Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur Association (NIRAA/W0MG) Meeting Minutes, September 2021 The September gathering of the Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur's Association (NIRAA) was called to order at 6:59 PM, Sept 11, 2021 by Al Jones (KB0VGG). There were 17 members (16 ARRL) and 0 guests in attendance this evening, listed below. MINUTES ------- Adjustments to last month's minutes: Nathan (N0ZYC): Joe (AE5EI) emailed me to update the digital network, it's now at 7pm on Tuesday evenings, updates to the event/meet list will be on the next minutes. (no other changes) Report accepted with no adjustments (W0DT/KB0VGG) TREASURER'S REPORT ------------------ Dave (KD0DK) reports we have $1,090.18 in checking and $1,791.86 in savings/repeater fund Report accepted (N0ZYC/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 --------- Curt (NK0T): 220 has been working fine, hasn't stuck down recently. The club remote has also been working well. (a power-off setting was fixed recently following an update) Vinton repeater is working but they think they are experiencing some desense on the receive. Will be scheduling with them to take a look at it, it may just need a duplexer adjustment or radio recalibrate. Chuck (W0ALO): 82 is working alright, DMR is also working. This is now the only Waterloo DMR server now that Chris (N0CF) and Bill (W0GEN) have been taken down. COMMITTEES ---------- Presentation Committee (Curt/NK0T, John/WB0MAR): We need to do some more "practical" presentations Tom (AE0TB): it would be good to know in advance what presentations are coming up so members don't miss a presentation they would otherwise make an effort to show up for. Mark (N8TWO): it would also help attendance if we could get this information up on facebook well in advance of the meeting. Curt (NK0T): looking ahead at a nano-VNA demo, we would like for hams to be able to bring their VNA and be able to try out and compare results. Field Day 2022 Committee (Harold/N4HRL): (no report) OLD BUSINESS ------------ Curt (NK0T): the NIRAA mini-hamfest and ve testing went well. didn't have much in the way of local sellers, but testing went very well, we had several upgrades and new hams. Curt (NK0T): we need to discuss trying out the boy scout camp (Ingawanis) as a new repeater site. Al (KB0VGG): that would be a great way to get 444.975 out of the hole it's in. Dave (K0CQH): could we install Chris's DMR repeater there? Mark (N8TWO): that location should get close to covering Charles City to the North. Curt (NK0T): It's only transmitting 20w right now, we could increase power to improve coverage. Also could upgrade it with Wires-X or put the other controller in it. (DMR/FUSION/DSTAR/ANALOG) Al (KB0VGG): working on the xmas party. We've signed the paperwork, we have the main lodge (entrance off the park), the next step is getting the menu together. They'll need a head-count, they will add a desert selection for every 10 people we sign up. We're going to email out an RSVP, and you'll need to respond if you want to attend. We'll be collecting in advance for the meal. (if you deposit and don't show, there won't be a refund) (general discussion of either line-item ordering or all-inclusive price, that was preferred) They'll have an open bar, with fair prices. Also there are over 300 active hams in Waterloo, maybe this could be used as part of a recruiting drive? Some of the main dish options will include almond-encrusted walleye, pan-fried walleye, roast beef, pork-chop, cordon bleu, and a vegan dish. We'll be emailing out an RSVP with the menu when we get it, make sure you respond if you plan to attend! Mark (N8TWO): JOTA is coming up next month (Oct 15-17), we're still looking for some members to help out. Nate (N0ZYC) will be doing the foxhunt, Al (KB0GVV) will be doing antenna setup. We're looking to do more "patrol level" activities this year. Maybe set up 4 stations to exchange messages? Curt (NK0T) will be there on Saturday. Harold (N4HRL) is a "probably". (several others gave a "maybe") Wendel isn't here tonight but he usually attends. Please contact Mark if you'd be available to help. NEW BUSINESS ------------ Tom (AE0TB): We've had a nominating committee in the past, do we want to do that this year? (Al is willing to rerun for pres, Curt for vp, Nathan for secretary, Stan's director position is up) We could also use some sort of "activities director" Taryn (N0TKC): we could use survey monkey to ask the members for activities suggestions Al( KB0VGG): we haven't had a board meeting in quite some time, lets do one next month, 30 minutes before the club meeting. Tom (AE0TB): talked with the airport director, reviewing our upcoming meeting dates. This airport has three rooms we can use, we're meeting in the largest of them right now. We could have a split presentation or a new hams / experienced hams presentation if we'd like to. We have no VE sessions scheduled right now. If any tests are planned, we'll need to know in advance to make sure we have a room available at the airport if ne need it. Al (KB0VGG): do we just want to announce testing on the morning of Oct 9, before the club meeting? Curt (NK0T): we should probably wait until after the next training class before we do more testing. Al (AE0TB): most other test groups require pre-registration a ways out before the test - if we do that we can just not do the event if no one signs up? Also, ARRL has announced new licenses for under-18 get their first test for free. Also a reminder, testers need to have their FRN number ready and pay in cash. The FCC's new fee has been postponed until next year. Motion to adjourn at 7:52 PM (NK0T/0TKC) Tonight's presentation was on RF Exposure by Al Jones (KB0VGG) 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) - Iowa 75 Meter Evening Net runs Mon-Sat at 6pm on 3.970 MHz / LSB - Iowa 160 Meter Net runs Sunday night at 9:30 pm on 1.9745 MHz / LSB - DMR checkin 7:30 pm Sunday night on talk group 3119 - Ham Radio Fellowship / Breakfast every Wednesday morning at 9AM at the Wendy's at Love's Travel Stop in Waterloo. (3301 Greyhound Drive) VE TESTING AND TRAINING ----------------------- contact Mark (N8TWO) for current information at classes@w0mg.net UPCOMING HAMFESTS ----------------- October 30: 3900 Club Hamboree Boone County Fair Grounds,Community Building, 1601 Industrial Park Road, Boone IA 8am - 1pm, admittance: $7 (14 and under free), VE testing flyer: http://www.3900club.com/hamboree2021.php OTHER EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS ------------------------------ W0MG Winter Hamfest (TBD) 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: N0ZYC Nathan Fisher NK0T Curt Wilson K0CQH Dave Knittel N8TWO Mark Colby KB0VGG Al Jones N4HRL Harold Lucas W0DT Don Talaska AE0TB Tom Bicket W0VJB Vicki Bicket N0TKC Taryn Colby W0ALO Chuck Angel K0DV Doug Vernier WB0MAR John Humpal KD0DK David Kelly KE0IWQ James Fitkin KE0IWP Janice Fitkin KF0EGO Don Utley Guests: (none) 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 on the 2nd Saturday of the month at 7:00 pm, at the Waterloo Airport, in the old restaurant. Parking is available at no cost in the short-term lot. (3 hr free limit) 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