[South Florida DX Association] Minutes of the May 5 meeting

[neil2490 at bellsouth.net]

Hey All:

Here are the minutes from the last meeting.  If anyone has any corrections or additions, please let me know.

Neil



SFDXA 

Minutes of the meeting held May 5, 2004

Steve called the meeting to order at 7:33 PM.  Introductions were made.  20 members were in attendance. 

Bruce gave the Treasurer’s report.   The club has approximately $1550 in the bank.  We had income from meals, paid dues, and from selling equipment we had inherited from the recent tower project.  The report was accepted by the membership.  

Pete and Elliot have a repeater report.  New hardline was installed from our shack to the antennas on the tower for the club repeater, and SEDAN.  We now have an ID and courtesy tone on the repeater.  The existing hardlines were quite old, and severely damanged.  The repeater is now operating at 100 watts at full intensity.  Currently there is a variation in the noise floor.  But on the whole, it is working very well.  We have no more proflems with interference to/from SEDAN antennas.  Pete suggested that the club join the Florida Repeater Council.  In Palm Beach, we may be able to obtain 145.33 Mhz, and then figure out a way to link it up with our repeater.  

The club station (K4FK) needs an HF station manager.  The station needs some antenna installation work done.  The Heathkit amplifier should NOT be used on the 17 meter band. 

New Business -  

Dayton Hamvention coming up next week.  

Grant (N4GM) gave a presentation on SEDAN (Southeastern Emergency Digital Association Network).   SEDAN runs a 1200 packet system on 145.77 Mhz.  It is a nation-wide emergency communication system.  

Pete (N8PR) gave a presentation on receive loops for 160 and 80 meters.  He brought in a 160 meter magnetic loop receive antenna to show the group.  It was comprised of a circle of 20 feet of hardline for 160 meters.  An 80 meter antenna would be 10 feet of hardline or coax.  The fact that these loops are magnetic antennas give them a very low noise aspect.   This means that they are capable of hearing signals that a transmitting antenna may not hear.  

Next meeting will be July 7, 2004.  

Meeting was adjourned at 8:30 PM. 


Submitted by Neil Leibowitz (KC4VU)
Secretary