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CEEFAX and TeleText
by Ken Alker 20 Jan '25

20 Jan '25

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICoj8mxG0ww | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICoj8mxG0ww ] Boy does this bring me back... I feel old... look at that "remote control"... he updates news headlines by calling up old ones and "overtypes" the previous ones... and around the 7 minute mark his entry of graphics shapes reminds me just how cumbersome this all used to be... but at the time, it seemed miraculous... (note he talks about outputting the graphics to "puncher" tape ("punch tape" in the US) that he'll THEN feel into the computer)... the machinations we went through to accomplish things that seem so rudimentary now is timeless.. later the lady talks about "content" regarding whether CEEFAX will take off - same thing the business arms are concerned with today; no change there... it just keeps getting better and better as the video goes on...

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do you have any MIL-17-C RG-214 coax?
by Ken Alker 14 Jan '25

14 Jan '25

I am going to build all new patch cables for the WB6OBB repeater system and I'm wondering if anyone has any surplus MIL-17-C RG-214 coax (or equivalent) laying around they would be willing to part with. This is double shielded silver plated coax that is good for repeater systems in high-RF environments. Thanks! Ken

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Fire expansion threatening Mt Wilson transmission site
by Levi C. Maaia - K6LCM 09 Jan '25

09 Jan '25

https://www.youtube.com/live/yOKx8Rvi6Pk?si=3t38w5cQy-S7s8Cz LCM *Levi C. Maaia* www.levimaaia.com

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CALSTAR
by WILLIAM TALANIAN 06 Jan '25

06 Jan '25

Santa Barbara Wireless Foundation, Inc. AN EXQUISITELY BEAUTIFUL SYSTEM Tracked early morning flight by CALSTAR Air Ambulance EC-135, N832CS +P2, with patient from San Luis Obispo landing on top of Cottage Hospital at Pueblo and RTB at Santa Maria. Satellite background photo adds to the perfect accuracy of our combined ADSB tracking system. We need to record these events and data for replay when they happen. Its worth every nickel we put into it. Bill Talanian

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Fred Gartzke (sk) family gift
by WILLIAM TALANIAN 26 Dec '24

26 Dec '24

QST QST QST This week, a knock atthe door and it was Rollin Gartzke, the grandson of the late Fred Gartzke,K6YD (sk '95). Originally from Iowa Fred and I worked side by side for many years including SBARC. He was a great practical engineer with an MSdegree in electrical engineering and a super mathematician. I chatted with Rollinand told him a few stories about his grandfather and special projects we worked on. Michael is a well known local CPA <https://www.mikegartzke.com> and Fred's son. Rollin is Michael's son. Rollin owns and operates the 805 Pool Table Services Co. <www.805PoolTables.com> which performsall sorts of assembly, moving and maintenance of pool tables which few canafford and have space for. Apparently this esoteric work is a full time profitablebusiness. Before departing Rollin handed me a very generous gift from Michael andGartzke family to SBARC in memory of his father Fred Gartzke, K6YD. Bill Talanian, w1uuq

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Mysterious sighting not so mysterious.
by WILLIAM TALANIAN 17 Dec '24

17 Dec '24

SBWF ADSB 1090-978 Sightings from SYP and Diablo Peak Not so mysterious sighting over Santa Barbara County last night at 11 PM. Our ADSB system spotted a hacker balloon at 30,000 ft. It had an ICAO ID which means it must have lights aboard. I was in the process of recording the data when my computer suddenly went dead. I tracked it about 10 minutes as it hovered at 30 miles NNE from Vandenberg AFB. I traced it down to a company in Los Olivos that markets balloon flight operations. When the computer came back on the target was gone. Speculation is it parachuted back to earth. These balloon flights are not rare. They can stay up for weeks at a time as they hover and move at 1 - 2 mph at high altitude in a diameter of 200 miles and stay clear of the jet stream. They ID as HBAL. They are known to take off and land near Mojave. From what I learned it is a low priced commercial testing of electronic systems to cover north and south America. At one sighting I saw three high altitude balloons very close to SB and VTU. A year ago ADSB uncovered another mysterious UAV over Lake Cachuma after several flights. It was followed back to a barn at Santa Ynez. It was a large scale commercial UAV aircraft capable of carrying a moderate payload. Wayne Beckman and I investigated this and were invited to inspect the aircraft. The rules covering such aircraft are quite clear..... they must have an N number and require a flight plan. We took many pictures if I can find them. At the same time last night a REACH EC-135 took off from Santa Maria at 5525 ft headed NNE for a patient transport. It landed, we lost the ADSB signal behind terrain. This does not cover my sightings of many of U2 flights and a Soviet TU-144 bomber flight over SB County. I don't normally send this out as a message to all as it is a no brainer. Bill Talanian

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75m Santa Net
by Levi C. Maaia 04 Dec '24

04 Dec '24

For those of you with little ones around, the Santa Net is held every evening between now and Christmas on 3.916 MHz at 5:00PM Pacific Time (check-ins open 1/2 hour before). LCM Levi C. Maaia, K6LCMwww.levimaaia.com

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Fwd: [arrlsb] Fw: Call to Action - H.R. 4006 / S. 3690 Ham Radio Law
by WARREN MYERS 02 Dec '24

02 Dec '24

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November 11
by WILLIAM TALANIAN 06 Nov '24

06 Nov '24

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All about AIS
by WILLIAM TALANIAN 01 Nov '24

01 Nov '24

SBARC operates two two AIS receivers, station 533 and station 1360 to monitor the SB Channel. Bill Talanian | | | | | | | MarineTraffic Contributors Newsletter | | October 2024 | | | | | | | | Dear community member, As Halloween approaches, we wanted to add a touch of spooky fun to this month's newsletter! Whether you're out there capturing hauntingly beautiful maritime shots or tracking eerie movements on your AIS stations, we’ve got some spine-chilling updates and challenges just for you. 🎃 Stay tuned for eerie stories, frighteningly good photography, and a little Halloween treat to keep your antenna signals strong and your cameras snapping. Don’t let the ghosts of the sea scare you away! Happy Halloween!👻 | | | | | | | | | | | | Featured contributor of the month | | | | Our featured contributor for this month is David Theron. He is an amateur radio operator managing four stations across South Africa, with his largest coverage station based in Napier (Station ID 6950). At 30 years old, he resides in Worcester, South Africa, and works as a fiber maintenance technician for an internet service provider. Born deaf, David received a cochlear implant at the age of four, an experience that deepened his understanding of the importance of effective communication. Driven by a lifelong curiosity about alternative forms of communication, he earned his amateur radio operator’s license at 18, broadcasting under the call sign ZS1GA. How David discovered MarineTraffic A few years ago, David installed a Flightradar24 antenna on Theronsberg, achieving the third-best coverage in South Africa. While aviation has long been an interest of his, he’s equally passionate about maritime activity and the sea, which led him to volunteer with the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI). Seeing the essential service that Flightradar24 provides for aircraft sparked his curiosity about a similar tracking system for seagoing vessels. After some research, he discovered MarineTraffic and reached out, offering to help by installing antennas to aid maritime tracking. The setup process, communicated via email, was simple and straightforward. Within days, we sent him the necessary equipment at no cost, allowing him to make a valuable contribution to seafaring safety and vessel monitoring. About the location - Elevated towers in South Africa The company David works for maintains communication towers across the Western Cape, strategically positioned on high mountain peaks. After thorough research, he identified the optimal spots to install MarineTraffic antennas. Two of these installations, located in Lamberts Bay and Napier, provide excellent coverage and have proven highly effective for tracking seagoing vessels. Separately, Banderas Bay has become a popular destination for cruising sailors during the winter. Arriving typically in November, they stay through the winter months, as the bay’s orientation makes it a natural hurricane hole, shielding it from Pacific hurricanes. Many sailors even keep their boats there through the summer and early fall, the area’s designated hurricane season, to benefit from the bay’s protective geography. Insights and Advice Being active in our communities is essential, and what better way to contribute than by helping vessels in distress? Through my partnership with MarineTraffic, I’m also installing an antenna for FlightAware to support air traffic coverage. Collaboration and mutual assistance are key—it's up to all of us to lend a hand whenever we can. — D. Theron | | Photos of the Month | | We are thrilled to present this month’s curated selection of photographs from our talented community. | | | | Do you want your photo to be featured in our newsletter? | | Upload a photo | | Ship Hunt Challenge: Spot & shot! | | Dear Photographers, As you may know, last month we have launched the spot&shot challenge and we are happy to announce that 2 of the vessels hunted last month have been spotted by our talented photographers. Thanks to Bonici Emmanuel , Hannes van Rijn, Peet de Rouw, Jan Verhoog, Helmut Seger and Thomas Hofmann beginning with this month, you can admire photos of CMA CGM FORT JAMES. Also, NORD VULCAN is now present in our gallery thanks to the first shots of Erick Montalvo. For those of you excited to take part in this month's challenge, here are the featured ships. Follow their voyages here: HLS FLUORITE PERTAMINA GAS DAHLIA AMALFI BAY CMA CGM POINTE DU PITON CMA CGM ALTAMIRA MI SHAN TINOS I ASIA INSPIRE VOYAGER NO.1 ISLA PUNA | | Invite someone you know! Share the link below with your friends and help them join the world's largest network to receive AIS . | | | | Become an AIS station partner | | Thank you all for being a member of this great community! | | |

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