Sunnyvale Amateur Radio Emergency Service
Sunnyvale Amateur Radio Emergency Service (SARES) is the local Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) group of radio amateur volunteers serving the City of Sunnyvale (California) Department of Public Safety. We provide reliable backup communication links as well as additional eyes & ears and hands where needed, always linked with 2-way radio. Under the mutual aid agreement we also provide services to neighboring cities, the County of Santa Clara Office of Emergency Management as well as to help organizations such as the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army. SARES also operates 2m and 70cm repeaters hosted by the City of Sunnyvale DPS and a 70cm repeater hosted by the SARES-RG (Repeater Group) on Crystal Peak.
SARES meets on the air every Monday night at 19:30 (Pacific Time).
How is SARES organized?
SARES is an independent citywide ARES group of the ARRL (American Radio Relay League) Santa Clara Valley Section. SARES has about 45 members in Sunnyvale and is led by a team of one Emergency Coordinator with several Assistant Emergency Coordinators. SARES is part of the SPECS net (Southern Peninsula Emergency System) and SVECS net (Silicon Valley Emergency Communications System).
What is in it for you?
Free training opportunities as net control station, traffic handler, VIP shadow, etc.; quarterly meetings with featured speakers; quarterly exercise drills in the field and tabletop simulated emergency tests to practice your skills; you can meet fellow hams and, last but not least, you give back to your community and earn recognition by your community by helping in times of need.
Other activities and social events
Other non-disaster services that SARES provides: locating missing person, child or vehicle. And don't forget the biggest emergency simulation event of the year: ARRL Field Day. SARES members also gather for informal bi-weekly luncheons, providing an opportunity to meet with other group members.
It's free!
Membership in SARES is at no cost for you, and all services provided by Radio Amateurs are strictly on a volunteer basis according to the FCC Rules Part 97, which prohibit compensation for amateur radio operators. The City of Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety provides us with administrative support.
- How to join SARES
- SARES brochure (PDF)
K6SNY Repeaters
Located in Sunnyvale:
| Frequency (Mhz) | PL Tone (Hz) | SARES Channels |
|---|---|---|
| 145.170 - | 94.8 | 1,2 |
| 444.525 + | 94.8 | 12,13 |
On Crystal Peak:
| Frequency (Mhz) | PL Tone (Hz) | SARES Channels |
|---|---|---|
| 443.275 + | 107.2 | 8, 9 |
The SARES Repeater Group operates the repeaters for disaster response activations, mutual aid, and public service. Details »
These repeaters are also open for use by any licensed amateur radio operator.
SARES Leadership
Emergency Coordinator (EC)
Wolfgang Polak, AI6SL
Assistant Emergency Coordinators (AEC)
(listed by call sign suffix)
Loretta Keller, WB6BWQ
Thomas Leibold, KK6FPP
Karlis Veilands, KN6GLT
Roger Pease, KE6PPI
Steve Bennett, KK6UCO
Skip LaFetra, AA6WK
Emeriti
Jerry Thalls, KG6HI, EC
Bob Gundrum, EC
Phil Stewart, K6PHL
Contact Us
To join us, please read "Join SARES."
For general information, please view our contacts page.