SARA Field Day 2011
WØJH 2004
2019 SARA Executive Officers
New Radio Gear For Some SARA Members!
Split Rock 2013
Release to Listen Award 2013
OXB Special Install
2017 SARA Officers
SARA Does Skywarn
2023 Simonet Memorial Award

BOARD MEETING MINUTES – October 17, 2019

BOARD MEETING MINUTES – October 17, 2019

Stillwater Amateur Radio Association

1618 Pine Street West

Stillwater, Minnesota 55082

 

Roll Call of Officers – All present

President: Joe KCØOIO

The meeting was called to order at 6:08 PM.

Secretary’s Report – Collin KE0IYN

Meeting minutes have been posted.

​Treasurer’s Report – Rich ADØSN

Beginning Balance      09/1/2019                   $2,522.84

Income                                                                  $520.00

Expenses                                                                   $282.11

Ending Balance           9/31/2019                 $2,760.73 (Not including RBP income/expenses)

$16,973.88 (Including RBP income/expenses)

Trustee’s Report – Shel NØDRX

While not due until January, the ARRL affiliation has been processed.

Reports of Committees:

Activities & Events:  Dave WØOXB

Split Rock – the event will be held Nov 1-3rd.  Meal plans have been laid and reservations made.  The food plans are different this year; with no plan to do a meal AT Split Rock.

JOTA at Fred C Anderson Scout Camp – October 19.  N0BJE is point on this.  Has done limited setups in the past, but their person fell through and Brian offered.  We were given the ranger’s blessing to help, and will put out the Scout calling frequencies.  There is also a plan to use a repeater for coordination to help out.  More information about Jamboree can be found on K2BSA’s website.  Also, if willing to help and haven’t been around scouting for a long time, a reminder that there is a 2-deep leadership theme with no 1 person alone with a scout at any time.

Field day is booked for next year.

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.

KKE had an antenna set up with help from Keith AG0H

Meetings & Programs – Joe KCØOIO

October:          SDR dongles, receivers and software – Doug N9TOW and Collin KEØIYN

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.

VE Team – Shel NØDRX

The VE session will take place November 7th at Boutwell’s Landing.

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 will return sometime in October.

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.

Jeff (a person Doug knows) has some Stationmaster that we may be able to obtain and repair for when the repeater moves.  Collin motions to form a working group to investigate repeater sites and issues, Rich seconds.  Dan amends the motion to be just work on finding a new repeater site, Collin Seconds.  Amendment passes with Shel abstaining, all aye.  Motion is now to establish a working group to find a new repeater site.  Motion carries unanimously, group to be determined at a later date.

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; Joe will double check if some information he sent was actually sent and now just need Dave’s collection of information to add last.

Solar Controller for Trailer – It was brought up to get a modern, more capable solar controller for the trailer to go with the solar panel.  An Epic PWRGate was a primary thought at about $180, which could be used to charge batteries, run radios, and do other things.  Safest bet after research is the EPIC PWRGate.

Scout Camp Radio Funding Request to Membership – Nothing new has been addressed on this.

Projector – Collin has acquired but forgot to grab from work for the board meeting; will bring to next meeting.

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.

SARA Report Card – Sara is awesome and cool!

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.

Lew AD0CK Equipment – Wants to give away and has some good working equipment.  Could work as a good starter club equipment item for a new ham.  Anyone interested seeing something good meet with Keith and Mike at Lew’s on the 22nd.

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

Split Rock 2020 – It will be held, either Oct 30-Nov1 or Nov 6-8.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:35 PM.