The GVARC team is on duty at the amazing annual Gilroy Rodeo! Club volunteers are providing communications and emergency management support. Members of the club, lead by Sam, AI6OG, are ensuring communications systems run smoothly for a fun, safe, event for all event attendees and volunteers.
Pictured here are Ray – N6DZK and Sam – AI6OG. Also with us is Billy – W6WKB.
The Modified Mercalli Scale is used as a way to cross reference an earthquakes Richter Scale reading with the perceived impact as reported by the people in the area of the earthquake. Like the Richter scale of 1 thru 10, the Modified Mercalli Scale also has 10 steps.
We use the phonetic “M” or “Mike” to reference the corresponding response. “Modified Mercalli” thus becomes “Mike Mike” for clarity and brevity. For example, when asked for “Mike Mike reports” you may respond with “Mike Mike 4” using the scale below.
Quickly collecting Mike Mike reports over the area hit by a large quake can inform as to where the most severe impact is in a particular area so that resources may be allocated accordingly and proportionately.
You can find more information and even download a printable wallet size card from the Santa Clara County ARES/RACES web site, here.
Or, you can download our “Earthquake Quick Action Card” to see what to do when the ground stops shaking!
In addition to our new monthly simplex net, we are also now switching things up between the W6GGF UHF and VHF repeaters to keep things switched up and make sure we all know how to operate our equipment. Which repeater will be used during the weekly net may be determined by looking at the “Weekly Repeater Schedule” file on the http://www.gvarc.net/nets/ web page.
This past month we conducted our first simplex net. Going forward we will conduct simplex nets on the last Tuesday of the month at the regular 1930 hours net. A new script for this net has been created and sent out to current net controls.
To participate in these new simplex nets, all you have to do is transmit in simplex mode on the output frequency of the repeater at 147.825Mhz. There is no offset as this will be a simplex configuration. However, you will still want a PL tone of 100Mhz. You can add this new channel to your radio and just call it s-ggf-v or something along those lines so you will know it is the simplex version of the repeater.
Or… You can just download the current channel list that we have already already put together for you and load that into your radio. Then you only have to switch from channel 1, to channel 2. Done!
We’re back! GVARC and SBCARA will be at Christmas Hill Park this Saturday starting at 8 AM. We will be running fairly profile. We will be setting up near the barn this year. Things will be relatively relaxed. No ginormous towers. Most, if not all of us, will be using Wolf River Coils verticals. We are expecting to run 5A I think as of right now. Everyone on battery, solar, or generator.
Feel free to swing by and say hi. Due to Covid safety, ad hoc access to radios will be limited, and at the discretion of the station hosts. But we would love for you to swing by in person, and have a chat as it has been a long year apart.
Please bring a mask, especially if you are not vaccinated. And it is anticipated to be a warm day. Be sure you have adequate sun protection and hydration.
GVARC took the opportunity to move club communications and calendaring to groups.io. We have actually been there pretty much for the duration of the Covid lock downs. Emails were sent inviting the known roster emails on at least 2 or more occasions. Email is sent from groups.io each month with the Zoom links for the monthly meeting.
If you have still not joined the group, you can go to groups.io, create an account, and then search for the W6GGF group and ask to join. Or you can also find me on the repeater, or use your old copy of the roster to send me an email so we can send another invite.
Hope to see you at the next monthly Zoom!
Field Day 2019 is quickly approaching. June 22-23 at Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy, where we have been for FD for past several years. We plan to operate for the 1 day, Saturday, with 4 stations, plus GOTA (Get On The Air). We are still in the planning phase and there will be a meeting the evening of May 9th at the home of W6BWJ. Please contact him directly for details.
WB6ZVW has been transferred to the club call sign and is now W6GGF UHF! The announcements on the repeater have been updated and most of our online information will be updated over the coming week. Merry Christmas!
It is that time of year again! Operators from MHARS, GVARC, and SBCARA will once again invade Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy, CA and operate (probably) 4A on the weekend of June 23-24. Stop by and check out what a larger amateur radio operation looks like. We will have multiple towers, dipoles, hexbeams, and yagi antennas as we operate 15, 20, and 40 meters on SSB, CW, and digital modes.
GVARC will once again be at Christmas Hill Park, in Gilroy, for the 2017 ARRL Field Day. Enter the park from Miller Ave and go all the way to the back of the park. Relay for Life will also be in the park this weekend.
We will be operating 4A with GOTA. There will be multiple towers, radios, power systems, go boxes, and other ham related things to see and do. We will also be operating a GOTA (Get On The Air) station for those that would like to try their hand at amateur radio for the first time.
Please visit our sister site AfterTheNet.Net for sign-ups if you would like to operate for a shift. Of come by and offer support. This is also the official monthly breakfast and meeting for the club. So come on by!