Half Moon Bay 

Amateur Radio Club

Serving the San Mateo County Coastside communities of Half Moon Bay, Princeton, El Granada, Miramar, Moss Beach, Montara

Meetings and Discussion

HMBARC meets from 7 to 9 PM on the third Wednesday of every month, at the Coastside Fire Protection District Station 40, 1191 Main Street, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019. Park on Main Street next to Station 40, not in the station lots.

The general public is welcome to attend. Meetings are concurrently streamed on Zoom. Contact us for details. You can also connect with the group on our discussion forum at https://groups.io/g/HMBARC.

Welcome

The Half Moon Bay Amateur Radio Club (HMBARC) is an association of amateur radio operators and those interested in radio communication as a hobby and for community service in the San Mateo County Coastside communities of Half Moon Bay, Princeton, El Granada, Miramar, Moss Beach, and Montara. We are an affiliated club of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). 

In support of the Coastside communities, we partner with the Coastside Emergency Corps (CEC), the American Red Cross and the Coastside Fire Protection District through the Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES), an ARRL field organization. Our group participates in CEC call-outs and training exercises. 

As an integral part of our training, we assist with communications for public events like Pacific Coast Dream Machines, Cystic Fibrosis Cycle for Life, and others. The club uses two open repeater systems (VHF and UHF) that cover the Coastside with antennas located at the Half Moon Bay Sheriff's Substation. Every June, we set up an off-the-grid emergency radio station at Venice Beach and participate in ARRL Field Day, a two day national event, contacting stations all over the United States and Canada.

Club officers for 2023:

Ham Buddy Program

New members and visitors to the Coastside always welcome at our club meetings. We have instituted a special email address, hambuddy@hmbarc.org to provide an easy way for new people or really anyone, to reach out for help with programming a handheld withe Coastside band plan, getting started in HF, digital, and more.

Whether you are new to the club, new to the area, or a new ham, we are glad to see you!  

HMB ARES - Amateur Radio Emergency Service®

The HMB ARES group was formed for the purpose of providing emergency and/or auxiliary communications service to Coastside public safety and public service organizations.

More information including a link to join, is available on the club ARES page.

Club Membership

Club membership is open to anyone with an interest in amateur radio. Contact us to enquire about becoming a member. You can submit the membership form with the $30 annual dues in person or mail. All memberships expire at the end of the year.

Dues can be paid in person at a club meeting or by check to HMBARC, P.O. Box 819, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019.

Club Mailing List

Get local and regional ham news, event notifications, volunteer opportunities and meeting announcements to your inbox. Sign up for the club mailing list here.

Club Forum

The club maintains a discussion forum with shared files at https://groups.io/g/HMBARC.

Fall 2019 Ham Cram training

Ham Licensing

Amateur radio is a federally licensed and administered radio service. An amateur license is not required to join HMBARC, but is required for actively transmitting on the amateur bands and participating in most of our activities.

Whether you're interested in amateur radio as a hobbyist or for community service, the HMBARC can help you get your amateur radio license. Please contact us to express your interest. We are happy to assist you in studying for the license exams, helping you find a class or locate an exam facility.

Testing Session

We will be conducting an FCC License test session on Saturday April 8, 2023. Please contact vp@hmbarc.org for more information, and to register to attend.

Join us for our weekly nets: We hold weekly radio nets on Wednesday evenings at 8pm on the CARLA System 32 repeater (440.725 MHz, positive offset and tone of 114.8 Hz, Coastside Band Plan programming: CMD11 or CAR32L).

Repeaters & Nets

Club and ARES operations on the Coastside utilize several VHF/UHF frequencies. We primarily use the CARLA System 32 repeater on Montara Mountain, with generous approval from the system managers. 

Two open repeaters (one VHF, one UHF) located in Half Moon Bay are available to all radio amateurs. During non-emergencies, local members and visitors are invited to chat away on the repeaters.

Club Net

The club hosts a weekly net on CARLA32, local PL, every Wednesday at 8:00PM.

For details on the frequency, correct PL tone for local access, net control script, and a tracking tool, see: Nets

Repeaters