Monterey Bay Amateur Radio Association - MBARA - N6IJ

09/29/2026

🚀 Huge shoutout back to Caroline in for passing her Technician exam and earning her ham radio license! 🎉

Whether she's tackling off-grid comms, emergency response, CERT volunteering, or hands-on DIY STEM projects, Caroline is officially on the air! She took advantage of our targeted study tools—which highlighted critical test concepts—to stay focused and pass her exam with flying colors.

Want a clear, efficient study plan that cuts through the noise and highlights exactly what you need to pass? Drop a comment below or tap the link in our bio to start studying today! 📡🐻🛠️🔬🛟⚡

👉 Get licensed now at HamRadioPrep.com!

09/29/2026

Oceania DX Contest, Phone

https://www.hamradioworld.org/post/oceania-dx-contest-phone

09/29/2026

A sleeve antenna is a simple half-wave antenna commonly fed with coaxial cable. The upper radiating element is about λ/4 long, while the conductive sleeve around the lower section is also about λ/4. Together they behave like a λ/2 dipole, with the upper rod acting as one side and the sleeve acting as the other.

The coaxial cable feeds the antenna at the junction between the radiating element and the sleeve. The center conductor connects to the upper element, while the cable braid connects to the sleeve. The insulating section keeps both conductors electrically separated.

The sleeve also helps reduce unwanted RF current flowing on the outside of the coaxial cable, which improves the radiation pattern and feed-line isolation. Because each active section is approximately a quarter wavelength, the physical size depends directly on the operating frequency. In practice, the final length is usually adjusted slightly for best resonance and low SWR.

09/15/2026

NSGA Adak: CTM1 Gary Hoar (r), shows LCpl Sean Dalnodar the ins and outs of HAM radio communications during a recent HAM radio operator's national exercise. During the 24-hour operation, operators communicated with stations in California, Florida, Arizona and Montana to name a few. Circa 1992. (Photo by J02 Michael R. Hart). Note Gary retired as a Chief Warrant Officer.

09/15/2026

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1556516279825725&id=100064021032498&mibextid=ZbWKwL

A Yagi antenna creates a strong directional beam by combining one driven element with passive parasitic elements. The driven dipole receives RF power from the transmitter. A reflector placed behind it is usually slightly longer and helps reduce radiation toward the rear. Directors placed in front are usually slightly shorter and guide more energy forward. Because currents in these elements have different phases, their electromagnetic fields add constructively in the forward direction and partially cancel elsewhere. Adding properly spaced directors generally increases forward gain and narrows the beam. A folded dipole may also be used as the driven element when its impedance and bandwidth suit the feed system. The antenna does not create extra power; it concentrates available power in a preferred direction.

09/05/2026

A quick reminder that MBARA's monthly meeting will take place today at the American Legion in Marina, starting at 10:15.

08/17/2026

05/10/2026

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