Watts Up This Week
Hey SFARC Members and Friends,
CLUB BREAKFAST, THIS SATURDAY, 8 AM AT AWFUL ANNIE’S 
Last Reminder: this is a permanent change of venue and start time. After breakfast, Frank (KG9M) will conduct a Fox Hunt pre-meeting (starting at 9:15 AM). CLICK HERE if you’d like more info about why we made the change.
ANTENNA PHOTO SHARING
Some of you who have been with the club for some time have had the opportunity to visit the transmitter site for 1530 KFBK. Having been asked by a few, I posted photos from when I helped maintain the site from 2002-2005. CLICK HERE to check out the photos. It’s truly an amazing antenna system.
HALLOWEEN SAFETY FOR DRIVERS
The American Red Cross suggests these Halloween safety measures:
HF CONDITIONS FOR THE HOLIDAY
Halloween Night: Tricks, Treats and Disappearing Signals. The ionosphere may have a few tricks ready for Halloween! With a possible minor geomagnetic storm in the forecast, that strong station could turn into a ghost before you finish exchanging signal reports. The weekend disturbance is forecast, but its exact timing and effect on Saturday evening in California remain uncertain. Here’s your suggested Halloween band-hunting plan:
Last Reminder: this is a permanent change of venue and start time. After breakfast, Frank (KG9M) will conduct a Fox Hunt pre-meeting (starting at 9:15 AM). CLICK HERE if you’d like more info about why we made the change.
ANTENNA PHOTO SHARING
Some of you who have been with the club for some time have had the opportunity to visit the transmitter site for 1530 KFBK. Having been asked by a few, I posted photos from when I helped maintain the site from 2002-2005. CLICK HERE to check out the photos. It’s truly an amazing antenna system.
HALLOWEEN SAFETY FOR DRIVERS
The American Red Cross suggests these Halloween safety measures:
- Drive Slowly: Anticipate children’s excitement and keep your speed low to avoid accidents.
- Avoid Residential Areas: Unless you’re trick-or-treating, steer clear of subdivisions, especially between 6- 9 p.m.
- Switch on Headlights Early: Turn on your headlights at dusk or slightly earlier to enhance visibility.
- Patience at Stops: Allow extra time at stop signs, lights, and crosswalks, double-checking before moving.
- Stay Focused: Limit distractions and follow neighborhood speed limits to help keep pedestrians safe.
HF CONDITIONS FOR THE HOLIDAY
Halloween Night: Tricks, Treats and Disappearing Signals. The ionosphere may have a few tricks ready for Halloween! With a possible minor geomagnetic storm in the forecast, that strong station could turn into a ghost before you finish exchanging signal reports. The weekend disturbance is forecast, but its exact timing and effect on Saturday evening in California remain uncertain. Here’s your suggested Halloween band-hunting plan:
- At dusk — haunt 40 meters. Make it your first stop as daylight fades.
- Later in the evening — visit the 80-meter graveyard. It’s a sensible place to look for regional conversations and familiar voices.
- Looking for a distant treat? Give 20 meters a quick listen early in the evening before moving lower.
- If signals vanish like ghosts, change bands and call again. A little patience could still put a treat in your logbook.
Coffee Break Net (Page)
WHAT IS THE COFFEE BREAK NET?
Coffee brewing? Radio on? You’re ready to join the morning fun!
Our daily amateur radio net has the feel of a morning commute with a bunch of friends—except you don’t have to leave the house. It’s part conversation, part curiosity, and occasionally a rabbit hole nobody saw coming. It’s hard to explain because it’s more of an experience. You never know where the next transmission will take us!
Technology, trivia, RVs, camping, fishing, brewing, astronomy, photography, kit builds, Instant Pots… almost any subject is on the table. Come share what you know, ask a question, or just enjoy whatever today’s conversation brings.
It’s the best way to get your day started!
You can hear the net daily on the W6EK 2-meter repeater or connect through either of these options:
- Repeater: 145.430 MHz / Offset: −0.6 MHz / CTCSS (PL): 162.2 Hz
- AllStarLink (ASL): Node 51018
- EchoLink: Node 4128
So grab a cup of coffee and stop by some morning. Listen along, key up, or jump in when a topic catches your interest. All licensed hams are welcome—and there’s always room for one more voice!
WHEN IS THE NET?
Every morning from 7:30-9 AM PT
365 Days A Year
NET QUICK STATS
Holiday Party Countdown (Widget)
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Weekly Club Net (Page)
WHAT IS A NET?
A net is a scheduled on-air meeting of amateur radio operators. Everyone tunes to the same frequency at the same time and takes turns checking in.
THE WEEKLY CLUB NET
Our club net is held every Thursday at 7 PM (1800) PT on the W6EK 2-meter repeater and is open to all licensed amateurs interested in the hobby or looking for a fun group to get involved with. The net features a Mystery Question, the ARRL Report, Satellite Report, DX Report, and other activities. Operators are encouraged to talk about their recent operating or other ham activities.
WHY CHECK IN?
Nets are the easiest way to get comfortable on the air. You practice clear operating habits, test your station against a known signal, meet local operators, and build the routine that makes emergency communication work when it matters. 📅 Add to your calendar:
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.ics
Net Control Schedule Every Thursday · 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
October 2026 1 net
Date Time Net Control
Thu, Oct 29 Next
7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Orion AI6JB
November 2026 4 nets
Date Time Net Control
Thu, Nov 5
7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Smitty WB1G
Thu, Nov 12
7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Chip KM6MDF
Thu, Nov 19
7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Smitty WB1G
Thu, Nov 26
—
NO NET
Thanksgiving
December 2026 5 nets
Date Time Net Control
Thu, Dec 3
7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Orion AI6JB
Thu, Dec 10
7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Smitty WB1G
Thu, Dec 17
7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Chip KM6MDF
Thu, Dec 24
—
NO NET
Christmas Eve
Thu, Dec 31
—
NO NET
New Year's Eve
November 2026 Presentation
The Holidays are coming, and as always they seem to arrive before we’re ready. Where did the year go? To get into the Holiday Spirit, at least in the secular sense of that term, The Aarons (K6ABJ and W1ATB) have been sitting down with Santa and the Elves to create the ultimate 2026 Holiday Gift Guide for Hams. Over the past year, manufacturers and software companies have brought a number of new products to market, joining an already broad array of must-haves. Some will fit nicely in a stocking, some on the work bench, some swing from a wrist strap, and some sit on a tower. The choices seem endless. Hopefully their guidance can be of some help in your Holiday shopping!
In addition, Jim WA8MPA will be hosting another of his legendary “Show and Tell” tables, with a number of select “Stocking Stuffers” in the $10 to $200 range. Come to the meeting and get started early!
2026 SFARC Annual Christmas Party (Page)
YOU’RE INVITED
To the SFARC 2026 Christmas Party. New location! The event will be held at the Placer County HHS Conference Center (the same building as our club meetings) on December 12, 2026, at 5 PM.
’Tis the season of giving! This year, we’re collecting donations for the community food bank. Please bring non-perishable food items or a cash donation to the holiday celebration. Every contribution helps a neighbor in need.
RSVP closes December 5, 2026, at midnight
WHAT TO EXPECT
- A Delicious Catered Meal
- The Annual SFARC Year In Review Slideshow
- The “Golden Brick” Award Presentation
- “Photo Submission of the Year” Presentation
- “Putt for the Win” – a putting contest for chance of winning foursome round of golf and cart rental at the Ridge Golf Course.
- Gerry’s Trivia Party
- Current Officer Recognitions
- Installation of New Officers
- Prizes, Prizes, and More Prizes
THE PRIZES
We went all out on prizes this year. Here’s a teaser of what to expect.
- $500 at Ham Radio Outlet (HRO)
- (3) $250 at Ham Radio Outlet (HRO)
- (1) $100 at Ham Radio Outlet (HRO) for best photo of the year
- A foursome, with a cart, at Ridge Golf Course in Auburn
- $100 gift certificate for Uncle Dumpling in Roseville
- $100 gift certificate for Chef’s Table in Rocklin
- And more to come!!!
BEFORE YOU RSVP
We’ve received questions about whether there is a cost for club members. A few years ago, the club shifted to a catered meal for our holiday celebration, and SFARC has always covered the full cost of the event. As you’re aware, prices for just about everything have been rising.
Currently, the meal cost per person is roughly equal to a full year’s membership dues. If a member brings a guest, that’s essentially two years’ worth of dues. To help offset these costs, we are asking for $10 per person, paid at the door. This contribution will help cover dinner and prizes, ensuring we can continue hosting a festive, memorable celebration.
Thank you for your continued support of SFARC.
RSVP
This RSVP is not open just yet. 🙂
Please check back on November 4th, 2026
Watts Up This Week
SFARC Members, Friends, and Fans —
Another quiet week ahead with a few call-outs for what’s to come and a special feature below the fold.
CLUB BREAKFAST REMINDER: Awful Annie’s, October 31st, 2026 @ 8 AM
That’s right, not a typo, breakfast has permanently moved to 8 AM with a Fox Hunt to follow at 9:15. Our Fox Tender for this month will be Frank KG9M so it’s bound to be some good fun. If you’ve never had Awful Annie’s, you’re in for a treat, there breakfast is amazing.
SAVE THE DATE: SFARC CHRISTMAS PARTY IS ALMOST HERE
It’s hard to believe that we’re talking about Christmas but we’re a little over 45 days until the annual club holiday party. Never been to one? This year might be one of the biggest and best yet. The RSVP system will open on November 4th.
New Location: Placer County HHS Conference Center
Date: December 12, 2026
Time: 5 PM
What To Expect:
- A Delicious Catered Meal
- The Annual SFARC Year In Review Slideshow
- The “Golden Brick” Award Presentation
- “Photo Submission of the Year” Presentation
- “Putt for the Win” – a putting contest for chance of winning foursome round of golf and cart rental at the Ridge Golf Course.
- Gerry’s Trivia Party
- Current Officer Recognition and the installation of new officers
- And Prizes, Prizes, and More Prizes!!!
Many hands make lite work and we’d love your assistance with setup (early in the day). Keep an eye here and w6ek.org for more information.
NEW FEATURE: HF THIS WEEK WITH A TWIST
We’ve all seen the sun spot numbers and HF conditions but for this week, let’s deliver them like we’re on the radio doing a traffic report.
Good morning, afternoon, and evening, Band-Hoppers! It’s Monday, October 19th, and this is your HF Traffic & Weather on the Sixes, brought to you by the Sun, which still hasn’t sent us an invoice.
Let’s get you to work!
Conditions overview: “The on-ramp’s busy, folks. The Penticton solar flux came in at 137 at Sunday noon, so the upper bands have plenty of fuel. But we’ve got a coronal hole high-speed stream coming in from the sun-ward side, and it’s due to arrive late today.”
Storm alert: “NOAA has a G1 minor geomagnetic storm watch for late tonight (18–21 UTC, Kp 4.67) running into early Tuesday (03–06 UTC). Expect potholes on polar and high-latitude routes, so Europe–West Coast and Asia-over-the-pole drivers should take surface streets. The north-south lanes, meaning Caribbean, South America and Africa, should keep moving.”
Fender-benders: “We’ve had an R1 radio blackout already, at 0903 UTC this morning. Sunspot regions 4551 and 4557 keep cutting people off, with a 30% chance of more R1–R2 flare blackouts through Wednesday. If daytime 15 meters goes quiet out of nowhere, that’s a flare, not your coax.”
- 10 & 12m (express lanes): “Wide open in daylight with flux this high. Fast DX toward the south and east in the morning, and west in the afternoon. Get on before the storm slows things down tonight.”
- 15 & 17m: “Moving well, and probably your best daytime commute all week.”
- 20m (the interstate): “Busy as always. It’ll be choppy on polar paths tonight and Tuesday morning, then back to normal by midweek.”
- 40m: “Good evening rush, but the storm adds noise and fading tonight. Short-skip and regional traffic gets through fine.”
- 80 & 160m (the back roads): “Fall is coming and nights are longer, so these are getting better. Tonight and Tuesday will be bumpy with noise. Wait for the Thursday–Friday calm if you’re chasing low-band DX.”
73,
The Sierra Foothills Amateur Radio Club (W6EK)
(530) 492-0920
Website: www.w6ek.org
Group.io: groupsio.w6ek.org
Social: facebook.w6ek.org | twitter.w6ek.org | linkedIn.w6ek.org | instagram.w6ek.org | youtube.w6ek.org
Christmas Party RSVP Results (Page)
Christmas Party
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SFARC Flashback
SFARC FLASHBACK
SFARC has been in the process of retaining as much history about the club as possible. Thanks to Craig Bledsoe (KL7H) for this look back at one of SFARC’s QSL cards prior to the adoption of the W6EK call sign.
K6CBP, the call sign of founding member W.C. Bauman, became the club’s own in 1962. By January of 1964, the club treasurer was reporting $76.43 in the K6CBP checking account, with Jim Carman named as the trustee.
This is a small slice of what we’ve captured as part of our ongoing history project.
Want to read more? CLICK HERE