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The HOTLINE
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by John Chamberlain, AC5CV |
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With the annual ARRL Field Day coming up in a few weeks, the Directors recognize that many of our Members have never participated in a contest-style radio event. Yet, while it is much more, contesting is a BIG part of the Field Day activities.
At this month’s meeting we will present some words of wisdom from those who HAVE contested, and maybe even have some practice drills to simulate the pressure of having 20 hams from all over the country trying to contact you at one time! Woo-hoo!
An important part of any contest is knowing the rules. We’ll cover the highlights that will pertain to our HOTARC station, but you can read the whole package to understand the big picture. For example, how do you get and give credit for a contact? We use special contest logging software.
Do you understand HF and VHF radio propagation? Maybe a quick review is in order, heh? C’mon out to the May meeting and catch the contesting bug with us!
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Vice-President’s Corner |
by Scott Hamilton, K5ZOH |
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The Komen run went well thanks to many of our members who did such a great job this month. Assisting with these events keeps the Club in the public eye and provides a great service to our community. Thank you all for representing our Club.
Several of our members have had some health problems lately, but the news is good for Rodney K5YKC, Jim KA5QKL, and Jim AE5WP. However, Rodney has asked to resign as president of the HOTARC. This is necessary for him due to current treatment, but we hope to welcome him back to action with the Club soon.
It is time to focus on ARRL Field Day next month. We will have another meeting before Field Day to firm up the specific details, but now is the time for each of us to start thinking of the individual activities and achievements we wish to accomplish during the contest. We will have quite an array of equipment and expertise available at our Field day site. Do you want to make a digital contact with PSK, SSTV, Hellschreiber, D-star...? an AM contact? a CW QSO? a satellite contact? Start doing your homework today, asking the right questions, getting your stuff together, and your wish just might come true on June 25 or 26 this year!
Hope to see all of you at the meeting this Thursday.
73, Scott K5ZOH
HOTARC Vice President
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For the Record... |
HOTARC
Meeting of Members
April 28, 2011
In the absence of President K5YKC and Vice President K5ZOH, HOTARC’s April Meeting was called to order by John Chamberlain AC5CV on Thursday April 28th 2011 at 7:07 pm at the Kultgen Automotive Center of the TSTC Waco campus. Bill Feltenberger KD5UEW opened the meeting with a prayer.
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The Treasurer Reports... |
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Heart
O’ Texas Amateur Radio Club Beginning Account Balance $ 8,649.39 Income Dues $ 195.00 ARRL donation 20.00 Interest 0.30 TOTAL Income $ 215.30 Expenses DN224E antenna (Will Geltmeier) $ 621.88 ARRL Spectrum Defense Fund 270.00 PayPal fees 2.28 TOTAL Expenses $ 894.76 Ending Account Balance $ 7,969.93 Uncleared
activity (as
of 5/17/2011) Submitted
by |
Present were 17 full members and 2 guests. Our guests were Jim Boatman and Nick Carter.
A motion to approve the Minutes for the March meeting as published in the HOTLINE was recognized from Bill Feltenberger KD5UEW, with second by Wayne Branscum KD5SMC. The motion was approved by the members.
A motion to approve the March Treasurer’s Report as published in the HOTLINE was recognized from Larry Carlson KC5JWD, with second by Jim Finch AE5WP. The motion was approved by the members.
Committee Reports:
· ARES: Clint Anderson AE5CA reported that everyone performed well during the recent outbreak of severe weather. More volunteers are needed to be Net Control at the EOC in the event of severe weather.
· Trailer: No News
· Repeater: Norris Martin KB5SLI reported that the DB224-E antenna has arrived and is waiting to be installed.
· D-Star: No News
· Web page: AC5CV reported that everything is working fine.
· ATV: No News
· Education: Clint Anderson AE5CA reported that we are going to aim to have a Technician Class on June 11th and 18th.
· Public Relations: No News
· Special Events: John AC5CV reported that Jim Judd KA5QKL has had to resign from his position as Special Events Chairman. John asked for a volunteer to fill the position for the remaining events of the year. John offered to take the Race for the Cure this weekend. No one present offered to fill the Chairman slot.
New Business:
· Due to his health problems, it was reported that Rodney Baden K5YKC needs some help to put up the tower at the new Lorena EOC. Anyone who can help should contact Rodney.
· Clint Anderson AE5CA recommended that we get our W5ZDN repeater on EchoLink so that the NWS could talk directly to us. He is investigating what it would take to get this going.
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Larry Bush, W5NCD |
· A motion was made by Mike Ross N5MVL with second by John Hulbert to repay Norris Martin $320 for liability insurance and $80.85 for registration on the HOTARC and Grab-n-Go trailer. The motion was approved by the members.
· AC5CV reminded everyone that starting next month and until further notice, Club meetings will be held at the Salvation Army Church on the southbound I-35 service road in Waco, near the 12th street overpass. See our web site for maps.
Motion to adjourn was recognized from Bill Feltenberger KD5UEW at approximately 7:54 pm.
We enjoyed refreshments in honor of Norris Martin KB5SLI’s retirement from TSTC, and we gave him a round of thankful applause for providing a meeting place for us all these years!
Tonight’s presentation was from Larry Bush W5NCD on a workshop-club that he has planned and shared the layout of the different workspaces it will have. We all look forward to seeing the finished product!
Submitted by:
Jeremy Neal KE5PRG
HOTARC Secretary
Special Events Report |
by John Chamberlain, AC5CV |
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We missed the presence of our Special Events leader, Jim Judd KA5QKL, who was dealing from a very painful health issue (but I’m happy to report that he is now almost free from that pain!). However, Jim had done a great job of coordinating and planning everything to permit HOTARC to do an excellent job of communicating for the big Race for the Cure event on Saturday April 30.
The weather for the event cooperated wonderfully: breezy and overcast, so it was wonderfully pleasant running and hamming weather. We recalled how the Bearathon had to be called off last year due to lightning. But this day the rain and threatening storms held off until the afternoon, well after the race was complete.
Thanks go out to the following hams helping for this event:
- John Hulbert, AE5PZ
- Bill Feltenberger, KD5UEW
- Mike Ross, N5MVL
- Dell Bredemeyer, KE5MZS
- Dave Cranfill, KI4UJS
- Terry Williams, KD5KJU
- Clint Anderson, AE5CA
- John Chamberlain, AC5CV
ARES Update |
by Ed Hynan, KC5KNI |
We have a new State Emergency Coordinator and I have begun to send monthly reports to him on McLennan County ARES activities. Based on recent applications and membership updates that I have received McLennan County ARES has 32 current members with 18 of them also HOTARC members. Call signs of current ARES members are:
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AE5PZ |
KB5SLI |
KD0JHC |
KD5MLY |
KE5MZS |
KE5UBL |
N5MVL |
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AC5DE |
K5YKC |
KC5GVT |
KD5BCM |
KD5SMC |
KE5PIU |
KE5VMG |
W5CLB |
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AC5QQ |
KA5QKL |
KC5KNI |
KD5JML |
KD5UEW |
KE5PRG |
KE5ZOG |
W5TUB |
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AE5CA |
KB5PHU |
KC5UOZ |
KD5KJU |
KE5MZF |
KE5TEM |
KI4UJS |
WD5KAL |
If your call is not listed above, either 1) you have not submitted an ARES application, or 2) the information I have is over 3 years old.
As I look over the names of the current ARES members, I see members of HOTARC
that are not ARES members. I can’t understand why every member of HOTARC is not
a member of ARES. The price is right—FREE! All that is required is a
valid amateur radio license and a willingness to help. If requested to
assist in an event or emergency situation, participation is still
voluntary. If you feel that you don’t have the time and/or ARES membership
conflicts with your job—remember we may face a situation where the job is
affected by the emergency and/or things that occupy your time may in fact be
cancelled in the event of a real emergency. The ARES application lists
availability—24/7, nights & weekends, and general. You can pick the one
that best suits your schedule.
A real emergency is going to take all the resources that we have, and, of course, after we have a real emergency event is not the time to decide you want to join ARES. Remember those wanting to work disaster response must have completed four of the FREE FEMA courses: National Incident Management System (NIMS), IS-700; Incident Command System (ICS), IS-100 and IS-200; and The National Response Plan (NRP), IS-800. Current net controls are considered major players for disaster response and especially need the courses. Without these basic courses you will not qualify for access to secure and/or restricted locations. Our support will most likely be needed in the Emergency Operations Centers, Incident Command Posts, Police or Fire Department facilities, and area hospitals—just to name a few. If you are not an ARES member, visit our HOTARC ARES web page today, fill out an application, send it in, and become a registered ARES member. I also have applications at all club meetings. Links to the FEMA Courses are on the ARES web page and also right there on the HOTARC home page (lower right corner).
Remember, it is not a question of IF the emergency will
happen, but WHEN will it happen? And when it does, it is so much better
to be a small part of the solution to assist our community, rather than
a big part of the problem. Use your amateur radio skills and equipment, and
get involved in ARES! You’ll be glad you did!
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: (open)
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 June 25, ~2:00 PM. Location: HOTARC’s Field Day site at Hewitt Park. 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. If planning to attend, please 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 May 26 at the Salvation Army Church on the I-35 southbound service road in Waco (near 12th Street). 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! |
We’re getting ready for Field Day:
June 25-26...Come join the fun!