Club Minutes
SCCARC Board Minutes 4/23/20
Call to order
A meeting of SCCARC (Santa Cruz County Amateur Radio Club) was held via telephone conference call on April 23, 2020, beginning at 7:20 PM.
Attendees
Attendees: Allen, WB6RWU; David, N6DTA; John, N6QX; Becky, KI6TKB; Nate, KM6THA; Cap, KE6AFE; Richard, K8SQB; Don, K6GHA; Robert, KJ6FFP
Board Members not in attendance
Not in attendance: none
Approval of minutes
March BOD meeting minutes approved.
Reports
Treasurer’s Report
All bills paid and deposits entered – current balance $4,489.33.
Approximately 78 members paid for 2020.
Email Reflector
105 members subscribed, 36 messages posted so far in April
Website
Please send any items of interest to Ron, K6EXT, for inclusion and posting on Short Skip.
Club Meetings On the Air
Last week’s meeting on the air on K6BJ-2m went well. We will continue to hold meetings this way during mandated social distancing requirements.
Old Business
Field Day 2020
The combined Santa Cruz and SLV clubs’ Field Day Committee consists of Scott, KE6QZJ; Richard, K8SQB; Gary, K6PDL; Sam, WB6RJH; Kerry, K3RRY; Karen, KM6SV; and Becky,KI6TKB. The committee continues to discuss the shape of the event, given social distancing requirements. There will be no pot luck, and so no club expenses for food. The SLV Club is
willing to pay for a PortaPotty this year only. Ideas for public outreach via video were discussed.
An update from the Field Day Committee is expected next month.
Club Repeater Shack Door
Site assessment by Becky and Duane, K6TS, still to be scheduled.
Club Station Shack Roof
No further actions needed.
Club Repeater Status Update (Nate)
No new problems were reported in the last month, so Nate has not visited the site. The quality of audio on link to KJ6FFP/W varies.
Summary of proposed Equipment upgrades to K6BJ 2 meter repeater
SCCARC Board Minutes 3/26/20
Call to order
A meeting of SCCARC (Santa Cruz County Amateur Radio Club) was held via telephone conference call on March 26, 2020, beginning at 7:35 PM.
Attendees
Attendees: Allen, WB6RWU; David, N6DTA; John, N6QX; Becky, KI6TKB; Nate, KM6THA; Cap, KE6AFE; Richard, K8SQB; Don, K6GHA
Board Members not in attendance
Not in attendance: none
Approval of minutes
February BOD meeting minutes approved.
Reports
Treasurer’s Report
All good – current balance about $4,000.
P.O. Box renewed for another year.
John was reimbursed $200 for the club’s liability insurance.
Renewal of club incorporation with California Sec’y of State due in April – no cost.
Old Business
Club Repeater Shack Door
Becky found a replacement metal exterior door available at Home Depot for $187 plus tax. The Board elected to defer any purchase until there was a plan for installation. Is the door frame out of square? To assess, Becky volunteered to visit the site with Duane, K6TS, or another volunteer
with carpentry experience.
Club Station Shack Roof
Allen and Cap assessed. Roof’s overall condition seems satisfactory. $400 quoted for whole-roof sealant, but this may be inappropriate. Spot-patching of holes likely would be better. Cap will inspect after Thursday’s heavy rain to locate any leaks.
Club Repeater Status Update (Nate)
Nate and Paul, K6EH, spent considerable time on Sunday, March 1, adjusting levels to improve the audio quality on several circuit paths. The audio level on the UHF link from Watsonville varies unpredictably, perhaps a thermal issue in the link receiver. The 1‐second audio delay when
keying the repeater is due to the Yaesu interface and not adjustable.
Everything is currently functioning. The CAT-1000 controller intermittently fails to decode DTMF tones, an internal problem.
The separate K6BJ UHF repeater outputs no PL tone when repeating a digital audio signal. No fix for this. In the future, Nate plans to repurpose the PC, which Cap donated to the club repeater, to enable Wires-X on the UHF repeater.
New Business
Club Repeater Equipment Upgrade
The board was divided on the question of significant expenditures to upgrade some of the repeater gear. Becky asked Nate and David to create a summary of the current repeater status and recommendations for replacement equipment, intended for posting in a separate chat room on the club email reflector in order to get member input.
Field Day 2020
The combined Santa Cruz and SLV clubs’ Field Day Committee consists of Scott, KE6QZJ; Richard, K8SQB; Gary, K6PDL; Sam, WB6RJH; Kerry, K3RRY; and Becky, KI6TKB. The committee currently favors space at a winery at 25200 Loma Prieta Avenue, in the Santa Cruz Mountains. This remote location lacks restrooms, and so would require porta-potty rental, about
$450, a new expense for Field Day. Alternatively, operation might be possible at Sky Park, a more accessible spot. It remains to be decided whether the club will pay for food, or whether to go 100% pot-luck. Committee recommendations expected next month.
Club Name Badges
Don has ordered magnetic badges from Name Badges International for new members at a cost of
$10.55/badge. The Board approved reimbursing Don $68.39 for the order.
Topics of Interest On-Line Poll Results
David got input from 11 responders in his poll of topics for future club meetings. Ordered by
number of requests:
1) Software-Defined Radios
2) Antenna Building; Digital Modes
3) Fox Hunting; DX and Contesting; Portable Gear and Operating Techniques
4) License Upgrades to General or Extra Class
5) Compromise Antennas for Small Spaces
6) Ham Radio Baloon Tracking
David reported we now have 99 members in our Groups I/O, with 99 posts in the month of
February.
Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 9:03 PM.
Next Board Meeting
Conference call, Thursday, April 23, 7:30 PM
Voice-only dial-in number: 515-604-9396. Code: 781200
Video conference link: https://join.freeconferencecall.com/k6y_radio
Minutes by John, N6QX.
SCCARC Board Minutes 2/27/20
Call to order
A meeting of SCCARC (Santa Cruz County Amateur Radio Club) was held via telephone conference call on Feb. 27, 2020, beginning at 7:35 PM.
Attendees
Attendees: Allen, WB6RWU; David, N6DTA; John, N6QX; Becky, KI6TKB; Nate, KM6THA;
Cap, KE6AFE (late, due to net control duty); Richard, K8SQB;
Board Members not in attendance
Not in attendance: Don, K6GHA
Also present
Mike, KM6IKE
Approval of minutes
January BOD meeting minutes approved.
Reports
Treasurer’s Report
Club liability insurance renewed through April 1, 2021. $200 annual premium paid by John will be
reimbursed.
Club post office box renewal due soon, approx $106/year.
Recent members’ dues payments still being processed.
Old Business
Club Repeater Status Update (Nate)
The 70-cm repeater was returned from repair and is now back in service. Nate needs reimbursement for shipping costs.
The old 2-meter Micor radio which has an intermittent thermal problem has been replaced by the spare Yaesu DR-1X, now linked to old CAT-1000 controller via a special Yaesu interface cable.
Audio levels from the KJ6FFP/W Watsonville linked repeater are incorrect and difficult to adjust due to lack of test equipment and documentation. Nate will meet at the repeater site Sunday, Mar. 1, with Paul, K6EH, who has volunteered to assist.
The DTMF output to the Echolink computer had originated directly from the Micor radio rather than the CAT‐1000 controller for reasons undocumented and unknown. With the Micor out ofservice, outbound Echolink connections are therefore currently nonfunctional. Nate will attempt to figure out how best to restore this.
Nate continues to recommend equipment replacement as proposed last fall, for several reasons:
The controller, repeater radio, and other equipment in the rack are connected via a jumbled rat’s nest of cabling, undocumented, with little circuit protection, making service difficult.
The CAT-1000 controller’s manufacturer is out of business and parts unavailable.
The Watsonville UHF link will be easier to maintain, adjust, and when necessary, troubleshoot, with a modern radio of the same type as the one at KJ6FFP/W.
The Cat-1000 prioritizes audio from Santa Cruz over audio from Watsonville, making it difficult for South County hams to participate in nets. The poor ventilation environment in the repeater shack has stressed long-installed
equipment.
The repeater shed entry door is decaying and needs replacement. (Cap indicates that the club owns the actual building, but not the concrete slab or land on which it’s built.)
Becky asked the board to be prepared to revisit the discussion of repeater equipment upgrades and where funding might be obtained at next month’s board meeting. Becky volunteered to investigate cost of a new exterior door.
New Email Reflector (David)
97 members on email list
91 messages passed in February
David just posted a new poll asking members what topics they’d like to see covered in future club meetings.
New Business
Club Radio Shack at DeLaveaga Park
Cap reported that Shakespeare Santa Cruz expansion plans, as explained to him, will not affect the club shack, and do not conflict with operation of any club equipment, contrary to some earlier reports. Trees planted under our beam will not present a problem for many years; our old telephone pole antenna support will need replacement before then.
A possible roof leak needs investigation. Allen will investigate Hurculiner as a possible patching material.
Agreements about Club Equipment
Becky reminded everyone that any agreements regarding club equipment must be approved by the Board.
Field Day 2020
As Kerry, K3RRY, presented at the last club meeting, we hope to hold Field Day at the Ben Lomond Cal Fire Training Facility in Bonny Doon. But we need a Plan B in case construction there is not completed.
Becky will work with Kerry to ensure we have a captain for each planned station, and to agree on food policy at the event.
Special Event Stations
June 7, Wilder Ranch “History of the Ranch” – Richard will take the lead in organizing a ham station on site in a manner compatible with the Park Service’s plans.
July 3, Watsonville Airport Open House – Becky will discuss possibilities with Bob Wiser, K6RMW.
August Lighthouse event TBD.
Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 8:52 PM.
Next Board Meeting
Conference call, Thursday, March 26, 7:30 PM
Voice-only dial-in number: 515-604-9396. Code: 781200
Minutes by John, N6QX.
SCCARC Board Minutes 12/20/2019
Call to order
A meeting of SCCARC (Santa Cruz County Amateur Radio Club) was held at the Santa Cruz Red Cross
on Dec. 20, 2019, beginning at 7:05 PM.
Attendees
Attendees: Allen, WB6RWU; John, N6QX; Becky, KI6TKB; Nate, KM6THA; Cap, KE6AFE; Richard,
K8SQB; David, N6DTA
Members not in attendance
Not in attendance: Don, K6GHA
Approval of minutes
November BOD meeting minutes not yet distributed.
Reports
Treasurer’s Report
Cash on hand: $3646.51
Recent expenditures include $700 for the holiday lunch (offset by $300 in member payments), NARCC dues for 2020, and $215 for Yaesu repeater cable. Annual dues payments from all members are expected during the first quarter of 2020.
Old Business
Repeater Repair Update
The old Micor radio is back in service and currently working properly in the club’s 2-meter repeater. This restores most of the repeater’s previous functions. Experience suggests this radio will likely become unreliable again in hot weather. Cap received the interface cable which should
allow our spare Yaesu DR-1X radio to run with the CAT-1000 controller. Cap and Jeff, AE6KS, encountered squelch malfunctions while testing it, not yet resolved. Meanwhile, that Yaesu radio has been pressed into service to replace the similar radio in the club’s 70-cm repeater, which bricked during an attempted software upgrade. The board agreed to ship the bricked radio to Yaesu for a repair estimate and reimburse Nate for
shipping costs. KJ6FFP in Watsonville will remain linked to K6BJ-70cm, not K6BJ-2meter, until these issues are resolved.
January Club Meeting
Ron will present on vertical antennas; order forms for Ed Fong J-Poles will be available. Richard
and David will poll members on desired topics for future meetings.
New Business
Club Bylaws
Becky requested all Board Members read and comment on the current Bylaws. The Board voted
not to send any Bylaw updates to the Calif. Sec’y of State.
Future Club Activities
Becky requested input from Board Members on desired activities which support the statement of
club objectives in the Bylaws.
Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 8:25 PM.
Next Board Meeting
Conference call, Thursday, January 23, 7:30 PM
Voice-only dial-in number: 515-604-9396. Code: 781200
Minutes by John, N6QX.