Webmaster:
Bill
Wood, W6FXJ
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Membership
Membership in the JPL ARC is open to all persons
regularly assigned to work at or retired from JPL, the Deep Space Network, or
Caltech, and their families. A limited number of outside members are
permitted if they can make a positive contribution to the
club.
Meetings
General Membership meetings are held the second Thursday of every month at 12 Noon in the Visitor's Center Building 249 conference room. A program of interest to Radio Amateurs follows a brief business session. All are welcome to attend both on lab and off lab.
Board Meetings are held the fourth Thursday of every month at 12 Noon in the Visitor's Center Building 249 conference room. This meeting is concerned solely with club business. All members are welcome to attend.
World Wide Web Site
The club maintains a series of web pages that contain information about upcoming club and non-club events in Southern California, an on-line version of the newsletter "W6VIO Calling" (including archival copies of past newsletters), a listing of club members with electronic mail addresses, information about club repeaters, packet radio operations, and archives of past club special event QSL cards. As with most web pages the content is updated from time-to-time. The URL for the home page is: http://jplarc.ampr.org
Club Newsletter and Notices
A club newsletter, "W6VIO Calling," is published every
month and sent to all members to keep them informed about club business, plans
and general information about Amateur Radio. Current club officers,
license trustees and committee chairs are listed each month on the cover of "W6VIO Calling." The club also maintains an email mailing list to keep
members informed of late-breaking developments.
Training and Licensing
Novice and Technician (No Code) classes are scheduled from time to time. Upgrade classes are scheduled on an "on-demand" basis. License examinations are coordinated through a local Volunteer Examiner (VE) organization and by a group of club members who are VE's. Watch for exam opportunities in "W6VIO Calling".
The club has a limited quantity of code practice tapes that are available for loan to individuals studying for license exams. Contact Scott Nolte, Ext. 4-9724 for details.
New Amateur Support
The club is currently planning an "Elmer"
program. "Elmer" is the amateur term for a mentor program teaming an
experienced operator with a new amateur to give help in learning the equipment
and getting on the air.
Club Station
The club station is currently located adjacent to the
East Gate . Once a member has been checked out on
the equipment in the "shack" a key will be issued which will allow the member
to enter the shack at any time to utilize the club's equipment.
HF Operating Positions
The club station has several HF operating
positions. Each has a transceiver with capabilities that range from very
simple to relatively complex. Each has a linear amplifier that can
provide kilowatt-level output. All stations are capable of feeding
any antenna on the Club's antenna farm that is located a thousand feet above
the ham shack on a hilltop. The antenna farm consists of three rotary
beam antennas and a variety of wire antennas for the lower frequency
bands. One of the three stations is very easy to use and provides the new
"ham" a way to get on the air quickly.
VHF/UHF Operating Position
The club has a 144/224/450 MHz tri-band transceiver connected to a 12 VDC power buss that will allow operation through the club's repeaters even in the event of a power failure. The 12 VDC buss is supplied by a high-capacity battery that is in turn charged by a solar array.
Repeaters
The club currently has four operational repeaters located at or near the Laboratory. The repeaters are located on the 145/220/450 MHz bands. All may be linked together, enabling users to talk between bands. All of the other repeaters are "open" and are available for any licensed amateur to use.
The club operates three additional repeaters at the JPL Table Mountain Facility, near Wrightwood, California. Please see the club's Repeater Guide for more information regarding all club repeaters.
Club Activities
JPL Emergency Support
The club is an integral part of the JPL Multihazard
Emergency Response Plan and is developing its role in the JPL Emergency Team response
to Lab emergencies.
Nets
The weekly Emergency Communications Teams Net is held
every Monday at 12 Noon on the 224.08 and 445.20 MHz repeaters.
Field Day Operation
Field Day is an annual
ARRL event where amateur radio
operators take to the field to practice operating under emergency conditions.
Temporary antenna farms are set up at a remote site and the station is operated
from emergency power generators for 24 hours. Points are awarded for
contacts made. For a fine weekend on a mountaintop, good food and great
operating, nothing beats Field Day in June.
DX Operations
Try the exciting world of distant contacts (DX) without
the major investment (time and MONEY) of putting together your own
station. You have the
advantage of using a very well known call sign: W6VIO. There are computers
available to access the Internet for
timely propagation data and DX activity reports.
Community Activities
The club lends support to a number of community events, including the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Los Angeles Marathon. Our 147 MHz repeater is utilized by the Pasadena Disaster Communications Service for training and emergency operations.
How To Become A Member
Contact Scott Nolte for more information on how to become a member of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Amateur Radio Club. His Lab extension is 1-818-354-9724. His mail stop is 171-B1.
We look forward to having you as a member and hope to see YOU at one of our meetings in the future!
Updated April 23, 2008