[FPARC] MINUTES OF APRIL MEETING

[Dennis]

Although I'm no longer active in the FPARC (due to time and work constraints), I was wondering
if I were allowed to make a suggestion or ask a question?

It would seem as though the FPARC and PSLARA are joined at the hip, with both clubs 
having a large percentage of members in common with each other. Both clubs attend the same
events all year long, as well as having done Field Day together. With that in mind, I was wondering
why both clubs haven't linked to each others "General Rag Chew and Traders Nets" yet? 

Think about it, with all of the Echolink activity and now the D-Star enthusiasm and it's own set of
conferences and servers, these 2 local clubs with common neighbors doesn't "link up" for their own
local nets. Last week, I caught the tail end
 of the FPARC Tuesday night net as Harry (KJ4SRY) was
wrapping it up and heard him say there were only 6 check-ins, which reminded me of when I ran
some of those nets, check-ins could be anywhere from 5 to 20....depending on the season.

Anyway, the FPARC-PSLARA net linking idea came to me while I was at work with an HT, too
far South to get in, although I probably could have made the PSL repeater without much effort. It
made me wonder how many PSLARA members would like to join that net that couldn't make it or didn't
even know there was one. Also consider (from what I've been hearing on the bands), most new hams
either buy an ht or a mobile with some "modern miracle of does everything but work" antenna system
or live in an antenna restricted community.  

Any thoughts or ideas about cross-linking the 2 nets? I'm thinking it might increase the numbers or, at
the very least, get more people to dust off their radios
 and get on-the-air. 

Best Regards, 
Dennis