opened

20:00

closed

20:30

Check-ins (17)

• Matthew Barry (KG5LYE)
• Brad Snyder (KG5SDE)
• Avery McIntosh (N7ALM)
• Don Ling (WB5CKO)
• Bill Rose (K5WTR)
• David Bailey (K5DKB)
• Garrett Martin (W5HVS)
• Ralph Cobb (W5RYC)
• John Walpole (K5ZY)
• Jon Edwards (KI5YZR)
• Lorna Flansburg (KI5FIZ)
• Kevin Walton (K5BTX)
• Jason Shutt (KI5LGO)
• Harold Turbyfill (KG5SDG)
• Mike Mertes (KZ5M)
• David Vickers (KI5WEH)
• Phil Gates (N5ZKF)

Opening Remarks

• Happy Valentine’s Day!

Officer Reports

President David Bailey (K5DKB)

• 2023-02-18 09:30 - Upcoming monthly club meeting
  • American Legion Post 159
  • Presentation after meeting: Wind power
  • Not sure yet whether there will be a VE Session
    • If you’d like a direct notice one way or the other, email me at k5dkb@outlook.com
• W5AC School Club Round-up
  • 2023-02-13/17
  • Let us know in the Announcements section how we can help you make contacts!

Vice-President Paul Bilke (KF5WGJ)

excused

Secretary Matthew Barry (KG5LYE)

• Will send minutes out after the net.
  • Hugo not giving me any trouble this week
• Looking forward to seeing you at the meeting this weekend!

Treasurer Lorna Flansburg (KI5FIZ)

• 53 members
• Bank balance: $8,741.83
• Looking forward to seeing everyone at the meeting!

Announcements / Comments

Question #115 for conversation: Have you ever launched, helped launch, or track a weather balloon, rocket, or other (amateur-)radio-enabled device?

(If interested in submitting a weekly question, email n5zkf@arrl.net)

Kevin Walton (K5BTX)

• No balloons, but have launched rockets
  • from small Estes rockets to 10-15 ft long ones
  • interesting fact: don’t deploy at altitude, otherwise it will drift very far on the way down
    • use radio to trigger at a few hundred feet
• Occasional launches in Hearne
• 10 m band is wide open!
  • made first contact with Antarctica (Argentinian expedition)
  • FM is a great mode to use

Mike Wisby (KA5HIA)

• Have launched balloons from training ship in Galveston
  • also floating sensors
• 2 in dia. Rockets to get Coast Guard’s attention at night
• N5ZKF: how is Dick Zimmer (W5DZ) doing?
  • still on an IV doing therapy every day
  • in good spirits
  • will be there for another week or so

David Vickers (KI5WEH)

• Attended STS-77 launch of Endeavor
  • Quite an experience!

Phil Gates (N5ZKF)

• Haven’t launched a balloon, but dabbled with model rockets
  • multi-engine clusters
  • multi-stage
  • one with radio beacon
  • one with a camera

Buy / Sell

Phil Gates (N5ZKF)

• Thanks to all who helped me out with RG-8X connectors from last week!

Rich Rychetsky (KI5QNR)

proxy Phil Gates (N5ZKF)

• Has been loaned a Yaesu FT-60R for now and is checking it out
• Bring your HTs to the 2023-02-18 meeting for show and tell

Closing Remarks

Garrett Martin (W5HVS)

• Received email from W5AC:
  • “Please listen for us after the net on Tuesday”
• maybe stick around after the net to help them out
• N5ZKF: can’t log QSOs on repeater or call freq (must be simplex), but can coordinate

Kevin Walton (K5BTX)

• Bill Wehrung IV (W5TZ) /SK
  • see details on Facebook page