[HCARC] July 2015 Minutes

[Gary J - N5BAA]

HILL COUNTRY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB

Meeting Minutes

2 July 2015

MEETING COMMENCEMENT

The meeting was called to order by President Terr Hipskind (W0HIP) who led us in the Pledge Of Allegiance.  There were 23 members in attendance who signed the attendance sheet.

MEMBER AND GUEST RECOGNITION

President Hipskind explained the 50/50 and gave out tickets to the following people for having helped during the past month:  Barb and Pete Schuyler (N9NM, N9OF respectively) for providing goodies for the break and to the Field Day Committee: Gary Johnson N5BAA, Lew King W5LEW, Bob Richie K5YB, Larry Altman N5QGD, Chuck Hopkins N5HOP, Steven Fleming, Paula Mulford KG5HRD, Starr Center KI5SC, Harvey Vordenbaum K5HV, Charley Robinson AF5AO, Frank Edwards KK5IA, Tony Moore KG5AAO, Bill Tynan W3XO and Robert Russell KF5AIE

The June 2015 minutes were posted and approved.

The Treasurers report was read and approved

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Repeater (Harvey K5HV) – Repeater working well and we have been approved by Yaesu for a second repeater which is backordered.

VE Testing (Fred W0LPD) – Nothing

Red Cross Liason (Terry W0HIP) – Nothing 

SKYWARN – Larry Altman (N5QED) Nothing

Field Day (Gary Johnson N5BAA) – Nothing additional since Field Day is the presentation

ARES – Terry Hipskind is working on the badges


OLD BUSINESS

None

NEW BUSINESS

A motion was made by Gary Johnson to approve a budget of $400 for next years Field Day.  The motion was seconded and approved unanimously.

A motion was made and seconded that we hold the 2016 Field Day at OLH as this years was.  Motion was tabled for 2 months per Bob Richie’s request to allow people from Fredericksburg to see if there was a suitable site in the Fredericksburg area to hold Field Day.  Motion tabled until the September meeting.

EVENTS: 

Aug 1,2  August UHF Contest,  10-10 Fall Contest SSB
Aug 15/16  10 GHZ & up – Round 1
Aug 16 ARRL Rookie Roundup – RTTY

BREAK FOR REFRESHMENTS FROM PETE, BARB SCHUYLER

Lew KIng gave the Field Day wrap up.  We flew a 60-10 meter loop that worked well on 40/20 meters but was not cut to the optimum length.  Suggestions to modify it will mean we probably will use a loop cut for 80 meters next year since Dale Gaudier’s EZNEC says we will get better SWR and resonance and also since we probably won’t use 160 meters.  Gary Johnson’s A4S performed well on the Club Tower Trailer and his HexBeam performed really well when flown from a mast at 24 feet.  We also had an OCFD up which worked well.  The Field Day Committee is working on building a HexBeam for the club.  We have the two hardest parts (center hub and vertical center post where the band wires connect) already donated to the club.  We just need to order the spreader arms and wire to complete the antenna.  Donations to the cost of these (approx $180) are gladly accepted.  Gary Johnson is working on a second tower trailer – anyone care to donate welding time and expertise?? Food was well received and we left OLH cleaner than we found it thanks mostly to Robert Russell’s efforts.  Frank Edwards will submit the logs to ARRL.  Special thanks to Robert Russell for making the mounts to mount Bill Tynan’s antenna mast to the goal posts, and also special thanks to Steven Fleming and Paula Mulford for the signs.  An additional 240 linear feet of banner material has been procured and donated to the club for more signs.

Major lessons learned -

1.  We need band Captains assigned and radios designated, set up and tested in advance for CW, Digital, SSB,and GOTA
2.  We Need BIGGER SIGNS – see note on banner material above.
3.  We need to decide on the location by October of the year before FD is to be held.

August Program is by John Heucksteadt (AC4CA) on Low Band DXing.  With the sun going quiet – don’t miss this presentation.

Kerry Sandstrom K5KS is presenting a Smith Chart session before the August meeting.

The 50/50 was won by:  


Submitted:

Gary Johnson
N5BAA
HCARC Secretary 2013/14/15