If main airport door is locked go in the SW employee door to the left of the main door. If you have issues, contact any board member. Join us (next meeting is Saturday June 10 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, May 2023 The May gathering of the Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur's Association (NIRAA) was called to order at 6:05 PM, Saturday May 13, 2023 by Al Jones (KB0VGG) at the Waterloo Airport. There were 20 members (17 ARRL) and 2 guests in attendance locally and remotely this evening, listed below. MINUTES ------- Adjustments to last month's minutes: KD0DK: Grinnell was misspelled Report accepted with 1 adjustment (N0ZYC/N0TKC) TREASURER'S REPORT ------------------ Dave (KD0DK) reports we have $1,090.18 (no change) in the savings/repeater fund and $2,312.48 in savings not including $60 in dues, testing fees, ARRL, $175 for Antique Acres, Dwayne's $200 check, and Grinnelle's $239 check. The current balance not including uncashed checks is $2,097.48. Jan and Lois will be conducting the upcoming audit of club finances. Report accepted (N0ZYC/N0TKC) 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) with 94 repeater updates. Needs to make new antenna brackets. The repeater is tuned up and ready for installation, thank you Curtis. CFU has a climate-controlled and air-filtered room for the rack, which should make installation and maintenance much more pleasant. 444.55 is still up and running, 82 is going strong, as is Curtis's 220. Bill (W0GEN)'s DMR repeater is up for sale, he's asking $1,200 for the setup. (includes duplexers but not the antenna) Tom (AE0TB) has volunteered to donate an antenna. Motion to offer Bill $1,000 (AE0TB/C0CQH) Tom Also has some polyphasers if we need to replace any. (a few of the existing ones may have corrosion) COMMITTEES ---------- Presentation Committee (Curt/NK0T, John/WB0MAR): (no report) Hamfest Committee: (Dave/K0CQH): Al (KB0VGG) will forward the schedule (at Pfeiffer Springs Park) to Nathan for distribution. OLD BUSINESS ------------ Al (KB0VGG) discusses Field Day: members wanting to participate please sign up again. (we're having problems finding the sign-up sheet that was passed around last month) We've had problems with the head-count for food being much higher than actual attendance and demand, and a lot of food has gone unused at recent events. (this wastes cooking time and is expensive) So for this year's Field Day we will be trying a pot-luck instead, please bring a dish to share. The club will be providing pop, coffee, and water. There will be limited utensils available, but suggest you bring your own utensils and plates. This year we will have access to the entire Antique Acres site, so we can set up multiple satelite stations with large separation of antennas. We haven't nailed down how many stations we want to run - possibly 1 CW, 1 digital, and 2 voice? Dave (KD0DK) will be bringing the club radio. We'll be inviting Mindy Benson (BHC EMC) as well as the CF Mayor to visit our event. Doug (K0DV) will try to get some local press coverage. (TV station spot?) Antique Acres will NOT be directly accessible by going North out of downtown CF due to Sturgis Falls activity. Suggest going North out of the East side of Cedar Falls, up the new 218 to either Lonetree Road exit and head North ,or Cedar Wapsi Road exit and head South. The GPS address is 7610 Waverly Road, Cedar Falls. Antenna setup will be decided on when we begin setup, based on what variety of antennas are brought in. Mark (N8TWO) will bring his multi-band antenna, and Nathan (N0ZYC) has a Cushcraft R4 vertical available. Camping is available at Antique Acres but campers must pay a campground fee. Availability may be reduced due to Sturgis Falls, so you should get your reservations in early to make sure you get a spot. Mark (N0TWO) will be getting the logging laptops updated and prepared for Field Day. Taryn (N0TKC): last meeting we said the board would be discussing changing the club meeting time, that didn't happen. Lets schedule one for before the next club meeting. (notice will go out to board members when the date/time/location are decided) More club discussion of meeting times, swapping presentation/meeting followed, including possibly having a separate summer and winter schedule. Discussion of changing from a weekend to a weekday to try to get more attendance from some of the new kids. Trying to avoid their weekend free-time activities will probably just shift the conflicts to their weekday sports activities. Weekend evenings may be the best for them. Dave (KD0DK) would like an update from Corey (NC0N) on his progress in taking over the club's web site. Cory has been pretty busy with work, but we have a looming deadline with Tom (AE0TB) and need to expedite this hand-over. Tom won't be renewing the hosting provider later this year, and our server will get the plug pulled whether or not we're ready for it. Al (KB0VGG): we still need to make a decision on whether to keep Zoom, move to a different platform, or stop supporting remote meeting attendance. (our Zoom license will expire in August) Taryn (N0TKC): Facebook Live is another option for us to consider. Mark (N0TWO) we will be having a test session at the airport the morning of the next club meeting. (June 10) NEW BUSINESS ------------ Tom at CFU has invited the club to take a tour of CFU. He's pretty flexible with his time, but suggests we start it right at closing time, around 4:30 pm on a weekday. We might even be able to hold a meeting there, so that could function as the "presentation" for the month. Black Hawk County's Emergency Management building has offered our club a room to use for club meets or VE classes. It includes projectors and WIFI. Curt (NK0T) suggested making a youtube video on repeater maintenance if there's interest. Motion to adjourn at 7:30 PM (N0TKC/K0CQH) Tonight's presentation was discussion of Field Day 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: June 10 final field day planning July 8 mark/curt demo club remote? 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 ----------------- (let me know) ANNOUNCEMENTS ------------- - Dave (K0CQH) is selling his Icom 746 Pro, $600 firm 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 - Amateur Radio Practice Site (tests and code): https://www.aa9pw.com/ ATTENDANCE ---------- Members: N0ZYC Nathan Fisher KF0JBW Garrett Sager N4HRL Harold Lucas WB0MAR John Humpal K0CQH David Knittel KF0HRF Richard Marsh N8TWO Mark Colby KF0JPR Randy Albright KD0DK David Kelly K0DV Doug Vernier KD0DM David Morrow KB0VGG Al Jones W0VJB Vicki Bicket AE0TB Tom Bicket N0TKC Taryn Colby NC0N Cory Hill (remote) NK0T Curtis Wilson N0RXB Wendell Wagner W0SJ Stan Johnson KF0KDE Danael Zilk Guests: K0RTE Gary Korte W3STS Scott West 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 ABOUT ----- 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