October 3 @ 8:30 am – 11:00 am PDT

THIS IS A FREE CLASS, limited to the first 25 people. REGISTER BELOW.

Learn how to use your handheld radio during a simulated emergency. This class will give you hands-on radio experience by simulating 2 different emergency situations: 1) your own family; and 2) your neighborhood/community. By the end of the class you will also learn more about how to get the best performance out of your handheld radio. Finally, you will develop a plan to take home with you, on how to use a handheld radio during an emergency, for your situation.

If you have a handheld radio (FRS/GMRS/Amateur (Ham)), bring it to the class. If not, we will have extra radios for use. 

Hands-on skills training will get you up and transmitting right away, with instructions on emergency communication.

STAY INFORMED when cell phones are down and power outages occur.

RADIO CLASS AGENDA

• Introduction to Planning for an Emergency – Developing a Personal/Family Plan
• How to Get the Best Performance Out of Your Handheld Radio
• Simulation of an Emergency Using Handheld Radios on Simplex (Radio to Radio)
• Simulation of an Emergency Using Handheld Radios and a Local Repeater (Directed Net)
• Discussion & Lessons Learned
• Turn in a Copy of Your Personal/Family Plan

OPTIONAL: Tuolumne County has 6 GMRS, and 5 ham radio repeaters on hill tops that allow wide communications across the county and parts of the Central Valley. A GMRS and/or Amateur Radio license is required for repeater usage. Apply for your GMRS license today. One GMRS license will cover your entire extended family, even if they don’t live in the same home. There is NO TEST, only a FCC $35. application fee. Follow these step by step instructions to get your NO TEST GMRS License. FCC processing time usually takes one to three days and has a $35.00 fee. START NOW.

• OCT 3, 8:30 AM (about 2.5 hours) Please check in by 8:15, thanks!
• Limited to the first 25 people
• TBA

REGISTER NOW AND SAVE YOUR SEAT! (Link forthcoming…)

October 3, 2026 is the TENTATIVE date for the class. Once confirmed, this will be updated.

The post Training on How to Use Your Handheld Radio During an Emergency appeared first on TCARES.

One of the popular digital modes is VARA. It comes in many variations, VARA HF , VARA FM, VARA chat, and more. This isn’t a tutorial on how to use VARA, but rather a note on how to get some practice using VARA. If you are new to VARA, you can start at https:/ /winlink.org where you can find a link to download the VARA program. And then there is Youtube!

I have been using VARA HF usually on 40 meters with Winlink. I have found Winlink RMS (Remote Message Server) stations both in Livermore, and Strawberry. Connections are propagation dependent, and VARA includes a menu item that lists predicted propagation quality for RMS stations near you.

To get started try the California Coastal Winlink Net. Each month they have a simple check in. You compose and send a brief message, as shown below, and send it via VARA. You can send the message on multiple bands, and via multiple modes. It is also possible to send it via TELNET , if you can’t send it via VARA. The send window lasts for a week. Check back, using VARA, Winlink, and a RMS station after the net is over to see a message with the net results.

Here is the format.
CHECK IN FORMAT:
T o: CAL-COASTAL
Subject: California Coastal Winlink Net check-in
YOUR CALL
In the message body enter callsign, first name, city,
state, mode, and RMS. See examples below.
K6SDR, Steve, San Rafael, CA, VARA FM, K6SDR-10
N6NKT , George, San Jose, CA, Telnet
KB6VTU, Josh, Truckee, CA, VARA, HF Node AJ7C

WINLINK THURSDAY

The EmComm Training Organization (ETO) continues the popular Winlink Thursday exercises to foster Winlink-knowledgeable operators across the country. See https:/ /emcomm-training.org/. Join EmComm-Training@groups.io for exercise and training announcements. People who would like to join the net can send Jay, (W2AFE), a Winlink message, or email him at jayhking@yahoo.com. I like to have their name, city/state, and email.

73, Sparkie
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The post California Coastal Winlink Net – KN6HSR appeared first on TCARES.