Mon 1 Jun 2009
Posted by kd6w under GeneralMeetings
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Automated Antenna Design and Optimzation Methods
Dr, Jason Lohn
Sr. Systems Scientist at Carnegie Melon, Silicon Valley Campus
Dr. Lohn has recently co-founded a startup to commercialize his automated antenna design technology based on his evolutionary algorithms. Previously he led Evolvable Systems research at NASA Ames Research Center, worked at Google, Stanford University and IBM. He received his MS and PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland at College Park, and his BS in Electrical Engineering from Lehigh University. Dr. Lohn comes to us courtesy of the NASA Ames Research Center.
Wed 1 Apr 2009
Dave Wolfe - AA6XV
This talk will cover various aspects of operating CW and is primarily intended for people who have not operated CW before, or are perhaps, returning to it after being off for a while.
David Wolfe has been operating CW as an amateur since 1965 and served as a Radio Officer in the Merchant Marine and later as an Operator/Engineer at Coast Stations operating in the Fixed, Maritime Services. He holds BSEE, MSEE and PhD degrees
in Engineering and Physics. He is currently employed as a independent consultant in the areas of Communication, Radar Systems and Digital Signal Processing. He is a current holder of FCC T2, GROL , GMDSS DB with Ship Radar Endorsement Commercial
Licenses and is a past holder of the T1 and First Class Radiotelephone Licenses. He has held the Amateur Extra Amateur Radio License since 1972. His principal amateur radio interests are Dxing, Contesting, VHF/UHF operations on CW and Digital modes, Experimentation and Antenna Design.
Tue 24 Feb 2009
Cameron Rolfe, KA6ONV
“What makes Helicopters fly and how are they different from airplanes”
Cameron has a background in broadcast engineering, has flown traffic
reporters for several local radio and TV stations in the bay area for
many years. He is the owner of Bay Area Helicoptours at the San Carlos
Airport. When not touring the Bay Area, Cameron gives helicopter
instructions. Cameron was instrumental in setting up the CARLA 440
linked Repeater system in the late 80’s.
Thu 12 Feb 2009
Please pardon our remodeling dust. We’ve just installed the latest version of WordPress on a new Web server, and are in the process of moving content from the old site to the new one.
Some things may look a little ugly for a few days, but we’ll soon have everything back to normal and will now be able to begin expanding the features of the site.
Sat 10 Jan 2009
Posted by k6web under Events
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The PAARA/FARS annual banquet takes place on Friday evening, January 23, 2009, at Michael’s at Shoreline in Shoreline Park in Mountain View.
Mingling starts at 6:00 pm, followed by dinner at 7:00 and the presentation at 8:00, followed by the raffle.
Reservations are required, and dinner ranges from $27 to $40.
We have an exciting lecture lined up!
What Will the Real ET Be Like?
Dr. Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer at the SETI Institute, will update us on the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence. The SETI Institute took over the search from NASA when it decided to discontinue its research, and its mission is to “explore, understand and explain the origin, nature and prevalence of life in the universe”. It uses a variety of radio and optical telescopes, including the famous Arecibo Observatory’s radio telescope In Puerto Rico, and most importantly, the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) about 300 miles north of us, consisting of 42 (and ultimately 350) radio telescope antennas, and is designed to provide complete instantaneous frequency coverage from 500 MHz to 11.2 GHz
Seth Shostak has a B.A. in physics from Princeton and a Ph.D. in astronomy from Caltech. He did research in radio astronomy at several observatories before joining SETI. He has published numerous articles in professional journals as well as a number of popular magazines. He is the host of the SETI Institute’s weekly radio program on science. He is also responsible for many outreach activities for the SETI Institute.
Sat 20 Dec 2008
Posted by kd6w under General
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got DTV?
Joel Wilhite KD6W
To borrow a slogan from the milk industry, it’s a rather appropriate question at this time as the entire broadcast industry is about to shut off high power analog television come this February. The FCC recently asked the amateur radio community to help spread the word and help educate our neighbors and friends. There are no stupid questions but there are a raft of terms and jargon used in the industry. Amateur radio operators tend to have a better understanding of these subjects more than most, while still, there might be some that may be a little confused. Last year we talked about how to adapt this new technology to amateur radio use. This presentation will focus on what is required for receiving the new signal in our homes around the Bay Area.
Wed 10 Dec 2008
Posted by kd6w under General
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Have a very merry Christmas and a great new year!
Mon 17 Nov 2008
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Dream to Reality
Homebrew Night
No, this is not another beerfest, this your night for show and tell! Bring in your favorite original design, kit, boatanchor refurbish, anything that is ham radio related and show it off. We are looking for all the builders in the club to come forth and show us what you have been working on all year. If you have a homebrew rig or some device you are particularly fond of, we want to have you bring it in and show us. We will have a panel of judges for grading the designs and provde awards for the top 3 entries.
But wait, there is more! We also have the Dream to Reality raffle of the top of the line Elecraft K3. Raffle tickets will be sold at the regular prices up till 9:30. YOU MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN THE GRAND PRIZE, WE KEEP PULLING TICKETS UNTIL WE GET A LIVE ONE. Tickets with filled out data are eligible for all other prizes.
Mon 13 Oct 2008
Posted by kd6w under General
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Antenna Modeling Software
Part Duex
Steve Stearns - K6OIK
We flat ran out of time to cover this HUGE topic from the first meeting, so Steve is coming back to finish the presentation.
From before - Antenna modeling software like EZNEC and 4nec2 are powerful and very easy-to-use programs for modeling and analyzing nearly any kind of antenna in its actual operating environment. Software can be set to plot azimuth and elevation patterns; report gain, feedpoint impedance, SWR, and current distribution; finds and reports beamwidth, 3-dB pattern points, f/b ratio, takeoff angle, sidelobe characteristics; and more.
Steve reviewed the “method of moments” which lead to computational electromagnetics and the development of the NEC family (NEC-1, NEC-2, NEC-3, and NEC-4). Steve will describe and show how to run EZNEC and the free program 4nec2. He will also touch on some advanced modeling capabilities and indicate where the future of antenna modeling is headed. Download and install the free version onto a laptop and bring it with you to follow along! Slide rulers and pocket protectors are optional.
Steve is currently Senior Staff Engineer at Northrop Grumman’s Electromagnetic Systems Laboratory in San Jose, California, where he is leading the development of advanced signal processing algorithms for communication signal processing systems.
Tue 23 Sep 2008
Posted by kd6w under General
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Radio in the Fishing Industry
Mark Meltzer, AF6IM will present an insiders view on radio in the commercial fishing trade. This will cover the spectrum from legal communications gear to bandit radios and will give a unique look into the role of scramblers, direction finding gear, Doppler spoofers, near field signal detection and other tricks of the trade. Mark’s view of non FCC approved radios on seagoing vessels is not 100% negative, which is guaranteed to raise some controversy among hams. His presentation will include first hand accounts of emergencies, rescues and loss of life in the world’s most dangerous profession. Be sure mark this event on your calendar.
