Join us (next meeting is Saturday March 14 at 2pm) at the Waterloo Airport, or via Discord. Click this invitation link to add our server to your Discord app: https://discord.gg/Uyz4jeQKhW Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur Association (NIRAA/W0MG) Meeting Minutes, February 2026 The February gathering of the Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur's Association (NIRAA) was called to order at 2:01 PM February 14, 2026 by Al (KB0VGG) at the Waterloo Airport. There were 14 members and 1 guest in attendance (locally and remotely) this evening, listed below. TREASURER'S REPORT ------------------ activity and balances for period: 1/1/2026 - 1/31/2026: Savings (repeater fund) account: $2,809.26 starting balance ---------- -------------------------------------------------- (no activity) ---------- -------------------------------------------------- $2,809.26 ending balance checking (share-draft) account: $1,699.93 starting balance ---------- -------------------------------------------------- +$ 140.93 dues -$ 45.00 check to Mark (N8TWO) for cabin rental for Winter Field Day ---------- -------------------------------------------------- $1,795.86 ending balance upcoming deposits and expenses: (none) Report accepted ( N0ZYC / K9DCR ) Please contact our treasurer Dave (KD0DK) if you would like to get your dues paid for the year. Club dues can be paid in person at the meeting or online on our club website at https://www.w0mg.net/ MINUTES ------- Adjustments to last month's minutes: Nathan (N0ZYC): Tim (N0CKR) and Nick (KD0WVN) are paid members, listed as guests on the last few minutes Report accepted with 2 adjustments ( W3STS / KF0JPR ) REPEATERS --------- Al (KB0VGG): 444.975 is dead right now, not sure what the problem is yet, we have a spare ready to go DMR is working well, as is 146.94 146.82 is outstanding, 444.925 is on Chuck (W0ALO)'s 900 is still at the hospital. It's not up at the moment but isn't getting any use so not a priority COMMITTEES ---------- Presentation Committee (Curt/NK0T, John/WB0MAR): (no report) OLD BUSINESS ------------ Al (KB0VGG): will reach out to Antique Acres about Summer Field Day (Sturgis Falls is the same weekend, June 27-28) Mark (N8TWO): do we want to form a Field Day Committee? specifically to handle P.R. like getting invitations sent out to VIPS like the mayors? Al (KB0VGG): we'll table that for the next meeting. brief recap of Winter Field Day: "it was cold". Nathan (N0ZYC): we got a respectable number of contacts but no visitors, probably due to the cold Mark (N8TWO): 105 phone contacts, 6 digital Al (KB0VGG): Curt (NK0T) still has his 220 looking for a new home, it might be something that can stay where it is and the new custodian can just take over the rent for the spot? Stan (W0SJ): Melinda has sold Dave Branden's house (along with all its current contents) to an estate clearing group, the club's access to the house has ended. We raised about $1,100 in donations from club members. NEW BUSINESS ------------ Al (KB0VGG): Curt (NK0T) isn't here today, Linda is at Allen hospital, possible heart attack Requesting that the club consider starting a "simple tech net", with topics of interest to new hams and less experienced electronics enthousiasts. Pick a topic for the week (or month), maybe 30 minutes. Possibly slot it right before the digital net? Randy (KF0JPR): the author of Ham Clock has passed away. The project might get picked up and receive additional updates in the future but there's no guarantees. "Open Ham Clock" is a popular alternative. Dave (K9DCR): NIRAA's Articles of Incorporation (filed with the State of Iowa) have lapsed. It was originally filed in 1956, with a 50 year duration. (so it expired in 2006) I've looked through my records but can't find a copy of our Articles of Incorporation, and will be submitting a request for the articles and renewal info. We can probably just review (and update if necessary) and re-submit them. Expecting a charge of around $25. These should be getting reviewed and updated if needed every other year. They don't have to have an expiration date, so when we file we can just not define an expiration. There may be additional fees to get it reinstated. Nathan (N0ZYC): Calvin (KN0CTJ) has suggested we add AllStar to the club's repeater, especially since we have an internet connection. ( https://k0iro.com/blog/2026/02/13/all-star-hardware-options/ ) He's trying to get more repeater linking going in Iowa. Al (KB0VGG): we already have DMR, and the Motorola controller is fussy, we'd like to avoid trying to reconfigure it. Chris (N0CF) might have been able to handle the I.T. side of that but we don't have anyone in the club right now with that sort of expertise. Motion to adjourn at 2:34 PM ( W3STS / KF0JPR ) today's presentation was by Mark (N8TWO) with a video on VOCAP Online software for SWL (Shortwave Listening) 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, sodering, new director at FEMA, EOC? Contact Al (KB0VGG) if you'd be interested in giving a presentation. Tentative presentation schedule: APR 11 : MAY 9 : JUN 13 : JUL 11 : AUG 8 : SEP 12 : OCT 10 : NOV 14 : DEC 12 : 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 or Al (KB0VGG) on class/test day at 319-243-8819 UPCOMING HAMFESTS AND EVENTS ---------------------------- March 21 - Mahoska Hams Swapmeet 8am-11:30am at American Legion Hall - 302 High Ave East, Oskaloosa IA admission by donations, $5 tables talk-in 145.490 (-) 146.2 tone contact 1: N0SJF Vernon Stanley 641-622-2154 vstanley@iowatelecom.net contact 2: KC0RRM Donald Brian 641-660-0404 dbranbe@hotmail.com https://www.arrl.org/hamfests/marc-swapmeet-1 April 26 - Des Moines Hamfest 8am-12pm Iowa State Fairgrounds, 3000 E Grand, Des Moines Talk-In: 146.940 (-) 114.8 $10 admission, $20 tables door prizes, VE testing https://www.arrl.org/hamfests/des-moines-radio-amateurs-association-hamfest-3 https://dmraa.com/hamfest May 14 - Collins Junk in the Trunk August 8 - Cedar Valley ARC Hamfest Lynn County Fairgrounds VE testing https://www.arrl.org/hamfests/cedar-valley-arc-hamfest-4 https://w0gq.org/events/ You can find ARRL registered hamfests and other events at https://www.arrl.org/hamfests/search ANNOUNCEMENTS ------------- Doug (K0DV) has a 6m beam new in box also that's looking for a new home Don (W0DT) has a number of radios for sale Don (KD0WGB) has a Zero Fire ground plane vertical (10-80m, 43ft) for sale 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://w0mg.net/?page_id=1736 - additional club media and resources: https://vftp.net/N0ZYC/W0MG/index.html - Amateur Radio Practice Site (tests and code): https://www.aa9pw.com/ - Discord server (current invitation link at top of minutes) MEMBERS ------- N0ZYC Nathan Fisher N8TWO Mark Colby KD0WVN Nick Miller K9DCR David Roberts W0ALO Chuck Angel K0CQH David Knittel N4HRL Harold Lucas KB0JIT Paul Sipes KF0JPR Randy Albright W3STS Scott West W0SJ Stan Johnson KD0DK David Kelly N0TKC Taryn Colby KB0VGG Al Jones GUESTS ------- N0RXB Wendell Wagner 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 David Roberts (K9DCR) vp(a)w0mg.net Secretary Nathan Fisher (N0ZYC) sec(a)w0mg.net Treasurer Dave Kelly (KD0DK) treas(a)w0mg.net Director 2024 John Humpal (WB0MAR) dir1(a)w0mg.net Director 2025 Randy Albright (KF0JPR) dir2(a)w0mg.net Director 2026 Scott West (W3STS) dir3(a)w0mg.net ABOUT ----- NIRAA meets most months on the 2nd Saturday of the month at 2:00 pm (winter meeting time) 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