October 3 and 4: Maker Faire® San Diego!
Maker Faire San Diego is October 3 and 4, 2015, from 10 AM to 6 PM at Balboa Park. Our “Not Your Grandpa’s Ham Radio” theme will feature some new projects as well as some of the old, but popular demonstrations from previous Maker Faire events. Pictured below is a project under construction, I hope to have it completed for this event. It is a homemade 1090 MHz collinear (vertical) antenna that will be part of an air traffic control monitoring station using a software defined radio (SDR).
October 15 to 18: Microwave Update (MUD)!
Microwave Update, or MUD, is a yearly technical conference for amateur radio experimenters making, modifying, hacking, building, testing and using the 1,000 MHz and up radio bands. Participants from all over the world gather at these events to share information about operating techniques, radio propagation and radio station equipment. One aspect of this event is the buying, selling and trading of surplus parts and assemblies for these frequency bands, since some items may be difficult to procure in some areas. But perhaps the best thing about MUD is socializing and making new friends from all over the world to discuss common interests and goals.
Preparations for the San Diego MUD are still under way. Last weekend, a few San Bernardino Microwave Society (SBMS) members gathered at Dave’s lab to sort and package some prize and give-away items for the event.
Left to right: Dave WA6CGR, Rein W6SZ, Pat N6RMJ and Jim KK6MXP sorting and packing some microwave frequency prizes and give-ways.
I hope to see you at any or both of these events!
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Don’t be one of those — read more here and connect with me on LinkedIn, using a personalized request.
UPDATE: Classroom is now Children’s Building, Room “Extreme” but is subject to change. Check the following LinkedIn Groups for last minute changes: Above The Rim Executive Career Management and Saddleback Career Coaching & Counseling Ministry.
Every Thursday night, from 7 pm to 9 pm Pacific time (except major US holidays): Free LinkedIn Workshop in Lake Forest, CA and worldwide (online).
Learn the the best practices, etiquette and strategies to optimize your profile to get more visibility. These days, what you know is not enough. Who you know no longer applies. It is now Who Knows You.
Location: Saddleback Church, 1 Saddleback Pkwy, Lake Forest, CA
More information on the career workshops.
If you are out of the Orange County, CA area, send an e-mail message to me and I will send connection details.
(LinkedIn® is a registered trademark of LinkedIn Corporation.)
Microwave Update (MUD), the international conference on Amateur Radio experimentation above 1,000 MHz, reminds attendees and participants the deadline for papers is September 1, 2015. The event is October 15 to 18, 2015.
Article/Paper Deadline
There is still time to create and submit an article or paper on your latest microwave project, technique or technology update.
Paper guidelines are posted on the official 2015 Microwave Update website, at
Technical Paper Guidelines and Deadlines
Speaker Schedule
The preliminary speaker schedule is posted at
MUD 2015 Speaker Schedule
Hotel Information – Discount Rates Deadline Approaches!
Take advantage of the hotel discount rate which expires on September 14, 2015. Be sure to mention you will be attending the Microwave Update (MUD).
Crowne Plaza San Diego
2270 Hotel Circle North
San Diego, CA 92108 USA
Phone: +1-888-233-9527
More MUD 2015 hotel information:
MUD 2015 Hotel Info
For more information and the latest updates on MUD 2015, go to:
Microwave Update 2015 San Diego, CA
About the San Bernardino Microwave Society
The SBMS, founded in 1955, is a non-profit technical organization and Amateur Radio club and dedicated to the advancement of communications above 1,000MHz. Affiliated with the ARRL, the SBMS membership includes over 90 Amateurs from Hawaii and Alaska to the East Coast and beyond. Meetings are held the first Thursday of each month at 7 pm at the American Legion Hall, 1024 Main St., Corona, CA. For more SBMS information, go to SBMS
About the Microwave Group of San Diego
The Microwave Group of San Diego is an informal association of Radio Amateurs interested in the frequencies above 1000 MHz. A net is held on the air each Monday night, except the third Monday of the month, on the Palomar Amateur Radio Club Repeater, 146.730 (-0.600), (tone 107.2) at 9:00 PM. For more information, go to
MGSD
Since pictures are worth a thousand words, here is a 2015 Bay Area Maker Faire recap in images from and around our Not Your Grandpa’s Ham Radio theme booth.
Click here to see the official Bay Area Maker Faire video from 2015
The Bay Area Maker Faire 2015 team: Team Leader Brian Yee W6BY and his wife Pat and daughter Stephanie, Dennis Kidder W6DQ, Lisa Gibbons KF6QNG and Paul Zander AA6PZ
We had working, hands-on ham radio projects including Brian’s (W6BY) 10 GHz ham radio transverter system, a radio-controlled tractor/forklift (ZigBee controller) and the big screen used as an electronic sign.
Dennis W6DQ brought several brand new projects this year, including a working Amateur Radio broadband (WiFi) network with seven nodes, a software-defined radio (SDR) system.
I brought a demonstration comparing old and new technology in antenna tuners. It uses light bulbs for a substitute (“dummy”) antenna.
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Lisa showing the new Arduino book to an interested Maker
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Stephanie shows off her “Lear to Solder” badge of honor
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Guys at the Nepal ham radio booth
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There’s so much to see and do. Here are some pictures of what I get a chance to see.
Always great to see Tenaya promoting Arduino and Arduino related projects and products!
Great shirts and signage – Only at the Maker Faire!
Here are the posters we used to describe our projects on display this year.
Who: Huntington Beach Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) team will demonstrate and practice their emergency radio communications skills in a nation-wide drill called “Field Day.” RACES (pronounced “RAY-sees”), is a program endorsed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC Part 97, Section 407), that uses trained amateur radio operators (Hams) during emergencies. Administered by the Fire Department, RACES members use their personal equipment and skills, and volunteer their time to provide this service at no cost to the City of Huntington Beach.
When: Saturday, June 27, 2015, at approximately 11 AM – 5 PM (RACES volunteers will participate 24 hours)
Where: PCH and Goldenwest on the bluffs.
What: During Field Day, amateur radio (HAM) operators from the US and Canada will practice their emergency communications skills over a 24 hour period with the goal of demonstrating portable and completely independent communications. The public and the news media are invited to observe and participate in the radio exercise.
During an emergency, normal lines of communications can fail leaving amateur radio communications as the only means to communicate. In addition, they support public events such as the Surf City Marathon and the 4th of July Parade, and participate in the National Weather Service weather spotter program. Ham radio is a public service as well as an international educational technical hobby. Whether it’s contacting someone across the street or across the globe, or even outer space, ham radio operators are ready to supply reliable communications when normal lines fail. Ham operators range from ordinary citizens to astronauts. There are 18 city RACES groups within Orange County, operated under their respective city and county public safety departments.
More information on the RACES Program, visit www.hbraces.org
Maker Faire Bay Area 2015 T-Shirts for Makers
Maker Faire Bay Area is now history. Our booth, “Not Your Grandpa’s Ham Radio” included new projects and demonstrations. This was our fourth year as Makers and the fifth year as visitors to the Maker Faire in San Mateo.
This is a short overview of our display. Stay tuned for more images, stories and videos.
Here is the text from our handout. It answers some of our most-often asked questions:
What are we doing?
Thank you for your interest in our Maker Faire display “Not Your Grandpa’s Ham Radio.” This is our fourth consecutive year as “Makers,” and our goal is to show people what today’s ham radio operators are doing with the newest technology.
Who are we?
We are licensed Amateur radio operators (“hams”).
Is this like CB?
Yes and no. Ham radio is similar in that we use two-way radios and antennas to talk with each other, but hams can communicate using Morse code and computers in addition to voice, and we even have our own satellites. Ham radio requires a license issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US and licensees are required to pass a written test on electronics theory, radio regulations and operating procedures.
How far can you talk?
We can communicate with other ham stations around the corner or across the globe, depending on a variety of factors that affect the way radio waves travel. The equipment we are using operates on frequencies that generally follow line-of-sight paths. However, hams have discovered that signals can be reflected against objects such as buildings, trees, islands and mountains to extend the range. Using these techniques, we are able to contact other stations hundreds of miles away.
What kind of radios are you using?
We are builders and experimenters in microwave radio communications. No commercially-built, “off-the-shelf” equipment for these frequencies exists, so we must build our own equipment, or modify commercially-made equipment meant for other communications services, such as satellite TV, cell phone and long-distance telephone.
How much does this equipment cost?
Like any other hobby, people spend as much or as little as they can afford. Most people involved in ham radio spend as much as any serious stereo enthusiast, amateur photographer or woodworker.
Where can I get more information?
American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and QST Magazine
CQ Magazine
If you are a licensed ham and want to try a new challenge, contact your local VHF and up club:
The 50 MHz and Up Group
The San Bernardino Microwave Society (SBMS)
The Microwave Group of San Diego
Wayne Yoshida KH6WZ: YouTube
Broadband Hamnet-REV2
Broadband Ham Radio Network Under Construction. Photo by Dennis Kidder W6DQ
Software Defined Radio
Elements for the SDR. Photo by Dennis Kidder W6DQ
Old-vsNew-Ant-tuners
Old vs New Antenna Tuner Technology
KH6WZ 10GHz rig-Poster
Microwave transverter system by Brian Yee W6BY. Photo by Brian Yee W6BY
APRS Poster
APRS demonstration
The Greeter
The Maker Faire Team from the San Bernardino Microwave Society (SBMS) and the 50 MHz and Up Group is once again displaying their newest projects at the Bay Area Maker Faire.
We are “Not Your Grandpa’s Ham Radio” – Maker Number 50122
wayneyoshidakh6wz 