Join us (next meeting is Saturday July 8 at 6pm) in person at the Waterloo Airport, or via Discord video chat. Click this invitation link to add our server to your Discord app: https://discord.gg/XAwh5MqC Tonight's presentation (before the regular meeting) was final Field Day planning Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur Association (NIRAA/W0MG) Meeting Minutes, June 2023 The June gathering of the Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur's Association (NIRAA) was called to order at 6:31 PM, Saturday June 10, 2023 by Al Jones (KB0VGG) at the Waterloo Airport. There were 23 members (17 ARRL) and 1 guest in attendance locally and remotely this evening, listed below. MINUTES ------- Adjustments to last month's minutes: N0TKC: "K0CQH" was recorded as "C0CQH". Also, Dave has sold his radio, remove from announcements. Report accepted with 2 adjustments (KB0VGG/N0TKC) TREASURER'S REPORT ------------------ Dave (KD0DK) reports we have $1,090.18 (unchanged) in the savings/repeater fund and $1,673.48 in checking. $2,097.48 starting -200.00 repeater removal climber -239.00 club liability insurance paid -25.00 to Al (KB0VGG) for shelter rental +40.00 in dues $1,673.48 ending balance There will be a deduction of -$567.26 next month for repeater replacement cost including coax etc. Jan and Lois have completed their audit of the books, no problems found. Report accepted (N0ZYC/KB0VGG) 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): we have all the hardware we need to put the 94 up at CFU. CFU is really working hard to help us with this but they won't let any outsiders up on the roof. They're going to assemble everything including terminating the coax, and are going to plug us into their UPS. We did buy new coax, and instead of re-using the old existing antenna we will be using the one we previously purchased for use as a replacement. KB0VGH has built a custom bracket for the antenna to attach directly to the railing on the roof, which should not be shaded in any direction, improving coverage. In the meanwhile, 146.82 has been working well. Curt (NK0T): My 220 is running. The club remote has been working well too. Curt will be donating $100 to the club as part of a recommendation to get exceptionally high grade coax for the new repeater installation. Chuck (W0ALO): 444.925 is on. So is my 900. COMMITTEES ---------- Presentation Committee (Curt/NK0T, John/WB0MAR): (no report) Hamfest Committee: (Dave/K0CQH): (no report) OLD BUSINESS ------------ Curt (NK0T): Bill (W0GEN) is selling his DMR repeater, it's a Motorola XPR-8300, and comes with some nice Sinclair duplexers. The controller will run both analog and digital. (not at the same time) Me and Al are experimenting with it to evaluate for possible club purchase. (it will likely stay on the same frequency it's currently programmed for) Bill is asking $1,200 for it, with the duplexers included. Mark (N8TWO) gave a short presentation on using Discord for remote attendance to the club meetings. We've set up a Discord server that can host chat and news, with several different "channels" (text chat) with various topics like Field Day. (it can also be used for video chat) There's also a way to record meetings. The base server is free, though some features (we don't really need) are paid upgrades. We can have up to 25 people in a video chat without having to pay though. We'll try out the video chat at next month's meeting. To join the club server, click on the link here at the top of the minutes. You'll have to create a Discord account if you don't already have one, but then our server will be in your list. This is more like Facebook than like Zoom, because you can connect anytime to access the server. (not just during meetings) You'll have access to announcements and any discussions and chat going on in any of the various channels, as well as being able to video chat with anyone that's on the server at the time. You don't need to use the link every month. Once it's in your Discord list, just launch Discord and select our server from the list on the left and you'll be connected. There was a broad discussion of changing meeting times. For now we'll continue to meet at 6pm, with no plans to change the time with the seasons. Al (KB0VGG) discussed touring the CFU facilities. Tom (the production manager) wants to give us a walk-thru,, although we probably need to work out the details since most of our members aren't up for a 3 hour walking tour, which Tom is very capable of trying. We'll try to get a date and time settled on soon. I'm also going to reach out to some public figures and see who wants to attens our Field Day. (could be a bit difficult with Sturgis Falls at the same time) NEW BUSINESS ------------ Stan (W0SJ) picked up a bunch of hand mics at The Bin Store and is handing them out for 50 cents each! He's also got a big framed Yaesu world map free to a good home. (has been claimed) Al (KB0VGG): we're going to try to hold a board meeting on a regular basis, something like every 3 months, meeting just before the regular club meeting. Motion to adjourn at 7:18 PM (KB0VGG/N0TKC) 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: July 8 mark/curt demo club remote 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) ANNOUNCEMENTS ------------- (let me know) 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/ - Discord server (see above for link to join) ATTENDANCE ---------- Members: N0ZYC Nathan Fisher KB0VGG Al Jones N4HRL Harold Lucas W0VJB Vicki Bicket N0TKC Taryn Colby AE0TB Tom Bicket WB0MAR John Humpal N8TWO Mark Colby KF0JPR Randy Albright KF0GMA Ken Taylor KF0HRF Richard Marsh K0DV Doug Vernier K0CQH David Knittel KD0DK David Kelly W0ALO Chuck Angel KE0IWP Janice Fitkin NK0T Curtis Wilson W0SJ Stan Johnson KA0DBC Lois Johnson KE0IWQ Jim Fitkin KF0EGO Donald Utley KF0KDE Danael Zilk Miguel Chaveze Guests: W3STS Scott West 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 ABOUT ----- 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