Minutes of the East River Amateur Radio Club
November 4, 2002 Ryan’s Steakhouse, Bluefield, VA. (www.erarc.com)
The November meeting of the ERARC was opened at 700pm by George Dietrich 
KF4YGL. George welcomed all in attendance. There were 20 members and guests 
George welcomed Chris O’Hara K8OH, Jim O’Hara’s son from Morgantown.
We were not able to meet in the regular meeting room tonight due to 
scheduling problems. The manager came out later in the meeting, apologized 
and assured us that we WERE on the book for December 2, 2002 at 6pm for our 
Christmas dinner.
Treasurer’s report given. Bob also said that as of tonight, there are now 
127 paid memberships for the ERARC. Bob says that we’re at least 50 members 
‘down’ from this time last year. Those members who are paid up as of tonight 
will be listed in the new 2002 - 2003 ERARC handbook. Bob did send out cards 
to those who had not renewed as of two months ago. October minutes read.
**ERARC ARRL VE TEST SESSION THIS SAT. NOV. 9TH MERCER CO. 911 CENTER 9AM.**
George: Asks that we try to bring door prizes to the Christmas dinner on 
December 2, 6pm at Ryan’s Steakhouse. Please encourage others to attend.
Jay Belt K8CTI and John Riddle N8RIG are trying to use the club’s Yaesu 
FT100 to make it an internet-accessed HF rig, with the club’s blessing. They 
are in the experimenting stage now and need to get an interface card and 
software for the system. Jay handed out two printed articles on the system 
and John asked that we read the information and go ahead and sign up for 
existing HF/internet connections around the world and try them out. The plan 
is for Jay and John to purchase the needed items to test the system, report 
on their progress at a future meeting and then seek financial support from 
the club for the project. The system will require a 1.6-440MHz antenna 
system(s), tuner, cabling, software, interface cards, tuner, etc. The FT100 
had two ports, one for HF and one for 2M to 440MHz so two antennas at 
minimum would be needed.  A dipole/longwire for HF MAY be used for the HF 
side. More later,,,,,,,,,,,,,.
ARES net controls: 5th: Ed Viers KD4WOO, 12th George Dietrich, 19th Hooger 
Fisher w4of, and 26th Tom Gordon WW8D.
Gary Kadar N8GK said that he, John Riddle and Bob Frazier WB8NRK all 
attended a meeting last week at the 911 center concerning emergency response 
in Mercer Co. and the ERARC was asked as to what we could do in such an 
event. Bob Hoge N8RIR, director of the 911 center, has asked us for an 
equipment inventory, projected personnel response, etc.

George asked for further business. There being none, the meeting was over at 
0726pm. Respectfully submitted, George E. "Hooger" Fisher III, W4OF, 
Secretary