|
|
The HOTLINE |
|
|
|
|
|
Turn Back the Clock |
by Ed Middlebrook, KC5NT |
|
Those hams who can qualify for the Quarter Century Wireless Association (QCWA) probably began their amateur radio experience with tube-type radio equipment. It was that way for me as a high school freshman in 1977, when I didn’t really have much money, and frugality ruled the day. My adventures in radio began with a Hallicrafters SX-110A receiver and a Knight-Kit T-60 transmitter, with which I managed to eek out about a dozen local CW contacts (all within McLennan County). Later, the transmitter was upgraded to a Hallicrafters HT-37 SSB/CW transmitter and the world was mine! |
|
|
|
|
Other hams may have built their first transmitter from schematics in the “ARRL Handbook” and mated it up with a receiver such as National, Hammarlund or Hallicrafters. Whatever your story—and even if you don’t qualify for QCWA just yet—come to this month’s meeting and let’s “turn back the clock” to a time when heat from tube rigs warmed the radio shack and the heart as well. If you’re an “old-timer,” bring an old rig, if you have one, and tell us about it. If the rig no longer exists, send me a picture (Hint: Look on the Internet.) via email, I’ll include it in a PowerPoint presentation, and you can tell us all about it. Dr. Scott Hamilton K5ZOH, Rodney Baden K5YKC and myself will bring some of our rigs from yesteryear, show ‘em off, and tell some amazing stories. Why don’t you join us in January?!
|
|
|
President’s Corner |
by Rodney Baden, K5YKC |
|
|
|
Rodney, K5YKC |
A New “Continuing”
What a year 2007 has been for HOTARC! We all would like to thank last year’s Directors and Officers for doing such an outstanding job. We know Wayne KD5SMC, our 2007 President, put in a lot of hours preparing for meetings and special events. Under his direction, HOTARC has moved into a new era of communications with a D-Star Repeater, now installed and ready to go. The D-Star Committee, lead by Larry W5NCD, has performed magnificently! Big thanks also go to those that helped organize our club members to volunteer their time to support our meetings and special events. And for those that did not make it to the Christmas dinner, you missed a great time and fellowship. John AC5CV did a great job selecting the door prizes—the “tote bags on wheels” were the hit of the party! Finally, I would like to especially thank John AC5CV, our Secretary for numerous years, for his outstanding service and dedication.
As the incoming President, and on behalf of the other Officers and Directors, we are looking forward to another great year and I ask all of you to continue your support for HOTARC. As always, we would like your input for meeting presentations. If you know someone that is well versed in a good subject for a program (and it does not have to be about Amateur Radio), let your Directors know. Please provide a name and contact information so that a Director can follow-up on your idea. Thanks…and hope to see you at the meeting!
Rodney
Baden, K5YKC
HOTARC President
|
For the Record... |
HOTARC Annual Meeting of Members
November 29, 2007
HOTARC’s Annual Meeting was called to order by Wayne Branscum, KD5SMC, Thursday November 29, 2007 at 7:05 pm at the Kultgen Automotive Center of the TSTC Waco campus. Chaplain Dell Bredemeyer KE5MZS, opened the meeting with a prayer.
Present were twenty-two full members and one family member.
A motion to approve the Minutes for the October meeting as published in the HOTLINE was recognized from Rodney Baden K5YKC, with second by Bill Feltenberger KD5UEW. The motion was approved by the members.
A motion to approve the October Treasurer’s Report as published in the HOTLINE was recognized from KD5UEW, with second by JW Roach W5AYX. The motion was approved by the members. Treasurer Norris Martin KB5SLI also reported some additional significant activity that will appear on the next Treasurer’s Report: expenses of approximately $2860 for the D-Star repeater, $108 expenses for the Technician class, and income of $500 (donation) from the Waco Wild West Century bike ride folks. The Secretary prepared a letter of thanks which was signed by all the Directors and Officers present.
|
The Treasurer Reports... |
|
|
|
Heart O’ Texas Amateur Radio Club Beginning Account Balance $ 6,641.10 Income Dues $ 205.00 Tech Class deposit 69.00 Repeater donation 1,000.00 WWWC donation 500.00 Repeater rebate 30.00 Interest 2.22 TOTAL Income $ 1,806.22 Expenses Tech Class manuals $ 107.39 D-Star repeater 2,859.98 Website hosting 100.00 Lunch door prizes 74.63 TOTAL Expenses $ 3,142.00 Ending Account Balance $ 5,305.32 Outstanding (as of 1-17-2008) Submitted by |
Committee Reports
· ARES: Ed Hynan KC5KNI reported that we now have a few new Net Controls—a total of 10. All ARES members should watch for update info in the mail soon; we need to keep your contact information current. Note again that all 2008 disaster volunteers must have completed FEMA courses IS-700, IS-800, IS-100, and IS-200 by April 2008. (See HOTARC’s home page for links straight to these courses.) And we still need more hospital volunteers. The Waco Skywarn session is scheduled for February 9, 2008 at the Waco Convention Center. A volunteer is needed now to assume responsibility for the coffee pots because KC5KNI no longer has room to store them. K5YKC discussed the HUREX exercise being planned for May 6-8, 2008, in which the state will simulate the sheltering that would accompany a major hurricane evacuation. Waco will have a role in this exercise. Locally, we hope to have D-Star operational at the DPS facility by then. Please make plans to participate. K5YKC also discussed Skywarn Recognition Day this Saturday Dec 1, during which HOTARC is invited to operate as part of this nationwide special event for a couple of prime time hours at the Fort Worth NWS office. KE5MZS and David Branch AE5CD volunteered to accompany Rodney to Fort Worth for the event.
· Trailer: Mike Ross N5MVL reported that the trailer is well. Bill Cox W5JRM brought to the meeting tonight a replacement toolbox for the trailer to hand off to Mike, as discussed last month.
· Repeater: Norris Martin KB5SLI reported the primary 145.15 repeater is now being repaired.
· D-Star: K5YKC reported that the 146.88 D-Star repeater is now operational on the 80-foot tower at Speegleville Road, and working well for local area hams (not yet connected to the Internet). We are waiting on the DPS for the necessary legal approvals with the contract so that we can move the equipment to the DPS location. W5NCD reported that his 147.24 repeater is also operating in D-star mode as W5HAT for about 22 hours a day (and as FM repeater during the SSTV net each evening).
· Web page: John Chamberlain AC5CV reported that we successfully changed web servers with no disruption in service. You should notice a significant improvement in page-loading time.
· ATV: David Bush KC5UOZ had nothing new to report.
· Education: AC5CV reported that two students completed the November Tech class delivered by AC5CV, KC5NT, KD5UEW, and assistance from KD5SMC. Both students have subsequently earned their Technician license. Ed Middlebrook KC5NT recommended that we begin planning for another Tech Class to occur right after Skywarn each year (rather than a Fall class). This year, that might be March 8 and 15. W5AYX suggested we also advertise in the newspaper, local television weathermen, and the Waco city cable channel.
· Public Relations: No report.
· Special Events: AC5CV reported that we received a donation from the Waco Wild West Century bike ride for $500. A “thank you” letter will be sent. No new events are planned at this time. We will discuss Skywarn planning at the January 2008 meeting.
Announcements
· Christmas Luncheon: AC5CV reminded everyone of the HOTARC Christmas luncheon at noon on Saturday, December 15. Family members are invited to come and fellowship with us, and enjoy the Dutch treat meal at the Summer Palace on Valley Mills Drive in Waco. (See our web site for more details.) Door prizes were welcomed by the members, so a motion was heard from KC5KNI, and second from KD5UEW to authorize spending up to $75 for the door prizes. The members present approved the motion.
New Business
|
President (2008) |
Rodney Baden, K5YKC |
|
Vice-President (2008) |
Terry Williams, KD5KJU |
|
Secretary (2008) |
Jeremy Neal, KE5PRG |
|
Treasurer (2008) |
Norris Martin, KB5SLI |
|
Director (2010) |
Ed Hynan, KC5KNI |
· Annual Elections: The Nominating Committee (John Chamberlain AC5CV, Terry Williams KD5KJU, and Al McDaniel KE5ISO) reported a complete slate of officers and directors for 2008 had been identified, and offered the nominations listed here (and in the November HOTLINE). There were no additional nominations heard, so W5JRM moved to close the nominations, W5AYX seconded the motion, and the members present voted to approve the motion. Seeing only one nominee for each position, KE5ISO moved that the Secretary cast a single vote for each of the five positions. The motion was seconded by KD5UEW, and approved by the members present. Secretary AC5CV then cast a single vote for each of the five members (as listed), and a round of applause was offered by all to congratulate and welcome the newly elected Officers and Director.
Motion to adjourn was recognized from KC5KNI at approximately 8:15 pm.
An impromptu program was given by Larry Bush W5NCD who gave a show and tell about the modifications he had made to an Icom IC-V8 handheld 2-meter transceiver to convert it to an APRS tracker (with GPS and TinyTrak3), powered by an automotive 12-volt cigarette lighter adapter. He encouraged all to consider investing in such a handy package, for use at special events, storm spotting, and so forth. A “fleet” of such portable ready-to-go trackers in the Club, would greatly facilitate our tracking capabilities at special events, storm spotting, and emergency operations. And the relatively new website at http://aprs.fi easily shows the trackers on a Google map.
Submitted by:
John Chamberlain AC5CV
HOTARC Secretary
Grant KE5ERW, Scott KD5MLY, and Rodney K5YKC |
A Merry Time at the |
|
|
Jim KE5FDR and |
Gary KB5VVD, Ron AA5RT, and |
Terry KD5KJU, Abby KE5PRH, |
|
Lynn KD5DZU and Scott K5ZOH |
Elaine KC5WQE, Ed KC5KNI, and |
John AC5CV, Michelle KD5TAZ, |
|
Paul KE5MZF and family member, |
Al KE5ISO, David AE5CD, and |
Larry KC5JWD, Dell KE5MZS and |
|
—ARES Needs Some Help |
by Ed Hynan, KC5KNI |
McLennan County ARES will
soon begin the process of verifying all membership information. This process is
done every 2 years to insure that contact information is fresh and correct. I
will have copies of your current ARES data sheet (expires 30 April 2008) at the
January and February club meetings. Those not seen in person by the February
meeting will receive their data sheet in the mail. Please review your data
sheet, make any necessary corrections or additions, and return it to me no
later than the 15th of April. As I receive the sheets, new ID Cards will be
issued with an expiration date of April 2010. Individuals who are current ARES
members that do not return a data sheet will be placed in the inactive member
file and will not receive a new ID Card.
As I look over the names of the current ARES members, I see members of HOTARC that are not ARES members. I can’t understand why every member of HOTARC is not a member of ARES. The price is right—it’s FREE. All that is required is a valid amateur radio license and a willingness to help. If you are called upon to assist in an event or emergency situation, participation is still voluntary. If you feel that you don’t have the time and/or membership conflicts with your job—remember we may face a situation where your job is affected by the emergency, and/or things that normally occupy your time may, in fact, be cancelled. The ARES application asks for your availability—either 24/7, nights & weekends, or general. You can pick the one that best suits your schedule.
A real emergency is going to take all the resources that we have, and after the event happens is not the time to join ARES. Remember: effective this year, in addition to verifying your membership data, those wanting to work disaster response must have completed four of the free FEMA courses:
- National Incident Management System (NIMS), IS-700
- Incident Command System (ICS), IS-100
- Incident Command System (ICS), IS-200
- National Response Plan (NRP), IS-800.
|
Current Net Controls will be considered major players in any disaster response, and especially need to complete the above courses. As we’ve said before: without these basic courses you will not qualify for access to secure and/or restricted locations. Our support will most likely be needed in the Emergency Operations Centers, Incident Command Posts, Police or Fire facilities, and hospitals just to name a few. If you are not an ARES member, go to the HOTARC website (http://hotarc.org), fill out an application, mail (or deliver) it to me, and you can become a registered ARES member. I also have applications at the HOTARC club meetings. You can also find links to the FEMA Courses on the HOTARC web site. Remember, it is not a matter of if an emergency will happen, but when it will occur. I think you’ll agree that it is better to be a small part of the solution rather than a big part of the problem. Get involved with ARES! You’ll be glad you did. |
|
The HOTLINE is the monthly newsletter of the Heart O’ Texas Amateur Radio Club (HOTARC), Inc., a nonprofit corporation, chartered by the State of Texas and principally located in Waco. It is permissible to use any of the original material contained herein, provided proper credit is given to the source.
Edited and Published by John Chamberlain AC5CV, AC5CV@arrl.net
|
|
|
2008 Board of Directors |
HOTARC 2008 Board of Directors
President: Rodney Baden K5YKC, 857-9760, K5YKC@arrl.net
Vice Pres: Terry Williams KD5KJU, 662-2438, pumpman_rpss@yahoo.com
Secretary: Jeremy Neal KE5PRG, 881-2123, JeremyLeeNeal@gmail.com
Treasurer: Norris Martin KB5SLI, 829-2138, KB5SLI@flash.net
Past-Pres.: Wayne Branscum KD5SMC, 857-3964, wbscum@grandecom.net
Director (2008): Ed Middlebrook KC5NT, 826-4053, KC5NT@arrl.net
Director (2009): Mike Ross N5MVL, 836-1083, N5MVL@juno.com
Director (2010): Ed Hynan KC5KNI, 666-4873, KC5KNI@arrl.net
145.15 MHz (input at –600 kHz, tone 123 Hz)
146.88 MHz (input at –600 kHz, D-star)
146.98 MHz (input at –600 kHz, tone 123 Hz)
ATV: 421.25MHz (Cable 57), input 439.25 MHz (Cable 60)
Next session is Saturday January
26, 2008 10:00 AM. Location: Baylor’s Rogers Engineering and Computer Science Bldg
(#70 on the map), Room 109. Bring: 1) testing fee of $14 (cash only); 2) a photo ID (two for first-time
licensees); and for already licensed amateurs: 3) current
license and photocopy of it; and 4) photocopy
of any relevant CSCE.
Contact: Dr. Linda Hynan, AC5QQ at 666-4873 or Linda.Hynan@UTSouthwestern.edu.
Meeting NoticeThe January Meeting of HOTARC will be at 7:00 pm on Thursday January 24, 2008 in the Kultgen Automotive Center of the TSTC Waco Campus. Meetings generally last about 75 minutes consisting of fellowship, general Club business, and an interesting program. Visiting hams, family members, and prospective hams are welcomed! |
Get ready for storm season with SKYWARN: Saturday, February 9