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Business Meeting November 2024 Minutes
Date November 4, 2024, 10:00 am, local time
The meeting was called to order by President Jim Steinmetz WX7G at 10:00 am local time in the Pinnacle Peak room at Greenfield Village. He reminded everyone to turn off any electronic device that might ring during the meeting. If it rings you will need to pay a dollar to the club. There were 29 members attending and 4 on the Zoom.
Guests
None
Returning/Leaving club members
- Dwight Carlson KF7WI returned with over 21,000 SOTA contacts.
- Arnie Huizenga WB0TPF returned from South Dakota.
- Jerry Pringle KL7HFI returned from Alaska.
Officers Reports
Health and Welfare
Sue Rogers W7SKH made the following announcements.
Earl Palmer N7EP has moved into an assisted living facility.
Tony Ferrara K7AJF and his xyl Judy K7JLF were in attendance today. Tony stated that he is getting better and hoping for his catheter removal this week.
Sue, herself, has an artery that is clogged. She is going in for testing this week.
Lana Young N7FVQ explained that Lynn is at home with a reoccurring stomach issue and the doctors are in the course of diagnosing what is causing it.
Secretary’s Report
Lana read last month's minutes to the membership. Rick Tyo KC7X asked for a correction from 60 years to 50. The change was made. Tom Goforth WY7TG moved to accept the minutes. Gene Wilson K8WQ seconded. Motion carried.
Treasurer’s Report
Cheri Goforth N7WEM presented the report. Through today, the total in all funds was $6,080.49. Doc Cunningham WA7PLC made a motion to accept the report. Rick Tyo KC7X seconded the motion. Motion carried.
Old Business
Christmas Party 2024
Cheri Goforth N7WEM reminded the members that the Christmas Party was reserved at the Oasis Club on December 15th from 10:30 - 5:00. Cheri read the different restaurant’s menu choices. She asked if everyone has a ballet. Sue and Judy will collect and count the ballets. Cheri also said that if anyone wanted to bring a pot luck dessert to share, that would be great.
Later in the meeting, Cheri reported the results of the voting:
On The Border - 17
Panda Express - 11
Mokies Hawaiian - 4
Nominating Committee
Jim thanked Chuck Rogers W7CBR for supporting the club by volunteering to lead the nominating committee. He still needs a few additional persons to selected a slate of nominees for the election in December. Let him know if you are interested.
Zoom Meeting
Zoom Meeting
Jim restated that at the last board meeting, Steve reported on the Jitsi app as a possibility using for the meetings. We thought that Jitsi was free, it is but it is a limited number of people per month usage that we could easily meet AND then there would be a fee that is higher than Zoom’s. Tom Goforth moved to continue using Zoom and pay for the membership. Chuck Rogers seconded. Motion carried.
Backups for Steve and Jim
Jim announced that we had several volunteers to form an AV/IT group. Cheri stated that we are still looking for more volunteers as that way no one would have to do it every week. Let the new group know if you want to help in this way.
Rick Tyo KC7X will take Steve’s job.
George Smoot WB4IPB will take Doc’s job.
Tom Goforth WY7TG will be a rover backup.
New Business
No new business.
Announcements
Bill Hanson N1AST reminded us that prior to Covid there was a weekly meeting at the Red Mountain Library. He was missing that activity and reached out to the library to see if we could restart that. Asked if anyone else was interested and several people were. The first meeting is scheduled at the library on Thursday the 14th from Noon to 1:30 in a study room.
Pat Malin KE8MBG asked about information on our ham license classes. Tom Goforth explained that they would be starting on January 7th at the Venture Out’s electronics building at noon. Tom has taught the General class for the last 7 years with a 100% success in testing. You go Tom!! The Technical class instructor needs to be replaced because of a location move. The club has all the curriculum and tools the new instructor needs. They are looking for a volunteer for this. The Extra class is ready to go.
The Thursday ‘radio in the park’ is moving to the west side as the cooler weather has arrived.
Doc showed the open program slots, there is still a need for someone on March 31st and April 28th.
50/50
The winner was John Lenahan K0RW. He asked for the club to keep his winnings. Nice move John!
Jim reminded everyone that they can turn their devices back on and to please make sure there are 4 chairs at each the table and pushed in.
Adjourned at 10:49 am local time
Respectfully submitted by Lana Young N7FVQ, Acting Secretary.
Adjourned at 10:29 am local time
Respectfully submitted by Lana Young N7FVQ, Acting Secretary
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Non-Business Meeting Minutes
SUNLIFE Amateur Radio Club
Date: October 21, 2024
Meeting was called to order by President, Jim Steinmetz WX7G
Guests
- None
Returning/Leaving:
- Roy Gager KD9WRC first meeting this year
Health & Welfare
- Jim Steinmetz WX7G’s wife has started outpatient PT and is doing well
Announcements
- Jim Hood K5TT reminded us that some of the roads may be closed due to the resurfacing.
Program
Steve Weber W0TNT presented on Portable Ham Radio
He started sharing his background in Amateur Radio. His interest started when he was 10 years old on his family’s shortwave radio. He and his brother then
moved to transistor radios. Life then intervened and in his 40’s one of his neighbors was outside and had a antenna tower and the ‘elmer’ invited him to look at
his shack. From there after a frazzling test and 5 minute code test he was officially a ham!
Several years later, his son became a ham and shared his love of radio.
He started his informational part of his presentation with describing the three types of portable ham radio.
- Portable Self Contained - This is when all your radio components are assembled and ready to use in a portable bag, such as a backpack.
- Portable Modular - That’s when you have all your radio components with you with you when you are out but you have to sit down and take the time to assemble to use. When you are ready to move to another location or go home, you have to disassemble them.
- Mobile Radios - these are the radios that most of us installed in our cars/trucks and listen or talk to them from our vehicles.
Next he showed a couple of PVC pipe units he made to hold his radio components. Looks pretty neat.
After that he showed and talked about the different mobile antenna’s he used. Most of them were Chameleon’s. He also has an Elecraft AX1 for 15 through 20
meters.
Next he discussed different accessories that he uses to make his setup safer and easier. He had a ground spike, Tony Ferrara K7AJF’s tripod stand that he builds and 2 different clamps that can hold antennas. For things to help let people know there is some things here that they shouldn’t trip, like caution tape, full size traffic cones and some mini cones.
Tips he had for everyone to think about in the processes of the equipment are as follows:
- After charging your battery, use a bit of painters tape and put a piece under the connector. That way you can easily see which batteries are fully charged.
- Use another piece of painters tape on the batteries to put voltage and charge time.
- Carry a thermometer on your radio trips to keep and eye on the temperature.
- Use something like his collapsible wagon, which he purchased at Costco, to decrease the trips to and from the car.
- When purchasing radio components, check the manufacturer’s blemished items. These are in working order but may have a scratch or dent. Also see if the company will give you a discount if you post a review of the equipment.
Good of the Order (Joke, 50/50)
- No Joke today
- 50/50 was won by John Lenahan K0RW in the amount of $8.50
- Two mini orange traffic cones were won by Pat Malin KE8MBG and Hugh McLaughlin KL7HM
Meeting closed 10:54 am Local time.
Respectfully submitted: Lana Young N7FVQ, Secretary
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