opened

20:00

closed

20:41

Check-ins (24)

• Matthew Barry (KG5LYE)
• Don Ling (WB5CKO)
• Bill Rose (K5WTR)
• Avery McIntosh (N7ALM)
• Paul Bilke (KF5WGJ)
• Tom Talley (W5XTT)
• Joe Napoli (KG5SDF)
• Ken Reeves (KE5FIV)
• Brian Gaskamp (KA5BKG)
• Mike Mertes (KZ5M)
• Brad Snyder (KG5SDE)
• David Bailey (K5DKB)
• Lorna Flansburg (KI5FIZ)
• Jim Hanks Jr. (W5CYN)
• Christian Hurst (W5FCH)
• Mike Wisby (KA5HIA)
• Ralph Cobb (W5RYC)
• Harold Turbyfill (KG5SDG)
• Garrett Martin (W5HVS)
• Rick Pfeil (W4RDP)
• Bennie Naiser (KA5TWB)
• Phil Gates (N5ZKF)
• Rich Rychetsky (KI5QNR)
• David Barry (KG5UZA)

Officer Reports

President David Bailey (K5DKB)

• Meeting this weekend (different time/place!)
  • 2023-01-21 11:30
  • Cooper’s BBQ off Hwy 6
• Thanks to all who helped with radio interference issues last week
  • all issues are mostly resolved

Vice-President Paul Bilke (KF5WGJ)

• nothing to report

Secretary Matthew Barry (KG5LYE)

• net minutes will be sent out at conclusion of net

Treasurer Lorna Flansburg (KI5FIZ)

• current account balance: $8,311.24
• 21 renewals so far this year
  • can renew at Cooper’s on 2023-01-21
    • check, cash, email (PayPal invoice), HamClubOnline.com
  • can be mailed to PO Box 4442, Bryan, TX 77805
• 2023-01-28/29 Winter Field Day at American Legion
  • $5 gets you tasting, voting, and eating chili
  • VE session
  • bring a chili for the contest, a side, or a dessert

Announcements / Comments

Question #111 for conversation:

• What do you miss about RadioShack?
• Trivia: What was RadioShack’s original parent company?

Don Ling (WB5CKO)

• Name tags?
• RadioShack: could get components without ordering from, e.g., Houston
  • used to manage location on Villa Maria Dr.
  • appreciated seeing everyone who came in

Lorna Flansburg (KI5FIZ)

• RadioShack parent corporation used to be Tandy Corporation
  • used to sell leather kits
  • hobby and craft kits

David Bailey (K5DKB)

• Beat me to Tandy answer
• I saw RadioShack in Brenham is still open
  • corner of Hwys 36 and 90
  • near Walmart, Lowe’s, and Home Depot
  • N5ZKF: Not corporate-owned, but licensed to use brand

Matthew Barry (KG5LYE)

• (response to WB5CKO)
• Name tag update:
  • 13 members have requested so far
  • Still taking names of anyone interested
  • Hope to have a quote for the meeting at Cooper’s this weekend
  • and then hand out name tags at the February meeting

Bennie Naiser (KA5TWB)

• Used to know of two RadioShacks in Brenham

Brian Gaskamp (KA5BKG)

• Brenham RadioShack closed down about a year and a half ago
  • Shopping center changed ownership
  • Couldn’t afford raised rent
  • owner was a ham radio operator; was the owner through two Market St locations, then final place
• Heard Eagle Lake has a RadioShack
• RadioShack was good source of push-up poles for a long time
  • Now only available at ISP Supplies
  • WB5CKO: College Station Home Depot had 40-50 ft push-up poles at one point

Phil Gates (N5ZKF)

• did lots of tinkering when I was younger
• remember RadioShack fondly; managed by Richard Bauer (sp?)
• miss the “junk table” with the great discounts
• ran into the same Richard here in town at Villa Maria location

Information Exchange

Joe Napoli (KG5SDF)

• Fan dipole (10/17/20 m) antenna in the attic
  • A/C work messed up the 20m: SWR just shows as “wavy line” across the band

KG5LYE

• What does SWR on 20m look like exactly?
  • high SWR across the band might be a disconnected element
  • Periodic SWR (multiple dips) could be coupling to other metal items nearby
  • random SWR could be due to interference

N5ZKF

• Antenna lead might have broken inside the balun.