Hamtrak Is Back For 2027
Woo hoo – Hamtrak is back!
If at first you don’t succeed, try again. Announcing Hamtrak III – Back On Track.
“Hamtrak” is a biennial (every two years) optional trip for members to ride Amtrak’s California Zephyr together. It’s a beautiful, scenic five-hour journey through the Sierra Nevada Mountains, ending in Reno. If we’re lucky, we might even get snowed in.
This is not an “official” function of the Sierra Foothills Amateur Radio Club. It’s just a bunch of guys and gals from the club who have decided to do this trip again, and we are inviting YOU to come along.
SAVE THE DATE!
Departing: February 24, 2027 @ 10:41 AM
Returning: February 25, 2027 @ 9:32 AM
Watts Up This Week
Normally the “Watts Up” weekly email is about what’s happening. This week it’s about who made it happen. Don’t worry, we have some updates below. 🙂
“Volunteer” can be a scary word. It sounds like a commitment; like if you raise your hand once, you’ll be holding a clipboard for the next three years. But most volunteering isn’t a role, it’s a moment. Nobody’s asking you to run the show; we’re asking you to hold the flashlight. One task. One kind act. One moment of noticing something needed doing and doing it. It’s grabbing the other end of a table, or saying “I’ve got this” when something needs doing.
At the fall campout this past weekend, a few folks did exactly that. They saw what was needed and stepped in, and the whole weekend ran better because of it. Many hands make light work, and you all made this a VERY easy event to chair.
- Adam (W6AGT) — Consistently by my side, offering to help at every turn.
- Jeremy (KO6KUL) — Providing medical aid when a few of us went down.
- Steven (KO6EBQ) — All around, just offering help wherever it was needed.
- John (KN6COW) — Jumping in when plans changed to help with breakfast.
- Evan (KK6TNE) — Being our “boots on the ground” before the official start of the event, getting us information about the Floriston Fire that we couldn’t get from here.
- Mark (W2MWK) — Offering guidance and a hand throughout the weekend.
- Greydon (KC6SLE) and Lisa — Route planning, cooking, serving… almost too many things to list.
- Dan (KN6WQU) — Setting up movie night, and donating the movie screen to the club.
- Bob (N6EMS) — Being our health and safety guru and providing a delicious cobbler to those cleaning up camp on Sunday morning.
- Dan (KO6LMZ) and Joann — Jumping in consistently with meal prep and service.
- David (K6CIM) — Assisting around camp with breakdown.
- Dudley (KO6DRM) and his lovely bride — Helping whenever there was something to be done.
- Marty (N6BLO) and his lovely bride (her especially) — Helping organize and serve during the meals.
- Lan (KO6MWK) and Maxim (KO6NEZ) — Helping with camp breakdown.
- Brian (AI6US) and Lin (KN6KRD) — Being my uncredited co-chairs and always jumping in to keep us on track! We all know it starts with Lin 🙂
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
Important Campout Update
I’m CAMPOUT UPDATE
Updated: 9/17/2026 @ 7:00PM
Forward progress on the Floriston fire has slowed considerably with very little additional area burned. I’ve received emails regarding air quality — it’s excellent, no smoke whatsoever — Mother Nature is treating us good with no wind. This will likely be my last update unless conditions change.
A reminder that the route referenced on the website is closed to emergency vehicles only. You will need to use the newly refurbished Hobart Mills route.
DIRECTIONS
- Follow I-80 E to Truckee.
- From I-80 E, take exit 188A (CA-89 N).
This is not the first Tahoe exit so pay close attention. - Once you exit CA-89 N towards Sierraville, at the roundabout, make sure you’re headed toward Sierraville.
- Make a right on Hobart Mills Rd.
- It curves a bit and joins Dog Valley Rd.
- The address for Logger Campground is 26104 Dog Valley Rd, Truckee, CA 96161
The area is NOT under an evacuation watch or warning. At this time, Logger Campground is open and not threatened. With safety in mind, we’ll continue to stay in contact with the county sheriff and CHP Truckee, keeping a close eye on how fast the fire is moving, which direction it’s headed, and how containment is coming along. We’ll also provide updates on the QST crawler on http://www.w6ek.org.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to hop on the repeater OR call Smitty @ (916) 773-1999.
73,
Smitty (WB1G) | Fall Campout Chair
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
Fall Picnic In The Park (Tile)
Amateur Radio Exams / VE Testing: October 5th, 2026
Amateur Radio Exams / VE Testing: October 5th, 2026
Looking for a local, comfortable, friendly, and inviting atmosphere to help you successfully pass your ham radio exam? Sierra Foothills Volunteer Examiner Team provides monthly in-person exam sessions with mentors on hand to answer your questions about equipment, local resources, clubs, and events. You’ve successfully passed your ham radio exam, now what?
SFARC Elmers are here to help and guide you!
The Sierra Foothills VE team offers many scholarships. Free exams and Free FCC licenses for all students, youth, and young adults ages 25 and under! Military and First Responders receive a 50% discount on exams!
For more information and to pre-register for an upcoming session, CLICK HERE.
NEXT IN-PERSON DATE: October 5th, 2026 @ 7 PM
Fox Hunt > Equipment
WHAT KIND OF EQUIPMENT DO I NEED?
The popular RDF (radio direction finder) techniques used by SFARC include:
A version of the Handi-Finder created by Doug (W2VX) and Greydon (KC6SLE). This device switches between two dipole antennas, effectively measuring the TOA
(time of arrival) that appears as a tone on the HT (handi-talkie). As illustrated on the right, the tone will be null (i.e. minimum volume) when the antennas are equidistant from the hidden transmitter, thereby providing a vector to/from the hidden transmitter once several bearings or vectors have been established and plotted on a map the location of the Fox can be estimated. Mike (K6YMM) presentation on the technique can be found here.
Growing in popularity is the Tape Measure Yagi with a variable attenuator (step attenuator or an offset attenuator). The directional nature of a Yagi enables hunters to point straight at the hidden transmitter. As the Fox Hunter approaches the Fox, attenuation is required (otherwise the HT will be overloaded, and the S-meter will not show a peak).
The club continues to explore other RDF technologies. Most recently, testing the KrakenSDR, which uses five coherent receivers feeding data into a Raspberry Pi running the MUSIC (Multiple Signal Classification) algorithm. MUSIC is able to estimate DOA (direction of arrival) and, together with an Android phone, displays a heat map and a vector straight to the hidden transmitter!
Watts Up This Week
Hey SFARC Members and Friends,
I promise, not another word about the campout OTHER THAN if you’re planning to attend, make sure to check out the campout “resource center” for all the ins and outs. 🙂
So what’s next?
SFARC FALL PICNIC POTLUCK IN THE PARK / OCTOBER 10TH @ 4PM
The Sierra Foothills Amateur Radio Club invites you to our annual Fall Potluck in the Park, where the only thing better than a clear signal is good food and even better company. Bring a dish to share, pull up a chair, and swap your best stories from the airwaves. Let us know you’re coming and CLICK HERE to tell us what dish you’re bringing!! 73 and good eats await.
BREAKFAST AND FOX HUNT / SEPTEMBER 27TH AT 730 AM / WINGS @ THE AUBURN AIRPORT
This will be the last club breakfast at Wings this season with the October breakfast to be announced. More information coming about the September Fox Hunt too so keep your eyes pealed to these weekly updates.
HAMS AND HOPS IS BACK FOR SEPTEMBER / SEPTEMBER 30TH @ 6PM / KNEE DEEP BREWING COMPANY, 13395 NEW AIRPORT RD H, AUBURN
Have a frothy pint with your radio buddies later this month at:
KNEE DEEP BREWING COMPANY
13395 NEW AIRPORT ROAD,
SUITE H IN AUBURN (NEXT TO WINGS)
SEPTEMBER 30TH FROM 6–8 PM
Banzito’s Tacos will have their food truck onsite for the perfect pairing!!! Whether you’re a seasoned Elmer or a fresh Technician still grinning over your first contact, this is your chance to rag chew in person, no antenna required! Great beer, great people, and zero band conditions to worry about. Come for the hops, stay for the hams—we’ll be listening for your call! 73 and see you there!
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
CRAWLER
Watts Up This Week
Hello SFARC Members and Friends,
We hope you all had a great extended weekend. We’ve got a couple updates for the week.
CAMPOUT LAST CALL — ARE YOU COMING?
The RSVP deadline for the Fall Campout is this Thursday. September 10th. If you can’t remember if you RSVP’d, check here: https://www.w6ek.org/activities/campout/campers. If you’re planning to join us, even if just for a day trip, please let us know. And for those attending, please DON’T FORGET to tell us what you’re bringing for the snack table and Saturday night potluck.
RSVP Link: https://www.w6ek.org/activities/campout/rsvp
Snack Table Sign Ups: https://www.w6ek.org/activities/campout/snacktable
Potluck Sign Ups: https://www.w6ek.org/activities/campout/saturdaypotluck
NEXT CLUB MEETING, THIS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11th @ 7:30PM
In Person: Placer County HHS, Conference Center (Cordova Room 500), 11434 B Ave, Auburn, CA 95603
Online: https://www.w6ek.org/activities/meetings/jointhemeeting
Meeting Presentation:
Winlink E-Mail over MERCURY – Welcome to Free/Open OFDM Modes!
Coming up at the September meeting, Craig KM6LYW will be joining us to talk about Mercury, a new way to do high-speed digital communication via radio.
The guys at Rhizomatica just made a better VARA than VARA. Unlike VARA, it’s free, open-source, runs on Linux and Raspberry Pi. While not directly compatible with the proprietary VARA audio encoding, it does use the same API so existing VARA-HF clients (Pat, Winlink Express) can immediately leverage this exiting new HF radio transport!
Both VARA and MERCURY leverage “Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing” which is the foundation for modern/commercial RF transports, including WIFI. That’s how we get our speed and reliability. MERCURY includes “gear shifting” dynamically adapting to conditions and fading SNR.
Craig will discuss some of the interesting aspects of this new mode and hopefully send an email via Nevada using an experimental MERCURY Winlink email station (KO0OOO).
20TH ANNUAL WPARC LINCOLN HAMFEST, THIS SATURDAY @ 0700 / 65 McBean Park Dr, Lincoln, CA 95648
Flyer Link: https://www.w6ek.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/sfarc_fallcampout_fullcolor_promo_03-1024×692.png
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