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The HOTLINE |
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Field Day and Auctions |
by Bill Feltenberger, KD5UEW |
We
are now in the month of May. This month we need to plan for Field Day.
We have to auction the equipment that was
donated by Marshal Mabry’s wife and daughter. We will do these things 
after our normal short business meeting.
Should I feel bad that our program is to plan for the next months
activities? Should I feel bad for going through the process of auctioning off
the equipment? I do not think so. What WOULD make me feel bad is if you
skip this meeting and miss the planning and the auction. Personally, I have my
eye on the ATV transceiver and the DC power strips. There are also several
nice radios—both HF and VHF. I hope that those of you in need of a radio will show
up with money and a will to bid.
I am also looking forward to Field Day. Although I do not chase DX, or even like to contest, I know there are many in our club who do. I like to see the club work together to set up the stations. I really like the food. I like to see the good times, and I like to know that there are many people around that enjoy using ham radio for various things. I like to know that some of us are ready to provide communication in case of an emergency.
I do have a program all set up for July. I wonder: Do you have any suggestions for June? If nothing else, we could use it as a critique for Field Day. But if there is something else or someone you would like to hear let me know. I was thinking for August we could each bring a quart of ice cream and have an old fashioned ice cream social. That would be different—and cool!! What would you like to do? It is your club! Email me with your ideas: Bill Feltenberger, KD5UEW
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President’s Corner |
by Wayne Branscum, KD5SMC |
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Wayne, KD5SMC |
It’s that time of the year again: FIELD DAY! I am so excited, because we become both teacher and student as we try to set up and operate our emergency stations. Old friendships are renewed and new ones created. We will be teaching others from our past experiences and learning new ones. This is part of what makes Field Day—the largest annual on-the-air operating event—so exciting. So, on the weekend of June 23-24, using only emergency power, HOTARC will construct our operating stations in Hewitt Park and demonstrate the capability of ham radio.
Like many of our new members, I am essentially a “novice” when it comes to Field Day, so I look forward to it every year—because I learn something every year! Make plains to join us! Our May meeting is the last business meeting before that weekend so I urge you to come join me and others as we plan for this event. I’ve even heard talk of big helium balloons and really tall antennas this year! Don’t miss this exciting meeting!
Since the June meeting will occur after Field Day, I’d like to invite you to a pre-Field Day hamburger cookout on Thursday June, 21 to discuss final preparations for Field Day. Mark your calendars! We can do this at the Salvation Army building on Interstate 35. I think 6:30 PM would be a good starting time, but we can discuss that at our May meeting.
I am looking forward to seeing each of you at the meeting!
Wayne
Branscum, KD5SMC
HOTARC President
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For the Record... |
HOTARC Meeting of Members
April 26, 2007
HOTARC’s April Meeting was called to order by President Wayne Branscum KD5SMC at 7:00 PM at the Kultgen Automotive Center of the TSTC Waco campus. Present were fifteen full members, two associate members, one life member, and seven visitors. Visitors were: Carol George KE5MZI of Waco, Kenneth George of Waco, Al McDaniel KE5ISO of Waco, David Winterton KE5MYW of Waco, and our guest speakers Aaron Thompson KD5MBX of Mexia, Jim Boyd KE5LTI of Athens, and Rickey Boyd KB5ELY of Oakwood.
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The Treasurer Reports... |
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Heart O’ Texas Amateur Radio Club Beginning Account Balance $ 5,651.49 Income Dues $ 315.00 TX DPS 90.00 General class tuition 25.00 Interest 1.19 TOTAL Income $ 431.19 Expenses TOTAL Expenses $ 0.00 Ending Account Balance $ 6,082.68 Outstanding (as of 5-16-2007) Submitted by |
Ed Middlebrook KC5NT opened the meeting with a prayer.
KD5SMC welcomed our visitors—several of whom had submitted applications for Club membership.
The Minutes for the March meeting were approved as published in the HOTLINE, on a motion by Bill Feltenberger, second by Rodney Baden K5YKC, and unanimous vote by the members. The March Treasurer’s Report was also accepted as published in the HOTLINE following a motion by KC5NT, second by KD5UEW, and unanimous vote by the members.
The Treasurer Norris Martin KB5SLI reported the need to pay several bills: approximately $320 for insurance, $39 for the Club’s grab-n-go Trailer registration, $42 for the Club’s large trailer registration, and $24 for wiring fixes. A motion to authorize these payments was made by KD5UEW, seconded by K5YKC, and unanimously approved by the members present.
Announcements
· Marshall Mabry KD5IQ, Silent Key: Marshall passed away on Saturday, April 14, 2007. We were all inspired to see Marshall make it to meetings and special events like Field Day, even in the midst of his long and determined fight against cancer. Among his final wishes, was the instruction to donate all his ham radio equipment to HOTARC. John Chamberlain AC5CV reported that May 12 is tentatively scheduled for us to meet at his home to collect the equipment and dismantle his tower and antennas. K5YKC, K5WAR, and KE5ERW agreed to help bring down the tower.
· HOTARC name badges: AC5CV reported that name badges with the HOTARC logo are still available from Platemakers (7723 Central Park Drive, Waco, TX 76712) in Waco for about $10.
Committee Reports
· ARES: K5YKC reported that he attended another planning meeting for the June 21 tabletop exercise and the July 18-19 actual exercise. All players will be required to demonstrate that they can use all Homeland Security radio frequencies. Amateur radio is recognized as the backup communications.
· Repeater: Norris Martin KB5SLI acknowledged that the 88 repeater audio is still low, but knows of nothing more to do.
· Trailer: Mike Ross N5MVL, coordinating with Roger Miles WB5MBO’s time, has tentatively scheduled June 2 for floor and television mounting work. We will need four to five volunteers by next month.
· Web page: John Chamberlain AC5CV encouraged all to make use of the mail list (members@hotarc.org) and the members directory information available through the Members Only link on the web page.
· ATV: David Bush KC5UOZ reported that the Skycam is still in need of repair, but is reluctant to simply “bring it down” for fear of losing the spot on the Hilton in the midst of other hotel repairs and renovations.
· Education: KC5NT reported that the General Upgrade Class will held May 5 in the HOTCOG classroom, from 8 AM to 5 PM. A VE session will be held the following day: Sunday, May 6 also in the HOTCOG classroom.
· Public Relations: Grant Gilliam KE5ERW agreed to contact Scott Shafer KD5MLY about creating a public service announcement (PSA) for Field Day again this year (following the fantastic response to last year’s version).
· Special Events: KC5DSM described how we will discuss in detail the plans for Field Day at the May HOTARC meeting. In addition, we will have a final planning meeting at a hamburger cookout on Thursday, June 21 (see more details here). KE5ERW agreed to serve as Field Day Chairman again this year. Bill Russell K5WAR agreed to make Field Day 2007 t-shirts again, but this year he will require everyone to order and pre-pay for the shirts, since last year some folks did not pick up or pay for the shirts they requested.
Old Business
· Audit Committee: The Committee (Bill Cox W5JRM and Terry Williams KD5KJU) completed their audit of the 2006 books and reported that all was in order.
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New Business
· New Members: KD5SMC recognized motions to accept the applications from the following for Full Membership:
1) from KC5NT, second by K5YKC, for Al McDaniel KE5ISO;
2) from Jim Finch KE5FDR, second by K5YKC, for Carol George KE5MZI;
3) from K5YKC, second by KE5FDR, for Kenneth George KE5NJN;
The members present unanimously approved all the motions.
A motion to adjourn was heard from K5YKC at approximately 8:25 pm.
The program this evening was presented by three guests from the American Red Cross (ARC): Aaron Thompson KD5MBX, Jim Boyd KE5LTI, and Rickey Boyd KB5ELY. In addition to a very interesting presentation about the ARC Emergency Communications Response Vehicles (ECRV) and the Rapid Response Teams (RTT) that are dispatched to emergency sites, they explained the situation regarding the controversial background checks as follows: As long as you work an emergency event as ARES, RACES, etc, no background checks will be required. However, if you wish to wear an ARC name badge, have your meals and expenses covered by the ARC, etc., a background check will be required.
Submitted by:
John Chamberlain AC5CV
HOTARC Secretary
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Required Training |
by Ed Hynan, KC5KNI, |
Current buzz words heard on many nets and conversations between amateur radio operators include NIMS, ICS and NRP. These are the acronyms for courses offered by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency).
Are volunteers required to
be National Incident Management System (NIMS) compliant? The short answer is,
“Yes.” In a response scenario that extends beyond local government, there needs
to be common terminology and doctrine that everyone can follow so that
personnel and resources are feathered in a seamless manner. This is especially
true for radio communications. Radio operators need to understand what is being
said and asked of them during an incident so that they can convey this
information effectively and efficiently. To be “NIMS compliant” simply means
completing the online FEMA courses.
These FEMA courses are FREE and available online. Each is described below, as given on the FEMA web site. http://www.fema.gov Click on Education and Training.
IS-700, National Incident Management System (NIMS)
This course introduces
NIMS and takes approximately three hours to complete. It explains the purpose,
principles, key components and benefits of NIMS. The course also contains
“Planning Activity” screens giving you an opportunity to complete some planning
tasks during this course. The planning activity screens are printable so that
you can use them after you complete the course.
IS-100, Introduction to Incident Command System, I-100
Introduces the Incident Command System (ICS) and provides the foundation for higher level ICS training. This course describes the history, features and principles, and organizational structure of the Incident Command System. It also explains the relationship between ICS and the National Incident Management System (NIMS).
IS-800, National Response Plan (NRP), An Introduction
This course introduces you to the NRP, including the concept of operations upon which the plan is built, roles and responsibilities of the key players, and the organizational structures used to manage these resources. The NRP provides a framework to ensure that we can all work together when our Nation is threatened.
What does this all mean to McLennan County A.R.E.S.?
We have added “Training Course Completed” to the back of the current ID Cards. ARES Members will be asked to provide copies of these certificates when updating their data.
While non-completion of the courses will not prevent you from becoming a member of ARES, not completing the courses may have an impact on your access to specific areas during an emergency.
In addition to the FEMA courses, completion of the ARRL Emergency Communications Courses are highly recommended.
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It’s hard to believe but the May meeting will be the last Club meeting before the big day! That’s because this year the “fourth full weekend in June” occurs before the “fourth Thursday” (our Club meeting date). So… |
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1) Come to the May Meeting with “contesting spirit”, and help us plan a record-setting Field Day!! 2) Mark your calendar for June 21: a Pre-Field Day Hamburger Cookout and Final Planning Meeting, at the Salvation Army building on I-35 and 12th Street, in Waco |
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Scenes from an Antenna Take-down |
photos by Bill Cox W5JRM |
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Thanks to all who came out to help Marshall’s family by cleaning out the KD5IQ ham shack and his storage building, and to help bring down his antennas and towers.
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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2007 Board of Directors |
HOTARC 2007 Board of Directors
President: Wayne Branscum KD5SMC, 857-3964, wbscum@grandecom.net
Vice Pres: Bill Feltenberger KD5UEW, 756-1397, bfeltenb@swbell.net
Secretary: John Chamberlain AC5CV, 855-7731, AC5CV@arrl.net
Treasurer: Norris Martin KB5SLI, 829-2138, KB5SLI@flash.net
Past-Pres.: Rodney Baden K5YKC, 857-9760, K5YKC@arrl.net
Director (2007): Terry Williams KD5KJU, 662-2438, pumpman_rpss@yahoo.com
Director (2008): Ed Middlebrook KC5NT, 826-4053, KC5NT@arrl.net
Director (2009): Mike Ross N5MVL, 836-1083, N5MVL@juno.com
145.15 MHz (input at –600 kHz, tone 123 Hz)
146.88 MHz (input at –600 kHz, tone 123 Hz)
146.98 MHz (input at –600 kHz, tone 123 Hz)
ATV: 421.25MHz (Cable 57), input 439.25 MHz (Cable 60)
Next session is Saturday June 23,
approximately 2:00 PM. Location: HOTARC
Field Day site at Hewitt Park. Bring: 1) testing
fee of $14 (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 monthly meeting of HOTARC will be at 7:00 pm on Thursday May24, 2007 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! |
No more Morse code
requirement!
Tell someone about it!