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The HOTLINE |
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Home-Brew Night is Here! |
by John Chamberlain, AC5CV |
The October HOTARC Meeting
(Thursday October 27) is your opportunity to show off all your favorite home-brew—radio and electronic projects, that is!
So, shine it up and get that project ready to show at this month’s meeting.)
We’d like to oooh and ahhh over it with you!
Note: It doesn’t have to be something spectacular—just something you did yourself!
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President’s Corner |
by Rodney Baden, K5YKC |
Upcoming Elections
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Rodney, K5YKC |
At this month’s meeting, I will be appointing a Nominating Committee for 2006. If you would like to serve on that committee, please email me directly at K5YKC@arrl.net or call me at 857-9760. Please: (Do not send it via the new email list.) We need at least two members plus one Director on this Committee.
We all need to thank John, AC5CV, our HOTARC Secretary, HOTLINE Editor, WebMaster, and Special Events Committee Chairman for his continued service in improving our day to day communications. His latest accomplishment: a new email list for our members. You should have received notice of this month’s HOTLINE via the new list.
As a special note, we would like someone else to take over the Special Events Committee so John can concentrate more on the other tasks. John and I will help anyone that volunteers. We will not let you “hang out on a limb” by yourself. Please “step up to the plate.”
I would like to thank all the hams in the North Texas Section for the many hours spent handling traffic for Hurricane’s Katrina and Rita. Special thanks to Leon Chaney, K5ZZM, and the Texas State Guard, W5TSG, for their leadership in accomplishing a monumental task. We all worked together when the need was great and my prayers and thoughts go out to the people who were affected. It is a blessing for me to serve as your DEC and Assistant Section Manager of the ARRL North Texas Section.
May God bless you all.
73
Rodney A. Baden, K5YKC
HOTARC President
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For the Record... |
HOTARC Meeting of Members
September 22, 2005
Meeting was called to order by President Rodney Baden K5YKC at 7:00 PM. Present were fourteen full members, and one visitor: Daryl Spiewak (our guest speaker).
The Minutes for the August meeting were approved as published in the HOTLINE, on a motion by Bill Feltenberger KD5UEW, second by Rusty Keyes AD5JY, and unanimous vote by the members present. The August Treasurer’s Report was also accepted as published in the HOTLINE following a motion by Ed Hynan KC5KNI, second by Wayne Branscum KD5SMC, and unanimous vote by the members present.
Announcements
· In the News: K5YKC reported that, due to the attention being given to the hurricane-related situations, the WMD exercise originally scheduled for this month has been postponed to December 6-8, 2005.
· Bell County Expo: Don’t forget the hamfest in Belton on October 1!
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The Treasurer Reports... |
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Heart O’ Texas Amateur Radio Club Beginning Account Balance $ 4,164.24 Income Dues $ 60.00 Interest 0.86 TOTAL Income $ 60.86 Expenses TOTAL Expenses $ 0.00 Ending Account Balance $ 4,225.10 Outstanding (as of 9-12-05) Submitted by |
Committee Reports
· ARES: Ed Hynan KC5KNI reported that Waco currently is operating two shelters for Hurricane Rita evacuees, housing about 350 people, with others that can be opened if needed. We need radio operators who are ready to “go into action” if needed, using 145.15 and 147.16. The HOTARC trailer is ready to go. KD5SMC reported that the Salvation Army has 12 canteens that left for Texas duty, and that he is now serving as the TX Emergency Management Coordinator for the Salvation Army.
· Trailer: Mike Ross N5MVL made a motion to reimburse KD5SMC $30 for repairs made to the generator exhaust pipe. The motion was seconded by KC5KNI, and unanimously approved.
· Repeater: K5YKC reported that he is working towards getting the 146.88 machine installed and operating on his home tower.
· Web page: John Chamberlain AC5CV had nothing to report.
· ATV: David Bush KC5UOZ reported that he used the ATV repeater to retransmit HF audio continuously for 7 days (related to Hurricane Katrina traffic monitoring) with no ill effects to the repeater. He also reported that we now have live KXXV weather radar available on demand (uses DTMF tones via 2 meters to activate) via ATV. Contact KC5UOZ for control codes information.
· Education: AC5CV reported that he was asked to deliver a two-day Boy Scout Radio Merit Badge training to the Merit Badge College scheduled at Baylor University on November 12 and 19 (same as last year). KD5UEW agreed to help. K5YKC reported that we were asked to help a local Cub Scout pack with a JOTA effort on October 15. KC5NT and AC5CV agreed to pursue it.
· Public Relations: KC5KNI reported that we are still hearing our PSA (thanks to Scott Shafer KD5MLY) on 1230AM radio. KC5UOZ suggested the need for a petition to Tandy to encourage them to better support the new hams that will likely come from the recent hurricane-related publicity.
· Special Events: AC5CV reported (for the record) that the Waco Wild West Century bike ride was cancelled (due to threatening Hurricane Rita).
Motion to adjourn heard from N5MVL at approximately 7:42 PM.
Daryl Spiewak from the Brazos River Authority (BRA) was our guest speaker for the evening. Daryl shared with us interesting information about the BRA, as well as providing an update on the emergency response provided by Texas organizations and Emergency Management offices related to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Submitted by:
John Chamberlain AC5CV
HOTARC Secretary
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Request for ARES Net Control Station Volunteers |
by Ed Hynan, KC5KNI, |
I would like to get an early start on
the 2006 ARES net control schedule. I currently have seven individuals that
have volunteered for net control duty. The ARES/Bakers Dozen Training Net
is held each Monday night at 8 PM on the 145.15 Repeater. Since the 2005 schedule was
completed, we have had a number of new and returning ARES members. I would like
to provide this excellent training opportunity to all current members of
McLennan County ARES. If you would like the opportunity to serve as a weekly
net control please let me know via e-mail: KC5KNI@arrl.net,
and let me know if there are any Monday’s (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and/or 5th) that
would not be convenient for you.
For those who would like to volunteer, I will add your name to the 2006 schedule, provide you with a copy of the preamble, log sheet, and the ARES/Bakers Dozen Training Net Operating Instructions. If you want to participate, please let me know by 1 November 2005. Current net control stations should let me know if they would like to continue to serve. This is what amateur radio is all about: preparation for emergency service.
With the additional volunteers, you would be scheduled to call the net no more than 6 times a year. Please let me hear from you.
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How Are Your RDF Skills? |
by Larry Bush, W5NCD |
We welcome ALL hams, their families, friends and anyone who may be interested in becoming a ham!! Come and join the fun of a “fox hunt”! That is, a search for a hidden transmitter—the fox!
1. All hunters meet at the old Waco Target parking lot (Highway 6 and Sanger) at 10:00 AM, Saturday, November 12.
2. All hunters (or teams) must sign in and start the hunt from the Target parking lot.
3. The hidden transmitter will be within the Waco city limits, and on public property.
4. The hunt frequency will be 146.565 MHz. The fox will repeatedly transmit for 20 seconds followed by 20 seconds of silence.
5. The hunt will start at precisely 10:20 AM and end on (or before) 12:20 PM.
6. At the fox’s location will be an envelope containing First, Second, Third and Fourth place certificates.
7. As hunters find the hidden transmitter they take the highest certificate available and return to the starting point (Target parking lot), where their certificate will be verified.
Afterwards, we’ll have an impromptu celebration at an area restaurant. So, all you hunters: C’mon down!
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
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2005 Board of Directors |
HOTARC 2005 Board of Directors
President: Rodney Baden K5YKC, 857-9760, K5YKC@arrl.net
Vice Pres: Terry Williams KD5KJU, 662-2438, pumpman_rpss@yahoo.com
Secretary: John Chamberlain AC5CV, 855-7731, AC5CV@arrl.net
Treasurer: Norris Martin KB5SLI, 829-2138, KB5SLI@flash.net
Past-Pres.: Ed Middlebrook KC5NT, 826-4053, KC5NT@arrl.net
Director (2005): Ed Hynan KC5KNI, 666-4873, KC5KNI@arrl.net
Director (2006): Scott Shafer KD5MLY, 848-5888, ScottShafer@clearchannel.com
Director (2007): Bill Feltenberger, KD5UEW, 756-1397, bfeltenb@swbell.net
145.15 MHz (input at –600 kHz, tone 123 Hz)
146.88 MHz (input at –600 kHz)
146.98 MHz (input at –600 kHz, tone 123 Hz)
ATV: 421.25MHz (Cable 57), input 439.25 MHz (Cable 60)
Next session Saturday November 19, 10:00 am. (Note: NO TESTING IN DECEMBER unless specially requested.) November Location: Baylor’s Rogers Engineering and Computer Science Bldg, Room 109. Bring: 1) testing fee of $14 (cash only); 2) current license and photocopy of it; 3) a photo ID (two for first-time licensees), and 4) photocopy of any relevant CSCE. Contact: Linda Hynan, AC5QQ at 666-4873 or Linda.Hynan@UTSouthwestern.edu.
Meeting NoticeThe October meeting of HOTARC will be at 7:00 pm on Thursday October 27, 2005 in the Kultgen Automotive Center of the TSTC Waco Campus. Meetings generally last about 90 minutes consisting of fellowship, general Club business, and an interesting program. Visiting hams, family members, and prospective hams are welcomed! |
When cell phones
fail,
Ham
Radio works!!