Field Day 2026
Field Day 2026 will be June 27-28. W6SD will operate out of the mini-park adjacent to the First Presbyterian Church of Granada Hills, 10400 Zelzah Ave., Northridge 91326.
For more information and to sign up as a participant, see our Field Day page.
We will begin setting up at 8 a.m. on Saturday, and will operate from 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 27, through 2 p.m. on the following day.
The 80th Anniversary of W6SD
W6SD, the San Fernando Valley Amateur Radio Club, is celebrating the 80th anniversary of its founding in 1946. Please click to read more about our history.
W6SD August 21 Meeting:
Richard Cetron, K2KNB, on Coaxial Cables and Connectors: The Inside Look
It’s not uncommon for ham radio operators to take a “buy once, cry once” approach to opening our wallets for radios, amps, antennas and other gear.
But when it comes to the coaxial cable and connectors to hook everything together, we often go with some seeming bargain we picked up at a swapmeet or online, or found in the back of our shack closet.
That’s a big mistake, as Richard Cetron, K2KNB, will explain at our August 21 meeting (at 7:30 p.m. in the LAPD West Valley Station Community Room, 19020 Vanowen St, Reseda.)
A licensed ham since 1958 who has been especially active since 2003, Richard has long been interested in how seemingly prosaic cables and connectors can affect our success in making contacts. The difference between two coax runs of different quality cable can easily be 3db of loss, meaning a drop in transmitted power and received signal of 50%, so that costly 1,000-watt amplifier is effectively putting out 500 watts!
A Social Studies teacher by profession, Richard has a strong background in electronics. Cables and connectors have become a particular area of interest for him, and he enjoys passing his knowledge on to others.
He currently serves as the President of the Long Island Mobile Amateur Radio Club (LIMARC), and is the Affiliated Club Coordinator for the NLI Section, a Hudson Division Assistant Director, the PIO for Nassau County ARES, and a VE Team Member.
Active on the air, he has 282 confirmed DXCC entities as well as 8 band DXCC. He also has DXCC in SSB, CW, and digital. Like many of us today, he spend a lot of time on FT8.
Our General Meetings are held on the third Friday of each month at 7:30 pm, 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.) Parking is behind the library. Exceptions to this schedule include our Holiday Dinner in December, and occasions when the room is required for use by police officers.
Meetings are hybrid, with attendance also available via Zoom. See our Zoom links page.
W6SD Wants To Help Hams Affected By the Southern California 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.
W6SD Weekly Social Get-Togethers
W6SD holds monthly speaker meetings on the third Friday of each month, at 7:30 p.m., via Zoom. We also 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.
Join Our Mailing List
If you are not receiving email alerts about W6SD, or would like to have these messages sent to a different email address, please use this link to join our email list.
We respect your privacy; we do not share email addresses with any other organization, and all of our messages include a link that enables you to unsubscribe or update your email preferences.
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.