Author: John Aboud, KK6ZVQ

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November 2026 Meeting: Building the TinyFilter

Featured image: Prototypes of the TinyFilter

At our November meeting, SPARC welcomed Mike Seiffert, K6STR and Ara Kourchians, N6ARA to discuss the development and marketing of their product, the TinyFilter, a compact band-pass filter for 2-meter handheld radios.

Mike, K6STR and Ara, N6ARA

Mike loves adventure, portable radio, and building things. That includes hiking, mountain biking, and Summits on the Air. He enjoys building his own gear and writes about his activities at his new blog, Solder to Summit.

Ara is an electrical engineer with a background in circuit design, embedded systems, visual effects, robotics, and space systems. His first ham radio passion was building and flying custom APRS trackers on high-altitude balloons. Today he runs a small business building and selling amateur radio gear at n6ara.com.

What is a band-pass filter, and why would you want one?

A band-pass filter attenuates unwanted radio signals so your receiver only hears frequencies in the range you want. Handhelds already contain band-pass filters, but they can be ineffective, especially in low cost radios. If out-of-band signals are strong enough, your radio may not receive anything you actually want to hear.

SOTA operators encounter this issue whenever they try to make simplex contacts from summits that also host communications sites. Mike pointed to Mt. Wilson as an extreme example. Most L.A.-area FM and TV stations transmit from there, and he estimated the total signal output at ten megawatts. Ironically, attaching a better antenna to your handheld only makes matters worse, because it picks up more of everything. Adding the TinyFilter between an inexpensive HT and its antenna can make the difference between hearing nothing and completing a distant simplex contact.

From prototype to product

Mike designed the initial circuit of the TinyFilter in early 2026, and he brought it to Ara to start building prototypes. They learned from broken units and adjusted their design accordingly. Once the design and the production process were finalized, the finishing touch was to wrap the TinyFilter in a bright label whose color they refer to as “never-lose orange.”

Ara wears a custom SOTA vest created by Carol Bruegge, KE6SRN.

SPARC thanks Mike and Ara for an informative and entertaining talk. You can find the TinyFilter at n6ara.com. A video of their presentation and the accompanying slides are embedded below.

20261105_MSeiffert_TinyFilterDownload
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Changes to Our Simplex Net

Our simplex net, held on the second Wednesday of each month, is a great opportunity to test the range of your radio without the aid of a repeater. In an emergency situation even the most hardened repeater may fail, and we would need to rely on our simplex capabilities to pass vital traffic. 

In order to make the simplex net more efficient, the club board has decided to eliminate roundtable discussions and reserve those for our repeater nets. Beginning on November 11, the simplex net will adopt a check-in/check-out format. Also, we will call for all stations to check in at the beginning of the net rather than request calls by suffix. This will help net control manage the relay process and keep track of stations who are out of reception range. 

For net participants, these changes should greatly reduce the amount of “dead air” that they must sit through. Any stations wishing to ragchew or practice further after the conclusion of the net are welcome to stay on frequency or QSY to the simplex frequency of their choice. 

If you haven’t joined the simplex net in a while, now is the perfect time to start! The latest versions of our net scripts are available here.

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Demonstrating Radio and Mesh at South Pasadena’s 2026 Public Safety Fair

SPARC thanks the South Pasadena Fire Department and the South Pasadena Police Department for inviting us to the 2026 Emergency Preparedness and Community Fair. We had a great time talking with our neighbors about building a more resilient South Pas! Thanks to Steve, WN6NW for volunteering and answering questions from the radio-curious of all ages. We had lots of tech to demonstrate at our booth including a handheld monitoring the TELCO repeater, OpenHamClock, and a MeshCore node paired with a tablet and displaying a live network map.

Don’t miss our next meeting on 11/4 at 7:30 p.m., 817 Mound Ave. 91030.

John, KK6ZVQ and Steve, WN6NW.
We had practical radio technology to demonstrate but also stickers!
Official flyer for the event.
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October 2026 Meeting: The Great Shakeout and EmComm Demonstrations

Oliver Dully, K6OLI discusses how hams can participate in the Great Shakeout.

At our October meeting, SPARC member Oliver Dully, K6OLI gave a presentation on the annual Great Shakeout earthquake preparedness exercise. Shakeout has become a global phenomenon with schools and institutions around the world taking time each October to practice safety drills and earthquake response.

Amateur radio operators have a way to participate in Shakeout that the general public does not: sending a Did You Feel It report via Winlink. Oliver explained the value of Did You Feel It reports to the U.S. Geological Survey and how, in an actual emergency, Winlink could be one of the only ways to get vital information out of the quake zone.

In his role as the District Emergency Coordinator for the ARES LAX Northeast section, Oliver recently gave a similar Shakeout presentation through the RAT PAC organization. A YouTube recording of that presentation is embedded at the end of this post.

Jeff Liter, W6JCL demonstrates SPEARS, the South Pasadena Emergency Amateur Radio Station.

Following Oliver’s presentation, club president Tom Bruegge, KE6SRO and vice-president Jeff Liter, W6JCL demonstrated the emergency communication methods we discussed at our September meeting. Tom left the EOC for a remote location and then communicated with Jeff via VHF amateur radio, GMRS, and MeshCore. All three methods were effective, and Tom’s local VHF simplex transmission was remarkably clear.

Welcoming members and guests at 817 Mound Ave. Join us at our next meeting!

If you would like to join our new emergency communication group, click here to subscribe to its mailing list. (This is a separate list from the main SPARC email list and is focused solely on emcomm within South Pasadena.)

MeshCore node built by Tom, KE6SRO

Related Links:

LAXNORTHEAST
WE ARE LAXNORTHEAST
:: EmComm Training Organization™ :: Winlink and More for EmComm Operators ::
We support EmComm Ham Radio Operators, for Training and Practice in Digital and Voice Emergency Communications.
Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills
Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills help people in homes, schools, and organizations worldwide improve preparedness and practice how to be safe during earthquakes. Register to participate in your state or country’s drill at www.ShakeOut.org.

Video version of Oliver’s Presentation:

Click here for the presentation slides.

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September 2026 Meeting: EmComm Options in South Pasadena

One of three presentations about local emergency communications.

At our September meeting, SPARC welcomed CERT trainees and members of South Pasadena’s Neighborhood Watch groups for a discussion about emergency communications. Club president Tom Bruegge, KE6SRO explained that the goal of the discussion was to begin planning how to pass information to the city’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) when normal communications go down.

In 2019, the city purchased a Kenwood D710 radio that can be activated at the EOC when necessary. SPARC members would operate that radio, receiving status reports from the community and relaying them to city emergency personnel. But how will members of the community get those status reports to the EOC? SPARC members gave presentations on three potential methods: MeshCore, GMRS radio, and amateur radio.

Meeting attendees envisioned a plan in which designated block captains would collect status information from neighbors and pass it along using the method of their choice. This would help prevent the radio operator at the EOC from becoming overwhelmed. Several attendees shared their thoughts on what would work best for their specific neighborhood, and that input will guide our next steps.

Upcoming meetings will focus on developing a Standard Operating Procedure: which communication methods to use, which SPARC members will be trained on the EOC radio, and how our response might change in different scenarios like earthquake, fire, or flood.

We closed by urging everyone to attend a public safety open house scheduled for Saturday, October 17. More information will be shared as the date approaches.

Below are the evening’s three presentations as downloadable PDFs.

MeshCore presented by Tom Bruegge, KE6SRO

MeshCore for EmCommDownload

GMRS Radio presented by Jeff Liter, W6JCL

GMRS RadioDownload

Amateur Radio presented by John Aboud, KK6ZVQ

Ham Radio for EmCommDownload
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August 2026 Meeting: Using AI to Build Ham Apps

August’s monthly meeting took place at our new location going forward, the South Pasadena Emergency Operations Center. This marked SPARC’s return to the EOC for the first time since March, 2020 when in-person meetings were suspended. (In-person meetings from October, 2022 through June, 2026 took place at the Eddie Park House.) We thank the South Pasadena Fire Department for welcoming us back to the EOC and look forward to building out new emergency communication protocols with them.

Our guest this month was Mark Muti, K3MGM. Mark enjoys the outdoors and road trips and is active in POTA and SOTA. He spends a lot of time in the Angeles National Forest which has inspired his work on a documentary series called Landmark 717.

Mark works as a DevOps engineer, someone who deals with both programming and IT operations. He uses A.I. tools both professionally and recreationally. At our meeting, Mark demonstrated two iOS apps he built using A.I. coding agents. His app Angeles Intel is publicly available. It acts as an information aggregator for the Angeles National Forest and can send alerts about fire activity.

His second app is called HamPal, and it is undergoing active testing. It allows Mark to control his home rig, a Yaesu 991a, from anywhere he has an internet connection.

Screenshot of unreleased HamPal iOS app, courtesy Mark Mutti, K3MGM

Mark encouraged attendees to experiment with how A.I. can enhance their ham radio adventures. SPARC thanks him for the inspiring and enlightening talk.

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June 2026 Meeting: Field Day and Contesting with David Hodge, N6AN

At our June meeting, SPARC members and guests discussed our preparations for Field Day 2026. Carol, KE6SRN gave a presentation about our station plan, operating objectives, and the opportunity for volunteers. The presentation slides are embedded at the bottom of this post.

Our special guest speaker was David Hodge, N6AN. David previously spoke to SPARC about his homebrew antennas for SOTA activations. As one of our most dedicated Field Day operators, David spoke about his background in radio and his evolution as a world-renowned contester. Here is a brief summary of what he shared:

David became interested in amateur radio when his convalescing brother was loaned a Hallicrafters S-38 receiver to pass the time. David showed more interest in the radio than his brother did, and consequently studied for and passed a Novice license exam in 1969, including a 5 WPM Morse code test. He upgraded to General class 18 months later (13 wpm). Traffic handling introduced him to contesters and higher speed telegraphy. Soon he was operating several contests every year. David has also participated from a number of countries on five continents. Extra class was reached in 1977 and the call AA6RX chosen. He obtained his current call sign, N6AN, in 2001, much shorter than previous calls XE1/AA6RX or WB6KJI.

There are many types of contests. The CQ World Wide DX contests are 48 hours in duration. All operators contact each other around the globe. The goal is to make as many contacts as possible in as many countries and CQ zones (there are 40) during the contest period. One class of entry is called multi-multi. A team of operators spends the 48 hours making contacts on the six bands, 160-10 meters, for as long as the bands are open, often simultaneously.

A good operator is smooth, fast, and efficient. The ability to copy even very weak signals through QRM and QRN is an important skill.

Likewise, operators in our upcoming Field Day should strive to be efficient. Start by asking “Is this frequency in use?” as a courtesy. Then, begin asking for contacts. There is little need to say “CQ,” but rather just “N6P, November Six Papa, Field Day.” You might say “Again, Again” if their call or exchange is not heard. Omit pleasantries such as “Please copy,” or “Good luck in the contest,” and treat this as message handling exchanges such as might be used in an emergency. Contesting helps train efficient operators, so come give Field Day a try.

Below is a guide prepared by Jim Marr, AA6QI that elaborates on best practices for the Field Day exchange.

By Jim Marr, AA6QI, updated by Carol Bruegge, KE6SRNDownload

Efren Batayloa, KN6YYN demonstrates his mobile radio setup.

After David’s talk, Efren Batayola, KN6YYN, shared his impressive mobile radio setup which includes both a battery and solar controller.

In lieu of a traditional meeting in July, our tradition is to march in the South Pasadena Festival of Balloons parade on July 4th. Join us on Saturday, July 4th at 10 a.m. by the South Pasadena library if you would like to participate.

Field Day 2026 Presentation

2606 SPARC FD 2026 slidesDownload
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Field Day 2026: June 27 and 28

What is Field Day?

ARRL Field Day is amateur radio’s open house! Every June, more than 31,000 hams throughout North America set up temporary transmitting stations in public places to demonstrate ham radio’s science, skill, and service to our communities and our nation. It combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach, and technical skills all in a single event. Field Day has been an annual event since 1933, and remains the most popular event in ham radio.

For Field Day 2026, SPARC will participate in a joint operation with the Pasadena Radio Club, JPL Amateur Radio Club, and the Caltech Amateur Radio Club. Come visit us and see all that ham radio has to offer!

Start: Saturday, June 27 at 11:00 a.m.
End: Sunday, June 28 at 10:59 a.m.
Location: ArtCenter College of Design, Hillside Campus, south parking lot
Enter at 1700 Lida St., Pasadena, CA 91103
What3Words location: help.rock.vouch

Do I Need a License to Participate?

There will be a Get on the Air (GOTA) station operating from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Members of the public with no radio license are welcome to visit the station and get a taste of Field Day excitement for themselves.

We will operate under the special event call sign N6P, “November Six Papa,” as a class 4A station. The GOTA station will operate with SPARC’s call W6SPR, “Whiskey Six Sierra Papa Romeo.”

Licensed hams who are operating during Field Day from home and would like to contribute their score to the aggregate club total, note that our group name will be “PRC/SPARC/JPLARC/CITARC” this year.

Here is a summary of Field Day 2025 written by event co-chair Carol Bruegge, KE6SRN.

Field Day 2025

And here is a video produced by Bruce Nolte, N1BN.

If you have questions or want to learn more, please reach out through our contact form.

We hope to see you at ArtCenter!

Photos from Field Day 2025

Hal Frank, KF6RRR with scouts from Troop 55. Photo credit John AC6VV.
Rick Besocke KI6ZKM took out his measuring tape antenna, made at a SPARC meeting, and taught us all the technique for making a contact using a satellite repeater. We had success at 12:45 am in hearing other Southern California operators call each other via the International Space Station (ISS). Photo credit Carol KE6SRN.
State Assemblymember Mike Fong, center, visits the Field Day site.
San Gabriel Councilman Jorge Herrera Avila observes a Boy Scout radio merit badge candidate operate the GOTA station. Photo credit Graham AF6QR.
Carol Bruegge and Mark Seigel, Field Day chairs. Photo credit Graham AF6QR.
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April 2026 Meeting: Building a 6m J-Pole, Part Two

At our April meeting, SPARC members and guests resumed building the 6m J-Pole antennas that we began in March. The final step in constructing the antenna is to tune it by shortening the resonating wire element. By taking a reading with an antenna analyzer or VNC, we were able to determine if the antenna would resonate on a particular frequency.

For reference, here is the 6m band plan as provided by the ARRL:

And here is a link to the band plan as a PDF provided by SCRRBA.

At our May 6 meeting we will conclude the build for anyone who needs additional help and use the antennas on the air.

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February 2026 Meeting: APRS Gateway Services with Jeff, W2JCL

A screen onto which a projector displays the Windows program PinPoint APRS. There is a map of Southern California.
Live packets decoded by PinPoint APRS are projected onto a screen.

At our February meeting, SPARC’s vice president Jeff Liter, W2JCL gave a presentation on extra features available within APRS (the Automatic Packet Reporting System). These features are called gateway services because they are managed through computer gateways that transmit data over APRS.

WXBot is a service which sends you weather data on request. By messaging specific commands to WXBot, you can control what information the service sends back.

With APRS to SMS you can send a message to someone’s phone even when you are out of cell range. APRS carries your message via radio to a gateway and then out to the internet for delivery. In order to send a message via this gateway successfully, your recipient must opt in at the site linked above.

There are also gateway services which allow you to communicate with WhatsApp, spot yourself for SOTA activations, send short emails, or interact with your Winlink account. However, Jeff warned that the Winlink service is not user friendly.

Gateway services must use the national APRS frequency of 144.390 and transmit via AX.25 packet as opposed to protocols like VARA FM. They are run by volunteers, and many provide donation links so users can help cover the cost of their operation.

To access APRS, you need a 2m radio and a way to interface that radio with a laptop, phone, or tablet. Jeff demonstrated PinPoint APRS running on his Windows laptop with SoundModem, a software TNC. On iOS, the most common app to use is APRS.fi, and on Android it is APRSDroid.

Laptops typically require an external sound card connecting the radio and the computer. Jeff recommended the compact offerings from DigiRig for both laptop and phone/tablet use.  He demonstrated an iPad running APRS.fi which only required an audio connection to the radio because the app handled the TNC function by itself.

Below are the slides from Jeff’s presentation.

SPARC APRS Gateway Services 20260204 W2JCLDownload