New to Ham Radio or Wanting to Upgrade?

CVARC has announced an ambitious schedule of license classes for 2024.

There will be four Technician license classes held in March, May, September, and November.

There will be two General license classes in March and September and two Amateur Extra license classes in May and November.

The four-hour classes will be held on five consecutive Saturdays, with Technician classes in the mornings and General or Extra classes in the afternoon.

Technician classes will be led by Zak Cohen-N6PK with help from other instructors. General and Extra classes will be led by Bill Willcox-KF6JQO, John Kitchens-NS6X, Ed Zimmermann-N6XEW and Keith Elliott-W6KME.

The classes will be held at the East County Sheriff’s Station at 2101 E. Olsen Road in Thousand Oaks. To save a spot in any of the classes, email Keith Elliott-W6KME, at keith@w6kme.org.

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CVARC Winter Field Day is January 27th

Save the date – Conejo Valley Amateur Radio Club will hold its Winter Field Day event at Dos Vientos Park, 4801 Borchard Road, Newbury Park, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Saturday, January 27, 2024. 

The purpose of Winter Field Day is to foster ham camaraderie, field operation, emergency operating preparedness, and just plain on the air, outdoor fun during winter for American, Canadian, and international radio amateurs.  Don’t let those winter doldrums keep you locked up in the house. Get out and play some radio!

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Hand Keys in January 2024

By Norm Campbell – AB6ET

It’s that time of year when hand keys, Morse Code, and the way it was on CW is on the air again.

Every year on New Year’s Day it’s SKN, Straight Key Night sponsored by the ARRL.  Everyone is encouraged to get on the air for the special event, not a contest, simply to talk with others using hand keys of some type. 

Straight keys are considered to be regular hand keys, cootie keys, bugs, and even makeshift keys such as wires, beer can tops, and paper clips.  I know paper clips are used because I talked with John-WI6O who was using just such an arrangement.

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