Amateur Radio Committee Meeting - 05.17.15

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Attendance

  • Doug Emes KG5BZY
  • William Petefish KF5WDB
  • Kent Bowling K3NTB
  • Froovy Grood AKA Pat Hykkonen NT5PH
  • Ben Groves KF5WYZ
  • Zach Metzinger N0ZGO
  • Justin Edwards KE5BUD

Agenda

  • Review previous months meeting and approve minutes
  • Review financial standing
  • Review last months activities
  • Review membership stats

Old Business

  • Discuss Field Day
  • Schedule Antenna repair to lower SWR
  • Discuss camera order and standing and authorized camera users
  • Discuss Desk Design

New Business

  • Discuss power supply and battery backup as possible addition to station
  • Discuss station lightning protection
  • Discuss new proposed membership categories
  • Discuss starting a subcommittee for Meteorology, Skywarn, and Emergency Services
  • Discuss technician class upcoming and if anything is needed
  • Discuss possibility of setting up our own weather station including weather cameras at the space aimed to see the weather and sky (no street view)
  • Discuss goals and future for the committee/club
  • Discuss what to do with tower masts
  • Discuss future events we want to set up
  • Discuss amateur radio logo and design
  • DSMART Inactive

Meeting Minutes

  • 1314 Previous meeting minutes approved
  • 1316 Finance update sitting at around 1214.00 plus pending honorarium
  • 1320 Review last months activities
  • 1324 Meeting scheduling June 7th Time pending
  • 1329 Reviewed committee/club membership stats
  • 1339 Field day attendance list and covering antenna to use. Will buy an antenna we planned to buy already for field day use. Need donation check ahead of time 150 to 200. Ben to cut check for us.
  • 1358 G5RV repair scheduled with Pat and Justin for the 7th of June, all welcome to attend
  • 1415 Camera purchase and install approved with Samsung set-up vs what we ordered from Robert till that system is capable
  • 1426 Desk design discussed need to add venting for heat in rear, will space the back by an inch from shelves
  • 1432 New power supply vs battery backup agreed on supply
  • 1500 New membership category non voting members approved
  • 1509 Subcommittee idea dropped and will move meteorology to bio/science skywarn and ES stays with committee
  • 1514 Meeting adjourned

Hangout Record

Doug Emes KG5BZY in attendance thank you Doug • 12:51 PM William Petefish William Petefish (KF5WDB) William • 12:51 PM Kent Bowling Kent Bowling, K3NTB Hangouts attendance only Kent • 12:52 PM great thank you Justin Edwards 12:56 PM William Petefish Transitioning to mobile...I might be a min or two behind. William • 12:57 PM no problem we will go slow Justin Edwards 12:57 PM Pat Hykkonen Froovy Grood NT5PH. Pat • 12:57 PM We will give everyone about 8 more minutes to jump in before we start if that’s ok with everyone Anyone else want to check in before we start Ok we will get started first up approving the previous meetings minutes is anyone opposed they are posted on the wiki Justin Edwards 1:11 PM Benjamin Groves Not opposed Benjamin • 1:12 PM ben whats your call sign again Justin Edwards 1:12 PM Doug Emes Concur with chairperson Doug • 1:12 PM Pat Hykkonen No opposition Pat • 1:12 PM Benjamin Groves KF5WYZ Benjamin • 1:13 PM zach N0ZGO check in zach • 1:13 PM Your last name again Zach Justin Edwards 1:13 PM Pat Hykkonen Nazgul? 😝 Pat • 1:13 PM zach Metzinger zach • 1:13 PM Pat Hykkonen That's a helluva call sign. Pat • 1:13 PM zach Are we doing an audio conference on this? Or just text zach • 1:14 PM Just text Ok currently we are sitting at 1200.00 roughly in committee funding before we spend money Justin Edwards 1:16 PM zach Okay. On mobile, so I'll lurk until I get to Dallas makerspace. In the interest of safety zach • 1:16 PM no problem Zach and we have more funds pending from honorarium I believe still correct Ben? Justin Edwards 1:17 PM Benjamin Groves That is correct, I can give you a specific number in moment, but expect a couple hundred I think Benjamin • 1:18 PM Ok thank you Ben Justin Edwards 1:18 PM Benjamin Groves I take that back I have no income to the Amateur Radio Committee in May ... I think there is the $100 for the last Tech class I know the one before it did not meet minumum number of people and next class series is in June The End Benjamin • 1:20 PM Ok very good thats better than nothing. And yeah I remember chating about that Ok so moving on last months activities we finished setting up the station for use short of the receiver. The desktop is installed and functional, We analyzed the antenna and Identified a high SWR issue. Pat and I are planning to fix this on June the 7th weather cooperating Justin Edwards 1:22 PM Pat Hykkonen Suggest making the next committee meeting 07Jun as well for final FD planning. Pat • 1:24 PM We also completed a round of General Class and testing with it having 8 total and 7 Pass varied between licenses Justin Edwards 1:24 PM Pat Hykkonen So work on antenna and do FD stuff. One of those in the testing session went from no license to Extra. An DMS member. Pat • 1:25 PM A full list of what all we did last month is posted on the Board meeting notes. Justin Edwards 1:25 PM Doug Emes Very nice Doug • 1:26 PM Benjamin Groves Dang, a trifecta! Benjamin • 1:26 PM Pat Hykkonen Yup! He did in one nite what took me 25 years. 😁 Pat • 1:26 PM Doug Emes Could we consider doing some short videos of each persons HT or mobile to give the rest 1st person reviews as they choose their radios? Doug • 1:27 PM Well add that to new business Doug Ill cover it then Ok moving onto membership stats currently the club/committee is at Justin Edwards 1:27 PM Doug Emes Gotcha thanks Doug • 1:28 PM 31 members and growing. Justin Edwards 1:28 PM Doug Emes Outstanding count! Doug • 1:29 PM Ok moving to old business but before we start anymore check ins Ok old business starting with Field Day So who all thinks they will make it out it is on the 27th and the 28th of June Justin Edwards 1:32 PM Pat Hykkonen That's Field Day BTW. Pat • 1:33 PM William Petefish Might be able to make it out for a bit. William • 1:33 PM Doug Emes Checking boy scout calendar 1 min Doug • 1:33 PM Pat Hykkonen I will be there. But I'm participating with three of the four clubs there. Pat • 1:33 PM Benjamin Groves I will do my best - I know I have a big casino install about that time Benjamin • 1:33 PM Ok I plan to be there the entire time Justin Edwards 1:34 PM Doug Emes I'm avail Saturday, Sunday is start of summer camp Doug • 1:34 PM Ok very good so we wil plan to take our radios we have. Set up will start around 9AM Saturday so we can start at 1300 Sat Ok what do we want to use or build for antenna Justin Edwards 1:36 PM Benjamin Groves You have the ladder-line dipole still? Benjamin • 1:36 PM Pat Hykkonen Remember DARC will be doing dinner on Saturday evening. We need to consider a monetary donation to them to offset those meal costs. Pat • 1:37 PM Doug Emes Reminder Plano ham con is 2 weeks prior might consider purchasing opportunities there Doug • 1:37 PM Yes G5RV and its installed on the roof. I would be concerned with taking it down for this. What I would suggest is buying the antenna we were looking to buy and using it and we already aproved the donation Justin Edwards 1:37 PM Pat Hykkonen HamCom is at Irving Cinvention center this year. Pat • 1:38 PM Doug Emes Sorry pats correct was just recalling previous urars Years Doug • 1:39 PM Pat Hykkonen No worries! Pat • 1:39 PM Doug Emes Does anyone in the club have the quarter wave double circle antenna? Sorry I'm forgetting the technical name Doug • 1:41 PM Anyone opposed to buying the antenna before field day and using it for field day? Justin Edwards 1:42 PM Doug Emes Sounds practical and pragmatic Doug • 1:43 PM Pat Hykkonen Helical antenna? Pat • 1:43 PM Ok so we will go that route and I will hit hamcom to try and get it at a better cost. Ben will you email the tax form to Pat so he has it for the purchase Justin Edwards 1:48 PM Pat Hykkonen We will need a count of folks that will be on site for dinner on FD so that DARC can have appropriate BBQ. Pat • 1:51 PM I will send out a google form for a head count at the end of May Justin Edwards 1:52 PM Doug Emes Good solution Doug • 1:52 PM Benjamin Groves I will look into tax form You want tax exempt into ifo? blah - info? Benjamin • 1:53 PM correct Justin Edwards 1:53 PM Pat Hykkonen Yes sir. Pat • 1:53 PM Benjamin Groves Aye Benjamin • 1:53 PM Doug Emes Just need tax id number Doug • 1:54 PM Pat Hykkonen Yup. Generally on the Texas form. Pat • 1:54 PM Doug Emes I only have dprg one memorized. 20-0647619 Doug • 1:55 PM Ok so Ben I will work with you to get a check covering the donation prior to the event, we will use our existing radios with the new antenna. Well need to bring snacks and drinks but Dinner is covered. Well need other meals and I will bring some extra snacks for everyone in case. I will transport the equipment. Justin Edwards 1:56 PM Benjamin Groves Think I can get some sort of receipt? Benjamin • 1:57 PM Pat Hykkonen For the donation Ben? Pat • 1:57 PM Benjamin Groves Yeah, it helps Otherwise the IRS might think we skipped off to Tijuana for the weekend. Benjamin • 1:57 PM Pat Hykkonen Probably, yes. Will have to ask. But don't see why it'll be a problem. Don't think we could go to Tijuana this inexpensively. Pat • 1:58 PM Ok next item is scheduling the G5RV repair, this is already done Pat and I will fix it on the 7th weather pending. Justin Edwards 1:58 PM Pat Hykkonen Everyone else is invited too! Pat • 1:59 PM Benjamin Groves ya know - recession, obama, China, ISIS - I bet it is very cheap down there right now Benjamin • 1:59 PM Pat Hykkonen Yeah, but with all of us drinking... I should clarify. Everyone is invited to the antenna party. Not necessarily Ben and Pat's trip to Tijuana. Pat • 2:01 PM Benjamin Groves Wewt! Benjamin • 2:02 PM Ok next is our camera install and order. At this point we are in a snfu with our camera install. The camera we ordered a 6mm was not available then we ordered a 4mm and its still not here. New problem we face is the current DMS cannot handle adding a new camera even if we can get it here. I found this out in the last few days. Justin Edwards 2:02 PM Doug Emes I'm available in the afternoon for Sunday june7 or are you doing it early before the heat rises? Doug • 2:02 PM Pat Hykkonen Early afternoon. Hopefully won't take long. Pat • 2:03 PM Benjamin Groves okay, tax info will be in Pat / Justin's inbox in about an hour or so - I want to make sure no objection from others on the board (I cannot imagine why, but due diligence) I think we will be addressing the camera server today Benjamin • 2:03 PM I have a solution available and can install it tonight. A samsung sds-p3022 2 camera 4 channel kit with DVR and everything included. I bought it on sale normally 300 I paid 155 for it and will let the committee have it for the same. Justin Edwards 2:04 PM Benjamin Groves Thought the camera was here though Benjamin • 2:04 PM same cost as what we were gonna spend. It may be but I cannot get a straight answer from Robert. either way till its installed we are on the hook for it which will be months at this rate. Justin Edwards 2:05 PM Benjamin Groves what about the one that is ordered? Benjamin • 2:05 PM arent not are Justin Edwards 2:06 PM doctorsnaketown Benjamin Groves I gotta go ghost for a bit - get ready for the BOD meeting Benjamin • 2:07 PM I cannot get a straight answer on if it is ordered or not. The one that was supposed to go to us I have been told is going to metal and wood. Plus with it being a 4mm we aren’t sure it will fit the need the parameters we want it to cover, being able to see the frequency display Justin Edwards 2:07 PM Benjamin Groves Talk with Robert and Brooks - They handle that aspect and they will be around shortly. Email if you need, pull me in if you need. Benjamin • 2:08 PM I have already for the last month now. My solution for now is to get a camera in and working and then if this camera gets in and the DMS system gets upgraded so it can be installed then we will get it as well and shift these cameras to another use. We have been considering setting up weather watch cameras on the roof that this system can be moved to. Brooks says its ordered but a month and a half out plus time to get the blue iris system capable of handling its install as it currently cannot. Justin Edwards 2:13 PM Pat Hykkonen Rcvd tax id info. Thanks, Ben! Pat • 2:14 PM Anyone opposed to installing this set up for now and using it in another form in a couple months once we test and install the camera on order Justin Edwards 2:14 PM Doug Emes Go forward justin, I agree Doug • 2:15 PM Pat Hykkonen Silence is assent. Pat • 2:17 PM zach No objection zach • 2:17 PM Ok moving forward we will pay for the cameras and I will try to install it tonight. Ben I will email you the invoice Lisa is going to pay me for the equipment as a procurement officer desk design is next anything you want to see or change Justin Edwards 2:20 PM Doug Emes Purposeful storage of binders... One for logs, one for site ops, one for manuals, etc. Doug • 2:22 PM Ok good addition Justin Edwards 2:22 PM Doug Emes I'll donate the three ring binders and some sheet sleeves and dividers to be us started Doug • 2:23 PM sweet thank you Doug anyone else? Justin Edwards 2:24 PM Doug Emes Can we get a poll of owned handhelds so we/I can start looking for 1/page quick instructions to laminate Doug • 2:27 PM I will update the KD5MS link tonight with every radio and equipment we have on the wiki Justin Edwards 2:28 PM Doug Emes Thank you Doug • 2:28 PM Pat Hykkonen Do that as a Google sheet, Doug. Pat • 2:28 PM Doug Emes That or svg yes Doug • 2:29 PM Ok onto new business we will need to order a new power supply once the desk is complete. To help support addition radios or personal radios being brought up. Justin Edwards 2:30 PM Doug Emes Variable bench top? Doug • 2:30 PM Pat Hykkonen Not variable! Please! Pat • 2:30 PM No we can rely on electronics for variable Justin Edwards 2:31 PM Pat Hykkonen Too many things can go wrong with that. Leave variable supplies to the Electronics committee. jinx! Pat • 2:31 PM Doug Emes So 12v? Doug • 2:31 PM yes for supporting our station radios Justin Edwards 2:32 PM Pat Hykkonen Yup. 12v 25a ICS or greater. Pat • 2:32 PM Benjamin Groves Lisa cannot write checks. but I can later Benjamin • 2:32 PM She is using the card Justin Edwards 2:33 PM Benjamin Groves ah, okay Give her receipt please Benjamin • 2:33 PM Its going through my business for the invoice so I can use my card reader and I will email you both a copy directly Justin Edwards 2:34 PM Benjamin Groves thx mang Benjamin • 2:34 PM lighting protection I am planning to install a direct ground to the antenna Justin Edwards 2:34 PM Doug Emes Cadweld or crimped? Doug • 2:36 PM straight over the side of the building and crimped most likely to a ground stake in the lot once I can coordinate with Lecody and the landlord Justin Edwards 2:37 PM Benjamin Groves Can you leverage the ground that is already there ? Benjamin • 2:39 PM If your talking about welding that is a little to far path wise, it would make the antennas the shoter path shorter* Justin Edwards 2:40 PM zach I'll come out of work mode. It's best to have a truck shopping around for lightning protection. You don't want that straight to raise the ground potential of other conductors. Okay smile text to speech not so great. Direct shot A large conductor to a ground rod just outside the building would be best zach • 2:42 PM Huh Zach? Same thing I am talking about 2 or 4ga wire to the rod Justin Edwards 2:43 PM Benjamin Groves [heading up to space - offline] Benjamin • 2:43 PM k Ben Justin Edwards 2:48 PM zach Ok were getting short on time so we may go a little over 3 but up next I am proposing adding membership categories for no voting members of the committe and student memberships. I am not going to consider completely opening it due to the already low threshold to be a voting committee member. I just want to open up membership to more members and interested folks Justin Edwards 2:48 PM Pat Hykkonen There should only be two classes of membership. Voting rights for licensees and non-voting rights for those interested. Getting a license is not difficult. Pat • 2:51 PM Doug Emes Re: students, we should consider sponsor/apprentice style perhaps Doug • 2:51 PM Pat Hykkonen That's a good idea. Pat • 2:51 PM Doug Emes We need an agreed by both parties structure to ensure student is moving forward Doug • 2:52 PM I like the idea of voting and non voting and then for students we can just keep a list of active students in the same membership category to stay on them to ifnish their license Justin Edwards 2:53 PM Doug Emes If we have student, not sure benefit of nonvoting Doug • 2:55 PM So the proposed categories are Voting and no voting with students being in the non voting to minimize membership categories. Ill keep a list on the wiki under non voting that says students. Justin Edwards 2:56 PM Doug Emes I guess I'm asking for clarification on why keeping track of non student non voters Doug • 2:57 PM We have some members who have a license but dont want to be on the committee primarily to keep tabs on those who want to be involved. Justin Edwards 2:59 PM Doug Emes So not non licensed Ok Another option is a revokable proxy for those licensees that dont want daily/weekly interaction Doug • 3:03 PM Ok so were talking about the proposed subcommittee and right now I think we are going to keep it as just Amateur Radio. We will keep skywarn and emergency services but will talk to bio about handling meteorology Justin Edwards 3:05 PM Doug Emes No opinion on meteorology Doug • 3:06 PM William Petefish Justin just stepped out of the room for a sec, BUT the way that I was thinking, was Bio Committee is changing their focus and name. To Science Committee. William • 3:08 PM Doug Emes Thanks for update william Doug • 3:08 PM William Petefish That being said, Skywarn and Emergency Services fall directly under Amateur Radio. William • 3:08 PM Doug Emes I want to join something for next meeting: jamboree for scouts. Here is a URL. http://jotajoti.info/ Pin not join Doug • 3:09 PM ok Justin Edwards 3:09 PM Doug Emes Its in October so no action needed today Doug • 3:10 PM Ok very good I will add it to the next meeting agenda Justin Edwards 3:10 PM Doug Emes Thanks Doug • 3:10 PM Okay that pretty much sums up the bulk of the meeting the rest we will passively go over in chat for the rest of the week. Justin Edwards 3:12 PM William Petefish Sounds like a good idea. William • 3:13 PM Doug Emes Hamcon advanced tickets end before next scheduled meeting Doug • 3:13 PM So the meeting is summed up in the meeting notes any corrections can be submitted to me via email at [email protected] Thank you all for being here meeting is adjourned. Ok so we can continue talking Justin Edwards 3:13 PM Doug Emes Thank you for facilitating Doug • 3:13 PM So here are the remaining items to go over, What events do we want to set up in the futuree What do we want for club goals and mission Future club goals And what do we want for our logo design. Justin Edwards 3:14 PM Doug Emes So in scouting our goal is for every boy to achieve first class, not eagle. Do we want to go for technician, for extra? For general as a median? For events I'd like to see about setting up a one day merit badge for radio class, similar to what happens at hamcon and what happens at the Boy Scout Museum Also a quarterly one hour format class facts and myths of amatuer radio Doug • 3:23 PM I primarily meant club goals vs personal goals Justin Edwards 3:26 PM Doug Emes Re: logos. Here are some of other clubs http://www.jimsengraving.com/main/page_ham_art.html Merit badge course would be outreach and funding and education Doug • 3:26 PM Ok Justin Edwards 3:27 PM Doug Emes I have the presentation from 2 years ago tonight I'll see if I can toss it all on the jump server under our committee folder ( with your permission Doug • 3:28 PM Ok that would be good Justin Edwards 3:28 PM Doug Emes Re quarterly one hour format is like a radio 101 course designed to garner interest in the DMS Make it entertaining Doug • 3:29 PM Ok I like that Justin Edwards 3:30 PM Doug Emes Perception of a.r. etc. As for personal, the antenna type I was asking about was the http://www.alexloop.com/1 style Doug • 3:33 PM Pat Hykkonen Ah, magloop antennas. I don't know any DMS members who have one. What's the question about them? Pat • 3:34 PM Doug Emes If any members had one, how well does it work in DFW, etc The portable size factor is nice But that's all I know Doug • 3:35 PM Pat Hykkonen Ok. They are small, and therefore inefficient antennae. They are effective for their purposes. Manual tuning on the AlexLoop. If you move more than a very few kHz in frequency you will have to retune it. Pat • 3:36 PM Doug Emes Ever set up some kind of psuedo permanent antenna mounted onto a cargo trailer? Doug • 3:36 PM Pat Hykkonen I chose a BuddiPole setup as my go-pack antenna. Little more wide-banded. Will cover most of 20m for instance. Pat • 3:37 PM Doug Emes For usage while parked and not while in transit necessarily Doug • 3:37 PM Pat Hykkonen No really. What is the radio you're hooking it up to? Er, not really. Pat • 3:37 PM Doug Emes To be purchased Doug • 3:38 PM Pat Hykkonen Might think of something like a screwdriver antenna to mount on a trailer semi-permanently. That opens up the options. Take a look at the Yaesu all-band-all-mode rigs and their ATAS120 screwdriver antenna. If you want to see one in action I can show you. I have a Yaesu FT-100 with the ATAS-120 in the truck. Covers 40m-70cm. Pat • 3:39 PM Doug Emes Something for boy scout campouts when we are not at certain BSA properties. Each ranger is supposed to be licensed and most camps have a transmission station Doug • 3:39 PM Pat Hykkonen Again, due to size very inefficient antenna system. But it makes contacts! Pat • 3:39 PM Doug Emes Is it $150 <= radio transceiver <= $500? Doug • 3:40 PM Pat Hykkonen Sadly, no. Stand by for links... Yaesu FT-857 ... http://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-0070981 ATAS-120 ... http://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-006315#results1 Those are new prices. Used would be less expensive, but still not within the stated price range. For example, the FT-100 I have in the truck is >15y old but still commands $400-600 in the used market depending on condition. Pat • 3:43 PM Doug Emes Ok so would take a fundraising opportunity for the troop. Thanks Doug • 3:44 PM Pat Hykkonen Welcome! Happy to help! As a suggestion. Might also just approach dealers and see if they will strike a deal for the troop. If you don't ask, they can't say yes! 😀 Pat • 3:45 PM Doug Emes Any current members regular users of echolink? Only person I find on it is Melissa raaumussen, er now Melissa hussel Doug • 3:45 PM Pat Hykkonen I've used EL from time to time when I'm out of town. Or to listen, but not a regular user. Pat • 3:46 PM Pat Hykkonen Doug Emes Oh I'll be in uniform at h com with my radio operator patch sewn on On another note, how about a group field trip to the outlet in Plano or to one of our neighbor clubs like PARC or the Garland one Outreach plus "alliance" building Alright time to wash some dishes I'll ping the hangout once I've uploaded the files Doug • 4:03 PM Ok were in the board meeting Justin Edwards 4:04 PM Doug Emes I figured no worries Wife is on me to do chores anyway Doug • 4:05 PM lol Justin Edwards 4:08 PM Doug Emes Ben you should have the invoice

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