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2720 discussions

Napster - again again
by Ken Alker 30 Jan '26

30 Jan '26

Napster has re-created itself a second time (third instance, if you will). See https://www.techradar.com/ai-platforms-assistants/napsters-back-and-its-new…. I thought Brian (K6BPM) would like this particularly, considering his mentions of personality trade-marking. The first re-creation of Napster was when they took over the Rhapsody brand, which is why I was researching them. I have had a Rhapsody (now Napster) music streaming subscription since 2006 as a beta tester for Sonos (wow - how time FLIEs). I got a special deal at $49.95/year but it only works with my Sonos system. When I tried to stream music yesterday on my Sonos system it told me that they no longer support Napster (formerly Rhapsody) and that I should delete the icon from my Sonos app entirely. Hmmm... I've already been charged my $49.95 for the year by Napster. I think Rhapsody may have been the first ever music streaming service (not sure, though; maybe just "one of the first"). Another one bites the dust. Ken

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Winter Field Day is this weekend!
by Dave Schmidt 23 Jan '26

23 Jan '26

Winter Field Day is this weekend! *Rules can be found here: <goog_1699972291>* https://winterfieldday.org/downloads/2026-rules-v3.pdf *When:* Saturday 8:00AM PST until Sunday Jan 25 2:00PM (Jan 24th 1600 UTC - Jan 25 21:59 UTC) *Power: *All stations are limited to a maximum of 100 Watts PEP. *Bands: *All Amateur bands may be used except 12, 17, 30, and 60 meters *Modes: *All modes, except WSJT* modes, may be used. Modes are combined into three groups: CW, Phone, and Digital, may be used. Phone includes SSB, AM, FM, DMR, C4FM, etc. If the end result is voice, it’s Phone. Digital includes PSK, RTTY, Olivia, Packet, SSTV, ATV, JS8Call, and other soundcard modes. If the end result is text or a picture, it’s Digital. *(*WSJT modes include FST4, FT4, FT8, JT4, JT9, JT65, Q65, MSK144, WSPR, FST4W, and Echo. These modes do not support passing emergency traffic effectively and therefore are not appropriate for Winter Field Day.)* *Exchange: *Your call sign, a category number, a class identifier, and a location identifier. *Category: *A number designated by the number of transceivers (stations) at your location that are capable of transmitting simultaneously. *Class Identifier:* *H* - Home station: is any station located inside a permanent livable residence. *I *- Indoor station: is any station operating away from Home but from inside an insulated, weather-protected building (or structure) on a permanent foundation. Indoor stations typically have plumbing, heating/cooling, and running water. Church, EOCs, a club shack, a cabin, and community centers are all examples of an Indoor station. *O* - Outdoor station: Outdoor stations operate from a partly or fully exposed building or shelter that does not typically have plumbing, heating/cooling, or running water available. Operating from a picnic table, park pavilion, tents, or under pop-up canopies are all places that could be considered Outdoor. These are locations where you may have to provide your own heat source and/or protection from the elements. *M *- Mobile / Mobile Stationary: These stations are operations from a mobile or potentially mobile structure like an RV, car, van, sailboat, cargo trailer, mobile EOC, bus, plane, ETC. These are operating positions that may offer some sort of built-in heating/cooling. Mobile stations do not have to be mobile during the event. They must have the ability to be mobile, should it be necessary to move during the event. RVs and cargo trailers with external antennas set up are still considered Mobile. *Location Identifier:* US and Canadian stations will use the ARRL / RAC Section as designated by those organizations (SB for us) Very much like Field Day in June. My exchange from my house would be *"AI6VX 1H SB"* Give it a try! Even if you don't plan on uploading your logs, there will be lots of opportunity to play with radio this weekend! Dave AI6VX

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KVM needed
by Ken Alker 20 Jan '26

20 Jan '26

If anyone has a spare KVM with ethernet port (ie. remotely accessible via the Internet) that they'd like to donate to the WB6OBB repeater project, please let me know. I'm on the hunt for one. Thanks! Ken KA6KEN

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NAQP SSB is this coming Saturday
by Dave Schmidt 12 Jan '26

12 Jan '26

Official rules are here: https://ncjweb.com/NAQP-Rules.pdf When: 1800 UTC Jan 17 to 0559 UTC Jan 18 0600 (Saturday 10AM PST until Saturday 10PM PST) Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters only, except no 160 meters for the RTTY contest Someone check that I converted the times to PST correctly. Dave AI6VX

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Two Meter SSB Breakfast Saturday!
by Ken Owen 01 Dec '25

01 Dec '25

Join us this coming Saturday (12/6) for the at the biannual Santa Barbara Two-meter SSB Net breakfast to be held at Cody's Cafe, 4898 Hollister Ave, starting at 9:00 AM. It's a good time to dine on good food and catch up on all things ham radio. We'd love to have you join us, and all are welcome! Ken Owen, N6KTH https://www.qrz.com/db/N6KTH

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Want to make a QSO on Saturday 10/18/25 to grid squares CM94TB/TA/UB/UA ?
by Ken Alker 18 Oct '25

18 Oct '25

I will be on San Miguel Island tomorrow from around 11:30am - 4:00pm. I will bring my VHF/UHF HT (and MAYBE a QRP HF rig - although unlikely since I don't think I have one small/light enough). I have no idea what the terrain is like or if I'll even be able to find a suitable spot to transmit, so don't hold your breath, but, if interested, do monitor the SBARC repeater network and WB6OBB. I'll try to announce via the SBARC Santa Ynez Peak repeater (145.180MHz) and/or the WB6OBB Broadcast Peak repeater (147.000Mhz). If I can hit one of those, I will announce first. If I can't hit them, but I can find a suitable place from which to transmit, I'll start on simplex 146.520. I'll probably eat lunch and do some hiking before trying to transmit, so I have no idea what time I will/may be transmitting, so be patient. Feel free to spread the word down south (into LA/San Diego area). Some people down there may not have a logged contact with grid square CM94 even though I've lit it up from Hollister Ranch/Gaviota Campground in the past, as they may not be able to see that spot, while they might be able to see out toward San Miguel Island. Ken

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Noozhawk Article
by WILLIAM TALANIAN 11 Oct '25

11 Oct '25

To: All Board and membership Several months ago, Rollin Gartzke stopped by my house and handed me a $5000 check for SBARC on behalf of the Gartzke Family. Rollins father, Fred Gartzke, K6YD, and I worked side by side at Raytheon for many years. We collaborated on navigation systems long before GPS where I had skilled myself with the Boston Police Department using phase ranging techniques of UHF transmissions for vehicle location systems. Fred passed away rather young. He was a brilliant mathematician and mentor in amateur radio. I never forgot his guidance and support with establishing a tri-county VHF net for the SB Section of the ARRL. His legacy lives on. Bill Talanian Cue for Success: 805 Pool Table Services Brings Billiards Back Into Style Owner Rollin Gartzke started his business to fill a local need; since then, his business has expanded around the stateby Daniel Green, Noozhawk Staff WriterOctober 10, 2025 | 9:46 pm - - - - Rollin Gartzke stands in his workshop where he runs 805 Pool Table Services. He started his company during the COVID-19 pandemic after he purchased his own table. Daniel Green / Noozhawk photo Many people started new hobbies during the COVID-19 pandemic, but few turned them into a business. Even though Rollin Gartzke, the owner of 805 Pool Table Services, had an interest in pool and played in a local league, his first real step into reconstructing pool tables came during the pandemic, when he bought a table from a neighbor for $500. After moving the table to his house, Gartzke and a friend discovered there are no local installers. He said many of the local vendors either retired or were dealing with medical issues. Some local shops were using a team out of Los Angeles. The distance created an issue for people who had to wait for the LA installers to travel up to Santa Barbara every few weeks to work on a few tables. However, despite saying that describing the trade of servicing tables as a dying industry, Gartzke believes the popularity of pool as a hobby is growing. “I feel like since COVID it is really taking off again,” Gartzke said. “That’s kind of where this whole business spawned from. I got a table, my friend got a table and my uncle got a table. All three of us needed to have them done, and that’s when we realized nobody did it.” That hole in the local scene inspired Gartzke to begin his company, 805 Pool Table Services, which offers cleaning services, repairs and alterations. As a self-described self-starter, Gartzke said the process of starting the business was fairly easy for him. He watched videos on how to repair tables on YouTube and figured out which techniques worked best for him. “There was a lot of R&D at home, never at the customer’s house, but it’s a learning curve,” Gartzke said The first pool table that Rollin Gartzke restored and that piqued his interest in repairing pool tables. Courtesy photo He said learning how to apply new felt or put together a table was more time-consuming than difficult. Every table also comes with its own unique challenge. Gartzke had to learn how to know when to stop stapling and leave enough room for the pockets, as well as how to work with tables that require glue instead of staples. He repairs tables in his garage or on-site, depending on what is needed and the type of table. Since starting the business, 805 Pool has rapidly expanded to cover a significant portion of the state. Gartzke became a certified installer for Costco and for Jack Game Room. The company now serves customers in areas including Bakersfield, Cazadero and parts of Los Angeles. For now, Gartzke said he has no plans to expand his business, adding that he takes pride in his work and is concerned that having more people will make it harder to ensure that all the work is done to his standards. “It’s one of those things that’s keeping me busy enough that I don’t feel the need to expand this early yet,” Gartzke said. “I’m not having a backlog of people on the schedule.”

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California QSO Party - this weekend
by Dave Schmidt 03 Oct '25

03 Oct '25

California QSO Party - is this weekend 1600Z on Saturday, October 4th and ends at 2200Z on Sunday. That's 9am Saturday to 3pm Sunday our time. From Jacques KN6VQ: You may be asking yourself, "Why is the CQP so fun, Jacques?" Well, I have answers! Most of the time in contests, CA is not that desirable. Getting a CA state or CQ Zone 3 multiplier is really pretty easy, so operators don't search for us like they would an elusive South Dakota or Wyoming station. During the CQP, however, we finally get to be the hunted! Every single North American station who participates in this contest is specifically looking to make a contact with *you*! They really, really, really *need* to call you. That's why I suggest that anyone who operates this year, regardless of contest experience or station size, try calling CQ at least for a little bit. It can seem daunting, especially if you end up with a mini pileup of callers, but the only way to learn is by doing it! If you are even considering giving it a go this year, I would suggest you register your participation here: https://www.cqp.org/register.html Once you sign up as being an operator from Ventura County (or another county if you want to operate mobile), you'll be more likely to get on the air when the contest starts. I'll have a few more posts about the CQP in this thread over the coming weeks. If you would like to take a look at the rules now, they can be found here: https://www.cqp.org/Rules.html Feel free to ask me any questions you may have about this contest, either in this thread or directly. I look forward to seeing some of your names on the County Tracker Spreadsheet! See you on the air! Jacques KN6VQ

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Fwd: [K6MEP] 2025 CA QSO Party Thread
by Dave Schmidt 12 Sep '25

12 Sep '25

For my SBARC hams. Dave AI6VX From: Jacques KN6VQ via groups.io Date: Fri, Sep 12, 2025 at 5:06 PM Subject: [K6MEP] 2025 CA QSO Party Thread Hello all, We are now three weeks away from one of the most fun contests of the year: the California QSO Party (CQP)! It starts at 1600Z on Saturday, October 4th and ends at 2200Z on Sunday. That's 9am Saturday to 3pm Sunday our time. You may be asking yourself, "Why is the CQP so fun, Jacques?" Well, I have answers! Most of the time in contests, CA is not that desirable. Getting a CA state or CQ Zone 3 multiplier is really pretty easy, so operators don't search for us like they would an elusive South Dakota or Wyoming station. During the CQP, however, we finally get to be the hunted! Every single North American station who participates in this contest is specifically looking to make a contact with *you*! They really, really, really *need* to call you. That's why I suggest that anyone who operates this year, regardless of contest experience or station size, try calling CQ at least for a little bit. It can seem daunting, especially if you end up with a mini pileup of callers, but the only way to learn is by doing it! If you are even considering giving it a go this year, I would suggest you register your participation here: https://www.cqp.org/register.html Once you sign up as being an operator from Ventura County (or another county if you want to operate mobile), you'll be more likely to get on the air when the contest starts. I'll have a few more posts about the CQP in this thread over the coming weeks. If you would like to take a look at the rules now, they can be found here: https://www.cqp.org/Rules.html Feel free to ask me any questions you may have about this contest, either in this thread or directly. I look forward to seeing some of your names on the County Tracker Spreadsheet! See you on the air! Jacques KN6VQ

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ARRL September VHF Contest, 1800 UTC Saturday, 9/13 - 0259 UTC Monday, 9/15
by Dave Schmidt 09 Sep '25

09 Sep '25

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: *Peter Heins N6ZE via groups.io <http://groups.io>* <n6ze= aol.com(a)groups.io> Date: Tuesday, September 9, 2025 Subject: [K6MEP] ARRL September VHF Contest, 1800 UTC Saturday, 9/13 - 0259 UTC Monday, 9/15 ARRL September VHF Contest About Objective: For amateurs in the US and Canada (and their possessions) to work as many amateur stations in as many different 2 degrees x 1 degree Maidenhead grid squares as possible using authorized frequencies above 50 MHz. Stations outside the US & Canada (and their possessions) may only work stations in the US (and its possessions) and Canada. Dates: The second full weekend in September (September 13-15, 2025) Contest Period: Begins 1800 UTC Saturday, ends 0259 UTC Monday. (11am pdt Saturday until 7:59 pm pdt Sunday) Notice: Participants in the FM Only category can now count contacts made on 902 MHz and 1.2 GHz toward their scores. Previously, only contacts on the four lowest VHF bands (50, 144, 222 and 432 MHz) counted toward participants' scores in this category. Click Here for Complete ARRL September VHF Contest Rules (PDF) For contest information contact contests(a)arrl.org or (860) 594-0232 All legal modes are permitted. For Cabrillo file mode definitions, Digital modes should be represented as "DG" (for all things digital), SSB Phone as "PH", FM voice as "FM", and CW as "CW". Stations in KH0-9, KL7 & KP1-KP5, CY9 and CY0 count as W/VE stations and can be worked by DX stations for contest credit. Log Submission Deadline Logs are due within TEN (10) days after the event is over. Logs may be submitted either online or via mail, but electronic Cabrillo logs are the preferred method. Electronic logs must be submitted via our web app at contest-log-submission.arrl.org/ Logs that have been submitted electronically are listed on the Logs Received page. Click the contest name to see a list of submitted logs sorted by call sign and club name. Online Log Submission - Cabrillo formatted logs must be uploaded via our web app at contest-log-submission.arrl.org. Submitting Paper Logs By Mail - Be sure to mail your completed Summary Sheet and Log Sheets postmarked before the log submission deadlines. Paper Entry Forms: September VHF Summary Sheet VHF/UHF Log Sheet Send completed Summary Sheets and logs to: ARRL - September VHF Contest, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 If submitting a paper log, it is strongly suggested you use a delivery method that offers a tracking number. If you wish to convert your log into a Cabrillo formatted log for electronic submission, visit www.b4h.net/cabforms/ and select the event of interest. You can input your log data which will be converted to a Cabrillo formatted log for you (it will generate a log and return it to you), and then you can in turn submit your Cabrillo log online via the web app at contest-log-submission.arrl.org/. Awards: Downloadable Certificates will be awarded in the following categories at https://contests.arrl.org/certificates.php Single Operator: - Top Single Operator in each ARRL/RAC Section for high and low power. - Top Single Operator on each band (50, 144, 222, 432, 902, 1296 and 2304-and-up categories) in each ARRL/RAC Section where significant effort or competition is evident. (Note: Since the highest score per band will be the award winner for that band, an entrant may win a certificate with additional single-band endorsements.) For example, if KA1RWY has the highest single-operator all-band score in the CT Section and her 50- and 222-MHz scores are higher than any other CT single operator’s, she will earn a certificate for being the single-operator Section leader and endorsements for 50 and 222 MHz. - Top Single Operator Portable in each ARRL/RAC Section where significant effort or competition is evident. (Single Operator Portable entries are not eligible for single-band awards.) - Top Single Operator, 3-Band in each ARRL/RAC Section where significant effort or competition is evident.(Single Operator, 3-Band entries are not eligible for single-band awards.) - Top Single Operator, FM Only in each ARRL/RAC Section where significant effort or competition is evident. (Single Operator, FM Only entries are not eligible for single-band awards.) Rover: - Top Rover, Limited Rover and Unlimited Rover in each ARRL Division and Canada where significant effort or competition is evident. (Rover entries are not eligible for single-band awards.) Multioperator: - Top Multioperator score in each ARRL/RAC Section where significant effort or competition is evident. (Multioperator entries are not eligible for single-band awards.) - Top Limited Multioperator in each ARRL/RAC Section where significant effort or competition is evident. (Limited Multioperator entries are not eligible for single-band awards.) DX: - Top DX stations where significant effort or competition is evident. Club Competition: There are ten ARRL-sponsored contests that are designated as Affiliated Club Competitions (ACC) for ARRL and RAC affiliated clubs: - RTTY Roundup - January VHF Contest - International DX Contest - International Digital Contest - June VHF Contest - 222 MHz and Up Distance Contest - September VHF Contest - November Sweepstakes - 160-Meter Contest - 10-Meter Contest For full club competition rules, please see the link below: - Club Competition Rules ver 1.2 (rev 09 Feb 2022) - Additional Information - Cabrillo Templates for the new SO3B and SOFM Categories- The September VHF Contest now includes two new categories: Single Operator, 3 Band and Single Operator, FM Only. Here are examples of Cabrillo log headers to enter the new categories. If you are going to copy/paste these templates into your own Cabrillo log, please be sure to substitute your own station info! Single Operator, 3-Band: START-OF-LOG: 3.0 CONTEST: ARRL-VHF-SEP CALLSIGN: W1AW LOCATION: CT OPERATORS: W1AW CATEGORY-ASSISTED: NON-ASSISTED CATEGORY-BAND: VHF-3-BAND CATEGORY-MODE: MIXED CATEGORY-OPERATOR: SINGLE-OP CATEGORY-POWER: LOW CATEGORY-STATION: FIXED CATEGORY-TRANSMITTER: ONE CLAIMED-SCORE: CLUB: SOAPBOX: SOAPBOX: NAME: W1AW ADDRESS: 225 Main St <https://www.google.com/maps/search/225+Main+St?entry=gmail&source=g> ADDRESS: Newington, CT 06111 QSO: 50 PH 2013-09-14 1900 W1AW FN31 WD5USA EM04 QSO: 144 PH 2013-09-14 1922 W1AW FN31 WD5USA EM04 QSO: 432 PH 2013-09-14 1924 W1AW FN31 WD5USA EM04 QSO: 144 PH 2013-09-14 2220 W1AW FN31 AF5Q/R EM14 QSO: 144 PH 2013-09-14 0043 W1AW FN31 AF5Q/R EM04 QSO: 432 PH 2013-09-14 0043 W1AW FN31 AF5Q/R EM04 QSO: 50 PH 2013-09-14 0359 W1AW FN31 AF5Q/R EM04 END-OF-LOG: Single Operator, FM Only: START-OF-LOG: 3.0 CONTEST: ARRL-VHF-SEP CALLSIGN: W1AW LOCATION: CT OPERATORS: W1AW CATEGORY-ASSISTED: NON-ASSISTED CATEGORY-BAND: VHF-FM-ONLY CATEGORY-MODE: FM CATEGORY-OPERATOR: SINGLE-OP CATEGORY-POWER: LOW CATEGORY-STATION: FIXED CATEGORY-TRANSMITTER: ONE CLAIMED-SCORE: CLUB: SOAPBOX: SOAPBOX: NAME: W1AW ADDRESS: 225 Main St <https://www.google.com/maps/search/225+Main+St?entry=gmail&source=g> ADDRESS: Newington, CT 06111 QSO: 50 FM 2013-09-14 1900 W1AW FN31 WD5USA EM04 QSO: 144 FM 2013-09-14 1922 W1AW FN31 WD5USA EM04 QSO: 432 FM 2013-09-14 1924 W1AW FN31 WD5USA EM04 QSO: 144 FM 2013-09-14 2220 W1AW FN31 AF5Q/R EM14 QSO: 144 FM 2013-09-14 0043 W1AW FN31 AF5Q/R EM04 QSO: 432 FM 2013-09-14 0043 W1AW FN31 AF5Q/R EM04 QSO: 50 FM 2013-09-14 0359 W1AW FN31 AF5Q/R EM04 END-OF-LOG: Full Contest Details Click Here for Complete ARRL September VHF Contest Rules (PDF) _______________________________________________ VHFcontesting mailing list VHFcontesting(a)contesting.com http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting _._,_._,_ ------------------------------ _._,_._,_

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