Minutes - YRARC General Meeting 2017-05-02

Meeting held in the Sharon Temperance Hall. Called to Order at 19:30 by Chris VE3NRT. Total members and guests attending: 43. Guests attending 3.

1. Welcome & Introductions – Chris VE3NRT.
   
2. Adoption of the Minutes from the 2017/03/07 and 2017/04/04 general meeting postponed until June.
   
3. AGM – Chris VE3NRT. Our annual general meeting will be held next month (June 6). The BBQ will start at 18:00 followed by the regular monthly meeting and the AGM.
   At the AGM we will need to elect 5 new directors for terms of 2 years. Chris VE3NRT will be ending his 4 year run as president. The AGM needs to be chaired by a club member (not the president).
   
4. Harvey Bell Award: Nominations for the Harvey Bell award should be forwarded to the board and/or the secretary for consideration.
   
5. Treasurer’s Report – John VA3JI
   
   • Opening Balance 2017/05/01 [Available to members upon request to Club Secretary]
     
   • Income: Membership dues $50.00
     
   • Adjustment $0.08
     Total income $50.08
     
   • Expenditures: Field Day food $1050.00
     
   • Total expenditures $1050.00
     
   • Closing Balance 2017/05/02 [Available to members upon request to Club Secretary]
     
   • Moved the treasurer's report be adopted, by John VA3JI, seconded Brian VE3IBW. Carried
     
6. Public Service – Eric VE3EB. The upcoming events include June 3, Mount Albert Run, Jun3 4 Aurora Street Sale and July 1 Canada Day at the Sharon Temple.
   
7. EmComm – Robert VA3BXG. The upcoming events include the Emergency Preparedness Fair May12 and the SET May 27. For the EPF, we need a trailer puller and 3 to 4 other members to attend the fair. The SET (simulated emergency test) will test communications within the region and the Golden Horseshoe area, possibly including the Western New York and Barrie areas. Communications will use HF with NVIS antennae and 2m. Locations will be sites that could be used as emergency shelters such as community centres.
   
8. Hammond Museum – John VE3IPS. The trip to the Hammond Museum is scheduled for June 17. It will include a museum tour and a tour of the Hammond plant celebrating the 100th anniversary of the plant.
   
9. Trailer – Barry VA3LLT. We are in the process of having a new top section of the mast on the trailer fabricated, to replace the section that was damaged, probably by water freezing inside the tube. The cost will be approximately $250 and it should be ready in about a week or two.
   
10. Trailer Brakes – Rob VE3RQB. The brakes on the trailer need to be adjusted, and a trailer inspection should also be done.
    
11. Hamfest – Geoff VA3GS. The hamfest will be held on November 4 at the same location, the Markham Fair Grounds. Last year hall 4 was not full. This year, instead of using hall 3 and 4 for vendors, we have the opportunity to use the larger hall 1 for all vendors. Hall 2 will still be used as an entrance and gathering hall.
    
12. Summer Field Day – Steve VE3UT. This year we will charge $15 per person for food for the weekend. This will help reduce the cost that the club needs to pay for food.
    To give Peter VE3PBT a good idea of how much food to purchase, those attending Field Day are encouraged to pay by the AGM (June 6). After the AGM the cost per person will be $20.
    
13. Other Business. John VE3POJ noted that there is a CanWarn training session on Saturday May 6 with other sessions scheduled as well.
    

Break 20:15 – 20:30

Guest Speaker Steve VE3EZ – “Solar Heating and an 80m Loop Antenna” Steve talked about his new hot water solar heating project. His previous hot water heating was an open loop project where water was heated directly by the sun and stored in a tank above the collectors. His new project uses a closed loop. The sun heats a liquid in a copper tube which is contained inside a glass tube. As the liquid boils, it rises to a copper bulb which is surrounded by glycol, and heats the glycol. The glycol is pumped to a heat exchanger beside a 200 gal water heater tank, which heats the domestic hot water. In winter if enough hot water is not available, the temperature is boosted by a separate electric water heater. His second project was a 80 m loop antenna, supported by existing towers and additional posts. The antenna is corner fed with a 4:1 voltage balun, uses stranded insulated wire, and has insulators at the 4 corners. Each side of the antenna is 65' and it is suspended 40' above the ground. The antenna is multi banded and performs better than his full length G5RV antenna. It is omni-directional with low noise.

Meeting adjourned at 21:15.