BOARD MEETING MINUTES – September 13, 2023
BOARD MEETING MINUTES – September 13, 2023
Stillwater Amateur Radio Association
This was a Zoom online meeting.
Roll Call of Officers – Present: Joe KCØOIO, Bob WØGAF, Shel NØDRX, Dave N9JNQ, Rich ADØSN, Brad VE3MXJ, Brian KØPU.
President: Joe KCØOIO
The meeting was called to order at 6:40 PM.
Secretary’s Report – Dave N9JNQ
The previous Board Meeting and Membership Meeting minutes can be found posted to the club website. Dave N9JNQ indicated that the May 2023 Membership meeting minutes still need to be posted and will be done shortly.
Treasurer’s Report – Rich ADØSN
Beginning Total Balance: 05/01/2023 $18,884.78
- SARA
Balance: $6,856.44
Income:
Expenses:
Ending Balance: 08/31/2023 $6,335.09
- RBF
Balance: $12,028.34
Income: $0.00
Expenses: $60.00
Ending Balance: 08/31/2023 $11,968.34
Ending Total Balance: 08/31/2023 $18,303.43
Income for the month of August for the SARA account includes:
- Dues: $90.00
- Cups and decals: $0.00
- 50/50 Raffle: $0.00
- Donations: $0.00
Expenses for the SARA account for the month of August include:
- VW session space rental: $25.00
- AV equipment: $320.38
- POTA donation: $100.00
- General Class license manuals: $53.06
Rich ADØSN reports the treasury status is unchanged from the September 9, 2023 Membership Meeting statement. Rich noted that he has yet to receive an invoice for reimbursement for food for Field Day from Collin KEØIYN. Collin has misplaced the receipts, but says the expenditure was in the neighborhood of $140.00. Rich has sent a couple of follow-up emails to Collin regarding the expenditure. If Collin is unable to find the receipts, the Board can consider an exception for reimbursement.
Trustee’s Report – Shel NØDRX
Shel NØDRX reported that the annual report was sent in this week.
Shel would like to pass the repeater trustee role on to another person who may be more involved in 2 meter activity. Shel does not use the repeater often and suggests it would be better for the role to be taken by someone who is interested in it. Shel reports that he has not been to a repeater council meeting in three or four years.
Reports of Standing Committees:
Activities & Events: Dave WØOXB & Bob WØGAF
Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald Special Event – Dave WØOXB noted that this will be the 19th year of this special event. It will take place November 3 through 5, 2023. Joe KCØOIO has sent an email reporting that the Mariner Motel is back in business and taking reservations. Dave has received confirmations from 14 people who say they will be attending. Two additional members noted that they would be attending. Brian KØPU is willing to occupy the hospitality suite again with a roommate he has in mind. He may be a late arrival, however. Dave would like an individual or two to be mentors for the new operators. This will be addressed at the committee level. Bob WØGAF agreed to coordinate the on-site POTA aspect of the event. Any off-site POTA activity will need to be coordinated by someone else. Joe noted that POTA does credit both WØJH and the operator’s call sign for each POTA QSO. Bob will put together a paragraph for an upcoming email on the POTA aspect of the event.
Discussion was had on payment of the expenses for the event. It was decided that the gas expense incurred for hauling the trailer to the site should be a separate expense item, as it differs by who does the hauling. That is, some do not ask for reimbursement, some ask for partial payment, and others the club has reimbursed in full. It was also agreed that the club would pay for one-third of the hospitality suite rental for two nights as it is used by the group on two of the evenings. It was noted that the hospitality suite runs somewhat over $100.00 a night, limiting the club’s expense to less than $100.00 total for the two nights.
Dave N9JNQ made a motion that the club budget $350.00 for the purchase of food, water, firewood, and to pay for one-third of the rental of the hospitality suite at the Mariner for two nights. Brad VE3MXJ seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
Field Day 2024 – Joe KCØOIO reported that Tim KFØJEL and Ray KFØERD have agreed to co-chair the field day event for 2024. It will take place June 23-24, 2024.
2023 SARA POTA Challenge – Bob W0GAF reported he has nothing more to report since the September 9, 2023 Membership Meeting.
On Air Activities – All is going well with the round robin ragchews.
Summers in the Park – SARA’s summers in the park went very well. We have a bonus park eyeball at Autumn Hills Park on Thursday September 14, 2023 due to the great weather predicted. We will then shift back to the Library for the weekly eyeballs.
Education and Training – Bob WØGAF
General Class – Bob WØGAF reports that the General Class will get underway of September 21. Dan KEØIYF has been doing a yeoman’s job of securing the class rooms, which has been difficult. Bob has contacted and gotten responses from most of the instructors regarding the calendar; if he does not hear from an instructor, he will assume the date is good for them. At the moment, we have six people on the distribution list. Bob and Greg KØGW will be handling the first session.
VE Team – Shel NØDRX
Shel NØDRX reported that the upcoming VE session, scheduled for November 16, 2023, will take place in the Town Hall rather than the usual room at Boutwells Landing due to lack of availability. We are well staffed with VEs who have volunteered for the session. The test date has been listed on the ARRL calendar.
Reports of Work Groups:
Website: Collin KEØIYN & Bob WØGAF
Joe KC0OIO reports that the website is operating fine.
Newsletter – Pat WAØTDA, Dave WØOXB
Pat WAØTDA noted that, with the moved-up Membership meeting scheduled for October 7, we will need to get articles to him by September 30.
Repeater – Shel N0DRX, Henry K0HAS, Doug N9TOW
Nothing to report.
Remote Bases Technical Committee – Pat WAØTDA
Pat WAØTDA noted that the WØJH station has passed its test and is boxed up ready to be send up to Hayward, WI. Pat has prepared a “quick start guide” for setting it up and getting it on the air. Brian KB9TTB agreed to pick up the package from Pat’s place in Woodbury.
The Remote Bases Technical Committee has yet to agree upon a software application to remotely operate the station. It appears the group may be leaning toward Splashtop remote access support software. Bill NØCIC has his own individual version of Splashtop that he uses for the WØEQO remote station at the Scout Camp, as does Pat. Elliot KEØN also is familiar with Splashtop, using the Business Pro version. The Board stated that the software should be the best for operating the station as there are adequate funds in the Remote Base account. Splashtop Business Pro runs approximately $100.00 per year, and provides for three operators to control ten computers. In comparison, the basic Splashtop software costs $60.00 per year, but only allows for one operator to control three stations. With Brian KB9TBB and Pat as the primary operators of the base station, the Business Pro package appears to be the better choice. Pat stated that he typically needs remote intervention two to three times a month, often to add users. The Board will leave it to the Committee to make a recommendation as to what software to purchase.
Brian provided Joe with a wish list of items needed for the station location, including a large truck box, safety vents, a power strip, an Ethernet cable, an AC input jack, and a cooling rack. A fan can be secured for the interior of the box later as the station should stay cool through this winter. The shopping list is approximately $350.00. No membership vote or motion is necessary to make this expenditure from the Remote Base account. Joe proposes that these materials be ordered and delivered directly to Brian. The Board agreed with this course of action.
Also needed for the antenna build is a lightning arrestor, 300 foot of copper clad antenna wire at approximately $1.65 per foot, 100 feet of ladderline at approximately $1.18 per foot, a Balun Design 4114 4:1 balun at $95.00. The Board agreed to this list of necessary items.
M.A.P and NHRG: Dave WØOXB & Brian NØBJE
M.A.P. – Nothing to report.
NHRG – Nothing to report
Groups.io and Discord
All operating well and being used.
Meetings & Programs – Joe KCØOIO
Program Planning Team – Dave N9JNQ reported that programs are tentatively secured through the February 2024 Membership Meeting. A program on grounding will be the next meeting topic, with a Zoom presentation on AMSAT to follow in November, and a discussion of EMP (electromagnetic pulse) lined up for December. The SWEEP event in January and the POTA Challenge Awards ceremony in February will follow. We have a couple of possible presenters for the latter half of winter and the spring.
Room Reservations – Dan KFØIYF
Joe KCØOIO noted that, with the Stillwater Public Library now only accepting reservations 90 days out, Dan KFØIYF has had a tougher time securing the usual room for our Thursday Eyeball sessions. As a result, some of those sessions will take place at the Lake Elmo Public Library. Thanks Dan for your continued efforts.
Unfinished Business
MN ARC Leaders Group/ARRL MN Section Conference – Bob WØGAF, the Credential Manager for the event, reported that the Section Conference will take place at the Hennepin Technical College in Brooklyn Park, MN on October 14, 2023. It is primarily going to be an education opportunity rather than a hamfest/swap meet. It is being aimed at newer hams. Online registration is now available, and lunch will be included with the price of admission for those who register by October 8. Cost is $30.00 through September 30; $40.00 October 1 through the 14th.
SARA is a founding sponsor and, as a result, will have a table at the event. The club is looking for volunteers to man the table. There was a discussion of having information on the club as well as a poster board with club information. Joe KCØOIO will work on a board for the event. There was a discussion of having swag to give away or a raffle. It was suggested that perhaps a few of the club mugs could be raffled off. We also have POTA stickers for giveaway.
Inventory of New Ham Resources Group Equipment – Brian KØPU is planning on getting the inventory done and shifting the equipment over to Shane WØNKA. Rich ADØSN noted that it was decided by the Board at an early meeting that no expenditures would be authorized for the NHRG until the inventory is completed.
Purchase of the two 40 ah Bioenno Batteries – Joe KCØOIO reported that the purchase of the two 40ah Bioenno batteries as approved by membership at the September Membership Meeting will cost $827.00, including the tax. They will be purchased from Ham Radio Outlet, which provides free shipping. Joe will have them delivered and will store them at his QTH.
New Business
None.
Rich ADØSN made a motion to adjourn the meeting; the motion was seconded by Dave N9JNQ; the motion passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 8:28 PM.