Webmaster:
Bill
Wood, W6FXJ
JPL/NASA Photo
The JPL Amateur Radio Club is organized under
sponsorship of the Employee Recreation Club Inc., a California non-profit
corporation. The ERC has a Statement of Understanding with
JPL to sponsor recreational and hobby clubs for Lab employees and their
families.
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 by the ERC rules if they can make a positive contribution to the
club.
General Membership meetings are held the second
Wednesday of every month at 12 Noon in Bldg 238 Room 543. A program of
interest to Radio Amateurs follows a brief business session.
Board Meetings are held the fourth Wednesday of every
month at 12 Noon. This meeting is concerned solely with club
business. All members are welcome to attend.
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://www.jplerc.org/radio
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.
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. Material may also be purchased from ARRL, Radio Shack and other sources.
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.
The club station is currently located adjacent to the
East Gate in a trailer (T-1309). 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.
The club station has three 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 three 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.
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.
The club station satellite operating position has
operational capabilities on 2M and 70cm. There is a dedicated computer
located at this position that provides automatic tracking of most
satellites. The transceivers of the satellite station may also be used
for terrestrial contacts if needed.
The club currently has packet operations on 145.09 MHz
and 223.54 MHz supported by a 386-class computer providing BBS and Network node
services.
The BBS carries the AMSAT News Service, Caltech Seismological
Laboratory earthquake reports, SAREX news and important club information.
This computer is also connected to a 486-class computer
running LINUX and the TNOS software package, providing connectivity to the
Internet with access to distant Internet/Packet gateways around the world, a
callbook server, electronic mail, and file transfer services.
The club currently has five operational repeaters located at or near the Laboratory. The three on-Lab repeaters are located on the 145/220/450 MHz bands. All three may be linked together, enabling users to talk between bands. The two off-Lab repeaters are located on the 224/450 MHz bands. The off-Lab 224 MHz repeater is a “closed” (members only) repeater equipped with an autopatch, allowing members to place telephone calls using their radios. 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.
The club is an integral part of the JPL Emergency
Preparedness Plan and is developing its role in the JPL Emergency Team response
to Lab emergencies.
The weekly Emergency Communications Teams Net is held
every Monday at 12 Noon on 224.08 MHz.
Field Day is an annual 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.
Try the exciting world of distant contacts (DX) without
the major investment (time and MONEY) of putting together your own
station. Our DX manager not only publishes a monthly column in “W6VIO
Calling” telling you where the rare DX can be found, but will give you help
verifying contacts when you use the club station. You also have the
advantage of using a very well known call sign: W6VIO. There is a packet
station connected to the Southern California DX Packet Cluster that provides
timely propagation data and DX activity reports.
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.
Contact Scott Nolte for more information on how to
become a member of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Amateur Radio Club. His
Lab extension is 4-9724. His mail stop is 306-392
We look forward to having you as a member and hope to see YOU at one of our meetings in the future!
Updated September 8, 1999