November 2017 Monthly Meeting Minutes

Date
2017-11-18
Convened
09:36
Adjourned
11:06

Officers

  • President: Paul Bilke (KF5WGJ) present
  • Vice President: Mark Hnatiuk (KG5EYV) absent
  • Secretary: Matthew Barry (KG5LYE) present
  • Treasurer: Sly Kapchinski (N5GQB) present

Attendees (26)

  • Ernie Pyle (KI5WG)
  • Kathy Pyle (KB5QWS)
  • James Worster (NV5S)
  • Marty Nau (W5MHN)
  • Joe Napoli (KG5SDF)
  • Vic Pears (KX8V)
  • Avery McIntosh (N7ALM)
  • Jonathan Graham (KD5TEF)
  • Kevin Phillips (W5TTY)
  • Dick Zimmer (W5DZ)
  • Phil Gates (N5ZKF)
  • Tom Small (N1TOV)
  • Brad Snyder (KG5SDE)
  • Ralph Cobb (W5RYC)
  • John “Pocat” Walpole (K5ZY)
  • Marvin Lowman (KG5MCN)
  • Clark Pennington (KC5BHM)
  • Jim Laird (KF5YY)
  • Matthew Barry (KG5LYE)
  • Jerry Golub (KF5HUY)
  • Gerald Golub (W5VUI)
  • Ron Hambric (N5SBN)
  • Harold Turbyfill (KG5SDG)
  • Dwayne Walters (KG5LYG)
  • Mike Wisby (KA5HIA)
  • Sly Kapchinski (N5GQB)

Officer Reports

President KF5WGJ

  • Elections next month’s meeting
    • 2017-12-16

Nominations (N5ZKF)

  • Not enough nominations, but here’s what we have so far:
  • President
    • Mark Hnatiuk (KG5EYV)
  • Vice-President
    • (no nominations)
  • Secretary
    • Matthew Barry (KG5LYE)
  • Treasurer
    • Sly Kapchinski (N5GQB) (wishes to step down)

Vice President KG5EYV

  • Excused for a wedding in Tennessee

Secretary KG5LYE

  • Will not be able to make next meeting (retreat)

Approval of Minutes

  • Amendent to change “voting at next meeting” to “December”
    • Motion by KG5LYE to amend as described
    • Seconded by N5ZKF
    • Passes unanimously
  • Motion to accept as amended by N5ZKF
    • Seconded by KD5TEF
    • Passes Unanimously

Treasurer N5GQB

  • Account Report
    • end september: $6316.93
      • 2 checks cleared
        • $69.99 – TLS certificate renewal
        • $28.42 – donut fund shortage
          • 67.93 spent
          • 39.51 in tip jar
    • end october: $6233.53
      • no deposits
  • Bill Fisher (W5WMF) card

  • W5BCS call sign renewal
    • 2018-02-28
    • ARRL handles renewals
  • Elections
    • Only full members can vote (not associate or sub-members under family membership)
  • Membership Renewals
    • Starting next meeting 2017-12-16
    • Online payment? (absorb PayPal fee or raise price)

New Business

Repeater Updates

  • KD5DLW Repeater Frequency Change
    • New frequency: 443.425
    • Everything else (offset, PL tone) stays the same
    • Frequencies of other things on tower are same (as far as we know)
  • W5BCS Repeater
    • Need new coax and antenna
    • Position on new tower will be at the top!
  • Saltgrass Repeater languishing

Full Report W5DZ

  • Current Club repeater info
    • Skyline Communications Tower (KD5DLW) at Texas Ave and Mitchell St
    • Current Height 200 ft on east side
  • New Tower will be built next to current tower
    • our antenna will be at top (330 ft)
  • Feedline requirements
    • 450 ft in length
    • 7/8 in Hardline Eupen ECS-50-A
    • Attenuation at 150 MHz is 0.429 dB / 100 ft (2 db loss for the whole line)
    • cost: $2.40 / ft
    • connectors: $30 ea
  • Antenna requirements
    • Old antenna:
      • 29 yr old Decible Products DB224E
      • SWR looked okay, but intermittent short in phasing harness (unrepairable)
      • Decible Products now out of business
    • Need new (commercial-grade) antenna
      • Not cheap, but will last
      • Telewave, Inc. ANT140F2
        • Ham pricing: significant discount
        • $594, 5 yr warranty
        • Wide bandwidth, low SWR
        • 3.0 dBd
        • Radio Mobile program propagation coverage
          • 25 mi radius
  • Approximate cost: $3834
    • $1080 – feedline
    • $60 – Connectors
    • $594 – Antenna
    • $1800 – Installation
    • $300 – Shipping
  • Motion by W5VUI to allocate $4000 (not to exceed)
    • Seconded by N5ZKF
    • Passes

Christmas Parade (N5SBN)

  • 2017-12-03 morning and afternoon
    • TAMU lots 50, 51 near Polo Rd (intersection of S College and University Dr)
    • Meet at 08:30
    • Breakfast at McDonalds at 07:30
  • Lots of help needed! (esp. between 12:00 and 15:00)
    • Logistics and line-up preparation
    • Communications
      • Simplex 145.465 MHz FM
    • Putting up barricades and signs
    • Lining up floats at positions in lots
    • Floats dismiss at 14:00
  • info meeting 2017-11-27 18:30 (Monday) at Red Cross on Boonville Rd
  • Smaller parade this year (expecting 75 floats) than last year (had about 100 floats)

Closing

  • Motion by N5ZKF to adjourn
    • seconded by W5VUI
    • passes unanimously

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