President’s Message

Hello CVARC members, families, and guests!

Ed Zimmermann-N6XEW

It is with great pleasure and excitement that our CVARC General Meeting will be held IN PERSON, March 17th, the first time in two years!  I am looking forward to meeting all of you.
The guest speaker will be our very own Bill Wilcox. He will be discussing ways to reduce radio interference on Field Day. Check the CVARC website for meeting details.

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Technician Licensing Classes

We’re holding another 4-week course preparing for the FCC Amateur Radio Operator’s License, Technician Level on March 5, March 12, March 19 and March 26. The classes will be held on Zoom from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon each day. A textbook and some study before the first class is required.

There is no cost for the course, which will be taught once again by Zak Cohen-N6PK with help from Keith Elliott-W6KME. Testing will be offered by CVARC on April 10th in-person, conditions permitting. There are many options for online testing as well. Finally, a chance to get your significant others, co-workers and friends into amateur radio! Contact w6kme@CVARC.org for information or signups.

March Club Meeting To Be Held At Sheriff’s Station

The next regular club meeting will be held on Thursday, March 17, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. at the East County Sheriff’s Station.

Bill Willcox-KF6JQO

Topic Interference-Busting Strategies for Field Day: Bill Willcox-KF6JQO shares the results of his research and testing on ways to reduce interference when many radios operate at one site, such as with our typical Field Day setup.  Bill shares tips on reducing interference not just from the radio to the antenna but also from the antenna connection through the radio.  He’ll also share his list of Field Day interference self-defense strategies.

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President’s Message

Hello CVARC members, families, and guests!

Ed Zimmermann-N6XEW

We had a great start to the new year! Our CVARC January General Meeting speaker was Dr. Jack Nilsson-N8NDL owner and inventor of the COMPACtenna. I have one and find it to be a surprisingly good performing antenna for the extremely compact size of 9 inches!  Several members of the club have purchased the antenna and are getting good results.

Winter Field Day was Saturday January 29th at Dos Vientos Park. The event was well attended by members and visitors, including two new club members! Thank you to Martin Hickey-AJ6CL for securing the park and seeing that everyone was fed. A well-fed HAM is a happy HAM. Our next event will be the Spring Fling in April. More details will be coming at the next club meeting.  

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February Club Meeting

The next regular club meeting on Thursday, February 17, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. will be conducted via Zoom. Details on how to access the meeting are below.

Tim Duffy-K3LR

Topic Grounding and Bonding: Proper station grounding is important. Tim Duffy-K3LR, CEO of DX Engineering will discuss ways to make sure your station is built using effective grounding and bonding techniques.

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President’s Message

Happy New Year CVARC members, families, and guests!

Ed Zimmermann-N6XEW


I am honored to be your new CVARC President for the coming year. A big thank you to all the 2021 Board Members who worked to keep everything moving forward during this unprecedented time.  With 2021 now in the books (and not a day too soon), the past two years have been unlike any I can remember. When our neighborhoods all but shut down, our ham community stepped up, big time! Whether checking in with members to make sure all was well; to more frequent nets, zoom classes and zoom meetings, our members made a difference.

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January Club Meeting

The next regular club meeting on Thursday, January 20, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. will be conducted via Zoom video conferencing software. Details on how to access the meeting are below.

“Dr. Jack” Nilsson-N8NDL

Topic COMPACtenna: “Dr. Jack” Nilsson-N8NDL is an inventor of revolutionary antenna science and technology. His various designs are used by many entities including such as the US Secret Service, Washington DC Homeland Security, the Cleveland Clinic Mobile Stroke Ambulance, diverse WiFi and cell phone networks, public service agencies, and ham radio operators. Dr. Nilsson’s  presentation covers his patented small, yet powerful COMPACtenna antennas.

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