Author Archives: Robert Shank

ZACHARY (Zak) Cohen, N6PK — A Heartfelt Farewell

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On January 27, 2026, surrounded by family, we lost Zak Cohen, N6PK — a quiet giant in our Amateur Radio family. Born in January 1942 and licensed in 1961 during his Navy service, Zak didn’t just operate a radio; he built trust, confidence, and community with every kind word and steady hand. He mentored countless new hams with endless patience — never rushing, always encouraging, always following up. In emergencies, his calm voice brought reassurance to the net. In everyday life, he reached out to families of Silent Keys, offered wisdom to the overwhelmed, and friendship to anyone who needed it. He was a member of K6MEP and was happy to provide county updates during our meetings. Zak’s legacy lives in the operators he steadied, the nets he strengthened, and the people who are better hams and better humans because he took the time to care. We miss you deeply,… Continue reading →

The HP 3420B Differential Voltmeter Ratiometer by Clement Alberts KM6OKZ

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A little over a year ago I started hunting for the title of this article.   It is as its name implies it is a DC voltmeter good down to about 20ppm.  I’ll talk about it some after giving you some of the backstory.  I’d been looking one to acquire for well over a year.  A few months ago, I found one, bought it and promptly found out I got scammed.   Got my money back though.  A second stroke of better luck in November proved more productive.  I located a 58-year-old example in Berlin Germany (viz a viz the Max Planck Institute) for a reasonable price.  That’s not to say there were no hurdles.  The seller didn’t want to ship to the USA.  Bribing the man made him agree to shipping it.  Once shipped it had to tediously wend its way through Germany, endure a flight to New York, languish for… Continue reading →

The HP 6209B Power Supply

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By Clement Alberts KM6OKZ I recently wrote a little article about my adventures with the Tek 577 curve tracer that Robert Shank KM6RSS was kind enough to sell me.  Recall for a moment that the 577 was designed to be used with semiconductor devices.  In my case, I wanted to look at the four 7838 pentode power output tubes on the Fisher 400 stereo amplifier my father gave me back in 1968 (that being an entire project in itself).  The 577 is capable of supplying control sufficient grid and plate voltages to power the 7868-vacuum tube.   It cannot however supply a separate voltage to power either the screen grid or the filaments.  The filaments were simply powered by DC supply.  The screen grid required my obtaining a HP 6515A power supply. This adjustable little joker can output almost 2KV.   The screen grid only required 350V.  The only thing I didn’t… Continue reading →

Scientific American reports that radio will soon be used to transmit music to the home

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On October 1, 1920, Scientific American magazine reports that the rapidly developing medium of radio would soon be used to broadcast music. A revolution in the role of music in everyday life was about to be born. “It has been well known for some years that by placing a form of telephone transmitter in a concert hall or at any point where music is being played the sound may be carried over telephone wires to an ordinary telephone receiver at a distant point,” began the bulletin in the October 1, 1920 issue of the popular science monthly, “but it is only recently that a method of transmitting music by radio has been found possible.” In an 1888 novel called Looking Backward: 2000-1887, author Edward Bellamy imagined a scene in which a time-traveler from 1887 reacts to a technological advance from the early 21st century that he describes as “an arrangement… Continue reading →

2025 ARRL K6MEP Field Day a Success

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From John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, Editor | July 3, 2025 edited to add K6MEP Information by Robert KM6RSS Tens of thousands of hams are celebrating a successful 2025 ARRL Field Day! The largest annual amateur radio event is also one of the most beloved, as shown by countless social media posts. Activity was high, with 1536 sites in the ARRL Field Day Site Locator, and that doesn’t even count home stations, portable operations, or other participants. Above is our club President, Dave, AI6VX, operating during Saturday night. Hundreds of photos were posted from ARRL Field Day sites. See an album of some of them on the ARRL Facebook page Denney Pistole N6HV enjoying lunch while Mark Thompson AE6GD  looks on. Officer Romero and Chester K1GKM, talk about Chester’s classic car “There’s a reason that hams look forward to ARRL Field Day,” said ARRL Public Relations and Outreach Manager Sierra Harrop,… Continue reading →

A different antenna story by Alan Majeski AK6MF

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I became a “bonafide” ham radio operator during field day 2025 (after some insistent coaxing from Dave, the club president) when I made my first QSO followed by 5 others in the last 20 minutes of the event. I could not have made them without his assistance, in fact, all I did was talk into the microphone when prompted, even that was more difficult than I had imagined. Alan AK6MF operating GOTA with Dave AI6VX It is a common misconception among non hams that all it takes is a radio and a license to become one. I held that notion myself until I was shown that it takes a whole lot more. I had gotten my amateur extra license sometime before but had not gotten on the air due to performance anxiety and the love / hate relationship I have with antennas. I am fascinated by them but I do… Continue reading →

VP Says – July 2025

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This month, during our July 11th meeting, we will have one guest speakers, Tim Tenopir KN6JGB, who will be discussing and demonstrating his bicycle’s UHF/VHF antenna setup. He will also provide extensive technical information about current and emerging weatherproofing technologies for protecting connectors from corrosion, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each method, and installation procedures with samples. Thirdly, Tim will be demonstrating a homemade air cannon for installing line antennas such as dipoles, etc. in trees and other high-tie structures. Tim will provide plans for construction of the air cannon and conduct workshops at future club events such as picnics, etc. as designated by the club Board of Directors. Tim Tenopir KN6JGB Tim’s educational background is in materials and mechanical engineering, having an A.S. in Metallurgical Technology from Don Bosco Technical Institute, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cal State University Long Beach and… Continue reading →

Come to the K6MEP Field Day(s)!

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Where: Oxnard College grass area west of parking lot A, (Google Maps shows it as B) When: Set-up Noon Friday June 27 Start QSOs 11 AM Saturday June 28 End QSOs 11 AM Sunday June 29 AGENDA: Friday June 27th at 12:00pm – setup at Oxnard College.  Folks are encouraged to come out and set up your antennas and mark your planned operation spot.  For those that do come up and set up, or help others set up, we’ll have ‘build your own sandwiches’. Saturday June 28th – Come out early and continue or start your set up.  Fire up your laptop and get connected to our N3FJP server for automatic uploading of your logs.  Don’t wait until the contest starts before asking for help!.  For those that plan on logging to paper, I will bring out forms you can fill out to help you remember what should be written… Continue reading →

Ventura County BOS Proclamation: June is Amateur Radio Month

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On June 3rd, local amateur radio operators (aka Ham Radio) were honored with a proclamation from the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, recognizing June as Amateur Radio Month. Jeff Reinhardt AA6JR, Public Information Coordinator for the American Radio Relay League, accepted the proclamation and reminded us how valuable these unsung heroes of communication are, especially in times of crisis. John Kitchens NS6X, Santa Barbara AARL Section Manager, also spoke about the value and contribution made by ham radio operators in our county and world-wide.Their motto, “When all else fails, we are there.”You can meet these hard-working volunteers at the annual Amateur Radio Field Day, June 28-29, 2025. For more information you can visit https://www.arrl.org/field-day Ventura County Board of Supervisors and other Officials: You are cordially invited to visit the Ventura County Amateur Radio Club’s FIELD DAY ACTIVITIES (see back of page) AT OXNARD COLLEGE JUNE 28-29, 2025 FROM 11AM ON… Continue reading →

VP Says – June 2025

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This month, during our June 13th meeting, we will have one guest speaker, Geoffrey Dann (N3CFX) who will present QRP. We will also have our Field Day 2025 Planning Meeting, led by Dave AI6VX. Geoffrey Dann (N3CFX) will present QRP. In Ham Radio, QRP refers to low-power operation, typically transmitting with 5 watts or less for CW (Morse code) or 10 watts or less for SSB (voice). The term comes from the Q code “QRP,” meaning “reduce power,” but in practice, it’s about maximizing efficiency and skill to communicate over long distances with minimal power. QRP enthusiasts often use compact, portable radios, like the Elecraft KX2 or Yaesu FT-818, and focus on lightweight antennas for field operations, such as during events like QRP Field Day. It’s a challenging and rewarding niche in amateur radio, emphasizing operator skill and equipment optimization. Geoffrey’s bio: My grandfather was an electronic engineer who worked… Continue reading →