Newsletter - August 2004

Hoosier Hills Ham Club August 2004 Newsletter

August Meeting Minutes

The meeting was called to order at 7 p.m.

Ann Harris gave an update on president Keith Harris, who suffered a heart attack. He is doing better but will not be going back to work for a month.

July meeting minutes and treasurer’s report stand as read.

Technical Committee

The repeater recently went down. The final amplifier was out in the transmitter. The price of the part was $101 with Icom and $186 for Stansifer Electronics in Bloomington. Hal found it on the Internet with a guarantee for $49.95. Hal ordered two of them. It was noted that the final amplifier gets used a lot at one time, and there were no signs of a lightning strike.

Also the 73 is on a battery back up now. The 440 will be on it as soon as Hal can find the equipment.

Hal hasn’t had a chance to check out the program for the repeater announcements this month.

The committee discussed the idea of selling the 31 machine and making the 73 the new 31. The committee would then purchase a 73 machine using regular radios. The club will take up the matter again after the Hamfest.

The 31 machine is up and running and is available if needed. The repeater council contacted us and said someone complained that the machine had been down for 60 days. It is now hooked up to the existing Ringo Ranger antenna at the fire station in Bedford. We still haven’t put up the new antenna, and it might be a good idea to put up new feed line when it is installed. Also the 31 machine is set for two years with the repeater council.

Discussion followed about net control training. For instance Ron Arbuckle checked into a net, and received a thank you letter in the mail.

Rick is not sure when the tower climber will be able to climb the tower. It should be completed before “snow flies.”

There is an electrical light out back not working. If it is not, we should call the power the company to have it fixed.

Tailgate Party

There were about 45 here at one time, and Ron also thought we had a good turnout and that it was money well spent.

There was interest in another tailgate party and Morris Manion and Jim Merry will organize it. A time and date will be mentioned at a later date.

Hamfest

Mike Wright is the chairman and John Scheiwe is the co-chair. Flyers need to be handed out.

Vendors were discussed including the Ham Station, Transel and Stansifer Electronics. John Scheiwe will contact those who might be interested.

The Hamfest is on the same day as the South Bend Hamfest, so we may run in to problems.

We will invite Bill, W4JEI, for entertainment. He paid for entry last year, and we may supply a gift certificate or cash for him this year. The Hamfest committee will determine a gift for him.

Discussion followed about the tables and the chili supper. The Marion Township Volunteer Fire Department makes too much money, according to some club members. We also need breakfast served. About next week committee members will ask club members to chair committees.

Member problems

Two new members need to pay club dues. They were voted into the club in February. One member told the club she was an extra, and she actually has a novice license that expired in December 2003. We will send her a member and is pending being a member stating she owes $30 and needs to renew her license.

Weather modes

A professional radio station has tones when there is a weather alert, and discussion followed about putting those alerts on the repeater.

Membership incentives

If you come out to the club and put two or three hours into the club, and want to get a $6 or $7 dinner the club would pay for it out of an account. Discussion followed about it being hard to regulate. The idea was withdrawn.

Antenna outside

Rick is looking for a good lightning rod and is looking for an antenna that was outside the clubhouse at one time. Rick will come get it later.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:05 p.m.

July Foxhunt

Tim Wray was the fox and was hiding at Fairview Church and Cemetery near Huron. Brandon Wires found the fox with the least amount of miles.

August Foxhunt

Wires was the fox for the August hunt. He hid at the pull-off to the White River next to the Burton car dealership. Hunters found him quickly, with Ben Hofmann narrowly winning.

After the hunt, remaining hunters searched for what was considered an “illegal” transmitter. It was found inside the Lawrence County Jail, and determined to be a weather station on the third floor.

Hofmann will be the fox for the hunt on September 18.