June 15, 2019
CALL TO
ORDER:
8:20 am President, Melanie Fernandez KJ4VCT opened the meeting for
Field Day Planning.
Members Present
Melanie Fernandez, Jeff Stahl, Ricki Witte, Rick Eaton, Joe McGee, Mike Wolfe, Roy Neiman.
Resource: Erik Olmer { ABSENT: Kenny Hollenbeck, Dave Crane, Dan Vasilca }
SECRETARY NOTES: Our additional features this year will be: Solar Power, Satellite contact and Mickey will show his project. We will run as a 3A station with a GOTA station for guests to use.
Member’s Responsibilities:
Melanie: Along with Ricki, Sherry and Ralph will handle the food. NOTE: The club members must plan to eat around Noon. The dignitaries and visitors must be fed at 3PM. Melanie will also be in charge of the sale of the raffle tickets and gift certificates.
Mike: Has contacted the major TV channels and Newspapers and will send reminders next week. Mike asks that all pictures be forwarded to him, so that he can post them on the Facebook page. Mike will collect and send Radiograms to Kenny. He will also bring his 30 cup coffee urn and a griddle if needed.
Kenny: Will deliver the Radiograms on 80 meter outgoing traffic net.
Erik: Will secure as many proclamations as possible. He will also invite as many dignitaries as possible. Some have already agreed to attend. Erik will also post some pictures during Field Day. He will be the safety officer first and host second. States the Coco the K-9 will come as well as Elmo from Sesame Street.
Joe McGee: Has written and distributed a list of each member’s duties for Field Day.
He still needs more operators. Joe noted that he has to pick up his Son at the airport, so will turn off and refill the generator before he leaves. On Sunday June 23, breakdown, clean up and pack up will begin.
Rick: The new antenna is on order. Rick is in the process of setting up a remote receiver site. He is acquiring a new “Voter” at a good price. There is no tone on the repeater as the “Cat” controller will not take one at this time. Rick can control the repeater from home, so he doesn’t have to go to the repeater to make changes.
The noise problem is caused by something in the building.
Roy: Along with Erik, Dave Crane, Rhonda will man the Welcome Station and will sign them in, hand out information, take pictures and guide the visitors to their area of interest. NOTE: Paper handouts are available to remind guests to peak softly if near the radio operators. Avoid all antennas and any area cordoned off with yellow caution tape….Also, Mike and Roy will position the signs.
Jeff Stahl: Will man the GOTA station and hopefully set up a “Fox Hunt” if time permits.
Ricki: Will make chili and bring breakfast. On another matter, has drafted a letter to the IRS. Jeff will have a friend look at it too, regarding the 501 C application.
Mickey: Is to bring the Field Day signs. Also will conduct a class for visitors.
MEETING ADJOURNED:
The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 AM EST by President,
Melanie Fernandez, KJ4VCT.
Respectfully submitted by Roy Neiman KJ4EGN, Secretary.
Call to Order: 7:40 PM
President Melanie Fernandez, KJ4VCT, called the meeting to order and lead the members in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Roll Call:
Roll call of the entire membership present was given. Absent was Roy Neiman, KJ4EGN (vacation). Tardy was Mike Wolf, K2HXC.
Thirty-three (33) people were in attendance.
Minutes of the Previous Meeting on April 23, 2019 were approved as they appeared on the website.
Treasurer’s Report:
Ricki Witte, KJ4FSJ, told all in attendance that our treasury has some significant cash outlay for the Post Office box and for a new voter for our repeaters totaling $483.00 and leaving a balance after our deposit of $298.00 from the previous meeting of $3,824.47.
Membership Report:
There is a paid membership of 76 people so far this year. About half are ARRL members. Twenty-five % of the members have not brought their dues current yet. Notices will go out shortly.
Testing Report:
Three people took the test and 2 passed with technician licenses.
Repeater Report:
Ricky Eaton, KD4HGR, TRUSTEE, gave us the updated report for the repeater projects being worked on. The Boca site will be serviced in the upcoming months. The new .61 antenna is expected to be in and installed by next month. The antenna was bought by funds generated from a sale of equipment that was donated to the club by patron and member Dirk Basting, N4AN, from his site. Plans are being made to get a 6 meter antenna to go with the 6 meter repeater that was donated to the club by Eric Rodriguez, KF4LZA, of our repeater team.
Webmaster Report:
John Cole, N1QFH, had no website information for us but invited us to join the Boca Club in the NBEAMS Net. Contact John or Jeff Stahl, K4BH, for further information.
Call for Old Business:
Mike Wolf, K2HXC did not have the shirts yet as the provider did not have all of them ready yet. He will pick up and bring to Field Day for members who ordered them (3).
Call for New Business: Annnouncements:
Plans for Field Day are coming along nicely and there are a few surprises planned for the Saturday we begin our practice drill. Elmo from Sesame Street is supposed to attend as well as Coco the K-9 and we expect a visit from the Emergency Management Team at the EOC. They are scheduled to share some lunch with us and bring their command vehicle. A request was made for everyone to bring kids, families and friends to our field day.
Joe McGee, NX4t, made a brief statement about the FD plans and enlisted the help of a few volunteers for various tasks.
We counted about 15 interested parties planning to go and took quite a few advance registrations for the Food with payment. Melanie Fernandez and Ricki Witte are chairing the Food committee with the help of Ralph and Sherry Tullo and will be planning for at least 50 people to eat.
50/50 Raffle:
The raffle was won by Dan Vasilca AI4WW and he returned the money to the Treasury ($42.00).
SPEAKERS:
The main speaker, Dan Vasilca gave an interesting talk on the NiMM program, a computer program used in contesting on the amateur radio bands. He has written many macros for CW and contesting and the program is very helpful for use in doing so. He demonstrated by live demo how it is done and explained it to the group. It generated a lot of interest which no doubt will be carried over to FD. Jeff Stahl, Ricky Eaton and Joe McGee did make additional comments about everything and a good question and answer session followed.
The speakers were thanked and the meeting was adjourned at 9:40PM.
-Respectfully submitted by President Melanie Fernandez, KJ4VCT, in Secretary Roy Neiman’s absence.
The next two months will be the busiest months in a long time. Our Spring Picnic was the last outdoor meeting for our group and it went very well for many of us who chose to go and participate. Safety Fest in Margate hosted by CERT was also a lively affair with much to see and do and many friends to make contact with. Facebook has a lot of pictures of both events so you can check it out if you missed it.
At our last GCARA BOARD MEETING on May 4, 2019, we met to discuss replacing the old commercial antenna for the repeater on the John Knox building. Although we put it to good use for many years, it was not the proper frequency nor was it for a 2meter repeater. It was putting a high SWR back into our equipment and ran the risk of damaging our brand new equipment up there at Cassels Tower. Through the diligent research of Ricky Eaton, Eric Rodriguez, Joe McGee and Jeff Stahl, it was decided that the old commercial antenna could not be tuned or modified without some taking apart and welding and even then it may not have been suitable. It was indeed a frustrating conundrum for experienced hams who can homebrew/fix anything and make it work. After a lengthy bit of experimenting and talking and looking into other possibilities, we have all agreed that purchasing a new antenna, one that is built precisely for our unit and is wind resistant to 195 MPH winds, is the best option available tous now. While it comes with a hefty price of about $1200.00, we are trying to get a discount, have sold some equipment donated back to the club by Dirk Basting and have some small anonymous donations that can be made available towards the purchase. We feel that these donations have come at a much needed time and we should make them work for us. It is hoped that with all brand new equipment, our repeater should last another 15-20 years without major problems. When you see Eric Rodriguez and Ricky Eaton, please tell them how grateful and appreciative you are. These gentlemen have put many long hours into problem solving and workmanship into keeping us on the air. Special thanks also to Joe McGee and Jeff Stahl who did a wonderful job of researching and explaining and asking appropriate questions so the Board could make the best decision for the club.
Now there is a noise problem at JKV which is occurring at certain parts of the day and is not associated with our equipment , nor is it malicious in nature. Apparently, some entity is using something that when in use, causes a “motor-boating” sound that crosses several frequencies and interferes with our club transmission. Several of the same above named angels at our service are trying to isolate and identify the source so we can alleviate the problem. We hope to clear this up soon and I invite everyone’s patience for the process.
Also at the May Board Meeting, we had the guidance of Ricki Witte, our Treasurer in re-writing the Articles of Incorporation for our club. The older Articles were not only full of information no longer viable, there was no current living person associated with it. Ricki did a fantastic job and there were minimal changes made with a unanimous outcome. These articles will be sent out in Mail Chimp and voted on at the next general meeting by affirmation. Please read and be ready to ask questions if you have any. Thank you RIcki for all of your due diligence and the great use of your paralegal mind and precious time.
Our May meeting will include speakers from the club who will let us know all of the plans for Field Day in June. Hopefully, we will hear from Dan Vasilca on CW and N1MM as well as Ricky Eaton and Jeff Stahl on Digital and supportive radios for the event. We are eagerly looking forward to the practice of emergency transmission by amateur radio on emergency power. We will use the practice to as accurately perform as we would have to in an emergency. I sincerely hope to see a lot of you there to cheer us on if you cannot directly operate. It is always fun and rewarding for all of the participants and every year it gets better and better. Thank you for considering to stop by and taking a look at what we are up to.
Ricky Eaton has found a voter system that is self contained and may be useful to helping get our remote sites operable again. He will be working on that procurement and we will hear a report from him at our meeting all about it.
Michael Wolf and Erik Olmer will be getting the publicity out for Field Day, each in different areas. Mike Wolf has also kindly taken on responsibility for making a slide show for us of all the Field Day pictures, once they are obtained. He asks that everyone kindly email the pictures they take on Field Day to him at K2HXC@comcast.net. He prefers an email over texting because the conversion to slide show is quicker for him with emailed pictures. We appreciate all of the pix you send.
All of us on the Board appreciate all of your efforts to attend meetings,picnics and dinners, to volunteer for the many jobs that are available, such as shelters in hurricane season, net controls of the various NETs like SEFTN, etc. and the cross-clubbing you do to show your support for amateur radio. This network is vital for all of us and encourages the growth and exposure of the ham radio hobby in general. Thanks for all that you do to make our club special.
Meeting called to Order at 8:15 am at JJ’s Café on Saturday morning, May 4, 2019 by Melanie Fernandez.
Members present were Melanie Fernandez, Ricki Witte, Ricky Eaton,Jeff Stahl, Joe McGee, Eric Rodriguez, Kenny Hollenback, and Eric Olmer.
Absent Board Members were Roy Neiman and Mike Wolf.
Invited Resource personnel not available today were Dave Crane and Dan Vasilca.
OLD BUSINESS:
After pros and cons were discussed the Board voted to purchase a new Telewave antenna over any of the other possible choices discussed. Having been discussed both prior to the meeting over several weeks as we tried to find a replacement for our old improper antenna, the Board felt that the purchase of the new antenna was both prudent and reasonable. Pricing of $1300.00 to be negotiated down by Eric Rodriguez and funds will come from the sale of D-Star equipment donated to club by Dirk Basting and sold by Ricky Eaton for $1000.00 plus some other money donated to the club.
Ricky Eaton will purchase a voter system he found on Ebay for $300. It will be used to replace our old voter system to hopefully link the Briarwood alternate site set up so western service (Coral Springs, Parkland) will be increased. Old site intact but not presently depended on. Ricky Easton to contact the Board of Briarwood on university and Sample and get permission to go to the roof to work on the equipment. He will report back to the board after he has done so.
Webpage availability of member names and call signs were considered public information and could be reasonable published by us. An affirmative statement will be added to the membership form giving us permission to make to roster public on the website.
Melanie will publish a statement not to reply to the email box given on MailChimp as it is an unmonitored mailbox.
All emails sent to the Website to the general mailbox will be handled by Erik Olmer, the ARRL PIO for the club.
NEW BUSINESS:
RIcki Wittee presented the new ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION that update and will replace the old Articles as soon as presented to the general membership and vote taken for or against. In a previous meeting with Ricki Witte and Melanie Fernandez, Dave Crane, agreed to be our registered agent for the club Articles.
Ricki has applied for the tax exempt status for Non Profit 501(C)(3). Rough proposals for Field Day presented. Committee consisting of Dan Vasilca, Joe McGee, Jeff Stahl and Ricky Eaton to meet and prepare for the N1MM computers to be used at Field Day on June 9, 2019.Ricky Eaton to work on the USB problem which prevented him last year from reporting Digital contacts. We will be a 3A group with 5 working radios this year operating on low power to closely mimic the circumstances during a hurricane as much as possible with emergency power. Batteries, generator and solar power to be used. Publicity to be handled by Mike Wolf who will contact Channels 4,6,7,and 10 as well as the Miami Herald and the Sun Sentinel. Joe McGee to send press release to the Pelican. ARRL PIO Erik Olmer to establish community contacts with mayors and local and county PD to invite to FD. He will also investigate the internet Agencies and get the proclamations. Carol Sjursen will be the source of contacts. Melanie and RIcki to handle the Food Committee again. Will appeal to the membership for relief cooks and help with serving when they are not present. Discussion to be held later. Kenny Hollenback will provide gas grill and gas. Last item discussed was the HY GAIN Beam donated to the club several years ago and stored in Jeff Stahl’s garage.
Member Mickey Galper would like to purchase the $500.00 antenna and the Board discounted it at $300. Jeff can accept offer of $250.00 which will be donated to the club Treasury.
NEXT BOARD MEETING TO BE HELD ON JUNE 15, 2019 (the week before Field Day).
Motion to adjourn by Joe McGee at 10.00a.m.
CALL TO ORDER:
7:40 President, Melanie Fernandez KJ4VCT & lead the Pledge of Allegiance
SPEAKER THIS MONTH: Chuck Gress K3NXH & Rick Eaton KD4HGR Together, they presented the various aspects of FT 8 Digital Program. Very little power is required. Also Rick said his antenna is in the attic & performs well. Chuck showed his home system running in real time, showing many QSO’s that were in process.
ROLL CALL:
There were 34 in attendance.
SECRETARY NOTES:
The 50/50 was won by Melanie KJ4VCT.
The March Minutes were approved by all present.
A motion was made to approve the amended By-laws by Al Flapen and seconded by Ralph Tullo. The motion passed.
Erik Olmer explained the difference in the “Group” & General Facebook pages.
Joe McGee outlined the plans for the June 22nd & 23rd Field Day. He stressed that it IS a competition & that last year we were in the “middle of the Pack.” He & Jeff Stahl plan to enter as a 3A this time, meaning that we will have 3 operating stations. Rick will handle the Digital station. Joe, again stressed that more operators are needed. Erik agreed to be the Safety Officer. Mike will handle the media. Kenny will monitor the VHF. Joe warned that the hood over the grill is a real danger and we will address it this year.
Ricki Witte mentioned that dues would be prorated and gave an example.
FINANCIAL REPORT:
Given by Ricki Witte. $3931.47 is the current balance.
MEMBERSHIP REPORT:
Will be given at the next meeting.
VE Report:
Jeff Stahl tested two. One passed, upgraded to General.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: There will be a Safety Fest in Margate on Saturday, April 27 from 11 AM to 5 PM
Tee shirts will be ordered, so see Mike to place your order & make payment.
On May 18 The “Eye of the storm” will be presented at the Museum of Discovery and Science.
Carol Sjursen mentioned that the EOC will have a test to determine which repeaters that most Hams can reach.
TECHNICAL REPORT:
The 146.61 Repeater is getting some kind of intermittent interference. Hopefully Rick & Eric can locate it. The temporary antenna is in a different position on the building. It flexes in the wind, which distorts the signal pattern. The DMR Repeater is working well.
MEETING ADJOURNED:
The meeting was adjourned at 9:20 PM EDT by President, Melanie Fernandez, KJ4VCT.
Respectfully submitted by Roy Neiman KJ4EGN, Secretary.
CALL TO ORDER
The Gold Coast Amateur Radio Assn. was called to order at 8:22 AM at JJ’s Café 6051 NW 31st Ave. Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309 by Melanie Fernandez
Attendees were: Melanie Fernandez, Jeff Stahl, Erik Olmer, Joe McGee, Ricki Witte and Roy Neiman. Rick Eaton was ill so no Repeater details were available at the meeting. Mike Wolfe was also absent as he had to work.
Web Site:
- Rick Eaton (Repeater Trustee) will enter technical information regarding the Repeater.
- Jeff Stahl will enter announcements for upcoming events. Joe McGee will also provide information to Jeff.
- Melanie will put in all minutes and notes. The President’s message to be sent on Email, as well as, on the Website.
- Ricki Witte will be editor for submission of anything legal, financial or membership related.
- Erik Olmer was voted in to edit the Facebook page in conjunction with Mike Wolfe. Erik will also be our Public Information Officer. He will be a contributor to the website with info about Facebook page and PIO events.
- Carol Sjursen to be a contributing editor regarding ARE/RACES.
JOHN KNOX VILLAGE REPEATER/ANTENNA:
Joe McGee, Jeff Stahl, Ricky Eaton and Eric Rodriguez to form committee to define and analyze problem with the JKV Antenna now that the hardline was installed. Problems with line noise, static and SWR going back to the amp and repeater to be studied further and corrected before any funds are disseminated for a new antenna.
Imperial Point ANTENNA:
Robin Terrell and Carol Sjursen need to be contacted about the antenna situation at Imperial Point Hospital and who RACES will get with proper credentials to man in a hurricane. They are on the RACES list for EOC information.
Field Day:
Jeff, Joe, Ricky and Dan Vasilca to start making plans for the June Field Day. All logging computers are to be synchronized beforehand. Joe stressed that more operators are needed. They also want to emphasize more Digital. Rick and Chuck Gress are to handle those contacts. The Field Day Team will meet independently to make plans and then disseminate to Board when ready.
CERT members are encouraged to get their Ham license. Many have already attained theirs.
New Business:
John Knox Village: Ricky is to find how Jerry Felsky will fit into the situation of manning the site during an emergency, as well as, assisting with the Repeater.
The 120 volt AC plug group hasn’t been handled by the maintenance man. Only 1 outlet is available and if it fails, the Repeater is down. Joe McGee offered to look at it and get with Ricky to see how it can be tactfully remedied.
We also need to verify that our equipment is secure. No door on room. Should we add Echolink to the Repeater? More discussion at future meetings. The subject of GCARA owned radios related equipment was voted down. The main reason is that coming out of storage over a long period of time, it may not perform properly. Members radios are used frequently, which makes them more reliable. Will inform Ricky Eaton. The combined group picnic and Mini Field Day on April 13 will begin at about 10:00 AM and end around 4 PM. A “Fox Hunt” will be after lunch. Also, please attend the Cy Harris Free Flea before heading to the park.
There is a prize for the PIO given by the ARRL Erik was voted into that position and will take the test. Mike Wolf will assist as can. The discussion on the Survey was tabled until all results are in.
Other suggestions were: A welcoming committee to help new people who join the club or new hams when they pass their tests to get integrated into the Ham Community.
Personal introductions to be made to other members who agree to help mentor new people or to be ELMERS.
“Tell your story.” Put on Website? Idea for new feature for website. Prorating dues was discussed. Presently the $30.00 dues for the year are expected in January, February and March. More discussion needed at the next meeting. Ricki Witte to produce the info and report by email to the Board.
Next Board Meeting May 4, 2019
Meeting adjourned 9:56 AM
Respectfully submitted by Roy Neiman, Secretary
REVISED
CALL TO ORDER:
The regular meeting of the Gold Coast Amateur Radio Association, Inc., was called to order on Tuesday, March 26, 2019, at 7:48 pm in the Auditorium of Imperial Point Medical Center by President Melanie Fernandez, KJ4VCT. A quorum was present. Following the Pledge of Allegiance, the 40 persons in attendance introduced themselves by first name, call sign, and City.
MINUTES: The Minutes of the February 26th meeting were approved as posted on the website.
REPORTS:
President
President Fernandez reported that the “Free Flea” and the Spring Picnic will both occur on April 13th. Members were requested to try to attend both activities. Food for the Spring Picnic will be $10 per person paid on site. Summer Field Day will be the weekend of June 22nd and will include raffle prizes. Bylaws, showing proposed amendments, have been posted on the website, but it did not appear that enough members had seen them, and the planned vote was deferred to the April meeting. President Fernandez said that Jeff Ronner, W4AEQ, is unable to continue as PIO (Public Information Officer) and has resigned. Mike Wolf, K2HXC, Vice President, was willing to assume that post, and Joe McGee, NX4T, was willing to assume the duties of Vice President. Both changes were approved by voice vote without opposition.
Treasurer
Ricki Witte, KJ4FSJ, gave the treasurer’s report reflecting income since January 22nd of $1,108.00 and expenditures of $688.58, leaving a balance in the checking account of $3,843.15. The process of seeking IRS status of a 501(c)(3) organization is being explored. Members are encouraged to renew their membership in both GCARA and ARRL together, since the Association can retain $2 for renewals and $15 for new members from the ARRL dues.
Membership
In the absence of Joe McGee, NX4T, Roy Neiman, KJ4EGN, reported a total current membership of 82, of whom 50 have renewed for 2019. Dues are delinquent after April 1st.
Volunteer Examiners
Jeff Stahl, K4BH, reported four persons had taken licensing tests of whom one passed.
Trustee
In the absence of Trustee Ricky Eaton, KD4HGR, a report on the condition of the repeaters was not available.
ARRL (American Radio Relay League)
Barry Porter, KB1PA, announced that there will be a QSO Party at the end of April. Jeff Beals, WA4AW, said that ARRL support for pending legislation regarding ability to put up antennas notwithstanding homeowner associations’ regulation was withdrawn, but a better version of such law, supported by ARRL, will be introduced in Congress.
RAFFLE:
The 50/50 raffle was won by Al Nevares, N4ACN, who donated a portion back to the club.
PROGRAM:
Kai Siwiak, KE4PT, spoke about his trip to New Zealand, including DX contacts.
ADJOURNMENT:
The meeting adjourned at 9:06 pm.
Roy Neiman, KJ4EGN, Secretary.
By Jeff Stahl Lt. Col., CAP K4BH
The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force (USAF). It is an integral part of the USAF total force. Established on December 1, 1941 CAP has provided service to our community, state, and nation for over 78 years.
CAP members are volunteers who train in the three mission areas of CAP, which are emergency services (ES), aerospace education (AE), and the Cadet program.
ES includes coordinated air/ground search, electronic direction finding (both air and ground), radio communications and other major disaster related relief skills.
AE includes both internal and external programs. Internal AE involves learning about technical aeronautical issues and socioeconomic impact of aeronautical related events and practices. Cadets may participate in a model rocketry program where they build and fly three model rockets. External AE involves educating the general public about aeronautical issues and their socioeconomic impact. Often working with the school system to reach as many young people as possible.
The Cadet Program is for youths 12 – 18 years old. It has several facets in it including character development, physical fitness, followership and leadership training, and public speaking and writing. Community service is emphasized throughout the cadet curriculum. Cadets who enter CAP prior to their 18th birthday may remain in the Cadet Program until they reach 21 years of age. At that time they may choose to become senior members or leave the program.
Senior members manage all levels of CAP service. Mission participation is as much a part of the Senior program as the Cadet Program. Air crews must be 18 years old or older. Major missions are run under the Incident Command System (ICS) using trained CAP incident commanders.
All senior members participate in at least one area of specialization, which represents a skill set or job function they are trained to do. Many missions are to locate Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) or Emergency Position Indicating Reporting Beacon (EPIRB) unit that have been heard and reported to the FAA and/or the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC). This skill translates well into Amateur Radio Service “fox hunting.”
CAP has provided disaster related services for hurricanes and for the Deep Water Horizon incident. Some CAP sorties support Homeland Security and DEA activities.
For more information go to www.gocivilairpatrol.com.
CALL TO ORDER: 8:10 President, Melanie Fernandez J4VCT Opened the meeting
Members Present Melanie Fernandez, Jeff Stahl, Ricki Witte, Jeff Ronner, Ricky Eaton, Joe McGee & Roy Neiman
SECRETARY NOTES: Next Board Meeting early April
Member’s Responsibilities:
Mike: Absent (in hospital). Working on Facebook Page.
Joe McGee: We scored 4500 points on Winter Field day, even though only a few hours were active due to the weather. We placed 110 out of 240. He suggested that the Club purchase Radio(s) & Antennas for our Field Days. Joe has the room at Wings Plus scheduled on March 23rd. 7 to 9 PM Note: There is no guarantee that we’ll have the room to ourselves.
Ricky: Write up a “Wish List” for the Repeater(s) He and Eric are planning to install a “Hard Line” ASAP. This will provide more reliability & minimal line loss. Eric is travelling overseas, so April installation is realistic. Linking the repeaters is expensive, so will table for now. Ricky is looking for used on the Internet.
Roy: When advised by members, send sympathy or get well cards to the family. Also, send cards to Hams that are sick or in the Hospital. Roy needs to create a Job Description.
Jeff Stahl: When possible, meet with John Cole Melanie to work on web site. Also, get Phone numbers & Emails of all who test. Jeff Stahl obvious candidate to talk to Robin and Carol regarding the Imperial Point situation and the Broward repeater with regards to the EOC designation of an emergency repeater. Robin was going to linmkm into John Knox (GCARA) repeater as a back up this year.
Ricki: is to investigate a better type of Non-profit label that fits our group better.
Jeff Ronner: tendered his resignation from the Board if acceptable to all due to his time constraints and other obligations. He will instead, donate time to the Repeater team. Melanie to seek a replacement for PIO slot. Possible candidate Mike Wolf. Mel will discuss with Mike since he also has a time issue with his new job and has experience in the PIO arena. He is also doing FB.
GENERAL: For the Imperial Point problem of NO antenna or Radio with which to support the EOC, Jeff Stahl will coordinate solution with Carol Sjursen and Robin Terrill. Races will staff Imperial Point with trained ham operators to meet qualifications required by EOC operations.
As for John Knox, Joe McGee to coordinate with the gentleman who lives at John Knox and is an experienced ham operator to cover the site in hurricanes. Joe McGee to provide back up if necessary.Melanie Fernandez to be third back up.
Sunshine Committee: To keep in contact with new Hams
Repeater Committee: Consists of: Ricky, Jeff Stahl & Jeff Ronner. Erik W4EJO is also interested in learning about the Repeater.
MEETING ADJOURNED: The meeting was adjourned at 9:17 AM EST by President, Melanie Fernandez, KJ4VCT.
Respectfully submitted by Roy Neiman KJ4EGN, Secretary.
