Join us (next meeting is Friday November 18 at 5:30 pm) at the Elk's Club in Waterloo, at 407 East Park Ave. Advance registration and payment is required for Christmas dinner. Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur Association (NIRAA/W0MG) Meeting Minutes, October 2022 The October gathering of the Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur's Association (NIRAA) was called to order at 7:00 PM, Saturday October 8, 2022 by AL (KB0VGG) at the Waterloo Airport. There were 21 members (15 ARRL) and 2 guests in attendance this evening, listed below. MINUTES ------- Adjustments to last month's minutes: Mark (N8TWO): at the bottom under Events, the day of month is wrong for next meeting's christmas dinner Report accepted with 1 adjustment (N8TWO/N0ZYC) TREASURER'S REPORT ------------------ Dave (KD0DK) reports we have $1,090.18 in the savings/repeater fund and $1,718.53 -> $1,738.53 in checking. This includes $20 in dues, plus $60 in and out for VE testing. Report accepted (N0ZYC/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 https://www.w0mg.net/ REPEATERS --------- Chuck (W0ALO): 82 is still clicking along, range is good still waiting for some assistance with 444.925 and P25 Al (KB0VGG): W0MG 94 is u pand running, no roger beep though 444.975 is doing well Curt (NK0T): 224.9 is alive and well COMMITTEES ---------- Presentation Committee (Curt/NK0T, John/WB0MAR): no report OLD BUSINESS ------------ Al (KB0VGG): Still working on the bylaws, should get sent out soon so we can vote on the changes at the December meeting. Club website move: Cory has asked me for some guidance on it, needs to talk with Tom. We have a year of web hosting remaining that is paid for. Currently we can use FTP with password to make changes. The next meeting (Christmas dinner at the Elk's Club) wil be at 5:30. We've discussed changing the regular meeting time, do we want to go to 6? or even 5? (discussion among present members) Motion to change regular meeting time to 6pm (AE0TB/N0ZYC) Harold (N4HRL): the Salvation Army has requested us to do bell ringing this year on Saturday December 3 at the Waterloo WalMart. We're just working one entrance this time, in three 2-hour shifts from 10am-3pm. Will bring the sign-up sheet to the November meeting, or contact me by email to reserve a time. Remember to dress for the weather. General discussion of upcoming election, seeing who's interested in staying in office (everyone is), and if anyone is interested in running for an office. (no one is) Forms were handed out to sign up for Christmas dinner. We will be collecting in advance for the dinner and presenting Elk's Club with a single check for the group, so anyone wishing to attend MUST sign up and pay in advance this year. Payments may be made in cash now or with a bank transfer. (see Dave for details) Reminder that anyone is welcome to attend the dinner, this is a good opportunity to meet other family members or to introduce others to ham radio. NEW BUSINESS ------------ Curt (NK0T): I'd like to do a Smith Chart presentation ahead of my Nano VNA presentation, to familiarize users with the (free) Sim Smith software. (available for WIndows, Linux, and Mac OS) Mark (N8TWO): I ran the ARES digital net for the entire state this morning, from 8-12. Both Mark and Al were monitoring a large number of VHF and UHF ARES frequencies. The drill was intentionally done on short notice as a part of the exercise since disasters don't give much advance notice. For those interested in monitoring ARES frequencies: 147.555 BREMER ARES 147.450 BLACK HAWK COUNTY ARES 147.585 ARES DISTRICT 6 you should also monitor W0MG 94 and 82 for emergency communications Mark (N8TWO): JOTA is happening next weekend. We have a relatively small number of scouts signed up this year, we should have about 26. (registration has closed, so we don't have any surprises this time due to walk-ins) Dinner will be around 5-5:30. We need a head-count as to who will be assisting Nathan with the fox hunt. (would like four helpers) Greg Westwater will be helping, and will be bringing some fox-hunting gear of his own, including fox boxes, tape beams, and attenuators. The other stations will include Dave and Clark running code, Al running FLDIGI, Curt running WSPR, and Harold will have an HF station outside for contacting other JOTA camps. Nathan would also like to do a quick checkup on the new antenna installation while we're there. Motion to adjourn at 7:30 PM (NK0T/N0TKC) This evening's presentation was on Solar by Nathan (N0ZYC) More information is available online at https://vftp.net/N0ZYC/power/solar%20power/index.html UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS ---------------------- presentation ideas: electronics history, radio bug-out bag, alternate power, solar power, spotting electronics scams, mag-loop antennas, broadband blocking filters, Denver/cf robotics club, new director at FEMA, EOC? Contact Al (KB0VGG) if you'd be interested in giving a presentation. Tentative presentation schedule: Dec 10 radio programming (bring your radio, programming cable, manual, laptop/software) Jan 14 NK0T on Nano VNA (bring your Nano) Feb 11 Tom Reese (CFU Field Engineer) from Sumner Mar 11 WB0MAR inviting robotics club? May 13 Field Day planning Apr 8 KB0VGG on ham shack safety REGULAR EVENTS -------------- - ARES net check-in is at 9pm every Sunday night, on 146.94/34 - Iowa Digital Net runs every Tuesday night at 7pm, 3.5885 MHz USB / 1500 Hz WF (Olivia 8-500) - Iowa 75 Meter Evening Net runs Mon-Sat at 6:00 pm on 3.970 MHz / LSB Also meets at 12:30 pm on same. - 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 ----------------- Winterfest 2023 OTHER EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS ------------------------------ Saturday December 3: Salvation Army bell ringing Dave (K0CQH) is selling his Icom 746 Pro, $600 firm 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/ - additional club media: https://vftp.net/N0ZYC/W0MG/index.html MEETING ATTENDANCE ------------------ Members: N0ZYC Nathan Fisher KF0EGO Don Utley N4HRL Harold Lucas WB0MAR John Humpal W0VJB Vicki Bicket AE0TB Tom Bicket N8TWO Mark Colby K0CQH Dave Knittel K0DV Doug Vernier KF0KDE Dan Zilk KE0IWQ James Fitkin KE0IWP Janice Fitkin KD0DM David Morrow N0TKC Taryn Colby KD0DK David Kelly WA0QXF Clark Willoughby AE0QI William Wright KF0JPR Randy Albright KB0VGG Al Jones W0GEN Bill Dedic NK0T Curt Wilson Guests: W0ALO Chuck Angel KE0JJF Joseph Reutter 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 Members of the board may be contacted over the air or via email: President Al Jones (KB0VGG) pres(a)w0mg.net Vice President Curt Wilson (NK0T) vp(a)w0mg.net Secretary Nathan Fisher (N0ZYC) sec(a)w0mg.net Treasurer Dave Kelly (KD0DK) treas(a)w0mg.net Director 2020 Jan Fitkin (KE0IWP) dir3(a)w0mg.net Director 2021 John Humpal (WB0MAR) dir1(a)w0mg.net Director 2022 Taryn Colby (N0TKC) dir2(a)w0mg.net NIRAA meets most months on the 2nd Saturday of the month at 6:00 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