1) Call to Order
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT)called to order the Gold Coast Amateur Radio Association’s Board meeting at 14:32 EDT (19:32 UTC) on November 7, 2021, on ZOOM. A quorum was present with six board members. Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) was excused.
2) Old Business
a) Echo Link – Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR)
Echo Link will be the next item that will be worked on.
b) Status of CAT Controller
CAT controller is now working. We are adding the AllStar Node when Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) finishes programming and testing and will work parallel with the CAT controller.
c) PL Tone Status
The PL tone is back on.
d) AC donated by Jerry Deitch (W4LST)
We have not yet received permission to install additional mobile A/C. We will hold up on installing the A/C until 2022.
e) WinLink – Charlie Artner (KN4VDW)
PENDING
f) New members letter – Charlie Artner (KN4VDW)
PENDING
g) Motorola Repeater (payment)
Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) will ensure that Eric Rodrigues (KF4LZA) will get reimbursed for the repeater.
h) Club Shirts – Mike Wolf (K2HXC)
All orders are in, and Mike Wolf (K2HXC) will check the status on Monday (12/13/2021).
i) Name Padges – Charlie Artner (KN4VDW)
Badges have not been delivered yet. Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) will check on them on Monday (12/13/2021)
3) New Business
a) Winter Field Day Team
- Food
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) and Jerry Deitch (W4LST) need one more person to lift goods on the day of the event. Erik Olmer (W4EJO) will help with the loading and unloading of the goods.
Admission will be $10.00 for one day and $20.00 for both days. - Setup and Organization – Joe McGee (NX4T)
Dan Vasilca (AI4WW) will take care of the CW operation, and he will be separated from the rest of the stations. He would like a van again and set up his CW station in this van. Joe McGee (NX4T) suggested the club should pay for Dan’s van.
Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) will set up the digital rig with his antenna. The SB rig will be next to the digital rig. Jessy Shannon (KJ4FKK) will bring a rig for SB. Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) and Mike Sam (KF4ZW) will work with Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR).
The Satellite Station will be operated by Erik Olmer (W4EJO). He will check whether we are getting a good pass during Winter Field Day.
4) Adjournment
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) adjourned the meeting at 15:40 EDT (20:40 UTC).
1) Call to Order
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT)called to order the Gold Coast Amateur Radio Association’s regular meeting at 19:33 ET (00:33 UTC) on November 23, 2021, over ZOOM. A quorum was present with 16 members.
2) Pledge of Allegiance
3) Secretary’s Report – Charlie Artner (KN4VDW)
The minutes from the October meeting will be approved in January with the November minutes.
4) Treasurer’s Report – Erik Olmer (W4EJO)
We have two new members; Alan Spicer (KA4UDX) and Robert Rockwell (KM4QYG).
The name tags generated $150.00. This month’s total balance is $8,693.67; total expenses for this month are $474.75; total income for this month is $210.00.
57 total annual members; 7 family members; 19 Lifetime members
5) Membership Report – Joe McGee (NX4T)
Joe McGee (NX4T) welcomed the two new members. Robert Rockwell (KM4QYG) was present and introduced himself.
Allan Karden (N4ALK) wanted to know whether the club will inform members when their membership will expire. Erik Olmer (W4EJO) ensured that he would let members know when they are close to their renewal date, and if there are any specific questions or if a member is not sure, they can always contact him at gcaratreasurer@gmail.com
6) VE Status Report – Jeff Stahl (K4BH)
We still have not found a place to do the testing. The room at Coral Springs Parks is too costly. The city wants about $34.00 an hour and a $258.00 deposit. Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) will follow up with his church to see if the club could schedule testing there.
7) Repeater Report – Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR)
There are new things in the work. We are going to set up AllStar nodes running on Raspberry-Pi. Eric will work on the repeaters sometime this week. We have new notch filters which will have to be installed. The filters are for the .610 repeater, which still has some noise on transmit. The amplifier is back in line again.
8) Web Admin Report – Charlie Artner (KN4VDW)
No significant changes have been made to the website.
9) Amended Bylaws – Charlie Artner (KN4VDW)
The proposed amendments to Section 4.4 Annual dues have been read by Charlie Artner (KN4VDW), and discussion has been opened to members present at the meeting. After discussion, the Amendment was accepted with a unanimous vote.
10) Announcements
a) Club Dinner – December 5, 2021
The quarterly dinner will be on December 5, 2021, and Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) is asking all participants to RSVP on our website
b) Sunshine Committee
Hope Smith (WB3ANE)—Sunshine Committee Chairman, and Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) are sending cards to people who are ill or need otherwise encouraging words.
c) Welcome home – Marty Falk (KI4IQZ)
Marty Falk (KI4IQZ) is back home and recovering from his health issues. Marty Falk (KI4IQZ) was in the hospital where doctors had to revive him after an allergic reaction to a medication.
d) Mike’s Electronics Recognition
Representatives of the club joined Mike at his store to thank him for his decade-long service to the HAM community and celebrate his retirement. The club presented him with a personalized beer mug as a thank-you gift.
e) Election of Board for the fiscal year 2022
Barry Porter (KB1PA) nominated the following members for the board:
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) – President
Joe McGee (NX4T) – Vice President
Erik Olmer (W4EJO) – Treasurer
Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) – Secretary
Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) – Repeater Trustee
Jeff Stahl (K4BH) – Director
Mike Wolf (K2HXC) – Director
Because the slate was unopposed, Barry Porter (KB1PA) moved to accept the slate as presented by Acclimation. The slate was accepted with no objection.
11) Winter Field Day: Joe McGee (NX4T)
Winter Field Day will be at the Quiet Waters Park at the Bald Eagle Shelter. Winter Field Day was not as organized as they are today. We are preplanning the number of stations and antennas going up to avoid any interference between the individual stations at the park. To participate seriously and enter our submission to the Winter Field Day Committee, we will have to be organized. We will set up three stations, and our class will be 3O. Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) and Jeff Stahl (K4BH) will help Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) with the digital station. Joe McGee (NX4T) will set up the SSB station with the remote station. That means during Winter Field Day, the remote station will be offline. Erik Olmer (W4EJO) will see if the SO-50 satellite has a good pass for a contact. His satellite rig is not set up for any other satellite.
12) Adjournment
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) adjourned the meeting at 20:49 ET (01:49 UTC).
1) Call to Order
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT)called to order the Gold Coast Amateur Radio Association’s Board meeting at 14:48 EDT (18:48 UTC) on October 10, 2021, on ZOOM. A quorum was present with six board members.
2) Old Business
a) Next Club Dinner
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) suggested the next Club Dinner for December 5, 2021, at 7:00 pm. Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) will provide a form on our website for people to RSVP. Joe McGee (NX4T) moved to accept December 5, 2021; Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) second. Motion moved unanimously.
b) Status of EchoLink – Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR)
Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) reported that due to the issues with the .610 repeater, he could not make any progress with EchoLink.
c) Status of WinLink Charlie Artner (KN4VDW)
Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) reported that the HD on the laptop for WinLink is still not working, and he will have to replace the HD.
d) Winter Field Day Plans
Joe McGee (NX4T) is asking for the signs for Winter Field Day. Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) informed the Board that they are with Jerry Deitch (W4LST)
Carol Sjursen (KJ4AWB) sent the Letter of Intent last Wednesday or Thursday to Broward County Emergency Management. Once we hear back from them, we will know if the Winter Field Day is a go or not.
Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) will put up a form on the website on or around November 10, 2021, for people to RSVP if they are participating. The Field Day will be held for two days again. We will not need a van for this time, because we will have the Pavilion this year.
e) Nominating Committee
Jerry Deitch (W4LST) declined. Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) asked Barry Porter (), and he agreed to be the chair of the Nominating Committee
f) Post office issue
Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) will get information from a UPS Mail Box service in Margate.
3) Communication issues
We, as a board, have issues responding to emails in a timely fashion. To resolve the communication problem, the Board suggests adding “GCARA” at the beginning of the subject line of each email related to the club.
4) Board members field trip to repeater room
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) tried to call Kirsten (JKV) to see if they have a problem if we go up there as a group to see the repeater room. Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) thinks this is a great idea to bring all board members on the same page regarding the repeater room.
5) Trustee Report – Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR)
a) Noise on .610
The noise is still an issue on the .610 repeater. Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) reported that the PL Tone is back on and active. Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) did a quick test and confirmed that the PL Tone is not turned on. We think the noise is generated within the system.
b) A/C for repeater room
Jerry Deitch (W4LST) donated an A/C for the repeater room, but Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) has not heard back from JKN maintenance if we can install the A/C.
c) UPS
We do not know if the defect UPS has been replaced yet.
6) Tribute for Mike’s Electronics
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) would like to get a beer mug for Mike Spivak for his years of service to the HAM community. Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) suggested printing a more personal message on the mug, and Jeff Stahl (K4BH) will come up with some words.
7) BARC
According to Marty Falk (KI4IQZ), Al Soto is trying to revitalize the BARC. GCARA will close further discussions for now.
8) Speaker request for October meeting
We do not have a speaker for October. Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) asked all Board members to help find a speaker for October.
9) Adjournment
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) adjourned the meeting at 15:57 EDT (19:57 UTC).
1) Call to Order
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT)called to order the Gold Coast Amateur Radio Association’s regular meeting at 19:33 EDT (23:33 UTC) on August 24, 2021, over ZOOM. A quorum was present with 15 members.
2) Pledge of Allegiance
3) Secretary’s Report – Charlie Artner (KN4VDW)
Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) made a motion to approve Minutes from September 28, 2021. Joh Cole (N1QFH) second. Minutes accepted without objection.
4) Treasurer’s Report – Erik Olmer (W4EJO)
We have one new member David Pomerantz (KO4DKN), and three renewals; Jeff Stahl (K4BH), Mitchell Rudin (), and Bruce Ratoff ().
Dues this month $ 120.00 +
Service Charges from the bank $ 4.00 –
Web hosting totaled $ 20.00 –
PayPal Fees $ 5.44 –
Balances
PayPal $ 229.80 +
Checking $8,728.62 +
John Cole (N1QHF) requested a copy of the current Treasurer’s Report
5) VE Status Report – Jeff Stahl (K4BH)
Jeff Stahl (K4BH) has not contacted Coral Springs Parks for availability for their facilities yet. He will attempt to give this some attention tomorrow (10/27/2021).
Jeff Stahl (K4BH) picked up the donated HAM gear for the school, which will allow us to assist the school in setting up an Amateur Radio Club
6) Repeater Report – Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR)
Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) reported that the noise is still present from time to time. He made some improvements regarding the equipment ground. If the reaper has to be shipped out for repairs, Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) will use the spare YAESU when the repeater is with ICOM.
Multiple people have approached Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) to turn back on the PL Tone. He explained that this would not prevent the noise from transmitting when somebody keys up. That means if a station with a low-powered HT would key up, that station would still not be heard because of the noise.
We still have to track down which component in the repeater system is causing the issue. It is either the amplifier or the radio. If it is the radio, Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) will have to replace the repeater with the Fusion Repeater while the ICOM repeater is in repair. The CAT controller will not be connected during this time.
All other repeaters are running well. Jerry Deitch (W4LST) donated an AC for the repeater room. Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) is still waiting for the OK from JKV maintenance to install the AC
7) Web Admin Report – Charlie Artner (KN4VDW)
Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) added the club to the Amazon Smile Program and provided a link for public access to shop on Amazon Smile and make the GCARA the selected non-profit organization.
To shop using the smile program, Amazon customers will have to use the link https://smile.amazon.com.
The events page has also been improved to make it easier to navigate and more transparent as far as the title and description of the events.
The RSVP form has been added to the Club Dinner event on our Events Page.
All meetings will have the ZOOM information within the Event for future Club meetings.
8) Announcements
a) Nominaing Committee
Barry Porter (KB1PA) will present the slate for the November election. As of now, all seated persons on the executive committee wish to retain their seats.
Following members are nominated:
President Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT)
Vice-President Joe McGee (NX4T)
Treasurer Erik Olmer (W4EJO)
Secretary/PIO Charlie Artner (KN4VDW)
Director/Parliamentarian Jeff Stahl (K4BH)
Director/PIO Mike Wolf (K2HXC)
Trustee Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR)
If anybody wants to run for any of these offices, please contact Barry Porter (KB1PA) at barryp13@mac.com.
b) HF Station – Joe McGee (NX4T)
Joe McGee (NX4T) installed a cable provided by Al Flapan (AF4FA), which now allows users of the remote station to tune the radio with a “Tune” button instead of switching to AM to tune manually. There is no need for changing to AM anymore to tune the radio.
c) Badges
Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) will post a form on the website to allow members to order badges with their name and call sign. The order will be sent to Charlie Artner (KN4VDW), who will distribute the tags.
The name tags are from edco.com. EDCO is partnering with us to print our magnetic name tags.
d) Shirts
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) will contact Mike Wolf (K2HXC) to work out the procedure for ordering shirts.
e) Sunshine Committee
Hope Smith (WB3ANE) is now on the Sunshine Committee. If you need cards to wish somebody well or for other occasions, please get in touch with Hope Smith (WB3ANE) or Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT).
9) Speaker: John Quarquesso (KE4JQ)
John Quarquesso (KE4JQ) talked to the club about experiences and upcoming projects with the boy scouts.
10) Adjournment
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT)adjourned the meeting at 20:49 EDT (00:49 UTC).
1) Call to Order
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT)called to order the Gold Coast Amateur Radio Association’s Board meeting at 14:48 EDT (18:48 UTC) on October 10, 2021, on ZOOM. A quorum was present with six board members.
2) Old Business
a) Next Club Dinner
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) suggested the next Club Dinner for December 5, 2021, at 7:00 pm. Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) will provide a form on our website for people to RSVP. Joe McGee (NX4T) moved to accept December 5, 2021; Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) second. Motion moved unanimously.
b) Status of EchoLink – Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR)
Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) reported that due to the issues with the .610 repeater, he could not make any progress with EchoLink.
c) Status of WinLink Charlie Artner (KN4VDW)
Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) reported that the HD on the laptop for WinLink is still not working, and he will have to replace the HD.
d) Winter Field Day Plans
Joe McGee (NX4T) is asking for the signs for Winter Field Day. Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) informed the Board that they are with Jerry Deitch (W4LST)
Carol Sjursen (KJ4AWB) sent the Letter of Intent last Wednesday or Thursday to Broward County Emergency Management. Once we hear back from them, we will know if the Winter Field Day is a go or not.
Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) will put up a form on the website on or around November 10, 2021, for people to RSVP if they are participating. The Field Day will be held for two days again. We will not need a van for this time, because we will have the Pavilion this year.
e) Nominating Committee
Jerry Deitch (W4LST) declined. Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) asked Barry Porter (), and he agreed to be the chair of the Nominating Committee
f) Post office issue
Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) will get information from a UPS Mail Box service in Margate.
3) Communication issues
We, as a board, have issues responding to emails in a timely fashion. To resolve the communication problem, the Board suggests adding “GCARA” at the beginning of the subject line of each email related to the club.
4) Board members field trip to repeater room
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) tried to call Kirsten (JKV) to see if they have a problem if we go up there as a group to see the repeater room. Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) thinks this is a great idea to bring all board members on the same page regarding the repeater room.
5) Trustee Report – Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR)
a) Noise on .610
The noise is still an issue on the .610 repeater. Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) reported that the PL Tone is back on and active. Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) did a quick test and confirmed that the PL Tone is not turned on. We think the noise is generated within the system.
b) A/C for repeater room
Jerry Deitch (W4LST) donated an A/C for the repeater room, but Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) has not heard back from JKN maintenance if we can install the A/C.
c) UPS
We do not know if the defect UPS has been replaced yet.
6) Tribute for Mike’s Electronics
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) would like to get a beer mug for Mike Spivak for his years of service to the HAM community. Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) suggested printing a more personal message on the mug, and Jeff Stahl (K4BH) will come up with some words.
7) BARC
According to Marty Falk (KI4IQZ), Al Soto is trying to revitalize the BARC. GCARA will close further discussions for now.
8) Speaker request for October meeting
We do not have a speaker for October. Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) asked all Board members to help find a speaker for October.
9) Adjournment
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) adjourned the meeting at 15:57 EDT (19:57 UTC).
Gold Coast Amateur Radio Association
General Membership Meeting
Meeting Minutes
1) Call to Order
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT)called to order the Gold Coast Amateur Radio Association’s regular meeting at 19:30 EDT (23:30UTC) on September 28, 2021, over ZOOM. A quorum was present with 17 members.
2) Pledge of Allegiance
3) Secretary’s Report – Charlie Artner (KN4VDW)
Motion to approve Minutes from August 24, 2021. Jeff Stahl (K4BH) second the motion. Meeting minutes accepted without objection.
4) Treasurer’s Report – Erik Olmer (W4EJO)
We had two new members (Ramon Fernandez KO4BRS and Jared Sherman KC2MMI).
Two bank fees since our last meeting because of the way the bank cuts their month. Last month we had no bank fees—$ 20.00 for web hosting as every month. And we also spend $82.49 on business cards to hand out with the Club’s information on one side a list of our repeaters’ information on the other side.
We spent $475.00 for a backup antenna paid to Mike’s Electronics.
The checking account has $8,752.6. The PayPal account has $115.2. The total available to the Club is $8,867.86
Joe McGee (NX4T) was asking what precisely the definition of “Net Budget” is. Erik Olmer (W4EJO) explained that “Net Budget” is an estimated budget for the year.
5) Membership Chair’s Report – Joe McGee (NX4T)
For this month, we have 51 paid single members and three paid family members who carried four additional family members with them. In addition, we have 19 Lifetime members. The total number of members for this month is 77.
6) VE Status Report – Jeff Stahl (K4BH)
Jeff Stahl (K4BH) reported that he might have a location for testing in Coral Springs. He met with a lady from CS, and she has a community room available just off of the police station, and we could probably squeeze 20 people in there; if COVID numbers drop off, we could get up to 30 people in there. No details are worked out yet.
There is also a possibility of using some of the community rooms at the parks for our meetings. The lady suggested contacting the parks. Jeff Stahl (K4BH) did not have the chance to follow up on that yet. Each park has a big room we could book, but we don’t know if there will be any cost for the Club.
7) Repeater Report – Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR)
Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) reported that the .610 repeater has a few issues. One of them being interfering, static noise. We have not figured out yet, the origin of the noise. We know it is coming from the outside. Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) asked if anybody could hear the noise to check on the input and report to him the QTH and whether or not the station could hear the noise.
We now have a spare UHF antenna. We have two complete spare repeater systems. One is sitting at the house of Kenny Hollenbeck (KE4NC), donated by Mike Wolf (K2HXC). Terry and John donated the other system; it is a dual-band system.
Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) has also contacted the BARA to see what will happen with the Club, and he found out that the Club will try to get members back into the Club. BARA also talked to the Palmetto Club and DCARA.
Joe McGee (NX4T) asked if it was possible to replace the current .610 machine with one of the spare repeaters to test if we could eliminate the noise. Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) explained that it would not be that easy because of the cabels going to the CAT controller. The cables are made specifically for the repeater we are using right now. If we replaced that repeater without having the proper wires, we would have no courtesy tone or anything like that.
Jeff Stahl (K4BH) mentioned that the PL tone is not turned on, and turning on the PL tone could eliminate the noise if it is a random interference. If the noise still makes it through the repeater, we know the interference is intentional. Unfortunately, we cannot turn on the PL tone because of issues with the CAT controller. For reasons unknown at this time, the decoding does not work correctly, and once the PL tone is turned on, the repeater will not key up anymore, not even with the correct PL sent.
8) Web Admin Report – Charlie Artner (KN4VDW)
Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) reported no significant changes to the website. The only new feature added is a contact form to make it easier for visitors or members to contact the board members. The contact form can be reached by clicking on “Contact Us” at the main menu at the very top of the page.
9) Announcements
a) GCARA Quarterly Dinner
This Sunday evening, October 3, 2021, at 19:00 EDT (23:00 UTC), the Club hosts the quarterly dinner at Wings Plus on Sample Road.
b) Sunshine Committee
Hope Smith (WB3ANE) is our new member of the Sunshine Committee.
10) Speaker: Jeff Stahl (K4BH)
Jeff is going to host a game of Kahoot.
11) Adjournment
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) adjourned the meeting at 20:00 EDT (00:00 UTC).
Gold Coast Amateur Radio Association
Board Meeting
Minutes
1) Call to Order
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT)called to order the Gold Coast Amateur Radio Association’s Board meeting at 14:35 EDT (18:35 UTC) on September 19, 2021, on ZOOM. A quorum was present with six board members.
2) Old Business
a) Repeater status and connections – Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR)
Everything is working OK. Mike’s Electronics has received the check for the antenna. Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) will arrange to transport the antenna to his warehouse. Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) will also schedule the pickup of a VHF Motorola repeater donated by Mike Wolf (K2HXC).
Nothing has happened with the remote site yet. Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) was sick, and Eric was too busy to do anything.
The overheating of the .610 machine is fixed. The UPS was damaged from a lightning hit. Joe McGee (NX4T) went up there and plugged the fans into a wall outlet.
Jeff Stahl (K4BH) advised that Jerry Deitch (W4LST) offered a small A/C unit to provide additional cooling for the repeater room. Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) is still waiting for JKV maintenance to get back with him and let him know if it is OK to have an additional A/C unit.
b) Next Club Dinner
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) wanted to know if we should have another dinner or picnic before the end of the year. The Board decided that the Dinners are more successful, so we will plan the next dinner for October 3, 2021, at 19:30 EDT (23:30 UTC).
Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) will create a signup sheet on the website.
Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) will investigate if we can get the new antenna up on JKV before we need it to store it for future use, whatever that use may be.
Mike’s Electronics will also donate cables and an interface. Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) will get the items and store them for the club.
c) Membership—begin and duration – Charlie Artner (KN4VDW)
We have sent out a poll to ask the members how they feel about this change, and out of the members who participated in the poll, 73% agree with this change.
d) Status of EchoLink – Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR)
Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) has nothing new on EchoLink. He was not able to do anything due to his health condition.
e) Status of WinLink Charlie Artner (KN4VDW)
Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) reported that the HD on the laptop for WinLink is not working, and he will have to replace the HD.
f) Winter Field Day Plans
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) will proceed with the paperwork for the Winter Field Day, and at the same time, we will ask the members via an ePoll who would participate in a Winter Field Day.
Poll results as of October 7, 2021. Last vote was casted on October 4, 2021.
g) Post Office Box issue
Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) will get information on a mailbox service on Atlantic Blvd and provide info to the Board in the next meeting.
3) Vote on Writing Check for Insurance
The amount for the insurance is $180.42. It was approved without objections.
4) Nominating Committee for Officers
Al already said that he is not available for the nominating committee this year. Jeff Stahl (K4BH) nominated Jerry Deitch (W4LST) and was accepted without objection.
5) Broward County Amateur Radio Club
Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) will talk to the person who is left in charge of the club’s business to discuss possible options for a merger.
6) Get Sunshine Committee established again
Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) suggested Jesse Shannon for this position, and Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) will talk to him.
7) New Activities Needed
a) HF Station Drill – Erik Olmer (W4EJO)
Erik Olmer (W4EJO) and Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) will start a pilot program inviting people on ZOOM to watch and listen to what is going on at 07:00 EDT (11:0 UTC) at the FPTN.
b) Workshop
Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) and Jeff Stahl (K4BH) will go to Mike’s Electronics to see what inventory is left to be used for workshops. The Board gave them permission to spend up to $500.00.
8) Weekend Park Meetings
We will be looking into opportunities for an event at a park more central to the members.
9) Change meeting time for BM
The Board has unanimously decided to change the meeting time to 14:30 hrs.
10) Adjournment
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) adjourned the meeting at 16:32 EDT (20:32 UTC).
Gold Coast Amateur Radio Association
General Membership Meeting
Meeting Minutes
1) Call to Order
Joe McGee (NX4T)called to order the Gold Coast Amateur Radio Association’s regular meeting at 19:30 EDT (23:30UTC) on August 24, 2021, over ZOOM. A quorum was present with 18 members.
2) Pledge of Allegiance
3) Secretary’s Report – Charlie Artner (KN4VDW)
Motion to approve Minutes from July 27, 2021. Erik Olmer (W4EJO) second. Meeting minutes accepted without objection.
4) Treasurer’s Report – Erik Olmer (W4EJO)
1 New member Justin Sligh. Otherwise, there have not been many transactions this month other than the usual monthly fees.
The total balance as of 8/20/2021 is 9,394.71. The fees of the new member will be on next month’s report.
5) Membership Chair’s Report – Joe McGee (NX4T)
Joe McGee (NX4T) reported 56 paid members, 19 Lifetime members, which brings us to a total of 75 members. One additional member signed about today, Ramon Lee Fernandez (KO4BRS) and is not on the roster yet, so that will bring our total membership to 76 members. Joe McGee (NX4T) will get in touch with this new member.
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) announced a new Lifetime member—Jesse Shannon (KJ4FKK). We thank Jesse for his relentless help and countless donations to the club to make all the club projects such as the remote HF station happening.
6) VE Status Report – Jeff Stahl (K4BH)
Jeff Stahl (K4BH) is going to hold a test session in Crystal River with the local VE team on August 25, 2021. He has been in contact with ARRL to find out how to send in-person test results electronically and he will report on the session in the next meeting.
7) Repeater Report – Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR)
Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) reported that everything is working as expected. We are still waiting for JKV to finish the work on the roof before we can go back up in the repeater room.
8) Web Admin Report – Charlie Artner (KN4VDW)
Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) reported that there have not been any substantial changes. He also reminded all members that we have a forum now and encourages members and non-members alike to start using it.
9) Announcements
a) Membership Due Date
The board is proposing to change the period of membership from the beginning of the fiscal year until the end of the fiscal year to the following.
Membership starts when payment is made with the following conditions. If a member pays on or before the 4th Tuesday of the month, the membership starts on the first of that same month.
Example:
The payment was made on March 17, 2021, which is before the 4th Tuesday of the month. In this case, the membership will start on March 1, 2021, and will end on February 28, 2022.
If a member pays after the 4th Tuesday of the month, the membership will start on the first of the following month.
Example:
The payment was made on March 25, 2021, which is after the 4th Tuesday of the month. In this case, the membership will start on April 1, 2021, and will end on March 31, 2022.
After a discussion among the members, the
The change is accepted by the membership without any objections.
b) GCARA is now a 501(C)(3)
Just a reminder that the Gold Coast Amateur Radio Association is now a 501(C)(3) and able to accept tax-deductible donations.
c) Ongoing projects
We need volunteers for shelters. We need ideally 4 operators in each open shelter, but right now we are unable to put just 1 operator in each open shelter. You can bring family and you will be treated as staff and not as a refugee.
10) Speaker: Bob Greenberg (W2CYK)
The presentation started at 20:00 (00:00 UTC). Bob is the developer/inventor of the RFINDER, a device that functions as a cell phone and amateur radio, based on the Android operating system.
11) Adjournment
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) adjourned the meeting at 21:15 EDT (01:15 UTC).
Gold Coast Amateur Radio Association
Board Meeting
Minutes
1) Call to Order
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT)called to order the board meeting of the Gold Coast Amateur Radio Association, Inc at 13:07 EDT (17:07 UTC) on July 18, 2021, on ZOOM. A quorum was present with 7 board members.
2) Old Business
a) Repeater status and connections – Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR)
The voter system is still on hold due to roof work on JKV. Joe McGee (NX4T) was asking if we could link the UHF and VHF repeater at the JKV. Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) is not sure if it is possible but will investigate it. All repeaters are working as expected.
Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) will not be the trustee for the Palmetto Club since the FCC rejected him. FCC has a new regulation the prohibits being Trustee for more than one club.
b) Mike’s Electronics
Mike’s Electronics offered the club an antenna at his cost and the club could use it on JKV. Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) told Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) to find out what the price was and asked Erik Olmer (W4EJO) to cut a check. The price for the antenna is $450.00. Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) made a motion to approve the purchase of the antenna, Jeff Stahl (K4BH) second the motion. Motion passed without objection.
Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) will investigate if we can get the new antenna up on JKV before we need it to store it for future use, whatever that use may be.
Mike’s Electronics will also donate cables and an interface. Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) will get the items and store them for the club.
c) Meetings in Person
Jeff Stahl (K4BH) is not sure how the school would react at this time to bring a new organization into the school due to the new COVID cases. He will talk to the school about this once the public health situation has improved.
d) Next Club Dinner
The next dinner is scheduled for September 18, 2021. The owner of Wings Plus would like us to move the meeting to Sunday since that is a better day for the restaurant. Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) will send out a poll asking the members whether they would like to do the dinner or not due to the current situation with COVID. Joe McGee (NX4T)
e) Joe McGee (NX4T) — HF Station
Joe McGee (NX4T) has nothing new to report on the HF station. Use has not picked up yet. Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) made the argument that what is enough usage regarding keep sending emails or maintaining the website. Emails have a very low open rate, and our website barely gets any traffic. Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) commented that this may be due to the advanced age of our club members, and we need younger members. Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) mentioned that the HF station could be advertised more and used to attract younger members. Jeff Stahl (K4BH) added that new HAMs often don’t upgrade their technician license because they say they can’t use HF. The remote station could encourage them to upgrade.
f) Membership Dues – Policy on Effective Date
Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) will work on new wording for when membership will start. Joe McGee (NX4T) made the motion to change the start of membership to the month when it was first paid. Second by Jeff Stahl (K4BH). Motion passed without objections.
g) Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) — Echo Link
Ricky Eaton (KD4HGR) will install Echo Link at JKV and hook it up to the .610 repeater. The project with David Warner did not come to realize due to disagreements on the terms.
h) Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) — WinLink
Charlie Artner (KN4VDW) has started cleaning his laptop which he will donate to the club for use with WinLink. Nothing else has happened yet due to a lack of time.
3) Jesse Shannon — Recommended for Lifetime member
Erik Olmer (W4EJO) suggested Jesse Shannon as a Lifetime member due to the large number of donations he gave. Joe McGee (NX4T) will talk to Jesse Shannon before we move on with that decision to let him know that his donation towards the HF Project may not be used for a while and if he wishes the club will refund his donation. Contingent on this conversation we will announce in the next General Meeting his Lifetime Membership
4) Board Slate for October
All current board members are agreeing to stay on the slate.
5) Winter Field Day 2022 – Plans
Winter Field Day 2021 is going to happen on January 29 and 30, 2021. Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) will fill out the paperwork to reserve the Pavilion at Quiet Waters Park. The club will decide whether or not to meet in person later this year depending on the public health situation.
6) Adjournment
Melanie Fernandez (KJ4VCT) adjourned the meeting at 14:32 EDT (18:32 UTC).
