I would like to wish everyone a Happy Spring this month! This is personally my favorite time of year. The birds are down from the north nesting and getting fat for the trip back up North later. The flowers are bursting forth in colors and scents that are a delight to all of our senses. Life in Florida is presenting weather at its best and we see the true paradise that is called Florida. We are so lucky to be hams and live here.

Speaking of our hams, I would like to introduce a few to you. Welcome Henry Garcia KC2DEX. I met Henry at the Winter Field Day and he has followed us for some time and decided to join us. Henry’s greatest interests as a General is in DMR, DSTAR and VHF/UHF and other digital modes
along with FT8 and Digital HF and DX. Anyone who shares his interests would have a good conversation with Henry at our club functions.

Next, welcome to Adam Hilmers, KO4BVD, a new Technician who joined us on Winter Field Day. Adam likes contesting and Sat Comm as well as Portable Go-Kit Building and usage. He is looking forward to learning from our club members as soon as his family time permits. A good match for Adam would be Mike Samokieszyn (Sams) KF4ZW, who actually builds “go-kits” and is very technically inclined and computer savvy.

Welcome also to Elliot Spiro, N2HYD, an EXTRA from NY. His interests lie in DMR, DSTAR, Digital VHF/UHF modes as well as DX. I would say that Elliot and Henry need to get together with our Repeater trustee, Ricky Eaton, KD4HGR for some first hand knowledge of their interests.

We would also like to welcome new member MJ Duff KG4SLH, an EXTRA who enjoys and is interested in ARES/RACES. We will get her involved with Carol Sjursen KJ4AWB and Jeff Stahl K4BH who work with the Broward Emergency Management for ARES/RACES in Broward. She is sure to enjoy her experiences with them as an emergency communicator.

As far as Health and Welfare goes, we have a few hams tending to medical problems. If you know of anyone who needs prayers or attention, please notify the Sunshine Committee, Melanie Fernandez KJ4VCT @954-560-3706 with their permission and we will ask for prayers and emotional support for these hams.

I am remiss in mentioning that one of our newer members, Johnny Marino, N4QZB, lost his wife of many years, Lisa, to breast cancer over the Christmas holidays. Our hearts and condolences go out to Johnny who will be working with Ricky Eaton KD4HGR to get on the air soon. Kudos for improvement to our favorite HAMs Marty Falk KI4IQZ, and Barry Porter, KB1PA, who have been under the weather and fighting for good health on and off for some months. We pray that soon, your health issues will be resolved. We NEED you and you mean a lot to the ham hobby and the club.

God bless everyone always in all ways. 73, Melanie KJ4VCT 2-28-23

1) Call to Order

Erik Olmer (W4EJO) called the meeting to order at 14:39 hours on February 26, 2023. A quorom is present with five (5)
board members.

Members present: Erik Olmer (W4EJO), Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT), Ricki Witte (KJ4FSJ), Ben Echavarria (N7BBE), Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR), Tom Savoca (K9TJS)

Robert Ligum (KN4WII) Treasurer had submitted his resignation. Erik Olmer will fill in as interim Treasurer.

2) Secretary – Ben Echavarria (N7BBE)

• Approval of previous minutes.
• Attendance taken of officers.

3) Presidents Report – Erik Olmer (W4EJO)

• Speaker schedule
  • March 28 – Joe Garcia (N1JQ) W1AW Trustee, will give a virtual tour of the W1AW Station.
  • April 25 – Robert Molleda of the NWS Hurricane Season Prep
  • May 23 – Bob Heil, will give a talk on various subjects.

• Other future events:

• April 8 – Picnic at Vista View Park in Davie
  • Need Fox Hunt Equipment and skilled operators.
  • Empty plastic eggs
  • Candy
  • We are making it a “free event” minimal picnic food, emphasize showing off amateur radio equipment and skills.
  • “Donate to GCARA” QR code hung around the pavilion.
  • Networks needed to advertise event to public.
  • Need “teams” to register”.
  • Egg hunt “teams” will include kids, adult guardian(s) and at least one ham to help with fox hunting and to answer the questions about amateur radio located inside the eggs. (bonus points)

• April 15 & 16 – MS BIKE RIDE
  • Need volunteers to sign up on our web sight for this event.

• June 24 & 25 – Summer Field Day
  • • IC will be picked 3/1/2023.
  • • Ben E (N7BBE) will be the Safety Officer “one more time”, so we need a deputy.\

• July 18 10:30am – library Presentation at Century Plaza Library in Deerfield Beach.

4) Vice President Ricki Witte (KJ4FSJ)

• Committee Reports:

• MS BIKE RIDE – N7BBE is Bike Ride Chairman
  • April 15 & 16
  • Need to enroll communicators.
    
• Winter Field Day – W4EJO
• Testing – K4BH
• Broward ARES/RACES – KJ4AWB Races chairman/K4BH ARES EC

5) Interim Treasurer, Erik Olmer (W4EJO)

• Current checking balance as of 2/26/2023 – $8126.29
• Current stripe balance as of 2/26/2023 – $0
• Cash on hand – $67.00

• WFD Cash Donations – $40.00
• WFD Online Donations – $540.00
• WFD Expenses – $573.64
• WFD REVENUE/loss – +$6.38

6) Repeater Trustee – Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR)

• HF Station – Second dry run with Ricki in March
• Discuss NT4AL proposal of receiving station to add to JKV
• Antenna Analyzer – Will be shipped with W4EJO done with project

7) Member at Large – Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT)

• Sunshine Committee – Report on any “good and welfare” topics about club membership
• Events scheduled on or before next month’s general meeting

• 2/26/2023 – Wings Plus 7:00 pm
• 2/28/2023 – GCARA General Meeting
• 3/18/2023 – Skywarn
• 3/26/2023 – Next Dinner

• New members and renewals since last general meeting
  • N4QZB, N4BUG, K4RU, KC2DEX, K4ADD, N2HYD, KG4SLH

8) PIO – TOM SAVOCA (K9TJS)

• Report on any web page updates
• 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

• Joe Ruby Brick – In the works
• Banners – PIO Committee will be asked to submit proposal by March
• Vests – Need to be ordered

10) New Business

• Money Minder Invoice $238.00 due
• Consideration of club business cards and QSL cards
• Consideration of dues forgiveness $23.00 to Kenny and his wife for family membership in consideration of the multiple ways Kenny helps the GCARA via the SEFTN
• Consideration of purchase of antenna adapter kit
  • https://powerwerx.com/30-piece-rf-adapter-kit?gclid=Cj0KCQiAo-yfbhDARlsANr56g4u03q2lf8dF99HR8eqo0LfVVYHosskEzQXNdQOgUpdbnKc2Lh-m8UaArlmEALw wcB
  • To be kept with antenna analyzer guaranteeing that we can mate the tool to any system, and to serve for emergency adapters needed at events such as field day, or during actual communications disasters

• Will monitor for interest in Treasurer position, will name nominating committee if no one expresses interest, hold special election March 2023

Adjournment

We are looking for volunteers on 4/15/23 and 4/16/23 to serve as communicators.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN HELPING
PLEASE CALL (754) 444 1187 OR EMAIL PRESIDENT@W4BUG.ORG

New information will be forthcoming as the event unfolds.

Egg Hunts/Fox Hunt every hour 10AM – 5PM
Vista View Park – Shelter 1

“The Only Egg Hunt In America With Kids, K9’s and Radio Direction Finding”

Bring the kids for a FREE* event guaranteed to be fun and educational

Egg hunt = something people immediately recognize and kids might be interested in. The fact that we mix a fox hunt into it as a radio club is what makes our egg hunt unique.

Fox hunt = an activity unique to amateur radio where people use radio equipment to locate a hidden transmitter. Radio location goes well beyond amateur radio, but hams do “fox hunts” for fun. Fox Hunts are sometimes part of Civil Air Patrol looking for transponders on downed aircraft. A fox hunt is part of our egg hunt event.

We are planning: Picnic – Show and Tell – NET Control review – Fox Hunt

Park info: Phone: 954.357.8898 Email: VistaViewPark@Broward.org

At 65 feet above sea level, this park’s hilltop is the highest manmade elevation in Broward County, popular with competitive bicyclists, paragliders, and horseback riders, not to mention picnickers and, every Fourth of July, people looking to see fireworks.

Meeting starts at 7:30pm, Zoom Room Opens Prior to Meeting for socializing.

Join Zoom Meeting

Click this link to join our meeting – https://us02web.zoom.us

Meeting ID: 861 4515 0594
Passcode: 464119

Speaker: Joe Carcia (NJ1Q)

March is now booked with W1AW station trustee for a virtual tour of the station.

About Joe:

I’ve been licensed since 1979. Got my Novice – KA1DBK – when I started high school. Went for my General in 1980. And I got my Extra back in 1983. I kept my Novice call throughout the years. I got my current callsign – NJ1Q – in 1987. My friend and I usually hung out around the bottom of 40 meters CW, chasing DX. Far too many times, my callsign was busted since hams heard the “K” at the end and thought I signed it back over to them. After that, I opted to change my call. It’s what the FCC gave me.

I attended the Samuel I. Ward School of Electronics located at the University of Hartford. In September 1984, I began working at the ARRL as a grunt in the QSL Service. The rest is history.

About W1AW:

The Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station is known the world over for its on air Morse code practice sessions and news bulletins. On February 17, 1936, Hiram Percy Maxim, “The Old Man,” cofounder of the League and its president from the start 22 years earlier, died suddenly at age 66. Later that year, a devastating flood struck New England, and the headquarters station, W1MK, located at Hartford’s Brainard Field, near the Connecticut River, was destroyed.

More info: https://www.arrl.org/inside-w1aw

Join us for Dinner March 26, 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

Come to one of the world’s largest hamfest, where we pride ourselves on delivering a high-quality event to our attendees. Join us February 10-12, 2023 in beautiful Orlando, Florida for HamCation 2023.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO on HamCation 2023

THIS CLASS IS FULL, PLEASE CHECK BACK FOR THE NEXT SCHEDULED CLASS!

SKYWARN is a program developed and taught by National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists and consists of trained weather spotters who report severe and hazardous weather to help in the weather warning process.

SKYWARN Spotter reports provide vital “ground truth” to the National Weather Service.

The information Spotters provide immensely helps the NWS Forecasters make better/more informed forecasts and helps them to warn others of impending dangers or hazards.

A SKYWARN class will be held on Saturday, March 18, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM at the Broward County Emergency Operations Center, 201 NW 84 Ave., Plantation, FL 33324.

Anyone interested in public safety and communications during extreme weather events is welcome to attend.

There is no cost to attend this training, however, you MUST pre-register for the class. To register, you are required to email your Full Name, Address, eMail and phone number to Carol Sjursen, Broward County SKYWARN Coordinator at CarolSjursen@gmail.com.

#SKYWARN

CQ CQ CQ Calling all hungry hams!

We just completed our first Winter Field Day in 1 and a half years, thanks to unseasonably cold weather and COVID restrictions in 2021, and 2022. We are so grateful that a few hams with culinary expertise stepped up to the “plate” (pun intended) and offered their gracious services to the WFD Canteen.

We wish to thank Gerald (Jerry) Deitch W4LST, Erik Olmer W4EJO, and Melanie Fernandez KJ4VCT for a most pleasant and “fruitful” shopping excursion on Friday the 27 th which provided the much desired food for the hungry, hungry hams. We bought thick, succulent burgers, tasty Nathan’s Hot Dogs and Primo sweet and hot sausages, along with Potato Salad, and assorted beverages, cookies and snacks for mass consumption. On Saturday, we were joined by the beautiful Joanna Cummings N2QFT and her helpful mate James (Dick) Cummings KD2DXQ as well as again, Jerry Deitch W4LST who helped bring the goodies and set up the breakfast bar and coffee table. (A shout out and thanks to Carol Sjursen KJ4AWB who provided and donated her Corey coffee maker to the club for a supply of never ending hot coffee. Thanks Carol.)

Melanie Fernandez KJ4VCT manned the grill the first part of the morning for lunch prep and was joined with Joanna Cummings N2QFT who carried on the grilling while Melanie went to pick up Rhonda Pitone KJ4FSH and Hope Smith WB3ANE, who needed transport to the event. We were a well-oiled, compatible crew, who saw to it that all were fed, including some unexpected guests who happened along.

Ricki Witte KJ4FSJ , our Hospitality Chair, also brought her dynamite chili, and helped hostess our event as well as keep track of welcoming people who came to play and visit and learn. Jerry W4LST brought his homemade Beef Stew for the dinner portion and Melanie Fernandez KJ4VCT provided Italian Meatballs for lunch.

The gorgeous weather provided a beautiful backdrop to our WFD efforts and made the grilling a delight as opposed to our hot JUNE field days. We are looking forward to the June FD and invite any of those who love being in the kitchen to join us for the fun and festivity of taking care of others. Your service is needed and much appreciated as many hands make light work. There is a job for any who choose to help in setting up, cooking, serving or breaking down. Thank you GCARA for being the most welcoming club I have ever had the pleasure of belonging to!

Till June………….
Melanie