Oct 26

W6TRW 57th Annual Awards Banquet 2025

W6TRW 57th Annual Awards Banquet 2025!

“Battleship Iowa Amateur Radio Association”

Welcome back to our Annual Awards Banquet!

This year, we have the special honor of learning about the USS Iowa and its amazing radio capabilities from the Battleship Iowa Amateur Radio Association (BIARA)! The Iowa is local to San Pedro and is open as a floating museum; check it out if you haven’t been already!

This is one of our biggest events that brings us all together while enjoying premium food, entertaining key speakers, and interesting conversation! We’ve also chosen a variety of new and fun raffle prizes! While traditionally prizes have been UHF/VHF prizes, we have diversified this year to include much more HF gear that you likely don’t own (yet)! You have to attend the banquet to win, so RSVP now!

When: Saturday, Nov. 8th, 2025, 6:00PM – 9:30PM

Where: Bluewater Grill, 665 N. Harbor Drive, Redondo Beach.

Meet at the Avalon Room (2nd Floor)

Click here for the REGISTRATION FORM

Your RSVP needs to be received by Friday, October 31st

Have you renewed your membership? If not, click Here

NOTE: The Banquet takes the place of the monthly Club Meeting. There will be no regular Club Meeting in November!

Oct 03

W6TRW Club Social Oct 13, 2025

W6TRW Club Social!

Far Field Beer Company

Come socialize with us!

This is an informal event to simply chat with each other about our love of all things radio.

Note that this social is for Monday, not the usual 2nd Tuesday for general meetings.

When: Monday, Oct 13th at 5:30 PM

Where: Far Field Beer Company, 4471 W Rosecrans Ave, Lawndale, CA 90250

(In-Person Only)

Sep 21

W6TRW Club Meeting Sept 9, 2025

Speaker Topic for this Month:

“Hurricane Helene, Milton, and YOU”

Allen Wolff, KC7O

2024’s hurricanes should have us thinking about communicating during a disaster. How long can you remain on-the-air? What are your plans for a disaster with power out for a week?

Allen’s Biography

Allen is an ARRL Life Member, Extra class licensee and earned his First-Class FCC Radio Telephone License (now General Radio Telephone) in 1974. Allen was first licensed as WN2NTL/ WB2NTL in New York in 1964, then as WB2NTL in New Jersey, WB9TXP in Indiana, KA7CGN and KC7O in Utah, and KC7O in California. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, RF Communications from Drexel University, Philadelphia PA.

Allen has over 45 years’ experience in aerospace manufacturing operations and quality management. He has worked on Apollo missions 9 through 14 as a communications interface engineer on the Lunar Module, military airborne communications systems, the MX missile guidance system, commercial and military aircraft hydraulic actuators, spacecraft deployment systems, titanium fuel tanks for satellites and launch vehicles, and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems, and a management, engineering and quality consultant. He is now retired.

He supports the local police by leading the Sierra Madre Emergency Communications Team and is a member of the Pasadena Radio Club. He enjoys travel and photography and has been in just about 50 Field Days and been a 1B Field Day station from 2007 to 2014 and a 1E, emergency power station, from his home QTH from 2015-2024 making around 250 contacts each year.

In 1999 he was awarded the Herb Brier Instructor of the Year award, from the ARRL, for 17 years of teaching Novice and Technician classes accounting for at least 450 new Ham Radio licenses. Over the years, his articles have appeared in QST, CQ and 73 magazines.

When: Tuesday, Sept 9th at 5:30 PM

Where: Northrop Grumman S-Cafe and Virtual Meeting on Zoom

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82794654895

Meeting ID: 827 9465 4895

Phone dial-in: 1 669 900 6833

Jul 08

W6TRW Club Meeting July 8, 2025

Speaker Topic for this Month:

“Batteries for Amateur Radio & DIY Power Projects“

Umesh KK6TXI

An Introduction to Lithium Batteries, Applications, and DIY Best Practices.

Umesh works in commercial construction, specializing in hydronic energy transfer systems. Outside of work, he’s a hands-on DIYer, builder, and self-proclaimed battery whisperer. Licensed as a ham radio operator since 2015, his passion for batteries began with radio-controlled models and grew into a deep interest in lithium battery technologies and off-grid power systems. He enjoys designing and building custom battery packs for portable radio, solar, and backup power applications—often using recycled cells to create unique, cost effective solutions. As a part-time Victron Energy reseller, Umesh brings a practical perspective on power conversion, energy monitoring, and sustainable system design—empowering hams and makers to take control of their power—one cell at a time.

When: Tuesday, July 8th at 5:30 PM

Where: Northrop Grumman S-Cafe and Virtual Meeting on Zoom

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82794654895

Meeting ID: 827 9465 4895

Phone dial-in: 1 669 900 6833

Jun 09

W6TRW Club Meeting June 10, 2025

Speaker Topic for this Month:

“W6TRW Field Day 2025″

Mark KD7DTS & Field Day Team

W6TRW will be doing something different and even more fun for Field Day this year! We will be operating from Campo Alto campground, a drive-up campground on the summit of Cerro Noroeste, elevation 8,200 feet. Distance from Los Angeles is about 100 miles.

Mark and the Field Day team will talk about their plan for the event, arrival and setup times, band captains and key roles, operating & camping logistics, … and how YOU can participate!

When: Friday-Sunday June 27 – 29, 2025

Where: Camp Alto Campground

Event Schedule: Club Set-Up starts Saturday 27 June 2025
Weekend of 27-29 June 2025

Want to participate? RSVP to Mark Knight, kd7dts@arrl.net

ARRL Field Day is a radio communications event that brings together amateur radio operators (also called “hams”) within your community. The W6TRW Amateur Radio Club will set up their antennas and emergency communications equipment for the annual drill to prepare for volunteer emergency and disaster response. The theme for 2025 Field Day is “Radio Connects” – highlighting the many ways that wireless technology connects people across distances near and far.

Our 2025 W6TRW event is a smorgasbord of fun – campout, picnic, informal contest (which we’re gonna win… again!), and SOTA/POTA activation opportunity. You won’t want to miss this party!

http://www.arrl.org/field-day

Greg Shreve, KE6YEX

Greg has been the Field Day Chair for many years and caretaker of our club legacy. He has also been Field Day Co-chair for the past two years, alongside the band captains, radio operators, and co-chairs for all the other Field Day activities, the people who have really made Field Day a success, year after year.  Greg is also a past president of the W6TRW Amateur Radio Club.

Mark Knight, KD7DTS

Mark was originally licensed in the late 1990s.  After moving to California, he started volunteering as a forest ranger with the San Gorgonio Wilderness Association (SGWA). Part of being a ranger is keeping in radio contact with the Forest Service to respond to emergencies. He modified his original Yaesu FT50R, to get back on the air while in the mountains – and he discovered an amazing SOTA and POTA community. All Mark’s operations are QRP from a backpack or a bicycle, powered exclusively by batteries and coffee. Mark is currently the W6TRW Amateur Radio Club Secretary, and he has been a key role in engineering W6TRW Field Days since 2023.

When: Tuesday, June 10th at 5:30 PM

Where: Northrop Grumman S-Cafe and Virtual Meeting on Zoom

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82794654895

Meeting ID: 827 9465 4895

Phone dial-in: 1 669 900 6833

May 10

W6TRW Club Social May 12, 2025

W6TRW Club Social!

Far Field Beer Company

Come socialize with us! This is an informal event to simply chat with each other about our love of all things radio. Field Day is coming up so bring your questions and a healthy thirst!

Note that this social is for Monday, not the usual 2nd Tuesday for general meetings.

When: Monday, May 12th at 5:30 PM

Where: Far Field Beer Company, 4471 W Rosecrans Ave, Lawndale, CA 90250

(In-Person Only)

Apr 03

W6TRW Club Meeting April 8th, 2025

UPDATE: Doug K6JEY is unfortunately feeling ill and  is unable to speak this month. Instead, Mark KD7DTS and Angelina KN6QAT will speak on “Your First SOTA Activation!”

Mark KD7DTS is one of the top Summits on the Air (SOTA) activators in SoCal and has a mountain of experience! Angelina KN6QAT recently achieved both her Tech and General license and has been keen in learning from our membership, including tackling her first SOTA summit and activation with Mark! Come learn about their experiences as first-time and expert SOTA activators!

(Same Zoom links and meeting location details as below)

 

Speaker Topic for this Month:

“Sidewalk Earth-Moon-Earth”

Doug Millar, K6JEY

Doug’s first EME QSO was in 1990 on 2m with W5UN, using two 35’ yagis and 500watts. ”I wanted to work on other bands and with no more roof space, that started the Sidewalk EME idea.” Just like cogs in a machine working together to make it function, he started collecting his gear to develop a practical home station. With a little help from his friends, find out how K6JEY turned the ‘impossible’ to became possible and fun to operate moonbounce on 144 MHz, and microwave amateur radio bands.

Dr. Doug Millar was first licensed in 1957 as KN6JEY. He is the ARRL Technical Advisor in Metrology, having written the 26th chapter in the ARRL Handbook on Test Equipment and Procedures (1995-2014), and keeps a home lab for measuring frequency, resistance, and RF power. K6JEY enjoys HF CW, AM, boat anchors, and microwaves. Doug has radios on bands up to 122 GHz. He holds an EdD in Educational Technology and is a semi-retired professor.

He will be leading a visit to Owens Valley Radio Observatory on the Weekend of June XX. The visit will include a tour of the observatory and nighttime astronomy. You can bring your own scope or look through others. More information is available if you email him at drzarkof56@yahoo.com.

 

When: Tuesday, April 8th at 5:30 PM

Where: Northrop Grumman S-Cafe and Virtual Meeting on Zoom

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82794654895

Meeting ID: 827 9465 4895

Phone dial-in: 1 669 900 6833

 

Mar 03

W6TRW Club Meeting March 11th, 2025

Speaker Topic for this Month:

“High Altitude Balloon Launches”

Joanne Michael, KM6BWB

Joanne Michael, KM6BWB is an educator, wife, mom, space geek, and ham radio operator. While attending Advanced Space Camp in 2012, she was first introduced to the idea of high-altitude balloon launches. After a few more years of thinking about it, an opportunity came up in 2016 to receive a grant from her school district, and Mrs. Michael was awarded the opportunity to send a payload into the stratosphere. Her mentor at the time insisted she get her own ham radio license to be able to track the flight. From that moment on, she was hooked- on radio transmissions, learning more about electromagnetic waves, and most of all, about getting students exposed and fascinated with the wonderful world of radio.

Since then, Mrs. Michael has launched and recovered 4 high-altitude balloon payloads, had a conversation with an astronaut on the International Space Station, launched over 50 pico balloon transmitters, and is planning her next adventures. She was on the CA science board of education as the Upper Elementary Director, the 2017 Teacher of the Year, and spent 4 years as the Science Curriculum coach for Wiseburn Unified. Mrs. Michael is currently on the education board for ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station), and is a member of the Limitless Space Institute’s educator program. She is now teaching 4-6th grade inSTED (Innovation, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Design) at The John Thomas Dye School in Los Angeles.

When: Tuesday, March 11th at 5:30 PM

Where: Northrop Grumman S-Cafe and Virtual Meeting on Zoom

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82794654895

Meeting ID: 827 9465 4895

Phone dial-in: 1 669 900 6833

 

Feb 07

W6TRW Club Meeting February 11th, 2025

Speaker Topic for this Month:

“Portable Antenna/ Shack Night”

Bill Shanney, W6QR

W6TRW welcomes one of its own, longtime members, Bill Shanney, W6QR. A ham operator since 1961, Bill has written many technical articles and talks for W6TRW and stays current with ham radio items of interest for beginners to the most advanced operators.

Bill’s first call was WV2RDG in NJ. He became WA2RDG when he got his General license in 1961. He operates 99.5% CW on 160-6M. After a long period of inactivity (due to career and family), Bill upgraded his ham license to Extra in 1988 and became very active. That was also the year that Bill joined the TRW ARC. Bill has a BSEE from NJ Institute of Technology and worked for 45 years in RF and microwave design. He retired from NG/TRW in 2007 after 31 years with the company.

In this presentation, Bill will talk about Portable Antennas. There are a wide variety of portable antennas to choose from these days. Bill enjoys going to local parks or the beach and testing different designs. This presentation is an overview of his selection process backed by both experience and analysis.

When: Tuesday, February 11th at 5:30 PM*

Where: Northrop Grumman S-Cafe and Virtual Meeting on Zoom

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82794654895

Meeting ID: 827 9465 4895

Phone dial-in: 1 669 900 6833

*Note: Any folks who are NOT NG badged should come early (5 PM) to get a Visitor Badge before Bill’s talk or you will be unable to access the shack afterward.

Dec 30

W6TRW Club Meeting January 14th, 2025

Speaker Topic for this Month:

“A Woman’s Journey in Ham Radio”

Helen Mahoney, KI6LQV

Helen Mahoney, KI6LQV, will present “A Woman’s Journey in Ham Radio”. Helen will talk about what inspired her to obtain her Ham Radio License in 2009, later achieved General Class and the friends both Helen and her husband, Doug K6JEY, have made through Ham Radio.

Along with Doug K6JEY, Helen has been to several Ham Radio conferences and participated in many contests. Her favorite contests involve Microwave bands. She also has assisted Doug with Earth-Moon-Earth (EME) contacts.

The picture above is on Signal Hill, during a microwave contest.

When: Tuesday, January 14th at 5:30 PM

Where: Northrop Grumman S-Cafe and Virtual Meeting on Zoom

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82794654895

Meeting ID: 827 9465 4895

Phone dial-in: 1 669 900 6833