SACRAMENTO VALLEY SECTION WEB RESOURCES
Section News: www.arrlsacvalley.org
Section Nets: http://sites.google.com/site/arrlsacvalley/nets
Sacramento Valley ARES: www.sacvalleyares.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ARRLSacramentoValley
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ARRL_SV
Thanks to Greg Kruckewitt KG6SJT for maintaining our Section ARES web page and assisting with our Facebook page and Twitter feed.
Thanks to Les Cobb W6TEE for maintaining the Section Net list.
ARRL Affiliated Club web resources are now listed on this web page
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Annual Armed Forces Day Cross-Band Test Set for May 7 – 8, 2021
Posted April 27, 2021
The US Department of Defense will host this year’s Armed Forces Day (AFD) Cross-Band Test, Friday and Saturday, May 7 – 8, in recognition of Armed Forces Day on May 15. The event is open to all radio amateurs. For more than 50 years, military and amateur stations have taken part in this exercise, designed to include amateur radio and government radio operators alike.
The AFD Cross-Band Test is a unique opportunity to test two-way communications between military and amateur radio stations, as authorized under FCC Part 97 rules. These tests provide opportunities and challenges for radio operators to demonstrate individual technical skills in a tightly controlled exercise in which military stations will transmit on selected military frequencies and will announce the specific amateur radio frequencies being monitored.
The schedule of military/government stations taking part in the Armed Forces Day Cross-Band Test and information on the AFD message is available on the MARS website.
Complete the request form to obtain a QSL card.
FCC Updated Radio Frequency Exposure Rules Become Effective on May 3, 2021
from the ARRL News April 12, 2021
The FCC has announced that rule changes detailed in a lengthy 2019 Report and Order governing RF exposure standards go into effect on May 3, 2021. The new rules do not change existing RF exposure (RFE) limits but do require that stations in all services, including amateur radio, be evaluated against existing limits, unless they are exempted. For stations already in place, that evaluation must be completed by May 3, 2023. After May 3 of this year, any new station, or any existing station modified in a way that’s likely to change its RFE profile — such as different antenna or placement or greater power — will need to conduct an evaluation by the date of activation or change.
“In the RF Report and Order, the Commission anticipated that few parties would have to conduct reevaluations under the new rules and that such evaluations will be relatively straightforward,” the FCC said in an April 2 Public Notice. “It nevertheless adopted a 2-year period for parties to verify and ensure compliance under the new rules.”
The Amateur Service is no longer categorically excluded from certain aspects of the rules, as amended, and licensees can no longer avoid performing an exposure assessment simply because they are transmitting below a given power level.
Read the full story at http://www.arrl.org/news/updated-radio-frequency-exposure-rules-become-effective-on-may-3
May 20, 2021 ARRL Sacramento Valley Section-Wide Net
ARRL Sacramento Valley Section Nets are conducted only on months when announced, on the third Thursday of that month following the 7 pm Pacific Time Yuba-Sutter ARES net on the WD6AXM 146.085 MHz +0.6 MHz offset, CTCSS 127.3 Hz FM repeater, followed by the HF Section Net on 3880 kHz LSB +/- 3 kHz. During spring and summer months the HF net may be conducted on 5330.5 kHz USB as propagation permits.
All Sacramento Valley Section radio amateurs are welcome to check into our Section Nets. The nets carry announcements of interest to our section and test our section-wide station communication capabilities.
Don't have an antenna or HF radio? Click a link
and Listen to our HF net on a web receiver.
W6DRZ receiver at Half Moon Bay
3880 kHz
5330.5 kHz
W7RNA receiver in Sedona, AZ
3880 kHz
5330.5 kHz
Northern Utah web receiver
3880 kHz
5330.5 kHz
Hourly Northern California NVIS Observations
This chart shows colors that represent the recommended HF frequencies for contacting stations for a particular hour. Both stations should use the SAME frequency denoted by the color at the location of the target station. The chart is in Universal Time (UTC). More information at http://www.sws.bom.gov.au/HF_Systems/6/6
EmComm=Emergency Communications
Club and Member News - May 2021
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
From the desk of KM6RHC, Daniel, Club President
Hello all, hope this finds all of you well. It has been a rough time these last 13 months as our hobby involves interaction that has not been allowed to occur. As we now have had a few months of ZOOM meetings and my thanks go to June and Linda for making that happen and helping us figure that out. We are starting to reopen the town with things starting to return to normal I’m hopeful of us getting back to our events. We are exploring options for Field Day 2021, locating FOX transmitters for a fox hunt and planning for some gatherings in the near future. I hope we can all get together soon and put all of 2020 behind us. We have found a lot of new Hams over the last couple testing sessions and upgrades are picking up too. Thanks go out to LeRoy for his efforts and all the VE’s for their help as well. My thanks to Curtis and Marsha for their work with the Valley Ham News each month. I have been very busy with my work but have started making some time in the evenings to get on HF. I have had some neat QSO’s with my Elmer Phil as we had 6 or 7 stations all receiving each other from 3 or 4 countries at the same time.
Message to all of our club Technicians and those who are new Generals, if you want to get on HF, let me know. I will make some time and have you over to operate. As always, if you have ideas for events or need help with anything, let me know. My best to all of you and here is to a much better year.
Thanks for this QSO and till next, 73’s Daniel Weber
GENERAL MEETING
At the last general club meeting Danial (KM6RHC) gave a talk about solar power. Next month at the General Zoom Meeting, on 18 May, Dave Gipson (KC9EI) will give a presentation on Baluns.
EDITORS COMMENTS
✓YSARC’s new web page is: www.ysarc.net - click on the upper right-hand icon on the homepage to join the club’s Facebook page. Past issue’s of the VHN are available on our new website.
✓Send your ham related articles and pictures to share in your VHN. Pictures of ham shacks, antenna projects, antenna parties, etc. are appreciated KI6CSN@arrl.net or KF6FVP@arrl.net
Newsletters
April 2021 Meeting
May 4 Meeting Program
At our May 4 7:30 pm Zoom meeting Michael Joseph KK6ZGB & Lynn Pesely will present "Sacramento Medical Reserve Corps" & Kevin Hooke KK6DCT will present "Web Resources for the Radio Amateur." Our members receive log on instructions via their registered email. Visitors may request meeting access via advance e-mail to contact@n6na.org Time: 7:30 pm 1st Tuesday of each month.
River City ARCS Booth at May 14-15 Rio Linda Farm & Tractor Days
The River City ARCS will host an Amateur Radio information and live N6NA radio demonstration booth at the Rio Linda Historical Farm & Tractor Days. The event will be held on Friday, May 14 and Saturday May 15 from 9 am - 4 pm at Dry Creek Ranch, 6852 Dry Creek Rd, Rio Linda, CA 95673. We encourage all members and visitors to drop by, get on the air, and share the fun of amateur radio with the general public. For more information please email contact@n6na.org
River City ARCS Field Day at the Fair Oaks VFW and at Home
Don't miss ARRL Field Day on June 26-27, our club's premier annual operating event! This year's Field Day will be a "hybrid" operating event. All members and the general public regardless of license class or status can "Get on the Air" at our Field Day. Drop-ins are welcome. We have reserved the pavilion at VFW Township Post 6158 at 8990 Kruitof Way, Fair Oaks, CA 95628 for club operation. Members who prefer to operate from home may also contribute their Field Day contact points to our cumulative club score. See the details at www.n6na.org/fieldday
Daily "Health and Welfare" Net to end May 1
After more than a year, we plan to end the Health and Welfare net. The operators we contact have had their COVID shots and have other non-hams keeping an eye on their well-being.
Our thanks to Bob N6PGQ, Neil KL7HQR and Peter KD6QZH for their dedicated service as net controls and to all who participated in our Health and Welfare Nets.
We plan to hold our final H&W Net Saturday May 1
Our 2 meter on-the-air net is held every Wednesday evening at 8:00 pm on the 145.25 MHz N6NA FM repeater and AllStar node 53410 and EchoLink node N6NA-R. All are also welcome to check in to our 8:30 pm 10 meter net on 28.420 MHz USB and the slow scan television net at 9 pm on the 441.300 MHz N6NA FM repeater. See more information at www.n6na.org/nets
Newsletters
W6SFM Monthly Meeting
Hello members, I'm told that many of you have had an opportunity to have your 2 Jabs in the arm and feel safe to leave your houses again. This is great news, because the SFM ARC will be meeting once again IN-PERSON. However, we will be holding the meeting for the next month or two at N6MQL's residence, just as we did before the weather started getting cold.
I'm told that the Carmichael Presbyterian Church (our normal meeting location) is beginning to open up once again, but isn't quite there yet.
Please join us for the W6SFM in-person meeting at my home QTH (address found on QRZ) and be sure to bring a fold up chair with you. Don't worry all you people without your Jabs, you are welcome to wear your mask and keep your 6 feet distance. There is plenty of room for everyone to stay 6 feet apart if you like. The meeting will be held outside with plenty of fresh air.
I hope that ALL of our local members will join us on Thursday the 6th of May for our next in-person meeting. Snacks and water will be provided by the club. Please let me know if you have any questions or need help getting here.
73, Michael N6MQL, President SFM ARC
On-Air Net Meeting
Each Tuesday of the week 8:00 PM on 3.545 MHz the SFM ARC enjoys getting on the air with CW for our weekly Nets. You do NOT need to be a member of the SFM ARC to check into our nets and we encourage you to invite a friend to join us as well. Although our nets usually run around 15 wpm code, we are all happy to accommodate those that are slower and need us to oblige. If you are unable to copy Morse Code or need some code practice, please feel free to visit our on-line LIVE streaming broadcast of both the Audio and a CW to Text decoding of the meeting. The “LIVE FEED” link can be found on our home page of our website. With our YouTube Live streaming system, you can watch the Live Feed on your Apple IOS or Android devices. You do not need to have a YouTube account to access the feed. However, you will need one to subscribe to our channel. Those viewing through YouTube can chat with others watching on-line as well. This of course is not mandatory, but rather just a way of making everyone feel more involved in our on-air nets. If you like, you can “check-in” using the chat window and you will be included with our On-Air Net log. Simply announce your call letters in the chat window.
Tell A Friend
Do you know someone in need of a Ham Club to call home? Perhaps someone that wants to learn Morse Code, are interested in CW or already knows and uses it? The SFM ARC would love to be their new Club home. Our in-person meetings are held each 1st Thursday of the month at 7PM. Please use the rear parking lot and entry for best access to the meeting. A map and directions can also be found on our website. We hope to see you at our next meeting!
Member Updates and Feedback
Please send your feedback to kp4md@arrl.org to be included in this section.
GOTA Café Session “Chocolate Fish Coffee Roaster On-The-Air with KN6OHL”
by Jojo Melendres, KN6HTD, submitted April 19, 2021
The GOTA Café Session is an eyeball QSO. It is an informal, outdoor, by invitation activity set up with hams who are eager to learn more about Amateur Radio. An Elmer, in which case for today, Jojo KN6HTD shares some additional information to newer hams (In Jen’s case, not necessarily new to radio).
Meet our new member spotlight: Jennifer KN6OHL!
Jen is a fun, outgoing, outdoor-loving, adventurer, and CB-er (Citizens’ Band radio operator). She expressed desire to learn more and welcomes this one-on-one Elmer session.
We followed covid precautions, it is obvious that we are masked, and both vaccinated
ARRL Field Day is June 26-27!
