Local Resources and Activities

SCCARC is a long-running local club with meetings, repeaters, nets, and activities around Santa Cruz County. You can start with their welcome page, which is a great overview of the club, their activities and resources. It's also full of useful links, including their club email reflector.

Based in Marina, MBARA offers a slightly different flavor. Their "current focus is on creating the premier HF and VHF radio experimentation, operating, DXing". They operate the N6IJ site which was formerly a working part of Fort Ord. A good starting point is the club site; they also share contact and meeting information which includes a link to their email group.

SLVARC serves the San Lorenzo Valley and is a nice option if you are in or near Felton, Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek, or the surrounding mountain communities. Their website includes meeting details and information about their weekly net.

Nets are a low-pressure way to practice using your radio, hear local voices, and learn how operators handle on-air communication. SCCARC keeps a helpful list of local nets, and SLVARC also publishes information about its weekly net.

Parks on the Air (POTA), is a great way to mix Amateur Radio with enjoyment of the outdoors. Clubs often do group POTA activities which you can join. For example, SCCARC typically does a POTA every month. Check their website for more information. Or, just join another operator that is going out and give it a try.

Club meetings often include guest speakers, technical topics, upcoming event announcements, and the chance to ask questions in person. You can check the meeting information for SCCARC, MBARA, and SLVARC.

There are also larger regional events such as PACIFICON, which have talks, exhibitors, and operating opportunities.

There are quite a few YouTube channels dedicated to Amateur Radio. They cover a variety of topics from choosing a radio, to antenna design, to POTA. Ask others which channels they prefer and why, to help you find the ones that match your interests.

Upgrading to General or Extra opens up more operating opportunities. Start with our study guidance, and if you want a structured online tool, take a look at HamStudy. Local clubs can also help answer questions that books and websites cannot.

If you are interested in training and public service, both Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties have organized emergency communications groups. For Santa Cruz County, start with Santa Cruz ARES. For Monterey County, Monterey ARES/RACES maintains a main site and a schedule.

Community events often rely on volunteers and radio operators. The Big Sur Marathon is one example of a major local event with a large volunteer effort behind it. You can read more on their volunteer page and in their volunteer FAQ.

Becoming a VE is a great way to help new hams get licensed and support local testing teams. If you want to see what is involved, the ARRL has a Become a VE page and a VE manual.