====================== IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ====================== For the time being, we will be using Zoom for our meetings. The following meeting link is persistent and will be used until we can resume our in-person meetings. The zoom room opens at 7pm, with the club meeting starting at 7:30 pm. Zoom monthly meeting: (2nd Saturday of the month) Web URL, includes meeting ID and passcode: https://zoom.us/j/99863201285?pwd=cWUyQWxrRk81OEcwN1Q0dzF1UTBLUT09 or on your mobile or with the Zoom app directly: Meeting ID: 998 6320 1285 Passcode: 955710 or call in from any phone: (312) 626-6799 (Chicago) (929) 205-6099 (New York) (301) 715-8592 (Germantown) (346) 248-7799 (Houston) (669) 900-6833 (San Jose) (253) 215-8782 (Tacoma) -------------------------- Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur Association (NIRAA/W0MG) Meeting Minutes, Dec 2020 The December gathering of the Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur's Association (NIRAA) was called to order at 7:30 PM, December 12, 2020 on Zoom by Curt Wilson (NK0T) There were 17 in attendance this evening, listed below. MINUTES ------- Adjustments to last month's minutes: Lois (KA0DBC): the minutes say the meeting starts at 7pm, which is the time the zoom meeting starts - you should say the NIRAA meeting starts at 7:30 pm Nathan (N0ZYC): I'll clarify that in the minutes header. Vicki (W0VJB): "Jan Buck" (in attendance) should be listed as "Jane Buck" Report accepted with 2 adjustments (W0VJB/W0GEN) TREASURER'S REPORT ------------------ Dave (KD0DK) reports we have $1,090.18 (unchanged) in savings/repeater fund and $1,551.86 (including $20 deposit) in checking. Members wishing to renew their membership for 2021 can mail Dave a check since we aren't meeting in person. Report accepted (K0DV/N8TWO) 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 --------- Curt (NK0T): 220 and 94 are working well. Benton repeater is back on the air, the 100w PA was replaced with a 50w, should be about the same performance. Most of the physical install of the repeater was done by Al (KB0VGG) and Dwayne (N0NUC) from Urbana. 224.9 is down awaiting a PL board (it keeps getting tripped by interference, unsquelches, and eventually times out) Chuck (W0AL0): no problems with 82 (it hasn't actually been touched in 12 years) COMMITTEES ---------- Repeater Swap Committee (Jan/KE0RKO, John/WB0MAR, Curt/NK0T): no report Presentation Committee (Curt/NK0T, John/WB0MAR): no report OLD BUSINESS ------------ Stan (W0SJ): still building filters. Currently working on a 10M high-pass filter for field day, though it still needs work. Should have it ready for field day 2021. Clean-out of Don Brown (silent key) gear is complete. Carol Cooper's tower was discussed. It's in a very challenging location, the consensus is it's beyond what we can manage, and will require professional removal. They are under the impression someone will be willing to pay them for it but it's more likely it will end up costing them something to have it removed due to the effort required to get in there and get it down safely. Mark (N8TWO): we're still in the planning stages for the spring / summer foxhunt (as a replacement for the spring camporee, which has been cancelled for this year) Curt (NK0T): the club's remote radio is having computer problems, hopes to have it back online next week. (may have been broken by a windows update) NEW BUSINESS ------------ Dave (KD0DK): motion to wave Bill (W0GEN)'s 2021 dues, considering he's providing the pro zoom room we've been using for the club meetings, breakfasts, etc. (KD0DK/W0VJP) unanimous verbal approval Nick (KD0WVN): the Waterloo fusion repeater is up, but isn't linked? Curt (NK0T): it's currently running but isn't connected to the internet. we either need to get internet at the site, or get a link radio to provide internet to it remotely. There are bigger political than physical problems to solve though, the repeater site (old Covenant) has changed hands several times and we don't currently have a point of contact. It's possible that the current owners (whoever they may be) may decide to boot us out if we remind them we're there. Nathan (N0ZYC): if we can't get ethernet to it would a cellular hotspot work? Curt (NK0T): the hotspot at his shed is $20/mo, the unit is a one time cost with monthly fee. Chuck (W0ALO) uses two hotspots for two repeaters, the monthly bill is $26 for the two of them. Nick (KD0WVN): or we could get a link radio and provide internet from another site and not have a monthly charge? Curt (NK0T): That would require another fusion radio and a location nearby. No tim to work on it personally right now though. Also, we HAD a letter granting us permission to be there but no one knows where it's disappeared to. Chuck (W0ALO): Chris's 900 and cabinet are also at the Kimball site and he doesn't have current contact information either. The cabinets are marked well though so hopefully if they decide to clear things out they'll call the posted numbers. Curt (NK0T) would like an update on testing and training. Mark (N8TWO): we have one more class scheduled for general, with testing on the 19th. Looking at another technician class starting Jan 13, 5 weeks followed by a test session. Another potential session on Jan 16 with another club in Mason City, though that's up in the air due to covid. Mark/Al (N8TWO/KB0VGG) discussing winter field day - is anyone in the club interested? (N0ZYC) Maybe get a cabin or two, run on generators, out at Big Woods Lake? Motion to adjourn at 8:09 (W0ALO/N0ZYC) No presentation tonight, though NK0T was discussing a 3D router he recently purchased - it looks like it's going to be very handy for physical prototyping and construction. UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS ---------------------- (TBD) REGULAR EVENTS -------------- - ARES net check-in is at 9pm every Sunday night, on 146.94/34 - 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 temporarily suspended: - 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 - W0MG Virtual Breakfast, now meeting every Monday morning 8:45am – 12:45pm https://zoom.us/j/94876565904?pwd=RnlhMzBkMWhCaEkzRUc0YW4yaDMxUT09 or open the Zoom app and join with meeting ID 948 7656 5904 passcode 592204 VE TESTING AND TRAINING ----------------------- contact Tom (AE0TB) for current information CLASSES@W0MGNET UPCOMING HAMFESTS ----------------- (none) 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 ------------------ N0ZYC Nathan Fisher W0ALO Chuck Angel W0SJ Stan Johnson KD0WVN Nick Miller W0VJB Vicki Bicket N8TWO Mark Colby NK0T Curt Wilson WB0MAR John Humpal K0DV Doug Vernier KD0DK David Kelly N0TKC Taryn Colby KE0IWP Janice Fitkin KE0IWQ James Fitkin K0CQH Dave Knittel W0GEN Bill Dedic AE0TB Tom Bicket KA0DBC Lois Johnson 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: Curt Wilson (NK0T) - pres(a)w0mg.net Vice President: Al Jones (KB0VGG) - vp(a)w0mg.net Secretary: Nathan Fisher (N0ZYC) - sec(a)w0mg.net Treasurer: Dave Kelly (KD0DK) - treas(a)w0mg.net Director 2019: Stan Johnson (W0SJ) - dir2(a)w0mg.net Director 2020: Jan Fitkin (KE0IWP) - dir3(a)w0mg.net Director 2021: John Humpal (WB0MAR) - dir1(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 Our meeting has been temporarily moved to Zoom due to covid-19, see announcement at the top of these minutes for meeting information. 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