====================== 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, Feb 2021 The February gathering of the Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur's Association (NIRAA) was called to order at 7:32 PM, February 13, 2021 on Zoom by Curt Wilson (NK0T). There were 21 in attendance this evening, listed below. MINUTES ------- Adjustments to last month's minutes: (none) Report accepted with no adjustment (W0VJB/KD0DK) TREASURER'S REPORT ------------------ Dave (KD0DK) reports we have $1,090.18 in savings/repeater fund and $1,871.86 (including $160 in dues deposited, less $22 in stamps) $1,871.86 Report accepted (N8TWO/N0TKC) 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 --------- Al (KB0VGG): mine's still up Curt (NK0T): still off the air Al (KB0VGG): both of W0MG's repeaters are doing well COMMITTEES ---------- Repeater Swap Committee (Jane/KE0RKO, John/WB0MAR, Curt/NK0T): (no report) Presentation Committee (Curt/NK0T, John/WB0MAR): (no report) OLD BUSINESS ------------ Al (KB0VGG): we haven't started the survey forms yet - Corey has it in a spreadsheet Tom (AE0TB): will try to modify the dues form to add a "digital receipt only" option to avoid the need to mail out receipts, since we aren't physically meeting for dues and can't just be handed the receipt. Curt (NK0T): we're looking for volunteers for a finance audit since the bylaws require it and we haven't done one for awhile. Dave (KD0DK): Jan (KE0IWP) is on the checking account, which effectively requires their involvement. Lois (KA0DBC) volunteers to help. Lois (KA0DBC) is researching our non-profit status. NIRAA is listed as a "504-revised domestic non-profit". As of 2006 we are inactive, Dave Barry was the "agent" at the time it went inactive, so it's been that way for awhile. We can qualify as tax-exempt without filing for the exemption as long as our gross receipts are under $5,000. (state) To file for federal will require a $5 reinstatement charge, along with "catching up" the missing filings ($30 per report online, $45 per report by mail), so about $245 to catch-up and re-file. (discussion of the utility of non-profit) Motion to table this for later, perhaps until a situation comes up where non-profit status would be immediately useful (N0ZYC/N8TWO) Curt (NK0T): Club outreach is probably on hold until covid backs off Mark (N8TW0): waiting for information from ARRL as to the procedure updates for collecting payment for tests. There's an additional $35 for licensing changes and renewals, although the FCC hasn't announced an effective date on those price changes yet. NEW BUSINESS ------------ Al (KB0VGG): Mark and i did a big test session in Mason City. We found that if you pass there, the local club gives you a free year's membership. This sounds like a good practice, do we want to try that? (no one had any comments to the contrary) Motion to grant NIRAA club membership to end-of-year at no cost for new hams (N8TW0/N0ZYC) Al (KB0VGG): we need some ideas for presentations Taryn (N0TKC): we are already asking for that on the membership / dues form. reminder, we need to try to keep presentations short, 25-30 minutes tops Nathan (N0ZYC): how about sending an email to the minutes mailing list soliciting ideas? (everyone in agreement with that) I'll send out something and compile the results. Mark (N8TWO): the laptops we acquired recently work for logging and proved the concept, we should consider getting something more modern now that we know how useful they are. Would cost roughly $1,000 to get a set of newer laptops. (discussion on whether we should upgrade now or wait, along with possible sources of newer laptops) Whatever we get we will need to keep in mind they need to have adequate memory, hard drive, and windows license. Curt (NK0T): these are machines that are only used once or twice a year, and the logging software only really needs 2gb of RAM anyway, we wouldn't get much value out of such an expensive upgrade. Discussion tabled for next month. Mark (N8TWO): VE test session coming up next Saturday, three sessions, at 10am, 1pm, and 6:30 pm. Motion to adjourn AT 8:19 PM (KB0VGG/W0SJ) No presentation this evening, though Curt (NK0T) discussed use of his new router to fabricate PC boards by using the router to etch the copper off the board, leaving only the traces behind. 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 or dial in by phone, 312-626-6799 (Chicago) VE TESTING AND TRAINING ----------------------- contact Mark (N8TWO) for current information at classes@W0MG.NET 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 ------------------ N8TWO Mark Colby KB0VGG Al Jones N0ZYC Nathan Fisher N0TKC Taryn Colby KD0WVN Nick Miller W0SJ Stan Johnson KA0DBC Lois Johnson W0VJB Vicki Bicket KE0IWP Janice Fitkin KE0IWQ James Fitkin AE0TB Tom Bicket WB0MAR John Humpal W9DRR Donald Russell KD0DK David Kelly KD0DM David Morrow KE0RKO Jane Buck NC0N Cory Hill KF0EGU Robert Stwalley Tim Manatt NK0T Curt Wilson K0DV Doug Vernier 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