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The group is currently meeting at 8:00 PM on Saturday nights on 144.225 up or down for noise.

For fun I started putting station locations into my Topo USA program so I could see beam headings. Here is a pretty cool map showing positions and bearings and distances from my (AD6IL) home QTH.

For those who may be working on improving their antenna systems, here is a list of beacons that can be heard from N. California:

Beacon	Frequency	Location	Audio
KJ6KO	144.2825	Vacaville, CA
N6NB	144.2945	Tehachapi, CA	n6nb_trim.wav
KH2HME	144.1700	Hawaii

I have found a really neat tool for weak signal work called Spectran. This is a really nice signal processing package that is simple to use and incredibly easy to setup. Just take a regular 3-conductor (3.5mm stereo) audio patch cable and plug it into your radio's speaker output and into your computer's audio-in jack. The visual display makes it easy to spot (and hear) beacons that might otherwise be missed. Here is a screenshot showing what the N6NB beacon looks like.

For now I'll try to copy the e-mails that we send out after the sessions. In the future I hope to make this database driven.

Hi Russ,
Not sure if Mike needs it as he was on frequency early on, but this is a complete roster of the participants in the 144.225 net last night:

KG6OQK Ed, Benicia
W6OHM Russ, Latrobe
N6NDJ Jim, Walnut Grove
KG6WLV John, Concord
KD6JDF Jerry, Brownsville
AD6IL Mike, Eldorado Hills

After you and Mike checked out, I was able to work everyone in the group and sort of hold it together, which was fun. I was able to work N6NDJ, Jim in Walnut Grove for the first time. He and I had an extended QSO, which was a kick. It turns out he has a one of the Military surplus one-man modular towers that I had just been reading about in the ARRL Antenna Book, so we chewed on that awhile as well as other things. Hope the evening with your guests was fine.

73,
John

This was a great group on Saturday! In all, eleven folks showed up for the net which went from 8:00pm to past 10:00pm. Here is the list of participants I copied:

WA6AOB - Carl in Grass Valley
AK6W - Richard in Forest Hill
KG6YFF – Doc in Meadow Vista
KG6WLV – John in Concord
KM6XU - Mark in W. Sacramento
KG6OQK – Ed in Benicia
KG6JAB - John in Sacramento
KD6JDF - Jerry in Brownsville
N6MDJ – Jim in Walnut Grove
AD6IL - Mike in Eldorado Hills
W6OHM – Russ in Latrobe

Let’s do it again next weekend.

73 all!

de W6OHM
Russ

Good day all. We had nine participants in the SSB group Saturday evening. I started listening on 144.220 at about 7:55pm and heard Ted (W7XRX) and Jerry (KD6JDF) actively in QSO. Carl (WA6AOB) joined soon thereafter followed by Richard (AK6W) and Gordy (WB6OVH).

About 9:00pm, it was suggested that someone go back to 144.200 and look for other stations that may have not heard of the new frequency and time schedule. I pointed south and John (KE6OGL)came back. We were soon joined by Paul (KA6CHJ) and all QSY'd to 144.220. Paul reminded the group of the Stardust spacecraft that was due to re-enter the atmosphere at about 1:48am and track approximately over Redding, CA. Was anyone able to work the trail? John (KG6JAB) came in around this time.

It was a good group with interesting topics!

This week's group:
W7XRX Lincoln
KD6JDF Brownsville
WA6AOB Grass Valley
AK6W Forest Hill
WB6OVH Fair Oaks
KE6OGL Manteca
KA6CHJ Vacaville
KG6JAB Sacramento
W6OHM Latrobe

Until next Saturday, 73!
DE W6OHM
Russ

P.S.
Mike, I missed including Pat, WD6ECC on the list. I didn't hear her when she was on. Please include her on last night's roster.

Well folks, it seems we had a pretty good showing this week. This time the group did get started at 8:00 but I didn't make it as expected until 9:00. So, I may have missed some stations that left before I arrived. Gordy gave me some of the calls I would have otherwise missed but if I left anyone out, I'm sorry and please let me know.

So, in no particular order:
N2THD - Chuck in Placerville
WB6OVH - Gordy in Fair Oaks
WA6DAC - David in Camino KE6RKX - Kim?, mobile
WA6LMZ - Loren in Citrus Heights
KD6JDF - Gerry in Brownville
KE6OGL - John in Manteca
W6OHM - Russ in Latrobe
KG6POM - John in Sacramento
AD6IL - Mike in El Dorado Hills

See you all next week.

-- Mike
AD6IL

Well, I don't really have a lot to report. I listened via the KJ6KO repeater around 8:00 and didn't hear any activity. I heard something trigger the repeater once but didn't hear enough to make it out. I myself didn't get to the radio until about 9:10 at which time I made a call and the only answer was John, KG6ZHF who also had only just turned on his radio.

Anyway, it was just John and I shooting the breeze for about an hour except for one new station; WB6POJ in Dublin who dropped in for just a minute to say hi.

Hopefully everyone was just busy with after holiday family stuff. I sure hope to hear more of you next week.

-- Mike
AD6IL

Hello All, There were four stations partcipating on Saturday. It was quiet at 9:02 pm, so I gave a general call for the SSB group. Gordy, WB6OVH answered quickly, and so did John, KG6JAB. Both Gordy and John provided good signals here and were very readable. John was running his "new" phased/stacked loop array, and Gordy was on his quad (btw, did you get that thing on a rotator yet?); both systems seem work very well.

A few minutes into the session, a faint station was heard, so I swung the beam around to the south--nothing. During the pass back around, Carl, WA6AOB was heard; he was the "faint" station until I fixed the beam on him. With the beam pointed his direction, Carl came in just as strongly as Gordy and John. The 4-way QSO helped determine that my M-Squared 2M12 beam is fairly knife-edged on receive. It cut John and Gordy almost completely out when directed at Carl in Grass Valley and vice versa. Gordy stated he could still hear me when I was pointed at Carl, so maybe it radiates a little more omnidirectionally?? Learning this is one of the great benefits of keeping this group going!

Carl checked out around 9:30 due to a rising noise level on his end. Gordy, then John and myself called it a night soon thereafter.

The list for this week is: (drum roll)
WB6OVH, Gordy in Fair Oaks.
KG6JAB, John in Sacramento.
WA6AOB, Carl in Grass Valley.
W6OHM, Russ in Latrobe.

A great and happy Thanksgiving to all!!
de W6OHM

Russ

Well it appears that things got started a little earlier this week. Possibly because my e-mail erroneously said 8:00pm instead of 9:00pm. Anyway, Gordy WB6OVH got started early with Carl WA6AOB and it sounds like there were some bay area stations heard at that time as well. Unfortunately I was never able to pull Carl out of the noise level. I could tell he was in there a few times but that was all. I'd have to say the same for another new station; Eli KG6YQA in Antelope. Gordy was hearing everyone with his quad but I think he was having a fun time with the arm-strong rotator ;-) . I found David WA6DAC out quite late but I was still playing with the computer so we chatted for a few minutes.

So, here is the list for this week:
WB6OVH, Gordy in Fair Oaks
WA6AOB, Carl in Grass Valey
KE6GLA, Jay in El Dorado Hills
KG6YQA, Eli in Antelope
KD6DMH, Mike in Camino
KG6JAB, John in Sacramento
KF6T, Jack in Auburn
WA6DAC, David in Camino
W6OHM, Russ in Latrobe
AD6IL, Mike in El Dorado Hills

First topic for next week is a possible change in time. Its been suggested that we start a little earlier. Say 8:00 or 8:30? Any comments?

In case you haven't seen it, check out the page I started on my web site and the map.
http://microtech.com/mikef/radio/2m-SSB-Group.php
http://microtech.com/mikef/radio/Pictures/2m-SSB-Stations.jpg

-- Mike
AD6IL
P.S. Russ sent me a note that he had briefly spoken with Gordy before I got on so I've added him to the above roster though he wasn't in my original e-mail.

We had a couple of new stations:
KD6DMH - Mike in Camino
KG6JAB - John in Sacramento
KM6XU - Mark in East Sacramento
The rest of the group included:
WB6OVH - Gordy in Fair Oaks
KG6ZHF - John in El Dorado Hills
WA6DAC - David in Camino
N6TWW - Mike in Citrus Heights
AD6IL - Mike in El Dorado Hills

Wow, out of 8 hams we have 3 Mikes and 2 Johns! Anyway, Gordy sounded great with his new quad and John (JAB) was in there with his stacked HO loops. John (ZHF) also had an improved signal.

Anyway, sorry for the late e-mail. Its been one of those weeks. I hope to hear many of you on tonight if I can make it.

-- Mike
AD6IL

Well, tonight was pretty active. Discusions ranged from recent radio equipment acquisitions to past music experiences.

The roster for the evening included:
W6OHM, Russ in Latrobe
KE6OGL, John in Manteca
WA6DAC, David in Camino
N6TWW, Mike in Citrus Heights
KF6T, Jack in Auburn
AD9DX, Scott in Roseville
AD6IL, Mike in El Dorado Hills

Scott came in there right at the end and we'd like to welcome him aboard. He was vertically polarized but doing a pretty good job. I'm sure Russ and Dave would have been able to hear him just fine.

Well, during the session tonight I created a page on my web site for this group. Right now it just has the e-mails from prior sessions. I also put up a map that shows the position of many of the stations. In addition to many of the regulars it also has a few others that I know personally as well as two beacons; KJ6KO (144.282) and N6NB (144.294).

Here is a link to the new page. http://microtech.com/mikef/radio/2m-SSB-Group.php

That's all for tonight.

73,

-- Mike

Once again, a few of us made it on the air. Last night it was sort of two groups with a pause in the middle. The evening started with KE6OGL, John in Lathrop and KG6ZHF, John in El Dorado Hills and myself. We went on for probably 45 minutes shooting the breeze and playing with antennas, mics and settings. Russ (W6OHM) came in long enough to say hi, then KG6ZHF and I had to leave. I came back a little after 10:00 and found Dave, WA6DAC up there in Camino. Then KE6OGL came back too.

It sure would be nice to get a few more folks on. While chatting I managed to update the antenna page once again. I added the 2m square dipole made out of 1/2" copper pipe. I managed to get some time to play with it earlier on Saturday and was able to get it to tune less than 1.1 to 1 and nearly flat across the lower half of the band. I'll have to try to do some side by side comparisons with the halo now that I've got it tuned correctly.

That's all for now.
73,
-- Mike
AD6IL

Hi guys, we had a good group on Saturday with 8 stations (that I counted) coming in. They were:
KG6ASY Tim from Sonoma Valley
KI6ARY Matt from Sonoma Valley
WA6DAC Dave in Camino
KE6OGL John in Manteca
K6ZMG Gordon in Citrus Heights
AD6IL Mike in Eldorado Hills
KA6VQV Bill in Carmichael
W6OHM Russ in Latrobe

I’ll send these out when I get time unless the consensus is they are un-necessary messages. Just let me know.

Mike: Here is a copy of the hams calls I talk to tonight. wb6ovh Gordy -kg6zhf,John...Sac. n6tkw Dan....Napa,...kg6asy...Tim...Sinoma . I did not get there e-mails. We can get them later.
73.....David.......WA6DAC

Hi All, This is just to confirm and exchange e-mail addresses. Thanks to everyone for showing up tonight. Especially to Dave and Russ for keeping it going. I'm sorry we didn't have more participants but it was sort of short notice this time. Hopefully we'll get more as it becomes regular and as word spreads. The whole point is to increase the amount of 2m SSB activity and to introduce the mode to hams that have only experienced 2-meter FM so far.

So, here is the roster from today.
Mike (AD6IL) - El Dorado Hills mikef@microtech.com
Russ (W6OHM) - Latrobe w6ohm@sbcglobal.net
Dave (WA6DAC) - Camino wa6dacdavid@yahoo.com
Jack (KF6T) - Auburn jack@racetimesystems.com

73 and hope to see (hear) you all next week. -- Mike