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The HOTLINE
Official Newsletter for the
Heart O’ Texas Amateur Radio Club
Waco, Texas

Volume XLIV, Number 11

Nov-Dec 2019

 



Annual Meeting

by John Chamberlain, AC5JC
HOTLINE Editor

At the final Meeting of Members for 2019, HOTARC holds what is known as our Annual Meeting—held on the “Thursday following the Thanksgiving Holiday,” according to our bylaws (3.041). At this meeting the Officers and open Director positions are elected (3.01) by the Full Members present at the meeting, or their proxies (3.07), or by mail (3.08).

 



From the President

 

I hope that everyone had a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving as we head into the Christmas season. Speaking of Christmas, our annual Christmas party/meeting will be Saturday December 7th at the former “Egg and I” location on Franklin Ave starting at 11:30 am. I hope to see you there!

At our upcoming Annual Meeting of Members on December 5th we will be electing our new Officers. While I had said I would help the Election Committee, I owe my sincere apologies for not following through on that commitment. I do hope that there are members out there that will pick up the ball and take on these positions. After all this is not my club, but, in fact, it is our club. That being said, without these positions being filled, it will leave a huge gap in our organization. There are many reasons that I didn’t seek a second term, and I do hope and pray that the new Officers will move the club forward. I offer you my support and will hold you in my prayers.

I thank you for this past year. It has been my privilege and honor to have served as your first female President and hope that I will not be the last. When I was approached last year, when I asked what was required, I was told that all I had to do was “show up and conduct the meeting.” I learned that was not so. There is lots more to be done. And so, to the new President: I give you my undying support. Again, thank you for this past year. See you all soon!

73
Dwan Needham, KE5JWY
HOTARC President

 

HOTARC Christmas Luncheon

11:30 am Saturday Dec 7

@ Our Breakfast Place in Waco
4600 Franklin Ave #100, formerly The Egg and I

HOTARC members and their families are invited!

 



For the Record…

 

HOTARC Meeting of Members
October 24, 2019

President Dwan Needham KE5JWY called the meeting to order at 7:00pm in the W5NCD Workshop Meeting Room.

Bill Feltenberger, KD5UEW gave an invocation.

President Dwan Needham KE5JWY led us in the pledge of allegiance

13 members were present. 1 visitor was also present: Gabriel Sumner

Previous Meeting Minutes. A motion to accept the Minutes from September 26, 2019 published in the HOTLINE was made by Bill Feltenberger KD5UEW, seconded by Ed Hynan KC5KNI and unanimously approved.

Treasurer’s Report. The Treasurers Report for September 2019 as published in the HOTLINE was filed.

Committee Reports:

The Treasurer Reports...

 

Heart O’ Texas Amateur Radio Club
Treasurer’s Report: October 2019

Starting Balance October 1

$9,520.80

Income

 Interest

 $ 0.08

Total Income

 $ 0.08

Expenses

Total Expenses

$(0.00)

Ending Balance October

$9,520.88

Uncleared activity (as of 12/1)

 Interest

$ 0.15

 Reimbursement

$(889.70)

Amount in Acct (as of 12/1)

$8,631.33

incl. Flower Fund

$ 121.35

Submitted by
John Chamberlain, AC5JC
HOTARC Treasurer

·                     ARES: Paul Collins is our new EC (Emergency Coordinator), Ed Hynan is assistant EC. We have 15 ARES members at this time.

·                     Trailer Committee: No report.

·                     Repeater Committee: All working.

·                     Web Committee: Website is working. We still need a new webmaster.

·                     ATV: nothing new

·                     Education Committee: Planning to hold a Technician class in January.

·                     Public Relations: no report

·                     Special Events: WWW100 went well. The HOTARC Christmas Party will be held from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm on December 7 at Our Breakfast Place (formerly The Egg and I).

Unfinished Business: None.

New Business:

·                     Nominating Committee. A Nominating Committee was appointed consisting of: Dwan Needham KE5JWY, Norris Martin KB5SLI, Mark Plough AC5DE.

·                     Audit Committee. Mike Needham WB7SKK and Jeb Leutwyler KD5WHS were appointed to this committee.

Meeting Adjournment. Mark Plough AC5DE moved for adjournment and was seconded by Mike Needham. WB7SKK. President Dwan Needham KE5JWY adjourned the meeting at 7:27 pm.

After the meeting home-brew projects were displayed and explained by David Bush KC5UOZ and Clint Anderson AE5CA.

Submitted by
Jeb Leutwyler KG5WHS
HOTARC Secretary

 

Additional

Request for ARES Net Control Station Volunteers for 2020

by Ed Hynan, KC5KNI
McLennan County Emergency Coordinator

ares_logo_hi_resThe ARES / Bakers Dozen Training Net is held each Monday night at 8 PM on the 145.15 Repeater.

The first request for 2020 Net Controls ran in the October HOTLINE. Since then I have had only three of the original eight volunteer for another year, and AC5DE is back on the list. I have not heard from KA5QKL, AC5JC, KD5KJU, KD5DHS, and KE5UBO. I need to hear if you want to continue as Net Control for 2020.

We have a number of new members and also many old hands that have not expressed an interest in being a Net Control. This is something that anyone can do. Everything is scripted and I will provide all of the documentation that will be needed. Check-ins to the Monday night net usually range from 10 to 20. Certainly, there is someone else who would like to get some experience as a Net Control Station—if so, please let me know! Emergency Communications is what Ham Radio is all about. 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. You can also let me know if there are any Mondays that would not be convenient: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and/or 5th.

For those who would like to volunteer, I will add you to the 2020 schedule, provide you with a copy of the preamble, log sheet, and the ARES/Bakers Dozen Training Net Operating Instruction. If you want to participate, please let me know by 7 December 2019. Again: this is what amateur radio is all about—preparation for emergency service.

This will be my last Net Control listing as I am stepping down as the ARRL Emergency Coordinator (EC) for McLennan County after 19 years. Paul Collins, KG5DHS will be taking my place as EC. Please continue to support Paul just as you have supported me. I do plan to continue supporting weather nets—just not as the EC.

 

Notice of Proposal at Annual Meeting

by Clint Anderson, AE5CA

For the past several years, Larry Bush W5NCD has graciously allowed HOTARC to use his 400-foot tower located in Bruceville-Eddie. He has borne the cost of tower maintenance, electricity, air conditioning, lighting, and internet at the tower out of his own pocket, and given HOTARC free access to the tower and its antennas for special events and our full time 145.15 repeater. Unfortunately, the VHF antenna used by Larry’s 147.24 repeater on the Bruceville-Eddie Tower has failed. HOTARC’s 145.15 antenna is still working, and the hardline (coax) feeding the two VHF antennas tests “OK.” Larry has asked HOTARC for help.

Some backstory. According to the FCC Antenna Structures Database, the W5NCD tower in Eddie was constructed in late 1999. The two VHF antennas that we use for the 145.15 and 147.24 repeaters were installed at that time: 20 years ago! A couple years later, a UHF antenna was added that now is used for both the 440.625 and the 442.300 repeaters. Between these repeaters we have analog, D-Star, and Fusion repeaters. The Special Events APRS digipeater uses the 145.15 antenna.

With the antennas on the top of the tower being 20 years old, it makes sense to replace all three antennas at the same time as we replace the 147.240 antenna. The VHF antennas are DB224E antennas and the UHF antenna is a DB408B. Even with the cost of these antennas being around $850 each, the biggest cost will be the tower crew to install the new equipment. Larry estimates the tower crew will cost around $3,000. HOTARC already has one new DB224E (VHF) that was purchased a few years ago but never installed. At minimum, we would need to buy one new DB224E (VHF) and one new DB408B (UHF). We should replace the jumper sections of coax that go between the antenna and the hardline at the top of the tower. We will also need some miscellaneous parts, like connectors, clamps, etc.

There is a lower candelabra on the tower that is currently empty (see photo). I would like to add another DB408E (UHF) and possibly a DB224 (VHF) on the lower candelabra while we have the crew there. Larry has about 350 feet of hardline available that we can use for one of those new antennas. We would need to buy some connectors and associated parts to complete that installation. This would allow us to have spare antennas available on the tower should we have another failure (e.g., lightning strike) or to install another repeater such as a DMR repeater.

A motion will be a made at the December Club meeting to authorize funds from the Club Treasury for the climbing crew, new antennas to replace the existing antennas, add new antennas, and miscellaneous parts needed to install the antennas. Although this will be large expense, it is one I believe we need to make. We need multiple working repeaters in Central Texas. The existing antennas are 20 years old. Replacing the existing antennas and adding new capability will help insure HOTARC has working repeaters for the next 20 years.

 

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 AC5JC,
AC5JC@arrl.net

HOTARC 2019 Board of Directors

President: Dwan Needham, KE5JWY
President@hotarc.org

Vice Pres: Mike Needham WB7SKK
VicePres@hotarc.org

Secretary: Jeb Leutwyler, KG5WHS
Secretary@hotarc.org

Treasurer: John Chamberlain, AC5JC
Treasurer@hotarc.org

Past‑Pres.: Lynn Gustafson KD5DZU
PastPres@hotarc.org

Director (2019): Ed Hynan KC5KNI
Director1@hotarc.org

Director (2020): Keith Adams KG5AWC
Director2@hotarc.org

Director (2021): Bill Feltenberger, KD5UEW
Director3@hotarc.org

 

Club Repeaters

145.15 MHz (input at –600 kHz, tone 123 Hz)

146.98 MHz (input at –600 kHz, D-Star)

442.875 MHz (input at +5.0 MHz, tone 123 Hz)

 

directors2019-t.jpg

VE Testing

The HOTARC VEs have NOT scheduled a December test session at this time. Check our website for info about the next testing session. Test takers will need to provide 1) testing fee of $15 (cash only), and 2) a photo ID (two for first-time licensees). Already licensed amateurs must also provide: 3) Reference copy or photocopy of current license; and 4) photocopy of any relevant CSCE.
Contact: Linda Hynan, AC5QQ at 254‑666‑4873 or
Linda.Hynan@UTSouthwestern.edu.

Meeting Notice

HOTARC will hold its Annual Meeting of Members at 7:00 PM on Thursday December 5 at the W5NCD Workshop, 12772 Chapel Rd in Lorena. This meeting should last about 60 minutes consisting of important Club business and interesting discussions, as well as good ham fellowship. Visiting hams, family members, and prospective hams are welcomed!