Historical Electronics Museum Amateur Radio Club

Minutes of the September 11, 2003 Meeting

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

Present on the sign-in sheet were (29): Ed AA3XY, John Paul AA3WI, Heru
W3WVV, Bruce WB3BMI, Gary W3GMY, Andrew KB3JUH, Fred AI3Z, Gary W3DTN,
Mike KB3CPV, Sparky KD4KL, Charles K3JJD, George W3MPN, Chip W4PBG, Bill
KB3JJS, Margaret KB3JJT, Gary N3BYN, Alvin K0IQE, Charles AA3FB, Gerald
KB3JEN, Bill WT3B, Nick K3NY, Alan N3IKI, Norm WA6ABD, Jim N3GOO, Joe
K3JIS, Jules K0ZMA, Les WR3X, Jim N3ZPS, Tim W1TRT

Treasurer's Report
Fred AI3Z reported the bank balance was $637.33 and petty cash was $33.04
for a total of $670.37 available.  There are no outstanding debts and the
Club made a $100.00 donation to the Museum.  A motion was made and
seconded to approve the Treasurer's report.  The motion was approved by
voice vote.

Minutes
A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes of the August 14,
2003 meeting as published.  The motion was approved by voice vote.

Operations -- Antenna
Gene W3BAB said that there was little to report because he had been
incapacitated.

Training
Les WR3X said that the Extra class had started on Tuesday with 5
students.  Nick K3NY and Joe K3JIS handled the first class.  The
September 30, 2003 class will be cancelled or moved to another location
because no one would be allowed in the Museum that evening due to a visit
by the Governor. 

Call Sign Committee
Jim N3GOO reported that inquiries had been sent to the Friendship Veterans
Association looking for a picture and biographical information on Charlie
Hartman.  Chip W4PBG talked to Ernie Farkas who said that Charlie Hartman
did not participate in FAR.  Les WR3X also talked to Ernie Farkas and
learned that Charlie Hartman did not participate to any great extent in
the Club.  Gene W3BAB suggested that we wait to see what we get from the
Veterans Association.

Fall-Fest Chip W4PBG said that the Fall-Fest was fantastic and that the
weather had been great.  By 2:30 PM on Saturday they had recovered their
costs.  It was a big success.  HEMARC was well represented on both days at
the test booth. Chip pointed out that Fred AI3Z, Nick K3NY, Gary W3GMY,
Sam KB3CYL and Jim N3ZPS had manned the booth. (Of course, Chip was there,
too.) Gary W3GMY taught a blind ham to change batteries in his new HT. 
Chip estimated that 80% of the HEMARC membership had stopped by the booth. 
Fred AI3Z said that 15 people who tested equipment had signed the sheet.

QSLs
Mike said that the QSL cards were organized that that only Delaware and
Rhode Island are needed for Worked All States (WAS).

Nets
Gene W3BAB said that he had worked the Wednesday afternoon net from his
home QTH and that he had good communications with WA6AQQ and W6TRW.  There
were three other check-ins.  We are getting different Hams each week when
the bands are open.

FISTS
Nick K3NY said that FISTS had submitted a petition to the FCC opposing
dropping code from licensing requirements.  No number has been assigned to
their petition yet.  Nick suggested that it would take about two years to
drop the code.  Gary said he thought that the U.S. Senate must approve the
agreement because it is part of a treaty.  Nick pointed out that 11
countries have dropped the code requirement and have granted licensees HF
privileges.  Heru W3WVV asked if it was possible for the FCC to develop
the rules it deemed necessary.  Gary said he was not sure, but he thought
that the FCC must wait for the Senate to approve the treaty.  John Paul
AA3WI asked if we had a FISTS CC number.  Nick answered that we probably
qualified, and he will check the records and apply for a CC number.

QSL Cards
Nick K3NY reported that a Florida lady had contacted the Smithsonian
Museum who referred her to the Historical Electronics Museum to try to
find a home for QSL cards collected by Harold Bunker W2AA.  Nick talked to
her and subsequently received a 61 pound package of log books, QSL cards,
3x5 file cards and pictures.  Harold Bunker's logs and QSLs were dated
from the 1920s to 1954.  He was an avid radio listener in the 20s and kept
magnificent records.  Nick read some of the log entries and displayed some
of the cards.  A sample of the cards may be used in a mockup station at
the Museum.  Nick will send a thank you note to the Florida lady and will
offer to pay shipping.

Old Business

Jackets
Sam KB3CYL has 19 orders for jackets and needs a minimum of 20 to place
the order with the manufacturer.

New Business

Vintage QSL Cards
Nick K3NY suggested that we should reimburse the daughter of  K4GZ  for
the $30-$40 shipping charges for the logs and QSLs.  A motion was made and
seconded to reimburse her for the shipping charges.  The motion was
approved by voice vote.

Gene reported that Bill Brice K3HCE, a retired Westinghouse employee, had
died on Saturday after being hit by a drunk driver in a crosswalk on
Edmondson Avenue.

Adjournment
A motion was made and seconded to adjourn.  The motion was passed by voice
vote at 6:41 PM.

Technical Program
Bill Cross W3TN of the FCC Rules Division gave a very interesting talk on
what's going on in Ham radio and in the Policy and Rules Service.  Among
the topics discussed were the procedures for filing petitions for rule
changes, elimination of the Morse Code as a requirement for licensing, BPL
and spectrum for unlicensed devices.

Respectfully submitted by Jim N3ZPS, Secretary