Join us (next meeting is Saturday September 9 at 6pm) in person at the Waterloo Airport, or via Discord. Click this invitation link to add our server to your Discord app: https://discord.gg/P7TS4DQ2 There was no presentation this evening in leu of the club picnic. Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur Association (NIRAA/W0MG) Meeting Minutes, August 2023 The August gathering of the Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur's Association (NIRAA) was called to order at 3:56 pm Saturday August 12, 2023 by Al Jones (KB0VGG). There were 21 members (19 ARRL) and 1 guest in attendance (locally and remotely) this evening, listed below. MINUTES ------- Adjustments to last month's minutes: Clarification to Tom's donation: the $500 1:1 matching offer is good up to $500, and Tom will also match up to an additional $500 in donations up to the end of the year. Also, Al (KB0VGG) did the presentation on the club's remote radio, not Curtis. Report accepted with 2 adjustments (KB0VGG/N0TKC) TREASURER'S REPORT ------------------ savings (repeater fund) account: $1,190.18 beginning balance 7/1/23 $ 50.00 deposit (member repeater donation) -$ 567.26 transfer to checking ---------- -------------------------------------------------- $ 672.92 ending balance 7/31/23 $50 in member donations will be deposited on next month's balance. checking account: $1,673.48 beginning balance 7/1/23 $ 567.26 transfer from savings -$ 567.26 cut check to Al (KB0VGG) for reimbursement for 146.940 repeater installation hardware (hardline etc) ---------- -------------------------------------------------- $1,673.48 ending balance 7/31/23 (let me know what you think of the new treasurer's report format) Report accepted (VERBAL) 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 --------- (no reports) COMMITTEES ---------- Presentation Committee (Curt/NK0T, John/WB0MAR): XXXXX Hamfest Committee: (Dave/K0CQH): (no report) OLD BUSINESS ------------ Al (KB0VGG): we are running out of time to replace our webmaster Mark (N8TWO): wasn't Cory (NC0N) taking over? Al (KB0VGG): Cory's work hours have doubled recently due to staffing problems, he no longer has time to work on the web page Taryn (N0TKC): at this point should we just hire someone to do it? Nathan (N0ZYC): if we hire it out, expect a setup charge plus a small monthly maintenance charge Also, our domain name is paid up until Feb 2024. It's pretty common for whoever manages your website to also keep your domain name registered as part of the service, registration can be paid yearly or several years ahead. (group discussion of web hosting options) Al (KB0VGG): I'll look into the options Mark (N8TWO): BSA council hasn't done any significant organization yet for JOTA this year. They do have several other events already organized for the day though. Adding JOTA activities may stretch the low scout attendance a bit thin for all the other planned events. Do we want to push for JOTA or skip it this year? (group discussion of the pros and cons) Mark will let the scouts know we're going to hold off this year to improve their attendance with other activities. We may do some other non-JOTA activity with the scouts later such as a foxhunt. Nathan (N0ZYC): reminder about club signage. I got all positive feedback on my feather flag design, do I have any other feedback, comments, or approval to continue with a purchase for the club? (group discussion of other vendors to check and price-compare with) - Karen's Print Rite - Signs by Design - ImagePointe To speed things up is the club willing to assign me a budget and proceed with selection and purchase? Motion to approve me for up to $400 in club funds (in addition to other members' existing pledges/donations) for four club event feather flags with poles and hardware (KF0KDE/N0TKC) information is being placed online for club review: https://vftp.net/N0ZYC/W0MG/Club%20Signage/index.html NEW BUSINESS ------------ Al (KB0VGG) is currently holding onto Carol's 7600. (will add that to the NIRAA inventory list) Nathan (N0ZYC): I am attempting to keep track of club property and would like to reivew the list with the club when we have a little free time. Mark (N8TWO) would like to discuss field day Al (KB0VGG): that sounds like a long discussion, lets table that for next month Tom (AE0TB): the only DMR repeater in Waterloo ha been down for 3 weeks and may not be getting restored. (the club has touched on the possibility of purchasing this repeater) Al (KB0VGG): if we can get it to do both analog and DMR that would be great to put up at CFU. Would be about $500 for hardline and connectors, brackets etc will add another ~$150. CFU can give us internet access and a static IP address It sounds like we have the budget for it, motion to proceed ((N0ZYC/KE0IWP) Al (KB0VGG) would like to have a board meting before the September meeting. Will email the members with time and location. Motion to adjourn at 4:23 PM (N0ZYC/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: 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 ----------------- The 3900 Club is having HAMBOREE 2023 on Saturday, October 7th at the Boone County Fairgrounds in Boone, IA. Details will be added to the 3900 Club website at http://www.3900club.com/HF2023.pdf The event includes VE testing, food vendors, and handicapped-accessible parking. Admittance is $7 (14 or younger get in free), includes 1 raffle ticket Tables $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Tailgate space is $5 contact by email: HAMBOREE@3900CLUB.COM or phone: 515-838-2285 Talk-in on 146.85, negative offset (no PL tone) ANNOUNCEMENTS ------------- Don (KD0WGB) has a dual band vertical and a alpha delta dx-dd 80/40m trapped dipole. The dipole is center fed with just an SO-239, you will need a tuner. Total length is 82ft. Both are free to a good home. (they're spares he's not using) 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 resources: https://vftp.net/N0ZYC/W0MG/index.html - Amateur Radio Practice Site (tests and code): https://www.aa9pw.com/ - Discord server (current invitation link at top of minutes) ATTENDANCE ---------- Members: N0ZYC Nathan Fisher KB0VGG Al Jones KD0DK David Kelly KE0IWQ Jim Fitkin KE0IWP Janice Fitkin W0VJB Vicki Bicket K0DV Doug Vernier KE0JJE Richard Morgan KF0JPR Randy Albright W3STS Scott West KF0KDE Danael Zilk KE0IDF Brenda Kremer N4HRL Harold Lucas N8TWO Mark Colby N0TKC Taryn Colby AE0TB Tom Bicket N0RXB Wendell Wagner NK0T Curtis Wilson W0ALO Chuck Angel K0CQH David Knittel Guests: Renny Lucas 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