Post date: Nov 13, 2017 8:48:21 PM
President Ronnie Head called the meeting to order at 7:00. Ronnie offered the prayer.
Rose Head read the July minutes. They were approved as read.
Henry McKinney read the treasurer’s report. There were the following expenses since his last report: July electric bill $20.67, August electric bill $20.51, order of checks $34.19, new club banner $39.46 and domain name renewal $17.17. The ending balance was $837.22. The report was approved as read.
There was no old business.
New Business:
Walt Kovar reported that the ARRL board is looking as a proposal for an entry level license that would include digital and HF privileges in order to attract new licensees.
Walt has created a Facebook page for the Mills County Amateur Radio Club.
Jim Hamm reported that all the antennas and coax for them are now installed at the emergency operating station [EOC] at the Law Enforcement Center. There is still a need for an HF radio. Walt proposed that the club buy a radio at the HamFest in Belton which will be the first weekend in October.
Benny Owens showed literature on the DB201 VHF antenna that he has recently installed. It is available on EBay for about $150 now.
Ronnie said that he will have the materials available after September 8th to give the commercial exam if anyone needs it. Benny wants to renew his second telegraph license.
Sheriff Clint Hammond asked the club to consider attending the commissioners’ court meeting on Friday at 9:00 a.m. and again Monday at 9:00 a.m. to support the Sheriff and his department’s budget needs for the next year.
Our program was presented by Jerry Wetherholt, KF5AOK, with help from Allen Griffith, N5AG. Jerry is active in ARES. He is the new emergency coordinator for Brown County. Griff does SkyWarn. The Brown County EC runs simulated emergency tests each year. In doing the tests, they discovered that the hospital radio VHF wouldn’t work from floor to floor or get out. Now they have three EOC’s in the county including one in the hospital. Their ambulance service wants help with all communications. West TX ARES is working with them at this time. ARES is now doing communication in various modes.
Jim asked who decides the scenarios. Jerry said sometime the city does, and sometimes the club designs them. Jerry can do a simulated text in a couple of months. We are invited to come check it out.
Jim said he is working with the sheriff on simplex nets they are using. We need to test with the sheriff’s department and with the fire department before doing a simulation.
Jerry gave some best practices for emergency operations: use simplex, have battery backup on repeaters, have repeaters in more than one location and on separate power grids, have an emergency trailer fully set up and ready to roll.
Jerry described the trailer he built in 2010. It has a 40 foot stack pole system with capability of 80 foot. It is outfitted inside with radios to handle all bands and a computer for digital modes. He runs GRLevel weather software. There is an 8000K generator. The Brown County club uses it for Field Day as well as a base station during emergency scenarios.
Walt asked how much it would cost to put this type trailer together now. Jerry estimated about $17,000.
The meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m.