Welcome to the March edition of the CLARA Current! Summer Field Day is three months away and we are looking for volunteers to serve on the planning team. Let a board member know if you are interested in helping plan this great event! I also want to welcome Doug KØILO as our new secretary of the CLARA board! Now let’s see what’s on tap for March.

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Our special topic for the April 26th session is operating digital voice (DV) on the VHF/UHF bands. We will provide an overview of the three most common DV formats: D-STAR, Fusion, and DMR. Then we will drill down on DMR, which is the most common format in our area. If you have recent experience with DMR, especially with hotspots, Brandmeister (or similar), let me know. We can probably benefit from your knowledge and assistance at this workshop.

At every workshop, we address other topics as needed, especially to help folks working on getting their Technician license or upgrading to a higher license.

Hamcon Colorado

The largest ham radio convention in the state will be held Oct 23 to 26 in Grand Junction. Take a look at the website here: https://www.hamconcolorado.com/ The details on the specific programs during the weekend are still coming together, but previous conferences have had an excellent lineup for the weekend. So stay tuned to the website as more information becomes available.

Joyce/K0JJW and I will be there, helping out with the Ham Radio School booth. I’m also giving a presentation on VHF Mountaintop Operating (SOTA, POTA, contests, etc.).
It is going to be a fun weekend.

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Emergency Communications in Chaffee County by Rich Atkins, KE5HQK

Our guest speaker for the March meeting will be Rich Atkins, KE5HQK.  Rich is the Emergency Manager for Chaffee County. His presentation will cover emergency communications in Chaffee County and how he sees CLARA providing that role.

Rich’s  work focuses on helping local governments and residents within Chaffee County to achieve their emergency management goals by providing technical assistance with respect to strategic planning, emergency plan development, community preparedness, disaster recovery, hazard mitigation and training and exercise support.
Rich has over 30 years’ experience in providing instruction as a certified instructor in Oklahoma and Colorado. He also has over 45 years’ experience in Law Enforcement and Emergency Management, planning and operations, training & exercises, and grant management.   He currently serves as the Colorado South Central Region Homeland Security Board Chair.  Rich has previously served as the Emergency Manager in Adams County, Colorado, and was responsible for emergency management functions at Oklahoma State University. He currently possesses several certifications in emergency management including FEMA’s Advanced Professional Certification and the Colorado Emergency Management Certification designations. Rich holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and has completed the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy’s executive program in leadership and management.

Rich’s dad was his inspiration, as his dad was a ham during Vietnam and became the State MARS Director for Oklahoma.  Rich was originally licensed in his teens but dropped it during his twenties.  He picked it back up later in life and received Technician, General, and Extra-Class certifications.  He is a member of APCO and ARRL.  He is certified as a COM-L and a COM-T.  His favorite modes are UHF and VHF but he uses HF whenever possible. 

To join our meeting Tuesday evening by Zoom, click  HERE!  The passcode is 7373

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The next discussion was about Marty’s project with the 4-H clubs here in the valley. The board will see what support he needs and assist as necessary. Thanks for taking this on Marty! The board then had a discussion on the report of the donations committee and plans to build a “go box” that could be loaned out to club members and used on field days and other events. The committee is putting together a list of proposed items for the go box. Next there was a discussion about the best way to create a membership roster. More to come on that. We covered additional topics, but other members of the board are writing about those in the newsletter.

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We collect dues at monthly meetings, at the weekly breakfast, or via the donation link on our website (please check the box that helps cover fees related to paying online). Dues are NOT required to participate in CLARA activities. Associate members can join in all the fun CLARA has going on throughout the year. Aside from raising funds to help keep the club and its assets functioning, paying dues allows us to properly track voting members and makes other administrative tasks easier to manage. THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

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I reinstalled the KDØMRC repeater at Monarch Mountain, but it still exhibits the same behavior as before, so we will need to wait until the snow melts to troubleshoot the duplexer and antenna system. Apologies to those who use the repeater for backcountry adventures. Please make an alternate communications plan until we can get it fixed!

That’s it for this edition of the CLARA Current. Thanks to everyone for being a part of CLARA. We exist because of members like you. Do you have a fun activity in mind, or a specialty to show off to the club? We are always looking for fun activities that expand our knowledge of the hobby and bolster communications preparedness. The hobby of hobbies that is amateur radio is all about sharing and exploring, so don’t be shy! From myself, KF5WCW and the entire board, 73 and see you at the monthly meeting next Tuesday evening!

Welcome to the February edition of the CLARA Current! 2025 is off to a great start with Winter Field Day and a great presentation at the January meeting by Ed Fong WB6IQN. Later this month, we will have an opportunity to make a group buy of his antennas at a significant discount, so be on the lookout for that email with more info on how to take advantage of this great offer! Now let’s see what’s on tap for February.

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Here are some potential ideas for the next workshop:

• How to operate HF digital (FT8, FT4)
• How to use VHF/UHF digital (DMR, D-STAR, Fusion)…this would be focused on DMR based on local repeater availability
• How to make a contact on HF (calling CQ, tuning the band, hunting POTA stations, etc.)
• How to make a contact on FM VHF/UHF (repeaters and simplex)
• How to attach a PL-259 connector (both solder and crimp)
• <insert your idea here>

Please drop me an email with your thoughts – [email protected]

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A Look at Early Communications: The Pony Express, wire-line telegraph, and how ham radio and history play together so well today – by Jim Andera, KØNK

Our guest speaker for the February meeting will be Jim Andera, KØNK. Jim has been actively hamming for the 51 years that he has been licensed.  Portable operation, EmCom, and teaching have been particular areas of interest, along with CW, repeaters and blending ham radio with his other hobbies.  As an outdoorsman, those other hobbies range from backpacking to hunting to bicycling.  He spent 45 years working with the design of aircraft radios, with the majority of that time being spent with the design and application of HF SSB gear on aircraft.  Now retired, Jim’s home QTH is in Gardner, KS, just outside of Kansas City.

Jim’s presentation will cover the history of communications, starting with the Pony Express and the wire-line telegraph spanning the United States – up to modern times with the technology now readily available to ham radio operators.  You’ll gain a better appreciation of those who came before us and helped establish communications technology as we now know (and enjoy) it. 
You’re invited to our February 11th meeting!  Social hour starts at 6:00 PM, meeting is at 7:00 PM.  Light refreshments will be served.

To join our meeting Tuesday evening by Zoom, click  HERE!  The passcode is 7373

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At the January 16th Board of Directors meeting, club dues of $20/year were proposed. Brian moved we accept & set dues at $20; Bob seconded the motion; the full board was in attendance and voted unanimously in favor.

Finally, for personal reasons, I’ve decided to step down from my position as CLARA Secretary. I should have acknowledged this prior to the elections, so you all have my apology. It’s been a pleasure to see the club come alive again, and I’d like to thank all of the Elmers. I’ll catch you all down the log, as they say.

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Remember that dues are NOT required to participate in CLARA activities. Associate members may join in all of the fun CLARA has going on throughout the year. Aside from raising funds to help keep the club and its assets functioning, paying dues allows us to properly track voting members and makes other administrative tasks easier to manage.

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A big thanks to Sean KFØIHL for his service in 2024! Serving the CLARA membership is a big job and we understand that life gets busy. Thanks Sean!! Lastly, you may be thinking “What happened at Winter Field Day?”. We plan to do a short recap at the February member’s meeting that will highlight the fun we had at this great event. Spoiler alert: about half the membership showed up and many members had a blast operating. “If we could hear them, we could work them”, which made the event lots of fun! A special thanks goes out to Tom W9TR and Bill NØIET for helping to organize the event, and to Rich KE5HQK for hosting us at the EOC. 73 on behalf of myself KF5WCW, and the entire board. See you at the monthly meeting!

Happy New Year and welcome to the January edition of the CLARA Current! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season full of peace, joy, and QSOs. We are kicking off the new year with Ham Help, a great presentation from Ed Fong WB6IQN, and Winter Field Day. Read on for details!

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We typically cover these topics, customized to meet the needs of the attendees:

– Guidance and coaching on how to get your ham radio (Technician) license.
– Guidance and coaching on how to upgrade to the General or Extra license.
– Help with making your first VHF/UHF ham radio contact.
– Help with programming your VHF/UHF radio (we program the radios for you).
– Help with learning how to program your VHF/UHF radios using Chirp or similar software.
– Demonstrations of operating a ham radio station (VHF/UHF and HF)
– <other topics by request, as needed>

Registration is not required but it is best to let us know that you are attending along with what you need help with. 
Just drop me an email at [email protected]

Happy New Year!!!

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VHF/UHF Dual Band J-Pole Antenna – by Ed Fong, WB6IQN

Our guest speaker for the January meeting will be Ed Fong (WB6IQN).  As many of you know, he is the inventor of the DBJ-1 and DBJ-2 antenna that was featured in the February 2003 and March 2007 QST.  His most recent antenna was the TBJ-1 – a triband base antenna that was published in March 2017 QST.  The DBJ-1 is a highly effective dual band VHF/UHF base station antenna and the DBJ-2 is the portable roll up version.  The DBJ-2 won the QST Plaque of the Month Award. Both of these antennas are featured in the ARRL VHF antenna Handbook and also in the ARRL Antenna Classic Handbook.  There are over 40,000 of these antennas in use today.  About half are used by hams and the other half by government and commercial agencies. 

Ed will give a history on how these antennas were developed and the theory on how and why they work so well.  There is no “black magic” to antennas.  He will explain in a non-mathematical manner to convince you for overall performance and simplicity his approach is one of the most practical. 

Ed Fong was first licensed in 1968 as WN6IQN.  He later upgraded to Extra Class (when 20 WPM was required ) with his present call of WB6IQN.  He obtained the BSEE and MSEE degrees from the Univ. of California at Berkeley and his Ph.D. from the Univ. of San Francisco.  A Life Senior Member of the IEEE, he has 12 patents and over 40 published papers and books in the area of communications and integrated circuit design.  Presently, he is employed by the University of California, Santa Cruz (previously with Berkeley from 1997-2010) as an instructor teaching graduate classes in Antenna Design, RF design and high speed interface. 

You’re invited to our January 14th meeting!  Social hour starts at 6:00 PM, meeting is at 7:00 PM.  Light refreshments will be served.

To join our meeting Tuesday evening by Zoom, click  HERE!  The passcode is 7373

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On 12/19/2024, the Board of Directors met and voted to approve updates
to the CLARA Bylaws. At a high level, the updates clarify meeting structure (the Annual Meeting is now fixed to January), define levels of membership and how dues are assessed, and clarify how our bylaws are to be updated in the future (2/3 vote of regular
members). The current version of club bylaws, as well as articles of incorporation, can be found at https://w0cla.org/resources/ (direct link: HERE). A paper copy is also included in The official CLARA binder held by the club secretary. The review and editing process required many hours and plenty of discussion. The Board wishes to thank the bylaws committee members: Bob, KØNR; Doug, KØILO; and Sam, W5CU, for their willingness to review and provide feedback on our foundational documents.

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In the new year, the club will begin collecting annual dues per the updated bylaws. We added a dues requirement for active members not to simply collect more money, but to clearly define who is a voting member and who is not. The amount is not defined in the bylaws and the board has not decided what the annual dues should be as of this writing. The board will decide this after the elections at the January members meeting.

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That’s it for this edition of the CLARA Current. Thanks to everyone for being part of CLARA. It has been absolutely wonderful to see the club grow and members become more and more a part of this organization over the past year. I hope we can continue to grow the club in 2025! 73 on behalf of Tom W9TR, myself KF5WCW, and the entire board. We wish you all a very Happy New Year and hope to see you all at the meeting on the 14th!

Welcome to the December edition of the CLARA Current! Snow is on the ground and the holidays are upon us. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Read on to find out what’s going on through the end of the year and beyond!

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This kind of volunteerism is very helpful in a radio club, especially a small one like CLARA. I’d like to challenge all of you to think about how you can assist with club activities. It doesn’t have to be a big project but everyone has skills and knowledge they can contribute. For example, right now we could use some help with maintaining and improving the w0cla.org website. Another example is helping out with Winter Field 
Day, coming up in January, followed by “real” Field Day in June. Or maybe there is something you’d like to see happen that we haven’t thought about yet. Please give this some thought and let Brian or me know.

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Bob’s presentation will cover topics like:

• Basic elements of the station (transceiver, power supply, coax, antenna)

• Common transceivers

• Power supplies

• Antenna choices: lots of them!

• Dealing with HOAs, low profile antennas

Plus we’ll have time to discuss any questions you might have for setting up an HF station, with input from Bob and other club members.

You’re invited to our December 10th meeting!  Social hour starts at 6:00 PM, meeting is at 7:00 PM.  Light refreshments will be served.

To join our meeting Tuesday evening by Zoom, click  HERE!   The passcode is 7373

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That’s it for this edition of the CLARA Current. We really hope you will join us this Tuesday for our monthly meeting! Aside from a great presentation from KØNR, we will begin discussing winter field day and some other events that we hope to make regular occurrences. One last item to note is that the KDØMRC repeater which usually dons Monarch Mountain Ski Area is not operational at this time. We hope to have it fixed and back in operation soon, but the repairs are still forthcoming. 73 from me, KF5WCW and the entire CLARA board!

Welcome to the November edition of the CLARA Current! We have three activities in the next 10 days. Read on to see what’s coming up. We hope you can join us!

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We will also have our normal topics, depending on the needs of the people that attend:

• Guidance and coaching on how to get your ham radio (Technician) license.
• Guidance and coaching on how to upgrade to General or Extra.
• Help with making your first VHF/UHF ham radio contact.
• Help with programming your VHF/UHF radio (we program the radios for you).
• Help with learning how to program your VHF/UHF radios using Chirp or similar software.
• Demonstrations of operating a ham radio station (VHF/UHF)
• <other topics by request, just let me know>

Bylaws Review Committee

The committee is composed of Bob K0NR, Doug K0ILO and Sam W5CU. We have met once and are off to a good start.
Our guiding principle is to update the Bylaws in some areas that have become a bit outdated or need clarification, but to not change how CLARA is organized and operates.

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CLARA will be holding a Foxhunt on Saturday, November 16th, 2024 starting at 9:00AM at the Ruby Mountain Trailhead off of CR 300 near Nathrop. The fox will transmit on the 70 CM frequency of 446.025 MHz.  All hams and non-hams are invited. That’s right, since you’ll be receiving only, you don’t need to be a licensed ham to participate.

The fox will be hidden somewhere between Buena Vista and Poncha Springs at an elevation below 9000’. The fox will be on public land, on a trail,  less than 1000’ from a county, BLM, or Forest Service road. High-clearance or 4WD vehicles will not be required.

CLARA will be holding a foxhunt antenna building workshop on Saturday, November 9th, 2024 at 2:00 PM at the Casa del Rio Clubhouse. We’ll be building a 6 element handheld directional antenna great for foxhunting. Cost will be $15 dollars. We’ll be building a variant of this antenna:

https://www.wa5vjb.com/yagi-pdf/cheapyagi.pdf

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Bill’s presentation will provide an overview of the various GNSS systems provided by different countries.  He’ll present a brief history of GPS, how GNSS works and the popular map coordinate systems.  GPS augmentation systems allow instrument approaches to airports in the clouds and in low visibility and even allow aircraft to land in zero cloud height and zero visibility conditions.  Bill will tell us about his favorite GPS app and he’ll give us some practical tips on how to use GPS to great advantage in the backcountry.

Bill has bachelor and masters degrees in engineering and holds air transport and flight instructor pilots licenses.  He worked for 38 years as an engineer designing electronics for aircraft and space vehicles.  Bill is a member of Chaffee SAR South and uses GPS to locate and rescue lost and injured subjects in the backcountry.

You’re invited to our November 12th meeting!  Social hour starts at 6:00 PM, meeting is at 7:00 PM.  Light refreshments will be served.

To join our meeting Tuesday evening by Zoom, click  HERE

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• The Vibe contains a Codan HF radio: push-to-tune-and-talk, 160m-10m
• remote tuner mounted at the feed point
• big antenna mount, bolted to the car
• full size SS whip
• radio mounted in a hard case, secured to lashing points in the vehicle
• removable for portable, campsite operation

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Sean, KF0IHL, demonstrated a WSPR transmitter kit build. It is a 6 band, multi-mode transmitter based around an Atmega328 microcontroller. As built, it covers 80m/40m/30m/20m/15m/10m and transmits between 100mW and 200mW, from a single BS70. I’ve had good results, incuding being spotted on WSPR by the Neumayer III Station in Antarctica (30m, dipole 26′ AGL).

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Club License Update: We’ve fixed the name on our club license to read “Chaffee Lake Amateur Radio Association”.

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That’s it for this edition of the CLARA Current. We have some really exciting events planned this month, so don’t miss out! For more info regarding our monthly meeting, like location info or how to join the meeting via Zoom, Visit our Events Calendar. 73 from me, KF5WCW and the entire CLARA board!

Welcome to the October edition of the CLARA Current. Don’t forget that tomorrow, Tuesday, October 8th is our monthly meeting! Doors open @ 6:00pm and the meeting begins @ 7:00pm. The meeting will take place at the Casa Del Rio Clubhouse. Visit our events calendar for detailed location information. We hope you will join us!

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• Guidance and coaching on how to get your ham radio (Technician) license.
• Guidance and coaching on how to upgrade to General or Extra.
• Help with making your first VHF/UHF ham radio contact.
• Help with programming your VHF/UHF radio (we program the radios for you).
• Help with learning how to program your VHF/UHF radios using Chirp or similar software.
• Demonstrations of operating a ham radio station (VHF/UHF)
• <other topics by request, just let me know>

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Amateur radio has lots of hobbies within the hobby.  Members of CLARA are involved in all kinds of interesting projects.  Our next meeting will give you an opportunity to  explore new areas of the hobby as you see what other club members are doing.  You’ll have a chance to ask questions and learn about your fellow members’ projects.  And you’ll get ideas for your own projects.

Maybe you have a new rig, accessory, portable antenna, test equipment, a “homebrew” project, or even software you’d like to share with the club.  Just bring it to our October meeting.  We’ll have tables where you can set it up, along with AC power if needed.  You’ll be able to briefly describe your project during the meeting, then demonstrate it afterwards as members visit your setup.

You’re invited to our October 8th meeting!  Social hour starts at 6:00 PM, meeting is at 7:00 PM.  Light refreshments will be served.

To join our meeting Tuesday evening by Zoom, click  HERE. The passcode is 7373

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That’s it for this edition of the CLARA Current. Thanks for reading and we hope to see you tomorrow evening. 73 from me KF5WCW and the entire board!

Welcome to the September edition of the CLARA Current! As the weather changes, we are starting to set our sights on some club housekeeping, and beginning to ponder Winter Field Day 2025. Read on to find out what is happening this month and beyond.

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I expect to be discussing these things:

• General improvements to your VHF/UHF station, beyond just a simple handheld radio.
• Overview of station logging software

Here are the topics we will typically cover, depending on the needs of the people that attend:

• Guidance and coaching on how to get your ham radio (Technician) license.
• Guidance and coaching on how to upgrade to General or Extra.
• Help with making your first VHF/UHF ham radio contact.
• Help with programming your VHF/UHF radio (we program the radios for you).
• Help with learning how to program your VHF/UHF radios using Chirp or similar software.
• Demonstrations of operating a ham radio station (VHF/UHF)
• <other topics by request, just let me know>

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Walt filmed and produced the documentary video of the AH1A DXpedition we’ll be showing at our September meeting (the video was professionally edited and narrated by Greg Reinhart).  And Walt will be available after the video to answer questions and provide additional details about working DX.

You won’t want to miss The AH1A Saga with Walt Stinson, WØCP.

You’re invited to our September 10th meeting!  Social hour starts at 6:00 PM, meeting is at 7:00 PM.  Light refreshments will be served.

To join our meeting Tuesday evening by Zoom, click here. Passcode: 7373   The YouTube link to the video is:

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Thanks for reading this edition of the CLARA Current! Remember to keep an eye on the Events Calendar and check out our new Resources page. The Resources page will surely grow over the coming weeks and months. Right now, there’s a good list of local repeaters if you want to add some channels to your HT or mobile. From me, KF5WCW and the entire board, have a great month and 73!

Welcome to the August edition of the CLARA Current! I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer full of relaxation & QSOs. We have some great activities lined up for August, so read on to see how to be involved!

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From Bob KØNR

The results of our Technician license class were quite good and we’ve used that experience to tune our approach for future classes. The key idea is that we can use online courses and license exams to offer licensing opportunities on a continuous basis. That is, we won’t offer a specific license class at a specific time. Instead, we will provide regular help sessions for people learning about ham radio. These sessions are aimed primarily at two groups: people working towards their license exam and people already licensed that need some practical help getting started. For those working on getting a license or upgrading to a higher class license, we will point them to the Ham Radio School online course and provide whatever assistance is needed on a 1:1 basis. For newbie licensees, we will help them with getting started on their ham radio journey (see topics below).

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The first Ham Help Workshop will be held 2 pm August 10th at the Casa Del Rio Clubhouse in Buena Vista.

Here are the topics we will cover, depending on the needs of the people that attend:

• Guidance and coaching on how to get your ham radio (Technician) license.
• Guidance and coaching on how to upgrade to General or Extra.
• Help with making your first VHF/UHF ham radio contact.
• Help with programming your VHF/UHF radio (we program the radios for you).
• Help with learning how to program your VHF/UHF radios using Chirp or similar software.
• Demonstrations of operating a ham radio station (VHF/UHF)
• <other topics by request, just let me know>

Advance registration is NOT required but letting me know that you are coming along with a description of the help you are looking for will be very useful.

Please let me know via email: [email protected]

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Walt will be taking us on a guided tour of the world of HF.  He’ll show us what the 3-30 MHz bands offer the amateur operator: DX’ing, propagation, and the various modes like SSB, CW, and the digital modes, plus much more.  Walt will share some of his experiences on HF, both working DX and being the DX.  And how to become a CW operator (and why one should become skilled at CW).  You won’t want to miss Walt’s presentation!

You’re invited to our August 13th meeting!  Social time starts at 6:00 PM, meeting is at 7:00 PM.  Light refreshments will be served.

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A couple of notes for further use. The repeater has autopatch facilities. Since I am on a party line one has to be careful. In the summer there might be people on the party line using the phone, so if you bring it up and you hear someone on it, bring it back down. To bring up the autopatch, just hit the star sign and then listen. If you hear the dial tone, you have brought it up. Then dial the last four numbers of the phone call. Here in B.V. you don’t need to dial the prefix of 395. It is only connected for local calls so no long distance calls can be made. A number to remember is 2230, this is the sheriff’s office and in case you have trouble somewhere this is a handy number to remember. To bring the patch down, hit the STAR, the same sign you brought it up with. Do not hit the pound sign. So, its star up and star down. It is also not necessary to wait for the squelch tail after each transmission. I have enclosed a list of some of the other info that might be helpful as far as times are concerned regarding the repeater. If any of you have any questions give me a call or give a call on the repeater, I monitor most of the time. 73 WØLSD

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From Jim KDØMRC

The checking account has $1,291.76. Income was a $75 donation by K0NR from sales of his book. Expense was $137.34 for purchase of a new battery for the W0LSD repeater (check not cleared). The agreement to have our ‘North’ repeater hosted at the Otero Pump Station has been submitted to their legal department for final review. The repeater is set up temporarily at my house for testing. Give it a try (147.240+ 156.7).

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Thanks for reading this edition of the CLARA Current. Make sure to check out the events calendar on our website for dates and locations of upcoming events! I hope to see everyone at the 8/13 meeting. 73 from me, KF5WCW and the entire CLARA board.