California’s coastal islands are unique ecosystems that have a rich maritime history, and wireless communications has played a big role in this history for more than a century. To help educate the public on these unique ecosystems, the Santa Cruz Island Foundation (SCIF) has invited the Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club (SBARC) to build an amateur radio station at the new Chrisman California Islands Center (CCIC) in downtown Carpinteria, California. The station will be prominently featured near the center’s main entrance. An interactive display will provide an overview of amateur radio communications and the role that amateur radio has played in the history of the islands. When the station is not staffed with radio operators, center visitors can interact with the station using a custom touch screen. This screen controls an interactive presentation on amateur radio and wireless technologies and their importance to mariners, aviators, scientists and explorers who visit the rugged islands off the California coast. The presentation includes a demonstration of the station’s AIS (marine vessel), ADS-B (aircraft), emergency beacon (ELT/EPIRB), and amateur (APRS) tracking stations. Webcams connected to the station via SBARC’s club’s microwave data network will give visitors a real-time look at the island’s terrain. The presentation will also show how club members and researchers use the information and data collected. Construction of the station was made possible by a $35,550 grant from Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC). According to Levi Maaia, K6TZ trustee, the station is scheduled to open in 2022. About SBARC The Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club (SBARC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public benefit corporation whose mission is to promote education for persons interested in telecommunications, to disseminate information about scientific discoveries and progress in the field, and to train communicators for public service and emergency communications. SBARC also encourages and sponsors experiments in electronics and promotes the highest standards of practice and ethics in the conduct of communications. Learn more about SBARC at https://www.sbarc.org. About ARDC Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) is a California-based foundation with roots in amateur radio and the technology of internet communication. The organization got its start by managing allocations of the AMPRnet address space, which is designated to licensed amateur radio operators worldwide. Additionally, ARDC makes grants to projects and organizations that follow amateur radio’s practice and tradition of technical experimentation in both amateur radio and digital communication science. Such experimentation has led to broad advances for the benefit of the general public – such as the mobile phone and wireless internet technology. ARDC envisions a world where all such technology is available through open source hardware and software, and where anyone has the ability to innovate upon it. Learn more about ARDC at https://www.ampr.org. For more information, contact: Levi Maaia, K6LCM, K6TZ Trustee 805.604.5384, k6lcm@maaia.com Dan Romanchik, KB6NU, ARDC Content Manager 734.930.6564, dan@ardc.net
