March Club Meeting

February 18, 2021

March Club Meeting

The next regular club meeting on Thursday, March 18, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. will be conducted via Zoom video conferencing software as we continue meeting remotely to combat the spread of COVID-19. Details on how to access the meeting are below.

Topic – New Battery Technology: Kevin Zanjani of Bioenno Power of Santa Ana will tell us about state-of-the-art LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate-LiFePO4) batteries which are safer, longer lasting and more efficient than the batteries we have been used in the past. These batteries work well with small solar panels and are popular with hams for remote and Field Day use.

February 11, 2021

Project Closeup: KC7UQD’s Go Box

This front view shows the general anticipated layout. The 2-meter radio and at least one of the SignaLinks will most likely hang from a top mounted shelf. You can see the joint with the sharp edge. You might also be able to make out that the shelf “tabs” are resting on the rounded corners of the case, and the screw holes don’t line up. Cables to a laptop will likely route out the front, under the 706.

By Brian Ginn-KC7UQD

I’ve had a mobile/portable “go box” in mind for quite a while, as my radios are currently mounted in a wooden shelf that’s bolted to the desk and wall. The current mounting scenario makes it inconvenient to take a radio somewhere else (maybe camping).

I’ve watched several YouTube videos, and they all make it look easy. I liked the looks of the Gator case style more than the “ammo box” style or the Pelican case style. Some of the hams with the Gator case, have commented on how heavy a “6U” box can get.

February 9, 2021February 9, 2021

A Cost-Effective Way to Add Another Band to Your Bag of Tricks

An easy way to add transmit and receive coverage on frequency bands not included on your base radio is to use a transverter. This feather-light 28 MHz (10 meter) to 222 MHz (135 cm) transverter puts out about 10 watts of SSB, FM, CW, or FT-8 and easily mates up with the Yaesu FT-817 HF transceiver. It costs about $70 from a supplier in Ukraine.

By Pete Heins-N6ZE

A cost-effective way to increase the number of bands a ham can access is to use a transverter. Imagine adding the capability of using FM, SSB, Packet, and FT-8, at a power level of 10 watts, on a frequency band which you have never had before – for just $70!

February 4, 2021February 4, 2021

Saturday Morning Radio School to Begin

By Keith Elliott-W6KME

During the pandemic, CVARC members and the Ventura County amateur radio community have found a lot of ways to keep ourselves busy, with Zoom meetings, nets and contests, but it seemed like there was still more we could do. We have been able to schedule all three license courses on Zoom for 2021, but why not more? In fact, why not have school EVERY WEEK?

Starting in March, every Saturday morning (when there is not a License class in session) we will be holding the Saturday Morning Radio School. This will start at 10:00 A.M. on Zoom. Each week will feature a different topic for an hour or so, usually led by one of our own members.

February 2, 2021February 4, 2021

Technician License Course Begins March 27

Zak Cohen-N6PK, is teaching our annual Amateur Radio License Course, Technician’s Level for 2021. This is the license that is the gateway to the entire amateur radio universe! You’ll also have a chance to meet various members of CVARC and be invited to our other activites. The dates will be:

Orientation: Saturday, March 27th, 10:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M.
Course: Saturdays, April 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th, 8:00 A.M. to Noon

February 2, 2021February 4, 2021

CVARC 2021 Ham Radio License Course Dates Announced

In 2021 we are holding three courses of classes, one for each license level. All of the classes run from 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 Noon on Saturdays and are held in a Zoom meeting. There is a shorter orientation class one week before the start of the main course. Due to COVID-19, CVARC is not holding in-person license exams at this time, but information will be given during the classes about taking the exam online. As soon as we are able to use our normal location at the East County Sheriff’s Station, we will shift from Zoom to the classroom and resume in-person testing.

January 21, 2021January 21, 2021

February Club Meeting

The next regular club meeting on Thursday, February 18, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. will be conducted via Zoom video conferencing software as we continue meeting remotely to combat the spread of COVID-19. Details on how to access the meeting are below.

Topic – 3-D Printing for Ham Radio: Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have your very own sci-fi matter replicator? Nathan Eng-KN6ISM, will introduce us to the wonderful world of at-home 3D printing. He will cover getting started with filament-based printers and explore what they can (and can’t) do for you through an assortment of ham radio-related examples.

CVARC Zoom Club Meeting:

Time: February 18, 2021 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

January 14, 2021January 21, 2021

CVARC Winter Field Day

CVARC has several special amateur radio initiatives planned for Winter Field Day 2021, to be held January 30 and 31. The COVID-19 crisis makes it impossible for us to gather in large groups as we have in the past, but we are attempting to recapture some of the camaraderie and fellowship among hams in other ways by making the following options available for those who choose to participate. Nothing here is compulsory. The idea is to have some fun. Feel free to participate in whatever interests you.

January 12, 2021January 12, 2021

For Sale: Spectrum Analyzer Kit

For Sale: Spectrum Analyzer for Amateur Radio kit. $60 “as is“ cash C.O.D. I purchased this kit in 1998. A technician where I was working at the time worked on it but never finished it. The kit was $150 plus $40 for the aluminum boxes and various MHV connectors.

January 11, 2021

2021 Dayton Hamvention Cancelled

Citing “several setbacks in the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Dayton Hamvention Executive Committee has announced the cancellation of the 2021 event, scheduled for mid-May. The announcement cited the slower-than-expected rollout of the COVID vaccine as well as the even-more contagious variant that has emerged in recent weeks.

This is the second consecutive year in which the pandemic has forced cancellation of the world’s largest hamfest. The committee says tickets that were deferred from last year will be deferred again, and that plans are in the works for another on-air Hamvention QSO Party on what would have been the Hamvention weekend.