Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur Association (NIRAA/W0MG) Meeting Minutes, June 2019 The June gathering of the Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur's Association (NIRAA) was called to order at 7:30 PM June 8, 2019 by Harold Lucas (N4HRL). There were 14 members (14 ARRL) and 0 guests in attendance this evening, listed below. MINUTES ------- Adjustments to last month's minutes: AE0TB's callsign was wrong under upcoming presentations WA0ILD was listed somewhere that should have been KD0DK (this was actually previously corrected under Field Day committee) Minutes accepted with 1 adjustment (AE0TB/N0TKC) TREASURER'S REPORT ------------------ Dave (K0CQH) reports we have $2,161.60 in the general fund and $1,090.18 in savings / repeater fund. ($3,251.78 total) Please contact Dave if you would like to get your dues paid for the year. A check for $8.99 was written to Mark (N8TWO) to reimburse for the cost of the new field day logging software for the club laptops. Report accepted (N8TWO/N0TKC) REPEATERS --------- Al (KB0VGG): mine's up and running Curt (NK0T): 220 is alive and well DMR and VHF are also up no updates regarding Chris's D-Star COMMITTEES ---------- (none active) OLD BUSINESS ------------ Curt (NK0T) is working on JOTA, received a flyer last month and should get more information at the round table meeting in August. (hey haven't opened scout registration yet) We are looking for club volunteers to assist with JOTA. Eric Grams (N0ZJT) may be able to bring his cub's (RIARC/W0OEL) van for a 3rd station at JOTA. No recent updates from the Readlyn Library Director Patrick (KG5OQO) that wants to set up a station there. (it may be several months before he hears back regarding his applications for grants) Al (KB0VGG) is still doing classes but there's nothing scheduled at the moment. A general or extra class would probably be next on the agenda, as we already have quite a few new technicians. Next event will probably be 3rd Saturday in September. In the meanwhile, hams interested in testing can contact Tom (AE0TB). We are expecting new tests next week, the new questions pool has been out since January. Dave (KD0DK) will be making park reservations for our August club picnic. NEW BUSINESS ------------ Harold (N4HRL) and Nathan (N0ZYC) will be heading out to the club radio room at the American Red Cross to inventory club property and get some pictures. There should be an old XP computer there, all of the non-ham radios are Red Cross. (there may also be some ARC HTs) Pretty much all the gear in that room was either donated to the club or ARC. We also expect to find tools and a cache of club records. ARC considers everything in that room to be owned by or managed by NIRAA, including equipment we have donated to them. In addition to generating a written inventory, and we will be photo-documenting everything in the room, for record-keeping as well as insurance purposes. That room basically has everything we need to operate in an emergency, with the exceptions of Power and Internet. Batteries are easy to bring though. (there is no generator power to that room, and there is no internet or reliable hotspot access in the basement) We will be organizing a Programs Committee at the September meeting. We may also be adding a section to the meeting sign-in form and dues form requesting topics of interest for future presentations. Tom (AE0TB): we have handed out club flyers recently but are out, we need to locate an unused original to duplicate. Bill (W0GEN) or Mark (N8TWO) should have a blank club flyer. Dave (KC0CQH) suggests we do a program that demonstrates some of the new features that are becoming common on newer radios - this program would be of interest to existing hams as well as new operators. Motion to adjourn at 8:10 pm (N0TKC/KE0IWP) PRESENTATION ------------ There was no presentation this evening in leu of Field Day planning: Stan (W0SJ) will be getting antennas arranged Mark will set up and man a GOTA station for the Scouts and set up one (or more) laptops for digital (FLDIGI and WSJT-X) for use on Icom 7300. He may not be available early enough to coordinate setup. (will gather written materials for someone else to coordinate in that case) Al (KB0VGG) will bring a 6m vertical so we don't have to drag out and set up the 6m beam Bill (W0GEN) may not be available to deliver the solar trailer, Nathan (N0ZYC) will pick up the trailer and bring it to the park. Everyone participating in setup please be there at 11am. Bill (W0GEN) has two of the metal NIRAA signs, we will place them on Rainbow Drive to direct traffic in. Mark (N8TWO) has the two hanging posters. UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS ---------------------- JUL: AE0TB RED CROSS AUG: (FAMILY/CLUB PICNIC) SEP: TOWER SAFETY, MARK HAS A 20 MIN VIDEO, NATHAN TO HELP OCT: STEM AND EMERGENCY POWER NOV: (XMAS PARTY) DEC: PATRICK RONIGAN FROM READLYN HAS A PROGRAM ON SUNSPOTS AND SOLAR WEATHER REGULAR EVENTS -------------- - ARES net check-in is at 9pm every Sunday night, on 146.94/34 - hams meet informally at 9am every Monday morning at HyVee on Ansborough Ave - hams meet informally at 12pm every Tuesday at Taco Johns on University Ave - Iowa Digital Net runs every Tuesday night at 7pm, 3.5885 MHz USB / 1500 Hz WF (Olivia 8-500) << NOTE! FREQENCY HAS CHANGED EFFECTIVE FEB 2018 >> - DMR checkin 7:30 pm Sunday night on talk group 3119 VE TESTING AND TRAINING ----------------------- - ongoing tech-to-general class usually meets at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Tuesdays at 6:00 pm contact is Al (KB0VGG) 319-243-8819 2ND FLOOR CF LIBRARY 10AM next class: (contact Al) - scheduled club testing for 2019 will be held at the Hudson Library, at 401 5th St in Hudson, from 9:45 am - 1:00 pm on the following dates: -Sept 21 additional testing dates may be added as needed UPCOMING HAMFESTS ----------------- (none noted) OTHER EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS ------------------------------ (none noted) W0MG/NIRAA LINKS ---------------- - Club Website: http://w0mg.net/ - 2019 membership form: http://www.w0mg.net/contact/membershipform2019.pdf - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/waterloo.hams/community/ - Cedar Valley area repeaters list: http://w0mg.net/repeaters/ MEETING ATTENDANCE ------------------ Members: N0ZYC Nathan Fisher N4HRL Harold Lucas KD0DK David Kelly WA0QXF Clark Willoughby W0ALO Chuck Angel N8TWO Mark Colby AE0TB Tom Bicket KE0IWQ James Fitkin NK0T Curt Wilson KB0VGG Al Jones N0TKC Taryn Colby W0VJB Vicki Bicket KE0IWP Janice Fitkin K0CQH Dave Knittel Guests: (none) Members wishing to pay club dues (or have paid and are not indicated above) please contact Dave Knittel in person at our monthly meeting or by email at treas(a)w0mg.net Officers may be contacted over the air or via email: President, Harold Lucas (N4HRL) : pres(a)w0mg.net Vice President, Curtis Wilson (NK0T) : vp(a)w0mg.net Secretary, Nathan Fisher (N0ZYC) : sec(a)w0mg.net Treasurer, Dave Knittel (K0CQH) : treas(a)w0mg.net Director 2016, Taryn Colby (N0TKC) : dir1(a)w0mg.net Director 2017, Stan Johnson (W0SJ) : dir2(a)w0mg.net Director 2018, Dave Kelly (KD0DK) : dir3(a)w0mg.net NIRAA meets most months at Windcove (Western Home Communities) apartments at 5300 South Main St in Cedar Falls. We are meeting on the 2nd Saturday of the month at 7:30 pm, anyone interested in ham radio is welcome to attend. Our primary club repeater is on 146.94 mhz, negative offset, with a PL tone of 136.5 hz, coverage centered in Black Hawk County. Many members are also monitoring channel 3119 on DMR. Our club website is at http://www.w0mg.net/ and the club's primary email contact is sec(a)w0mg.net You're receiving these meeting minutes because you have given the NIRAA club your email address for minutes and announcements. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, please reply requesting removal from one or both distribution lists. - Nathan Fisher (N0ZYC) Secretary, W0MG