May is here, and what a year it has already been for the San Francisco Radio Club.
We began 2026 with a clear goal: make this the year we bring radio back into the community, outdoors, face-to-face, and on the air. So far, our members have answered that call in a big way. From a strong Winter Field Day, to our public service support of the San Francisco Half Marathon, to another successful SimulSOTA activation, a fabulous Boats on the Air event and our spring outdoor activities, SFARC has shown what an active, welcoming, technically curious radio club can look like. Thank you to every operator, volunteer, organizer, mentor, and new member who has helped make these events successful.
This momentum matters. Amateur radio is at its best when it is practiced, shared, and experienced together. It is not only about the equipment on your desk or the antenna in the backyard. It is about learning, experimenting, serving, and building friendships through radio. That spirit is exactly what we want to continue growing at SFARC.
Our big May highlight is the 2026 SFRC Parks-Polyfecta, scheduled for Saturday, May 23, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM PDT. This is a fun, non-contest field operating event designed for operators of all license levels. Members can activate San Francisco parks, mini-parks, or other Bay Area parks using their own callsigns on SSB, CW, FM simplex, or digital modes. Some locations may also qualify for POTA, SOTA, or US Islands activity, giving operators even more ways to log and share their contacts.
May is also a big month across the amateur radio world. The annual Armed Forces Day Crossband Test takes place on May 9, giving hams a unique opportunity to practice crossband communication with military stations. Later in the month, the amateur radio community turns its attention to Dayton Hamvention, May 15–17 in Xenia, Ohio. This year’s theme, “Radio Adventure,” could not be more fitting for the kind of year we are trying to build at SFARC.
Let’s make May another great month for SFARC. I hope to hear you on the air — from a park, from home, or wherever radio takes you next. And certainly see you in person at the Randall on the 15th!
Antonis, AA6PP
President SFARC
We began 2026 with a clear goal: make this the year we bring radio back into the community, outdoors, face-to-face, and on the air. So far, our members have answered that call in a big way. From a strong Winter Field Day, to our public service support of the San Francisco Half Marathon, to another successful SimulSOTA activation, a fabulous Boats on the Air event and our spring outdoor activities, SFARC has shown what an active, welcoming, technically curious radio club can look like. Thank you to every operator, volunteer, organizer, mentor, and new member who has helped make these events successful.
This momentum matters. Amateur radio is at its best when it is practiced, shared, and experienced together. It is not only about the equipment on your desk or the antenna in the backyard. It is about learning, experimenting, serving, and building friendships through radio. That spirit is exactly what we want to continue growing at SFARC.
Our big May highlight is the 2026 SFRC Parks-Polyfecta, scheduled for Saturday, May 23, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM PDT. This is a fun, non-contest field operating event designed for operators of all license levels. Members can activate San Francisco parks, mini-parks, or other Bay Area parks using their own callsigns on SSB, CW, FM simplex, or digital modes. Some locations may also qualify for POTA, SOTA, or US Islands activity, giving operators even more ways to log and share their contacts.
May is also a big month across the amateur radio world. The annual Armed Forces Day Crossband Test takes place on May 9, giving hams a unique opportunity to practice crossband communication with military stations. Later in the month, the amateur radio community turns its attention to Dayton Hamvention, May 15–17 in Xenia, Ohio. This year’s theme, “Radio Adventure,” could not be more fitting for the kind of year we are trying to build at SFARC.
Let’s make May another great month for SFARC. I hope to hear you on the air — from a park, from home, or wherever radio takes you next. And certainly see you in person at the Randall on the 15th!
Antonis, AA6PP
President SFARC
Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT)
Join us this Friday, May 15th from 7 to 9 PM at the Randall Museum for a presentation about the Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT). The evening's presenter is Jon Wurfl, KM6GVN, a Neighborhood Coordinator for the San Francisco Fire Department's Neighborhood Emergency Response Team and one of the volunteers helping develop its radio program. Jon will share what it means to be a NERT radio operator - how licensed amateurs are embedded in field teams during citywide disaster drills, what it's like to operate within the Incident Command System under real pressure, and how the program is working to build a trained cadre of operators ready when San Francisco needs them.
Note: We are meeting at the larger room downstairs called Buckley rather than the smaller, previous room upstairs. To get to Buckley, enter Randall, turn right, and head down the ramp.
Directions to our General meeting at the Randall Museum click here.
Note: We are meeting at the larger room downstairs called Buckley rather than the smaller, previous room upstairs. To get to Buckley, enter Randall, turn right, and head down the ramp.
Directions to our General meeting at the Randall Museum click here.