====================== IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ====================== Due to Covid-19, until further notice the NIRAA meeting will be held over the air on the 146.94 repeater, at the scheduled dates and time. Lets show everybody how hams can effortlessly adapt to even a global pandemic! DO NOT come to Windcove for the meeting, they are on lockdown. Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur Association (NIRAA/W0MG) Meeting Minutes, April 2020 The April gathering of the Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur's Association (NIRAA) was called to order on 146.94 at 7:29 pm PM April 11 2020 by Harold Lucas (N4HRL). There were 13 members and 2 guests in attendance this evening, listed below. MINUTES ------- Adjustments to last month's minutes: (none) TREASURER'S REPORT ------------------ Dave (KD0DK) reports we have $2,363.20 in checking (includes $60 from dues received) and $1,090.18 in savings. We received an invoice from Black Hawk Insurance for $231 for the club's anual insurance dues. Move to pay, (N0ZYC/N4HRL) Dave also received an email from a father/son Daniel/Michael that would like to join the club. Please contact Dave if you would like to get your dues paid for the year. Our club membership form is also available on our club website at http://www.w0mg.net/ REPEATERS --------- (no report) COMMITTEES ---------- Repeater Swap Committee (Jan/KE0RKO, John/WB0MAR, Curt/NK0T): (no report) Presentation Committee (Curt/NK0T, John/WB0MAR): (no report) OLD BUSINESS ------------ Al (KB0VGG) discussed the upcoming Parks on the Air. Collin (chairman / W9UPK) is pushing for May 2. Attendance will naturally be limited due to covid-19. We may be able to operate from mobiles on-site? Restrooms and all facilities at all state parks are currently closed. Mark (N8TWO): we could set up stations in parking areas? Maybe multiband antennas? Larry (N0AKF) will be participating, willing to volunteer gear and operate. (locations were discussed) Do we want to solicit walk-up participation from the public? Harold (N4HRL): Do we want to consider postponing the event to later in the year? There isn't actually a fixed date that everyone is doing this on anyway. Nathan (N0ZYC): later in the year seems like a good idea if postponing it is possible, it's not like field day where we all have to do it on the same weekend. Probably lots of others will be postponing as well? Al (KB0VGG): Talking of Field Day, drove around to check candidate locations for noise levels. The new gas station could be heard from W0GEN's shed. Ansborough bridge has very little noise. Ghosttown Park is dead quiet, as is Lookout Park. Let Al know if there are other locations he should check. Crossroads may be worth considering, great parking, huge lot, great opportunity for foot traffic. Harold (N4HRL) suggests considering Mallard Clinic. Wendel (N0RXB): there's a roadside park 2-3 miles West of Dike, near the Mill, as well as other small parks in that area, they have restrooms but foot traffic would be minimal. David (KD0DK): Washington Park in Cedar Falls woud be great (lots of shelters, a restroom), but is vulnerable to flooding. Harold (N4HRL): are we required as a club to do Field Day? Do we want to consider not doing it this year? Mark (N8TWO): Maybe we could participate from home? Maybe plan an event on-location, but keep attendance from home an option? Email Nathan (secretary) if you have other suggestions. Dave (KD0DK): With the hand-off of the treasurer's position, have noticed we need to update the ARRL with our current club information. Chris (N0CF) is still listed by name and address in several places, we need to get that updated. Nathan (N0ZYC): they probably want the trustee's info, you can give them my information. (I need to get access to your current membership/arrl list too) John (WB0MAR): CF Rocket Club was going to present this month, we'll be deferring it to sometime this summer/fall. Harold (N4HRL): We will plan to meet on the air again next month unless things improve dramatically. Mark (N8TWO): The test session scheduled for April 18 has been cancelled. The next scheduled test session is September 19. Meeting adjourned at 8:04 pm UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS ---------------------- CF Rocket Club presentation for this summer/fall 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 Sunday night at 4pm, 3.5885 MHz USB / 1500 Hz WF (Olivia 8-500) (note new day and time as of Feb 2020) - DMR checkin 7:30 pm Sunday night on talk group 3119 VE TESTING AND TRAINING ----------------------- Sat Sept 19, 10-12 at the Hudson Library contact Tom (AE0TB) for current information UPCOMING HAMFESTS ----------------- Sat May 23: 3900 Club Hamboree Boone County Fair grounds, 1601 Industrial Park Road, Boon http://www.3900club.com Talk-In: 146.850 (no tone) w0fs@arrl.net Sat Aug 8: CVARC Hamfest, ARRL Iowa State Convention Linn County Fairgrounds, 201 Central City Road, Central City http://w0gq.org/hamfest/ Talk-In: 146.745 (PL 192.8) nm0s@nm0s.com Mason City hamfest (TBD) OTHER EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS ------------------------------ (NONE) W0MG/NIRAA LINKS ---------------- - Club Website: https://www.w0mg.net/ - Membership form: http://www.w0mg.net/contact/membershipform.pdf - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/waterloo.hams/community/ - Cedar Valley area repeaters list: https://www.w0mg.net/repeaters/ MEETING ATTENDANCE ------------------ Members: N4HRL Harold Lucas N0ZYC Nathan Fisher N8TWO Mark Colby KB0VGG Al Jones W0VJB Vicki Bicket KB0VWP Bob Tyson WB0MAR John Humpal AE0TB Tom Bicket N0AKF Larry Klodt KE0IWP Janice Fitkin W0SJ Stan Johnson KA0DBC Lois Johnson W0GEN Bill Dedic Guests: KE0ZXT Daniel Tice KE0ZXU Michael Tice Members wishing to pay club dues (or have paid and are not indicated above) please contact our Treasurer 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 Kelly (KD0DK) - treas(a)w0mg.net Director 2018: John Humpal (WB0MAR) - dir1(a)w0mg.net Director 2019: Stan Johnson (W0SJ) - dir2(a)w0mg.net Director 2020: Jan Fitkin (KE0IWQ) - dir3(a)w0mg.net NIRAA meets most months at Windcove (Western Home Communities) apartments at 300 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, with coverage centered in Black Hawk County. Many members are also monitoring channel 3119 on DMR. Our club website is at https://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