Ham Radio Licensing in Ojai (11/13/10)

2010 CERT Expo - Registration Open for Nov 6th

The 2010 CERT Expo (Saturday, November 6th - all day) is now open for registration.

Please register by going to: http://fire.countyofventura.org/cert



For questions, or to volunteer, contact your local CERT Coordinator or Ventura County Fire Department CERT Program Administrator at 805-389-9710

CalTrans Signs advertising Ojai OK! Drill

Thanks to Ojai's Chief of Police Capt Chris Dunn, we have one of the best forms of advertising for the upcoming Ojai OK! Drill -- September 15th at 7PM.

For the second year in a row, two CalTrans Signs have been positioned at the foot of the Dennison Grade near Carne Road and the other by Casitas as Hwy 33 down-steps to 45 MPH.

The sign is advertising tuning to AM1610, so please do that for more information.

Field Day 2010 - June 26th & 27th (Reagan Library)

Field Day 2010: Emergency Communication Drill To Be Held 26-27 June 2010

The Ventura Co. Amateur Radio Society (VCARS) will be joined by 5 other local amateur radio clubs to conduct annual Emergency Communications Drills during the American Radio Relay League's "Field Day 2010" event on the Grounds of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum, Simi Valley, CA. Approximately 100 amateur radio operators will operate approximately 14 communications stations under emergency conditions. Solar power and batteries will power all transceivers. In addition to using voice, Morse Code, and data transmissions, an amateur radio TV station will be featured, and an amateur radio satellite ground station will be used to communicate with other Field Day 2010 groups throughout North America. "Ham Radio Works When Other Systems Don't"


VCARS will be joined by the Amgen Amateur Radio Club (AARC), Conejo Valley Amateur Radio Club (VCARC), Hollywood Hills QRP Contest Club (HHQCC), Simi Settlers Amateur Radio Club (SSARC), and the Ventura Co. Amateur Radio Club (VCARC) to conduct operations from 11 A.M. Saturday June 26th, 2010 until 11 A.M. Sunday, June 27th.

This marks the 10th consecutive year for VCARS to conduct Field Day operations from the Grounds of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum.

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) >>>>>>www.arrl.org<<<<< sponsors the annual nationwide Field Day to provide Emergency Communications Training & Practice for Amateur Radio Clubs and other groups of Radio Amateurs and to provide public awareness of Amateur Radio. More than 35,000 amateur radio operators (hams) will participate in Field Day 2010.

Amateur Radio "Special Events Callsign" "N6R" has been assigned by the Federal Communications Commission, for this event. "N6R" honors the lives of President Ronald and Mrs. Nancy Reagan.

Scouts from Boy Scout Troop #155 will also attend Field Day at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum to conduct two-way amateur radio communications requirements to complete their "Radio Merit Badge" course. Please also refer to >>>>www.qrz.com/db/n6r<<<< for additional details and information.

A special feature of the Public Information Booth will be the Get On The Air (G.O.T.A.) Station to demonstrate amateur radio use and to let the general public to speak or use a digital (PSK) keyboard to talk with other amateur radio operators over the airwaves. PSK is a specialized way to transmit which enables the operator to send 'text-like messages' over thousands of miles without relying upon commercial cellphone service.

Amateur Radio’s very existence is internationally mandated by the International Telecommunications Union and is an integral part of the Communications Plans of the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (F.E.M.A.), and Ventura County Office of Emergency Services (O.E.S.). Even in today’s technological, cell phone, and e-mail oriented society, Amateur Radio Operators continue to provide both short and long distance emergency communications services during the loss of normal electric power, breakdown of normal cellular telephone networks, or failure of other local, state, & Federal communication services and during area emergencies and other augmentation needs. Many of our Amateur Radio Operators are current members of the Ventura Co. Auxiliary Communications Service (A.C.S.) which provides communications equipment and operators for local hospitals, Emergency Operations Centers (E.O.Cs.), colleges, and other facilities.

The public is invited to attend.

NOTE: News media personnel and V.I.P. guests shall check-in at the Public Information Booth located just outside the East entrance of the Library Quadrangle, immediately upon arrival for a briefing and tour of the Field Day stations. This is needed for safety and coordination concerns. Detailed Media/ V.I.P. briefing packets will be provided.

Regards,

Peter Heins,
Ventura Co. Amateur Radio Society (VCARS) P.I.O.
806.796.6693 cell n6ze@aol.com

Ham Radio Rapid Response equipment show-and-tell

Tom Sullivan (W8MKL) gave a very informative presentation during today's Ojai Valley Amateur Radio Club Monthly Meeting -- 8AM, Third Wednesday at Holy Cross Pre-School on Maricopa Highway. The public are always welcome.

Tom is part of the Ventura County Auxiliary Communication Service (VCACS) Rapid Response Team -- this means that he is ready to roll at a moment's notice with a bevy of radio communications equipment to deploy on-site where needed.

In this picture you can see the truck's wheel holding in place an extensible pole with various antenna attached - Tri-band high-gain, directional antenna, High Frequency Buddipole. Upon arriving on-site, this antenna system can be assembled in less than 30 minutes. Of course, you can also see the antenna farm on the truck's cab which is permanently mounted.



In this picture you can see a custom-built storage unit which holds the various pieces of communications equipment, with the capability of sliding out components if needing separately.



Components include:

- Icom IC-706 (High Frequency Radio) for long-distance voice communications
- Pactor III modem (connected to Icom) for sending long distance packet (text) traffic.
- Alinco DR-135 (2 Meter for both voice traffic and local packet (text) traffic)
- Kantronics KPC-3 (TNC modem) - similar concept as Pactor, but local communications
- Radio Shack 25 AMP power supply if able to plug in - otherwise on deep-cycle batts
- Laptop for using Packet Software.

Paul (KI6USA)

Inciweb - Incident Information System

InciWeb is an interagency all-risk incident information management system. The system was developed with two primary missions:

1. Provide the public a single source of incident related information
2. Provide a standardized reporting tool for the Public Affairs community

A number of supporting systems automate the delivery of incident information to remote sources. This ensures that the information regarding active incidents is consistent, and the delivery is timely.

Please visit this very informative site at: http://www.inciweb.org/

Ham Licensing Opportunity - June 6th (Santa Paula)

Get your FCC Amateur Radio Operator’s Technician License in ONE day using our proven System

When: Saturday June 6th 2009
9:00 am – 3:00 pm (Sign in, Study & Snacks)
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm (Exam)

Where: The Santa Paula Community Center
540 Main Street
Santa Paula CA 93060

Sponsors: Santa Paula CERT Group
Ojai Valley Amateur Radio Club
Ojai Valley CERT

Contact: Sean Kellythorne KI6MGI@yahoo.com

Cost: $21.00 covers snack and expenses.
Bring $4.00 cash for Exam fee.

Pre-registration required!!!
Registration is limited. Reserve your space now!
Mail a $21.00 check to:
Sean Kellythorne
133 Don Felipe Way
Ojai CA 93023
Study materials and directions will be emailed on receipt of your check.

List of Ham Radios to consider

Thanks to Sean Kellythorne (KI6MGI) put together this list of Ham Radios to consider for your first/next purchase.

Auxiliary Communication Service Brochure

Ham Licensing Opportunity - March 28th in Ventura

Ventura County Fire Dept Video - Wildlife Fires

Please take a couple minutes to watch this informative video, sponsored by City of Ventura, which interviews Fire Department First Responders on what to do to prevent and prepare for Wildfires in the County.

The information applies to CERT preparedness for any disaster/emergency.

http://cityofventura.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=5

Ham Radio Programming, Etiquette and Protocols

Disclaimer: The following material is the opinion of Paul Garth (KI6USA), based on his experience and understanding. Please send any corrections or suggestions to mrpaulgarth@gmail.com.

Simplex Frequency Communication

*Radio to Radio communication without need of a third party repeater
*Both transmit and receive frequency are the same
*Line of sight requirement typically reduces effective distance between radios
*For example, Ojai Simplex Frequency is: 146.520

Repeater Frequency Communication

*Repeater Output Frequency is entered on your radio
*Repeaters are located centrally on top of high terrain
*Greater distance between radios possible (Ojai Valleywide & Ventura Countywide)
*Very useful if each radio is on either side of a mountain with repeater on top
*Frequency transmitted on your radio to repeater is offset by negative .60
*For example, Receive 145.400 and Transmit 144.800
*Radio may need to be programmed for negative offset (-)
*Note: The offset (which can be negative or positive) typically is chosen by the range the repeater output frequency lies within. See chart below. In our case, both repeater systems require negative offset. Useful to know that repeaters can be linked to each other, thereby increasing the effective range.



Private Line Tone (PL)

*Ensures communication transmitted to the correct repeater
*Look up Repeater Frequency for applicable PL Tone (for example 127.3)
*Not all repeaters have PL Tones -- for example, Ojai Repeater

Channel Assignments

*Channel Numbers assigned by local Ham Radio Groups
*Useful to communicate tactical changes, for example - "Switch to channel 15"
*Ojai Valley (Area 5) Repeater is Channel 5
*Ventura Countywide Repeater is Channel 9
*Ojai Valley (Area 5) Simplex is Channel 15
*Recommendation to initially program these three frequencies into applicable channels

Ojai Valley (N6FL) Repeater Frequency

*145.400 (programmed into radio)
*Negative offset (-.60)
*No PL Tone required
*Channel 5

Ojai Valley Simplex Frequency

*146.520 (programmed into radio)
*Simplex - no negative offset (transmit and receive on same frequency)
*No PL Tone required
*Channel 15
*Note: This is the backup frequency if N6FL repeater should fail

Ventura Countywide (WA6ZTT) Repeater

*146.880 (programmed into radio)
*Negative offset (-.60)
*PL Tone 127.3
*Channel 9

Ventura Countywide Simplex/repeater output

*146.880 (programmed into radio)
*Simplex - no negative offset (transmit and receive on same frequency)
*PL Tone 127.3
*Channel XXX - need to check on this
*Note: Simplex Frequency used if Repeater Fails

Ventura Countywide Simplex

*147.570 (programmed into radio)
*Simplex - no negative offset (transmit and receive on same frequency)
*No PL Tone required
*Channel 10
*Note: This is the backup frequency if WA6ZTT repeater should fail

Preference always goes to Emergency Traffic

*During conversations, ensure enough pauses to listen for any traffic
*Begin each scheduled net with a callout for any pending emergency traffic

Get good at listening

*Primary skill of Ham Radio is to listen and document important/needed traffic
*Listen on frequency before transmitting
*Write down seemingly important traffic - it maybe a one-time emergency callout
*Conserve battery by minimizing unnecessary chatter

Think before speaking

*Who are you going to call (what is their call-sign?)
*What is your call-sign?
*What is the information you need to communicate/relay (think about this first)
*Be brief and to the point
*No long-winded speeches
*If transmitting more than 20-30 seconds say: "break", key-up briefly to listen for traffic, and then resume transmission
*Avoid "Ahhh", "Ummm"

Plain Talk

*Do not speak with codes (no place for "10-4" in Ham Radio)
*Speak in normal, plain English
*If using a repeater, not necessary to say "Over"

Press and Hold the Push-to-Talk (PTT) button for half a second before transmitting

*Repeater needs to open a channel for your transmission
*Avoid clipping (omitting) first second of your transmission

Speak across the microphone

*Do not speak directly into the microphone
*Speak across the microphone
*Distance between microphone and lips is about 2 to 3 inches
*Note: This avoids distortion and over modulation

Transmit the call-sign of party you are calling first

*For example, "W6OEU, this is KI6USA - radio check"
*I am calling W60EU
*My call sign is KI6USA

FCC Requirements for using Ham Radio Call-signs

*Do not transmit (to test the repeater) without transmitting (at least) your call-sign
*During a conversation, transmit your call-sign every 10 minutes
*Note: In a two-way conversation, one party can transmit both call-signs for the record
*Transmit call-sign at the end of conversation (for example, "This is KI6USA, clear")
*If using tactical call-sign (for example, Shadow2), also include FCC call-sign after

Recommendation to purchase and use headset

*For outdoor communication, I highly recommend purchasing and using headsets
*Keeps both hands free
*Reduces need for high volume and therefore saves battery drain
*Useful for loud ambient noise -- still able to hear radio calls when School Marching Band passes
*Do NOT use VOX -- this allows transmission just by the volume of your voice and can cause unwanted transmission

Ensure batteries are charged up

*Recommended to purchase and carry a spare battery
*For a long-day event, charge both main and spare batteries within 48 hours of event (charge one battery overnight for each day leading to event)

Net Control Etiquette

*Net Control Operator manages the net
*Be patient when waiting on Net Control Response -- they maybe occupied listening to another frequency
*Listen before transmitting
*Ask for a radio check before beginning lengthy transmission
*Keep transmissions short and concise
*Always ask permission from Net Control to "go direct" when wishing to speak directly with another person
*When finished with direct transmission conclude with, "Back to net, "
*When acting as Net Control, follow applicable scripts

No Profanity

*Do NOT swear -- pretty simple request

No Personal Information transmitted

*Do not communicate personal information (for example, "Larry -- I live at xxx and I'll be on vacation for 2 weeks")

No business conversation allowed

*Do not communicate business information
*Exception is discussing Ham Radio equipment sales

Transmissions when working for a served agency

*When operating for a served agency (for example, Los Angeles Marathon Staff), transmit only the information they are requesting to be transmitted
*Do not invent/create information to be transmitted
*Do not relay information you've heard on-the-air to the Press - direct them to a Public Information Officer. For example, do not communicate, "We've been pretty busy today, there were 3 accidents and 1 heart attack victim".

Keep track of your Shadow Assignment

*Keep a body-length away from your assignment at all times
*Keep an eye on their movement and anticipate their movement and direction
*Do NOT take your eye of your assignment. Do not make eye contact with anyone else.
*If close to your assignment and other people, helpful to wear a headset and pretend to be listening to traffic -- this sounds strange, but makes sense when you do shadow work in a busy environment. You must always be listening for calls anyway
*Do NOT allow bystanders to engage you in conversation which could distract you and lose sight of your assignment - you can't legally relay to a non-Ham Operator what you heard anyway.
*Proactively write down information that your assignment may need later

Dual InBound Receive

*If the situation warrants, and your radio has this function, consider programming dual inbound receive
*This allows your radio to receive two separate frequencies and transmit on one primary frequency
*Useful if you are a Shadow working a Marathon (can listen to primary Shadow Frequency, while monitoring Mile Net). More information you can relay to your assignment the better

Avoid being cocky in offering logistical opinions to served agencies

*Because Ham Radio Operators are schooled and practiced in circuit discipline while enjoying superior communication capabilities, it is possible to observe obvious areas of improvement within a served agency's operation
*Remember that your primary function is to relay information on behalf of served agency
*Avoid offering strong opinions for improvement which can annoy and frustrate the served agency

Weekly Radio Nets for Ojai Valley

*Tuesday, 7:00PM to 7:15PM (Net Control Rag-Chew and early check-ins)
*145.400, negative offset, no PL, channel 5
*Informal conversation, but FCC rules apply
*Don't worry too much about communication protocol -- get on the air!

*Tuesday, 7:15PM to 7:30PM (Net Control weekly OVARC net)
*145.400, negative offset, no PL, channel 5
*Formal net, announcements, check-ins, request "direct to" if needed

Weekly Radio Nets for Ventura County ACS - Auxiliary Communication Service

*Tuesday, 7:30PM to 8:00PM (Net Control)
*146.880, negative offset, PL 127.3, channel 9
*Formal conversation
*ACS Leadership Updates and announcements
*Area Reports (# check-ins)
*Note: Whomever is Net Control for Ojai at 7PM represents us at 7:30PM
*Important Note: Unlikely that, outside of our Net Control Operator, others in Ojai will transmit on this net

Recommendations for newly minted ham operators

*Plan on being on each week's net
*Use the rag-chew portion to practice communicating
*Listen to the Countywide net for best practice communications
*Practice communications outside of the weekly Tuesday nets -- make a "sched" with someone and chat
*Do not hesitate to request assistance - Ham Radio Operators are notorious for offering their time to get people up and running and communicating effectively
*Please understand that seasoned Ham Radio Operators take their unpaid volunteer communication efforts and assignments extremely seriously and apply exacting dedication. Our trademark phrase, is "When All Else Fails - Amateur Radio". Ensure that for each radio transmission you represent the Ham Radio community professionally at all times and continue on the tradition of excellence.
*Request to be Net Control where a seasoned operator will sit next to you during the net to give you assistance and moral support
*Note: One day you'll be net control for both Ojai and the County -- it's all done by script and not that scary. It's still nice to have someone next to you, though!
*Remember that Ham Radio is not just about communicating during emergencies -- there are practical applications like communicating GPS coordinates from the hills north of Thacher High School to an operator sitting at home doing GoogleMap searches
*Have fun and don't take all this too seriously, even though some time it is serious
*Continually learn about Ham Radio. Read Books. Upgrade to General Class and Extra Class. Build Antennas. Play with Electronic Kits to build circuits, etc.
*Join ARRL (Amateur Radio Relay League - www.arrl.org) which represents Ham Radio Community to the FCC -- you receive an interesting monthly magazine along with membership benefits
*Learn something and then pass on the information to someone else who can benefit -- everything you've read so far was communicated directly to me by various people over last several years.
*"Amateur" just means you cannot be paid for communicating, it does not mean anything less than behaving professionally.
*Eagerly recruit everyone you know to become a Ham Radio Operator, but still maintain the mystique and "magic" of radio communication
*Regularly attend monthly OVARC meetings (3rd Saturday, 8AM at Holy Cross Preschool)
*Sign-up for various events (Camarillo Christmas Parade, Run For your Life, Santa Clarita Marathon, Los Angeles Marathon, Coyote 2 Moon, etc).
*And so on... and so on...

73 de KI6USA (Paul)

Ham Radio Operator Positions available for upcoming Los Angeles Marathon (Memorial Day, 2009)

Over the years, I've been a big fan of volunteering for Marathons. I've worked several New York Marathons as a Finish Line Marshal (over 400 runners cross the finish line - 20' wide- per minute) and then continued with similar positions for Los Angeles Marathon.

Since 2005, when I became Ham Licensed, I continue to Volunteer for the Los Angeles Marathon -- started off as Mile Net Operator and then moved on to Shadow Operator for Acura Bike Tour Race Director.

It's quite a trip to be part of the communications loop between Department of Transportation (stationed at the Command Center in Downtown Los Angeles) to Ham Shadow Net Control to me to Race Director to guy with starter pistol -- all within 10 seconds of DOT clearing the course.

It's a great opportunity being part of a large operation with multiple radio nets and exacting communication protocols. You will find that the art of listening is required more than talking, but they give frequent opportunities to do radio check-ins.

Please consider signing up -- I just did.

73,

Paul (KI6USA)

=========================================

News from the LA Marathon-Volunteer Edition February 2009 Happy New Year from the staff of the LA Marathon. We have some exciting things to share with you. Marathon Date/Course Change Race to be held on Memorial Day - May 25, 2009 The 2009 Los Angeles Marathon promises to be the start of a new era, both for race participants and the entire Los Angeles community. We're building your race-and our organization that supports it-around the transformational power of sport, inspiring athletes and connecting communities. In that effort, we're pleased to announce that Honda has announced its return as presenting sponsor of the marathon and Acura is back as the title sponsor for the bike tour. We've hired Nick Curl, a respected veteran of the racing world who spent more than a dozen years affiliated with the marathon, as our race director. We are also announcing a return to a runner-friendly course, the old "loop" course that starts and finishes downtown. In speaking to hundreds of runners in recent weeks, we've heard lots of comments about the race. All of those comments inform our decision-making process. One idea that we heard frequently and which we can implement immediately is to improve the race route. We are excited to announce that this year we will begin and end the race in Downtown Los Angeles. We're using the same popular course that was used from 1996-2006. This route highlights a variety of great neighborhoods throughout the city, sending participants through the Crenshaw, Koreatown, Hancock Park, and the Mid-City neighborhoods along the way. It also produced the fastest LA Marathon time to date-a 2:08:40 by Benson Cherono in 2006.

2009 LA Marathon Volunteers Needed Online Registration Now Open It is already time to start planning for the 2009 LA Marathon and we cannot do this without our wonderful volunteers! The LA Marathon is looking for community assistance in the area of volunteering the week of May 18 to May 25. Volunteer registration is available online at www.lamarathon.com. Volunteers can choose to sign up individiually or as groups. To register, fill out the online form and you will receive a confirmation email. Registration is available for Race Week Office Support May 18-25, Run/Ex/09 Expo on May 23 & 24 and Race Day May 25. Details about your volunteer assignment will be emailed out to you in early May. To register as an Individual, click HERE. To create a Volunteer Group, click HERE. To join a Volunteer Group, click HERE. (You will need the password provided by your group's leader.) Contact Us/Questions If you have any questions regarding volunteering for the 2009 LA Marathon, or are interested in working as a volunteer captain/coordinator please contact Stacy Embretson at (310) 271-7200 or via email stacy@lamarathon.com.

We hope that you will all join us for the 2009 LA Marathon. Thanks for your support, The LA Marathon Team

FEMA Publishes Ham Radio Credentialing Guidelines

FEMA Publishes Credentialing Guidelines

Mon Jan 5, 2009 6:41 pm (PST) FEMA has issued Credentialing Guidelines for deployed personnel during disasters. The notice was published in the Federal Register on
December 24, 2008. There is a 30-day window for public comment on
this proposal.

Amateur Radio would be covered in SECTION 4-Voluntary, Charitable and
Not-For-Profit-Organizations. It just provides general guidelines
and encourages organizations to meet the standards of the local
agencies with which they work.

The docket identification is FEMA-2008-0015.

Here is the link:

http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocumentDetail&o=09000064807df5d0

Ham Radio BookMarks

The following are a list of useful web-sites for Ham Radio Reference

Antennas

440 Mhz J-Pole Antenna plans by dxzone.com

An automatically tuned 7-30MHz mobile antenna by dxzone.com

COMET-DAIWA-MALDOL Antennas & Accessories - Master Page

HF portable antenna - 40 to 6 meters by dxzone.com

IC706-FT817 portable whip antenna by dxzone.com

J Pole Antennas J-Pole

J Pole calculator by dxzone.com

M1IOS - Wonder Whip antenna and tuner by dxzone.com

Magnetic loop for 30-10 M by dxzone.com

MAX-GAIN SYSTEMS, INC. Fiberglass Price List

Right Frame scales

Strong Signals - Antennas

Vertical antennas Manufacturers Antennas HF Vertical Antennas

Water tuned loop antenna by dxzone.com

Batteries

All-Battery.com - Rechargeable batteries & Chargers

Battery Eliminators - Two Way Radio Battery Eliminators from TwoWayBattery.com

Battery Systems - Long Beach, CA

NiMH rechargeable batteries - AA, AAA, C, D, and 9V

Rechargeable AA Batteries, NiMH & NiCad

Rechargeable Batteries

Rechargeable Battery Pack Li-ion NIMH NICd Li-Po Battery Charger

STANDARD C558A Two Way Radio Batteries at www.batterylink.us

STANDARD

Welcome to BatteryJunction.com - our prices won't leave you drained!

Ham Sites

eHam.net Reviews - Antennas HF Mobile & Accessories

HAM RADIO - AMATEUR RADIO - HAM RADIO INFORMATION, LICENSE INFO!, PLANS - PROJECTS

Ham Radio Home Page - QTH.COM by KA9FOX! Classified swap ads for amateur radio, ham radio and more

KB1DIG HAM PAGE!

Login - Google Maps APRS

mods.dk - Modifications for radioamateur

QRZ Forums

QRZ Ham Radio

The DXZone ham-radio, shortwave and cb-radio guide

Ham Tests

eHam.net Ham Radio Practice Exams

QRZ Ham Radio

Home pages

arrlweb ARRL Home Page

IRLP - Internet Radio Linking Project

OJAI VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB

Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club (SBARC)

Ventura County ACS-ARES

Manuals

rec.radio.swap

WA2RQY HAM RADIO MANUAL SALES

Suppliers

AES Home page

Alinco Electronics Welcome Page

All Electronics Corp - Parts, Supplies and Components

Argent Data Systems

Byonics -

Elecraft (r) Hands-On Ham Radio

Fair Radio Sales Company Inc.

Hamcity.com - Ham City

HRO Ham Radio Outlet Worldwide Supplier of Amateur Radio Electronics Equipment

Icom IC-718, Icom 718 Amateur Transceiver

MFJ Enterprises

Nifty! Ham Accessories, Ham Radio Guides Home Page

PacificGeek.com

R&L Electronics 800-221-7735

RF Parts Company™ Amateur Radio Catalog

Texas Towers, The Online Ham Radio Store

Universal Radio shortwave, amateur, scanner and CB radio since 1942

http--www.ir3ip.net-projects-standard-c528.mod.txt

National SOS Radio Network -- America's free, accessible-by-all emergency communications system.

Ham Radio Licensing Opportunity (Calabasas) 4/19/09

The Lost Hills Disaster Communications Service is putting on another Ham Radio Licensing Class/exam in Calabasas - April 19th. The last one yielded 22 Ham Licensees for the Ojai Valley.

Ojai Valley Amateur Radio Club are planning on replicating this program within the Ojai Valley, but my recommendation is to focus on this next class in Calabasas until further notice.

Ham Radio Programming Class (Calabasas) 2/10/09

The Lost Hills Disaster Communication Service is holding an intro class for Ham Radio Licensees on 2/10/09.

Intro to Radio Communications (Saturday, 1/31/09)

This Saturday, January 31st from 9AM to noon, the Ventura Harbor Community Council, the Ventura Port District and the Ojai Valley Amateur Radio Club will offer a free Radio Orientation class.

The Radio Orientation and hands-on use of all types of radios (FRS, GMRS, Marine, HAM) will all be covered.

The main class is Saturday, January 31st from 9-11am and those who want more hands on training can stay until noon. Holiday Inn Express - Windjammer Room (closest to Spinnaker).

Bring all of your radios for this very important activity.

You will learn about frequency bands and propagation limits, Emergency communications and practice. The Incident Command System that is used in ACS (Auxiliary Communication Service). The art of communication without adding or dropping important information. How to interact with the ACS, ICS protocol
What to say - when to say it - when to listen This is very important!!!
Net Operation, and I am sure much more - Bring your questions - the experts will answer them all.

The Holiday Inn Express hotel is providing the room at no charge for this event.

Please RSVP to this email Lynn Mikelatos at lynnmikelatos@gmail.com if you are coming. There is plenty of room so please bring friends who are interested.

Lynn Mikelatos, VHCC Chair
lynnmikelatos@gmail.com

PS: Those of you interested in HAM licensing (Both Technician and General) - information on a February class will be available.

Info for new Ham Radio Licensees

Congratulations on your new

Ham Radio license!





What Radio Should I Buy?

January 27th @ 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm



This class provides the new ham with information about radios in general, with “'show ‘n tell” by experienced hams.

* Now that I have my license, what do I do with it?
* What radio should I buy?
* Can't I just wait and take it out of the box when there's an emergency?
* What's a "net"?
* How do I use the radio from the car?
* How do I use the radio from my home?
* What did all that technical stuff on the exam mean, and how much of that do I really need to know?

In advance of the class, have a look at this page, put together by the PAPA Group: http://papasys.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=45&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a.





How Do I Program My Radio? – and Other Stuff!

February 10th @ 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm



This class provides hands-on individual instruction, where experienced hams show you how to program your own radio. The class is scheduled a week after the first class, so you have time to buy or borrow a radio. Instructors will bring radios for you to practice on if you still haven't bought one. Make sure your radio battery is charged, and bring the manual in case the hams aren't familiar with your model.

* How do I turn my radio on?
* What frequency do I transmit on?
* How do I key-in a frequency?
* I just want to talk to another local ham, not on a repeater - how do we set up our radios?
* I want to talk on a repeater - what settings do I have to know how to make?
* What repeaters can I talk on?
* What's a repeater input frequency? Output frequency? Tone?
* What's "tone mode?"
* How do I get my radio to memorize stuff?
* How do I get my radio to display a repeater name rather than just the frequency?
* What do I say when I want to talk to someone? Who's call comes first?

Both classes will be held at the

Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center

( 27040 Malibu Hills Rd – adjacent to the Sheriff’s Station)



Please R.S.V.P. to

Debbie Larson @ (818) 224-1600 or dlarson@cityofcalabasas.com

Ham Radio Licensing on Sunday a big success

Article is in Ojai Valley News -- Wednesday 1/14/09



The following are the newly minted Hams with callsigns:

KI6VBH Frangos, Zachary A
KI6VBI Grasel, Timothy G
KI6VCI Anderson, Cynthia H
KI6VCM Anderson, William
KI6VCN Bailey, Diana
KI6VCO Bailey, Jacob
KI6VCV Eller, Carrie M
KI6VCY Gordon, Scott
KI6VDA Harvey, Jimmy A
KI6VDC Herrera, Rene A
KI6VDG McLelland, Walter M
KI6VDH Miller, Gregory S
KI6VDI Miller, Kathlyn R
KI6VDJ Miller, Marvin D
KI6VDM Obradovich, Sherry L
KI6VDN Pedersen, Jean A
KI6VDS Rhodes, Michele
KI6VDT Williams, Kenneth E
KI6VDU Ross, Tuck
KI6VED Smith, Raymond J
KI6VEI Weiner, Martin H