Join us (next meeting is Saturday February 11 at 6pm) in person at the Waterloo Airport, or via Zoom : - WWW URL: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://zoom.us/j/99863201285?pwd%3DcWUyQWxrRk81OEcwN1Q0dzF1UTBLUT09 - Zoom computer or mobile app: meeting ID 998 632 01285, passcode 955710 - Phone: (312) 626-6799 (Chicago number) Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur Association (NIRAA/W0MG) Meeting Minutes, January 2022 The January gathering of the Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur's Association (NIRAA) was called to order at 6:01 PM, Saturday January 12, 2022 by KB0VGG at the Waterloo Airport. There were 20 members (17 ARRL) and 4 guests in attendance locally and remotely this evening, listed below. MINUTES ------- Adjustments to last month's minutes: (none) Report accepted with no adjustments (N0ZYC/WB0MAR) TREASURER'S REPORT ------------------ Dave (KD0DK) reports we have $1,090.18 in the savings/repeater fund and $2,066.53 -> $1,948.53 in checking. This includes $20 deposited for dues and a check for $138 to Al for Winter Field Day costs. Report accepted (N0ZYC/WB0MAR) Please contact Dave if you would like to get your dues paid for the year. Our club membership form is also available on our club website at https://www.w0mg.net/ REPEATERS --------- Al (KB0VGG): W0MG's 94 repeater is online and doing fine. Mine's still fighting pine trees. Chuck (W0AL): 900 is up and running, 82 is up and running, DMR is up and running. 440 at the house is up, including P25 and analog. Running a quantar at 80w. Al (KB0VGG): been checking local repeater status, many have disappeared. Ackley is deaf, Parkersburg is also a bit deaf. There are quite a few repeaters that claim to exist but can't be brought up. Request members check repeaters in their area to see what they can and can't hit, report back to me. COMMITTEES ---------- Presentation Committee (Curt/NK0T, John/WB0MAR): (no report) Hamfest Committee: (Dave/K0CQH): no progress yet. OLD BUSINESS ------------ Al (KB0VGG): Winter Field Day is coming up quick. Mark (N8TW) has a cabin booked. It's not the same one as last year - it's a bit down the road to the South. This is the "Robin Hood" cabin, and is a little bigger than last year, though there will be a few differences. It's downhill also. Mark will check to see if we can swap with whomever has the Cedar View cabin, though that's unlikely to happen. We might also have some snow, which could prevent non-4WD vehicles from getting back up the road, so we may need to shuttle people and materials. Al will provide supper. We don't seem to have a lot of people interested this year, probably due to weather. Will be serving slow cooked BBQ chicken and cheesy potatoes as a main dish. This year FT4 and FT8 are not allowed, but all other digital modes are okay. Lets try to put code on 20 and voice on 10/15/40. We'll have a 20M vertical, 15M vertical, end-fed long-wires, and a dipole for 75. We will not be running a GOTA station. Mark (N8TWO) has paid $36.05 for Ingawanis reservation, motion to reimburse. (KD0DK/KB0VGG) We'll need a Sunday afternoon tear-down crew, probably starting Friday evening with less used antennas. Will try to bring a plastic sled to port gear, given the snow. Dress warm, and don't wear sneakers. Mark (N8TWO) discussed Spring Camporee. It starts May 6 and 8am. This year they'll be starting at Antique Acres and moving to the Waterloo Airport. (for the Aviation Air badge, working with Young Eagles) Suggest setting up two stations for check-in/check-out. Al (KB0VGG) will take the airport end. Mark would like to get at least 6 volunteers, let him know if you're available. Do we want to set up any HF stations? Might set up an HF demo at Antique Acres. We're not in a hurry with anything yet, we have until April to settle the details. John (WB0MAR): next month Ton Reese from CFU will be presenting on information regarding CFU Utilities. Due to time constraints, the presentation will start immediately at 6pm, with the club meeting to follow. NEW BUSINESS ------------ Andrew (N0AJS) is building a VHF fox for fox-hunts. There's a new repeater in the area, just North of Toledo, off Highway 63. N0TCA 146.715- (114.8hz) Al (KB0VGG) is soliciting for new club activities, in addition to the regular club events. Mark (N8TWO) would like to schedule a couple of fox-hunts, maybe as early as April/June, with another in August. We could invite the scouts, though this would likely be a larger area event. Dave (K0CQH) discussed Summer Field Day. Antique Acres would be a nice spot. (no one had any objections) Al (KB0VGG) will also check and see if Crossroads is an option. Motion to adjourn at 6:38 PM (N0ZYC/K0CQH) Tonight's presentation was by Curt (NK0T) on the less well-know uses for Nano VNA. UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS ---------------------- presentation ideas: electronics history, radio bug-out bag, alternate power, solar power, spotting electronics scams, mag-loop antennas, broadband blocking filters, Denver/cf robotics club, new director at FEMA, EOC? Contact Al (KB0VGG) if you'd be interested in giving a presentation. Tentative presentation schedule: Feb 11 Tom Reese (CFU Field Engineer) from Sumner Mar 11 KB0VGG on ham shack safety Apr 8 Summer Field Day planning May 13 WB0MAR inviting robotics club? June 10 July 8 Aug 12 August picnic Sept 9 Oct 14 Nov 11 Election/dinner Dec 9 REGULAR EVENTS -------------- - ARES net check-in is at 9pm every Sunday night, on 146.94/34 - Iowa Digital Net runs every Tuesday night at 7pm, 3.5885 MHz USB / 1500 Hz WF (Olivia 8-500) - Iowa 75 Meter Evening Net runs Mon-Sat at 6:00 pm on 3.970 MHz / LSB Also meets at 12:30 pm on same. - Iowa 160 Meter Net runs Sunday night at 9:30 pm on 1.9745 MHz / LSB - DMR checkin 7:30 pm Sunday night on talk group 3119 - Ham Radio Fellowship / Breakfast every Wednesday morning at 9AM at the Wendy's at Love's Travel Stop in Waterloo. (3301 Greyhound Drive) VE TESTING AND TRAINING ----------------------- contact Mark (N8TWO) for current information at classes@w0mg.net UPCOMING HAMFESTS ----------------- - Winter RF Fest - February 25, 2023 from 8am to 12pm, 2930 Willis Avenue, Perry, IA 50220 $10 admission, $15 tables. Visit https://qsl.net/kd0neb/index_files/Page383.htm for more information OTHER EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS ------------------------------ - Dave (K0CQH) is selling his Icom 746 Pro, $600 firm - WeatherSpotter training 5pm on April 5, at the CF Public Safety Office (main st and greenhill rd) W0MG/NIRAA LINKS ---------------- - Club Website: https://www.w0mg.net/ - Membership form: https://www.w0mg.net/contact/membershipform.pdf - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/waterloo.hams/community/ - Cedar Valley area repeaters list: https://www.w0mg.net/repeaters/ - additional club media: https://vftp.net/N0ZYC/W0MG/index.html MEETING ATTENDANCE ------------------ Members: N0ZYC Nathan Fisher KB0VGG Al Jones N0RXB Wendell Wagner AE0QI William Wright W0ALO Chuck Angel KF0KDE Dan Zilk K0CQH Dave Knittel W0SJ Stan Johnson KB0JIT Paul Sipes KF0JPR Randy Albright N8TWO Mark Colby WB0MAR John Humpal N0RWY Dennis Orona KD0DK David Kelly KD0DM David Morrow KA0DBC Lois Johnson KE0IWP Janice Fitkin KE0IWQ James Fitkin N0TKC Taryn Colby NC0N Cory Hill Guests: N0AJS Andrew Schneider NK0T Curt Wilson W0GZR Mark Campbell N4HRL Harold Lucas Members wishing to pay club dues (or have paid and are not indicated above) please contact our Treasurer in person at our monthly meeting or by email at treas(a)w0mg.net Members of the board may be contacted over the air or via email: President Al Jones (KB0VGG) pres(a)w0mg.net Vice President David Morrow (KD0DM) vp(a)w0mg.net Secretary Nathan Fisher (N0ZYC) sec(a)w0mg.net Treasurer Dave Kelly (KD0DK) treas(a)w0mg.net Director 2021 John Humpal (WB0MAR) dir1(a)w0mg.net Director 2022 Taryn Colby (N0TKC) dir2(a)w0mg.net Director 2023 Jan Fitkin (KE0IWP) dir3(a)w0mg.net NIRAA meets most months on the 2nd Saturday of the month at 6:00 pm, at the Waterloo Airport, in the old restaurant. Parking is available at no cost in the short-term lot. (3 hr free limit) Our primary club repeater is on 146.94 mhz, negative offset, with a PL tone of 136.5 hz, with coverage centered in Black Hawk County. Many members are also monitoring channel 3119 on DMR. Our club website is at https://www.w0mg.net/ and the club's primary email contact is sec(a)w0mg.net You're receiving these meeting minutes because you have given the NIRAA club your email address for minutes and announcements. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, please reply requesting removal from one or both distribution lists. - Nathan Fisher (N0ZYC) Secretary, W0MG