Happy New Year, valued West Valley Amateur Radio Association Members!
This is Scott, KK6IK, in San Jose, and it is a pleasure to welcome you to the 2026 ham radio year with WVARA. As many of you know, this club has a long tradition of strong technical meetings, great Field Day operations and CQP participation, and an active presence on the air across HF, VHF, and UHF. But we are far more than our activities, we are a community.
In the past few years, many of us have enjoyed getting outside with Parks on the Air (POTA) and other portable operations, combining operating from local parks with practical antenna and station experiments. Those outings, along with our regular meetings, nets, and events, have helped bring together hams who enjoy everything from CW and SSB to FT4, FT8, and other digital modes. Looking ahead, 2026 offers plenty of chances to keep that momentum going—whether you are chasing DX, creating a new station at home, or trying portable or QRP operating for the first time or even a builder, hiker or digital radio participant.
For 2026, the club is looking to add new ways to connect and build community, including informal morning coffee meetups where members can talk radios, compare projects, or and welcome newer hams and enjoy the company in a relaxed setting. We also plan to offer some fun hands-on station- and antenna-building activities during the year so members can bring computers, parts, tools, and ideas and go home with something new on the air. Alongside these in-person gatherings, WVARA will continue to make strong use of the W6PIY repeater system, including AllStar-capable linking, so that members and friends can participate in nets and special on-air events from a wider area as well as participate in a wider variety of on-air events going forward.
The association’s monthly meetings and on-the-air activities remain a core part of our club identity, with programs ranging from antennas and RF interference mitigation to digital modes, AllStar, travel and portable operating. The Tuesday evening W6PIY repeater net continues to be an excellent way to stay connected and informed, and 2026 will also feature regular, club-organized POTA activations so members can join in, team up, and get on the air from local parks together – just show up if you want, no radio needed to participate. If you have been thinking about giving a short talk, leading a build project, or helping organize POTA or Summits on the Air (SOTA) outings, this year is an ideal time to step forward – we want your engagement.
Most of all, this is an invitation to every WVARA member—new or long-time—to participate more fully in the club during 2026. Participation may be as simple as attending meetings, joining the weekly net, or coming to the new coffee gatherings, helping with building events, using the linked repeaters for more on-air activity, or joining club POTA activations. If you have been away from Amateur Radio for a while, consider this a friendly nudge to reconnect; if you are already active, think about one more way you can help welcome others and keep the club vibrant this year.
Wishing you good health, good propagation, and many enjoyable QSOs in the months ahead. Looking forward to hearing you on the air and seeing you at WVARA activities throughout 2026.
I look forward to meeting and chatting with each and every one of you soon.
73,
Scott, KK6IK
President, West Valley Amateur Radio Association
San Jose, California