SFM ARC On-Air Net Meetings
Please join us for our club’s 8:00 PM Tuesday Night on-air Net Meetings held at 3.545 MHz
Or you can listen and watch the CW to text translation HERE using our Live Feed!
A blast from the past!
N6MQL Presents the RigExpert Antenna Analyzer
This month Mike, N6MQL presented the new features of the RigExpert Antenna analyzers to members of both N6NA (River City ARC) and our own group at W6SFM. Below is the entire presentation.
SK Notice from the Western Placer Amateur Radio Club
It is with an exceptionally sad and heavy heart that I must inform you of the passing of WPARC’s past President Harvey Ulijohn, KD6LND. Harvey was a long-time WPARC club member and was a ham for many years. Harvey served in other club positions and was active in many areas. However, it was as President that Harvey had his most impact on the Western Placer Amateur Radio Club. He took over the reins after a disastrous term by someone who should have never been President and stabilized the club. He was a natural leader and mentor and had a good influence on many people. Harvey had a calming influence on any organization he was involved with and was highly respected for his leadership. Those who knew him valued his friendship. He organized the WPARC Hamfest one year and played an active role many other years along with his XYL Karen. In addition, Harvey was involved in many other community activities. He was a past President of the Lincoln Rotary club and led many useful projects to help people worldwide. He was also active in some car clubs and for many years had a Sunbeam Alpine, a popular British sports car. He lived in England for several years while running a software company.
Harvey’s passing is a great loss to all who knew him. I am deeply saddened but have many good memories of him and will cherish them for years to come.
Please join me in offering condolences and sympathies to his XYL, Karen.
Sadly,
Michael Buck
WPARC Secretary
Next Month’s In-Person Meeting
Our next SFM ARC in-person meeting will be held at its normal time and location Sep. 6th (followed by our Oct. 4th meeting). The SFM ARC in-person meeting will be held in the Howard Crowley room upstairs at the Carmichael Presbyterian Church. Directions, including a Google Map, are available at the bottom of this webpage.
At our September meeting, we will be discussing ARRL news and events. We will also have a presentation on the CommCat DX cluster, spotting and logging program, including its “Live” add-on option. Plans will be made for the annual W6SFM CA QSO Party which will happen the first weekend of October. As always, we will have our Tech (show and tell) portion. Members and visitors are asked to share their Ham Radio related items they find of interest. Please be sure to bring a guest with you!
Solar Report by Tamitha Skov (A real report everyone can understand)
Urgent Request for ALL licensed and non licensed visiting this site Many of you have seen that the Amateur Radio Parity Act has been introduced in the U.S. Senate as S.1534, and has been referred to committee for review. This is wonderful news following the unanimous passage of H.R.555 in the House of Representatives this past January. Vice Director Jim Tiemstra, K6JAT recently returned from the July ARRL board meeting at headquarters in Connecticut. There he learned that an estimated 90% of all new housing in the U.S. contains covenants, with the majority of those having boilerplate antenna restrictions. This means that as housing expands, Amateur Radio will face increasing restrictions. It is important to realize that H.R.555/S.1534 is a bill resulting from negotiations between ARRL and the Community Associations Institute (CAI), both of whom have approved the wording of the bill. Some have questioned whether this bill goes far enough to favor Amateur Radio. It does! At this time, deed-restricted neighborhoods have the authority to absolutely deny outside antenna installations, with no recourse. This bill will guarantee the right of an amateur radio operator to have an effective outdoor antenna. It is time for ALL of us to come together, and get this important bill passed! We are now the closest we have ever been to obtaining antenna relief in deed-restricted neighborhoods. If passed and enacted, the Amateur Radio Parity Act will be the most important piece of Amateur Radio legislation since the FCCs 1985 PRB-1 regulation. That’s over 30 years, or an entire generation, of no added antenna relief. To make S.1534 pass, however, we need your help again. Below is a hyperlink to an app called RALLY CONGRESS. By clicking on the link (or copying and pasting in your browser) and completing some contact information, within two minutes you will generate a letter that will let both of your respective U.S. senators know that you want them to vote for this bill. Time is critical as we expect the bill to be heard before committee soon, and if passed in committee, it could go to the floor of the senate for a vote within a matter of weeks. Please take a moment NOW to click on the hyperlink and share with your senators your support for S.1534, the Amateur Radio Parity Act. Thank you. https://arrl.rallycongress.net/ctas/urge-us-senate-to-support-amateur-radio-parity-act I just completed and sent my letter inside of 60 seconds. Please take a minute and do so also! 73, Michael, N6MQL President W6SFM