RARC Meeting Minutes for January 12th, 2016

Checking Opening Balance $7,068.10 Credits Dues $75.00 Debits RPU $42.13 Liability Insurance $320.00 Closing Balance $6,780.97 Savings Opening Balance $4,692.55 Credits Interest $0.04 Debits Closing Balance $4,692.59 Cash on hand $40.00 Total $11,513.56

• Old business:
• • 82 repeater issues
  • • Electrical cost - John NZ0S working with KAAL still, has to go through a committee on their end
    • Digipeater renewed for next 5 years
    • Waiting on further action until power and technical issues worked out
  • RARC website - moved over in a few days
  • • Mostly working with some glitches
    • DNS still needs to be updated
    • Some issues with free sites and web filtering, these may be unavoidable
  • Banners to replace missing one
  • • Will be here in Rochester this week
    • Next meeting they will be reviewed and placed in appropriate places
    • Sign and sign out sheets will be created
  • Adopt a highway program
  • • Officially part of this for the next 3 years
    • Signage still being worked on
    • Certificate for participation in this program as well
    • April/May will be first inspection/cleaning
    • Public Service page on RARC website will be used for signup
  • Business cards
  • • Developed a design, passed around for review
    • Vistaprint was used for print, can print more for additional costs
  • VHF Conference Central States
  • • WA2VOI - Don Baker is chairman of conference, will come to club for assistance
    • Last full weekend in July - 29th through 31st
    • In Rochester, help will be required from local resources
    • Help to put up antennas, tent, etc.
    • Technical conferences all day Friday and Saturday
    • Banquet Saturday night
    • Sunday conference on VHF weak signal operations
  • List of club equipment for disposal
  • • Bring to meeting to get donations for members?
    • Peter Wollen - contact for this
  • Raffle idea for meetings
  • • Purchase raffle tickets and win prize at end of meeting
    • Half of proceeds would go to the club treasury account
    • Other half would be raffled off
    • Would need to be $99 or less due to gambling commission rules
    • Motion was proposed and passed to do this
    • Steve Webke will be head of raffles/fundraising
  • Field Day restaurants/catering
  • • Kelly will talk to restaurants about getting free food for Field Day
    • Survey supports free food from restaurants
    • Lunches are important too, not just dinner
    • Some possibilities for pizzas at Saturday setups
  • Dues
  • • Please get in your dues for 2016 if you have not already.
    • Cash, check, or credit card
    • If you do not get your dues in by the next month you will be removed from the website directory
• Committees/new business:
• • Education
  • • Class coming up soon, sign up on website
    • 3 students so far
  • Public Service
  • • February 6th is Frozen Goose
    • All public service events on website, sign up if you are interested
  • ARES
  • • Section leader leaving soon, new EOC appointed
    • Joe K0JCR is new state EOC
    • Net control operator
  • VE Testing
  • • Coming up February 11th at 630p at Red Cross
    • 2 signed up so far
  • Tech Committee
  • • None this month, will meet next month before meeting at 6p in the same room
    • If anyone is interested in joining please contact Rob
  • Contesting
  • • Lots of activities coming up
    • Some DX available too
    • K5P is DX on an Atoll
    • Minnesota QSO party Saturday February 6th
    • VHF contest January 30th and 31st - 1p Saturday until 10p Sunday
    • All contests on WA7BNM website
  • Field Day
  • • 39 responses to survey
    • 26 people answered for Field Day, 10 people skipped question
    • Game Haven -15 votes, Pat's Farm - 11 votes
    • Catered only, no club cost was most votes food wise
    • In room vote Game Haven location received majority of vote as well
    • Review meals next month and then move on to operations
    • Mel KC0P giving VHF station to someone else and working exclusively on satellite contacts
    • • Mel showed www.amsat.org/status which shows available satellites and helps with contacting them                                   
  • Dstar radio deal on Gigaparts - 9880H normally $450 now $299
  • • May be limited time, also somewhat difficult
  • Rochester 10m net
  • • First Tuesday of the month 8 o clock
    • 28.325mhz frequency
    • Next one would be February 2nd
  • Social evenings remain on the last Thursday of each month
• Meeting adjourned at 730p
• Program for this month was discussion of the survey results from SurveyMonkey

Minutes recorded and reported by Drew, KC0CJP, Secretary.