San Joaquin County (CA) Amateur Radio News

Congratulations to 21 New and Upgraded Hams

2012-03-26T02:18:55Z

We had a very successful HamCram on Saturday, 3/24, in Tracy, with all 21 participants passing! This included Veronia Ceja, wife of Gil KJ6GQP. Thanks to our VE team: WY6E, N6TCE, N6JWS, W6MEM, K6VZT, KI6SWR, N6RJH and KJ6FTP for making this possible.

Congrats to New Hams!

2012-01-30T09:33:57Z

Congratulations to the 16 new and upgraded Hams who participated in our Saturday HamCram at Sutter Tracy Community Hospital. Many of the participants were from outside the area, so we added hams in Placer, Sacramento, Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties. Local participants included Bob Officer, KJ6TCE, who upgraded and his wife, Karen, who got her Technician license. Dan Woods from the county radio shop also got his license, as did Lance Lundgren, a friend of John La Rue K6JKL. Also upgrading was K6RSR from Brentwood.

Thanks to Mark W6MRK, Hank K6DYB, Elionora K6SWE, Stephen KI6SWR and John N6JWS for serving as volunteer examiners.

Saturday HamCram Reminder, Plus Radio Programming

2012-01-26T08:22:28Z

Just in case you’ve missed it, we are having a “get your license (or upgrade) in just one day” HamCram event this Saturday in Tracy. Cost is $30 and preregistration is required. The event runs from 8:15am-4pm.

We are expecting as many as 15 people and still have room for more. If you need a ham license or know someone who does, visit www.n5fdl.com and look in the HamCram section for information and registration. You can also send email to david@coursey.com if you have questions or need assistance.

Also: I will be available to program radios – Yaesu’s and Wouxung’s – during the day with the new county EMCOMM frequency plan. I may have to run an errand at some point, so the best time to show up is after 12 and before 2 or just call first to make sure I’ll be there. My number is 740-7515.

Hope to see you there!

David, N5FDL

New Mt. Oso Repeater on 146.895

2012-01-12T18:49:35Z

In mid-December, a new repeater was placed into service atop Mt. Oso in Stanislaus County. The repeater, at 3,300 feet, offers wide coverage, though its location on the hill results in some considerable nulls. Further, the antenna in use limits up-close coverage (such as in Tracy). Both of these issues are being addressed but will take time to solve.

This location was made available by John LaRue, K6JKL, and Keith Bussman, the site owner. This is the same site where a CARLA UHF system resides.

The repeater is on 146.895, down offset, and requires a 114.8 PL tone. It also transmits the tone, allowing the user to select CTCSS or “Tone Squelch” to silent any interference on the channel. Other nearby repeaters are located in Chico and Santa Clara. If you can hear this repeater, you should not be able to hear the others.

Note that the CW ID is transmitted without a PL tone, meaning that if you have PL decode turned on you will not hear the repeater ID. Right now, the repeater is set to ID every 9 minutes as a beacon to help determine if it is causing interference to other repeaters.

Plans are underway to improve the antenna, raise the power somewhat and purchase a new controller. At present, using the built-in controller, the repeater has no courtesy tone and IDs on CW only. If the IDs bother you, turn on PL decode and you won’t hear them.

For information, the N5FDL repeaters — Tracy, Mt. Oso (now) and Ripon (again, soon) will all operate with a 114.8 PL tone, as does the WB6ASU 147.090 system.

Nov. 19: WSPR, Digital Modes, T-Hunt at Emcomm U II

2011-11-03T17:52:19Z

This is a CEV EventWhat: EMCOMM U II

When: 12n-4pm Saturday, November 19 (Arrive early if you want purchase lunch)

Where: San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp, Doctors Dining Room (see map below)

What: EMCOMM U II — Emergency Communications Training and a Transmitter Hunt

Our next EMCOMM University will be held Saturday, November 19, 2011 at San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp. The program includes digital communications demonstrations, new ham handie-talkie training, and a transmitter hunt.

The transmitter hunt is being organized by Mike Saculla, K6MDS, and will begin at 2pm with a discussion of T-hunt techniques and equipment, particularly as they relate to emergency communications. Following Mike’s presentation, will go outside and look for hidden transmitters. This is a follow-up to the successful hunt held recently in Stockton.

The data modes include WSPR, Winlink over packet using RMS Express software, and maybe Winlink over HF using WINMOR, a “sound card mode” that replaces expensive Pactor modems.

The HF demos will be done by Ryan Holzer, KJ6OBV, who has been experimenting with WSPR, which uses a automated network of very low power stations to test propagation conditions. It is amazing what it will do. The map below shows contacts Ryan’s station made over a several hour period using 1 watt transmitter power and a Buddipole on 10-meters.

David Coursey, N5FDL, will do the Internet email over packet demo, using the new RMS Express software and the Winlink network. Ryan will help with the WINMOR demo if we are able to get it together in time.

This was what Ryan did using 1-watt on 10-meters, kinda cool!

New ham training will be available to those interested, focusing on how to make a handie-talkie work and check-in to a net. It will overlap the other parts of the program, as required, based on the number of students.

If you need this training, please send an email so we will have enough radios available.

We meet in the Doctors Dining Room at the hospital, which is on Interstate 5 in French Camp. Take the Matthews Rd. exit. The map below shows were to park and the location of the meeting room. Clicking on it takes you to a downloadable PDF.

Talk-in will be on 146.655 - PL 100.0 (ARES2 or SJC2 in our frequency plan). Hope to see you there!

Click on image to download a PDF of the map.

HamCram Sat. 11/12 in Tracy

2011-10-18T04:48:14Z

You can get your Amateur Radio License in a single day using our proven technique. No Morse code test is required!

Thousands have gotten their licenses at our events by studying the actual questions and answers, some of which will appear on the FCC exam given at the end of the day.

No memorization is required. With the HamCram technique the answer that “looks right” usually is. More than 90 percent of students pass their license exam on their very first try.

This is not a ham radio training course. You will not understand ham radio when you complete the HamCram.

You will, however, be licensed and able to learn from other hams at your own pace. Additional free training is offered.

Our next HamCram is Saturday, 11/12 in Tracy. Sign-up — preregistration is required — at http://sjham.com or contact me (david@coursey.com).

Yes, I did fix the date in the handout below — it is the 12th not the 11th.

Update on New Repeaters in San Joaquin County

2011-10-06T22:01:50Z

To get everyone on the same page and understanding the repeater projects that I am involved in, I’d like to outline them for you.

At present I am trying to get/keep three two-meter repeaters on the air: 147.210 in Tracy, 147.015 in Ripon and a frequency I am not ready to discuss but is NOT that of a presently coordinated repeater in the San Joaquin County area.

Volunteers needed for Wheels for Meals Ride Oct. 22

2011-10-06T02:55:12Z

We need about 20 volunteers to support the annual “Wheels for Meals” 70-mile bicycle ride on Saturday, October 22 from about 7am until 2 or 3pm.

Click here to sign-up to help.

Big Events -- Sept/Oct/November -- Sign up!

2011-09-11T20:52:58Z

We have a hugely busy calendar of public service events between now and Thanksgiving — two major trainings, an HF on-air-event, two mobilizations of the JRUG/Ripon Comm Trailer, Pacificon, our first all-hands evening hospital drill and the annual Wheels for Meals bicycle ride.

These events are open to all volunteers and we need you.

Please take a moment to look at the event list and sign-up for those you’d like to participate in. (Please forward to anyone who might be interested.)

Thanks!

September 17 — Saturday, 8a-12n — Flood Fight Training — Manteca City Council Chambers — Floods are the most serious threat to San Joaquin County, and they can happen at any time. Learn how to spot levee problems and what we can do to help professionals prevent flooding. Free. Register here.

September 24 — Saturday, 8:15a-4p — HamCram — Sutter Tracy Community Hospital — Get your license or upgrade from Tech to General in just one day! $30. Register here. VEs needed.

October 1-2 — Saturday and Sunday — California QSO Party — Ripon — HF operating event, great for new hams. We will operate from the JRUG/Ripon Fire Communications Trailer. Includes Saturday night pot-luck BBQ. Stay tuned for more information. Use the master reg form if you are interested in participating.

October 8 — Saturday — Western States 100-Mile One-Day Trail Ride (Tevis Cup) — Auburn-ish — This is an endurance horseback ride from Tahoe to Auburn that uses Amateur Radio for communications. We are still working on the arrangements for this event. Use the master reg form if you are interested in participating.

October 14-16 — Fri-Sun — Pacificon — Santa Clara — ARRL convention in Santa Clara. Maybe we can carpool.

October 20 — Important! — Thursday — 6p-9p — Tracy, Stockton, Manteca, Lodi — Evening hospital drill — Need to staff all county hospitals and clinics. Starts with CAHAN alert, then assignments, then operating from the hospitals. Use the master reg form if you are interested in participating.

October 22 — Important — Saturday — 7a-3p — Wheels for Meals Bicycle Ride — We need 20 people to support this annual bicycle ride through the Patterson Pass and Corral Hollow areas near Tracy. Use the master reg form if you are interested in participating. We will use the JRUG/Ripon emcomm trailer for this event.

November 19 — Saturday — 8a-2p — EMCOMM University II — San Joaquin General Hospital — French Camp (Stockton) — Major training event. Register here.

November 19 — The Tracy HamCram scheduled for this day will move to the 12th or 26th. Details to come.

EMCOMM University Set for November 19

2011-09-10T06:30:28Z

The next EMCOMM University emergency communications training will take place Saturday, November 19, 2011 from 8a-2pm at San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp (Stockton), CA. We are still putting the program together, but it will definitely include new ham radio skills training. Visit www.emcommuniversity.org for details. Register here.