Amateur Radio Exams / VE Testing: February 2, 2026
Looking for a local location to take your amateur radio license or upgrade exam? Sierra Foothills VE Team provides in-person exam sessions on the 1st Monday evening of the month.
Scholarships are available for students currently enrolled in Elementary, Middle, High School, or Undergraduate College programs and are 21 years of age or younger as of the date of the
exam. Upon passing an exam, the student will be eligible for an instant $14 refund for the cost of the exam and also awarded the $35 FCC licensing fee.
NEXT IN-PERSON DATE: February 2, 2026 @ 7 PM
Need more information before signing up? CLICK HERE
Watts Up This Week
It’s that time of year! Time to re-up your membership with SFARC.
Many have already done it, but if you haven’t, don’t delay. Go to https://www.w6ek.org/membership
VE EXAMS – TONIGHT 7PM
It’s not too late to enroll in this evenings VE session? Ready to upgrade?
https://www.w6ek.org/activities/testing
SFARC IN-PERSON BOARD MEETING – THURSDAY, JANUARY 8TH @ 5:30 PM
The monthly SFARC board meeting will be a face to face meeting to help facilitate the transition of the outgoing board and the newly elected incoming 2026 board. The meeting will be held at the Newcastle Denny’s. There will not be a zoom component for this meeting, board members and interested general members are expected to attend in person on January 8th @ 5:30PM.
Denny’s: 681 Newcastle Rd, Newcastle, CA 95658
SFARC CLUB MEETING – FRIDAY, JANUARY 9TH @ 7PM
Location: Confluence Church (previously named Crossroads Church) Campus Gym: 1101 Auburn Ravine Rd, Auburn, CA 95603. Use the Dairy Road entrance. If you can’t make it in person, join us virtually on Zoom @ https://www.w6ek.org/activities/meetings
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?
If you join us in person, please remember to bring a non-perishable food item for the greater Auburn community.
January 2026 Newsletter
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!
January 2026 Fox Hunt
The next SFARC Fox Hunt will be the last Saturday of the month, January 31. The last Saturday of each month is also the monthly club breakfast starting at 7:30 AM. The January club breakfast will be at Mel’s Dinner in Auburn.
The Fox Hunt will start following the club breakfast at 9 AM for the pre-meeting in Mel’s parking lot and 9:30 AM for the start of the Hunt. The Hunt will end at 11:30 AM and be followed by a debrief at Burgers and Cream in Auburn.
I will be the Fox Tender for January. The Fox will be hidden within the boundaries of the City of Auburn. Further details such as transmitter frequency, transmitter power, Fox Tender call in frequency, etc. will be provided at the Hunt pre-meeting.
I am proposing we should start an annual Fox Hunter of the Year Championship with points earned each month for the position each hunter finishes each monthly Fox Hunt. We can award the eleven-month championship at the club’s end of year Holiday dinner. To encourage more hunters to also be Fox Tenders, being the Fox tender on any time within the 11-month championship automatically awards the Tender one month’s max points. However, you can only get these points one time, not multiple time, regardless of how many times you are the Tender.
Let me know what you think of this idea for a Fox Hunter of the Year Championship.
73
Greydon KC6SLE
Watts Up This Week | CORRECTION
IN-PERSON BOARD MEETING – JANUARY 8TH @ 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
The monthly SFARC board meeting will be a face to face meeting to help facilitate the transition of the outgoing board and the newly elected incoming 2026 board. The meeting will be held at the Newcastle Denny’s. There will not be a zoom component for this meeting, board members and interested general members are expected to attend in person on January 8th. Future broad meetings will be held via Zoom unless designated as otherwise.
The monthly SFARC board meeting will be a face to face meeting to help facilitate the transition of the outgoing board and the newly elected incoming 2026 board. The meeting will be held at the Newcastle Denny’s. There will not be a zoom component for this meeting, board members and interested general members are expected to attend in person on January 8th. Future broad meetings will be held via Zoom unless designated as otherwise.
Map Link: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Denny’s/@38.8727266,-121.1385705,1905m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x809b1ba4292725ab:0xe4ba9eec4f72b9c0!8m2!3d38.8709701!4d-121.1306079!16s%2Fg%2F1tdh43hp?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTIwOS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
Watts Up This Week
AMATEUR RADIO EXAMES / VE TESTING – JANUARY 5TH
With the new year comes your first opportunity to get your first license (or upgrade) is happening next week, Monday, January 5th @ 7PM at Confluence Church. Need more information before signing up? Visit https://www.w6ek.org/activities/testing
IN-PERSON BOARD MEETING – JANUARY 8TH
The monthly SFARC board meeting will be a face to face meeting to help facilitate the transition of the outgoing board and the newly elected incoming 2026 board. The meeting will be held at the Newcastle Denny’s. There will not be a zoom component for this meeting, board members and interested general members are expected to attend in person on January 8th. Future broad meetings will be held via Zoom at zoom.w6ek.org unless designated as otherwise.
Amateur Radio Exams / VE Testing: January 5, 2026
Looking for a local location to take your amateur radio license or upgrade exam? Sierra Foothills VE Team provides in-person exam sessions on the 1st Monday evening of the month.
Scholarships are available for students currently enrolled in Elementary, Middle, High School, or Undergraduate College programs and are 21 years of age or younger as of the date of the exam. Upon passing an exam, the student will be eligible for an instant $14 refund for the cost of the exam and also awarded the $35 FCC licensing fee.
NEXT IN-PERSON DATE: January 5, 2026 @ 7 PM
Need more information before signing up? CLICK HERE
Watts Up This Week | Holiday Edition
The SFARC Board of Directors wishes you a Happy Holiday season.
CLUB BREAKFAST AND FOX HUNT (DECEMBER 27, 2025)
A reminder that coming up this weekend (December 27th) we have a club breakfast at Mel’s in Auburn followed by a very special Family Fox Hunt. The fun begins at Regional Park in Auburn (3770 Richardson Drive). The pre-meeting will start at 0900 at the main parking lot near the paddleboard courts (38.952465, -121.107092). Bring your family, friends, spouse, kids, significant other, pets, and grandkids (did I miss anyone?) to this family-friendly event. It will be a “walk in the park” kind of hunt, with accessible paths for all. We’ll have hot chocolate and prizes for the kids.
With hours left until the big day, the following was posted on Facebook by our outgoing club President Aaron (W1ATB) and is too good to not share.
’Twas the day before Christmas and I was out in my shack,
With the rig humming softly and the meters all back.
The coax was coiled with meticulous care,
In hopes that a DXpedition soon would be there.
My antennas stood tall in the crisp winter air,
Each element glistening with frost everywhere.
I tuned up the bands with a twist and a glide,
Letting 20 meters open up wide.
When out on the spectrum there arose such a clatter,
I spun the dial fast to see what was the matter.
A rare call was booming through static and snow—
A station from far where the trade winds blow.
I keyed up my mic with a confident grin,
“QRZ, de Kilo…” — let the contact begin.
The pileup was fierce, but I gave it my best,
Threading my call through the noise and the rest.
At last came the words every ham longs to hear:
“Copy your signal, you’re five-nine, my dear.”
A Christmas Eve QSO, logged neat and complete,
A gift from the ionosphere—simple and sweet.
Then back to the shack came a warm, gentle glow,
As the tubes dimly pulsed in their comforting show.
I leaned back content, hearing faint distant chatter,
Hams wishing each other good cheer in the clatter.
So whether you’re chasing DX or ragchewing tonight,
May your signals be strong and your noise floor be light.
For on this fine evening, from shack roof to tree,
Merry Christmas to all—and to all, 73.
_ ___ _ ___ _ ___
73,
The Sierra Foothills Amateur Radio Club (W6EK)
(530) 492-0920
Website: www.w6ek.org
Group.io: groupsio.w6ek.org
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