[FPARC] MINUTES OF JANUARY MEETING

[Kd4spw]

      FORT PIERCE AMATEUR RADIO CLUB - MINUTES -  1/11/2012
 
      The regular monthly meeting of the Fort Pierce Amateur Radio Club was chaired by President, Kevin Walker, W4KKW.  Attendance was 19. Visiting was Joann Bolte.
 
      MINUTES: The minutes of the December meeting were approved after corrections, after motion by Steve, N4SGL, and seconded by Keith, W4RPE.
 
      TREASURY: Treasurer Carl, W7RCW’s report was approved as distributed after motion by Kurt, W4KFH, and seconded by Steve, N4SGL.
 
      President Kevin Walker, W4KKW, thanked Carl W7RCW, for hosting our Christmas party.
 
      Kevin, W4KKW, told of silent key Ed Farthing, KF4NUR. Carl, W7RCW, said that Bob, KC0KAC, had a request from Ed's brother about the Club helping to sell Ed's ham gear. Steve, N4SGL, will get with Bob to look over Ed's gear, which then might be sold at the MCARA Stuart Hamfest in March.
 
      REPEATERS: Kevin, W4KKW, said that the intermittent low power condition of the 2-meter Repeater seems to be ok for now. He said that he has changed out fans on the UHF Repeater. He said there are no issues at this time with ECHOLINK/IRLP.
 
      IRSC DONATION: Carl, W7RCW, mentioned our Club donations to IRSC and WQCS, and asked Joe, KD4BTD, to explain a change in WQSC's accounting of our Donation. Joe said that since we made our donation in memory of Art Lindell, W4ZEF, we can take advantage of a new daily sponsorship program at WQCS. Joe said that the station will apply part of the donation amount to sponsoring a certain day of our choosing to Art's memory. WQCS will read the sponsorship listing over the air several times a day. Carl said that he will ask Art's wife Jenny, K4ZEF, which day she prefers, for the sponsorship.
 
      FIELD DAY: Kevin, W4KKW, asked Steve, N4SGL, to start a Field Day discussion. Steve said that the Port St. Lucie Club voted in December to again participate under the ARES EOC banner. Steve asked our Club to also again agree to join in the ARES Field Day. Steve asked that if we agree, that we pick at least three members, plus Club presidents and joint members of both clubs, for a joint committee. Steve said that all meetings will be open to non committee members also. Kurt, W4KFH, made a motion for FPARC to join PSLARA for Field Day under the ARES EOC banner. Gig, WB4NOZ, seconded the motion and it passed. Committee members will be Carl, W7RCW, Pete, KD4SPW, Don, W4KTD, Kevin, W4KKW, Harry, KJ4SRY, and Martha Blanco. 
 
      D-STAR: Kevin, W4KKW, told about a D-STAR temporary special grant that ICOM is having to get new D-STAR users. He said that for certain priority areas of the country, ICOM will refund up to $3000 cost of a UHF D-star repeater and controller if they accept the grant application. A requirement is that the local club gets 10 new D-STAR users signed into the D-STAR network, which will require each to have a D-STAR radio or computer dongle. Carl, W7RCW, reminded us that a D-STAR Internet connection is mandatory for the ICOM grant. Steve, N4SGL, said that the EOC and County Health Dept. are in support of D-STAR. It was also discussed that Art Lindell, W4ZEF, was a big supporter of D-STAR. Kevin asked Steve, N4SGL, if he would send in the grant application to ICOM.
 
      Kevin, W4KKW, said that he received an e-mail from former member Tom Labelle, K4TJR, about a few antennas (CUSHCRAFT R6000 AND A 2M BEAM) that he wants to give away. Tom is moving and the antennas need to be gone by the weekend. Phone 812-7512.
 
      Gig, WB4NOZ, talked of him and a few others starting the first local repeater about forty years ago. He said there were many against the new technology then, just as there are concerns now about D-STAR. He said that he fully supports D-STAR and adopting new technology to entice younger people to Ham Radio.
 
      ORLANDO HAMFEST: Carl, W7RCW, said that he will be camping at the Orlando Hamfest started a discussion about having a Club lunch BBQ Saturday. We decided to finalize plans at the February meeting.
 
      ATTENDANCE:    KD4SPW, W4KKW, W4KTD, KD4BTD, W4RPE, AL7LJ, W4KFH, KJ4SRY, MARTHA BLANCO, W4DUC, WB4RPV, W4EVH, W1QPD, DONNA ELLMERS, JOANN BOLTE, WB4NOZ, KJ4LWZ, N4SGL, W7RCW.
 
                              Submitted by Secretary Peter Amar, KD4SPW.