Tag Archives: Club Meeting

June 2015 Club Meeting Highlights

We held our June Club Meeting at the American Red Cross on June 8, 2015. The meeting was informative and well attended:

  • Congratulations to all of our members participating in the 2015 Alabama QSO Party. Several of our members participated from our Club Station, W4DHN, and did a phenomenal job with over 22K cumulative points – Well Done! In addition, we had a couple members operating from home, another remotely from Virginia, and a few venturing out across Alabama as mobile stations. Thanks to all who participated.
  • The two new Yaesu DR-1X digital repeaters have been shipped and (as of this posting) have arrived safely.

After the formal portion of the Club Meeting, Robert, N4RNR gave a short presentation on WARC’s plan for ARRL 2015 Field Day, to be held June 27th and 28th.

Next VE Testing Session:  Saturday June 27th, 9:00am, Northside Methodist Academy.

Next Club Meeting: Monday, July 13th, 6:30pm, to be held at Blue Plate Restaurant, 3850 W Main St (Hwy 84W). This will be our mid-year social dinner, so no Club business will be conducted. Members, families, and guests are all invited.

May 2015 Meeting Highlights

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.

April 2015 Meeting Highlights

We held our April Club Meeting at the American Red Cross on April 13, 2015. It was a very productive meeting:

  • Discussed the upcoming WARC Spring Tailgate, to be held Saturday, April 25th, from 08:00 to 12:00 CST, on the square in Headland, Alabama. There will be an informal gathering for breakfast at Hardees, starting at 7:00 AM. At the conclusion of the Tailgate, we will have lunch under the Gazebo. VE testing will begin at 1:30pm.

After the formal portion of the Club Meeting, Jim, KC4HW, gave an excellent presentation on the upcoming 2015 Alabama QSO Party, to be held June 6, 1600 UTC, to June 7, 0400 UTC.

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