Minutes of the East River Amateur Radio Club meeting. 
January 5, 2009 Ryan’s Steakhouse Bluefield, VA.
 http://www.erarc.com 
The January meeting of the ERARC was opened at 700pm by Lonnie Underwood, ERARC President. There were 23 members and guests in attendance. 
 Lonnie welcomed all to the meeting and asked Hooger Fisher for his report.

 Hooger went over the November and December minutes and gave the Treasurer’s report from the November minutes due to Don Anderson’s (WD8OOR) absence <he was working tonight>. Hooger passed around a printout of 5 pictures that he received from Jim Browder W8TFD of the 1962 Field Day for the East River Radio Club (ERRC then). As a side note, Randall Hash WB4BBF was able to identify three of the men in the pictures (via email): Otho Dixon K8ZDY, Jack Litz K4YDD and Lee Brooks K8BHG. Randall was a youngster back then and noted that Jack was his Elmer, giving him his first Novice exam.  He also mentioned that Jack was the Bluefield, Va. postmaster for many years. Hooger also mentioned that via a phone call tonight from Don Anderson:

1)The 145.49 was taken off the mountain this past week due to tx/rx problems. The duplexers were re-tuned. OK now. Andy said that he heard the repeater in Martinsville, Va. today.

2) The 147.06 is having some sort of problem and it will be looked at in the near future.

3) Don has 4 more for donation to anyone that would like one: 80mah lead/acid batteries, which are the size of a mobile VHF radio. Charge with wallwort, battery charger, etc. 13.8 float voltage. Great for home backup for emergency use. Let him know if you would like one. dlanderson@citlink.net 

 Gary Kadar gave a report on the November 8 ARRL VE test session: 2 new Technicians and an upgrade to Extra by Matt Burns KC8COM. Gary said that there is a VHF contest in January from the 17th to the 19th. http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2009/jan-vhf-ss.html 

 Lonnie said that Cathy Underwood KG4CTK was working on getting flyers made up to see if there was interest in an Amateur Radio Technician licensing class. He said that he knew of 6 people interested in such a class.

 Lonnie asked John Jennell W4BXX about Tazewell County Amateur Radio and John said, “Nothing much at all going on”. He did say that some of the local amateurs in McDowell County hope to put on a Special Event station at the Rocket Boys festival in October. John will be attending Field Day with W8MOP this year.

 Gary talked about some unidentified transmissions on the ’49 within the past few weeks, presumably from bear hunters. He tried to direction-find but no success. Ed Viers KD4WOO said that they were monitoring one evening and the offending person said that they were going to stop at the I-77 rest stop. Ed got on the air and said that he was going to the rest area and the transmissions stopped. Lonnie had a similar story when he came face to face with bear hunters in Rocky Gap………..their transmissions stopped also. Doug Ritchey WG8D said that it may be that these radios may be stolen and the 145.49 frequency may have already been programmed into the units. 

 Lonnie mentioned that a Club member is getting very interested in ARES and is getting up an ARES class for local amateurs in the near future. His contact person is Bernard Leonard W4LGY, Virginia ASEC.

Doug Ritchey WG8D won the 50/50 drawing for the flower fund and donated his portion back to the Club’s Flower Fund.

 ARES net controls for January: John Jennell W4BXX 6th, Lonnie Underwood KI4EED 13th, no other takers but Lonnie assured that he would be more than happy to run those nets. 

 The meeting was over at 732pm. 
 Submitted by Hooger Fisher W4OF, ERARC Secretary.

TO DO LIST:

1) Equipment inventory with serial numbers for insurance reasons

2) Antenna for the Bluefield, Va. Rescue Squad

3) Cathy Underwood KG4CTK would like us to look into possible funding via the Office of Homeland Security.

4) The Communications Bus/ RV that the Club began to work on.

5) Communications class for the Mercer Co. Civil Air Patrol

6) Trailer for storing equipment. Also used for deployment.

 

Addendum: I had a $5.00 donation to the repeater fund and a new application and payment from: Jimmy Bailey KD8HAQ who lives in Princeton.