MEMBERSHIP MEETING MINUTES – December 11, 2021
MEMBERSHIP MEETING MINUTES – December 11, 2021
Stillwater Amateur Radio Association
The Membership Meeting took place virtually via Webex due to the Friday into early morning Saturday snowstorm that had accumulations of over 15 inches in the Stillwater area.
President: Joe KCØOIO
The meeting was called to order at 9:23 AM.
Joe KCØOIO welcomed all attending via Webex.
Program:
POTA/Parks of the Air – hosted by Joe KCØOIO
Using a slide deck prepared by Andy W5KZJ and Julie Ann K8VOX, Joe provided a nice overview of the POTA program. Joe noted that POTA had its origination in the highly-successful ARRL-sponsered National Parks on the Air program in 2016, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park system. POTA is officially a 501(c)3 radio-sport program, and can be found at its website www.parksontheair.com.
Essentially, there are two roles in the POTA program: The “activator” and the “hunter.” That is, the person who goes to the park and gets on the air; and the person sitting in their shack who contacts the activator. There are over 10,000 locations in the United States and Canada listed on the POTA website as qualifying parks. Bob WØGAF noted that the hunter does not have to do anything other than make contact with the activator as the activator will post all contacts to the POTA website. The hunter only needs to register with the POTA website to use the contacts for awards. The POTA website provides a dandy spotter listing, so you can find activators easily. Joe noted that when the club spotted itself on 17 meters for the special event, contacts multiplied exponentially.
To qualify as an activation, the activator must make ten QSOs in one UTC day on any or all bands. No exchange, such as signal reports, is necessary to qualify as a contact. In certain circumstances you can activate more than one park at a time. For example, as the Edmund Fitzgerald Special Event Split Rock Lighthouse State Park setup was within 100 feet of the Gichi-Gami State Trail, the activation counted as a “two-fer.” Park-to-Park contacts are often given priority over general contacts. The activator submits logs in ADIF format to the “call area coordinator” for the contacts to be “official.” Bob suggested using ADIF master, a free software, for managing your ADIF file.
Joe noted that state facilities are a bit more lenient as far as using trees, etc., for antenna supports and equipment installation than federal properties. If you plan to activate a federal installation, it is recommended that you have self-supporting antennas and associated equipment. Joe discussed equipment you may want to carry with you on your activation, including such things as flashlights, bug dope, etc.
Brad VE3MXJ stated that POTA gives you an excuse to get out and see some of the local, and not so local, parks that you would not usually visit. Plus, it gets you out and operating. A map on the POTA website of parks in and around Brad’s QTH reveals just how many places are available within an easy driving distance for activation.
Speaking of awards, POTA provides awards both to activators and hunters. Contacts can be in any mode, including FT8.
Joe floated the idea of perhaps having a club challenge for 2022 for both POTA activating and hunting. Further discussion will be had.
Members thanked Joe for the program, as well as Bob and Brad for their contributions. The program concluded at 10:17 AM.
Business Session:
Joe KCØOIO then called the Business Session to order at 10:20 AM.
Secretary’s Report: Dave N9JNQ
The general minutes from the Membership and Board meetings are posted on the SARA website. Please report any corrections or additions to: Secretary@radioham.org
Treasurer’s Report: Rich ADØSN
Beginning Total Balance: 011/01/2021 $17,889.76
- SARA
Balance: $6,132.42
Income:
Expenses:
Ending Balance: 09/30/2021 $6,468.50
- RBF
Balance: $11,757.34
Income: $0.00
Expenses: $0.00
Ending Balance: 11/30/2021 $11,757.34
Ending Total Balance: 11/30/2021 $18,225.84
Rich ADØSN reports additional activity since the beginning of December, in the form of dues income and expenses for the ARRL club liability insurance and meeting room rental at Boutwells Landing through May of 2022, which will appear in next month’s Treasurer’s report.
Activities & Events
Tech Topic Thursdays
Tech Topic Thursdays take place virtually via Webex on the first Thursdays of the month. The topic for January 6, 2022, will be Digital Modes Tips & Tricks, presented and facilitated by Joe KCØOIO with help from Mike KFØCCL. Joe noted that the club may switch to using Zoom in the future as opposed to Webex as it is cheaper and more user friendly.
Board Meetings
The Board meeting will take place this coming Wednesday December 15, 2021, at 6:30 PM via Webex. Future board meetings will take place “as scheduled.”
Thursday Eyeball Sessions
The Stillwater Public Library is available for our Thursday Eyeball Sessions, with the room reserved for: December 16, 23, and 30; January 13, 20, 27. The eyeballs run from 6:00 PM until 7:50 PM. There was a good turn-out for the December 8, 2021, eyeball.
Special Events
Edmund Fitzgerald Special Event – Dave WØOXB reported that the QSL certificates have gone out, thanks to the processing by Shel NØDRX and the digitizing by Bob WØGAF. The club received many nice comments from participants, many of which can be seen in the December newsletter. If any member who did not work the special event station but who wants a copy of the certificate can gladly have one by contacting Dave. The tentative date for next year’s event is November 4-6, 2022. While the Park is not taking reservations a year out these days, Shel NØDRX will be letting them know when we plan to come and hopefully, as in the past, the Park will unofficially “penciled” us in.
Ice Station WØJH Special Event – Dave WØOXB noted that our location host Dave KØAIF has given the thumbs up for the event to take place over Presidents Day weekend, February 19-21, 2022. Come on out to work the event or just to visit and see how it is done in the snow, ice, and cold. The Special Event can already be found listed on the ARRL website, and is scheduled to be published in the February 2022 edition of QST.
Member Support/Assistance Initiatives: M.A.P. & Ham Resource Group (HRG) & More
M.A.P. & HRG – Joe KCØOIO reminded members that these services are out there and available to the membership.
Groups.io – Remember that the SARA email reflector group is now online at https://groups.io/g/StillwaterMNAmateurRadioAssoc. This reflector is available to SARA members only, so you should apply at the groups.io site and you will be given access by the site moderator.
DX News: Mike NØODK
Joe KCØOIO reports that planning and implementation of various DXpeditions is picking up a bit. Also, today is the ARRL 10 meter Contest.
Get the latest DX news by subscribing to the ARRL DX News www.arrl.org/contest. Also check out www.ng3k.com for DX. For contests try the WA7BNM Contest Calendar contestcalendar.com.
Remote Stations: Pat WAØTDA
Pat WAØTDA has a nice write-up on the status of the remote stations in the December SARA Signals Newsletter. Everyone is encouraged to take a look at the article. The crew is still working on the 40 meter RFI issue at the WØEQO remote station at the Scout Camp in Park Rapids, MN.
Newsletter: Pat WAØTDA & Dave WØOXB
A thanks to Pat and all contributors for their hard work getting out this month’s issue.
We really need content from authors other than the regulars, we should not have to rely solely on the small group for material. Please consider submitting an article, or even just photos, for publication.
Club Business:
Nomination for club officers: Nominations for club officers were made as follows:
President: Dave N9JNQ nominated Joe KCØOIO; seconded by Ray KØZZT. Joe accepted the nomination. There were no other nominations.
Vice-President: Dave WØOXB nominated Bob WØGAF; seconded by Brad VE3MXJ. Bob accepted the nomination. There were no other nominations.
Secretary: Bob WØGAF nominated Dave N9JNQ; seconded by Ray KØZZT. Dave accepted the nomination. There were no other nominations.
Treasurer: Zack AAØU nominated Rich ADØSN; seconded by Dave N9JNQ. Rich accepted the nomination. There were no other nominations.
Director: Dave WØOXB nominated Brad VE3MXJ; seconded by Dave N9JNQ. Brad accepted the nomination. There were no other nominations.
Bob WØGAF made a motion to close the nominations; seconded by Dave N9JNQ. By a show of electronic hands, the nominations were closed and the slate of candidates was accepted by the membership. The election of club officers will take place at the January 8, 2022 membership meeting.
Joe thanked Doug N9TOW for his service as Director over the past several years.
Round Robin Ragchews: Dave WØOXB reported that conditions on the “Top Band” have not be great recently, and last night the group moved to 15 meters (21.316 Mhz) and found conditions much better, although not as long as the lower bands provide.
White Elephant Exchange: With today’s in-person meeting canceled due to the weather, the traditional White Elephant Exchange has been rescheduled for the January 8, 2022 membership meeting. Dig through your shack and see what you have that needs to be moved on to a new home. The Flying Pig has roosted in its current location long enough, here is hoping to see the pig emerge from its long COVID hibernation.
Wearables: Do not forget that SARA-labeled hats, shirts, jackets, and other wearables are available from www.hamthreads.com. SARA members will receive a discount on all orders.
The business meeting was adjourned at 10:45AM.
Virtual Meeting attendance: 20