Month: August 2018

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President’s Message

Hello!  …and welcome to the new CVARC website!  Take a few minutes to explore it.  Click around.  I’ll wait…  But then come back, ok?

Yes, we’ve moved into a new era.  Instead of publishing a monthly newsletter, we’ve decided to make our website a little more dynamic, by blending most of the information that was part of our previous website with the features that were typically part of our monthly newsletters.  Hopefully this new approach will make it easier for people to find the information they’re seeking. This redesign will also give the website more of a magazine-feel, with new content being adding throughout the month. Continue reading “President’s Message”

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July Meeting Summary

9 members met for the pre-meeting dinner at Junkyard Café in Simi Valley.

Stu Forman-KK6VYS

The meeting began at 7:30 with the Pledge of Allegiance.  First time visitors were welcomed, and newly licensed hams and those who recently upgraded their licenses were acknowledged.

Thanks to Steve Gillis-KZ6H for bringing the coffee, and Stu Forman-KK6VYS brought the cookies.

It’s been great seeing so many new faces, these last few months.  If you have questions, there are a lot of Elmers in this room, and many Continue reading “July Meeting Summary”

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Programming a Baofeng UV-5R

By Andy Ludlum-K6AGL

Many hams have found the low-priced radios from China like the Baofeng UV-5R hard to resist.  Seriously, who doesn’t have room for one more HT if it costs less than $30?

The delight of having a new radio to play with quickly turns to despair when you take a look at what passes as an owner’s manual.  Programming a frequency into one of the memories is not easy, because the procedure is not described in the manual.

Continue reading “Programming a Baofeng UV-5R”
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Mini Field Day & Picnic – October 6th

Save the date!  Saturday, October 6th will be the next CVARC Mini Field Day & Picnic.  NEW LOCATION: Dos Vientos Community Park, 4801 Borchard Rd., Newbury Park).

This is a great opportunity to enjoy some operating, as well as food and socializing. This is the time to try a new mode or play with a new antenna configuration.  For new hams, this is also a great opportunity to check out other people’s equipment and ask questions.

Band conditions permitting, there should be some activity on the air, as October 6 begins the 53rd annual California QSO Party.  Come on out.  All are welcome!

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August Club Meeting Information

The next regular club meeting is Thursday, August 16, 2018 (always the third Thursday) at the East County Sheriff’s Station’s Community Room 2101 E. Olsen Road, Thousand Oaks at 7:30 pm.

Talk-in coordination is on the Bozo repeater, 147.885 ( – 127.3).

Topic/Guest Speaker:  “I Just Got My Amateur Radio License…Now What?” Stu Sheldon-AG6AG continues our theme of providing information for newly licensed Hams.  Stu offers common sense advice on a variety to topics from buying the right radio, setting up antennas as well as suggestions on activities where you can put your new ham privileges to good use.  And as always, CVARC elmers will chip in with their best tips.

Raffle Prizes: Viaboot Rasberry PI 3 Complete Kit – 16Gb, Arduino Projects for Amateur Radio, Heil Handie-Talkie Headset

Pre-Meeting Dinner: Join fellow club members for a pre-meeting dinner, at 5:00 pm, at Don Cuco Mexican Restaurant, 254 W. Los Angeles Avenue, Moorpark, (805) 523-2261

Upcoming CVARC Programs

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Terry Graves (K7FE/sk) Estate

As some of you may know, a few of us have been working with the family of the late Terry Graves (K7FE/sk) to find new homes for many of his Amateur Radio and engineering treasures, while at the same time trying to recover some much-needed revenue for the family.  To that end, in May, 2017, we published the first list (i.e., Rev. 1.0) of “For Sale” items for your review and consideration.  We will try to keep the list as current and accurate as possible, dropping items that are either PENDING SALE or SOLD, refining item information as appropriate, and adding items   as they become available.  Items currently available for purchase are listed at http://terrygraves.org

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Upcoming VE Sessions

2020

Due to the restrictions imposed to fight COVID-19, CVARC is not able to conduct in-person license exam sessions at the East County Sheriff’s Station in Thousand Oaks. It will probably be in the second half of the year before we can resume in-person testing.
Fortunately, there is a good remote testing system available. Using the Exam Tools software, teams from the GLAARG, W5YI and ARRL VECs regularly conduct fully remote exams. The sessions are administered using Zoom.  Please read this information carefully if you are interested in taking a remote exam. You can sign up for any available remote testing session. A listing can be found at https://ham.study/sessions/online.  The CVARC VE team believes the online testing program will assist you getting a new license or upgrade in a timely manner.
Click here for more information on CVARC VE Sessions.  If you have questions, please contact Andy Ludlum-K6AGL at  k6agl@cvarc.org or by phone at 818-370-3402.

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The Ham Cam

Mark Allendorf, KM4AHP, has an amazing Morse code key collection.  Check out this video.

Do you have any interesting gear?  A vintage radio?  An old or unique Morse code key?  A special QSL card?  Tell us about it!  Send photos and a brief description to info@cvarc.org.