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The HOTLINE
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byJohn Chamberlain, AC5CV |
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Do you fancy yourself to be a budding woodworker or machinist? Do you have all kinds of ideas for gadgets, fix’er ups, or even inventions swirling around in your head…if only you had the right equipment and skills to make it happen? If you’re nodding your head, then consider this…
Our own Larry Bush W5NCD has a sparkling—and very generous—plan swirling around in his head that he hopes to bring to pass this year. Larry has an idea to place an abundance of woodworking, metalworking, and electronics-working hardware and software into the hands of a new Handyman Club meeting at a new clubhouse in the Waco area. Club Members would have access to the Clubhouse and all of its equipment and facilities. This would include items such as:
• Woodworking: table saw, planer, band saw, sander, drill press, lathe
• Metalworking: lathe, vertical milling machine, CNC mill, drill press, band saw, metal brake, shear, welding equipment
• Electronics: oscilloscope, multimeter, signal generator, frequency meter, Bird wattmeter, solder station
• Computer software: AutoCAD 2010, Alibre Design 12.0, Adobe Dreamweaver CS4
Larry goal is to pair up retired craftsmen with skills as machinists, cabinet makers, welders, electronic engineers, painters, PC experts, photographers, etc. with unskilled Club members who have a project idea and zeal to learn. In addition, there is a good chance this Clubhouse could become HOTARC’s new home for monthly meetings, training sessions, and equipment storage, as Larry plans to make this a ham-friendly environment with a HF/VHF/UHF ham station and tower.
Sound interesting? Larry will offer a short presentation at this month’s HOTARC meeting. Come hear the latest news!
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President’s Corner |
by Rodney Baden, K5YKC |
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I guess the first thing is to tell you is that the doctors say I am doing fine. But they don’t have to be around me like my wife does. :-) She has been my biggest supporter. We have both had some tears and laughs together, and I imagine they won’t be the last. My first part of the day is fine but the second part is filled with some pain, knitting and putting me back together. Sometimes it is very uncomfortable. We get to bed before 9:00 PM almost every night just to let me get “horizontal” and rest. I need to start calming down by 7:30 PM just to get comfortable and take my night medicines (pills). Yuck!
So, since I am not healing as fast as I thought I would, I need to step aside and let someone else take over the reins for now. I can still do a lot from home and can probably help with morning events. But afternoon must be devoted to the Lord, my family, and healing this old body. I am not going to be able to make many night time functions that are any distance from home. Even close to home, I can only stay for a little while. So, I must pass the reins to another to serve as HOTARC President. I hope you all understand and know you will support whoever serves as HOTARC President. My suggestion is Doc Hamilton K5ZOH, our Vice-President. He has done an outstanding job at V.P. for the past three months and I believe he will make a wonderful President.
If I am feeling good Thursday night, Larry Carlson KC5JWD has offered to bring me to the meeting. We won’t be able to stay for long. I will just have to see how I feel around 6:00 PM Thursday. I won’t be able to preside. I just don’t have the strength or stamina right now. I trust you understand.
Now, I’d like you to turn your attention to another one of our outstanding members (we have a lot of ‘em!) who is having some health issues: Jim Jud, KA5QKL, is mostly in bed on his back. As you read in his email, he fell a couple of weeks ago and is waiting for test results. Jim, has been our Special Events Coordinator: he must get well, too. Please pray for him and his family. John Chamberlain AC5CV has agreed to pick up the Race for the Cure. Anyone else willing to coordinate the other couple Special Events this year?
Rodney K5YKC
HOTARC President
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For the Record... |
HOTARC
Meeting of Members
March 24, 2011
HOTARC’s March Meeting was called to order by Scott Hamilton K5ZOH on Thursday March 24th 2011 at 7:01 pm at the Kultgen Automotive Center of the TSTC Waco campus. Wayne Branscum KD5SMC opened the meeting with a prayer. Present were 18 full members.
A motion to approve the Minutes for the February meeting as published in the HOTLINE was recognized from Jim Judd KA5QKL, with second by Jim Finch AE5WP. The motion was approved by the members.
A motion to approve the February Treasurer’s Report as published in the HOTLINE was recognized from Wayne Branscum KD5SMC, with second by Jim Judd KA5QKL. The motion was approved by the members.
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The Treasurer Reports... |
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Heart
O’ Texas Amateur Radio Club Beginning Account Balance $ 8,591.55 Income Dues $ 60.00 Interest 0.31 TOTAL Income $ 60.31 Expenses PayPal fees $ 2.47 TOTAL Expenses $ 2.47 Ending Account Balance $ 8,649.39 Uncleared
activity (as of 4/17/2011) Submitted
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Committee Reports:
· ARES: No News.
· Trailer: Mike Ross N5MVL reported that we haven’t used the trailer in a while, but everything should be ready to go if needed.
· Repeater: Norris Martin KB5SLI reported that he found a DB224-E antenna and mount to replace the damaged one on top of the Waco PD for $621 shipped, or a second place that has them for $700. Mike Ross N5MVL made a motion to approve up to $800 to replace the damaged antenna, with second from Bill Feltenberger KD5UEW. The motion was approved by the members.
· D-Star: John Chamberlain AC5CV reported that he talked to Lynn Gustafson KD5DZU and everything is working well on the D-Star repeater.
· Web page: John Chamberlain AC5CV reported that everything is working fine.
· ATV: No News.
· Education: Clint Anderson AE5CA reported that we are probably going to aim to have a Technician Class in May.
· Public Relations: No News.
New Business:
· Suggestions for new places to hold our monthly HOTARC meetings included the Calvary Baptist Church and the Salvation Army. After some discussion about the two places Jim Judd KA5QKL made a motion to use the Salvation Army for our new meeting place. The motion was seconded by Mike Ross N5MVL and approved by the members. We will start using the new meeting place in May.
· A membership application was received from Glenn Finch AE5WO for full membership. A motion was made by Norris Martin KB5SLI to accept, with second by Jim Judd KA5QKL. The motion was approved by the members.
· Clint Anderson AE5CA gave a presentation about the House Bill HR607 that will take a good portion of our 440 band and repurpose it for emergency response. A motion was made by Clint Anderson to donate $250 to the ARRL Spectrum Defense Fund to fight this bill, seconded by John Hulbert AE5PZ, and approved by the members.
Motion to adjourn was recognized from Bill Feltenberger KD5UEW at approximately 8:02 pm.
Submitted by:
Jeremy Neal KE5PRG
HOTARC Secretary
Need Additional Net (BDWN) Controls |
by Ed Hynan, KC5KNI |
With the many new Club members, it is time to open the doors to new Net Control volunteers for the Baker’s Dozen Weather Net (BDWN).
Currently, we have three active Net Controls that operate the
BDWN from the Waco-McLennan County Emergency Operations Center: Terry KD5KJU, Clint
AE5CA and Ed KC5KNI. The Nets are run from the Waco-McLennan County Emergency 
Operations
Center. We really need at least two additional Net Controls. This would give us
more flexibility and allow monthly or weekly primary and alternate individuals
to be scheduled. Whenever requested by National Weather Service, individuals would
need to be available to call the Net during their scheduled period.
Minimum requirements for Net Control volunteers include:
- SKYWARN attendance within last two years.
- Completion of FEMA Courses – IS-100, IS-200, IS-700, and IS-800.
- Ability to satisfy the requirements for access to the EOC.
This is an excellent opportunity to contribute in an important and fast paced environment. The local community and the National Weather Service (NWS) depend on the BDWN for current up-to-the-minute reports of weather happening in the immediate area. Spotter reports that you relay to NWS have a direct bearing on warnings to be issued, extended, cancelled, or just allowed to expire. A BDWN Net Control could easily advance to become a disaster response Net Control. And you will have a first-hand experience seeing exactly how amateur radio fits the emergency response organization.
If you would like the opportunity to train and serve as a BDWN Net Control or have any questions as to what is required, please let me know via e-mail: KC5KNI@arrl.net. I look forward to hearing from you.
Race for the Cure: Can You Volunteer? |
by Jim Judd,
KA5QKL |
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Once again, it’s time for the Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure: this Saturday April 30. Same as last year, there will be three races in one: 1-mile, 5-km, and 10-km. The multiple races are really more of a headache for the race organizers than for us, however we still want to provide communications at the rest stops. We definitely need your help. As noted via email, due to health problems, I must temporarily suspend my activity as Chairman. But John Chamberlain AC5CV has offered to fill in for this event. So, please contact John as soon as you can to indicate your availability to participate for a few hours on the morning of Saturday April 30. He’ll discuss details at the April meeting. Thanks!
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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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2011 Board of
Directors |
HOTARC 2011 Board of Directors
President: Rodney Baden K5YKC, 857-9760, RBaden@hot.rr.com
Vice Pres: Scott Hamilton K5ZOH, 717-0755, drpshamilton@gmail.com
Secretary: Jeremy Neal KE5PRG, 881-2123, JeremyLeeNeal@gmail.com
Treasurer: Norris Martin KB5SLI, 829-2138, KB5SLI@flash.net
Past-Pres.: John Chamberlain, 855-7731, AC5CV@arrl.net
Director (2011): Larry Carlson KC5JWD, 662-4106, LMCarlson1@att.net
Director (2012): Clint Anderson AE5CA, 855-5080, AE5CA@grid-em11.com
Director (2013): Larry Bush W5NCD, 848-5155, lbw5ncd@gmail.com
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 May 21, 10:00 AM. Location: Baylor’s Rogers Engineering and Computer Science Bldg (#70 on the map), Room 210. 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 April 28 in the Kultgen Automotive Center of the TSTC Waco Campus. Meetings generally last about 75 minutes consisting of fellowship, general Club business, and an interesting program. Visiting hams, family members, and prospective hams are welcomed! |
Special Events season is here!
Come join the fun and use your radios!