W6SD Wants To Help Hams Affected By Wildfires
Are you one of the Los Angeles-area hams affected by the January, 2025, wildfires, or do you know one of these hams? W6SD wants to help.
Our club has radios and other equipment we can provide to help you get back on the air. We know this won’t undo the damage and devastation that these fires caused, but hope this support can help you get back on the air and involved in our hobby. To learn more, click here.
October 17, 2025
Michelle Thompson, W5NYV, on Phase 4 Ground Software for Amateur Radio Satellite Service
Our October 17 speaker will be Michelle Thompson, W5NYV, who will talk to us about hardware and software that can be used in the Amateur Radio Satellite Service.
Michelle is co-founder and chief executive officer of the Open Research Institute, a non-profit based in San Diego whose projects include Phase 4 Ground, an Open Source satellite ground program that can be used in the Amateur Radio Satellite Service.
The goal is to provide both designs and equipment for a radio that will operate with a 5GHz uplink and a 10GHz downlink, to provide an open source implementation of DVB-S2 and DVB-S2X for both satellite and terrestrial amateur radio use.
She will discuss some practical hardware issues, such as compact antenna design solutions for HF amateur radio application necessary when working with limited space and weight considerations for satellite communications and making HF antennas more accessible and deployable while preserving efficiency.
Michelle did her undergraduate work in Electrical Engineering and Civil Engineering at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and earned her Masters in Information Theory at the University of Southern California.
A member of IEEE, she is Vice Chair of its San Diego Chapter of Consumer Technology, Chair of the chapter’s Information Theory Society, and a member of its STDS-P1954 Working Group.
She is a member of the FCC’s Technological Advisory Council, contributing to the agency’s work on is also a Technical Advisory to ARRL on digital communications, SDR, DSP, satellite communications and related issues.
Our General Meeting is held at 7:30pm. in the LAPD West Valley Station Community Room, at 19020 Vanowen St, Reseda, CA 91335. (Click for a map or set your GPS to: 34°11’34.4″N 118°32’55.4″W.) Please park behind the library.
Meetings are hybrid, with attendance also available via Zoom. See our Zoom links page.
Ham Gear Swap Meet September 27
Los Angeles ARES Northwest is sponsoring a no-cost, swap meet from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 27, at 8967 Oso Avenue, Chatsworth.
To sell your items, bring your own table or tarp; there is no fee for sellers or buyers.
A consignment table will be available for those who wish to drop off their items for sale by meet organizers, with a 30% charge.
For more information, contact Roozy Moabery, W1EH, at roozyy@yahoo.com.
W6SD Get-Togethers
W6SD holds monthly speaker meetings on the third Friday of each month, at 7:30 p.m., via Zoom. We hold informal social get-togethers every Monday morning via Zoom.
Many members meet for breakfast at 7:00 a.m. on Thursday mornings at the Denny’s restaurant at 16575 Sherman Way, west of the Van Nuys Airport. All are welcome.
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W6SD – The San Fernando Valley Amateur Radio Club
ARRL Affiliated Club #1684
Founded in 1946, The San Fernando Valley Amateur Radio Club, Inc. (SFVARC) is open to anyone interested in Amateur Radio as a hobby. The Club is affiliated with the American Radio Relay League and the Los Angeles Council of Amateur Radio Clubs, Inc.
San Fernando Valley Amateur Radio Club
P.O. Box 5472
West Hills, CA 91308
info@w6sd.com
Interested in joining W6SD? Whether you are brand new to the hobby of ham radio or are an Extra Class expert, you are welcome here. Click here for information.