HEMARC

W3HEM – W3GR

Historical Electronics Museum

Amateur Radio Club

MINUTES

 

13 July 2006

 

Meeting was called to order at 1800R (6:00 P.M.) By Jim, N3GOO

 

PRESENT:

                Jim Nowotarski, N3GOO                     Rol Anders, K3RA                               Uwe Kulms, DF2IR

                Steve Stitzer, WA3ZWC                     Tom Dalton, KB3NHQ                        Larry Leitch, K3FIT            

                Bill Corley, NG3O                 Fred Heath, AI3Z                 John Paul Howell, AA3WI

                Jim Smith, AB3CA                               Heru Walmsley, W3WVV   Chip Weems, W4PBG

                Don Ruokonen, K3PRN                      Bill Thompson, WT3B                        Chuck Hastings, W3PJ

                Alvin Glusick, K0IQE                          Bill Ferguson, KB3JJS                         Chas Angel, AA3FB

                Gary Hendrickson, W3DTN               Nick Yokanovich, K3NY                     Sam Dunkle, KB3CYL

                Andy Kopke, KB3JUH                        Les Jamison, WR3X                            Norm Smith, WA6ABD      

 

June 2006 Minutes were approved as distributed before the meeting (and at the meeting).

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

 

‘                                      BRATS Hamfest on 23 July.

‘                                      A DX-100B 5-band transmitter is available through 22 July. 

‘                                      The Museum has been offered a Link FM 250 TX/RX, but declined.  Anyone interested can contact Steve Stitzer.

 

REPORTS:

 

                        Treasurer – (Fred) Approximately $1,000 in the bank & approximately $340 cash on hand from dues collection.  Treasurer’s report was accepted.

                                                                               

                W2W – (Nick) As of this meeting Nick has answered 121 requests for mostly certificates, and had another 30 requests to answer.

 

                                (Jim) W2W has been reserved for Pearl Harbor Day (December 7).  We will have the callsign and can put the station on the air from the Saturday before (December 2nd) through the Sunday after (December 10th).

 

                QSLs – (Nick) Two packages were received and were being circulated at the meeting.  Latest count: 129 countries with the newest being P4 (Aruba), Chile, OD5 (Lebanon), and BD4 (China).  We’re still working on the 5BWAS.  Some discussion was held concerning whether or not to pursue Field Day contacts.  Jim agreed to send the log file to Nick.

 

                Training – (Les) The next Amateur EXTRA class will start Tuesday 12 September.  The class is expected to run through the last week of November.

 

                Station – (Les) HF station is working okay, but we are still having problems.  The Yaesu FT-227 is stuck in transmit, which may probably be a bad switching diode or a shorted transistor.  Band conditions have been poor, mostly with East-West propagation.  The Tokyo High Power amplifier can be switched between class C & linear operation, so please remember to check the switch position before operating.  Having an undiagnosed memory problem with the computers, especially the digital communications computer. The log computer is very slow booting up.    Both computers mother boards are deemed to be dying and on their last few revs. 

 

                Additionally, the W3LPL dx cluster is moving off the air and onto the Internet.  A second wireless communications board (802.11G)  will be needed to bring the second computer up on the Internet to support dx cluster usage through the Museum’s DSL connection..

 

                (Heru) The CDE rotator has been reassembled and bench tested.  Ready to go back on the tower.  Some discussion ensued.

 

                The Museum still is in need of having qualified operators on hand to demonstrate the station for visitors.

 

                Fists – (Nick) No report, but it was noted that the web page has been fixed.

 

                F.A.R..– (Chip) Chip confirmed that F.A.R. has agreed to provide HEMARC two (2) tables to run a test table.  The second table can be used for sale of miscellaneous items by club members.

 

                HEMARC WEB Site – (Jim) The alternate web site www.hemarc.us  will continue to be the active URL for the time being.   Jim was unable to re-register www.hemarc.org

 

                Correspondence – World Radio magazine sent HEMARC a reminder that our 1-year club listing was up for renewal.  Some discussion on the merits of this advertising.  Was decided by majority vote (1 abstention, 1 no vote) to renew the listing.  Was noted that the only other Maryland-based amateur club in World Radio magazine is the Maryland Mobileers. 

 

                An e-mail was received by Chip, and forwarded to Jim, from the Maryland Homeland Security Director seeking information about the club and expressing interest in visiting our club.

               

OLD BUSINESS:

 

 

<                  No Old Business was discussed.

 

 

NEW BUSINESS:

 

                No New Business was discussed

 

50/50 RAFFLE:

 

                No raffle was held.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

 

 

)         FARFEST, 9th and 10th September 2006.

)         MS Walk, 16th and 17th September 2006.  AA3XY is looking for 20+ volunteers per day to help out.  Send him an email at AA3XY@arrl.net  if you can help.

)         Pearl Harbor Commemoration, 12-7-2006.  W2W available from 2 through 10 December 2006.  Operating schedule to be determined.

 

 

HEALTH & WELFARE:

 

Next regular club meeting will be held on Thursday 10 August 2006 at 1800R (6:00 P.M. local)

 

The meeting was adjourned at 1853R (6:53 P.M.), and was followed by a short presentations from Field Day at W3AO and W3HEM.

 

These minutes are respectfully submitted by Norman Smith, WA6ABD.

 

The minutes have been duly approved as written/amended on ___/___/2006 by ____________________________________.