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The HOTLINE |
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Communicating with MARS |
by Terry Williams KD5KJU |
I hope all of you had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! This
month our speaker will be Dave Martin AAR6JN/K5YFO from the Dallas/Fort
Worth area. Rodney met Dave at last month’s NWS open house and invited him to our
meeting. Dave has been a member of MARS, Military Affiliate Radio System,
for 34 years. Dave will share with us how amateur radio operators in the MARS
program support military communications—for example, how MARS operators supported
the Texas National Guard during Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.
Dave retired as a Colonel with 30 years of Army service. Dave was commissioned in the Infantry from Texas A&M, but most of his career was in signals intelligence, operations and Battle Staff training assignments. First licensed as KN5YFO/KL7 in 1959, Dave joined the Army MARS program in Alaska, and has been active in MARS continuously since 1974. In 34+ years of MARS service, Dave has served as net control (for voice and digital nets), a net training office, Zone Coordinator, State Emergency Officer, Assistant State Director and presently State Mars Director. His other ham interests are QRP construction and Digital modes.
I hope you’ll join me in welcoming Dave to our January Club meeting.
Terry KD5KJU
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President’s Corner |
by Rodney Baden, K5YKC |
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Rodney, K5YKC |
A New Year has begun, and I’m glad to serve as your President in 2009. I have already starting learning and refreshing things about ham radio that were taught to me several years ago. It was fun. Let me urge you to learn or participate in something new or old this year.
We need someone to volunteer to handle special projects and events. We have the Skywarn School on February 7. We will probably have a Technician License Class in April. Please inform your friends and neighbors. Then we have the Susan Komen Run coming up on April 18 and Field Day at Hewitt Park on June 27th & 28th. We need to order t-shirt’s early this year. Then we have the Bearathon Run, and other things that pop up. Before you know it, the year will be gone. Boy, does it go by fast!
We also welcome your suggestions for Meeting programs for the rest of the year. Please make an active effort to help. We need to keep HOTARC healthy and strong. We could have another active year for tornado’s and hurricanes. The Boy Scout motto is “Be Prepared.”
Please call someone in the Club if you need help with radio equipment and antennas. We also have the Members Email list. Please use it. Your fellow members are willing to help you.
Rodney
Baden, K5YKC
HOTARC President
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For the Record... |
HOTARC Annual Meeting of Members
December 4, 2008
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The Treasurer Reports... |
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Heart O’ Texas Amateur Radio Club Beginning Account Balance $ 4,467.70 Income Wild West Century donation $ 500.00 Dues 60.00 Flower fund 175.00 Interest 1.95 TOTAL Income $ 736.95 Expenses Flowers for W5TAH 92.01 Christmas luncheon door prizes 75.76 TOTAL Expenses $ 167.77 Ending Account Balance $ 5,036.88 Outstanding (as of 1-13-2009) Submitted by |
HOTARC’s Annual Meeting was called to order by Rodney Baden K5YKC Thursday, December 4, 2008 at 7:00 pm at the Kultgen Automotive Center of the TSTC Waco campus. Wayne Branscum KD5SMC, opened the meeting with a prayer.
Present were fifteen full members, 1 family member and 2 visitors. Visitors were Larry Black KE5VMF and Eric Martin KC5ENU of Waco.
A motion to approve the Minutes for the October meeting as published in the HOTLINE was recognized from James Jud KA5QKL, with second by Scott Hamilton K5ZOH. The motion was approved by the members.
A motion to approve the October Treasurer’s Report as published in the HOTLINE was recognized from KD5SMC, with second by Jerry Tollison KD5JML. The motion was approved by the members.
Committee Reports:
· ARES: Please try to join the ARRL.
· Trailer: No changes.
· Repeater: No news.
· D-Star: .98 is up and running at DPS, but it is not on the gateway. We need approval for a router. A motion was made by Mike Ross N5MVL, with second by K5ZOH to pay Lynn $30.
· Web page: No news.
· ATV: David Bush KC5UOZ reports everything is working well.
· Education: No news.
· Public Relations: No news.
· Special Events: A chairperson is needed.
Old Business:
· Christmas Luncheon at Noon on December, 13th at the Summer Palace. A motion was made by K5ZOH, with second by KD5JML to use $100 for door prizes.
New Business:
· A motion was made by KD5SMC, with second by N5MVL to leave the dues at $30 for Full Membership and $15 for Associate Membership.
· 147.18 Bosque County Net – Tue at 7:00 PM
· McLennan County Net needs net control ops.
· National Skywarn Day – Dec 6.
· A motion was made by KD5JML, with second by KA5QKL to accept Ralph Ratta K9RWR as a Full Member.
· Elections
o Nominating Committee Report-No further nominations from floor.
o A motion was made by N5MVL, with second by KD5SMC to ask the Secretary to cast one unanimous vote for the slate.
Motion to adjourn was recognized from KD5JML at approximately 7:50 pm.
Submitted by:
Jeremy Neal KE5PRG
HOTARC Secretary
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by Ed Hynan, KC5KNI |
Make your plans to attend SKYWARN
2009 at the Waco Convention Center (Bosque Theater) on Saturday, 7 Feb 2009, 
from
9:00 AM to about 3:30PM. Gary Woodall and staff from the Fort Worth Office of
the National Weather Service will travel to Waco-McLennan County to present the
annual severe weather training program. Both basic and advanced programs will
be presented. McLennan County will be the site of one of the six advanced
sessions presented this year. Coffee and donuts will be provided. Plan to
attend, even if you have attended in the past. A refresher on storm spotting
and reporting techniques will benefit everyone and will serve to prepare the
spotters of the Bakers Dozen Weather Net for another storm season.
Bakers Dozen Weather Net activation procedures remain the same. National Weather service will request spotter activation when observed or potential severe weather threatens the area. The net is automatically activated any time a severe thunderstorm or a tornado warning is issued for McLennan County. As the storm season nears, please be aware of conditions that could lead to net activation. Monitor local television, radio, and the National Weather Service Weather Radio for potential severe events. The net will be activated from the Waco-McLennan County EOC, or by one of the ARES Net Control Stations until the EOC can be opened.
Things can happen fast when
spotting. As activation is a result of a warning, reports should relate
directly to the type of warning issued. For severe thunderstorm warnings: winds
of more than 50 mph and any size hail (using coins for size) should be reported
with exact location and time of occurrence. For tornado warnings: wall clouds,
wall clouds with rotation, funnel clouds, and tornados on the ground should be
reported, again with exact location and time of occurrence. In the case of an
actual tornado on the ground, direction and speed of movement are needed. Report
any visible damage and/or injuries associated with either type of storm. All
other weather related reports should be held until requested by net control.
Good training and continued excellent spotter participation should see us through the severe weather season.
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It's time to renew your HOTARC membership! |
The HOTLINE is the monthly newsletter of the Heart O’ Texas Amateur Radio Club (HOTARC), Inc., a nonprofit corporation, chartered by the State of Texas and principally located in Waco. It is permissible to use any of the original material contained herein, provided proper credit is given to the source.
Edited and Published by John Chamberlain AC5CV, AC5CV@arrl.net
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2009 Board of Directors |
HOTARC 2009 Board of Directors
President: Rodney Baden K5YKC, 857-9760, K5YKC@arrl.net
Vice Pres: Terry Williams KD5KJU, 662-2438, pumpman_rpss@yahoo.com
Secretary: Jeremy Neal KE5PRG, 881-2123, JeremyLeeNeal@gmail.com
Treasurer: Norris Martin KB5SLI, 829-2138, KB5SLI@flash.net
Past-Pres.: Wayne Branscum KD5SMC, 857-3964, wbscum@grandecom.net
Director (2009): Mike Ross N5MVL, 836-1083, N5MVL@juno.com
Director (2010): Ed Hynan KC5KNI, 666-4873, KC5KNI@arrl.net
Director (2011): Ed Middlebrook KC5NT, 826-4053, KC5NT@arrl.net
145.15 MHz (input at –600 kHz, tone 123 Hz)
146.98 MHz (input at –600 kHz, D-Star)
442.875 MHz (input at +5.0 MHz, tone 123 Hz)
ATV: 421.25MHz (Cable 57), input 439.25 MHz (Cable 60)
Next session is scheduled for Saturday January 24, 2009 10:00 AM. Location: Baylor’s Rogers Engineering and Computer Science Bldg (#70 on the map), Room 109. Bring: 1) testing fee of $15 (cash only); 2) a photo ID (two for first-time licensees); and for already licensed amateurs: 3) current license and photocopy of it; and 4) photocopy of any relevant CSCE. Contact: Linda Hynan, AC5QQ at 666-4873 or Linda.Hynan@UTSouthwestern.edu.
Meeting NoticeThe next Meeting of HOTARC Members will be at 7:00 pm on Thursday January 22, 2009 in the Kultgen Automotive Center of the TSTC Waco Campus. Visiting hams, family members, and prospective hams are welcomed! |
Ready for
stormy weather?
SKYWARN 2009: Sat Feb 7