Category Archives: Meeting Promo

November 2025 Meeting

Our next club meeting will take place on November 14 at 7:30 PM at the Confluence Church Gym in Auburn, California and on Zoom at zoom.w6ek.org. Jim (W6JCZ) is giving a talk on the newly updated FreeDV application, including its new RADE “Radio Autoencoder” mode. This new digital voice mode is very promising as it continues to function even with low signal strengths that would make traditional single-sideband voice unintelligible. Come join us and find out how to set up your station for FreeDV, how it works so well, and what you can do to contribute to its development.

September 2025 Meeting

Our next club meeting will take place on September 12 at 7:30 PM at the Confluence Church Gym in Auburn, California and on Zoom at zoom.w6ek.org. Together with his son Jayden (W6EFM), John (KO6COW) is one of the most active SOTA operators in our club. Meanwhile, Jimmy (N6FMD) always gets plenty of contacts in his log when he activates POTA parks in the area. Come join us as they 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 hear about their experiences working radio in the field, along 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!

August 2025 Meeting

Our next club meeting will take place on August 8 at 7:30 PM at the Confluence Church Gym in Auburn, California and on Zoom at zoom.w6ek.org. Bob (KD6QVD) will show us several of his tactical radio setups, focusing on goal-oriented approaches to engineering and design. Many of us aspire to put together go-boxes and easy to deploy communications systems, but along the way things often end up more complex than they need to be. Come join us as Bob explains what goes into his builds and how easy they are to operate, both as an individual and a team. If you’ve ever been interested in top-spec portable operations, this is one presentation you won’t want to miss out on!

July 2025 Meeting

Our next club meeting will take place on July 11 at 7:30 PM at the Confluence Church Gym in Auburn, California and on Zoom at zoom.w6ek.org. Jeff (AK6OK) will show the club how to make use of lab-grade test instrumentation to help with antenna design, complete with live demonstrations and hands-on experimentation. Scott (KM6RFB) has made some major upgrades to the Placer County ARES website, and he’ll present to us all the new features and information that can be found there.

June 2025 Meeting

Our next club meeting will take place on June 13 at 7:30 PM at the Confluence Church Gym in Auburn, California and on Zoom at zoom.w6ek.org. The SFARC Field Day team will discuss the club’s plans for ARRL Field Day, which takes place on June 28 and 29. Please consider helping out during the event, especially if you already have plans to attend!

April 2025 Meeting

Our next club meeting will take place on May 9 at 7:30 PM at the Confluence Church Gym in Auburn, California and on Zoom at zoom.w6ek.org. 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!

March 2025 Meeting

Our next club meeting will take place on March 14 at 7:30 PM at the Confluence Church Gym in Auburn, California and on Zoom at zoom.w6ek.org. Aaron (K6ABJ) and the SFARC Hamfest crew will brief us on the upcoming Loomis Hamfest and what we can expect from 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.