Monday 19 October 2015

Minutes: YRARC BOD Meeting 2015-09-15

Meeting held in the Magna Centre, general purpose room 1. Called to Order at 1900 by Chris VE3NRT. Board members attending: Chris VE3NRT, Steve VE3UT, John VA3JI, Geoff VA3GS, Eric VE3EB, Barry VA3LLT, David VA3DCY, Rob VE3RQB, Doug VE3ATP and Alf VA3BLE. Others attending: none
  1. Agenda: Chris VE3NRT. Adopted, moved by John VA3JI, seconded by Barry VA3LLT. Carried.
  2. Minutes: David VA3DCY. Moved by John VA3JI, seconded by Geoff VA3GS to accept the minutes of the 015/08/18 BoD meeting. Carried
  3. Treasurer's Report: John VA3JI.
    • Closing balance 2015/06 [available to club members on request to Secretary]
    • Prepaid dues for 2015-16 $205.00
    • 2014-15 year end balance: [available to club members on request to Secretary]
    • Opening balance 2015-07-01: [available to club members on request to Secretary]
    • Income: Prepaid dues $205.00
    • Return FD food: $243.30
    • Return AGM food: $35.00
    • Total income: $483.30
    • Expenditures: Insurance $874.00
    • Trailer: $100.00
    • Total expenditures: -974.00
    • Balance 2015-08-01: [available to club members on request to Secretary]
    • Income: Hamfest $252.00
    • Total income: 252.00
    • Expenditures: Bank fees (PayPal) $1.66
    • Maintenance Trailer: $11.30
    • Total expenditures: -12.96
    • Balance 2015-08-31: [available to club members on request to Secretary]
    • Income: Hamfest $47.00
    • Dues at Sept meeting $715.00
    • Honouraria: Mt Albert $200.00
    • Aurora COC: $500.00
    • Total Income: $1,462.00
    • Expenditures: Prizes/plaques $15.00 (Motion 2015-07-21-12)
    • Parking for repeater maintenance $14.00 (Motion 2015-09-15-1)
    • Post Office Box $240.69 (Motion 2015-09-15-2)
    • Total expenditures: $269.69
    • Balance 2015-09-15 [available to club members on request to Secretary]
    • Moved by Barry VA3LLT, seconded by Rob VE3RQB to accept the treasurer's report. Carried.
    • Motion 2015.-09-15-1 to pay a $14.00 to Steve VE3UT for a parking receipt from June 2015, moved by Geoff VA3GS, seconded by Eric VE3EB. Carried.
    • Motion 2015-09-15-2 to reimburse Geoff VA3GS $240.69 for payment of the Post office Box, moved by Geoff VA3GS, seconded by Rob VE3RQB.
  4. Blog: Chris VE3NRT provided a short update on the blog.
  5. By-laws: Chris VE3NRT has started the process of updating the by-laws (with an email to board members). The intent is to clean-up the wording/language of the by-laws first, before making changes to the by-laws. Send comments and criticisms to Chris.
  6. Property: Rob VE3RQB. Peter VE3PBT may be able to salvage the existing BBQ. Peter also recommends a 30'x30' shelter. Rob will check back with Peter.
    Rob will check the contents of the storage trailer to see what can be eliminated by Dec. meeting. John VA3JI requested an inventory update of purchases/deletions for insurance purposes. David VA3DCY has programmed the trailer Asus router with instructions for use as a Access Point and as a Bridge. Alf VA3BLE volunteered to test the router and instructions.
  7. Repeaters: Steve VE3UT. Messages on the repeaters have been updated for the hamfest.
  8. IRLP/Echolink: Chris VE3NRT reported on the progress of the IRLP project. The existing IRLP board will work, he has some of the required parts and will acquire additional parts.
  9. Events and public Service: Eric VE3EB thanked Geoff, Barry and Ron KG4CVL for their help at the recent Sharon Temple event. The Run for the Cure happens on Oct 4. 8 to 10 volunteers are needed (we have 4 already). The D-STAR radios in all to Go-kits need to be reprogrammed. Eric will coordinate with Don VE3IXJ. Chris will post the updated list. Rob wants to recruit a team to decorate the trailer(s) for the upcoming Santa Claus parades.
  10. EmComm: Chris VE3NRT reported on the recent EmComm meeting with Ian Snow and Rick Harrison. There is no concensus among neighbouring EmComm/ARES groups on what systems to use (digital, WinLink, channel allocations). We should proceed with our own plans, and investigate a the possibility of developing a high speed digital network, possibly in the 1.2G or 5G bands.
  11. Membership: Geoff VA3GS reported that speakers are confirmed for the October and November meetings. January will be 'junk-in-the-trunk'. Suggestions for future meetings included a demonstration for IRLP/Echolink, remote station operation, a travelogue and antennae by Bob VE3WY.
  12. Membership: Alf VA3BLE reported on paid memberships by the September meeting - 3 Family memberships @$30 with 4 additional members, 25 Regular memberships @$25, prepaid memberships included 1 Family and 6 Regular memberships. 6 Life members. Money received $90 (family) and $625 (regular). Projected additional membership could be 32 x 80% from last year for approximately $640 and 25 x 20% from previous years for approximately $125.
  13. Hamfest: Geoff VA3GS reported we need volunteers for parking, and student volunteers looking for community service hours. The wrist bands are ordered, Trevor's group will only handle coffee and water. The Lion's Club from Aurora will provide breakfast from their facilities at no cost to us, and they will keep the profits from their efforts.
  14. Other business: Steve VE3UT reported that the plaques for the Harvey Bell award and the Melted Coffee Pot award have been received. Cost $15.
Meeting adjourned at 20:40. Moved by Geoff VA3GS and seconded by Rob VE3RQB. Carried.

Wednesday 7 October 2015

Jerry's Journal: Emergency Preparedness and Cross Band Repeat

Jerry's Journal: Emergency Preparedness and Cross Band Repeat

Don VE3IXJ has been very active in adding portable repeater capability to our arsenal of public service and emergency preparedness gear. Looks like YRARC isn't the only club using this method of increasing our portable communications capability. VE6AB is also active in this area.

Sunday 4 October 2015

Windows 10 - 2 weeks later

Life hasn't been perfect with my Windows 10 upgrade. Aside from having 2 blue screens of death on startup in the last few days, it has an annoying habit on startup or login of just going to a black screen for an indefinite length of time, although it always continues. It might be updating the system. I preferred the old way of letting me know it was updating, instead of keeping me in the dark, both figuratively and literally.