GEORGIAN BAY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
Minutes of the Monthly Club Meeting 26th of March 2024
Call to order by Marvin VE3VCG at 7:00 PM
ATTENDANCE
Executive:
Dan Mills VA3DNY Secretary, Tex Brown VE3USI Vice President, Marvin Double VE3VCG President, Doug McDougall VE3DGY Treasurer
Members:
Tom St. Amand VA3TS, Philip deKat VE3DPB, Dave Newcombe VE3WI, Jim Reeves VE3JMD, Greg Laroque VE3RQY, Larry Price VE3WDF, Janet Double VA3EAC, Adam Karasinski VE3FP, Bobby Pavlovic VE3PAV, John Corby VA3KOT, Bernie Monderie VE3BQM, Richard Osborne VE3OZW, Mark Lindstrom VA3FIN, Kevin Adams VA3RCA, Mary Watson VA3ILT (Guest)
QUORUM: Yes
TECH TALK:
Richard (VE3OZW) Digital Radio and Hotspots.
Richard presented a talk on how Hotspots use low power VHF/UHF digital voice over an internet connection. He brought both PiStar and OpenSpot devices for a demonstration. The PiStar uses software called Pi-Star Dashboard, and the OpenSpot uses a program called openSPOT. There are several different digital voice modes and each major radio manufacturer seems to have its own proprietary one. Some of the hotspot devices will allow cross mode communication so you can talk to people using a different brand of radio. It can be a big benefit to people who don't live within range of a repeater.
Digital voice can also be used in simplex without a repeater or internet connection. With FM voice at the edge of range the signal will get scratchy and fade, while digital will be clear full signal or nothing at all. Digital voice also uses much less bandwidth allowing for more people to talk at the same time. It was a very interesting tech talk and we all learned a lot about using digital voice.
PREVIOUS MINUTES:
Minutes of the February Meeting were published in the newsletter. The minutes were accepted as written.
(motion: Doug VE3DGY, second: Tom VA3TS)
TREASURER'S REPORT:
Doug VE3DGY presented the finance report for both the February (was deferred) and March meeting.
For February Members:31, Balance: $xxxx
For March Members:33, Transactions: 2 dues paid ($xx) and paid out ($xx)and service charges ($xx), Balance: $xxxx
The treasurer's report was accepted.
(motion: Janet VA3EAC, second: Jim VE3JMD)
OLD BUSINESS:
Dave VE3WI reported that the testing of the older Icom club radio is still underway. The rig receives okay and has an output of 100W. It needs a microphone to complete the testing and possible sale. He is still looking for one.
GBARC 50th Anniversary events. Doug VE3DGY is updating the logs to QRZ and will look into using E-QSL to send cards from our anniversary event held at Tom's QTH.
Marvin VE3VCG will be hosting the World Amateur Radio Day event at his QTH on April 18th. We will be able to use the club's special call sign for this event as well. Further details will be provided on the website.
Bobby VA3PAV will look into the Ferndale location for a possible event for the Ontario QSO Party on April 20th. This will be the last chance to use the special club anniversary call sign.
NEW BUSINESS:
Terry Fox Run. Mark VA3FIN has asked on behalf of the Terry Fox Run organizers if the club would be interested in taking over the duties of organizing the entire Owen Sound event. The past organizers are unable to continue with it themselves. After a discussion about what all would be involved, a vote by all in attendance (motion: Tex VE3USI, second: Phil VE3DPB) confirmed that it would be beyond our strengths and abilities to do so. We do however, hope that the Owen Sound event is able to continue with a new volunteer group and we will offer communication support for this year's event as usual.
Adam VE3FP began a discussion about summer field day. There were 3 possible locations suggested: Victoria Park, Arboretum, and Tom Williams Field. A motion was passed (motion: Bernie VE3BQM, second: Doug VE3DGY) to defer more plan making for this event until our next meeting due to time constraints.
50/50 Draw won by Bobby VE3PAV $xx to him and the same amount to the club.
Meeting Adjourned at 9:00 PM
(motion: Janet VA3EAC, second: Richard VE3OZW)
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GEORGIAN BAY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
Minutes of the Monthly Club Meeting
27th of February 2024
Call to order by Marvin VE3VCG at 7:00 PM
ATTENDANCE
Executive:
Dan Mills VA3DNY Secretary, Tex Brown VE3USI Vice President, Marvin Double VE3VCG President
Members:
Tom St. Amand VA3TS, Philip deKat VE3DPB, Dave Newcombe VE3WI, Jim Reeves VE3JMD, Greg Laroque VE3RQY, Larry Price VE3WDF, Rijk Van Huisstede VA3RYK, Janet Double VA3EAC, Adam Karasinski VE3FP, Bobby Pavlovic VE3PAV, Mary Watson VA3ILT (Guest)
QUORUM: Yes
TECH TALK:
Tom (VA3TS) Icom 7300 Go Box.
Tom presented his own Go Box that he created from a leftover metal carry case. He built a tray fastened to drawer slides on pivots so the 7300 transceiver can be lifted up and slid out to an operating position while still connected to the case. The rig connections stay in place all the time and use jumpers to ports he installed in the side of the case. There are connection ports for Antenna, Key, Mic, Power, and USB. Tom used screw on caps to cover the antenna and mic ports when not in use.
There is a storage box for accessories such as the Mic and Bencher Iambic Paddle that nicely fits inside the case for transport. The complete package weighs approximately 35lbs and is well planned and constructed. Nicely done Tom!
PREVIOUS MINUTES:
Minutes of the January Meeting were published in the newsletter. The minutes were accepted as written.
(motion: Tex VE3USI, second: Phil VE3DPB)
TREASURER'S REPORT:
Doug VE3DGY was absent from the meeting.
The treasurer's report for February will be deferred until the March meeting.
OLD BUSINESS:
Dave VE3WI started a discussion about the Anniversary Event. There are empty time slots still available, please sign up if you are available. Tom VA3TS informed us that he will have 2 stations set up that can be operated simultaneously for more operators to use.
The Anniversary event will be held Saturday March 23 from 12:00 until 8:00PM at Tom's QTH. Please bring your snacks, drinks, and chairs.
NEW BUSINESS:
Marvin VE3VCG will be hosting the World Amateur Radio Day event at his QTH on April 18th. We will be able to use the club's special call sign for this event as well. Dave suggested that we can try to contact as many of the RAC stations as possible during this event.
There was a discussion about holding an event for the Ontario QSO Party on April 20th/21st. It will also fall within the time window to use our event call sign. Some possible locations were suggested, mostly outside public locations, but due to possible cold weather an inside location would be safer. Is anyone willing to host the event at their QTH? We are still looking for a suitable location.
A public event to be held later in the year was also talked about. Some possible locations were tabled such as the Library, the Mall, Kelso Beach Park, the park along the river by the Library, etc. Marvin will contact Parks and Recreation to find out about requirements for an event. Dave and Marvin will look into graphic boards to fit over our existing A-Frames. This will be followed up with during future meetings.
Marvin brought the club's Icom IC740 and Pyramid PS25 to the meeting and asked what should be done with them considering we purchased a much newer Icom 7300 as an upgrade. After a discussion Adam VE3FP made a motion that they should be sold. It was seconded by Tex VE3USI and it was passed by vote. Dave offered to take it home and test it to make sure it all worked properly before it is sold.
Marvin asked for some volunteers to do tech talks at upcoming meetings. Please give it some thought and sign up!
Tex asked for anyone to let him know if our monthly breakfast get together would conflict with any other event. He will try to reschedule the Breakfast if needed.
Meeting Adjourned at 8:30 PM
(motion: Marvin VE3VCG, second: Tex VE3USI)
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GEORGIAN BAY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
Minutes of the Monthly Club Meeting
Taken by Doug, so don't blame Dan.
23rd of January 2024
Call to order by Marvin at 7:20 PM (roads were bad)
ATTENDANCE
Executive:
Marvin Double VE3VCG, Doug McDougall VE3DGY Treasurer, Tex Brown VE3USI Vice President
Members:
Adam Karasinski VE3FP, Bobby Pavlovic VE3PAV, Philip deKat VE3DPB, Dave Newcombe VE3WI, Bernie VE3BQM, Mary Watson VA3ILT, Greg Laroque VE3RQY, Larry, Doug VE3DGY
QUORUM: Yes
TECH TALK:
Bernie VE3BQM showed us his GO BOX with the Icom-7000, PC server power supply, auto-tuner and ESP32 controller. He also spent a few minutes showing us how he can remote control his IC7300 through the WFView software program.
PREVIOUS MINUTES:
Minutes of the November Meeting were published in the newsletter. The minutes were accepted as written.
(motion: Tex, Second: Phil, approved)
TREASURER'S REPORT:
Doug VE3DGY presented the financial report.
We are down -$xxx since the Nov 27 report, -$xxxx from the purchase of the clubs IC7300 radio and up $xxx from new dues and $xxx from meeting 50/50 draws.
The treasurer's report was approved.
(motion: Greg, second: Phil, approved)
OLD BUSINESS:
QNI process to determine our Ham of the Year.
This process was initiated last year by John Corby and completed by our secretary Dan Mills. The intent of the process was to incent our members participation in events and to track who the main participants were via a points system.
We needed to decide how we were going to proceed this year recognizing that it was a lot of work for Dan to catch up all the data to complete 2023; that said, he mentioned it would be less work if someone volunteered and did the tallying each month. After some discussion it seemed that we had no one willing to volunteer the time so we put three options on the floor and voted.
Option 1: Use the QNI process and wrangle a volunteer
Option 2: The Executive decides at the end of the year
Option 3: Call for nominations on the website and the exec decides
The vote was taken and the majority preferred option 2 with a caveat that it would benefit the Exec to solicit suggestions from the membership. That all said thanks to John Corby VA3KOT for all the effort he put into developing the system and to Dan for completing last year's tally.
50 Year Anniversary preparations:
1. Dave VE3WI has secured a special call sign for us to use Mar 23 + 1 month, it is VC3GB
2. Doug VE3DGY has put our events into ARRL to be included in the March issue of the QST magazine under special events, and will also add to ONTARS
3. Doug will print the QSL/Advertising post cards for March
4. All have agreed to meet at Tom's VA3TS QTH on March 23 from noon to 6pm to operate the radio for the special event. Operators and Loggers are still required. See the gbarc.ca webpage under 50th anniversary to look for available shifts and send contact@gbarc.ca a note to be added.
5. Marvin reiterated his desire to have one or more public displays set up when the weather is better. He needs some support so please consider if you would help in the set up and working a booth/table for a couple of hours to promote the club. Let Marvin know.
NEW BUSINESS:
Winter Field Day Prep
1. Bobby secured us the Visitor Centre ($50) in Ferndale from 11am-9pm, Sat Jan 27
2. We'll use the club 7300 and Marvins' radio, bring portables if you wish.
3. Marvin is bringing antennas and Dave his 40', (slightly overstated) vertical
4. Marvin is bringing chilli for lunch
NEXT MEETING NOTICE: Greg has suggested we park in the south lot and come in through the south door right into the hall, that way we can see who's there if someone is late and Steven isn't at the front door.
Meeting Adjourned at 8:45 Moved by: Bernie
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GEORGIAN BAY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
Minutes of the Monthly Club Meeting
28th of Nov 2023
Call to order by Marvin VE3VCG at 7:05 PM
ATTENDANCE
Executive:
Dan Mills VA3DNY Secretary, Doug McDougall VE3DGY Treasurer, Marvin Double VE3VCG President
Members:
Tom St. Amand VA3TS, Philip deKat VE3DPB, Dave Newcombe VE3WI, Jim Reeves VE3JMD, Greg Laroque VE3RQY, Bernie Monderie VE3BQM, Larry Price VE3WDF, Dennis (Guest)
QUORUM: Yes
TECH TALK:
Doug (VE3DGY) Why use FT-8.
One of the primary reasons for using FT-8 is to have the ability to make contacts all around the world without a Yagi or using CW...a simple antenna is all you need. The process is fairly straightforward: Download WSJT-X and Gridtracker, connect radio to computer and set radio to data mode, and then configure WSJT-X to your specific radio.
FT-8 is designed for weak signal use and uses a co-ordinated 15 second transmit cycle followed by a 15 second receive cycle.
PSK Reporter can be used to see how far your signal is travelling when you operate. Gridtracker works in conjunction with WSJT-X and shows who is calling, where they are from, distance away in miles, and if you have worked them before.
Doug also presented information about his Chameleon CHA MPAS 2.0 antenna system and how he has good success using it on 20,17,15,12, and 10 Metre bands.
Bernie (VE3BQM) Tape Measure Yagi.
Bernie brought in his homebrew tape measure yagi used for 2M fox hunts for us to see. He also provided printouts of the plans he based it on so we could build our own. His was made using a rectangular piece of wood rather than PVC because he already had some on hand.
The elements of the antenna are made from a cut up tape measure. Bernie suggested looking for broken ones at a lumber yard or hardware store. A 25 foot tape measure will be long enough to make 2 antennas. The matching network in this plan uses a hairpin match from a U shaped piece of wire.
The benefit of using this type of antenna is low cost, light weight, and rolls up small for storage and transportation. It can also be used for finding sources of RF noise, or receiving signal from the ISS, etc.
PREVIOUS MINUTES:
Minutes of the September Meeting were published in the newsletter. The minutes were accepted as written.
(motion: Doug VE3DGY, second: Tom VA3TS)
TREASURER'S REPORT:
Doug VE3DGY presented the financial report.
The main transactions for the month comprised of a payment of $xx.26 for RAC insurance dues, bank fees, a deposit for multiple membership renewals, and a deposit from the sale of equipment and proceeds from our 50/50 draw.
The closing balance for the month was $xxx.74
There are currently 13 members paid up for 2024.
The treasurer's report was approved.
(motion: Bernie VE3BQM, second: Marvin VE3VCG)
OLD BUSINESS:
Doug VE3DGY presented his design for the club business/QSL cards. They will be a 2 sided card with our anniversary date, QRZ info, and a QSO section on the back. There were suggestions for a different photo on the front, and Doug asked for anyone to email photos to him.
Dan VA3DNY handed out a copy of T-Shirt and Hat ordering prices and information collected by Frank VA3GUF this summer. Individual club members can go to RAM Promotional any time to select and order merchandise. Doug will go there to inquire about using other shirts and check the price to add a call sign above the logo. He will also order a couple of hats to be used at the Christmas Luncheon as a door prize.
Dave VE3WI reported that the club call sign is now registered with LOTW so we can get more contacts verified.
GBARC 50th Anniversary planning session.
Several of the main ideas were discussed and planned:
- We will have a presentation of the history of the club at our Christmas Luncheon by Marvin (President).
- Marvin would like to organize a public event at some point to bring more attention to our club...some public venues (the library?) on different dates to create more awareness of our club's activities and reasons to join. (Marvin VE3VCG and Tex VE3USI?)
Doug made a motion to finalize the date for our special event on March 23rd 2024, have Dave VE3WI apply for a special call VC3GB for the 30 days, and to select a frequency (in the US General segment) and begin to advertise it. Phil VE3DPB seconded the motion and it passed by vote.
- Tom VA3TS will create a section on the website for people to register for radio time slots during this event.
NEW BUSINESS:
Dan VA3DNY provided an update to the QNI contest. He has been working to finish tabulating all of the data for the remainder of the contest year and will have the results by the Christmas Luncheon. The winner of this contest will become the Ham of the Year.
There was a discussion about what activities counted for points, and the list was reviewed for everyone. This list is also posted on the GBARC website. There should be a review and possible modifications to the point structure if this is continued for next year.
Marvin VE3VCG questioned the old plaque for Ham of the Year and should we look at something different...possibly a take home trophy or certificate for the winner. This will be discussed further at our next meeting.
The meeting 50/50 draw was held at the end of the meeting and Greg VE3RQY was the winner of the $31 prize. The $32 proceeds will be deposited in the club bank account.
Meeting Adjourned at 9:00 PM
(motion: Bernie VE3BQM, second: Phil VE3DPB)
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GEORGIAN BAY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
Minutes of the Monthly Club Meeting
24th of Oct 2023
Call to order by Doug VE3DGY at 7:00 PM
ATTENDANCE
Executive:
Dan Mills VA3DNY Secretary, Doug McDougall VE3DGY Treasurer, Tex Brown VE3USI Vice President
Members:
Tom St. Amand VA3TS, Adam Karasinski VE3FP, Bobby Pavlovic VE3PAV, Philip deKat VE3DPB, Dave Newcombe VE3WI, Mary Watson VA3ILT, Jim Reeves VE3JMD, Greg Laroque VE3RQY, David Rosenfeld VE3BAK, Richard Osborne VE3OZW
QUORUM: Yes
A motion was put forward and passed to change the Agenda pattern for the meetings including having the tech talks at the beginning of the meeting. The business portion of the meeting will be held after that; and finally, any in-depth discussions about emergency communications will take place at the end of the meeting.
(Motion to accept: Greg VE3RQY, second: Phil VE3DPB)
TECH TALK:
Richard (VE3OZW) 3D printing.
Richard brought in and set up his Crealty CR20 Pro 3D printer for the group to see in action. They are an additive process building layer on layer, pretty much the opposite of a milling or lathe process.
The printer has been upgraded to a glass print bed and the print area is up to 10 inches wide by 10 inches deep by 10 inches high. One of the tricks that Richard shared was to use a glue stick on the bed before printing to help the item stay in place while printing.
As an example for the tech talk, Richard downloaded a file to print a nanoVNA case (.stl file type). He loaded the file into Ultimaker Cura software. This program converts the file into printing instructions for the 3D printer. We got to watch the printer start adding the material into the expected pattern on the print bed. This object was going to take over 2 hours to print, so we couldn't see it complete the project.
There are lots of free or inexpensive files for a wide variety of objects that people have already created. You don't have to design everything from scratch. A couple of websites to search are thingiverse.com and stlfinder.com
Richard also covered some of the types of filament available as a printing material. The first was PLA which is corn based. It melts above 60 degrees celsius so it can't be used for an object in the hot sun. Also, it is affected by moisture.
The second material is PETG, the same plastic used in water bottles. It melts above 220 to 250 degrees and has high strength. It should be kept dry before printing for best results.
The last material Richard discussed was ABS. It is high strength and is best for auto parts etc. The drawbacks are that it is abrasive (hard on the printer) and the fumes are toxic.
All in all it was a very informative session and the club members present seemed to enjoy watching the printing process.
Tex (VE3USI) Single use batteries, tips and tricks.
Tex brought in an assortment of single use batteries (mostly AA and AAA) and described how some brands seemed to last much longer than others. He shared with us how over time he realized that the weight of the battery would vary considerably (up to 50%) between makes.
He demonstrated on a small digital scale some of the longer lasting batteries and some of the poor quality ones as well. The batteries that weigh the most last the longest, and the weight doesn't change from charged to dead.
Tex demonstrated that an AA Duracell weighed 23.9 grams while a Chateau AA only weighed 12.6 grams. There are less expensive brands out there that weigh (and perform) as well as the best (expensive) brands. For instance the Home Depot house brand was 23.4 grams and much less expensive than Duracell.
For comparison, Tex suggested that a good AA should weigh around 23 grams and a poor one will be 12 to 15 grams. Also, a good AAA should weigh around 12 grams and a poor one will be around 6 grams.
Thank you Tex for this information...it will help us figure out what batteries are actually a good deal!
PREVIOUS MINUTES:
Minutes of the September Meeting were published in the newsletter. The minutes were accepted as written.
(motion: Tex VE3USI, second: Jim VE3JMD)
TREASURER'S REPORT:
Doug VE3DGY presented the financial report.
The main transactions for the month comprised of a payment of $111.00 for the flowers sent to Maureen, a payment of $28.00 to renew our domain name, bank fees, a deposit for multiple membership renewals, and a deposit of $200.00 from the sale of donated equipment organized by Jim Reeves VE3JMD.
The closing balance for the month was $xxxx.00
An application for the renewal of our RAC insurance was also submitted this month.
The treasurer's report was approved.
(motion: Adam VE3FP, second: Tom VA3TS)
OLD BUSINESS:
Frank VA3GUF was unable to attend this meeting and provide an update on the research for ordering hats and shirts. Dan VA3DNY will contact him for an update before the next meeting.
Doug VE3DGY will proceed to design and place an order for club business/QSL cards(1000 cards for $99 expected). Still in process as of this meeting.
Dave VE3WI and Adam VE3FP both brought tickets to use for our 50/50 draws. Thank you!
Bernie VE3BQM tape measure yagi antenna project is still in the works, should be set up as a tech talk to get some plans in place.
GBARC 50th Anniversary planning session. To further our planning process Doug VE3DGY itemized our list of suggested anniversary activities for this year.
Some of the main ones were:
- adding a presentation of the history of the club at our Christmas Luncheon (by Tom VA3TS?)
- on air special event March 23, 2024 (Noon until 8PM) with a special call sign. It will be advertised with QST, ONTARS, our webpage etc. Possibly add eQSL for people interested.
- some public venues (the library?) on different dates to create more awareness of our club's activities and reasons to join. (Marvin VE3VCG and Tex VE3USI?)
- order anniversary edition t-shirts and hats if there is interest.
- Dave VE3WI reported that the special call sign will be available for 30 days at a time so the club can use it for additional events if members are interested. It is not possible to get one for a year at a time.
This is still a work in progress and Doug VE3DGY will continue to co-ordinate the planning.
NEW BUSINESS:
Jim VE3JMD presented a generous $200 donation (reflected in the treasurer's report) to the GBARC club from the sale of donated used equipment over the last month. Also, he outlined a fairly complete HF station (FT77, Mic, Power Supply, external VFO, and a manual tuner) that could be loaned to a new ham until they were able to obtain their own equipment.
This would allow someone to get on the air quickly and only have to add their own feed line and antenna. Please contact Jim if you know of anyone that might be interested.
Adam VE3FP suggested that the club should register with Logbook of the World in order to verify contacts after club events. Dave VE3WI is the official keeper of the club call sign and will start the process.
Tex VE3USI provided a handout that listed the Christmas Luncheon menu options. If you are planning to attend, please make a selection and let him know. He will be providing that information to Elsie's Diner prior to our event.
The meeting 50/50 draw was held at the end of the meeting and Doug VE3DGY was the winner of the $24 prize. The $24 proceeds will be deposited in the club bank account.
Meeting Adjourned at 9:00 PM
(motion: Adam VE3FP, second: Phil VE3DPB)
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GEORGIAN BAY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
Minutes of the Monthly Club Meeting
26th of Sept 2023
Call to order by Doug VE3DGY at 7:00 PM
ATTENDANCE
Executive:
Dan Mills VA3DNY Secretary, Doug McDougall VE3DGY Treasurer, Tex Brown VE3USI Vice President
Members:
Tom St. Amand VA3TS, Adam Karasinski VE3FP, Bobby Pavlovic VE3PAV, Philip deKat VE3DPB, Dave Newcombe VE3WI, Mary Watson VA3ILT, Jim Reeves VE3JMD, Greg Laroque VE3RQY, Bernie Monderie VE3BQM, David Rosenfeld VE3BAK
QUORUM: Yes
TECH TALK:
Doug (VE3DGY) HF Portable with less than 3 pounds.
Doug presented his full setup for portable QRP operation. It was centred around a KX2 with an internal battery and tuner. The internal battery will allow him to operate for 3 to 4 hours at 10W SSB. An external battery can be used if a longer run time is needed.
For an antenna, he uses a lightweight end fed wire that attaches to an unun and it keeps within range of the internal tuner. Doug deploys the antenna by throwing an arborist's sandbag over a tree branch. With a good toss, he can be set up and operating in about 5 minutes.
Dave (VE3WI) Recent electronic projects completed.
Dave presented 3 of his recent projects. One was an inline AC Volt/Ammeter that was purchased as a digital display panel and needed to be wired into a power cable. It works well and Dave plans to build it into a more waterproof box and possibly use it to monitor generator loads at field day.
The second item was an antenna autotuner purchased as a board and display only. He built it into a small project box and added all of the required connections and switches. The tuner is designed by N7DDC and can tune up to 4:1 or 5:1 with a maximum power of 100W SSB.
His last project presented was an SDR receiver based on a single IC that integrates complete functions from antenna input to audio output. The unit covers 100 kHz to 30 MHz and uses a touch screen. The main board comes fully assembled and the files for a 3D printed case is available from Tindy.com
PREVIOUS MINUTES:
Minutes of the June Meeting were published in the newsletter. The minutes were accepted as written.
(motion: Dave VE3WI, second: Adam VE3FP)
TREASURER'S REPORT:
Doug VE3DGY presented the financial report.
The main transactions for the month comprised of a payment of $130.00 for the Field Day dinner, bank fees, a deposit for 3 memberships, and a deposit of $150.00 from the sale of donated equipment organized by Jim Reeves VE3JMD.
The closing balance for the month was $xxxx.00
The treasurer's report was approved.
(motion: Tex VE3USI, second: Philip VE3DPB)
OLD BUSINESS:
Bernie VE3BQM now has the portable repeater at his QTH if needed.
Doug VE3DGY has updated the club information on QRZ.com.
There was continued interest by some members in placing an order for GBARC hats and shirts. Frank VA3GUF volunteered to do some research for an order at RAM Trophies and will report back. Frank was absent from the Sept meeting so we will carry this forward until October.
Doug VE3DGY will proceed to design and place an order for club business/QSL cards(1000 cards for $99 expected). Still in process as of this meeting.
Dave VE3WI will bring tickets to be used for the 50/50 draws at each meeting going forward. A vote to keep the prices for tickets at $2 each or 3 for $5 was passed.
NEW BUSINESS:
A vote was passed for the club to send flowers ($100) and a card signed by all in attendance to Maureen VE3MIO after hearing about her health. Doug VE3DGY will make the arrangements.
Jim VE3JMD along with help from Dave VE3WI and Marvin VE3VCG have been collecting, testing, and selling donated equipment and presented $150 to each of the GBARC and Port Elgin clubs. Jim and Dave also set up a table of items still for sale so that we could purchase anything we liked.
There was an MFJ antenna analyzer and the club voted to keep it for use at field day etc rather than selling it. It will be stored with the portable repeater at Bernie's QTH.
There is a new net controller for the Wednesday evening net. Jim VA3MFO has added his name to the list. Also, Greg VE3RQY will be returning to the net control roster as well.
There was a discussion about Operation Dark Skies taking place on October 14th. This is when data will be collected about propagation during an eclipse. Operators are requested to register prior to the day and provide signal reports over the span of the eclipse. Not enough members were interested enough to plan a club event for it.
Bernie VE3BQM proposed a club project where anyone interested will build a tape measure yagi antenna that could be used for the next fox hunt. It was suggested to add it to the tech talk list and have some completed ones brought in as examples.
A design will be picked and plans handed out. A time will be set at an upcoming meeting for everyone to bring in their parts and build them at together.
GBARC is having its 50th Anniversary and suggestions were made for possible events. Bobby VE3PAV suggested an on air event for the anniversary. It was decided to try to get a special event callsign and also use it for multiple occasions (over the anniversary year) such as the Ontario QSO Party etc.
A vote was passed that Dave VE3WI will proceed to get a callsign arranged and Doug VE3DGY will look into advertising it in QST, Ontars etc. Tom VA3TS suggested that everyone should consider designing a QSL or EQSL card for the anniversary and we could make it a club contest.
Tex VE3USI asked the group about the date and location for the Christmas Luncheon. A vote was passed to hold it at Elsie's Diner on December 9th. Tex will begin to make the arrangements.
Meeting Adjourned at 9:50 PM
(motion: Bernie VE3BQM, second: Doug VE3DGY)
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GEORGIAN BAY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
Minutes of the Monthly Club Meeting
24th of June 2023 (At field day event)
Call to order by Marvin VE3VCG at 12:25 PM
ATTENDANCE
Executive:
Marvin Double VE3VCG President, Dan Mills VA3DNY Secretary, Doug McDougall VE3DGY Treasurer, Tex Brown VE3USI Vice President
Members:
Larry Price VE3WDF, Tom St. Amand VA3TS, Adam Karasinski VE3FP, Bobby Pavlovic VE3PAV, Philip deKat VE3DPB, Dave Newcombe VE3WI, Frank Gufler VA3GUF, Norman Reintamm VA3NIR
QUORUM: Yes
TECH TALK:
No tech talk presented due to it being Field Day.
PREVIOUS MINUTES:
Minutes of the May Meeting were published in the newsletter. The minutes were accepted as written.
(motion: Dave VE3WI, second: Phil VE3DPB)
TREASURER'S REPORT:
Doug VE3DGY presented the financial report.
The main transactions for the month comprised of a payment of $254.25 for the port-a-potty, a bank fee of $5.00, an e-transfer fee of $1.50, a deposit for 2 memberships, and a generous donation of $100.00 from Norm VA3NIR.
The closing balance for the month was $xxxx.00. Currently there are 36 members.
Doug also informed us that the corporate director's list was updated to reflect the executive changes.
The treasurer's report was approved.
(motion: Philip VE3DPB, second: Dan VA3DNY)
OLD BUSINESS:
Bernie VE3BQM will pick up the portable repeater from Frank VA3GUF to keep it more available. (waiting on a time that works for both parties)
Doug VE3DGY turned the GBARC greeting cards over to Marvin VE3VCG.
Tom VA3TS has the account information for the GBARC page at QRZ.com and will send it to Doug VE3DGY who will take over updating it.
There was continued interest by some members in placing an order for GBARC hats and shirts. Frank VA3GUF volunteered to do some research for an order at RAM Trophies and will report back.
After another discussion about getting business/QSL cards printed, Marvin VE3VCG called a vote and it was passed. Doug VE3DGY will proceed to design and place an order (1000 cards for $99 expected).
NEW BUSINESS:
A discussion about St. John's Ambulance protocol took place as a result of the Huron Shores run. (Calling 911 vs. First Aid)
Tom VA3TS recommended that we don't accept any responsibility for first aid or safety...we provide communication only!
Norman VA3NIR suggested that GBARC should be providing our own waiver to a group, not the other way around.
Marvin VE3VCG indicated that he has prepared information to be sent out by Winlink during Field Day for extra points.
Tex VE3USI explained to us the difficulties with making reservations at the Rockford Restaurant for the Saturday breakfast gatherings.
He has been in contact with Elsie's Diner in Springmount and they are much more welcoming and flexible. There was a vote that passed to try the new location for the next two months and decide from there if it should be a permanent change. Tex will follow up with them about a Christmas lunch if the trial works out.
A fox hunt was organized for the 3rd Saturday of June. Approximately 7 people expressed an interest in participating.
Tom VA3TS has volunteered to be the "fox" but also said the transmitter can be borrowed at any time if someone else wants to be a "fox" and let him join the chase group.
Doug VE3DGY proposed that he could host a "mini" field day type event on his property later in the summer if there was enough interest. He will send out messages to the group with details later.
Richard VE3OZW had also offered to host an event like this at his QTH at a different time.
Marvin VE3VCG presented information about a possible event to be held on Chantry Island this summer for Lighthouses on the air. It could be a day trip or an overnight event and the lighthouse can support a wire antenna.
There would be a cost for each person going across by boat plus a donation to their organization. There was not enough interest by the members present so the event will not move forward.
Marvin VE3VCG made a quick reminder about the Bruce Peninsula Multi-Sport race and he may be looking for volunteers for that day.
Dan VA3DNY reminded the group about the 50/50 draws we held at meetings prior to COVID and asked if anyone was interested in them starting up again. There was positive feedback and Doug VE3DGY said that he has the tickets we can use.
We will start holding draws at our meetings going forward.
Meeting Adjourned prior to the official start to Field Day
(motion: Frank VA3GUF, second: Norman VA3NIR)
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Minutes of the Monthly Club Meeting 23rd of May 2023
Call to order by Marvin VE3VCG at 7:05 PM
ATTENDANCE
Executive:
Marvin Double VE3VCG President, Dan Mills VA3DNY Secretary
Members:
Janet Double VA3EAC, Jim Reeves VE3JMD, Larry Price VE3WDF, Tom St. Amand VA3TS, Adam Karasinski VE3FP, Bobby Pavlovic VE3PAV, Philip deKat VE3DPB, Greg Larocque VE3RQY, Bernie Monderie VE3BQM, Dave Newcombe VE3WI
QUORUM: No
TECH TALK:
Key and Keyer Show and Tell - Presented by Tom VA3TS
Tom presented each of his keys and a keyer to the group while describing their various features. They were passed around the room for everyone to see up close.
Some of the collection (but not all) included: A bathtub key (British Air Force?), flameproof key, leg mounted key (Cdn military?), Bencher paddles, Vibroplex Vibrokeyer, Heathkit keyer with paddles built in, and a telegraph sounder.
Part 2 of the tech talk was a demonstration and explanation of his Fox Hunt transmitter.
Tom created the "ammo can" fox using a battery, HT and a Ham Gadgets ID-O-Matic controller. It all fit neatly into a surplus steel ammo box and has an external antenna connection.
PREVIOUS MINUTES:
Minutes of the April Meeting were published in the newsletter. The minutes were accepted as written.
(Motion: Adam VE3FP, second: Phil VE3DPB)
TREASURER'S REPORT:
Doug VE3DGY was absent, but submitted the report ahead of the meeting. The main transactions for the month comprised of a payment of $500.00 via e-transfer for the repeater, a bank fee of $5.00, and an e-transfer fee of $1.50. The closing balance for the month was $xxxx.00
Currently there are 34 members. The treasurer's report was approved. (Motion: Bernie VE3BQM, second: Jim VE3JMD)
OLD BUSINESS:
Greeting cards and tech talk:
Doug VE3DGY has obtained the 10 greeting cards with the club information on them to be used as needed.
He has also created a tech talk schedule and there are already 4 scheduled ahead for upcoming meetings.
Field Day:
We had a follow up discussion on field day plans. Some of the points made:
The stations should be spread out more to avoid interference like we experienced last year.
The same version of N1MM must be used by all stations or they won't work together. Please update your software the Thursday before field day.
We should have 3 stations and divide up operations on 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 M plus Marvin VE3VCG will provide a WinLink GOTA/public station.
Greg VE3RQY will look into tents and chairs for the event.
Dave VE3WI may have a generator for the event.
Port-a-potty will be arranged prior to the event.
Other old business:
Bernie VE3BQM will pick up the portable repeater from Frank VA3GUF to keep it more available.
Executive meetings will be scheduled as needed prior to regular meetings. Skype or Google Meet can be used to save drive time.
Tom VA3TS has added an email link on the Meetings website page for members to email the Secretary with new business.
NEW BUSINESS:
Marvin VE3VCG will request that the Treasurer (absent from meeting) provides an up-to-date email list to the executive.
Jim VE3JMD informed the club of donations made by the wife of a SK (Wayne) to be sold or used as needed. A partial list was provided but not everything has been tested by Jim yet.
Some of the list included test equipment. Dave VE3WI and Marvin VE3VCG suggested perhaps the club could use some of it to establish a library of test equipment for members to utilize.
Bernie VE3BQM is looking for who has control over the club QRZ page (VE3OSR)? He suggested that it could be updated to provide current information.
Adam VE3FP provided an example of his new QSL cards. He recommended QSLconcepts.com and suggested that the club consider getting some to hand out or send out. They could be more generic and have check boxes on the back for specific events. Tom VA3TS pointed out that the outgoing RAC Bureau can be used for RAC members.
Meeting Adjourned at 8:30 PM
(Motion: Janet VA3EAC, second: Bernie VE3BQM)
