Microwave radio dishes used for ham (Amateur) radio communication.
The Orange County Mini Maker Faire is coming up (August 17 at UCI), so I added this intro to ham radio on the microwave bands. The Maker Fair coincides with the ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest, and so, rather than missing the contest, I thought it would be fun to try working the contest from the Maker Faire. . . . .
Click here to view the presentation>>>> Microwaves: Not Just for Leftovers
KH6WZ 10 GHz rig at a tune-up party
A presentation about record-breaking two-way ham radio contacts during the 2007 10 GHz and Up Contest
View the slide show in PDF >>>> XE2 to W6 in the 2007 10GHz and Up
Field Day weekend 2013 is now history. Our new location helped to further increase visibility from both Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and the bike path along the beach.
This year, we had many more visitors – Fire Department management, local dignitaries, licensed hams, ex-hams and ordinary people. Our local cable TV channel (HBTV-3) shot lots of video of our operation. There were several minutes of live video from the Huntington Beach Police helicopter via amateur television (ATV).
Below: Huntington Beach Emergency Manager Brevyn Mettler, KI6FRG (left) and Huntington Beach Council Member Jim Katapodis, discuss the Field Day layout and the objectives of the Field Day drill as HB RACES Chief Radio Officer Dr Steve Graboff, W6GOS makes 20 meter SSB contacts.
Al KJ6RIX and Jennifer did an amazingly great job keeping all of us well fed and even sheltered – a huge thanks for their hospitality!
Sometime in the late evening, Tim WD6AWP succeeded in getting a 2-way contact via satellite (OSCAR – Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio) – this is a first for HB RACES – way to go, Tim!
Huntington Beach RACES looks forward to another Field Day next year, hopefully with an improved score and even more participation.
Some videos are posted on my YouTube Channel, KH6WZ
Highlights – City of Huntington Beach RACES Field Day Visitors
Jim Katapodis, Huntington Beach Council Member
Fred Wilson, Huntington Beach City Manager
The guys from Station 46: Bob, Brian, Keith, Mike
Here are some random pictures from the weekend. . .
Below: Robert Thompson, KE6RKG, making contacts at the VHF-UHF station at the W6O Field Day operation in Huntington Beach, Calif.
Below: A view of the trailer and the open grassy area just before antenna installation.
Below: Pete Zilliox, K5PZ working the keyer on 40 meters.
Below: Brevyn getting 15 minutes of fame on HBTV-3, the Huntington Beach cable TV channel.
Below: Tim Sawyer, WD6AWP (left) and Pete Zilliox, K5PZ (right), scanning the sky for an Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio (OSCAR) contact. Tim successfully completed a two-way contact via satellite late Saturday evening.
Below: Brevyn, KI6FRG, making some contacts on 15 meter phone.
Below: The HB RACES Field Day group, 2013: 4A Orange.
City of Huntington Beach RACES Field Day Participants
K5PZ Pete
K6DAA Gordon
KA6HMS Bill
KB6JOE Joe
KB6PAL David
KC6ZOW Shelley
KE6BNS Jeff
KE6OCE Steve
KE6RKG Robert
KE6WUO Michael
KG6IQL Manny
KG6SKD Marshall
KG6ZDP Jim
KH6FL Marilyn
KH6WZ Wayne
KI6FME Mike
KI6FRG Brevyn
KJ6RIX Al
Jennifer
KK6ANY Gus
N6PBW Ginny
N6RAS Peter
N6SLD Roy
N6YDX Darrell
N9KVN Steve
WD6AWP Tim
More images are posted on the City of Huntington Beach RACES website
73,
Wayne KH6WZ
Huntington Beach RACES Public Information Officer
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — On Saturday, June 22, 2013, from approximately 11 AM near the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Goldenwest, a team of Huntington Beach Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) communications volunteers will demonstrate and practice their emergency radio communications skills in a nation-wide drill called “Field Day.” The goal of the drill is to contact as many other similar stations around the nation as possible in a 24 hour period.
During an emergency, normal lines of communication, including landline and wireless telephone systems, often become over-loaded. Ham radio volunteer groups such as RACES teams, step up to fill these communications gaps during a crisis.
Steve Graboff, MD, HB RACES Chief Radio Officer, said, “The HB RACES team participates in this national exercise every summer to make sure we are ready for an emergency, such as an earthquake, fire or flood.
“We use our personal equipment and volunteer our time to provide this service at no cost to the City. In addition to Field Day, we provide our radio communication skills to support public events such as the Surf City Marathon and the Independence Day parade and public safety events such as the National Weather Service weather spotter program,” Dr. Graboff added.
The public and the news media are invited to observe and even participate in the emergency communications exercise.
About City of Huntington Beach Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES)
The Huntington Beach Fire Department Emergency Management and Homeland Security Office administers the RACES team. RACES (pronounced “RAY-sees”) is not a club, it is a volunteer group within a government agency. There are 18 city RACES groups within Orange County, operated under their respective city and county emergency management departments. To learn more about HB RACES, go to http://www.hbraces.org
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