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 September 18 Meeting:
Frank Howell, K4FMH, on POTA
With the availability of compact, affordable radios and antennas, many hams have added outdoor radio activity to their schedules, resulting in a sharp increase in the popularity of POTA (Parks On The Air) activations.
Frank Howell, K4FMH, will talk about POTA activations in the U.S. at our September 18 meeting.
He will discuss how the number of POTA parks and activators have expanded since the program was formally introduced in 2018. Using Los Angeles as a case study, Frank will also show how urban hams can be shortchanged by the selection of POTA park sites and suggest a way to change this.
He has been electronics experimenter since he was eight years old, and at the age of 20 he held a Third-Class FCC Radiotelephone License and led the construction of two radio stations, an FM station at Georgia College and a commercial AM daytime station in Milledgeville, the town where the school is located.
Frank obtained his amateur radio license in 2010 when he was 58. He is a Life Member of the ARRL and AMSAT, and Past Assistant Director for the Delta Division. Frank has served as ARES Emergency Coordinator in Starkville MS, as Vice President of the Central Mississippi Amateur Radio Association in Brandon, and President of the Magnolia Amateur Radio Club in Starkville.
He is a frequent author of articles about ham radio, contributing to CQ Magazine, Practical Wireless, RadCom, The Spectrum Monitor, and QST, and often gives talks to ham clubs in the U.S. and UK.
Frank is Professor Emeritus at Mississippi State University and Adjunct Professor at Emory University, having taught sociology and statistics at Texas Christian University, North Carolina State University, Mississippi State University, and Emory. He lives in Ridgeland, a suburb of Jackson, MS.
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
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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.