BOARD MEETING MINUTES – October 17, 2019

Stillwater Amateur Radio Association

1618 Pine Street West

Stillwater, Minnesota 55082

Roll Call of Officers – All present save KE0IYN whom is recovering from surgery.

President: Joe KCØOIO

The meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM.

Secretary’s Report – Collin KE0IYN

Meeting minutes have been posted.

​Treasurer’s Report – Rich ADØSN

Beginning Balance      10/1/2019                   $2,522.84

Income                                                                  $520.00

Expenses                                                                   $282.11

Ending Balance           10/31/2019                 $2,760.73 (Not including RBP income/expenses)

$16,973.88 (Including RBP income/expenses)

Trustee’s Report – Shel NØDRX

Arrangements for Boutwell’s have been made for next year with a verbal agreement.  Pointsettas to be donated to Boutwell’s were discussed and later approved to purchase some.  Liability insurance is due January 1st.

Honorary memberships were approved for Mayor Rudy, N0CIC Bill, and Ryc, President of SEMARC for reciprocity reasons.  SARA has 112 members in 2019.

Reports of Committees:

Activities & Events:  Dave WØOXB

Split Rock – The event was a success with 26 attendees.  Dave W0OXB provided a review of the event overall.

Ice Station W0JH – This was discussed and will be held February 15-17, 2020.

Discussion was had on the opening event for the Stillwater Lift Bridge Trail.  Dough Plunkett had been contacted for radio support for the event.

MAP:  Dave WØOXB

In an effort to plan for MAP projects this year Dave has produced a Project Request & Planning Form that will help prioritize who needs help with a project, what the project is, have the project materials been ordered, how many volunteers are needed, and what the timing is for the project.  Dave also emphasized that MAP is not just for putting up antennas but can include a multitude of other assistance with ham radio projects.

Meetings & Programs – Joe KCØOIO

November:      Baluns, Ununs and Chokes – Dave WØOXB

December:      Reach out to W3QLC, Joe Hibbard, for a program on ham radio in stage/rally races.

January:         SWEEP

March:            The Art of QSL Cards – Randy KD0VKB

April:

May:

Future Ideas:  RPi digital stations; Special interest clubs, SKCC (Straight Key Century Club), County Hunters, QCWA (Quarter Century Wireless Assoc.), 070, OMISS (Old Man International Sideband Society), YLRL (Young Ladies Radio League), Diagnostic tools – analyzers, DMMs, and other gizmos, Propagation-Can I get there from here?, Station grounding, Tuners-Manual vs. Automatic and Care & Feeding, Setting Up Your Shack, New Technicians – Here’s what you can do now.

Room Reservations – John N5JLZ

A new reservation system has been put in used and we are booked up for a while so far.

Eyeball Sessions – Tech Nights

Radios in the Park – tentative dates for 2020 are: May 21 (New Ham Night), June 11, July 2, July 23, August 13, and September 3

Future ideas – Tune a Duplexer N9TOW, Using Toroids to reduce noise and RFI, Learning CW and Building Speed WØGAF, Diagnostic Tools – Using an Oscilloscope, Hand tools for your workbench, How to read the Solar Reports, The “Tech” in Technician, Antenna Lab – Theory & Design Discussions, and SWR Bridge calibration.

Education & Training – Bob WØGAF (not present – teaching the Tech Class)

General Class – Fall 2019 –  There are 4 students in the general class this year.  There is also work being done on a curriculum adjustment as there are more chapters than weeks for general, so some things get doubled up.  We will see how it goes.

Skywarn is planned for February 22nd, with the Tech Class starting Feb 27th, and the VE session April 23rd.

VE Team – Shel NØDRX

The VE session took place and 4 individuals passed.

New Ham Resource Group – Brian NØBJE, Holly KEØRZZ, Mark KEØQQN

It’s been quiet on the New Ham front; both radios are back in club posession for loaning out.

Newsletter & Website – Pat WAØTDA, Dave WØOXB and Holly KEØRZZ

Deadline for October 23rd with publishing by November 1st.

Nets & Roundtables

Nets are going fine so far.  The digital net has returned.

Repeater – Henry KØHAS & Shel NØDRX

We should be looking for a new antenna site since plans are to shut down the current site by 2028.

Remote Bases Technical Committee

All committee members – Pat WAØTDA, Keith AGØH, Eliot KEØN, Bill NØCIC, and Henry KØHAS.

There is some investigation with looking into an MFJ RigPi remote control.

Builders Group

Nothing new.

Unfinished Business

Bring the equipment trailer to Radios in the Park to facilitate planning.

Equipment inventory is being worked on.

Solar Controller for Trailer – A controller was approved for purchase.

New Business

Youth Activities – looking at youth team to operate during Ice Station 2020.

Youth Coordinator – tabling to next moth, see if can’t bring in Owen/other youth.

YOTA – Joe discussed a new international program that is premeiring this year in the US – Youth on the Air or YOTA.  There will be a camp in Ohio this summer for accepted youth to attend.  Discussion was had about donating to the event.

New headphones were discussed and action deferred when Bob W0GAF agreed to buy one of the indicated model sets to try it out.  Bob will report on its suitability for our purposes.

2020 Officers Elections – Nomination at December meeting, election at January meeting.  Collin is stepping down, with Joe (President), Bob (VP), Rich (Treasurer), Doug (Director) all willing to continue in their roles.

AG0H will conduct an audit of the books of SARA in January 2020.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:35 PM.