MINUTES OF LIDXA INC. MEETING—February 15, 2008

 

Location: Briarcliffe College, Bethpage, N.Y.

 

John, W2GW, the LIDXA President, called to order the meeting of February 15 at 8:20 PM.  Members present (per sign-in on the blackboard) included W2GW, W2PNJ, K2MFY, KC2OPX, N2KA, W2FGD, KC2KY, N2DXJ and XYL Tanis.

 

 

OLD BUSINESS

 

In terms of DX, specific activities were highlighted:

·         The weekend of February 16–17 is the annual ARRL DX Contest–CW mode.  Quite a number of multi-group efforts are planned to be active during the contest.  The SSB portion will held the first full weekend in March.

·         The current operation from Ducie Island as VP6DX, is quite active.  Several stations are operating simultaneously on different band/modes and the propagation has been good. Quite a number of members have reported working this DXpedition, and verifying their contacts via their on-line link at their web site http://ducie2008.dl1mgb.com.  They are expected to be operational until late February.

·         Plans are well underway for a DXpedition to Clipperton Island in early March.  For further details look at their website at: www.clipperton2008.org.

·         With the initial activity of YU8/OH2R in the newly declared “country” of Kosovo, a number of other stations from that area have been signing with their YU8 prefix; however, it is not certain if they are really in Kosovo, or Serbia, but most importantly the YU8 entity is not yet recognized by the DXCC  community.

·         A recent report indicated that some sunspots were recently noted, perhaps the start of Cycle 24.  However, the solar flux numbers are still very low.

 

Starting the business portion of tonight’s meeting was the approval of the January 15th meeting minutes.  These minutes were accepted as presented.  In addition, the minutes were prepared in advance by Ed, K2MFY (including notes taken by Karen, KC2OPX), and sent out to the membership with the January meeting notice.  Thanks to the efforts of KE2LJ, Pat, the minutes appear in the LIDXA web site at: http://www.qsl.net/lidxa.

 

W2GW gave the monthly Treasurer’s report.  The dues for the 2008 year are currently due.  About 11 members have already paid up.  John urged all members to give him or mail him the $20 yearly dues for the club.

 

            Neil, KC2KY, Chairman of Ham Radio University (HRU) 2008 (which held on January 13), thanked the club for hosting the DX Forum.  In particular Neil thanked members W2GW, K2MFY, and Marv, W2FGD for their individual presentations.  Certificates of appreciation were distributed.

 

 

NEW BUSINESS

 

John mentioned that the LIDXA will be holding full elections for all officers and Board of Directors for the club (years 2008-2010) in May.  He asked Ed to head a Nominating Committee.  All members were requested to contact Ed if they were interested in running as a LIDXA Club Officer or on the Board.  A slate would be prepared in April, with elections in May.

 

Ed mentioned that the U.S. postage rates were going up on May 12.  In particular domestic postage will be 42 cents per ounce and most Air Mail will rise to 94 cents per ounce.  Ed spoke on the good turn around with DX QSLs he has obtained using DX foreign stamp postage supplied by William Plum.  Besides mint foreign stamps (to use on s.a.s.e Air-Mail envelopes back to the US), Bill also sells European airmail envelopes (with return envelopes that fit inside the outgoing mail).  He also sells domestic envelopes and returns.  Although Bill does not have a web site yet he can be reached directly at his home in NJ (908-788-1020), or via e-mail [email protected] for the latest prices and information.

 

It was pointed out that the next meeting, which falls out on March 21, is Good Friday.  According to the Club’s Constitution, this meeting should be rescheduled for another weekend.  It was then decided to hold the March meeting a week earlier, on Friday, March 14.  Members will receive the meeting announcement a week earlier.

            It was announced for the March 14 meeting that Tom, KA2D, NLI Section Manager, will speak about the common thread between DXers and Contesters.  Tom is representing the “Yankee Clipper Contest Club” (YCCC).

 

In the upcoming ARRL DX Contest, CW mode, George, N2GA, ARRL Local and State Government Liaison, along with other operators, will be putting the United Nations station, 4U1UN, on the air.

Ed reported recently working ex-LIDXA member Larry, K2LS, as 4X/K2LS, while he was vacationing in Israel.

W2FGD, reminded the membership to check-in at the LIDXA weekly nets on Sunday night at 9 PM local time on the Grumman Hauppauge repeater at 145.330/144.730 MHz (with 136.5 Hz PL), to get the latest information on club matters and events.

A new DVD was then shown on the October 2006 DXpedition to Raoul Island, ZL8R, in the Kermadec Island chain.  This island contains the world’s tallest active volcano, rising nearly 30,000 feet out of the Kermadec trench. The island rates very high on the most wanted list simply because it is extremely difficult to get permission to land and even more difficult reach.

 

This meeting concluded at around 10:10 PM after all the scheduled business and entertainment had finished.

 

                                                                        ______________________________________

Ed Whitman, K2MFY

LIDXA Secretary