Minutes of the East River Amateur Radio Club
January 07, 2002 meeting
ACME Fresh Markets, Community Room, Bluefield, VA             
(www.inetone.net/erarc) please note that these minutes are posted here also.

     The January meeting of the ERARC was opened at 0704pm by President 
George Dietrich kf4ygl. There were 19 members and guests in attendance.
     George welcomed all to the meeting and that he hoped that all had a 
good Christmas and New Year.
     Hooger Fisher w4of, Sec. Read the minutes from November and December.
     Bob Frazier, wb8nrk, treasurer, mentioned that we did receive the 
insurance check for ’49 being struck by lightening last year.  Treasurer's
report was givin.  He went through all of the 
checks he’s written and any receipt.  Bob also mentioned that he was going 
to send a donation to Hospice in memory of Bill Mays, N4NRF, SK as requested 
by the family.
     Patty Dietrich kg4aym made a motion, seconded by Ed Viers kd4woo to 
keep [$censored] ‘in reserve’ in our checking account.  A vote was taken, the 
motion passed.  John Riddle asked as to how ‘we’ would determine when we 
would have to use these funds and as to how to go about using these funds.  
Discussion ensued.  Don Anderson wd8oor mentioned that he remembered 
sometime back that a motion and vote was taken re: a vote of the club was 
needed to use more than $200 per lump sum of the club’s finances.  Don made 
a motion that “any expenditure in excess of $200 will come before the club 
for vote.” Gary Kadar, n8gk, seconded and the motion passed with a vote.
OLD BUSINESS:  Hooger Fisher mentioned that he had completed and mailed the 
application to the Bluefield Area Foundation for an HF rig, power supply and 
tuner and that the BAF had received it.
     Gary Kadar n8gk passed information from Bob Hoge, n8rir, director of 
the Mercer Co. 911 center that he was still looking for the address to 
Alinco to get the 911’s HF rig sent for repair.  He did have funding for the 
repair up to a certain amount.  He also mentioned that the G5RV HF antenna 
was on the ground and needed repair and to be put up in the air again.
NEW BUSINESS: Bob Frazier, wb8nrk, told the members that First Century Bank 
was going to add a $3.00 per month service charge to all checking accounts 
and that with our ERARC and VE accounts, there would be a $72.00 per year 
charge to the club.  He asked if we wished to change banks again at People’s 
Bank where there were no charges except for our having to buy checks.  Bill 
Sowers k8wbs made a motion, seconded by Patty Dietrich kg4aym to make to 
move to the new bank.  A vote was taken and the motion passed.
     John Riddle n8rig and Hooger Fisher w4of made a suggestion that we sell 
the stored tables at Warlick Furniture.  Discussion. We decided to get 
Hooger to ask Gay Riddle kd4ife for an inventory, talk to anyone who may 
want to buy tables, etc. and report at the Feb. meeting.  The tables are all 
in new condition, used only 3-4 times, some in the original packaging, and 
the suggested price for sale of them was $25.00.  Woody Bailey kg4lsz made 
an offer on some of the packaged tables.
     Gary Kadar, n8gk talked to Dick Fowler, the ‘caretaker’ of the WV 
Hamtalk system over the weekend and the ‘bottom line’ is that Gary wants to 
get an answer from the ARRL re: their view of using a 2M station using the 
2M remote base; going into 2M, 440, 220, etc.  He said that the 440 remote 
base was fully “legal” and wants the FCC’s position via the ARRL on the 
matter.  Discussion.  Jay Belt k8cti said that he’d contact the ARRL 
concerning this.
Suggestions concerning using the remote base(s):  (1) If using the remote 
into another repeater system, use the MONITOR function first to see if the 
system is in use, THEN (2) Cut the remote ON and announce that you’re on a 
remote system into the connected repeater system AND (3) When signing off of 
the other system, announce that you’re doing so and that the remote base 
will be shut off.
    ARES net controls for Feb.: 8th, Tom Gordon ww8d, 15th, Hooger Fisher 
w4of, 22nd, John Riddle n8rig (says he needs to be reminded) and 29th, 
George Dietrich kf4ygl.
     John Riddle n8rig won the 50-50 drawing for the flower fund.
     The meeting was over by 815pm after motions made and seconded and voted 
upon.

Respectfully submitted, George E. "Hooger" Fisher III, W4OF, Secretary