Minutes of the June 2012 meeting of the Fort Smith Area Amateur Radio Club
MINUTES OF THE MONTHLY MEETING OF THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE FORT SMITH AREA AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, INC.
There was held on the 18th day of June, 2012, a monthly meeting of the membership of the Fort Smith Area Amateur Radio Club, Inc. (hereinafter sometimes “club”) at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Center, Fort Smith, Arkansas. The Vice President, K5DFO, called the meeting to order at 1900 local time, and thereupon presided over the meeting.
Upon motion made, seconded, and unanimously approved, the minutes of the preceding monthly meeting were accepted without correction or addition.
The treasurer, K5RRD, was absent due to illness, but had advised K5DFO that the balance in the club account was $7000.30.
K5DFO called for repeater reports. W5ATW responded that the outage of both club repeaters on Cavanal Hill the preceding weekend was caused by lightning strike and failure to connect the battery backup system to the repeaters following the most recent battery replacement and maintenance. Existing MOV devices prevented damage to the repeaters and blown devices were replaced with spares on hand. W5ATW brought a blown MOV to the meeting which was passed among the members present.
W5ATW stated that W5ATW and K6CKS have restored the 442.250 repeater, an older Motorola Micor system, to working status, and that the link may be back in operation as soon as the last week in June.
W5ATW stated that the 442.250 system uses a corner reflector antenna for the link to Tulsa, and that the UHF repeater used a dB eight element folded dipole antenna. It was stated the dB antenna was cut for the UHF business band above 450 MHz and was presenting a high SWR to the repeater, an undesirable condition for a continuous duty transmitter. W5ATW stated that he had located and purchased an identical antenna cut and tuned for the UHF amateur band for the price of $300.00 and requests reimbursement from the club. A discussion of same was had and upon motion of K6CKS, seconded by W3TZ, it was moved that the club reimburse W5ATW for the cost of the antenna under discussion. On a show of hands, K5DFO deemed the motion to have passed. Resolved that the club reimburse W5ATW $300.00 for the cost of the antenna.
W5ATW states that the next priority will be to place the 220 MHz repeater back in service.
W5CJF requests a program on repeater systems.
W5OFN states that the EOC is operational.
K6CKS states that W5ANR made 369 QS0’s and worked 143 grid squares in the June VHF contest from a portable station at Queen Wilhelmina Park. QS0’s were as follows: 50 MHz, 334; 144 MHz, 25; and 432 MHz, 10, for a total of 379 points. KG5NE stated eight QSL cards had been received, all for 50 MHz QS0’s.
K5DFO directs the meeting to Field Day.
K5KEE states that W5TMC advises that publicity articles have been sent to the local newspapers, and local radio stations, but no reply has been received from the radio stations. K5KEE states she delivered a proposed proclamation to the Greenwood Mayor who has agreed to make the proclamation at Field Day.
A discussion took place regarding the generator on the CERT trailer, to the effect it may not work. It was determined that the CERT trailer would be brought to Field Day regardless of the operational status of the generator.
N5JUD wants to know meeting time. W5JE states members should arrive early at the Field day site, 0700. Some members may have breakfast at Western Sizzlin at 0600.
WA5WRN states that he has pictures of the VHF contest operation and U.S.S. Batfish operation for the webmaster. WA5WRN further states that the 146.970 repeater on Sparks Hospital has an invalid call sign.
K5JMB moves to adjourn. Upon said motion made, seconded, and unanimously passed, the monthly meeting of the Fort Smith Area Amateur Radio Club, Inc., was concluded.