Apr 2019 Club Meeting Minutes

Officers

Thanks, W5VUI for all the years of hosting
Thanks, W5DPW for hosting this month’s meeting
- Probably won’t be able to meet at Salvation Army next month
  - Need volunteer to make facility available
    - Open recruiting for any members
  - Alternate locations
    - Fire department again? (too early)
    - Bryan fire department?
    - Library?
    - American Red Cross? (will know before Tuesday net)
Repeaters have been quiet lately… Get on the repeaters!
- promotes the hobby
- hand out info cards
- don’t be shy
VE Session
- 1 new Tech
- 2 upgrades to General
Future Presentations
- Forego presentation at May meeting to dedicate more time to Field Day planning?
- Low-profile / stealth antennas
Club construction project
- Dual-band twin-feed J-pole
- abandoned last year due to inability to reproduce results
- still have materials
- need volunteers to head up
- rescheduled for Fall (date TBD)
Printed instructions for Mailing List

Approval of 2019-03-16 minutes
- motion to approve by K5ZY
- seconded by KA5HIA
- passes

March Statement
- Beginning balance: $4354.41
- Checks out: $494
  - Check 1312: $94 - ARRL memberships from prior month
  - Check 1313: $200 - Club insurance (reimburse KG5EYV)
  - Check 1314: $200 - Pavilion rental
- $30 deposit (membership)
- Ending balance: $3860.41
New members today from meeting and mail
- Slow to add online, but will get to it as soon as possible
Radio in the Park cancelled last week due to bad weather
- Rescheduled for next weekend (2019-04-27 10:00 @ Tanglewood Park)
- Bring stuff to show off
- Weather looks like it’ll cooperate (for now)
Still accepting club membership and ARRL memberships
Belton Hamfest
- Average crowd
- Great weather Friday, but crummy weather Saturday
- After door prizes, people left in a hurry
- Sold very few leftover donated items for $2
- Tried to sell 7/8 hard-line coax from repeater
  - 70’ brand new; no end connectors
  - 100’ from when repeater was up at Kyle Field; with connectors

Replacing tower’s rotor
Interest in weather balloons and fox hunting
- W5BCS has been trying to put together a fox hunt for a while
- Bring equipment to radio in the park for “training session”

Amateur Radio services weren’t needed in Franklin, but we checked in nonetheless
- Kevin Bolton (N5KNB) has repeater in area 146.960 MHz FM, offset -0.600, PL 146.2
  - never went off the air
- KH9AI helped with Salvation Army in area

K5JWL now at Langford assisted living
- still up and around, but declining health
- wants help setting up DMR / D-STAR
Benny doing okay: moved south of College Station
Bob Aduddell (W5REA) hanging in there
KG5EYV’s wife doing well

Next Meeting: 2018-05-18

High risk activity: injury (mild & severe) and death
Risk management:
- Tower collapse
  - For new towers:
    - Adhere to structural building codes
    - Read the manuals!
  - For existing towers
    - Check for loose joints and corrosion
    - Ensure tight guy wires and secure foundation (good concrete, a bit above the ground)
- falling parts
  - hard hat with chin strap
  - tool bag attached to harness belt
  - stay clear of drop zone: radius equal to tower working height
- electrocution
  - Stay well away from energized power lines (2x height)
  - never be on a tower with a lightning storm within 6 mi (30 sec between strike and sound)
- falling from tower
  - Fall from 30’ or more is usually fatal
  - 50’ fall impacts ground at 40 mph in 2 seconds
  - equipment
    - gloves (with fingertips cut off for dexterity)
    - hard hat with chinstrap
    - safety glasses
    - full-body harness
    - hard-soled boots
  - Don’t go up by yourself; have someone on ground
  - Tag line to bring up tools
  - 100% tie off
    - double-lanyard with shock absorption
  - Inspect all equipment before starting work
  - attach d-rings with openings away from tower
- scrapes and cuts
  - put band-aids in tool pouch
use gin pole to lift tower sections and antennas
Read Antenna Towers for Radio Amateurs by Don Daso, K4ZA
- ARRL bookstore: https://www.arrl.org/shop