[Ccarc] Early February updates

[kb9vmw]

Chuck,
Did Jill give you an estimate of the cost of the line to the repeater?
I may be the only Club member who does not own a cell phone. Ham Radio 
is my alternative form of communication if my home land line fails. I 
have used the autopatch twice when  my home phone was down. It's also 
good to know I can make an emergency local call from the mobile if needed. 
Just my 2 cents...

-- 
73,  Tom
kb9vmw



Chuck Hendrickson wrote:
> Greetings ya'll,
>  
>     It's not often that we have lots of things happening between 
> meetings but between my thinking and some other things, I need to 
> share some items. If anyone knows of anyone that isn't on the remailer 
> please forward this to them.
>     I recently had a meeting with Jill Baughman, our local Red Cross 
> coordinator. She had a couple items of interest that we need to 
> consider and or act upon. The phone line that is connected to the 
> repeater is owned by the Red Cross and for years they have been 
> graciously maintaining this line and paying the monthly bill for us so 
> we would have autopatch availability as well as a connection to the 
> repeater by phone for our control link. Jill informed me that her 
> phone bill for the Red Cross as a total is over $200 per month and 
> it's putting a big dent in the local chapter's funds, and asked me if 
> we absolutely need the line. I told her that I'd bring it to the 
> membership and I'd get back with her on it with recommendations or 
> options for her.
>     In the same meeting Jill also expressed an interest in getting 
> interested Red Cross members trained as amateurs. Going a little 
> further she also expressed interest in setting up semi permanent 
> stations. Jill is also the coordinator in White County as well as 
> Cass. That said she's interested in setting up stations in both 
> counties. As far as coverage it appears she's looking at setting up HF 
> through UHF capable stations. She realizes this will be at 
> considerable cost and to cover the cost she has a few grants that she 
> will be applying for. This grant will be written to cover not only the 
> equipment needed, training for her personnel as well as including any 
> equipment we'd like to include. Specifically Jill is looking at costs 
> for the equipment (this would include everything needed as they 
> currently have nothing), and she'd like to request our assistance for 
> Technician classes as well as General Class mentoring for what she 
> believes will be approximately 35 people. I informed her that the 
> equipment is the easy part and the tough part would be the training. I 
> further advised that I don't see a problem and I feel as a club we can 
> offer the assistance needed but for the most part we would be better 
> taking a supporting role offering advice and training in this venture 
> letting Jill and or the Red Cross take the lead. Jill is very excited 
> about this and I share her excitement. This could help us with a few 
> more club members. Jill also offered the possibility of having this 
> equipment available for our field day use as well.
>     The whole idea of this came about from her field day visit last 
> year. Jill came before everything really got going but was extremely 
> impressed with what she saw. While she was present I was able to demo 
> PSK and SSB with a "test" contact on HF. Neither the VHF, nor the GOTA 
> stations were operational when she was present yet she was still 
> impressed to this degree. What I ask of you is ideas for equipment we 
> need as a club. At this point the sky is the limit. What I plan is 
> filtering it further until we get a reasonable proposal for Jill. I'd 
> like to have something to propose to her after next meeting (February) 
> as she needs plenty of time to write things up. I think her time 
> deadline is sometime in March or early April. Don't let your lack of 
> an HF capable license stop you from helping, we ALL have something to 
> offer potential new hams. We have all seen individual new hams come 
> about from seemingly innocent field day visits, now we have 
> the opportunity to Elmer and witness an entire group become hams.
>     Our website is in SERIOUS need of updating. Last I remember we 
> were awaiting an updated version of the roster. We've accomplished 
> this and the website still needs work. I personally am not into taking 
> a job away from anyone but I've not heard anything from Kyle to know 
> what's happening. If he needs assistance or perhaps someone to take it 
> over I need to know so this can be made possible. If anyone has 
> contact with Kyle please ask him to email me or something. Kyle if you 
> read this let me know what you need or want to happen.
>     In further news, as I listen to the scanner with slideoffs due to 
> blowing snow it's hard to believe that field day is fast approaching. 
> As you are probably aware, Don K9EQT has graciously offered his field 
> once again for our operational site. Since nobody has fired me from 
> the position I presume I will once again be coordinating this event. 
> As always I'm looking for ideas. Not just new and different ideas but 
> also variations or even some of the same things. This is and has 
> always been OUR field day not mine. My job is to take your ideas and 
> help make as many as possible happen. I have some ideas but I need 
> help with this brain power thing. We'll worry about the leg work for 
> all these wonderful ideas as they come. As time gets closer obviously 
> we'll need plenty of help to make it all happen as we always do. I'll 
> have more details later on the grande scheme of things.
>     Thanks again to everyone for your membership in the club as well 
> as everyone's assistance in making things happen. We've done some 
> pretty cool things in the past year or so and I'd like to see even 
> more if possible happen. I hope everyone has an enjoyable Super Bowl 
> weekend.
>  
> GO COLTS!!!!
>  
> 73,
> Chuck Hendrickson N9PMW
> President CCARC
> http://www.culcom.net/~ccarcinc <http://www.culcom.net/%7Eccarcinc>
> ARRL Ham Radio's National Association
> http://www.arrl.org