Post date: Nov 13, 2017 8:59:22 PM
President Ronnie Head called the meeting to order at 7:00. Ronnie offered the prayer.
Rose Head read the August minutes. They were approved as read.
Henry McKinney read the treasurer’s report. There was a $20 donation. The September electric bill was $20.50. The ending balance was $836.72. The report was approved as read.
Old business:
Members discussed the various HF radios they have used and the benefits and drawbacks of each. Because of the widespread familiarity with the Yaesu FT450D, Benny Owens moved that the club buy one for use at the Emergency Operating Center. Rose seconded the motion. The motion passed with members asked to coordinate the purchase through Ronnie since he will be at the HamFest in Belton.
Benny started a fund for the radio with a donation of $100, Richard Stone, Ed Smith, Cotton Inks and Jim Hamm also contributed to the fund. Benny Owens said he will donate an Astron 35A power supply for use with the HF radio.
Walt Kovar said there will be a Chamber of Commerce meeting at the Welcome Center at 6:00 p.m. on October 2nd that we can attend.
Clint Hammond will have our ID cards ready at the next meeting.
New business:
Walt said the Boy Scout Jamboree on the Air will be October 20-22. We have traditionally participated on the Saturday afternoon. Last year Alan Brown helped Walt. He was not at the meeting. No one else volunteered. Rondel Stevens will be working the event in Brown County. Rondel said George Nieberling, the new scout executive coordinator, wants to become a ham. He is promoting involvement.
Benny had the program. He demonstrated a commercial 50w radio that is available on the used market for $75-80. Speaker, microphone, and power cord are extra. The Motorola Astra Spectra has 128 or 255 channels. It can be used on all emergency bands. It is programmed with a computer. He also demonstrated the use of digital transmission in P25 mode. It was considerably quieter. He showed that even though the bands are wide on this radio, it can work on narrow bands by holding the microphone further away when speaking.
The meeting adjourned at 8:16 p.m.