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Tag for articles that would normally have gone into the Keyer

We may have just witnessed some of the strongest auroras in 500 years

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By Sharmila Kuthunur  published May 20, 2024 “We’ll be studying this event for years.” Evan Boyce captured this stunning aurora above the coast of Northern Ireland. (Image credit: Evan Boyce) This month’s ramped-up auroras may have been even more remarkable than we thought. The auroral displays that wowed observers around the world two weekends ago, including folks as far south as Florida in the U.S. and Ladakh in northern India, may have been among the strongest such light shows since record-keeping began. “With reports of auroras visible to as low as 26 degrees magnetic latitude, this recent storm may compete with some of the lowest-latitude aurora sightings on record over the past five centuries, though scientists are still assessing this ranking,” NASA officials said in a statement. “It’s a little hard to gauge storms over time because our technology is always changing,” Delores Knipp, a research professor at the University of Colorado Boulder who focuses on space weather,… Continue reading →

Club Project Build May 18, 2024

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Club Project Basics demonstration

After the ham exam, held at the Grace Lutheran Church, Dave Schmidt AI6VX and Mark Thompson AE6GD put on a club project build-basics demonstration. John Gartman W6JPG, Chris Dimond KJ6QOP. Burt Auerbach KA6BJA, Larry Gray K6LWG, Ben Holmes, K6QV, Duane Smeckert KO6ACQ and Robert Shank KM6RSS watched Dave demonstrate the correct way to create wire connectors with Anderson Power Poles and saw Mark show the many ways to remove components from a circuit board. Dave also went through the steps of preparing an RG8X-B coaxial for a crimped PL-259 connector. Dave shows how to add an Anderson Power Pole while Ben, Chris, and Mark watch. Mark used several soldering techniques including a solder-sucker, solder remover using braided wire, temperature-controlled soldering iron and a hot air gun. No fingers were burned although some rosin smoke enhanced everyone’s enjoyment of the demonstration. Dave used three cable insulation cutters to obtain the best… Continue reading →

Ham Exam held on May 18th

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Ham Exam

Our club hosted its second ham exam this year (the first was held on March 9th at the Dudley House); this was the first time we held it at the Grace Lutheran Church 6190 Telephone Rd, Ventura CA 93003. The Church has a lot of parking and meeting room space, great seating and Dave brought the donuts! Six people attended; two received their technician license and two received their amateur extra license. Dave AI6VX (upper left), Larry K6LWG (walking at center), John W6JPG (far right), and Robert KM6RSS (taking the photo), administered the test as Volunteer Examiners with the ARRL as the VEC. Our next exam is scheduled for July 13 (8:30 AM) at the Grace Lutheran Church. All applicants must pre-register for an exam by sending an email to licensing@vcarc.club with your information. We will reply within a day to confirm your spot, and include information on what you will need to… Continue reading →

Trivia – May 2024

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Steampunk looking scene with an old book and magnifying lens

DID YOU KNOW? 1 – The candy called Lolipop was named after a racehorse that the candy maker favored. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lollipop 2. In 1956 the hula hoop craze hit, and you could a hula hoop for a wonderful price of $1.98. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/iconic-hula-hoop-keeps-rolling-180969355/ 3. 1954, the nuclear powered submarine , the Nautilus was launched.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Nautilus_(SSN-571) de Dana KG6WXE

VP Says – May 2024

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Image of Jacques KN6VVQ

Hello Ventura County Hams, We continue to creep ever closer to our big event of the year, Field Day! If you haven’t alreadystarted planning what antennas and gear you are going to bring, now would be a good time tostart. We are hoping for another big turnout this year, which means we will all have to worktogether to get as many people on the air as possible. Expect some more updates as the monthprogresses. Last month we had two CQers Club get togethers at Ventura State Beach. The second one wasthe day before the M2B Marathon, which made it difficult for some people to attend. Thismonth I probably only have one weekend day to get out again, so we will tentatively scheduleour next outing for Sunday, May 19th . Keep an eye on Groups.io for more information as themonth progresses. I attended the International DX Convention in Visalia last month… Continue reading →

Pres Says – May 2024

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Boston Dynamics Spot with person

Welcome to the month of May!  Can you believe that one third of the year has passed?  I for one am glad that the rain is behind us and the weather has been warming up. What did we do in April?   What do we have planned for May? Is there anything else you want to learn at this event?  How to use a multimeter?  Test batteries?  Let me know and I’ll try and add it in. See you guys at the May 10th club meeting!

Congresswoman Julia Brownley Presents $963,000 To The County of Ventura for Regional Public Safety Radio Project

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Outdoor image of smiling people all helping to hold a large check

VENTURA, Calif. – On Wednesday, April 3, Congresswoman Brownley presented $963,000 to the County of Ventura to upgrade the region’s 15-year-old analog simulcast radio communications system. The funds will go toward establishing a state-of-the-art digital radio communication system which will utilize 700MHz frequencies. The upgraded radio system will be used by all public safety entities throughout the county to improve communications interoperability for public safety and first responder individuals as they respond to incidents and disasters. “The importance of ensuring our law enforcement and public safety entities in Ventura County have access to high-quality, reliable communications equipment cannot be overstated,” said Congresswoman Julia Brownley. “Not only will this state-of-the-art communication system facilitate better communication and coordination between agencies, but all of our cities and residents will benefit from streamlined services that will lower costs and redundancies. This is truly a win-win for everyone across the region. In advocating for this… Continue reading →