December 4, 2022 (Sunday):
Holiday Banquet! See the Banquet page.

December 16, 2022:
No Meeting. Merry Christmas!

November 18, 2022:
EmComm Mutual Aid in a Digital World
by Dan Goldstein KJ6KEU

"EmComm Mutual Aid in a Digital World" builds on lessons learned from recent disasters. "Mutual Aid" answers the question, "If my team can't respond, who will help?" It also clarifies which local teams support the Red Cross, Salvation Army, hospitals, schools, tribal governments, critical infrastructure, served agencies, neighborhoods, and others. In addition, it addresses why the digital component (Internet) needs to be considered, and what resources are necessary (WinLink, AREDN, solar generators, etc.). Finally, it points to standardized training that can help us meet the government's need for resource typing to facilitate mutual aid deployments.

Dan Goldstein KJ6KEU
Dan is the Region 2 Emergency Communications mutual aid coordinator, the Administrative Sergeant for the Alameda County Sheriff's Communications Team, and the ARRL East Bay Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC). He also serves as Hayward Planning Commissioner, Hayward Education Foundation treasurer, HOA board president, and CMA chapter president. In his spare time, he plays ice hockey and rides motorcycles. He adores his two college age kids, and their Siberian Husky "Jack".

July 15, 2022
The Importance of CERT
Cliff Buxton
San Ramon Fire District

Topics will include:
- How CERT began

- CERT and FEMA

- Specialized CERT

- How CERT curriculum is structured

- How CERT programs are organized and structured

- CERT and the community

- CERT capabilities, typing and deployment

Cliff Buxton, KM6AOD

Cliff is a native of the East Bay and first moved to San Ramon in 1982. While Cliff has an extensive background in aviation and emergency response last serving as a Director at CALSTAR (California Shock Trauma Air Rescue), his more recent efforts are focused on local public safety community emergency preparedness.

Cliff is a California Office of Emergency Services Emergency Management Specialist and State Outreach Instructor currently serving in the City of San Ramon Police Department, Office of Emergency Management.

He’s a San Ramon Valley CERT T3 Instructor and Area Leader. He serves on the San Ramon Valley HeartSafe Committee as an American Heart Association Basic Life Support Instructor. He holds an FCC amateur (general) radio license and is an active member of the San Ramon Valley Fire District Reserves - Emergency Communication Support.

 He serves on the Board of the San Ramon Valley Education Foundation as well as the San Ramon Valley Traffix (School Bus) Citizen’s Advisory Committee and until recently, as a local Red Cross volunteer performing service as the Disaster Services Government Liaison for Contra County.

June 17, 2022
Compact Antennas - Theory and Practice
by Michelle Paquette, AA6MP

Note: The meeting will be upstairs, in the Sanctuary this month. So park in the upper parking lot.

Theory behind making a compact antenna, including examples of practical antennas and issues.  A couple of “magic” compact antennas are explained and their secrets revealed!

Michelle Paquette, AA6MP
Michelle Paquette has worked in fields from nuclear power plant operations to systems software and software engineering, as both an engineer and an instructor. As an engineer she holds 19 patents for inventions used by hundreds of millions of people every day, in Apple's Macs, iPads, and iPhones.  As an instructor she has trained people in such varied areas as nuclear power plant operations, programming in-circuit test systems, and computer graphics software.  Michelle is a past president of the Benicia Amateur Radio Club, and an instructor in Mt Diablo Amateur Radio Club’s license classes, as well as a speaker and trainer in a number of other programs. When not teaching she is often found baking, doing finish carpentry, restoring old vacuum tube equipment or tinkering with antennas.

May 20, 2022:
The History of the Log Periodic Dipole Array
by Jim Siemons, W6LK

As far as antennas go, one size doesn’t fill all. Various antennas have different properties for different purposes, and one of the more unique designs is the Log Periodic Dipole Array (LPDA). LPDA antennas are designed to be broadbanded in the frequencies that they cover, be directional, and have some gain. We will discuss their history, evolution, uses and more as we dive into the world of the Log Periodic Dipole Array!

Jim Siemons, W6LK

Jim has had a lifelong interest in science, electronics, and the attempt to understand how the world works. During his formative years he worked as a counselor at Wolfeboro Boy Scout Camp in the Sierra teaching a wide variety of science and environmental based Merit Badges, ultimately becoming Commissioner of Scoutcraft (the Hike Shack!). Those scouting skills still come in handy! Because Jim had a tremendous respect for the women and men of science, he decided not to follow in their path. In spite of that, Jim did earn a Batchelor of Science in the art of recording financial history and pursued a career in direct mail, as a partner in Siemons Mailing Service, Inc. In 2011, Jim decided to follow his passion and purchased Elk Antennas from Ray Gaschk, AG6SI, and Pete Perata, K6SHE. Along with his family, Jim designs and builds Log Periodic Dipole Array antennas (LPDA) and ships them all over the world for use by hams, military, public safety and commercial operators. Over the last year, Jim, his wife Misa, KJ6BUE, son Louis, W7ELX, and daughter Mary have relocated to the wilds of Northwest Wyoming in the community of Clark, Wyoming on 40+ acres. Clark is located at the edge of the Beartooth Mountain Range (part of the Rockies) and is the eastern border of the Shoshone National Forest and Yellowstone National Park. Clark is a community that is about 50 square miles in size and has approximately 300 residents. The Siemons Family is currently building a custom Elk Antennas workshop. In the tradition of this region, Jim is very much into farming - antenna farming!

March 18, 2022:
Everything you need to know about Lithium Batteries
by Marcel Stieber, AI6MS

Batteries are a necessity for almost all portable radio operations. With the advent of modern battery chemistries, the choices available to the radio amateur are plentiful. This presentation will focus on the three common battery types: Lead-Acid (SLA/AGM), Lithium (Lion/Lipo), and Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP/LiFePO4). We'll discuss the pros and cons of each chemistry, common uses and misuses, and everyday application tips for your latest amateur radio project.

Marcel Stieber, AI6MS
Marcel Stieber, AI6MS, has been an amateur radio operator since 2008 while attending the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. He was President of the Cal Poly Amateur Radio Club, W6BHZ, and is currently the Industry Advisor to the club. He graduated with a Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering, concentrating on RF and Communications, and writing his thesis on "Radio Direction Finding Network Receiver Design for Low-cost Public Service Applications". Marcel currently serves as Chair of the Cal Poly Electrical Engineering Industry Advisory Board. He is an Assistant Emergency Coordinator for the City of Cupertino, serving as the trustee and technical lead for the Cupertino ARES UHF repeater, W6TDM, and as the Project Lead for the Cupertino ARES ARKnet Project, which is building up a high-speed wireless intranet for the emergency responders in Cupertino. Marcel regularly volunteers at local repeater workdays as an RF technician and tower climber and enjoys providing communications for local bike rides and triathlons. He also volunteers as a Technical Advisor to several event management companies and local repeater groups and was appointed as an ARRL Technical Specialist in 2021. He is an ARRL Life Member and has helped license over 1700 hams since 2009, mostly recently working to develop processes and train teams using fully-remote examination methods using ExamTools. More info at www.qrz.com/db/ai6ms

February 18, 2022:
GOTA Band Tour using Junk Box Antennas
by  JB Still, NR5NN

A "tour of the bands" with a participants' panel recapping their experiences and moderated by JB. The panel will discuss what they have done, what they have "experienced", with bands or modes many had not tried before, mainly on 160m, 60m, 30m, 12m, 10m FM, and 1.25m. JB's objectives are to encourage operators to TRY:
NEW BANDS

New Antennas

Different Antennas

Different Rigs

Different Modes 

  But most of all - Try Something Different!

JB Still, NR5NN
Now retired, JB has over 55 years of experience in field engineering management, support, service and training at companies such as Collins Radio Company; CalComp Inc.; Pfizer Inc. and Bio-Rad Laboratories. He's been a ham over two distinct periods - 1959 to 1970 and 2010 to 2022 (and counting).

January 21, 2022:
The ARRL Field Organization in Action
by Steve Ewald, WV1X, ARRL Field Organization Supervisor;
    and Mike Patterson, N6JGA, ARRL East Bay Section Manager

The ARRL Field Organization is structured to lead and train volunteer personnel to provide services to amateur radio operators, to their communities and to the public as well at the local, section and national levels.  ARRL Headquarters helps to support the work of the Field Organization.

Steve Ewald, WV1X
Steve is the Field Organization Supervisor and has been working at ARRL Headquarters since 1982. A licensed radio amateur since December 1972 and an ARRL Life Member, Steve is a University of Tennessee graduate with a B.S. degree in Communications.  Knoxville is his hometown.  He works closely with Section Managers and Field Organization leaders and has supported the Amateur Radio Emergency Service and National Traffic System over the years.  Steve has also been providing administrative support to the ARRL Hamfest and Convention program since February of 2021.

Mike Patterson, N6JGA
Mike is the ARRL East Bay Section Manager. He received his first ham license in 1994 and is now an Extra Class operator. His amateur radio background is strong in mentoring, emergency communications, public service, and club leadership. He's an ARRL Life Member, a Volunteer Examiner and on the Board of the Northern Amateur Relay Council of California (NARCC). Mike is also on the Board of the Pacificon, active in the local CERT communications group (including trustee of the group's repeater); a past president of the Mount Diablo Amateur Radio Club (MDARC), and a member of several clubs within and outside the Section.

December 17, 2021:
Kilroy Key and Ham of the Year awards.
Open Forum asking members to share some their radio highlights for the year.

1. In lieu of our usual Speaker, we are inviting You to participate in an open forum to share with all of us what radio highlights you did during 2021, so start to give it some thought;

2. Announcing the Ham of the Year and Kilroy Key awards to the deserving recipients;

3. The meeting will be presented using both virtual and in-person, so choose your preference.

November 19, 2021:
What is Ham Radio: *Introduction to the Magic
by Pete Harris, KE6ZIW

Note: The meeting will be in the church Sanctuary this month, so park in the upper parking lot.

Pete’s presentation to MDARC will demonstrate ideas for licensed hams to present ham radio to the general public, to help educate and inspire our community about ham radio. He is making his PowerPoint presentation and notes available to other interested club members to use, or adapt, in future public presentations about ham radio. 

Pete’s 30 minute presentation will include the following topics:

* The Magic of Radio.

* How Did Ham Radio Begin?

* What Makes Ham Radio So Powerful?

* Different Ways of Communicating.

* Antenna Examples.

* What Do Hams Do?

* How Do You Become a Ham Radio Operator?

* How Do You Prepare for Taking the Ham Radio License Test?

Pete Harris, KE6ZIW
Pete is a retired Children’s Services Social Worker/Supervisor. He lives with his wife Donna in Martinez. They have been married for 50 years, have two adult children, and 4 grandchildren whom they love spending time with. Pete’s hobbies are ham radio, astronomy, guitar playing, photography, gardening, book club, and running. 

Pete has been fascinated with the magic of radio since he was 3 years old, before television. That love for radio was further sparked when he learned as an older child that the lives of his parents were literally saved during the period 1941-1944 by the illicit use of Nazi-banned shortwave radio in Europe during WWII. 

Pete has been a licensed ham radio operator since getting his first Technician License about 25 years ago at the age of 50. His favorite activities with ham radio include participating in Public Service events, working on MDARC’s annual ham radio convention (“Pacificon”), and making long distance radio contacts over hundreds and thousands of miles, over state lines, countries, oceans and continents – using a fold-out, telescoping antenna, from home or from remote locations.

October 15th (at Pacificon 2021):

Hot DX From Baker Island

by John Miller, K6MM

September 17, 2021:

DXing From Strict HOA: Using a temporary antenna with a mast and tripod made from military mast sections

by Dave Piersall, N6ORB

Dave will demonstrate on how to work in an environment defined by strict HOA rules using LNR 20 meter end-fed wire antenna and a 10 meter horizontal loop antenna with a mast and tripod made from military mast sections. His presentation will include overview of his latest DX activities via phone and digital modes such as FT8 during the start of the Solar Cycle 25.

Underwater Wireless Transmission of Data and Energy

by Lucas Katz

Speakers at our

Club Meetings

NOTE: Our general membership meetings are currently be held in a hybrid manner; both in person and on Zoom. A link for the Zoom session will be sent out to all those belonging to our Club's MDARC@Groups.io forum a few days before the meeting. If you're not a member of that forum, see the Groups.io section of our Communicating With You page.