Events – Page 4 – South Pasadena Amateur Radio Club

January 24, 2019

Get on the Air for Winter Field Day 2019

Our friends at the Crescenta Valley Radio Club will be participating in the annual Winter Field Day. You can stop by and visit their stations in Deukmejian Wilderness Park or give them a contact by operating from home.

When: 1900 UTC (11am PST) Saturday the 26th to 1900 UTC (11am PST) Sunday the 27th

Bands: All amateur bands on HF, VHF, & UHF except 12, 17, 30 and 60 meters

Modes: Any mode.

Suggested Frequencies:

HF CW – 1.810-1.820, 3.530-3.550, 7.030-7.050, 14.035-14.055, 21.030-21.050, 28.030-28.040
HF SSB – lowest 30 kHz of the US General Class Phone bands (160m- 15m), 28.400-28.425MHz (10m)
6m/VHF/UHF – adjacent to, but not on, nationally recognized simplex calling channels

Full information on Winter Field Day is available from the Winter Field Day Association. More details on CVRC’s participation is available on their site.

January 21, 2019

Ham Exam in Altadena on February 16

The following information comes from our friends at ALERT, the Altadena Local Emergency Radio Team.

An amateur radio license exam will be administered on February 16, 2019 at the Altadena Sheriff Station.

Review session 1:30-3:00 PM
Testing session begins @ 3PM.
Be on time. Allow about 40 min to take exam. Exam is corrected right away.

Study material:

https://hamexam.org/
http://aa9pw.com/radio/
“No Nonsense Technician Class License Study Guide” a free pdf

Please bring:

Photo identification (driver license or passport are best)
Federal Registration Number (FRN) from FCC website or Social Security Number
Pencils and/or pens
A pocket calculator (not really necessary, but some people like to have one)
$15 exam fee, cash or check. Exam fees are collected on behalf of ARRL/VEC which has an agreement with the FCC to process license exams and applications.
Completed FCC Form 605

CONTACT: Dep. Paige for more information and to sign up for this opportunity to earn your amateur radio license. DCPAIGE@LASD.ORG or cell # 626-241-2499.

PDF flyer from Altadena Sheriff Station

September 18, 2018October 4, 2018

Photos from the 2018 Public Safety Open House

Thanks to all the SPARC members who staffed our table at the annual South Pas Public Safety Open House. And thanks as always to the police and fire departments for hosting such an informative and fun event! The following photos were taken by Robert K6YZF. The fire extinguisher training was conducted by SPARC and CERT member James K6CUT.

SP Police and Fire Open House 9-16-18-7 — SPARC members at the 2018 South Pasadena Public Safety Open House

September 15, 2018October 4, 2018

September 2018 VHF/UHF Contest Results

On September 8, SPARC set up two stations in Garfield Park to participate in the ARRL’s September VHF/UHF contest for a few hours. We made thirty contacts on FM and SSB and tested mesh nodes. Several members of the public stopped by — some who had prior ham experience and some who were just curious about all the wires. Thanks to everyone who helped with set up and clean up! Contests are a great opportunity to spend time operating and testing equipment, so don’t hesitate to stop by the next time we take part in one. Photos by Robert K6YZF.

August 25, 2018August 25, 2018

Talk to SPARC at the 2018 Public Safety Open House

SPARC will have a booth once again at the annual South Pasadena Police and Fire Department Open House on Sunday, September 16. The open house runs from 10am to 3pm. We will be located in the courtyard behind the fire station. This fun and informative event runs in conjunction with the Cruz’n for Roses classic car show supporting the SouthPas Tournament of Roses float committee. Come meet SPARC members, see some radio gear, and learn about our activities. Hope to see you there!

August 25, 2018September 7, 2018

Join Us September 8 for a Contest in the Park

SPARC will be participating in the annual ARRL September VHF Contest. We’re not looking to walk away with any giant trophies, the goal is to test our gear, get some practice operating, and have fun. All club members are invited to participate. Members of other local clubs, CERT, Neighborhood Watch, and the community are encouraged to visit and see what SPARC is all about.

When: Saturday, September 8th, 11am until 5pm
 Where: Garfield Park, South Pasadena — north end near the tennis courts

SPARC members who would like to help with the set up process can arrive at 9am.

SeptVHFTest — Testing a mesh node in preparation for the September VHF contest.

We will set up two stations, 2m and 440. Feel free to bring your own gear for some show and tell. If you bring your own handheld or mobile and sufficent power (fully-charged battery, mobile go kit, etc.) you can connect to our antennas at a convenient moment. If you’d like to test your own antenna system, make sure to consider the safety of others and include any hardware required to set up in a stable and considerate manner.

There are a limited number of picnic benches near the Garfield Park tennis courts, so bring along a camp chair if you’d like to stay for a while.

If you can’t make it to the park, be a contact! Our talk-in frequency will be 145.600.

We hope to see you or log a contact with you on September 8.

July 10, 2018July 10, 2018

Go Digital at Ham Basics 102 on July 28

SPARC treasurer Oliver K6OLI writes:

Our long awaited NBEMS (Fldigi) and Winlink Basics Workshop has been scheduled for July 28, 2018, that is Activity Day, at Huntington Memorial Hospital from 9:00 am to 1:00pm! Our goal is to enable participants to send and receive messages using Fldigi/Flmsg and Winlink and understand current best practices for both.

For more information, and if you would like to register, please use this link:
https://ham-basics-102.eventbrite.com

Tho goal of this workshop is to provide radio operators with experience and a deeper understanding of using NBEMS/Fldig and Winlink Packet for emergency communications. There will be hands-on exercises for those who want to try out their setups.

Any licensed amateur radio operator is welcome to join! We do ask that you familiarize yourself with your own radio beforehand, i.e. understand how to enter simplex and repeater frequencies and change power levels.

Thank you and 73,
Oliver K6OLI

June 28, 2018

Join Us for the 2018 July 4th Parade

SPARC been invited to march in the South Pasadena 4th of July Parade. The parade starts from the South Pasadena Public Library marshaling area and proceeds down Mission Street to Garfield Park.

The parade officially begins at 11:00 am.

If you are interested and able, please assemble in front of the library on El Centro Street before 10:30 am. We are in group #12 along with Neighborhood Watch and CERT (the street will be numbered). Invite other friends and family to participate too! Bicycles and scooters are allowed for the kids. Be sure to wear your SPARC t-shirt.
I look forward to seeing you there.

73,

Stan KR6CV, SPARC President

fourth of july flyer

June 27, 2018July 8, 2018

Field Day 2018 Wrap Up

Field Day 2018 was a fun-filled twenty-four hours of outreach, learning and socializing. Hams from SPARC, Pasadena Radio Club, JPL Amateur Radio Club and Caltech Amateur Radio Club joined forces to operate seven different stations atop the Arroyo Seco at the Art Center College of Design. PRC’s Jim Marr AA6QI was our Field Day captain coordinating volunteers from the four clubs. SPARC was proud to run a Get on the Air (GOTA) station where visitors could try out a radio and make contacts without needing a license. We answered lots of questions and encouraged curious guests to take the plunge into our hobby.

Here are the reported number of contacts (QSOs) from each station.

80-10m CW (Morse code): 1114 QSOs covering all 50 states
40m single sideband (SSB): 354 QSOs covering 41 states
75m/20m/15m SSB: 266 QSOs covering 44 states
160m-10m digital mode station (FT8, PSK-31 & RTTY): 51 QSOs covering 21 states
VHF/UHF: 121 QSOs, all in California
GOTA: 25 QSOs from 1pm to 5pm on Saturday

Huge thanks to Jim Marr for making everything run so smoothly. To all the participating volunteers and to all the eager visitors, thanks for making Field Day 2018 such an enjoyable and memorable experience. Hope to see you soon at a meeting and hear you on the air!

2 GOTA future ham — A future ham gets on the air.

3 GOTA red shirt — Making that first QSO.

6 JPl van Stan — SPARC president Stan KR6CV and JPL’s Jonathan KF6RTA adjust the Cushcraft ATB-34 tri-band Yagi.

7 JPL van full antenna — Antenna deployed!

8 JPL van interior — Jeff W2JCL and Jim AA6QI work 15m inside the JPL van.

8a Welcome to Ham Radio signs — A handmade introduction.

9 Bob battery box — Bob WB6YJJ set up a personal station powered by his SPARC battery box.

11 Satellite antenna — A motorized satellite-tracking antenna operated by Tom WA0POD.

13 SunspotViewing telescope — Observing sun spots at the astronomy station.

14 Pot Luck Dinner — Pot luck dinner time.

15 Jeff and Eric night — Jeff W2JCL and PRC president Eric K6EJC working the night shift.

Our local paper, the South Pasadena Review, ran an article on the GOTA station in its July 6 edition.

Photos by John KK6ZVQ and Tom WA0POD.

Updated 07/08/18 with links to South Pasadena Review article.

May 12, 2018May 12, 2018

Join Us for Field Day 2018 on June 23 & 24

Field Day is ham radio’s open house. During this annual event, amateur radio operators set up temporary stations in public locations to demonstrate our hobby. As the American Radio Relay League phrases it, Field Day is an opportunity to explain radio’s “science, skill and service to our communities and our nation.”

This year SPARC is proud to join with the Pasadena, Caltech and JPL Radio Clubs to sponsor a station at Art Center College of Design. The station will operate from 11am on Saturday June 23 until 11am Sunday June 24. The address is 1700 Lida Street, Pasadena, 91103. Below is a flyer for the event put together by the PRC (click for PDF version).

Field Day is always a fun and family-friendly event, a perfect opportunity to see experienced operators in action, learn about radio gear, and even get on the air yourself. To learn more about Field Day, read this ARRL guide. Stop by and say hello!