News – Page 5 – Conejo Valley Amateur Radio Club

November 21, 2019November 21, 2019

CVARC Discussion Moving to Groups.io

Recently, Yahoo announced major changes with all Yahoo Groups including our group, CVARC Discussion. As of October 28^th, new content could no longer be uploaded to the site. All previously posted content on the site will be permanently removed after December 14^th.

Obviously, this did not meet our Club’s needs, so we began the process of moving to a new group service, groups.io. If you are an ACS member, you are already familiar with groups.io. Other clubs and organizations have made similar moves.

The good thing is you don’t have to do anything to be a part of the CVARC discussion group on groups.io. The migration has been completed. If you were a member of the Yahoo group, you should have received an email telling you that your email address has been used to subscribe to the new group. You can set your preferences for message delivery by going to the group’s home page.

November 3, 2019November 4, 2019

A Mini DX-pedition to Mt. Pinos

On Saturday, November 2, Andy Moorwood-K3CAQ and Bill Willcox-KF6JQO went on a mini DX-pedition to Mt. Pinos, the mountain in the Los Padres National Forest located on the boundary between Ventura and Kern counties.

The summit of Mt. Pinos is 8,847 feet, making it the highest point in Ventura County. To reach the summit, however, means a three mile hike. Understandably, Bill and Andy chose to operate from the Nordic Base, which is still an elevation of roughly 8,300 feet.

During their two hours on 20M they made a total of 9 contacts, including stations in Ohio, Wisconsin, Vermont, Tennessee, South Carolina, Texas and in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Colombia. They reported hearing an operator in Grand Cayman but say they were unable to make the contact.

October 7, 2019October 7, 2019

DX On 6 Watts And Two Hiking Sticks by Ben Kuo-AI6YR

It’s been repeated again and again by speakers at club meetings: the only bad antenna is no antenna!

For all of the griping and hand wringing by members about how the band conditions are bad, and they are waiting to get a “perfect antenna” to get on the air, it turns out that yes—you can do DX on a horrible, horrible antenna, even on low power (QRP). How do I know this?

How about the Dominican Republic on 6 watts and two hiking sticks (on upper sideband)?

September 15, 2019October 7, 2019

Next Mini Field Day is Sunday, October 6

CVARC’s next Mini Field Day is set for Sunday, October 6, 2019 at Borchard Community Park, Picnic Area C.

The park is located at 190 North Reino Road in Newbury Park. The event officially starts at 1000, but we are allowed to set up as early as 0900. The event will end at 1400 and we must leave the picnic area by 1430.

Directions: proceed west on Borchard Road, past N. Wendy Drive. Turn Right on N. Reino Road. Just past the tennis courts, you should turn right into parking lot. Picnic Area C is located at the northeast corner of the parking lot. There is ample space for antennas behind the picnic pavilion.

August 25, 2019March 1, 2020

CVARC Polo Shirts – Order Now!

CVARC will soon be ordering custom embroidered polo shirts.

If you’d like an embroidered navy blue CVARC polo shirt with your call sign like the one shown here, please submit your order ASAP.

The cost is $32.50 for S, M or L; $35.50 for XL, 2XL or 3XL.

Send your payment along with your name, call sign (please print clearly so we can read it) and shirt size to CVARC, P.O. Box 2093, Thousand Oaks, CA 91358, or pay with cash, check or credit card at the September club meeting. Your order and payment MUST be received by the September club meeting.

August 16, 2019August 19, 2019

CVARC Picnic & T-Hunt

The CVARC Picnic and Mini T-Hunt is coming up fast. Bring the family and join fellow CVARC members and their families on Saturday, August 24th from 10 am to 2 pm at Conejo Community Park.

We’re in Picnic Area 1 in the Conejo Community Park. From W. Gainsborough Road turn right on Jeaunine Drive. You should see a parking lot on your left across from the Kids Adventure Garden. Walk down Jeaunine Drive to the picnic area. Click here for a map.

The picnic is partly potluck. CVARC will be serving hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken and drinks. Members are encouraged to bring side dishes, snacks, paper goods, etc. If you’re planning to attend, please contact Diane Wainwood-KJ6JEJ to let her know the number of people in your party, and what you plan to bring.

Please also remember to bring your yagi antenna. Bring an extra, if you have more than one. Hope to see you there.

June 4, 2019

June is Amateur Radio Month

At their regular meeting of June 4, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors presented a proclamation designating June as “Amateur Radio Month” in recognition of the volunteerism provided by the county’s emergency communications volunteers.

Accepting the proclamation were John Kitchens-NS6X, ARRL Santa Barbara Section Manager, and Rob Hanson-W6RH, ARES District Emergency Coordinator and ACS Radio Officer for Ventura County.

May 26, 2019October 14, 2019

Ventura County Board of Supervisors to Honor Hams

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors will honor the county’s Amateur Operators and present a proclamation designating June as “Amateur Radio Month in Ventura County” at their regular meeting on Tuesday, June 4 at 10 a.m.

All available Ventura County Amateur Radio Operators are encouraged to attend the event to be held in the county office building, 800 S. Victoria Ave., Ventura.

This is an excellent opportunity not only for operators to be recognized for their readiness to serve the county when needed but also to invite the Supervisors and staff members to attend one or more of the Field Day locations that will be operating during the weekend of June 22-23.

-Jeff Reinhardt AA6JR

May 16, 2019March 1, 2020

Wanted: Communications Systems Coordinator

I am reaching out to local radio folks to see if they know of anyone interested in my job. I am the City of Simi Valley Communications Systems Coordinator and manage our $6.5 million UHF simulcast P25 system radio system with 5 sites and some 300 portables and 300 mobiles. I am a temporary employee that was called out of retirement earlier this year to fill the position until we find a permanent replacement. The job flyer is attached if you could forward it to anyone CVARC members who might be interested in the job. Total compensation, salary and benefits, is about $155,000 a year.

Thanks in advance,
Greg Riegert-W6GRG

Communications Systems Coordinator.2019.final_ (1)

January 30, 2019January 30, 2019

New Event – Need Volunteers

Are you flexible? I need operators who are willing to be flexible as to positions assigned and changes due to conditions and coordination of the event (about 20 operators).

The event is the Malibu GRANFONDO cycling event. It will be on Saturday March 16^th 2019 (fast turnaround) from about 8:00 AM to about 4:00 PM. It will Start/Finish at the Four Seasons hotel in Westlake Village. It will go through Thousand Oaks to Camarillo and the long race goes up to Saticoy and back – then down to Pacific Coast Highway and through Malibu and up to Agoura and finish at Thousand Oaks. There will be about 400 participants including several World Class cyclists.