting, Greg KO6TH will be discussing the art of charging LiFePO4 (LFP) based batteries. It is, indeed, an art, something that we too often mistakenly try to turn into a trip to Ikea. Tab A into Slot B it is not. Separating Science from Marketing, this talk will reveal some of the fundamental realities of charging this particular breed of battery, which if followed should lead to long term success for both the battery and your well being. Can you get away without knowing this? Probably. Many do. But after understanding what’s going on, at least you’ll know what to expect.
April 2026 Meeting
For the April meeting, Jim WA8MPA will do a technical dive into Common Mode Currents, the skin effect in coax cable, and how to visualize it all with a Nano VNA. Got a kink in your garden hose, and wonder how that works with your cables? What kind and how many ferrite beads cause a given result? They’re not all the same, and with apologies to Yogi Berra, if you don’t know what you have, it’s probably going to do something different! Come to the April meeting and find out how to make sense of all of this, and keep the currents (and garden hoses) flowing the way you want them to.
But wait! There’s MORE!
Swap Meet – Attic giveaway
Our April SFARC General Meeting will have a SPECIAL “Help yourself” opportunity for those attending. We have a large quantity of items from our recent HamSwap that will be given away FREE!
This includes:
• Test gear
• Tools
• Project Boxes
• Build it yourself kits
• Meters
• RF connectors
• RF adapters
• Crimp-on, Stay/Con connectors
And much more!!!!
Come a little early – we will limit the per person haul to 4 – 5 items
March 2026 Program
HamFest 2026 Approaches!
The focus of our March meeting will be the upcoming HamFest 2026, to be held March 28th at the Historic Loomis Train Station in Loomis, California. Event chair Frank KG9M will cover the high level event logistics, and introduce the team of folks leading the various functions that make the event happen. They will review what’s going on in their area, talk about why their particular area is the most exciting way to participate, and list ways you can contribute. A brief Q&A will be held after the presentations to answer any questions you may have.
Celebrating it’s 10 year anniversary, the Loomis HamFest is the region’s first of the year, and an event of this magnitude takes the talents and simple participation of many to pull it off. Check out the link on the website’s Events page to register for where you can help. https://www.w6ek.org/support?contact=hamfest
Besides the day-of participation in the event, we’re also looking for folks to help off-load the large inventory of donated equipment on Friday at 5pm. It’s a great way to help, and you get a first look (and a great deal) at the goodies! Sign up as above.
Greg KO6TH and Jim WA8MPA
February 2026 Meeting
For the February 2026 meeting, Jef N5JEF will be talking about a couple of emerging, frontier technologies that will have wide applicability to our future, and a playground, sandbox, or experimental lab for hands-on exploration. These include Spread Spectrum (particularly LoRa) as an effective RF physical layer, and Mesh Network routing, which is an evolving framework for communication that is off-grid, decentralized, resilient, and low-power.
Why are these interesting?
Spread Spectrum modulation makes communication in our increasingly noisy RF environment more reliable, and Mesh Routing extends that communication capability far beyond the direct point-to-point radio horizon. Between the two we can expect longer communication range, with increased reliability.
In his day job, Jef is a senior analyst with the County of Placer Radio Services Group, focused on mission critical public safety and environmental utilities radio systems. The group develops and supports systems including the P25 trunking system for regional law enforcement and public service agencies. Before that, he was a technical and field service manager for over twenty years in scientific instruments for laboratory, industrial, and semiconductor metrology. He is also into emergency management, search and rescue, and personal preparedness, and is, he says, “a total science and technology nerd.”
January 2026 Meeting
For January 2026, we will have Scott Read KM6RFB presenting on “Voice Radio Procedures”. At the core of it, its purpose is to provide a standardized way of passing speech and data traffic as securely as possible consistent with accuracy, speed and the needs of command and control. But to get the points across, Scott will be enlisting the help of others to demonstrate the stuff that goes right, and wrong, when we communicate. How many of these malpractices do you recognize?
From Greg KO6TH and Jim WA8MPA, we hope you had a great Holiday season, and best wishes for 2026. Just remember to spell the year right… 73!
Looking Forward December 2025
Welcome to December! As we close out the year I’d like to thank everyone in the club for helping out to make such an awesome community possible. From our monthly VE sessions and club meetings to once-a-year events like Hamfest, Field Day, and the Holiday Party, it’s the amazing teamwork that makes all that possible. It’s been an excellent two years serving as the club vice president, and the number of people stepping up to give insightful presentations about a variety of topics keep people interested in what we do.
Just ahead is our annual Holiday Party, and I’m looking forward to seeing you all and spending an evening together with warm spirits. I’d also like to congratulate those that are taking upon positions of leadership within the club next year, knowing that you’ll all do your best.
When I joined SFARC I joined a community that really cares. A group of hams that went above and beyond to create a club that did more than just amateur radio. By helping out at various events I got to know many others and formed lasting friendships. In the year ahead I hope to continue lending a hand whenever possible while transitioning into a new life as I welcome my fiancee (and soon to be wife) into my family. I look forward to being together with her and showing her what a wonderful club we’ve got in our neck of the woods.
To everyone out there, have a wonderful Holiday season, blessings to you and your family, and may the new year bring many more unforgettable memories.
73 de W6JCZ
Jim Zheng
Sierra Foothills Amateur Radio Club
Vice President 2024 – 2025
Looking Forward October 2025
Welcome to October! First things first, our annual club potluck picnic is happening on the 5th! Come and enjoy great food and social time with club members and friends. The sign-ups look great, and I’m sure there’ll be plenty of people that are going to show up unannounced with even more tasty dishes to go around!
Our next VE session will be on the 6th, and whether you’re upgrading or taking the first step into your amateur radio adventures, we’ve got an excellent team of examiners and Elmers to guide you as you explore all that can be done with your new license.
This month’s club meeting will take place on the 10th, and this time we’ve got a variety of member shack setups to talk about. From well-stocked operating areas in the house to rapid-deployment mobile stations, come see all the ways ham radio can be done and find out ways you can add to your operations, whether it be fixed or mobile, permanent or temporary.
This month, we return to Mel’s for our club breakfast as the weather gets cooler and the sun rises later. After filling up with a breakfast everyone always talks about on the Coffee Break Net that follows, join us for a radio direction finding exercise and put your equipment and skills to the test! We do this every month, so consider joining up with a friend or two and have fun out there!
I’m looking forward to Pacificon, which takes place a week earlier than it usually does this year. The three-day convention runs from the 10th through the 12th, with vendors, clubs, and individuals from all around the world gathering for northern California’s biggest ham radio event. Come find me at the HRO booth in the main vendor hall and stick around after bagging that deal you’ve been waiting for to enjoy some informative presentations by clubs and special interest groups. From building antennas to operating digital voice modes, there’s something for every ham!
73 de W6JCZ
Looking Forward September 2025
Welcome to September! As the Labor Day weekend comes to an end we begin a month of exciting club activities, starting with a VE session on the 8th. We normally conduct our testing and mentoring session on the first Monday of the month, but this time it lands on a holiday so we’ve rescheduled it to next week. Unlike most ham exam sessions where people walk in and leave, SFARC members volunteer their time to act as Elmers (mentors) who help explain all that can be done in the amateur radio hobby, share ideas, and answer the crucial “What’s next” question.
Our club meeting will be held at 7:30 PM on the 12th, and this month we are focusing on outdoor operation with John (KO6COW), Jayden (W6EFM), and Jimmy (N6FMD) collaborating for a talk all about POTA and SOTA operation. Many already have the mental image of ham radio being in an elaborate and sometimes messy radio shack with antennas and towers close by, but for many others radio plays very well with the great outdoors. Whether you’re heading out to a park or scaling a mountain, there’s unique fun and stunning experiences that just can’t be had operating from home. Come join us as some of SFARC’s most experienced outdoor operators discuss what goes into a successful activation, how to prepare for an outing, and what to look out for when operating in the field. We’ll also get a glimpse of portable stations in the field, with plenty of pictures that show great examples of outdoor setups. Along the way we’ll take questions and comments from others, whether they’re seasoned outdoor operators or newly-licensed hams interested in radio beyond the shack!
As always, we’ll meet for breakfast on the last Saturday of the month. It’s quite a popular event, filling up the entire restaurant and great social time for those that might not otherwise see each other. We also hold a radio direction finding exercise following the breakfast, and it’s interesting to see others’ setups improve as they learn what works well and what others have built that help them catch the fox.
I’m really looking forward to the annual club campout, starting on the 18th and running through the 21st. Though I’ve heard many wonderful stories about the amazing time people have up there, I haven’t been able to attend until this year. More than great food, fresh air, and excellent views, it’s being able to relax with other club members that make events like this so exciting. I’ve already started preparing for the trip, and I hope to see you there, even if for a few hours!
73 de W6JCZ