In these crazy times of “No Group Meetings” Tri County members Stay Home, Stay Safe but still manage to congregate virtually via the Zoom.us video conferencing platform. Our Saturday sessions have become Fun, Energetic and even educational! If you haven’t joined us recently, stop by check-in and see for yourself.
If you would like to be included in this virtual chat session, email a request to our club secretary Dave K6EV at K6AGF@Arrl.net.
We began the tasks of Packing up, rearranging for “on the road”, Check our Conventions/Quartzpause page through the menu for my Journal of our time at “Quartzpause”
Our ARRL Southwest division director Dick Norton had just returned from the national ARRL Board meeting and brings news, information and some of his personal back to the membership gathered in the Arizona Desert. Several Amateurs rigged up an Amateur television transmitter and two meter radio transceiver allowing those of us with a simple television receiver to view/listen to the talk and ask questions or respond via 146.550 simplex. I was able to record the transmitted video with a small video camera so be aware that it is a “Hand-Held” recording. There were some technical difficulties a few of the ATV team some of mine, the audio is marginal, the questionable video centering (my issues) and the presentation is lengthy, nearly one hour.
We are on the air! For monitoring frequency, see gotahams.com . For the latest updates on the TCARA website go to QuartzFest (QuartPause)2021 – K6AGF (tcaraclub.net)
Officers from both TCARA and GOTAhams arrived at Quartzite Arizona (Quartzpause) Jan. 16th at 7:00 PM, quickly setup camp and attended the nightly Zoom hosted by our sister club, allowing us to Listen to the nightly topical net on WA6FZH (446.400) repeater. Sunday morning offered us a beautiful sunrise some announcements on the Quartzfest simplex “talk-in”. as I finish this post it will be time to erect some HF and Amateur TV antennas to get us on 40 meters? and FT8 (I will post Frequencies.)
In these days of Covid-19, No Group meetings, Etc. TCARA is currently meeting “Virtually” on the ZOOM Video Conferencing platform. to get your personal invitation with a meeting number, Password and to simplify things a “Link” simply email a request to Dave K6EV at k6agf@gmail.com
PLEASE PUT YOUR CALLSIGN AND FULL NAME IN YOUR ZOOM ‘ID’ so that we can clearly see who you are during check-in. If you don’t do this, it could delay moving you into the main meeting room. We use the waiting room to avoid being ‘zoom bombed’ by hackers.
We Look forward to seeing everyone there! ’73 Ken KC6WOK
A D-STAR Special Event Station NI6IW will be operating from the USS Midway Museum Radio Room on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day December 7.
Special Event Station NI6IW will be operating from the USS Midway Museum Radio Room on December 7, from 1700Z to 2359Z, in commemoration of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.
The station will include a D-Star radio, connected to the PAPA System D-Star Gateway.
NI6IW will be operating D-Star on the San Diego Reflector REF012C and can be heard locally on the 145.615 (KI6MGN C) Palomar Mt. D-Star Repeater.
NI6IW will also be operating on the following HF Bands.
SSB: 14,325 (+/-) and 7,250 (+/-)
CW: 14,060 (+/-) and 7,040 (+/-)
BPSK: 7,070-7,080 (+/-)
MT63: 7,037 (+/-) and 14,109 (+/-)
RTTY: 7,080 (+/-) and 14,080 (+/-)
For QSL: Send SASE to
USS MIDWAY CV-41 Museum Radio Room, 910 North Harbor Drive, San Diego CA 92101.
In these crazy times of “No Group Meetings” Tri County members Stay Home, Stay Safe but still manage to congregate virtually via the Zoom.us video conferencing platform. Our Saturday sessions have become Fun, Energetic and even educational! If you haven’t joined us recently, stop by check-in and see for yourself.
If you would like to be included in this virtual chat session, email a request to our club secretary Dave K6EV at K6AGF@Arrl.net.
When preparing for a club sponsored Zoom session, please set you user name to your first name and call sign, this provides the host a simple identifier to allow you in from the Zoom “waiting room” (our practical security feature to avoid Zoom bombing).
Remember, this Saturday January 9th, Ham Radio University
“A day of education to share ideas, experiences,
knowledge and fellowship among Amateur Radio operators”
First, Let me Apologize for not posting something sooner, Tim N6DLC (our Web Host and IT superstar) and myself have been feverishly working through technical issues on the administrative side of the website. Tim has narrowed it down enough to allow me back into site administration and I will take every opportunity to add to and improve this site as time will allow.
New opportunities even in this pandemic are presenting themselves daily in our Amateur Radio hobby. There are online Ham educational forums and Hamfests being posted regularly, the Ham Radio “Youtubers” are adding content so quickly it is hard to keep up! Beyond that within TCARA and other local clubs we have opportunities for daily connections to our local Ham Radio community.
TCARA hosts a Weekly Net Sunday at 7:00 PM PST on the WA6FZH Repeater 446.400 (103.5) in a conversational roundtable format allowing you to share you thoughts, ask questions and get information about the club and the hobby. As a side note, our sister club hosts a nightly roundtable net on the same repeater at 8:00 PM PST with the exception of using a nightly topical suggestion to start the conversation. Each club allows ANY licensed Ham to participate and focuses on New Hams and Amateurs returning to the hobby.
Along with these “Nets” TCARA has adopted the use of ZOOM.us for hosted Video conferences, A weekly “Zoom at Noon” each Saturday at noon (of course), This has become a fun, Interesting and educational meeting, I know I always have a great laugh and feel very connected “Post Zoom Chat” Zoom also serves to facilitate monthly general membership meeting in Lieu of the Physical meeting at Brackett Field during this Pandemic. I do expect the even after the return of those physical meetings we will maintain a version (Hybrid) of the Zoom connection for folks that are homebound.
As I heard on a newscast just today, Some of the factors for being more susceptible to Covid-19 are Loneliness, Stress, Depression and anxiety. As this Pandemic/Lockdown began I was recovering from a invasive surgery that had me homebound for several weeks. To avoid the doldrums and maintain social connections I convinced the Officers in a local radio club to begin a nightly net that became a form of not only staying connected (while distancing) but checking on each others well being and finding out who had a line on a toilet paper, Hand Sanitizer, bottled water supply!
Please use these resources being provided by YOUR local Ham Radio community and help us build on what has become a thriving, fun, active group of Amateurs. As a member of a re-energized TCARA executive board I know that more than just “Plans” are being made. This TCARA board wants to hear all of your ideas, concerns, complaints and will do our best to listen and acknowledge those ideas. We want to offer Much more to our membership including this informative website, timely and relevant programs, better communication and when it is allowed physical meetings including Kit/antenna/soldering builds, Picnics and partnering with our sister club for “Radio in the Park” and Hospitality hosting at Radio Swap Meets.
I am Hopeful and Confident that things will improve concerning this pandemic and we WILL get back together physically. I Know there is lots of energy to do the things I have mentioned and I personally am looking forward to doing/hosting/attending each of them that I can. I look forward to seeing all of you, Members, Guests and friends on Zoom, on the radio and when it’s allowed in person.
’73 Ken KC6WOK
