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Tag for articles that would normally have gone into the Keyer

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 →

Pres Say June 2025

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IMPORTANT: Keith W6KME is holding “a class on using FT8 in a crowd and on the mode in general; lots of good tips.   If you plan on using FT8 at our K6MEP Field Day this year, you need to attend this zoom meeting! When? June 4th Wednesday 7pm – 8pmWhere? Zoom   Meeting ID  821 6511 8996Password 662071 Keith will educate us on how to run FT8 to be a good neighbor to our fellow Field Day participants For folks that have participated in our K6MEP Field Day in recent years, you know that in-band interference from other modes has been a problem, especially voice from CW and FT8.  For some SDR based rigs, even strong out of band interference can be a problem.  A big reason is from not having proper antenna spacing.  I’ve been told that K6MEP was a leader in the past as far as setting up Field… 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 →

Pres Says – May 2025

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Pres Says May 2025 AI6VX Weather Station Temperature History for April 2025 Welcome to the month of May!  Okay, I’m late – we’re already 1 week into the new month.  From my weather station, barely 10 of the days in April were solidly in the 70’s, but it is refreshing that the sun is finally out.  We’ve got VERY warm temperatures on tap for the weekend and then back to mid 60’s next week.  As usual the year is zipping by, though looking back, the club events in April feel like they were so long ago. How is it that time goes by quickly and slowly for the same period? AI6VX FT8 Log on a Particularly Good Evening Just like above where I perceived time to move both quickly and slowly, my personal ham radio activities in April seem few, but now that I’m really thinking about it, the month… Continue reading →

Choosing the Right Handheld Radio (HT) for Emergency Communications From Oliver K6OLI

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During the recent Walk for Kids event, the topic of handheld radios (HTs) came up. Choosing the right HT is crucial for effective emergency communications, and it largely depends on your personal preferences, budget, and intended use. Here are some key points to consider: 1. Usage First, think about how you plan to use your radio. If you primarily operate on 2m/70cm repeaters and occasionally use simplex for local events like Walk for Kids, a basic dual-band HT might be all you need. Analog Radios Analog radios come in a variety of price ranges: Digital Modes LAXNORTHEAST primarily uses analog modes to ensure inclusivity and reach a broader audience. If you’re interested in digital modes like DMR, Fusion, or D-Star, make sure there are compatible repeaters in your area. Most digital radios also support analog 2m/70cm operation. 2. Programming Software There are two main choices for programming software: For HTs… Continue reading →

World Wide Web (WWW) launches in the public domain (propvided by Hanson, Robert – W6RH and Beach, Orv – W6BI

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The Internet itself was first established in 1983.  Tools like ftp, gopher and finger were used extensively. But the World Wide Web, overlaid on top of the the Internet, with  its ease of use, led to its wide adoption as an information source. On April 30, 1993, four years after publishing a proposal for “an idea of linked information systems,” computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee releases the source code for the world’s first web browser and editor. Originally called Mesh, the browser that he dubbed WorldWideWeb becomes the first royalty-free, easy-to-use means of browsing the emerging information network that developed into the internet as we know it today. Berners-Lee was a fellow at CERN, the research organization headquartered in Switzerland. Other research institutions like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University had developed complex systems for internally sharing information, and Berners-Lee sought a means of connecting CERN’s system to others. He outlined a plan… Continue reading →

VP Says – May 2025

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This month, during our May 9th meeting, we will have two guest speakers, John Kitchens (N6SX) and Pat Anglum (N6XTM); both are members of our club. Our first speaker, John Kitchens (NS6X), will present “ARRL Happenings”. John was first licensed in 1966 as WN6UYJ through the Robert E Peary Junior High School’s TRXster radio club, WA6VUA, taught by electric shop teacher Don Ulrey, WA6TRX. John built a 5-watt transistor radio (not tubes-transistors were new) from a schematic in a book, he thinks was titled weekend solid state projects. It worked. That was about 1967. John was licensed as KZ5JS in the Panama Canal Zone, in 1975-76, while in the USAF. He became an Amateur Extra about 1983 for those “extra 25 KCs” for CW contesting. John has been Section Manager for about 10 years and a member of K6MEP since 1981. He is also a member of CVARC, Simi Settlers,… Continue reading →

Prez Says April 2025

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Prez Says April 2025 March was a full month for the club, starting with the monthly meeting on the 14th where Ed Fong WB6IQN gave us a talk on his antennas.  Many of us are already happy owners of one or more of them, but at the meeting we got to hear about the time and research he spent on their design. Ed concluded his presentation by offering us a group discount on his antennas and within a few days I’ll be placing the order. I own his DBJ-2 roll-up antenna, which I ‘every-day-carry’ (EDC) in my backpack.  I may never need to use it, but if I do, it’s ready for quick deployment. March 22nd we held a VE session which resulted in 7 new hams and 2 upgrades!  Congratulations to everyone that tested and also a big thanks to the VE’s that volunteered their time.  Without volunteer examiners… Continue reading →

VP Says – April, 2025

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Our guest speaker for the April 11th meeting will be Dave Schmidt (AI6VX), our club’s President, who will present “Meshtastic”. What is Meshtastic? A short description from Meshtastic.org: Meshtastic® is a project that enables you to use inexpensive LoRa radios as a long range off-grid communication platform in areas without existing or reliable communications infrastructure. This project is 100% community driven and open source! A longer description teaser from Dave AI6VX: Meshtastic is open-source software that is installed onto an inexpensive microcontroller board which, using an on-board radio module, becomes a node that can pass text messages to another node.  A direct RF path between the two nodes does not need to exist!  Intermediate nodes will relay the message, using a routing table each node builds, based on the stations it can hear. This ‘mesh’ arrangement is wholly crowd built, and does not rely on any existing communication infrastructure.  Only… Continue reading →