2023-03-14 Net Minutes

Check-ins (31)

David Bailey (K5DKB)

Great to see so many check-ins tonight!
Meeting this weekend!
- 2023-03-18 09:30
- American Legion Post #159
- Presentation by Mike Wisby (KA5HIA) about Battleship Texas

Paul Bilke (KF5WGJ)

excused

Matthew Barry (KG5LYE)

Minutes will be sent out after the net.
I’m so very sorry, but I dropped the ball (again) on the name tags
- will not have them to distribute at the meeting

Lorna Flansburg (KI5FIZ)

Question #119 for conversation: Why are you an amateur radio operator? If you can’t remember, what keeps you in the hobby?

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

ARES monthly meeting will be next week
- Monday, 2023-03-20 18:30
- American Red Cross

was very active in CB radio as a kid and loved it
put off getting ham radio license until the early ’90s
got involved through the club here
as a blind ham, it’s a challenge to get accessible equipment
lots of people (several of whom have passed on) pitched in and did some incredible things
e.g., Dick Zimmer (W5DZ) created a talking rotor box to tell me which direction the beam is pointing

just got off phone with Dick Zimmer (W5DZ)…
- he is back in the hospital
- needed additional surgery on the knee
- in good spirits
- sends his regards
great turnout to celebration of life for Ernie Laney (K5ENL) /SK this weekend
- military honors

interesting that I’m a ham at all; not the engineer type
found radios very fascinating even from a young age
- remember hearing morse code on AM radio
- listened to short wave radio
got my license back when you still needed to know morse code
- didn’t really do anything with it and let it expire
read an article in an encyclopedia one day with kids and felt inspired to get license with them

got into ham radio in high school, but didn’t get my Morse code speed up
- used to go listen to morse code at a ham friend’s house
let it slip
met another friend who was a ham radio operator and got back into it
what piques my interest: emergency operations and all the nice people on the radio

regarding Battleship Texas: Third Coast Drone on YouTube is a remote pilot operator doing videos on the Battleship as it was being moved
have been a licensed ham since 1990
Video from people involved in East TX 7290 Traffic Net
- If infrastructure breaks down, ham radio will carry everyone through
Recently got my Part 107 remote pilot certificate
- if anyone needs a tower inspected, give me a call
- “My drone can get up there much quicker than a tower climber”
- look me up on Facebook, good on QRZ
Washington County Amateur Radio Club status update
- details at https://w5aum.org

like NC5R, have been licensed since early 1990s and got involved with W5BCS
Heard from prospective ham radio operator who will be at the meeting this weekend
- wanted to see an HF rig in action
- if you have a go kit, please bring it!
WD5ABC: planning to be at the meeting and have a rig in the truck
- can do demo in parking lot

looking for aluminum tubing to repair 6m beam
- 0.625 OD, 1/16" thick, 12" long
also looking for plug for the back of a Hy-Gain rotor controller
- K5ZY: “Jones plug” (rectangular)
- K5WTR: just ordered one not too long ago. If you need help finding one, let me know
- N5ZKF: Hy-Gain brand is owned by MFJ, so that might help
good on QRZ
- message me for phone number if you want to talk