On Tuesday, 18 April 2023 at 1900 hours local, Mark, WA5MA, called
to order the meeting of the Tulsa Amateur Radio Club in Room-3140 of
Keplinger Hall at the University of Tulsa.
WA5MA welcomed new attendees and those who are working to get their
Technician license.
WA5MA introduced the club officers present then requested round-robin
introductions of the company.
WA5MA yielded the floor to Bart, N5TWB, who couldn’t stay for his
scheduled time on the agenda.
N5TWB is the Public Service Liaison, who said that we were approached
by the organizers of the “Black Wall Street Ride to Remember” bicycle
event on 3 June for help providing safety surveillance and coordination
of the participants.
N5TWB said that the event will be about the same scale as the Cop Land
Classic and in the same geographic area.
N5TWB said that we must decide whether we want to participate and asked
for a show of hands from those willing to help. Surveying the response,
N5TWB said that we had sufficient interest to support the event.
Gregg, W5GGW, moved that the club officially support the event; N5TWB
seconded the motion; WA5MA asked for approval, which was given by a
majority present at the meeting.
N5TWB acknowledged the change in agenda with thanks then yielded the
floor to WA5MA.
WA5MA asked whether anyone doesn’t receive the newsletter. Nothing
heard from club members.
WA5MA asked for any questions or comments about the minutes of last
month’s meeting. Nothing heard. Ky, KY5VAR, moved to approve the
minutes as written; David, KI5WWP, seconded; the minutes were approved
by acclamation.
WA5MA yielded the floor to Treasurer Jerry, KE5PMK, for news about our
financial status.
KE5PMK said that in addition to the club money approved and allocated
to the new Go-boxes, we expect two donations from Conoco-Phillips, one
for $500 soon and another $500 later in the year. In addition, we have
received donations through PayPal and some direct cash that brings the
total moneys to $3,100, $100 short of the $3,200 needed to build two
Go-boxes. KE5PMK received another two donations in cash from club
members present that increased the total moneys in hand to $3,190.
KE5PMK yielded the floor to WA5MA.
WA5MA asked for any questions or comments about the financial report.
Nothing heard. Gary, KB5L, moved to approve the financial report;
David, KI5WWP, seconded; the minutes were approved by acclamation.
WA5MA said that the 443.850 Superlink hub repeater seems to be working
very well. Before the upgrade WA5MA could barely open the repeater with
an HT at home, now it is easily accessed.
WA5MA asked Bob, W5RAB, what remains to be completed.
W5RAB said that the system is in process of “burning in”, and that
there is some “pretty work” to complete on cables and cabinets. Also,
there is some redundant equipment in need of disposal, and minor clean-
up.
WA5MA thanked W5RAB; David, N5DMK; and Paul, WB5ANX, for the good work.
WA5MA asked about final bill for the upgrade work. W5RAB said that it
amounted to $1,605 plus any minor incidental expenses.
Gregg, W5GGW, moved that we approve allocation of up to $1,800 to
reimburse W5RAB; Ky, KY5VAR, seconded the motion; approved by general
acclamation.
WA5MA noted the absence of Steve, KF5VCQ, who would have given us an
update on Fox Hunting.
WA5MA asked for conclusions about the recent outdoor adventure event at
the Gathering Place.
Jeff, AE5ME, said that we distributed lots of new-ham information kits,
did digital demonstrations, including the new M17 protocol, we
demonstrated operation on HF during which one ham made a first contact;
we also made contact with the Whiskey 4 Moonshine special event station
W4M in West Virginia.
AE5ME said that exchanges happened between the W5IAS Comm. trailer and
James, KI5DAZ, in the Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency (TAEMA)
trailer doing a public event at Woodlands Hill Mall.
AE5ME yielded the floor to WA5MA.
WA5MA asked for conclusions about the recent Green Country Hamfest and
said that he enjoyed the event and thought that it might have been
close to pre-pandemic normality. Someone interjected from the floor
that attendance was about 1,145, 10-percent higher than last time.
WA5MA asked whether anyone present had won anything in the various
raffles. Several persons present had indeed been winners.
WA5MA called upon Remell, KA6DOY, who spoke briefly about Ham Rescue
and what it can do to assist operators in need of some help with their
stations.
KA6DOY called upon David, N5DMK, to come forward and accept a
certificate of appreciation for recent help rendered on an antenna
tower. N5DMK received the certificate to applause from the assembled
company.
KA6DOY yielded the floor to WA5MA.
WA5MA called upon Paul, WB5ANX, for an overview of Amateur Radio
Emergency Service (ARES). WB5ANX is the Emergency Coordinator for Tulsa
County, and explained that there is a statewide emergency response
organization that has a coordinator in each of the 77 counties that
report in a pyramid structure upwards to higher levels eventually
reaching the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Included in
all this are the various regional emergency responding organizations.
WB5ANX said that the role of Amateur Radio is to facilitate smooth flow
of communication vertically and horizontally among the various
agencies. For this to happen, operators need training to know where and
when they fit and understand the inter-agency communication protocols.
WB5ANX said that to begin, training is study at one’s own pace of the
various documentation, policies and procedures. To help in the medical
arena, a background investigation is made of the applicant before being
given an official identity card.
WB5ANX connected the emergency preparedness to the communications we
provide for public events.
WB5ANX encouraged participation in ARES and public service. Anyone
wanting to participate should contact wb5anx@arrl.net, visit the ARES
Oklahoma web-site for more information https://aresok.org/, and join
the weekly ARES net https://aresok.org/nets/.
WB5ANX yielded the floor to WA5MA.
WA5MA called upon Ky, KY5VAR.
KY5VAR told us about his adventure at Little Sahara State Park in his
blast-resistant Hamvee. Overall, it was an entertaining presentation
about his Parks On The Air (POTA) activation, when, at the height of a
pile-up of hunters, he was circled by the roar of a small convoy of
off-road vehicles wanting to know what he was up to, and what is the
Tulsa Amateur Radio Club proclaimed on the flag he had displayed.
Hunters wondered about all the background QRM/QRN during his
transmissions.
Most interesting, KY5VAR reported a three-way park-to-park contact.
KY5VAR heard two separate parks operating on the same frequency and
acted as a relay for them to QSO/QSL with each other and KY5VAR. An
unusual occurrence!
KY5VAR yielded the floor to WA5MA and applause from those present.
WA5MA reminded us of upcoming events:
4/29/2023 VHF/UHF University beginnin at 0800 hours in Room-3140 of
Keplinger Hall at Tulsa University.
4/6/2023 Tour de Tulsa Bike Ride
5/20/2023 Cop Land Classic Bike Ride
Centenary of the Tulsa Amateur Radio Club in 2024.
WA5MA reminded us to monitor the Superlink during severe weather for
the Weather Watch as W5IAS then the Weather Net as WX5TUL. Check-in and
give a report. You can give a weather report, a damage report, or ask
for current conditions in your area if you’re out of mobile telephone
coverage. If the WX5TUL Weather Net is active, only report conditions
requested by the Net Control Operator.
WA5MA said that the next meeting will be in this location on May 16
that will include a presentation about Field Day.
WA5MA asked whether there were any comments, questions, or other
business.
Andrew, W5AWS, addressed the gentleman attending who is yet to become a
licensed operator and asked whether he was active on the General Mobile
Radio Service (GMRS), who responded in the negative.
W5AWS said that he should go to the mygmrs.com web-site
(https://mygmrs.com/) where he can find out how to get a $35 ten-year
transmitting license from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC),
a handheld radio, and get on the air. Lots of people become licensed
amateur radio operators having first started operating on GMRS, David,
N5DMK, is one such person. The important thing is to get on the air and
meet other operators and learn about that aspect of radio while
studying to pass the amateur radio Technician license. GMRS handheld
radios are relatively inexpensive and have channelized operation in the
UHF spectrum.
Someone from the floor interjected that the GMRS license is good for an
entire family.
KY5VAR asked about TARC Identity badges, as worn by WA5MA and W5AWS.
WA5MA turned to W5AWS who said that ID badges were mooted at the last
meeting. Since then, W5AWS had produced a design approved by WA5MA and
held up an example for the assembled company to see.
W5AWS said that the badges cost $2 to produce and that he would make
badges for any club member who sends their callsign and first name to
him via email at w5aws@arrl.net.
WA5MA asked whether there was any more questions or business.
Bob, W5RAB, moved that we adjourn the meeting; W5AWS seconded; carried
unanimously by a foot vote out the door at 2035 hours local.
Minutes respectfully submitted by
Andrew, W5AWS.