Visit our Section website at www.arrlsacvalley.org for the latest updates.

September 2018 News

From the Section Manager

Here are the latest news and happening from clubs and members around our section.

This month's news features reports, photos and videos from radio amateurs and clubs around our Section.

New Section Appointment

We welcome Michael Joseph, KK6ZGB, on his new appointment as ARES District 3 Emergency Coordinator. Michael is a Red Cross Amateur Radio Disaster Operator, a certified ARES Field and Digital Operator and runs the weekly net for the Sacramento EC. We sincerely thank Ken Wilson K6WLS for his time as past DEC and for his continued service in our ARRL Field Organization.

Section Wide Net Thursday, September 20

Mark Thursday evening, September 20, on your calendar to check in to our ARRL Sacramento Valley Section Wide Nets on 146.85 MHz and 3880 kHz LSB.  See the details.

UPCOMING SECTION EVENTS

Saturday, September 15. Mark your calendars and stop by the ARRL booth at the Western Placer ARC Hamfest in Lincoln, CA.  Download Flyer.

Thursday September 20.  ARRL Sacramento Valley HF and VHF Section-Wide Nets (details).

Saturday, October 6.  At the Rocklin Maker Faire, the ARRL Sacramento Valley Section will have a booth and station setup to share the wonders of amateur radio between 9 AM and 4 PM. Ham radio’s roots are in making radios and antennas which is what the maker faire is all about. Last year more than 8,000 people showed up at Sierra College to see what folks are doing for hobbies. 
If you are interested in working the booth and sharing our hobby with others, please contact Orion Endres ai6jb@outlook.com. For more information click here or visit the Rocklin Mini Maker Faire website rocklin.makerfaire.com.

Saturday, October 13.  Shasta/Tehama ARES Hamfest in Redding, CA.  Download Flyer.October 19-21 ARRL PACIFICON Convention

Register online now at www.pacificon.org for the October 19-21, 2018 ‪‎‪‎ARRL‬ Pacificon Division Convention at the San Ramon Marriott. PACIFICON is the annual ARRL Pacific Division convention, held each year in October. It is THE premier amateur radio conference in the western U.S.

October 19-21 Jamboree on the Air

If you do not plan to attend the Pacificon convention, consider joining the Jamboree on the Air at the Beale AFB Scout Expo (details below) or reach out to your local Brownies, Cubs, Boys or Girl Scout troop to offer an Amateur Radio demonstration and to support their participation in the Oct. 19-21 Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) to communicate with other scouts around the world.  Offer to help your local Brownies, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts earn the Scouting Radio Merit Badge and the ARRL Girl Scout Radio and Wireless Technology Patch. Click for more information.

Our website, Facebook and Twitter pages are a work in progress, and your suggestions and submissions are always welcome.

The arrlsacvalley.org website is visited most during the first week of each month, but do check back as it is often updated with late breaking news.

73, Dr. Carol Milazzo, KP4MD
American Radio Relay League Sacramento Valley Section Manager
kp4md(at)arrl.org

You can always send compliments, suggestions and submissions for inclusion in our Section News to kp4md(at)arrl.org

ARRL VHF & HF Section-Wide Nets Thursday, September 20

On Thursday September 20, ARRL Sacramento Valley Section will hold an ARRL SECTION-WIDE NET, first on the WD6AXM repeater on 146.085 MHz IMMEDIATELY after the 7 pm Yuba-Sutter ARES net closes, then followed immediately by an HF net on 3880 kHz LSB +/- 3 kHz. All radio amateurs are encouraged to participate. We will issue an Official Bulletin reminder during that week.

ARRL Sacramento Valley Section Nets are conducted only on the third Thursday of the month when announced, following the 7 pm Pacific Time Yuba-Sutter ARES net on the WD6AXM 146.085 MHz 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 No 60m W7RNA receiver in Sedona, AZ 3880 kHz No 60m 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

Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) 2018
October 19-21
Update from Orion Endres, AI6JB, Section Youth Coordinator, posted August 8, 2018

Every third weekend of October for over 60 years, Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) has continuously grown to now be the largest Ham radio event in the world. In 2017, the World Organization of Scouting logged over 1.4 million scouts, girls & boys, participating in 152 countries. The ARRL is a supporter of the event and has a very informative webpage on how you can get involved, http://www.arrl.org/jamboree-on-the-air-jota.

Every club in the Section is encouraged to get with your local scouting units to run a JOTA site. If you need help identifying local units, please contact the Girl Scouts Heart of Central California Council at 800.322.4475 and the Golden Empire Council, Boy Scouts of America at 800.427.1417.

The Sierra Foothills ARC will be hosting a JOTA site at Beale Air Force Base as a part of Scout Expo. Scout Expo draws 5,000 Boy Scouts from all over northern California. If your club is not planning on setting up a JOTA Site and you want to be a part of the action, please let me know. We would love to have you. Due to the fact this event is on an active military base, we need to know your intentions by Sept 1st. Additional information can be found at https://jamboreeontheair.weebly.com.

Another way to get involved is to be on the air for Scouts when they call CQ! Check out the ARRL webpage for great information on frequencies, suggested discussion topics, and what to expect.

Hope to hear you on the air, Orion, AI6JB, Section Youth Coordinator

ARRL Exhibit and Special Event Station at October 6 Rocklin Mini Maker Faire
Posted August 10, 2018

Attention Area Radio Amateurs and Groups:

The ARRL Sacramento Valley Section will sponsor an exhibit promoting Amateur Radio and our local clubs at the Mini Maker Faire at Sierra College in Rocklinon Saturday October 6 from 9 am - 4 pm. Admission is free!  We plan a display of homebrew amateur radio equipment and antenna projects, Morse Code practice stations, and offering opportunities for attendees to learn about the many facets of the amateur radio and to communicate on the air with amateur radio operators via an operational on-site amateur radio Special Event Station N6M. We will offer literature and information on licensing, local clubs, the ARRL and amateur radio's role in community service and promoting careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

Radio hams were the original Makers and Hackers, using new, used and scavenged parts to make transmitters, receivers, and antennas capable of communicating with other hams anywhere on Earth, and beyond. In this hobby, communicating is the keyword. And, when computers came along, they fit right in to the ham's wide world. Using their technical skills and imagination, hams put together advanced communication networks connected by radio waves instead of wires.

When amateurs began experimenting with radio more than a century ago, they had no choice but to build everything they needed. You might or might not be able to get a signal on your smartphone, but it is truly liberating to be able to communicate using equipment you've built yourself — using just the natural phenomenon of radio-wave propagation and without our telecommunications infrastructure. Radio amateurs don't develop radio-communication skills and capabilities just for ourselves, but also to serve our communities and country through public service and emergency preparedness.

For more information or to help plan or participate in this public outreach, please e-mail our Section Youth Coordinator Orion Endres at ai6dj@outlook.com

Update from Bob Wortman, WB6VYH, Section Technical Coordinator
Posted September 10, 2018

There goes summer. I did two trips to Twin Falls, Idaho this summer and I even found a ham swap in Twin Falls.

We are planning a trip to Idaho this winter. If you are up in that area and need cards checked let me know.

Don’t forget the Western Placer ARC ham swap coming up on the 15th of September, more information athttp://www.wparc.us/ See you all there. If you have an application for DXCC, WAS or VUCC and it is already just find me. Any questions just email me, my info is on QRZ or the ARRL site.

Pacificon 2018 is just around the corner. I will be there doing applications and cards. Stop by and say hi. More info at http://pacificon.org/

I have not heard anything about the Durham California swap meet yet, in the past it has been at the end of September. If I hear anything I will update this information.

See you down the log sheets.

73, Bob Wortman, WB6VYH, wb6vyh@arrl.net
ARRL Pacific Division DXCC Awards Manager, Sacramento Valley Section Technical Coordinator, WAS Award Manager, VUCC Awards Manager

The Redding Veterans' Home is On the Air
Posted September 10, 2018, submitted by Steve, K6KS

On Friday August 24th, Tom Cleminson KF7FTJ made the first HF contact from the Veterans’ Home in Redding, checking into the Noon Time Net with their Net Control Station Dar W6IO. The Veterans’ Home now has VHF and HF capabilities.

The Veterans’ Home has three licensed hams living there. Two more residents are studying for their Technician Class licenses.

Thanks to members of the following groups who contributed to this project: The Redding ARRL Volunteer Examiner Team, The Shingletown Amateur Radio Club, the Redding Old Timers group, and the Western Amateur Radio Repeater and Echolink Association.

From Section Affiliated Club Coordinator, Max Soucia, N1KGS
Posted March 11

Hi Sac Valley Hams. I’m the newly appointed section Affiliated Club Coordinator. I’ve been a ham for 28 years or there about. I relocated from northern Maine in 2009 after I retired where I was Section Emergency Coordinator and I helped write and develop the original EC 101 course. I was an online mentor for EmComm for several years. I’m a big cheerleader for Amateur Radio’s ability to assist in emergencies when nothing else works. As such I’m a proponent of ARRL affiliation for the support we can give it in return for the technical and particularly legislative support they provide. In the present atmosphere of monetizing all aspects of society we will be feeling more and more pressure to privatize the EM spectrum including our slivers of it. Witness the development and expansion of 5G services. Protection and expansion of our spectrum is where we as individual hams can benefit from League activity as we support them with sheer numbers through membership and club affiliation.

I’ll be contacting each ARRL affiliated club in the Sacramento Valley Section over the coming weeks to update your club information and to help bring your League affiliation up to date if needed. I also want to visit each club over the coming months for an eyeball QSO. There is much of Northern California I have not seen and I’m looking forward to the travel. In the meantime, if you want assistance in utilizing the benefits of affiliation such as club insurance, or updating your Special Service Club status or have questions about any of these issues or just want to rag chew my cell number is (916) 607 6524 and my email is N1KGS@arrl.net.

73 de Max Soucia, N1KGS, Affiliated Club Coordinator, Sacramento Valley Section, ARRL

ARES at Nevada County Fair
Posted August 15, 2018

It is Fair time in Nevada County. This year we are together with the Nevada County Amateur Radio Club. Since Cal McKitrick is the president of the club AND a valued ARES member we get lots of exposure at the fair. We have a nice banner (orange in foreground) and always have an ARES member or two on hand for questions and information. ARES go boxes (on table in foreground) are good and drawing in some folks that like to "geek" out on the hardware. Thanks to Cal for letting us tag along!

Submission and photo by Jason Eaton, KJ6HNP, Nevada County ARES Emergency Coordinator

September 22 - Sacramento County ARES Training
Posted September 10, 2018

The next Sacramento County ARES training and meeting is scheduled for Saturday September 22, 2018 from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon at the Sacramento Sheriff's Central Division, 7000 65th Street, Sacramento, CA 95823.

Vince Cracchiolo KI6NHP is the Sacramento County EC.

For more information, visit the Sacramento County ARES web site at www.saccountyares.org

NIST FY 2019 Budget Would Eliminate WWV, WWVH and WWVB

from the ARRL News, posted August 21, 2018

ARRL members and Amateur Radio clubs are expressing increased concern over the inclusion of WWV and WWVH on a list of proposed cuts in the White House’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Fiscal Year 2019 budget request. The proposed cuts also would include the Atomic Clock signal from WWVB used to synchronize specially equipped clocks and watches. Online petitions soliciting signatures include one established by Tom Kelly II, W7NSS, of Portland, Oregon, who would like to see funding for the stations maintained. At this point, the budget item is only a proposal, not a final decision. That would be up to the Congress to decide.

Read the full story at http://www.arrl.org/news/concern-rising-within-amateur-radio-community-over-wwv-wwvh-shut-down-proposal

NOTE: Here is the link to Tom Kelly's online petition to continue funding for the NIST broadcast services.
NPR Story on "What Closing A Government Radio Station Would Mean For Your Clocks"