HEMARC March 13 Meeting Minutes

Minutes of the meeting of March 13, 2003
Historical Electronics Museum Amateur Radio Club

The meeting was called to order by President Ed Myerson AA3XY at 6:00 PM.

Present on the sign in sheet were (33): Chip Weems W4PBG, Nick Yokanovich
K3NY, John Paul Howell AA3WI, Sam Dunkle KB3CYL, Mike Burk KB3HKV, Gary
Ryan W3GMY, Sam Bryant WC3SAM, Heru Walmsley W3WVV, Ed Myerson AA3XY, Jim
Nowotarshi N3GOO, Gene Knapp W3BAB, Jim Smith N3ZPS, Bill Thompson WT3B,
George Asaki W3MPN, Charles Angel AA3FB, Jim Dressler KB3GSA, Alvin
Glusick K0IQE, Steve Stitzer WA3ZWC, Bruce Shetrone WB3BMI, Chuck Hastings
W3PJ, Fred Heath AI3Z, Ed Smith N3XVE, Dean Bush Sr. K3KHG, Tony Dal Santo
N3HYR, Ray Mills KA3GMP, Bob Gardenghi K3FQP, Bill Corley NG3O, Jules
Kozma K0ZMA, Charles Seggie N3EYV, Ray Robley KD3KA, Joe Schwartz K3JIS,
Paul Gates KD3JF, Gary Hendrickson W3DTN, Gary Johney N3BYN, Rusty
Schaefer N3WKE, Dave Amistadi, Jason Amistadi, and Tim Titus W1TRT.

Minutes
A motion was made and seconded to accept the minutes of the February 2003
meeting as circulated.  The motion was approved by voice vote.

Treasurer's Report
Fred Heath AI3Z reported that the December 2002 bank balance was $481.19,
petty cash contains $57.93, and two checks totaling $42.00 are ready for
deposit giving a balance of $581.12.  Additional checks for dues and QSL
cards were received at the meeting.  This balance is before funds were
expended for the rotator controller.  A motion was made and seconded to
accept the Treasurer's Report.  The motion was approved by voice vote.

Operations
Gene Knapp W3BAB said that the weather forecast for Saturday looked
good.  If he could get a couple of volunteers and an antenna analyzer he
could continue work on the antenna.  Sam Dunkle KB3CYL said he would try
to attend and Fred Heath AI3Z offered his analyzer.  It was reported that
the Rotator Controller has been ordered.

BC-342
Joe Meagher W3KJT is delighted with the BC-342.  We need another BC-342 or
a BC-348 for live demonstrations.

Contacts with TRW Amateur Stations
Les Jamison WR3X Set up W3GR and worked two TRW amateur stations on 20
meters.  Rol Anders K3RA was at the Los Angeles station.  The TRW stations
would like to continue the contacts at lunchtime on Wednesdays.  Les was
also able to send good slow scan pictures.

Training
Gene Knapp W3BAB reported that Les Jamison WR3X told him that there are
about 20 students in the new ham group and that testing will take place in
the next couple of weeks.  Ed asked if the students were aware that when
they passed the test and received their license, that they could get a
membership.  Gene said that he would pass the word.

FISTS
W3GR and Nick Yokanovich K3NY were featured in an article in Keynote
Newsletter about Code Buddy Coordinators.  Nick reports that the effort is
now international with Danish, German and British participants.

FAR Report
Chip Weems W4PBG reported that AutoCall  made $25 over cost during the
last three months compared to $25 to $600 losses in previous months.  It
appears that the $18 subscription fee and new features are working.  The
"Ham on Train" convention will take place at the B & O Museum in spite of
the recent collapse of the round house.  Plans are that a train will
travel from Baltimore to Gettysburg on a daily basis with hams on
board.  Volunteers are needed.  ARES and RACES representatives attended
the meetings.  BRATS may supply some volunteers.

Fred Heath AI3Z is willing to 'honcho' the test table at the Fall Fest.

John Paul Howell AA3WI will provide a picture of father, children and gear
for Fall Fest use.  "Kids in ham radio" is the theme of Fall Fest.

Timonium Hamfest
Nick Yokanovich K3NY reported that the table has been reserved and that
two tickets have been received for the people who will haul items into the
Hamfest.  Nick will talk to Jules about displaying his new models.  He
needs literature for the table.  If we have a double table, then we can
sell gear for members for 10% of the selling price (maximum fee of
$10).  If you have equipment for sale, please give the lowest price you
are willing to accept or give an asking price.  Small items can be left
with Nick, other gear should be taken directly to the table at the
Hamfest.  People are needed to staff at the table.  Please plan to spend
some time at the table when you visit the Hamfest.

QSLs
Nick Yokanovich K3NY reported that he picked up three large envelopes of
QSLs last week.  Samples were displayed.  We had 2,050 contacts for the
N1S Special Event and sent 687 QSL cards and certificates.  Nick provided
the following statistics:

W2W (2001) 1728 QSOs, 599 QSLs.
W2W (2002) 1186 QSOs, 151 QSLs

Contacts per year:  1998 675; 1999 1123; 2000 586; 2001 4092; 2002 3948
There have been 10,652 contacts since 1998 (4,819 DX, 2176 QSLed; 5833 US,
1144 QSLed).  These figures do not include field day contacts.

Gene Knapp W3BAB described how he used computer printed clear labels on
his QSL cards.  Nick has "no call" QSL cards for $0.10 each.

Assistant Treasurer
Chip Weems W4PBG reported that Mike Conlon KB3CPV left documentation
indicating there appears to be no reason why we cannot have an assistant
treasurer.  However, it will require revising the club Rules and
Regulations.

The ARRL Website lists W3GR/HEMARC as an official affiliate.

Web Page
The Webpage looks pretty good.  Nick Yokanovich K3NY said that he is
planning to make a hotlink for Club minutes and another for
newsletters.  He would like to provide links to club member pages.  He may
have a section for members only.  Nick plans to scan in member information
and display it as a picture file to keep people from easily picking up
addresses and sending junk mail.  Send e-mail to the Club if you want your
Web page included.

Special Events Search
Heru Walmsley W3WVV pointed out that there was a flight in New Zealand
that was earlier that the Wright Brothers flight.  The New Zealand flight
took place on March 31 and the Wright Brothers flight was in December of
the same year.  The flight of the powered, homebuilt monoplane was
described in a Newsweek article that Heru circulated.  Ed asked how the
flight tied-in with ham radio or with the museum.

Programs
March 29-30 Timonium Hamfest.  Speakers include the developer of EchoLink
and Tom Abernathy.  There will be sessions on solar power and on emergency
services.  QRPers will meet across the street at the Holiday Inn.

N3WD will check QSL cards in the main exhibit hall.

Nick will send the D-Day special event information to QST.

Jackets
Sam Dunkle KB3CYL said that he lost the orders for the jackets when his
computer's hard drive failed.  If you were on the list or would like a
jacket, please sent your name, call, size and number of jackets to Sam at
KB3CYL@highstream.net.

New Business

New Call
Gene Knapp W3BAB said that Rol called from California to say that W3HEM is
available.  Do we want to use W3HEM as the club station call instead of
W3GR?
These ideas were presented during the discussion that followed:

A suggestion was made to use both calls, for example, use W3HEM at the
Museum and use W3GR for Field Day.  Consensus was that we could have both. 

We do not want to lose the W3GR call and its connection to Charlie Hartman
and the Friendship Amateur Radio Club (FARC). 

W3HEM links the club to the Museum, while W3GR may mean less to a contact.

>From a contest point the G is difficult to get right in CW.  Some contacts
have asked if the GR is for Germany.  This is inappropriate for W2W.

We have to consider that we have $400 worth of W3GR QSL cards.

We should use just one club call since we would have to maintain two sets
of logs, etc.

A motion was made and seconded to apply for the W3HEM call and decide how
to use it later.  The motion was approved by a show of hands.

Gene will contact Rol by e-mail to see if we can get the call.

Question
Gene Knapp W3BAB reported that Bruce Carpenter W3YVV used a time domain
analyzer to look at the antenna cables.  The problem appears to be the
junction box or antenna.  He suggested we improve grounding by tying back
to the building ground to comply with code.  Bruce offered to present a
session on lightening protection.

Form group to review by-laws
Chip Weems W4PBG moved to form a committee to review the Club's Rules and
Regulations (R&Rs) that serve as bylaws.  The motion was seconded.  The
purpose would be to clarify the role of immediate past officers, to
compare current practices with the original resolution of the Museum Board
of Directors that set out eight basic requirements for the Club and to
approach the Museum Board and ask for clarification.  The motion was
approved by voice vote.

The tentative list of committee members is:  Ed Myerson AA3XY, Mike Conlon
KB3CPV, Chip Weems W4PBG, Jim Nowotarshi N3GOO, and Rol Anders K3RA.

Club History
Chip Weems W4PBG was asked to write a club history for the Webpage.  He
needs more FARC history, but is finding it hard to get.  If you have any
information please sent it to Chip.

Adjournment
A motion was made and seconded to adjourn.  The motion was approved by
voice vote and the meeting was adjourned at 7:07 PM


Technical Presentation:  Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
Nick Yokanovich K3NY opened the technical session at 7:25 PM with a
discussion the major implementations of Voice over IP:  EchoLink, ILINK,
IRLP.  Nick described how to obtain the software, the computer
requirements for running it and the problems you might encounter with
firewalls.  Nick described how the packages worked, their characteristics,
and advantages.  The technical session ended at 7:55 PM

Respectfully submitted by Jim Smith N3ZPS, Secretary
3/17/2003