Join us (next meeting is Saturday April 8 at 6pm) in person at the Waterloo Airport, or via Zoom : - WWW URL: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://zoom.us/j/99863201285?pwd%3DcWUyQWxrRk81OEcwN1Q0dzF1UTBLUT09 - Zoom computer or mobile app: meeting ID 998 632 01285, passcode 955710 - Phone: (312) 626-6799 (Chicago number) Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur Association (NIRAA/W0MG) Meeting Minutes, March 2023 The March gathering of the Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur's Association (NIRAA) was called to order at 6:00 PM, Saturday March 11, 2022 by KB0VGG at the Waterloo Airport. There were 12 members (10 ARRL) and 4 guests in attendance locally and remotely this evening, listed below. MINUTES ------- Adjustments to last month's minutes: Dave (KD0DK) noticed savings and share-draft amounts were swapped last month, and had his callsign as "DK0DK" in one location. Report accepted with 2 adjustments (N0ZYC/KB0VGG) TREASURER'S REPORT ------------------ Dave (KD0DK) reports we have $1,090.18 (unchanged) in the savings/repeater fund and $2,292.48 (includes $100 in deposits and $36 reimbursed to Mark for Mark for winter field day cabin) in checking. Report accepted (KB0VGG/N0ZYC) Please contact Dave if you would like to get your dues paid for the year. Our club membership form is also available on our club website at https://www.w0mg.net/ REPEATERS --------- Al (KB0VGG): mine's still deaf due to trees but at least there's less foliage right now 82 is also working well. 444.975 is also working well filling in a coverage hole. Curt (NK0T): 220 is working, updated coordination Nathan (N0ZYC): I also sent in updated coordination information COMMITTEES ---------- Presentation Committee (Curt/NK0T, John/WB0MAR): (no report) Hamfest Committee: (Dave/K0CQH): (no report) OLD BUSINESS ------------ Al (KB0VGG): will be going to Antique Acres tomorrow for their bi-anual meeting, planning to discuss options for our summer field day out there. All we probably need is just a basic overhead shelter. There are lots of advantages to that location - they won't run us out at sunset (we can run 24/7), should be pretty RF-quiet, and there's plenty of space for antenna setup. This is also the week of Sturgis Falls though. Nathan (N0ZYC): Lets pre-approve up to $150 to reserve the site (NK0T/N0RXB) David (KD0DM): can we use this location for other events to attract public interest? (group discussion followed on other events, signage) NEW BUSINESS ------------ Nathan (N0ZYC): minutes to Paul Sipes (JB0JIT) is bouncing, let me know if you have a current address for him. Al (KB0VGG): Cedar Falls is getting ready to repaint the water tower the 94 repeater is on. We need to coordinate getting our gear (antenna and coax) safely down before they start ripping stuff off the tower. We might be able to get the people working on the cell antennas and coax to take our stuff down too. Nathan (N0ZYC): do we have any plans to set it up temporarily somewhere else while the water tower is being worked on? John (WB0MAR): Tom Reese did offer us a spot on the CFU smoke stack. Do we need to form a committee or crew to manage the 146.94 repeater shuffle while the water tower is getting worked on? Al (KB0VGG): you can do it, talk with Reese about the schedule on water tower maintenance. Al (KB0VGG): Crossroads isn't working out as a location for a club swap meet, they're not cooperating and they want lots of money. We'll need to settle on a different location. Al (KB0VGG): the club needs to get someone tracking club property. Nathan (N0ZYC) has some information but it's probably incomplete or out of date. I've got some tower sections that are probably in bad condition, will look them over and see what can be reused and what needs to be scrapped. I also have the club's spare Decibelle antenna (2m?), new in box. Bill (W0GEN) has a 440 decibelle (club property?) Chuck (W0ALO): we might want to swap in that new 2m antenna while we are doing the water tower shuffle? It's only 4 bays but isn't that what the one on the tower now is? The hardline should still be in good shape though, it's fairly new. Nathan (N0ZYC): lets make sure our antenna and other gear is well-marked, we've lost gear in the past due to not being marked. Dave (KD0DK): I expect the bill for the club insurance sometime in April. Rates will probably be going up a little bit. Nathan (N0ZYC): lets pre-approve you to pay up to $300 when you get the bill. (N0ZYC/KB0VGG) Mark (N8TWO): we have a test session coming up the day of next month's meeting, here at the Waterloo airport. (2nd Saturday in April) Be there at 9:30 am, testing will start at 10am. All tests will be offered, contact Mark if you have any questions. Contact Al if you're interested in ham radio test training. https://www.aa9pw.com/ has some good training resources including ham radio practice tests and morse code. Nathan (N0ZYC): weather-spotter training is coming up on April 5 at the Cedar Falls Public Safety building. Wednesday April 5, starts at 5:30pm. This building is on Main St a half a block South of Greenhill Road. General discussion of changing the club meeting time back to 7pm, or maybe even earlier like 4:30? There's not a lot of members present tonight so we'll just table it for now. Will also need to make sure this room is available if we want to go earlier. Motion to adjourn at 6:42 PM (N0ZYC/KB0VGG) Tonight's presentation was by Al (KB0VGG) on ham shack safety UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS ---------------------- presentation ideas: electronics history, radio bug-out bag, alternate power, solar power, spotting electronics scams, mag-loop antennas, broadband blocking filters, Denver/cf robotics club, new director at FEMA, EOC? Contact Al (KB0VGG) if you'd be interested in giving a presentation. Tentative presentation schedule: Apr 8 Summer Field Day planning May 13 WB0MAR inviting robotics club? June 10 July 8 Aug 12 August picnic Sept 9 Oct 14 Nov 11 Election/dinner Dec 9 REGULAR EVENTS -------------- - ARES net check-in is at 9pm every Sunday night, on 146.94/34 - Iowa Digital Net runs every Tuesday night at 7pm, 3.5885 MHz USB / 1500 Hz WF (Olivia 8-500) - Iowa 75 Meter Evening Net runs Mon-Sat at 6:00 pm on 3.970 MHz / LSB Also meets at 12:30 pm on same. - Iowa 160 Meter Net runs Sunday night at 9:30 pm on 1.9745 MHz / LSB - DMR checkin 7:30 pm Sunday night on talk group 3119 - Ham Radio Fellowship / Breakfast every Wednesday morning at 9AM at the Wendy's at Love's Travel Stop in Waterloo. (3301 Greyhound Drive) VE TESTING AND TRAINING ----------------------- contact Mark (N8TWO) for current information at classes@w0mg.net UPCOMING HAMFESTS ----------------- (let me know) OTHER EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS ------------------------------ - Dave (K0CQH) is selling his Icom 746 Pro, $600 firm - WeatherSpotter training 5pm on April 5, at the CF Public Safety Office (main st and greenhill rd) - hamfest 4/22 Des Moines fairgrounds W0MG/NIRAA LINKS ---------------- - Club Website: https://www.w0mg.net/ - Membership form: https://www.w0mg.net/contact/membershipform.pdf - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/waterloo.hams/community/ - Cedar Valley area repeaters list: https://www.w0mg.net/repeaters/ - additional club media: https://vftp.net/N0ZYC/W0MG/index.html - Amateur Radio Practice Site (tests and code): https://www.aa9pw.com/ MEETING ATTENDANCE ------------------ Members: N0ZYC Nathan Fisher KB0VGG Al Jones KF0JPR Randy Albright KD0DM David Morrow KB0RSW Randy McClain WB0MAR John Humpal W0ALO Chuck Angel KD0DK David Kelly NK0T Curt Wilson N0RXB Wendell Wagner KF0JBW Garrett Sager W0GEN Bill Dedic Guests: KF0LNE Erik Mordt KF0HRF Richard Marsh K0DV Doug Vernier David Bloemsma Members wishing to pay club dues (or have paid and are not indicated above) please contact our Treasurer in person at our monthly meeting or by email at treas(a)w0mg.net Members of the board may be contacted over the air or via email: President Al Jones (KB0VGG) pres(a)w0mg.net Vice President David Morrow (KD0DM) vp(a)w0mg.net Secretary Nathan Fisher (N0ZYC) sec(a)w0mg.net Treasurer Dave Kelly (KD0DK) treas(a)w0mg.net Director 2021 John Humpal (WB0MAR) dir1(a)w0mg.net Director 2022 Taryn Colby (N0TKC) dir2(a)w0mg.net Director 2023 Jan Fitkin (KE0IWP) dir3(a)w0mg.net NIRAA meets most months on the 2nd Saturday of the month at 6:00 pm, at the Waterloo Airport, in the old restaurant. Parking is available at no cost in the short-term lot. (3 hr free limit) Our primary club repeater is on 146.94 mhz, negative offset, with a PL tone of 136.5 hz, with coverage centered in Black Hawk County. Many members are also monitoring channel 3119 on DMR. Our club website is at https://www.w0mg.net/ and the club's primary email contact is sec(a)w0mg.net You're receiving these meeting minutes because you have given the NIRAA club your email address for minutes and announcements. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, please reply requesting removal from one or both distribution lists. - Nathan Fisher (N0ZYC) Secretary, W0MG