Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur Association (NIRAA/W0MG) Meeting Minutes, October 2021 The October gathering of the Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur's Association (NIRAA) was called to order at 6:59 PM, October 9, 2021 by Curt Wilson (NK0T). There were 15 members (12 ARRL) and 1 guest in attendance this evening, listed below. MINUTES ------- Adjustments to last month's minutes: (none) Report accepted with no adjustments (KB0VGG/KE0IWP) TREASURER'S REPORT ------------------ Dave (KD0DK) reports we have $1,090.18 in savings/repeater fund and $1,791.86 in checking. (no change in balances this month) Report accepted (WB0MAR/N0ZYC) 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 https://www.w0mg.net/ REPEATERS --------- Curt (NK0T): 220 is working fine, 94 is good, 82 is working well for Al's net. 440 (444.975) coverage is poor, we're looking for ways to improve it in the short term. Curt (NK0T): we're also in the design stage for antennas on the Medical Arts building Chuck;s DMR is up but not his 440 Al (KB0VGG): Mines up but I'm still dealing with pine trees shading coverage. (some discussion of failure modes on tower, in preparation for new Covenant towers) COMMITTEES ---------- Presentation Committee (Curt/NK0T, John/WB0MAR): presentation planning was discussed at the board meeting, held just prior to tonight's club meeting Field Day 2022 Committee (Harold/N4HRL): Winter Field Day will be the focus of the club's January presentation. (winter field day will be on Jan 29-30) OLD BUSINESS ------------ Harold (N4HRL) is starting planning for (summer) Field Day for 2022. Venue is down to MacFarlane Park or Hickory Hills. A low power HF was taken to Hickory Hills for testing, the shelters look like they will work out well. (kitchenette, internal bathrooms, electrical, antenna space) $100 gets us 8:00AM - 10:30PM, and they will likely waive the fee for an additional day if we want to work Sunday as well. (not sure if we can stay overnight or have to leave and return in the morning?) Right now the shelter isn't booked for that weekend. There were even a few interested spectators that showed up during the inspection to inquire, so they appear to get good random foot-traffic. Motion to green light Hickory Hills (B0VGG/N0ZYC) Curt (NK0T) did a quick wrap-up of the recent mini hamfest / testing session. We had some sellers but not many buyers. (might be due to insufficient advertising?) The testing session however was a great success. The week after the Cedar Rapids hamfest may not be good timing. Use of the Boy Scout camp (Ingawanis) as a repeater site was discussed. Mark/Al will continue to check it out. Right now the scouts group isn't providing much feedback so we're not sure what's possible. It would be nice to have a 440 with coverage to the North. Al (KB0VGG) discussed our 2021 Christmas Party. Papers have been signed, and they've changed their payment collection requirements. We are no longer paying in advance - dinner cost will be collected the evening of the event. We have the room reserved, they have their $50 room rent. The food has been sampled as well, and it's all good. Mark (N8TWO): We had our JOTA planning meeting, we have 22 scouts and leaders signed up and are expecting more as we close in on the event. We do need to finalize who is bringing what. Nate (N0ZYC): foxhunt stuff Mark (N8TWO): 7300, vertical, 2m radio Al (KB0VGG): longwire, digital station, another vertical (6m?), 2m station, 2m radio We might also bring a 2m beam, pointed North NEW BUSINESS ------------ Now accepting nominations for NIRAA board for 2022. Al and Curt were nominated to swap positions (pres/vp), treasurer (Dave) and secretary (Nathan) are willing to run for re-election. Stan (W0SJ)'s director position is up for election this year. Nathan (N0ZYC) nominates Taryn (N0TKC) though she was not here to defend herself. We will hold a second round of nominations immediately before the vote. Motion to adjourn at 7:53 PM (W0SJ/KB0VGG) There was no presentation this month. UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS ---------------------- December: purpose and execution of grounding January: discuss upcoming Winter Field Day February: Curt (NK0T) on Nano VNA April: possible Rocket Club presentation - John (WB0MAR will look into it) June: discuss upcoming Field Day presentation ideas: electronics history, radio bug-out bag, fox-hunting, alternate power, solar power, spotting electronics scams, mag-loop antennas, broadband blocking filters 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 Field Day (January 29-30) NIRAA Christmas Party / election W0MG/NIRAA LINKS ---------------- - Club Website: https://www.w0mg.net/ - Membership form: https://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 N4HRL Harold Lucas W0SJ Stan Johnson KB0VGG Al Jones NK0T Curt Wilson K0CQH Dave Knittel KE0IWP Janice Fitkin WB0MAR John Humpal KD0DK David Kelly KA0DBC Lois Johnson W0VJB Vicki Bicket KD0WGB Don Hesseling N8TWO Mark Colby KE0IWQ James Fitkin AE0TB Tom Bicket Guests: Mrs Hesseling 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