Minutes of the East River Amateur Radio Club
February 7, 2005 Ryan’s Steakhouse Bluefield, VA.                
http://www.erarc.com
The February meeting of the ERARC was opened at 703pm by George Dietrich
KF4YGL, ERARC President. There were 26 members and guests in attendance.
George welcomed all.
Hooger Fisher W4OF, Secretary. read the January minutes, there were no
corrections or additions.
Treasurer's report given by Bob Frazier WB8NRK. He also listed expenditures
he had made. Bob has received 112 renewals for membership and noted that
there were 190 members three years ago.
Don Anderson WD8OOR said that the new NOAA weather radio has been received
and that he and Jay Belt are trying to interface the unit with the 145.49-  
repeater. He’s having trouble with cabling and connectors. The radio will
monitor weather alerts for Mercer, Tazewell, McDowell, Wythe and Bland
counties but that this list can be modified.
Bill Sowers K8WBS was asked about Echolink. He related some problems at
times and noted that there are now 234,000 registered users and that there
are 2,000 to 2,500 users on the system at any one time. He also said that if
anyone has firewall problems to let him know and he’ll try to help.
Gary Kadar     N8GK said that he participated in the January VHF contest at the
overlook on East River Mt. and made 4 contacts before stopping due to a bad
feed line. It was 2 degrees and he said that coaxial cable acts like a
spring under those conditions. He contacted Bluefield, Wytheville, Lola, GA
and Mt. Rest, SC.
THERE IS AN ARRL VE TEST SESSION THIS COMING
SATURDAY AT 9AM at the Mercer Co. 911 center, Green Valley, on US Rt. 460
between Bluefield and Princeton, WV. Talk-in will be on the 145.49-
repeater.
Bill Sowers K8WBS asked the club to think about a suggestion of his to
increase club membership and participation. He suggested that the club align
with natural disasters (i.e. no phone and/or electrical services) and
emergency communications and contact every amateur in an area (starting with
one county) and see if these people would allow citizens to come to them in
case of a true emergency to make phone calls via repeater for 911 services
and the like. Discussion. John Riddle N8RIG mentioned that that sounded like
an ARES function and that there was no ARES leadership in the area now. Bill
agreed but said that maybe the club could try to do something like this for
public service, etc. Bill also said that the last time that ARES was
activated was on Y2K and that there were many amateurs on standby and ready
to provide communications if need be.
ARES net control for February and March: 8th George Dietrich, 15th Hooger
Fisher, 22nd Lonnie Underwood KI4EED and March 1, Jerry Connelly KC8TES.
Lonnie Underwood won the 50/50 drawing for the flower fund and donated his
winnings to the fund.
The meeting was adjourned at 738pm.
Respectfully submitted, George “Hooger” Fisher 111, W4OF, Secretary.