Minutes of the East River Amateur Radio Club
July 4, 2005 Ryan’s Steakhouse Bluefield, VA.                
http://www.erarc.com
The July meeting of the ERARC was opened at 700pm by George Dietrich KF4YGL, ERARC President. There were 9 members in attendance. George welcomed all.
Hooger Fisher W4OF, Secretary, read the June minutes.
Treasurer's report was given by Bob Frazier WB8NRK. He listed expenditures he had made and noted that the club’s insurance would be due (I don’t remember when).
Hooger Fisher had a list of 8 items that needed to be brought up before the club.
1)	We need to find a two-position antenna switch for the Club’s FT100 to use 
with 2M and 440, when using two different antennas.
2)	Need to get jacks/adapters for usage with headphones for Field Day. (We 
need to remember the headphones too.)
3)	KI4JPS Oakley, has a beam for sale for Field Day use and is supposed to 
cover 40M. He talked to the Field Day crew when the event was over on ’49.
4)	John Riddle N8RIG had mentioned that we need to update the KamPlus TNC 
for the 144.39 APRS node on the mountain. He said that since APRS has evolved and updated many times that our TNC is non-compatible. John did check into upgrading the KamPlus but it cannot be updated, according to the company. A new one will cost around $128. Discussion. Bill Sowers K8WBS made a motion, seconded by Lonnie Underwood to purchase a new TNC. Vote taken. 
Motion passed. John will procure the new TNC. John said that if one would get on the internet, search “APRS” and zoom into the tri-state area map that one would see that there are some serious open areas around here that do not have APRS coverage, with Bluefield about in the middle of that area. Click on the link, about halfway down the page, click onto “Mid Atlantic”: 
http://web.usna.navy.mil/~bruninga/aprs.html
5)	John Riddle had mentioned that it would be nice to get a new controller 
for the 444.45 repeater; that it would be nice, but not necessary.
6)	It was suggested that we come up with checklists for Field Day and for 
the VHF contests so that we don’t inadvertently forget to get something. 
Discussion. Hooger said that he would start two lists and email them to Bob and then Bob could review and add items and then forward it to say, John and let him do the same.
7)	Dave Garrett KA4TXY, via email, asked Hooger to ask the membership if 
we’d be interested in joining the Saturday 9pm FM – WV, VA, TN, NC weekly net via Echolink and/or linking one of the Club’s machines into the system. 
Discussion. Someone suggested that if someone wanted to join/participate in the net, to use the remote base capabilities on the mountain or by Echolink. 
For more information, check out: http://www.qsl.net/kc8ndz.
8)	Bill Sowers said that after hauling all of the poles, etc. for the big 
tent to the mountain, etc. that we would probably be interested in some of the tents he saw from Walmart for $88 that came in its own carrying case, unfolded into a 10 x 10 area and ‘was so easy’ to set up. Discussion. 
Someone mentioned that that we could sell the 20 x 70 tent that the club owns and purchase several of these 10 x 10 tents for use. Bob looked up the purchase price in May of 1998 and it was $578.19. Discussion. It was suggested that if selling, to get at least one half of the purchase price, since it’s used. Bob wanted first ‘dibs’ on the tent for his church if we end up selling the tent. Tabled until next meeting.
Field Day discussions ensued. It was noted that we would try to look for a better location for Field Day, with ‘facilities’. Lonnie Underwood suggested using his home in Rocky Gap. The softball fields behind Bowen Field were mentioned, as was Camp Joy on Bluefield-Tazewell Road.
ARES net control for July: 5th and 13th Lonnie Underwood KI4EED, 19th Hooger Fisher, and 26th George Dietrich.
No 50/50 drawing for the flower fund but Lonnie and Ginny Fisher KF4YBU donated to the fund anyway.
The meeting was adjourned at 744pm.
Respectfully submitted, George “Hooger” Fisher 111, W4OF, Secretary.