April 2019 Monthly Meeting Minutes

date
2019-04-20
convened
09:32
adjourned
10:45

Officers

  • President:
    Mark Hnatiuk (KG5EYV) present
  • Vice President:
    Phil Gates (N5ZKF) present
  • Secretary:
    Matthew Barry (KG5LYE) present
  • Treasurer:
    Sly Kapchinski (N5GQB) present

Officer Reports

President KG5EYV

  • Raffle tickets available to start selling
  • Club info sheet with prizes
  • Raffle mechanics:
    • Pick preferential prize order
    • Rifle will be fully assembled;
    • has to be picked up from federally licensed firearms dealer
      • retired sheriff
      • club absolved from respnosibility
    • Multiple winnings?
      • Prevent situation like last year where one individual walked away with most of the prizes
      • Hasn’t happened before in the past
      • Don’t change anything
    • Raffle is primary income from club
  • Setup
    • antenna trailer
    • ARES van
    • sign-ins
    • posters
    • ticket sales (meal and raffle): thanks, KG5SDG
    • Food Prep: W5VUI might not be available to do it
      • catered by someone else
      • need someone to pick up
      • Buppy’s Catering: offers discounts to non-profits who help the community
  • Operating 2A; need help to do the following:
    • Copy ARRL bulletin
    • Pass 5 messages: ARES will take care of this
    • CW operators
    • Digital modes (PSK31, RTTY, etc.)
    • Solar power
  • Spreadsheet from last year for assignments
    • Prep one for this year: N5ZKF

Vice President N5ZKF

  • Thanks, W5VUI for all the years of hosting
  • Thanks, W5DPW for hosting this month’s meeting
    • Probably won’t be able to meet at Salvation Army next month
      • Need volunteer to make facility available
        • Open recruiting for any members
      • Alternate locations
        • Fire department again? (too early)
        • Bryan fire department?
        • Library?
        • American Red Cross? (will know before Tuesday net)
  • Repeaters have been quiet lately… Get on the repeaters!
    • promotes the hobby
    • hand out info cards
    • don’t be shy
  • VE Session
    • 1 new Tech
    • 2 upgrades to General
  • Future Presentations
    • Forego presentation at May meeting to dedicate more time to Field Day planning?
    • Low-profile / stealth antennas
  • Club construction project
    • Dual-band twin-feed J-pole
    • abandoned last year due to inability to reproduce results
    • still have materials
    • need volunteers to head up
    • rescheduled for Fall (date TBD)
  • Printed instructions for Mailing List

Secretary KG5LYE

  • Approval of 2019-03-16 minutes
    • motion to approve by K5ZY
    • seconded by KA5HIA
    • passes

Treasurer N5GQB

  • March Statement
    • Beginning balance: $4354.41
    • Checks out: $494
      • Check 1312: $94 – ARRL memberships from prior month
      • Check 1313: $200 – Club insurance (reimburse KG5EYV)
      • Check 1314: $200 – Pavilion rental
    • $30 deposit (membership)
    • Ending balance: $3860.41
  • New members today from meeting and mail
    • Slow to add online, but will get to it as soon as possible
  • Radio in the Park cancelled last week due to bad weather
    • Rescheduled for next weekend (2019-04-27 10:00 @ Tanglewood Park)
    • Bring stuff to show off
    • Weather looks like it’ll cooperate (for now)
  • Still accepting club membership and ARRL memberships
  • Belton Hamfest
    • Average crowd
    • Great weather Friday, but crummy weather Saturday
    • After door prizes, people left in a hurry
    • Sold very few leftover donated items for $2
    • Tried to sell 78 hard-line coax from repeater
      • 70’ brand new; no end connectors
      • 100’ from when repeater was up at Kyle Field; with connectors

New Business

K5ZY

  • Lunch social
    • Golden Corral has meeting room
    • BBQ at KD5DLW’s tower: KA5HIA

Jace from W5AC

  • Replacing tower’s rotor
  • Interest in weather balloons and fox hunting
    • W5BCS has been trying to put together a fox hunt for a while
    • Bring equipment to radio in the park for “training session”

N5SBN

  • Amateur Radio services weren’t needed in Franklin, but we checked in nonetheless
    • Kevin Bolton (N5KNB) has repeater in area 146.960 MHz FM, offset -0.600, PL 146.2
      • never went off the air
    • KH9AI helped with Salvation Army in area

Good of the Order

  • K5JWL now at Langford assisted living
    • still up and around, but declining health
    • wants help setting up DMR / D-STAR
  • Benny doing okay: moved south of College Station
  • Bob Aduddell (W5REA) hanging in there
  • KG5EYV’s wife doing well

Closing

  • Motion to adjourn by K5ZY
    • Seconded by many
    • passes

Next Meeting: 2018-05-18


Presentation by W5DZ: Antenna Tower Safety

  • High risk activity: injury (mild & severe) and death
  • Risk management:
    • Tower collapse
      • For new towers:
        • Adhere to structural building codes
        • Read the manuals!
      • For existing towers
        • Check for loose joints and corrosion
        • Ensure tight guy wires and secure foundation (good concrete, a bit above the ground)
    • falling parts
      • hard hat with chin strap
      • tool bag attached to harness belt
      • stay clear of drop zone: radius equal to tower working height
    • electrocution
      • Stay well away from energized power lines (2x height)
      • never be on a tower with a lightning storm within 6 mi (30 sec between strike and sound)
    • falling from tower
      • Fall from 30’ or more is usually fatal
      • 50’ fall impacts ground at 40 mph in 2 seconds
      • equipment
        • gloves (with fingertips cut off for dexterity)
        • hard hat with chinstrap
        • safety glasses
        • full-body harness
        • hard-soled boots
      • Don’t go up by yourself; have someone on ground
      • Tag line to bring up tools
      • 100% tie off
        • double-lanyard with shock absorption
      • Inspect all equipment before starting work
      • attach d-rings with openings away from tower
    • scrapes and cuts
      • put band-aids in tool pouch
  • use gin pole to lift tower sections and antennas
  • Read Antenna Towers for Radio Amateurs by Don Daso, K4ZA

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