SC4ARC Amateur Radio Club

Who We Are

We are a group of volunteers trained in ham radio communications. We connect the rural communities of south San Mateo County with critical emergency communications for residents isolated by storms, wildfires, power outages or telecommunications failures. We support first responders during emergencies, build and maintain the ham radio infrastructure, and offer training for those who want to become licensed ham radio operators. Our "ham buddies" help newcomers get comfortable with their radios.

We are activated during emergencies and serve as "force multipliers" for first responders. We work alongside our partners, the La Honda Fire Brigade, Southcoast CERT, Amateur Radio Emergency Services (SC4ARES), South Skyline Emergency Preparedness Organization (SSEPO) and others, relaying critical public welfare communications during natural disasters and power outages.

Whom Do We Serve?

We serve approximately 64 square miles of south San Mateo County, roughly bounded west to east by Hwy 1 and Hwy 35, and north to south by Tunitas Creek and the Santa Cruz County line. Our largely rural area includes the communities of La Honda, San Gregorio, Pescadero, Loma Mar, Butano Canyon, Whitehouse/Gazos Creek, Sky Londa and South Skyline.

Residents are spread out over rugged terrain, with restrictive road access, weak or non-existent cell/Internet service, and unreliable power sources. The 50+ farms in the region include people as well as livestock, making evacuations full-scale events. Frequent power outages and gaps in phone and Internet service make our communities especially vulnerable during emergencies.

Imagine a tree has fallen on your house during a raging storm, your power and phones are out, and you have no way to call 911 for assistance. That's where our independent ham radio system bridges the gap between you and help.

What Do We Do?

• We staff the La Honda Fire Brigade Operations Center around the clock during emergencies. Some of our activations have included:
  1. A ten-day period during the CZU Complex fire in August 2020, working around the clock for over 600 volunteer person hours,
  2. Two debris flow evacuations,
  3. Six Public Safety Power Shutoff events (PSPS) lasting multiple days,
  4. Four days-long flood events requiring shelter support.
• We report accidents and wildfires in locations where cell service is not available.
• We design, build and maintain our entire radio communications infrastructure, including antennas, repeaters (signal boosters), back-up power systems, computers, Winlink digital communications systems, and much more.
• We maintain five mobile ham radio stations, purchased by a generous grant from Puente Fire Resiliency Fund. These are pre-deployed in vulnerable locations and can be activated remotely at a moment's notice.
• We work closely with other regional hams, such as the Half Moon Bay Amateur Radio Club, to provide support where needed.
• We offer joint licensing classes with the HMB club, and many educational opportunities for new hams.
• We staff community events such as Dream Machines, bicycle races and marathons, providing excellent field practice in a non-emergency setting.

How Have We Used Past Donations?

The CZU Complex fire of August 2020 had a devastating impact on our community and exposed gaps in our emergency communications infrastructure, which we have since worked diligently to rectify. Components of our decades-old equipment were failing, exposing the system's vulnerabilities.

Your generous contributions helped us replace our aging La Honder repeater and upgrade its components. With much needed electrical upgrades, weather and earthquake proofing, new redundant power management, and state-of-the-art testing/tuning equipment, we have vastly improved the system's reliability and performance. It now provides better signal quality and reach, especially for the low-power walkie talkie radios we use in the field during emergencies.

Why Support Us?

Even in stable weather, regional communications can be compromised, but phone and Internet are certain to fail during seasonal storms and other natural disasters. The club's independent communications system is a gateway that saves lives. Our whole community is safer because of your support.

Our only means of funding comes from modest membership dues, donations and grants. We spend approximately 98% of our annual budget on equipment, infrastructure and training, with only about 2% on administrative costs such as liability insurance, FCC licensing, etc. All labor (except for tree climbing), is done by volunteers.

Your support will help us achieve our 2025 goals and could save lives in our community. Thank you for your consideration. We really appreciate it!

Please listen to our Coastside Gives Radio Interview on KPDO Radio in Pescadero.

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