[RVRC] Please take the time to read this email

Martin Friedman radiomf at comcast.net
Sun Nov 18 18:44:01 EST 2012 

Pete:

The Lund’s do have a backup generator. Sue and Kenny use it during extended outages. QW was on the air with it intermittently during the power outage. Sue tried to have it available at the top of each hour.  With all that was going on around the state almost no one was using it. 

73, Marty

From: Pete Fierro [mailto:overthetop52 at yahoo.com] 
Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2012 6:26 PM
To: Martin Friedman; 'Paul Nannery'; 'RVRC mailpost'
Subject: Re: [RVRC] Please take the time to read this email

 

  Guys

   Listen...I saw something on the turnpike in the bus.There is huge Verizon cell tower by exit 9 on the pike.When hurricane Sandy hit,I noticed 3 backup generators going keeping the cell tower operating.I thought that was really cool.

     Getting a backup generator for the repeaters might not be such a bad idea&keep it stored up there at the site when needed.I have a feeling we are not thru with the winter yet&the Almighty will still throw curve balls at us&a backup power system would be good.Batteries last for a bit&no way to recharge in the event of no power..Never been to the site granted,but a pickup truck could haul it up there no problem.Fuel would be needed in storage obviously.I have a 5000 watt generator I got for about $600.00 just before Irene hit.They are not in the thousands of dollars.

     These are tough economic times we are facing no doubt&is unprecedented.If this club is to survive(or any club for that matter)its up to the membership must pull together to make it work.Otherwise it will implode. I don't know what happened before I came on the scene but this is a challenge&all of us are smart&can do something.I realize we have other responsibilities in life&for me its immense.But we could make the time&leave the attitudes behind!

      No one is an island.One guy cant do it all.Its not fair.We love the hobby&if we didn't,all of us would be doing something else.We can learn from other clubs how they do things.Lets learn from the other guys!! Push till it gives.Trials can either make or break us.

      Attracting new members?I was ridiculed by someone that I suggest that some of us march in the memorial day parade back in the May meeting.Do folks know that we are in town? How about a few publications in a local town website or paper?Word of mouth?We could think of ways of making ham radio attractive.

      This is a different age we are living in&folks are communicating in ways that were not possible when we were young ones.We are in competition.BUT if we can make ham radio in our communities attractive,then we could have a larger membership draw.

     Its my hope we can pull something off.All of us know the deal.Lets make it work guys.this is a hobby that we all love&enjoy..73 Pete

  _____  

From: Martin Friedman <radiomf at comcast.net>
To: 'Paul Nannery' <kc2vrj at gmail.com>; 'RVRC mailpost' <RVRC at mailman.qth.net> 
Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2012 4:43 PM
Subject: Re: [RVRC] Please take the time to read this email


Oh, THAT kind of coin toss! Not sure about the legality of that. I just passed one that the volunteer fire company had for Hurricane Sandi relief. I think the finances of a long term backup power system are just too overwhelming for our treasury.  The 12 volt computers bigger batteries  and such have done nothing to give us any measurable increase in reliability. Activity on the machines had reached a very low point prior to the storm.  
Marty WB2BEW

-----Original Message-----
From: rvrc-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:rvrc-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Paul Nannery
Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2012 3:39 PM
To: RVRC mailpost
Subject: Re: [RVRC] Please take the time to read this email

Drew and members,

most if not all of the email from cvra are things our true and tech committee have been saying for a few years.  Drew the issue with back up power. We do not need internet up for the repeaters to be on the air. That is for off site linking as for power the report submitted last year covered a genarator with auto start and switch  over but we have yet to agree on a way to raise funds. To even keep the system on the air. We need more regular members we need more help from all members to keep the club going. To all that don't know we are in for a rough road if we don't address our issues that most of the club wants to ignore. Its the time of the year we could do a coin toss but we would need members to help with his if we were to try it just an idea.
Just one more thing our system relays on 12volt power we just reduce the city power so it is possible for some to go  with their car and jumper cables to charge the backup system. if anyone is willing to do this the system would stay up longer  both my self and Craig are very busy during storms and the days after so some one willing to help wit this would would be a help




Paul
Kc2vrj

On Sat, Nov 17, 2012 at 9:58 PM, drew Moore <drumor at optonline.net> wrote:
> Paul,
>
>
>
> I’m just opening the door for people to start thinking of ways to 
> accomplish our objectives. That’s why I’m asking for them to think out 
> of the box. A coin toss works well for Fire Companies and first 
> responders by tossing to help Amateur Radio may not get the same response. However, it’s a good idea.
> To attract new members the club has to be able to offer the applicant 
> something. Money is so tight these days people don’t spend as freely 
> as they did in the past. Expenses at every turn is rising but salaries 
> are not budging, so everyone is financially strapped.
>
>
>
> If they ask the members about features of the repeaters very few 
> members know anything about the new configuration because it’s not 
> present6ed to them in a way they can grasp the materials. If you ask 
> them about asterisk most will shake their heads. K2ETS’s technical 
> committee puts educational material on their website so members can 
> easily find information about the new technology. See 
> http://k2ets.com/asterisk.html to get an idea of what I mean.
>
>
>
> Even with a generator we need a UPS to hold the default configurations 
> in the computer when a power source is applied. In the past we were 
> able to get members to donate UPS units. At most we may have had to 
> buy a deep discharge battery. A depleted battery was often the cause of the UPS seeming to fail.
> The circuitry was often beefy enough to survive.
>
>
>
> Many members of the club for the last 20-30 years have responded to 
> accomplish work on the repeater and at the site. When the tower was 
> bent like a pretzel they got it all up and running. The members were 
> of course were younger and we could always find someone to climb the 
> tower and install antennas and hardline. There have been hundreds of 
> work parties before your time. Now many old timers don’t come because 
> they haven’t a clue what the environment is like today and no one is 
> explaining the changes. However, they’ll come out again when help is 
> needed and enough notice is given. There are 4 people on the temporary 
> technical committee and the only one that has been working at the site 
> is Craig. WA2AM is very technical and no one has contacted him or 
> attempted to involve him. Pete is not so technical but as Bob said in 
> his letter to W2CRA you don’t have to be an engineer or rocket 
> scientist to help out. Your job keeps you on the road to PA and you 
> spend considerable time on the road. Others have to be nurtured 
> because you just don’t have the time anymore and getting your repeater working the way you want it is using up whatever spare time you do have.
>
>
>
> 73,
>
> Drew
>
> p.s. you really should turn your spell checker on  you cell.
>
>
>
> From: Paul Nannery [mailto:kc2vrj at gmail.com]
> Sent: Saturday, November 17, 2012 8:38 PM
> To: drew Moore
> Subject: Re: [RVRC] Please take the time to read this email
>
>
>
> Justine more thing our system relays on 12volt power we just reduce 
> the city power so it is possible for some or to go chafe the system 
> with their car and jumper cables. If we assigns one willing both my 
> self and Craig are very busy during storms and the days after so some 
> one willing to help wit this would would be a help
>
> On Nov 17, 2012 6:29 PM, "drew Moore" <drumor at optonline.net> wrote:
>
>
>
> Members,
>
>
>
> Below is an email  Bob Grear, KA2OEE, President of W2CRA- The 
> Cherryville Repeater Association sent out to members of the club. This 
> could be any of the local clubs in NNJ.
>
>
>
> At our last RVRC meeting we couldn't even make a quorum so no official 
> business could be conducted. The dwindling numbers of members 
> attending meetings has been going on for some time now so it isn't 
> just HS Sandy. We have a number of issues being addressed and we need 
> the input of all the club members to get through theses economically 
> difficult times. Keeping the
> repeater(s) on the air can be expensive. We are in the process of 
> submitting a claim for the damages we have incurred in the recent 
> storm to our insurance carrier. In any event we are going to incur 
> some unexpected expenditures and we'll find a way to raise the funds.
>
>
>
> Once we raise the funds we have to be careful of how we restore our network.
> We should address contingencies and we need people thinking out of the box.
> Some realities we experienced is that when we have destructive storms 
> and we are in a JCP&L coverage area there's no telling how the 
> duration of the outage. Our current backup system was ineffective 
> since we experience outages well beyond the 8 hour of emergency power. 
> The Asterisk network's dependency on internet services and power. 
> Perhaps we should look at a fallback solution where everything can be 
> switched to RF power employing a generator and a rechargeable battery 
> option. Rich, KB2LLM has some great contingency ideas he wants to institute for ETSNJ.
>
>
>
> We need a way to attract new members and keep them interested. The 2 
> guest that were at the meeting were looking for class instruction and 
> help in understanding how to use their VHF.UHF and HF equipment. Many 
> members offered help and John AB2XH offered to meet with one of the 
> guest and help him understand the Q&A of the study guide, great. 
> There's a lot of experience in the group. Because we have no current 
> training classes I referred the guest to W2CRA's group via K2PA.
>
>
>
> I know many are concerned as to what the dues will look like for 2013 
> especially since they will be due by January1, 2013. There's talk 
> about an assessment. N2VM suggest we set the dues rate at a higher 
> amount for 2013 and revert to the $36 amount in 2014 (e.g. at $72 for 
> 2013 and $36 January 1, 2014).That way we'll know what potential incoming amounts to expect.
> Knowing that it forces us to determine exactly what we need for 
> operating budget and what we have avail for capital expense for 2013. 
> Any additional needs will have to come from fund raising activities. I 
> think we should charge new members $20 for 2013 with proration. That's 
> a start in so many different ways.
>
>
>
> Anyhow here's Bob's letter below Please take the time to read it and 
> recognize that's it's not unlike what we are fast approaching.
>
>
>
> 73
>
> Drew
>
> W2OU
>
>
>
>
>
> Dear CRA members:
> ?
> Over the last couple of week, I have been exchanging e-mails with some 
> of our members regarding the state of CRA, the .375 machine, the web 
> page, and our dwindling membership turnout.? This has touched a nerve 
> with me, as I have been a member of CRA since 1981, and I am frankly 
> both distressed, and angry about our current situation!
> ?
> Folks, this club has been around a long time, and I am proud to be a 
> member and officer of a club with a great history of community service 
> and amateur radio spirit.? I am NOT proud of where we stand right 
> now.? Our repeater needs work, our web site needs to be revised and 
> updated, we direly need someone to publicize the club in traditional 
> ways, and we need to recruit new members!? The Executive Board has 
> discussed each of these topics repeatedly over the last two or three 
> years, and we are not making progress!?
> ?
> Executive Board members have been taking on increasing responsibility 
> for running the club's routine activities including the hamfest, the 
> community service events, the awards/holiday dinner, and even the 
> education and testing we sponsor.? The entire two member Technical 
> Committee is made up only of Executive Board members.? We have no 
> standing committees at all and when I or Michael before me have asked 
> for volunteers for committees or work parties to assist the technical 
> committee, we have rarely had anyone raise a hand to offer 
> assistance.? It is as if the members attending the meetings are 
> totally deaf!? What will it take to get the members to step forward and take part in the necessary functions of the club?
> ?
> The few non-board members who turn out for club meetings don't seem at 
> all motivated to volunteer to make CRA grow and prosper!? Yes, we need 
> to recruit new members, but  the existing members need to get involved 
> in the process!? Yes, we need to fix the repeater "once and for all", 
> but to do that, the existing members need to get involved to make it 
> happen!? How much longer are YOU, the members, going to expect someone 
> else to step forward and do it?? CRA cannot exist much longer if YOU, 
> the members, don't take on the tasks of doing the club's work!!
> ?
> I know all of us are not as young as we used to be, but I am not 
> asking you to put up towers at Field day, or for that matter do a 
> whole lot that involves physical labor!? All of us had to have enough 
> of a technical understanding to pass our license exams!? Most of us 
> know how to turn a screwdriver or take a voltage reading with a 
> meter.? People, you don't need to be an engineer with an advanced 
> degree to help with the repeater repairs!? You don't need to have a 
> degree in public relations to contact the news outlets to announce club events!? Any one of us can do that.
> ?
> Where do you stand in all this?? I want to hear from you!? E-mail me!? 
> Call my home phone (908) 231-0746.? Talk to me on the air!?
> ?
> We are at a critical point in CRA's history.? Let's all step up and 
> fix what is broken.? Put aside your differences with personalities and 
> volunteer for the greater good of the club!? Let me hear from you!
> ?
> Sincerely,
> ?
> Bob Grear, KA2OEE
> President, Cherryville Repeater Association II
>
>
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> RVRC mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/rvrc
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:RVRC at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net <http://www.qsl.net/>  Please help support this email 
> list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
______________________________________________________________
RVRC mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/rvrc
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:RVRC at mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net <http://www.qsl.net/> 
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

______________________________________________________________
RVRC mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/rvrc
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:RVRC at mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net <http://www.qsl.net/> 
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

More information about the RVRC mailing list