2024

2024


GREAT NEWS! You can now join or renew your membership with the ARCEC online! Click here.

December, 2024

Ham Potluck Dinner.  Let's eat! Photos

November, 2024

Vance, WD9C, will give a demonstration and explanation of an antenna he built to collect weather satellite data.  

Round 2 of our End Fed Antenna build project.  For those who could not attend in October, or who need help finishing their kits, we will spend the remainder of our meeting time helping start and debug the antenna kits.  The EFHW Project Page


October, 2024

Hamtastic will be on October 26th at Fiesta Island

October 18-20, we have an opportunity to help with JOTA (Jamboree on the Air) with the scout group at Balboa Park.
From your home ham shack, listen on these frequencies to help the scouts make contacts.  Every band and almost all modes will be used.

https://k2bsa.net/scout-frequencies/ 


If you can commit to several hours on Saturday, October 19, that is when most scouts will be active and participating.  We have discussed using our radio equipment (towers) and possibly some members radio gear to help the scouts have a successful weekend.  Kevin Walsh AK6Z is organizing this effort and needs help with volunteers.   They're going to be using DMR and HF, and we even discussed some APRS and Packet operations.  Let us know if you can or will volunteer.  president@wa6bgs.us   You might be a helpful volunteer even from your home station.

We started building antennas! The October meeting focused on building our end fed antennas. 
Check it out.


Hamtastic San Diego - October 26.    https://hamtasticsd.com 


September, 2024

Patrick Gooden K6PFG will be sharing some collected wisdom on the End Fed Half Wave antenna kits we are going to build.
Sign up and $10 down payment on the antenna kits.  Hope to deliver and assemble them by  our October 10 meeting.
JOTA needs volunteers.
Hamcon - Yuma, AZ February 21-22  2025


August, 2024


If you have an AREDN node ready at home, get connected with us this month and we'll work through the tunnel configuration as a group.  Jack Gallegos (KK6YWG) will be helping us set up tunnels to a node here in San Diego.  Once you are connected, the mesh is functional over the internet until the AREDN team gets some RF links in place.  If you are geographically near other AREDN nodes and can begin creating RF connections, the tunnel helps you jumpstart this process.  Reply to this mail about your interest in AREDN tunnels, or make yourself known at the meeting.



The HONDA GENERATOR restoration project.

July 11, 2024

Meeting begins at 6:30p.  We will vote on a new club officer and recap our efforts from Field Day 2024, and what projects we want to do in the remainder of the year.  Several things have been suggested over the past few months.  Some are kits, some are mods for enhanced radio use, and some are solar and power projects to help your off-grid ham operations.  Bring ideas.  For those who have requested name badges, they should be ready for pickup.


Thanks to our volunteers and members.  Tonight we elected David Kaplar to the office of Vice President, and Sue Robbins to the office of Secretary!


June, 2024

FIELD DAY 2024  CLICK HERE

Planning meeting and final prep for Field Day 2024.  This should be interesting for many as we're going to try and do several things this year.

June 22-23 - Field Day at Santee Lakes, Padre Water District.  

The SCOUTS can use your volunteer help.  Read more here.  https://www.wa6bgs.us/SCOUTING 

May, 2024

INTERNATIONAL STYLE ON-FOOT T-HUNT & BBQ
Saturday May 18th, 2024
Mission Bay Park, Vacation Village, San Diego, CA.

Sponsored by the San Diego T-Hunt Group & CQ Magazine World Wide Fox Hunt Weekend
Starting times will be 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM at 5-minute intervals. If you start at 1:30 you will have until 3:30 to complete the course. NO REGISTRATION FEES! There will be 5 hidden T’s using the MOE-MOI-MOS-MOH-MO5 format. You will be issued a “Punch Card” and there will be orange & white flagging tape at each punch located close to the hidden T. Antennas will all be vertically polarized with approximately the same radiated power from each “T’. This is a flat, fun and easy course and there will be experienced Hams present to demonstrate hunting techniques for those that want to learn about “On-Foot” Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) and “Practice T’s” to experiment with before you start the course. For information on International Style T-Hunts you may go to Joe Moell’s, (k0ov) website www.homingin.com. You do not need a Ham Radio License to participate. Limited ARDF equipment will be available for practice and possibly to use for hunting for those that do not have small 2-M beams. Bring a connector to go from your HT antenna connector to a BNC cable (Chinese HT’s not recommended.) You will be issued a map of the area with major features delineated. A compass, clipboard and pencil may be handy for plotting bearings. Check weather and dress appropriately. There are several restrooms in the park area. 

 
A BBQ is planned starting 2-2:30 for those interested who would like to hang around, socialize and “Talk Radio”. We will have burgers & hot dogs, buns,   condiments, potato salad, drinks, cookies, chips and salsa. Bring a chair as seating is limited! BBQ donations can be made on site. For further information  contact:  Joe Corones, N6SZO C-858-603-5545, jcorones@gmail.com    Joe Loughlin, KE6PHB C-619-403-3149, ke6phb@cox.net  

DIRECTIONS: On W/B I-8, west of I-5, take the W. Mission Bay Drive exit and turn right. Stay on the main street (no turns). It changes name to Ingraham St. Proceed for about 3⁄4 mile and after crossing the bridge turn left on Vacation Rd. Make a quick left and follow road south to Gazebo. Look for T-Hunt/Fox Hunt signs. Coordinates are: 32 46’ 18” N. 117 14’ 07 W.   COME OUT AND EXPERIENCE A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF HAM RADIO


April, 2024

What: EARS Ham-radio-related auction
Cost: Sellers $2 for first tag, $1each additional tag, buyers are free (everyone bring a chair, sellers bring a table or tarp to put your items on)
When: Saturday April 20th, 2024. Open at 9AM, auction begins at 10:00AM (outside parking lot)
Where: 230 E 4th Ave, Escondido, CA 92025 (near 4th & Kalmia), Parking lot of Dirk Reschly CPA
More Info: http://www.earsclub.org
Payment: Cash, Check, Paypal/Credit.
Lots of great donations this year. 


Bring your AREDN equipment to the April 11 meeting and lets all compare notes.  Frank NB1Z wil bring his three node AREDN portable config to show how this commodity hardware can be built into something useful.  If you still need help with your TNC kit, bring that too.  We might have some opportunities this year to partner with other groups and help youth with their own ham adventures. - Developing!

Donut Net is back on Mondays, but we can create a new format as much time has passed.  Come for the regular format, stick around for some conversations.

April 30, the SD ARES group may be using the 2m repeater as part of their hospital drill.  8a till 12p.

March 20, 2023
THE 2M REPEATER IS WORKING AGAIN.  Phase 1 of a 3 part repair task, the new Motorola unit is installed and works.  Please get back on the air and use it!
There will be some costs associated with this repair as old parts need to be replaced and the fiberglass shell on the antenna is becoming see-thru.  Years of baking in the sun...  that part has worn out too.

March 2024

Get your AREDN hardware acquired and read the documentation on how to flash firmware, and lets do something useful and fun with AREDN.  There are three of us who already have some inexpensive WiFi gear ready to be upgraded.  The more nodes in the mesh, the more resilient the mesh.   A bunch of this technology started here in San Diego, so lets keep it going.  It doesn't have to be a permanent install.   

CHECK OUT PROJECT UPDATES AND DOCUMENTATION IN PROJECT TNC

WA6BGS-10 Winlink RMS Gateway is on the air, using a Nino-TNC and installed near the summit of Dictionary Hill.  WA6BGS-10  on 145.070 MHz
https://winlink.org/ is your easy step toward using this gateway and others around the county.

February, 2024

Bring your TNC project back for some final debugging, testing, firmware, or cable up to a working computer and verify it works as advertised.  We will be bringing our club Winlink gateway to the meeting so you can test winlink mail right there in the room.    We'll be looking at future projects for packet and other projects we might find interesting in the future.

January, 2024 - Happy New Year!  10m is FINALLY open for service!

TNC project build workshop.  We're going to dedicate the entire evening to helping those solder the Nino TNC kit we ordered last month.  Bring whatever soldering tools you want (put your name on them) and we'll help you get this project started and built.  Check out the PROJECT TNC page for information.  We have JUST A FEW extra kits if you couldn't make up your mind last month, but now want in on the action.  Kits cost $40.