We held our May Club Meeting at the American Red Cross on May 11, 2015. It was another productive meeting:

• Despite the threat of rain, our Spring Tailgate was well attended. Net proceeds were $115.92. Congratulations to Lee, KN5AER, on winning the Yaesu FT-2900 mobile transceiver.
• A severe storm passed through the Wiregrass Saturday Evening, April 25th. Much of Geneva, Houston, and Henry counties were without power and many homes were damaged. In response, the American Red Cross requested Emergency Communications support, which was quickly answered by the Houston County ARES. While the eventual deployment was not required, we proved our ability to respond when needed. In lieu of providing emergency communication services, many local hams assisted the Red Cross in identifying affected communities and providing street-by-street damage assessments for future Red Cross response. We would like to thank all of those who volunteered their time and expertise during the ARES activation. Job well done!
• During the storm, the W4DHN 145.430 MHZ repeater suffered some minor damage. The antenna has shifted on the tower, reducing coverage in the outlying areas. In addition, the repeater controller is putting out random messages, regardless of the calendar macro. James, KE4GWW, will perform a hard reset of the controller to see if that clears up the software issue. He will inspect and report any findings back to the Club.
• W4DHN will participate as a club entrant in the Alabama QSO Party. Those who wish to participate may contact KE4GWW or stop by the Club Station on Saturday, June 6th, starting at 11:00 AM local.
• WARC Field Day will be held June 27th and 28th, at the Northside Methodist Academy in Dothan, AL. Mark your calendars and watch for additional announcements as we get closer. Specific operating plans will be decided at the June Club Meeting.

After the formal portion of the Club Meeting, Robert, N4RNR gave a short presentation on Emergency Communications Planning and Response, as well as sharing a Simple Go Kit. In addition, James, KE4GWW provided a presentation on Programming HT and Mobile Transceivers, as well as Frequency Memory Management.

Next Meeting: Monday, May 11, 2015, 6:30 PM CST, at the American Red Cross building.