[NLRS] 2015 CSVHFS Conference report

[Jon Platt via NLRS]

Hello NLRS land -

Barb and I attended the recent CSVHFS conference in Denver (Westminster), Colorado this past weekend.  The conference hotel was less than a year old and was marvelous for a gathering site.  The hotel was so new our GPS lead us around the round-about across the street before we saw it.   As I recall there were about 133 registered attendees and about 134 registered for the banquet.   NLRS was well represented with numerous members attending.   The weather was beautiful for the antenna range and Al & Tony were manning the NF measurements.   The technical program was as follows:

VHF equipment limitations in crowded band environments - Rob Sherwood, NC0B
1.2 GHz 700w tropo scatter, path losses and long haul DX - Lauren Libby, W0LD
SDR and synthesizers - Steve Hicks, N5AC
Breaking world records on 2304 and 3456 MHz - Wayne Overbeck, N6NB
DSES Haswell, CO dish presentation - Myron Babcock, KL7YY
Microwave satellite opportunities that will change amateur radio, Robert McGwier, N4HY
Portable stations to do Summit on the Air - Bob Witte, K0NR
Falkland Island DXpedition - Marshall Williams, K5QE
CSVHFS Spring Sprint Awards - KA2KQM & WB8BZK
The reverse beacon network (RBN) and the June 2015 ARRL VHF contest - James Duffy, KK6MC
Mid latitude E skip - James Kennedy, K6MIO/KH6
Bands Above 450 MHz - K0RZ
Working across the Gulf of Mexico during the ARRL 10 GHz contest - WA8RJF

A listing of the new and current Society directors and officers can be found at http://www.csvhfs.org/index.php/about-us/board-of-directors  .  The website contains a few errors that we will clean up in the next few weeks.   

Some other items that may be of interest are:

* The previous PR/Recruitment Committee has been dissolved and their task merged with the Conference Liaison Committee.
* Chairmanship of the States Above 50 MHz Award Program has shifted from K0KFC to KM0T.  
* Regarding the VUCC/R award program, the BOD passed a motion that eliminates rule #3 regarding the need for a rover to work only a target station on the bands above 1296.   The updated rules will be posted in the next few weeks.  The BOD believes that eliminating this rule will help to generate continued activity.

Next year, 2016, marks the 50th anniversary of the Society.   The conference is returning to Minnesota with the NLRS as the hosting club.  Donn Baker, WA2VOI is the conference President.   

73, Jon
W0ZQ