Join us this Saturday August 12 at Pfeiffer Springs Park (910 Grand Blvd, Cedar Falls, IA 50613) at 4pm. We normally meet at the Waterloo Airport, or via Discord video chat, full schedule of this month's meeting is listed below. Click this invitation link to add our server to your Discord app: https://discord.gg/XAwh5MqC (Discord may not be available this month due to meeting location) Tonight's presentation (before the regular meeting) was by Curt (NK0T) on the club's remote radio. Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur Association (NIRAA/W0MG) Meeting Minutes, July 2023 The July gathering of the Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur's Association (NIRAA) was called to order at 6:30 pm Saturday July 8, 2023 by Al Jones (KB0VGG). There were 23 members (18 ARRL) and no guest in attendance (locally and remotely) this evening, listed below. MINUTES ------- Adjustments to last month's minutes: (none) Report accepted with no adjustments (N0ZYC/KB0VGG) TREASURER'S REPORT ------------------ Dave (KD0DK) reports we started with $1,090.18 in the savings/repeater fund and $1,673.48 in checking. Curt (NK0T) has donated $100 to the repeater fund, bringing the ending balance to $1,190.18. $60 was paid out and received through checking for testing fees. There is one outstanding check for $567.00 to AL (KB0VGG) that will come out of the repeater fund next month. Report accepted (verbal) 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 --------- (no report) COMMITTEES ---------- Presentation Committee (Curt/NK0T, John/WB0MAR): (no report) Hamfest Committee: (Dave/K0CQH): (no report) OLD BUSINESS ------------ Al (KB0VGG) discussed the upcoming CFU tour. We're still working on scheduling it with Tom at CFU, will try to have a schedule or at least some options for next meeting. (Al is also helping Tom get his base station antenna up at his house) Summer Field Day results were discussed. The location was great but the weather was truly terrible. Dave (K0CQH) found 20m was very active but no one was responding to his calls. Tom (AE0TB) contributed more points from home than our entire Field Day group combined at Antique Acres. Jan (KE0IWP) suggested we try again at Antique Acres next year. Nathan (N0ZYC) was also suggesting we consider it for the upcoming Winter Field Day. (some group discussion of 1 day vs 2 day Field Days) Al (KB0VGG): we need to improve our signage. Nathan (N0ZYC) has been looking into some feather flags for the club events. The wind this year prevented us from really using our existing signage. (metal A-frame ground sign and wide hanging blue banner) Taryn (N0TKC) will try to clean up and repair the older sign. Al (KB0VGG) tabled the discussion for later. The August swap/picnic/meeting is next month. Taryn (N0TKC): it's up on the club's Facebook page and has been emailed out as well. Will try to notify other sources like CVARC. Al (KB0VGG) summarized the event schedule: Pfeiffer Springs Park (910 Grand Blvd, Cedar Falls, IA 50613) (flush toilets, AC power, open shelter with roof, modest parking) Keep vehicles in the parking lot. (don't park on the loop, DO NOT drive on the grass) 10:00 AM - VE testing begins 12:00 PM - junk in the trunk (notify Al if you are going to be selling) 4:00 PM - quick meeting 5:00 PM - picnic starts Al (KB0VGG) can cook up anything you bring on his grill but you will have to bring your own food to cook. Bring a dish to pass around. (potluck) NEW BUSINESS ------------ Nathan (N0ZYC): Don (KD0WGB) has a dual band vertical and a alpha delta dx-dd 80/40m trapped dipole. The dipole is center fed with just an SO-239, you will need a tuner. Total length is 82ft. Both are free to a good home. (they're spares he's not using) Tom (AE0TB) has considered the recent hit on the repeater fund and has generously offered to match donations made toward building the fund back up. Donations made prior to September 1 will be matched. (up to $1,000) Please contact our treasurer Dave (KD0DK) if you would like to make a donation toward our repeater fund. Al (KB0VGG) discussed other possible repeater maintenance and changes. We might want to replace the stiff 1/2" hardline jumpers with some superflex, the stiff cables are difficult to work with and risk connector damage. If we get Bill's DMR repeater it will do both analog and digital. CFU has already pledged to put it up on their building. (this will also require acquisition of additional hardline and connectors) We also have a preamp that we could install to improve reception. Currently our repeater's power is double-battery-backup with a generator behind it, so the power is pretty bulletproof. Curt (NK0T): we have some club property at Bill's (W0GEN) house, and he's going to be moving out of there, so we need to relocate the club's remote radio. Al (KB0VGG) suggests CFU would probably have no problem hosting it on their building as well. Jan (KE0IWP): the fresh picked sweetcorn stand has opened up at Ridgeway and Ansborough, $10/dozen. Motion to adjourn at 7:07 PM (KE0IWP/N0TKC) 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: 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 ------------- Don (KD0WGB) has a dual band vertical and a alpha delta dx-dd 80/40m trapped dipole. The dipole is center fed with just an SO-239, you will need a tuner. Total length is 82ft. Both are free to a good home. (they're spares he's not using) 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/ - Discord server (see above for link to join) ATTENDANCE ---------- Members: N0ZYC Nathan Fisher W0ALO Chuck Angel KD0DK David Kelly KD0WGB Don Hesseling NK0T Curtis Wilson N0RXB Wendell Wagner WB0MAR John Humpal N4HRL Harold Lucas W0VJB Vicki Bicket AE0TB Tom Bicket N0TKC Taryn Colby KD0DM David Morrow KE0IWP Janice Fitkin KE0IWQ Jim Fitkin K0CQH David Knittel KF0NDD Miguel Chavez AE0VB Ken Taylor K0DV Doug Vernier KF0JPS Terry Stewart KB0VGG Al Jones N8TWO Mark Colby W0SJ Stan Johnson KA0DBC Lois Johnson Guests: (none)) 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