The W4BUG operation was ranked #9 in its category, in this case representing other groups in the US and Canada with 3 simultaneous transmitters working at a completely temporary operation, outside.
WFD2023-results
The Gold Coast Amateur Radio Association will have a table or two at the Business Expo
If you are interested in showing off some of your equipment or being an ambassador for GCARA please contact Erik Olmer – President@w4bug.org
- FREE Admission
- Live Entertainment
- A Boxing Expedition
- Food Trucks
- Giveaways (TOOLS and TV’s)
DATE:
Sat June 10, 2023
LOCATION:
The Margate Sports Complex
1695 Banks Rd
Margate, FL 33063
General Meeting Minutes
1) Call to Order
Erik Olmer (W4EJO) called to order on ZOOM the Gold Coast Amateur Radio Association’s regular meeting at 7:30 pm on April 25, 2023 A quorum was present.
2) Secretary’s Report – Ben Echavarria (N7BBE)
Ben Echavarria (N7BBE) motioned to approve the minutes from March, was seconded by Rick Eaton (KD4HGR)°°
- See appendix “A” for membership and guests list.
2) President’s Report – Erik Olmer (W4EJO) - Speaker schedule:
° May 23 – Bob Heil, whatever he wants to talk about
° June 27 – Erik Olmer (W4EJO) Shelter Communications - Events Past
- Egg Hunt/Picnic went very well
- MS Bike Ride – lessons learned
- Future Events
- June 10 Margate Sports Complex 3:00pm to 10:00pm Business and Home Improvement Expo, We have a table to Exhibit our club. Need
Volunteers. - July 18, 10:30am Library Presentation at the Century Plaza Library in Deerfield Beach.
- Shirts will be going on sale, probably $40 each, donation to GCARA included with Shirt; great way to show support for the club.
3) Vice President Ricki Witte (KJ4FSJ) – Excused
- Committee Reports:
° Testing – Jeff Stahl (K4BH) Will be testing the third Saturday of each month at the 1st Christian Church of Wilton Manors at 9:30 am
° Broward ARES\RACES – Carol Sjursen (KJ4AWB) RACES Chairman Jeff Stahl (K4BH) ARES EC
° Field Day IC – Erik Olmer (W4EJO)
° POTA – Mike Wolf (K2HXC)
4) Treasurer, Dirk Basting (N4AN), Interim Treasurer Erik Olmer (W4EJO)
- Current checking balance (as of 4/23/2023) $7,208.67
- Current stripe balance (as of 4/23/2023) $0
- Cash on hand $67.00
- Membership
Annual Current – 38
Annual Family – 4
Lifetime – 18
Unpaid – 49
Goal is 50% collection by July 1, 2023
5) Repeater Trustee Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR)
- HF STATION – Schedule time for overview on Zoom
- Allstar integration for W4BUG repeaters
- Deployable Repeater/Helium Balloon for antenna
° Will have fundraiser to cover the cost
6) Member at Large, Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT)
- Sunshine Committee – Report on any “good and welfare” topics about Club membership
- Welcome Dirk Basting (N4AN) new Treasurer by Acclamation
- New members and renewals
- 3/26/2023 – Next dinner at Wings Plus
- New members AND Renewals since last general meeting
° KM4LVK – Luis Gesualdi, new member
° KJ4FSH – Rhonda, renewal
° W4LST – Gerald, renewal
° NT4AL – Alan, renewal
8) PIO, Tom Savoca (K9TJS)
- Summarize past month committee activity on social media and other forums
- Discuss any PIO committee activity planned on or before the next general meeting
9) Old Business:
- Club event for tuning Joe McGee dipole antenna
10) New Business:
11) Announcements:
- Board added three (3) new lifetime members, Kenny and Sally, Ricky Eaton and Ricki Witte
- Donation of a Hustler 6-BTV + 12M + 17M from Howard Robins W1HSR
12) Adjournment
Program: Robert Molleda, NWS, Hurricane Season Prep
A. Appendix A
1) Members Present
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT), Jeff Stahl (K4BH), Mike Wolf (K2HXC), Erik Olmer (W4EJO) Tom Savoca (K9TJS) Ricki Witte (KJ4FSJ)
Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR), John Cole (N1QFH), Nigel Richards (KB4F), Dirk Basting (N4AN), Mickey Galper (AA4AC), Carol Sjursen (KJ4AWB), Allan Karden (N4ALK), Ben Echavarria (N7BBE), Joe McGee (NX4T), Jo Cummings N2QFT, Bill Mercer KE8TPU, Harvey Kramer (KC4CX), David Laine Mike Sam KF4ZW, Paul Passman WB0BBC, Jesse Shannon KJ4FKK
20
1) Guests Present
1
Minutes Submitted by Ben Echavarria (N7BBE)
Join us for Dinner May 21, 2023 7pm at Wings Plus
PLEASE RSVP using the form below so we can let the restaurant know roughly how many people are coming.
You do not have to be a member or a HAM operator to join our monthly club dinner!
Location:
Wings Plus
9880 W Sample Rd
Coral Springs, FL 33065
Club Dinner RSVP
Sat – April 29, Noon-10pm
Sun – April 30, 8am – 6pm
Location:
The Shack
Delray Beach Regional Park
10875 W Atlantic Ave
Delray Beach, FL 33446
Please register here
https://brara.org/BLOG/florida-qso-party-and-event-information/
OBJECT: For radio amateurs outside of the state of Florida to make contact with as many Florida stations in as many of the 67 Florida counties as possible. Florida operators work anyone outside and within Florida.
*** CQ FLORIDA HAMS ***
The 2023 Florida QSO Party will be held April 29 & 30. We sure hope you’ll join us by activating your FL HF stations – home, club, school, mobile and expedition all welcomed.
Let’s make all 67 counties RADIO-ACTIVE!
CALL TO ACTION!!!
Florida Stations of all types – please go to the FQP website and register your fixed, mobile and expedition operations; just click on the “Counties” link and then the Activation Forms to get started – thanks!
Please check out the rules and further details at our Web Site: http://www.floridaqsoparty.org/
Monthly Club ZOOM Meeting Tues, May 23, 7:30pm
Zoom Room Opens Prior to Meeting for socializing.
Click this link to join our meeting – https://us02web.zoom.us
Meeting ID: 861 4515 0594
Passcode: 464119
Speaker: Bob Heil, K9EID
Subject: tbd
Bob Heil, K9EID, is an American sound and radio engineer. He is best known for creating the template for modern rock sound systems, founding the company Heil Sound in 1966, and inventing the Heil Talk Box in 1973.
Heil was born in Illinois in 1940. He became a proficient theater sound engineer in high school, and after graduating from college, he worked as a sound engineer for a variety of bands and artists. In 1966, he founded Heil Sound, a company that manufactures microphones, satellite dishes, and other audio equipment.
Heil is a pioneer in the field of sound engineering. He was one of the first engineers to use high-powered loudspeakers and feedback cancellation systems in live sound applications. He also developed the Heil Talk Box, a device that allows vocalists to create electronic sounds by speaking into a microphone that is connected to a guitar amplifier. The Heil Talk Box has been used by many famous musicians, including Peter Frampton, Joe Walsh, and Richie Sambora.
Heil is a member of the National Association of Broadcasters, the Audio Engineering Society, and the American Radio Relay League. He has received numerous awards for his work in sound engineering, including the Marconi Society’s Achievement Award in 2007.
Heil is a passionate advocate for amateur radio. He is a licensed amateur radio operator with the call sign K9EID. He is also the host of the Ham Nation podcast, which is one of the most popular amateur radio podcasts in the world.
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will headline the 2023 Fort Lauderdale Air Show this weekend on April 29-30 featuring the U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor Demo Team and an all-star lineup of military and civilian flight demonstrations.
Set on and over Fort Lauderdale beach, the weekend-long annual event is full of unbelievable aerial aerobatics guaranteed to make for a memorable time on our sandy shores.
Read Visit Lauderdale’s Everything You Need to Know About the Fort Lauderdale Air Show to learn more.
Gold Coast Amateur Radio Association Board Meeting Minutes
1) Call to Order
- Erik Olmer (W4EJO) called the meeting to order at 2:36 pm.. A quorum was present with five board members.
Members present: Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT), Ricki Witte (KJ4FSJ), Ben Echavarria (N7BBE), Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR), Tom Savoca (K9TJS), (K4BH)Dirk Basting (N4AN)
2) Secretary, Ben Echavarria N7BBE
- Approval of previous minutes
- Attendance taken for officers.
3) President’s Report, Erik Olmer W4EJO
- Summary of past events and activities
° Ham and Eggs
° Egg hunt/picnic
° MS Bike ride
4) Vice President, Ricki Witte KJ4FSJ
- POA for treasurer transition
5) Committee Reports:
- Field Day – W4EJO June 24 + 25 – Summer Field Day
° W4EJO is EC, Jeff Stahl (K4BH) is technical advisor, Ben Echavarria (N7BBE) is Safety Officer
° Recruitment for assistance in May will be priority
° Amateur Radio License Testing – Jeff Stahl K4BH - ° Broward ARES/RACES – Carol Sjursen KJ4AWB Races Chairman/Jeff Stahl K4BH ARES EC
6) Interim Treasurer Report, Erik Olmer W4EJO/ Dirk Basting N4AN
- Current checking balance as of 4/26/2023 $7,208.67
- Current stripe balance as of 4/23/2023 $0
- Cash on hand $67.00
- Membership:
Annual current – 38
Annual family – 4
Lifetime – 18 - Unpaid – 49
- Goal is 50% collection by July 1, 2023
- Review membership report distributed and talk to anyone who has “paid through” date in the past
- “Assume innocence”
7) Repeater Trustee, Ricky Eaton KD4HDR
- HF Station – Second dry run with Ricki in …April?
- Plan for N4ATL proposal of receiving station to add to JKV
- Antenna Adapter Kit/Analyzer – Eriik will bring to dinner
- Allstar integration for W4BUG repeaters
- New deployable repeater discussion
° Earmarked fundraiser – recognize people who donate (callsign printed on balloon)
8) Member at Large, Melanie Fernandez KJ4VCT
- Sunshine Committee – Report on any “good and welfare” topics about club membership
- Next Speakers:
- April 25 – Robert Molleda, NWS Hurricane Season Prep
- May 23 – Bob Heil, whatever he wants to talk about
- June 27 – Erik Olmer, Shelter Communications
- New Members and renewals since last general meeting
- KM4LVK – Luis Gesualdi, new member
KJ4FSH – Rhonda, renewal
W4LST – Gerald, renewal
NT4AL – Alan, renewal
- KM4LVK – Luis Gesualdi, new member
9) PIO, Tom Savoca K9TJS
- Shirt sales on webpage
- What worked well for picnic PR
- Discuss any PIO committee activity planned on or before the next general meeting
10) Old Business
- Banners – Pending, discuss in conjunction with inflatable helium baloon
- Business cards / QSL Cards – designs discussed, need to be finalized and ordered
- Shirts / Patches / Stickers
- Club event for tuning the Joe McGee dipole antenna
11) New Business
- Donation of Hustler 6-BTV + 12 M + 17M from Howard Robins W1HSR
° Need to arrange pickup / plan for antenna / storage - Consideration of Kenny Hollenbeck KE4NC and Sally Hollenbeck as lifetime members to recognize the contributions Kenny has made to the GCARA and as Net Manager for the SEFTN
- Consideration of Ricky Eaton KD4HGR and Ricki Witte KJ4FSJ as lifetime members for past service to GCARA Board and amateur radio community as a whole
ADJOURNMENT AT 4:07 PM
Minutes Submitted by Ben Echavarria (N7BBE)
Monthly Club ZOOM Meeting Tues, June 27, 7:30pm,
Zoom Room Opens Prior to Meeting for socializing.
Click this link to join our meeting – https://us02web.zoom.us
Meeting ID: 861 4515 0594
Passcode: 464119
Speaker: Erik Olmer
Subject: Shelter Communications
