Category: Minutes

Meeting Minutes of July 7, 2020

Once again the club met via Zoom because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Mike Metroka WB8BZK called the July 2020  meeting to order at 7:02 PM.  Mike Ophus KD9DLL led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Board members present were Dean Hettel WD9FOO, Ralph Iden WB9ICF, Dan Larson KD9M, and Mike Metroka WB8BZK.

A total of 35 were in attendance including three guests:  Lloyd Berg N9LB- Oregon, WI,  ARRL Assistant Section Manager Ron Delpiere KD9IPO-Villa Park, and new General class licensee Bill Laprise KD9PQR from Woodstock.

Approval of Minutes

The meeting minutes from the June 2020 meeting were previously posted to the MCWA website for review.  Dennis Ryan KA9PUC motioned to approve the minutes with Harold Burt W9HB seconding the motion. The motion was approved unanimously.

Membership and Financial Reports

Dean Hettel WD9FOO presented the membership and financial reports for June.  As of June 30, 2020, MCWA has a membership of 124 members,  123 full members and 1 associate member.

June Finances

Opening Balance	6,659.33
Deposits	25.00	Dues
Expenditures	327.82	Field Day food expense (KD9DLL)
	50.24	Field Day food expense (KD9DLL)
Interest	0.06
Final Balance	6,306.33

A motion to approve the financial report was made by John Kalenowsky K9JK with a second by Dan Larson KD9M. The motion was approved by voice vote.

Announcements

Joseph (Joe) Szczubelek K9DMV – SK

The club was saddened to hear that long-time member Joe Szczubelek K9DMV passed away unexpectedly on June 18, 2020.  Joe was active in the club and was looking forward to operating Field Day at Rush Creek the following Saturday.

The membership paused for a moment of silence and remembrance.

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August VE Testing

The scheduled August 18th VE testing in Woodstock has been canceled due to the COVID pandemic. The coordinators are continuing to investigate  a safe testing environment for everyone. 

The Schaumburg Amateur Radio Club (SARC) is providing limited VE testing for those who do not want to wait for the local testing session in November.  More information about the SARC testing sessions can be found at SARC website (n9rjv.org).

Update from the ARRL Assistant Section Manager (ASM)

Ron Delpiere KD9IPO, Central Division ASM, attended the meeting to introduce himself and to provide a brief Section update.

Recently reelected Illinois Section Manager Ron Morgan AD9I has stepped down due to health concerns that became apparent just as he was ready to start a new term. He will now serve as the Central Division Affiliated Club Coordinator (ACC). 

Thomas Beebe W9RY has been appointed as the Illinois Section Manager, effective July 1.

John Nebl N9MYC and Ron Delpiere KD9IPO are the ASMs for this area.

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13 Colonies Special Event

A number of members reported participating in the recent 13 Colonies special event, including Tom Cramer KD6KHK, Dean Hettel WD9FOO, Ralph Iden WB9ICF, Mike Metroka WB8BZK, Roger Scott KF9D, and Dave Whaley NT9E.

All agreed that the Great Britain station GB13COL continues to be the most elusive station to contact due to their weak signal in the States.

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New meeting topic: Help Needed?

A new meeting topic is being introduced that will give meeting attendees an opportunity to ask for assistance.  Does anyone need any help with anything Ham Radio? If so, maybe someone attending the meeting can help you get the assistance you need.

Dan Larson KD9M shared about a great application called Ham Clock for the Raspberry Pi.  Created by DL1GKK (dl1gkk.com), Ham Clock is the perfect clock for the ham shack. 

Upcoming Contests

• • CWOps Mini-CWT each Wednesday
  • CQ Worldwide 6m and 2m VHF contest, July 18-19
  • North America QSO Party (RTTY), July 18-19
  • ARRL 222 Mhz & Up, August 1-2
  • North America QSO Party (CW), August 1-2
  • Worked All Europe DX Contest (CW), August 8-9

Our very own John Kalenowsky K9JK is the Director of the CQ Worldwide VHF contest!

Note: If you visit the MCWA website (mcwa.org) and click on the “News” item, you will not only see news items and current propagation conditions, but there are news feeds from the WA7BNM Contest Calendar, ARRL, DX News, and ARISS. It is a great one-stop destination to keep current.

Harold Burt W9HB said that he found the new site very informative, especially the Resources section. He thanked those who worked on the new website and recommended that members take some time to visit the site.

Hamfest/Conference Reports

The Lyons, WI Freefest is still scheduled to be held on July 11.

Jim McDonald N7US called attention to a ground breaking virtual amateur radio exposition that you can attend from your desktop, laptop, smartphone, or tablet.  The QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo will be held on August 9-10, 2020 and will feature keynote speakers and exhibitors. Registration is free and those who register by July 24 will receive early bird prize incentives. More information at the QSO today expo site (www.qsotodayhamexpo.com) 

The Peoria Superfest originally scheduled for September has been canceled as the venue is closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Upcoming MCWA Presentations

Our members have enjoyed and learned much from our meeting programs because of the wealth of knowledge and experience of the presenters. Everyone has something to share that will benefit others. Would you consider sharing your knowledge and present a talk at an upcoming meeting?

• • August 4, 2020 – So You’d Like To Run A Repeater – Hints & Tips by Ken Farver, KB9I
  • September 1, 2020 – Building & Testing the SATNOGS Rotor by Ralph Iden, WB9ICF & Officer and Board of Director election
  • October 6, 2020 – DXing by Jack Hudson, W9MU

Old Business

Field Day

Field Day 2020 at Rush Creek Conservation Area is in the books and was, by all measures, a success.  The Field Day report will be presented at the August meeting.

If you participated in Field Day with any group, please send Mike Metroka WB8BZK a short recap and photos.

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Alternative Field Day activity

A number of members who could not participate at the Rush Creek event were able to take part in the MCWA Alternate Field Day activity.  Operators could participate in Field Day from home and have their scores affiliated with the club and, for the top scorers, win prizes.

About a half of dozen members have already sent in their scores to the ARRL. For those who have not yet sent in their scores, you are encouraged to do so as soon as possible being careful to spell the name of the club exactly as it is registered with the ARRL,  “McHenry County Wireless Assn” for the score to affiliated with MCWA.  If you need any assistance, contact Mike Metroka WB8BZK and he will be happy to assist you.

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Officer election

The Nomination Committee chairperson, Jim McDonald N7US, along with Directors Gary Dembski W9GD and Mike Salak KC9Q are at work to prepare a slate of candidates for the annual MCWA officer election that will take place during the September meeting. 

To give the membership more time to  consider the candidates and to nominate additional candidates, the slate of candidates will be announced at the August meeting next month and the election held at the September meeting.

New Business

Election Process

There is a great deal of  uncertainty regarding whether or not an in-person meeting in September will be possible. The bank has not indicated when the meeting room would be available again and the room size isn’t sufficient to ensure proper social distancing for the number of members expected to attend.,

Therefore, the Board of Directors has explored options to hold the election at the September meeting as specified by the Constitution.  The Board has decided to hold the election using a private and secure cloud-based voting application used by other organizations. The Board smoothly and successfully performed a mock election using a variety of devices (laptop, iPhone, Android, tablet, etc.) 

As a voting member who intends to vote, it is crucial that you have a valid email address on file as this will be the means to deliver the link to the ballot.  By default, that is the email address associated with the reflector.  If a member is not registered on the K9RN reflector or has two or more addresses on file, please let Dean Hettel WD9FOO know your preferred email address. Each voting member will be able to cast one vote for each office.

There were no questions about the election process, but it will be gone over again at the August meeting.

Wrap up

The program for the evening will be “Meteor Scatter Communication” presented by Mike Metroka WB8BZK which will begin immediately following meeting adjournment.

The next regular meeting will a virtual Zoom meeting on Tuesday, August 4th 2020.  The meeting program, “So You’d Like To Run A Repeater – Hints & Tips”, will be presented by Ken Farver KB9I. Members watch your email for your meeting invitation.  The meeting will open around 6:20 PM to allow new users to join and the meeting will commence at 6:30 PM.

A motion to adjourn was made by Tom Cramer KD6KHK and seconded by Joe Robin N9OK. The motion was approved by voice vote and the meeting was adjourned at 7:43 PM.

Prepared by Ralph Iden WB9ICF, MCWA Secretary

Meeting Minutes of June 2, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic prevented the club from meeting in person. The June meeting was held via Zoom.

President Mike Metroka WB8BZK called the June 2020  meeting to order at 7:05 PM followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Dave Holmgren K9AT.

Board members present were John Dewey KA9CAR, Gary Dembski W9GD, Dean Hettel WD9FOO, Dan Larson KD9M, Mike Metroka WB8BZK, and Mike Salak KC9Q. Ralph Iden WB9ICF was unable to attend the meeting.

A total of 36 members were in attendance.

Approval of Minutes

There was no April 2020 meeting of the club, but the meeting minutes from the February 2020 meeting were previously posted to the MCWA website for review.  John Cankar W9JM motioned to approve the minutes with John Dewey KA9CAR seconding the motion. The motion was approved by unanimous vote.

Membership and Financial Reports

Dean Hettel WD9FOO presented the membership and financial reports for May.  As of May 31, 2020, MCWA has a membership of 119 members, 118 full members and 1 associate member.

May Finances

Opening Balance	6,837.85
Deposits	50.00	Dues
Expenditures	21.00	DigitalOcean website hosting (Jun-Sep)
	207.57	“Alternate Field Day” prizes
Interest	0.05
Final Balance	6,659.33

A motion to approve the financial report was made by Dan Larson KD9M with a second by Joe Szczubelek K9DMV. The motion was approved by voice vote.

License updates

At the end of May, HRO hosted an in-person VE testing session where the following MCWA members obtained their license or upgraded their existing licenses.

• • • Eric Padilla passed his Technician exam and is now KD9PLJ.
    • Dean Hettel WD9F00 has upgraded to Extra class.
    • Bill Wacaser KD9GIU upgraded to General and then to Extra!

 In addition, Glenn KD9MGH, who recently upgraded to Extra class, has a new call sign, K9OK. 

Congratulations to Eric, Dean, Bill, and Glenn.  Well done.

Awards

Congratulations to Mike Metroka WB8BZK for his completion of 15m WAS, which also completes his 5-band WAS.  Mike recently received a paper QSL from a 2016 West Virginia RTTY QSO that completed the 15m WAS award and is awaiting confirmation from ARRL HQ once they start processing their incoming mail. 

Announcements

Nomination Committee

Jim McDonald N7US has been appointed the Nomination Committee Chairperson for this fall’s election of MCWA officers and directors. Jim will be working with the two Directors at Large, Gary Dembski W9GD and Mike Salak KC9Q to develop a slate of candidates for the election.

As reported earlier, the committee will announce the slate of candidates at the August meeting with the election occurring at the September meeting. This change will provide time for the membership to consider the candidates and to offer additional nominations, if desired.

August VE Testing

The scheduled August VE testing in Woodstock has been canceled due to the COVID pandemic. The coordinators are investigating alternatives that provide a safe testing environment for everyone, but they have not yet found a practical solution to execute this type of session yet. 

Upcoming events

Dave Whaley NT9E announced that the annual 13 Colonies Special Event is coming up July 1 -7, 2020.  It is a fun event that a number of MCWA members have enjoyed in the past.  More information is available at the 13 Colonies website (www.13colonies.us) or KU2US’s QRZ page.

John Kalenowsky K9JK mentioned that the June VHF Contest will be coming up on June 13-15 from 1800 UTC Saturday through 0259 UTC on Monday. He added, “Microphones are still allowed on 6m, they haven’t been banned.”, a light-hearted reminder that besides FT8 and other digital modes,  SSB, FM, and CW contacts are encouraged.

Hamfest/Conference Reports

All area hamfests and events have been canceled for May, with some events still scheduled for June. On June 13th, the Fox Cities ARC will be holding the Sunshine Hamfest in Kaukauna, WI.  More information can be found at the FCARC website (fcarc.club/sunshineswap.php).

Heil Ham Radio Day, a free virtual event,  was held Saturday, May 9th. No meeting attendees attended the event.

With Hamvention canceled this year, Contest University went virtual this year and was free.  Over 2,000 people attended the day long event and the MCWA members who attended the event found it great and were very impressed with the topics and quality of the talks. The recording can be found by searching for “Contest University” on YouTube. The slide decks are found at the Contest University website (www.contestuniversity.com).

Hamradio 2.0 held their online YouTubers Hamfest 2020 on May 23rd featuring a number of interesting talks containing lots of good information. The videos can be viewed on Hamradio 2.0’s YouTube channel.

Upcoming MCWA Presentations

Our members have enjoyed and learned much from our meeting programs because of the wealth of knowledge and experience of the presenters. Everyone has something to share that will benefit others. Would you consider sharing your knowledge and present a talk at an upcoming meeting?

• • July 7, 2020 – 6m Meteor Scatter Communications by Mike Metroka, WB8BZK
  • August 4, 2020 – So You’d Like To Run A Repeater – Hints & Tips by Ken Farver, KB9I
  • September 1, 2020 – Building & Testing the SATNOGS Rotor by Ralph Iden, WB9ICF & Officer and Board of Director election
  • October 6, 2020 – DXing by Jack Hudson, W9MU

Old Business

Field Day Report

Great news as Illinois has entered Phase 3 of the COVID recovery plan. This means that the club will be able to have Field Day at the Rush Creek Conservation Area, the site of the past two MCWA Field Days. The club will have two HF stations and a VHF station and will be operating SSB, CW, and Digital modes. .

Social distancing practices will be used at Rush Creek, which includes a limit of the number of participants on site at any one time. Operators should plan to bring their own headset, keyboards, etc. Gloves, wipes, soap & water, and disposable covers for keyboards and mice will be provided. 

There will be a limit of 10 participants at any one time at the site. Dean Hettel WD9FOO will be handling registrations to ensure that the limit will not be exceeded. All are welcome, however no walk-ins will be allowed, so contact Dean to sign-up to let him know that you will be there.

At the last meeting of the Board of Directors, the Board approved a Field Day budget of up to $750 and approved expenses up to $300. Any expenses above $300 requires membership approval.

A motion was made by Mike Metroka WB8BZK to approve the balance of the 2020 Field Day budget up to an additional $450 for total of $750, the amount the Board approved. Pierre Berube K9EYE seconded the motion and the motion passed unanimously.

MCWA Alternative Field Day Activity

The Board recognizes that not everyone will be comfortable with attending or be able to attend the Rush Creek in-person FD. Therefore, MCWA members will be able to operate Field Day from their homes, have their scores affiliated with the club, and have some friendly competition with prizes. Recognition will be given for all who join in on the fun.

The details of the various FD classes and rules were discussed as well as how to report your scores and let the ARRL know that your station is affiliated with MCWA. Mike will be sending out a follow-up email that covers the specifics.

Prizes will be awarded in each of the home station categories:

• • First place – MCWA embroided hat
  • Second place – ARRL Field Day mug
  • Third place – ARRL Field Day mug

Top finishers will also receive a certificate recognizing their achievement.

New Business

There was no new business.

Wrap up

The program for the evening will be “Inexpensive Test Equipment for Hams” presented by Gary Kaatz W9TD which will begin immediately following meeting adjournment.

The next regular meeting will another virtual Zoom meeting on Tuesday, July 7th 2020. Members watch your email for your meeting invitation.  The meeting will open around 6:20 PM to allow new users to join and the meeting will commence at 6:30 PM.

A motion to adjourn was made by Dave Whaley NT9E and seconded by Mike Ophus KD9DLL. The motion was approved by voice vote and the meeting was adjourned at 7:51 PM.

Prepared by Ralph Iden WB9ICF, MCWA Secretary

Meeting Minutes of May 5, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic prevented the club from meeting in person. The May meeting was the club’s first virtual meeting and was held via Zoom.

President Mike Metroka WB8BZK called the May 2020  meeting to order at 7:32 PM followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led once again by Dave Holmgren K9AT.

Board members present were John Dewey KA9CAR, Gary Dembski W9GD, Dean Hettel WD9FOO, Dan Larson KD9M, Mike Metroka WB8BZK, and Mike Salak KC9Q. Ralph Iden WB9ICF was present for the pre/post meeting portion, but was called away to address a work matter.

A total of 41 members were in attendance.

Approval of Minutes

There was no April 2020 meeting of the club, but the meeting minutes from the February 2020 meeting were previously posted to the MCWA website for review.  Joe Robin N9OK motioned to approve the minutes with John Cankar W9JM seconding the motion. The motion was approved by unanimous vote.

Membership and Financial Reports

Dean Hettel WD9FOO presented the membership and financial reports for March and April.

On March 31, 2020, MCWA had a membership of 114 full members and 1 associate member for a total of 115. 

As of April 30, 2020, MCWA has a membership of 117 members, 115 full members and 2 associate members.

March Finances

Opening Balance	7,055.81
Deposits	71.26	Dues
Expenditures	162.00	Field Day site rental
Interest	0.09
Final Balance	6,965.16

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April Finances

Opening Balance	6,965.16
Deposits	40.00	Dues
Expenditures	23.91	2020 Dinner Raffle prizes
	15.09	Sympathy cards and postage
	128.37	Website reconstruction expenses
Interest	0.06
Final Balance	6,837.85

A motion to approve the financial report was made by Dan Larson KD9M with a second by Joe Jaax W9JCS. The motion was approved by voice vote.

Bill Lieberum, KB9IWH SK

It is with great sadness to report that Bill Lieberum, KB9IWH became a Silent Key on April 8th, 2020.  When notifying the club, Dave Cooper KA9OZP said Bill belonged to MCWA for a number of years and had served as President prior to moving to Pennsylvania.  The club offered a moment of silence in remembrance of Bill.

Announcements

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in hamfests, conferences, and VE testing being canceled and for organizers to search for alternatives.

Heil Ham Radio Day will be held Saturday, May 9th starting at 1 PM CDT.  It is a free event, but you need to register ahead of time.  More information on the Heil website (heilhamradio.com).

Contest University is going virtual this year and it will be FREE!  If you are planning on attending this event, you must register by Thursday, May 14th.

Virtual VE Testing is not prohibited according to the FCC in a Public Notice released on April 30, 2020 clearing the way for VE coordinators to develop virtual testing methods. Trials are underway and it can be expected that remote testing will be available in the very near future.   MCWA knows of a number of people, including new member Eric Padilla, that are very excited to sit for the exam.  Mike Metroka WB8BZK was in contact with VE Coordinator Steve Maresso KB9OLD who confirmed that in-person VE testing in May was canceled, so virtual testing will be an option once the process is in place.

Hamfest/Conference Reports

All hamfests and events are canceled for May, with some events still scheduled for June.

Upcoming MCWA Presentations

Our members have a wealth of knowledge and experience that other members are eager to receive. Everyone has something to share that will benefit others. Would you consider sharing your knowledge and present a talk at an upcoming meeting?

• • June 2, 2020 – Inexpensive Test Equipment for Hams by Gary Kaatz, W9TD
  • July 7, 2020 – QSLing by John Cankar, W9JM
  • August 4, 2020 – So You’d Like To Run A Repeater – Hints & Tips, Ken Farver, KB9I

Old Business

Field Day Report

The Field Day committee met this past week and voted unanimously to continue to hold an in-person FD event at the Rush Creek Conservation Center in Harvard.  MCWA will be operating two HF stations and one VHF station  (CW, SSB, and Digital).

A number of reasons could lead to the cancellation of an in-person FD such as the Conservation District revoking the lease, restrooms being closed, State restrictions extending into June, etc. A backup plan to have members get on the air from their homes using their own call and submit their entry to the ARRL with MCWA as their affiliated club is being considered.

Social distancing practices will be used at Rush Creek, which includes a limit of the number of participants on site at any one time. Operators should plan to bring their own headset, keyboards, etc.

The committee has been monitoring what other local area groups are planning based on the current situation.

• • • Fox River Radio League – On
    • Lake County RACES – Status unknown
    • Palatine RACES – Status unknown
    • McHenry County Races – Status unknown
    • Schaumburg ARC (SARC) – On
    • SUFARS – Monitoring
    • The 415 – On, but monitoring
    • Wheaton Community Radio Amateurs (WCRA) – Monitoring and developing contingency plans

John W9JM reported that the Northshore Radio Club will not be operating a club station this year, but encourages members to operate from home and specify Northshore as their affiliated club. All in-person events for the remainder of the year have been canceled.

Pierre Berube K9EYE added that SARC has canceled Field Day because of Kermit’s (W9XA)  letter and that Busse Woods is closed.  SARC’s website says all in-person meetings are canceled through May 30, 2020, but doesn’t indicated the current status of June’s Field Day.

New Business

There was no new business.

Wrap up

Dan Larson will be presenting “MMANA Antenna Modeling Software” immediately following the adjournment of tonight’s meeting.

The next regular meeting will another virtual Zoom meeting on Tuesday, June 2nd 2020. Members watch your email for your meeting invitation.  The meeting will open around 6:20 PM to allow new users to join and the meeting will commence at 6:30 PM.

A motion to adjourn was made by John Cankar W9JM and seconded by Ed Finnegan K9ECF. The motion was approved by voice vote and the meeting was adjourned at 7:57 PM.

Prepared by Ralph Iden WB9ICF, MCWA Secretary

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the April meeting was canceled.

Meeting Minutes of March 3, 2020

The March 2020 meeting was called to order by President Mike Metroka WB8BZK  at 7:00 PM in the Crystal Lake Bank meeting room. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Dave Holmgren K9AT.

Board members present were John Dewey KA9CAR, Gary Dembski W9GD, Dean Hettel WD9FOO, Ralph Iden WB9ICF, Dan Larson KD9M, and Mike Metroka WB8BZK.

A total of 45 people were in attendance including two guests, Joel Nelson W9NXM of Lake Zurich and Ron Smith KD9IPO of Villa Park.

Welcome to our new members Kermit Carlson W9XA and Paul Philip AC9O!

Approval of Minutes

The meeting minutes from the February 2020 meeting were previously posted to the MCWA website for review. A motion to approve the minutes was made by Ed Finnegan K9ECF and seconded by Kent Dulaney K9KMD. The motion was passed by voice vote.

Membership and Financial Reports

Treasurer Dean Hettel WD9FOO presented the membership and financial reports. As of February 29, 2020. MCWA has a membership of 120 full members, 2 associate members, and 9 family members for a total of 131.

Opening Balance	7,153.98
Deposits	138.82	Dues (less PayPal fees)
Expenditures	237.04	Microsoft Office for club laptop
Interest	0.05
Final Balance	7,055.81

John Kalenowsky K9JK motioned to approve the financial report and was seconded by Mike Ricketts ND9G. The motion was carried by voice vote.

Annual Membership Dues

Membership dues for the upcoming year are $10 and are now payable. If you haven’t yet renewed your membership, please contact our treasurer Dean Hettel WD9FOO to remit $10 using cash, check, or PayPal (as Friend).

Please note that any member who has not paid their 2020 dues will be removed from the roster in March.

Awards

Paul Philip AC9O earned DXCC (digital). Congratulations, Paul!

Announcements

Dale Szymkowski KU9G is now a recognized ARRL Volunteer Examiner and is enjoying his new role.

Harold Burt W9HB offered an Icom IC-2AT 2m handheld free of charge to anyone who could use it. The IC-2AT was a no-frills and rugged little radio.

ARRL Member Spotlight: Ed Finnegan K9ECF

Our very own Ed Finnegan K9ECF was featured in the ARRL Member Spotlight in the March 2020 edition of QST.  The article contains a photograph of Ed and tells of his career as a military and commercial airplane pilot and his love of aviation and amateur radio.

QST — March 2020

Be sure to read about Ed if you haven’t already done so. Congratulations, Ed!

Boy Scout Update

One of the club’s objectives was to continue community outreach and our relationship with Scouting.  There will be no Blackhawk Camporee this year as it is a bi-annual event, with the next one occurring in 2021. At this point, there are no plans for a STEM Day like the one held at McHenry County College.

However, the club is in talks with the scout leaders about having a Radio or Electronics merit badge program.  

Radio Merit Badge

Speaking of Scouting merit badges, on February 17th,  Eagle Scout Tristan Sordelet from Troupe 657 in Cary, IL visited the shack of Mike Metroka WB8BZK to help complete the requirements of Tristan’s Radio merit badge.

Besides reviewing Mike’s station and going over the merit badge technical requirements, Tristan needed to spend at least ten minutes of on-the-air time making contacts. He had QSOs with amateurs from Cuba, Australia, Arizona, New Mexico, and Virginia.

Congratulations, Tristan. We hope that you will get you ticket and join us on the air.

Hamfest/Conference Reports

No members attended the recent La Porte County hamfest.

Upcoming hamfests:

Sterling Rock Falls 60th Annual Hamfest sponsored by the Sterling Rock Falls Amateur Radio Society, March 8th at the Rock Falls Community Center.

JEFCARES Hamfest 2020 sponsored by the Tri-County ARC, March 15th at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, Jefferson, WI.

MRAC/MAARS Swapfest presented by the Milwaukee Radio Amateurs’ Club, April 4th at the Elk’s Lodge, 5555 W. Good Hope Road (across from HRO).

Maker Faire opportunity

Mike Pecorini KD2RPE reminded the club of the upcoming Lake County Maker Faire on Saturday, April 25, 2020 at the College of Lake County in Grayslake.

This could be a good opportunity for community outreach and to showcase amateur radio. The club could set up demonstrations and activities like those at the previous Scouting Camporees. 

A motion was made by John Kalenowsky K9JK to investigate participating at the Faire and for approving expenses up to $200 for the club to participate in the event. The motion was seconded by John Canker W9JM. The motion was passed by voice vote.

Mike KD9RPE will check into the possibility of the club’s participation and Mike WB8BZK asked if there were other people interested in helping.  Several members indicated interest in participating and Dennis Ryan KA9PUC and Ralph Iden WB9ICF definitely said they would help.

Upcoming MCWA Presentations

We have enjoyed some great programs already and more are coming up later over the next few months. Would you consider sharing your knowledge and present a talk at an upcoming meeting later this year? 

Old Business

Website News

After a final review by the Board and testing,  Ralph Iden WB9ICF and Mike Pecorini KD2RPE report that the new MCWA website is live and ready to use at https://mcwa.org.  A special thanks goes out to Dave Whaley NT9E for providing captions for the 200+ photos in the gallery.  Ralph and Mike will be updating the descriptive text as time permits. 

Field Day 2020 Update

Field Day chairperson Ken Field KO9H reports that the Field Day site has been obtained. The Rush Creek Conservation Area, the location of the past two MCWA Field Day events, has been secured. The site is located on the southeast side of Harvard offers a shelter house,  a clean outhouse, and plenty of room for antennas. The club will be operating two HF stations and a VHF station using SSB, CW, and Digital modes.

The planning team consists of the following members:

• • • Ken Field KO9H, Chairperson
    • Roger Scott KF9D, CW Station Captain
    • Dan Larson KD9M, SSB & Digital Station Captain
    • Mike Metroka WB8BZK, VHF Station Captain
    • Mike Ophus KD9DLL, Food and Refreshment Captain
    • Dean Hettel WD9FOO
    • Jack Hudson W9MU
    • Joe Szczubelek K9DMV

Planning meetings will continue on the 4th Tuesday of the month at Panera, 6000 Northwest Highway, Crystal Lake, IL.  Gather at  6 PM with planning beginning at 6:30 PM.

Ken asked that any interested parties see him during the break to sign up to participate in Field Day.

New Business

A suggestion to record some or all of the presentations was made by Mike Pecorini KD2RPE. By recording the presentations, members who were unable to attend would have an opportunity to experience the presentation. The recordings could also showcase the club, potentially drawing in new members.

There was a discussion of the suggestion. Some thought that the recordings would give members who couldn’t be there access to the program and help remote members feel more connected. It might even attract more members to the meetings.  Others shared concerns about people not attending if they could view the recordings online.

Some presenters were reluctant or would refuse to be recorded for a number of reasons.  They explained that sometimes the same or similar program would be given for another organization and by having a recording online, it could taking away value from the other organizations.

It was mentioned that other organizations record their presentations, but offer the presenters an option not to be recorded if that was their wish.

Another concern was the poor quality of the videos on the Internet and that presenters wouldn’t want badly produced videos of their work available on the Internet. Producing high quality video would be costly and time consuming.

The Board had discussed recording the presentations previously and a concern about copyright infringement if a slide contained copyrighted material that wasn’t cleared with the holder and the liability to the club if that occurred. 

The matter will be taken up by the Board with Mike KD2RPE gathering information with Ralph’s assistance. 

Wrap up

An invitation to interested parties to gather later at The Cottage to enjoy eyeball QSOs and 1/2 price pizza was offered.

The evening’s program, “ARRL Update” presented by Kermit Carlson W9XA will follow meeting adjournment.

The next regular meeting will be Tuesday, April 7th, 2020 in the Crystal Lake Bank meeting room. Doors open at 6:30 PM, with the meeting starting at 7:00 PM.

A motion to adjourn was made by Mike Pecorini KD2RPE and seconded by Harold Burt W9HB. The motion was approved by voice vote and the meeting was adjourned at 7:45 PM.

A detailed and informative ARRL update by Kermit commenced at 7:55 PM and was followed by a short Q&A session. The program ended at 9:33 PM.

Prepared by Ralph Iden WB9ICF, MCWA Secretary