FCARC Meeting Minutes April 8th, 2008
Members & Family Present: Members - 23 Guests - 4 Total - 27
Larry Appleby, KC5YWC
Perry Carleton, AE5EE
George Carroll, N5GC
Ken Chafin, N5RKC
David Doty, N5XF
Kayla Dowdy, KE5JYX
Lynette Dowdy, KD5QMD
Jim Elliot, W5JNE
Bill Fill, KD5IC
Dora Anna Fill, NI5D
Jim Grinder, N5TSG & wife Angela
Gary Hawkins, KD5ZQF
Wayne Johnston, KD4TA - Vice President
Glenn King, N5GK - Custodian
Craig Mangrum, N5CTM - Secretary/Treasurer & wife, Janine
Eric Martin, KE5SFY
Bill McEntire, KC5ECB
Dan Merry, KC5WMN
John Nordlund, AD5FU
Frankie Parks, K5FRP - President
Joe Seiter, KI5ZT
Roger Williamson, N5QNA
Kathy Williamson, KB5RMY
Guests:
J.M. Rowe, N5XFW
Wayne Mahnker, WA5LUY
Jimmy Magee, KM5MSU
Called To Order By: Frankie Parks
At: 18:34
Treasury Report: $1298.62
Old Business:
Toad Suck Daze Special Event Station - Frankie Parks
The club will be doing a special event station for Toad Suck Daze this year. It will be on May 3rd from 8am - noon. The frequencies are 14.260 kHz and 7.260 kHz. Those that volunteer to operate will be doing so from their home stations. Volunteers will be taken at the April meeting.
New Business:
Field Day 2008 - Frankie Parks
Field day is coming up June 28th & 29th, 2008. Right now, the locations being discussed are Toad Suck Ferry Park, MEMS Ambulance services, Faulkner County Court House, and Cadron Settlement. But no decisions were made. If you have any other suggestions, please let one of the club officers know so we can pass it along.
Internet Safety - Jim Grinder
Jim Grinder gave a talk on internet security. Jim's work partly involves internet security. He recommended a security program called K9 Web Protection. This program is intended to help parents, grandparents, and other family members protect children from the dangers of the internet. The software is free and is available for download at http://www1.k9webprotection.com/getk9/index.php. He also had several copies of the software on CD at the meeting that he passed out to those that wanted it.
The handouts can be found on the club's website at http://www.w5auu.org/tips.cgi. The hand out titled, "Internet Safety for First Generation Internet Parents", is a Power Point Presentation. For those of you who do not have Power Point, there is a free viewer that you can download at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/downloads/CD010798701033.aspx. The second handout is titled, "K9 Web Protection Frequently Asked Questions", is a question and answer file that you can view using Adobe Acrobat Reader. Adobe Acrobat Reader can be downloaded for free at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.
Winlink - George Carroll and J.M. Rowe
George Carroll arranged to have our program for this month's meeting. With J.M. Rowe's help, George has setup a Winlink system on his computer. In the process, J.M. offered to come give a talk on setting up a Winlink system. So J.M. was a guest speaker at this month's meeting.
J.M. talked about what is needed to get a Winlink system setup on a computer system. Winlink is a program that allows email to be passed via radio. One reason Winlink can be so valuable is because the agencies that amateur radio serves is used to passing email. This would allow email for those agencies to still send and receive emails during a disaster.
J.M. explained the system to the club. The equipment needed is a 2 meter radio, a TNC (terminal node controller), and a computer. Some radios can be connected directly to a computer's soundcard and the soundcard can function as a TNC. The object is to connect to a Telpac node. J.M. has a Telpac node at his house that is connected to the internet. Connecting to the node allows you to connect to the internet so an email can be sent. Airmail is another software program, like Winlink, but is used for HF radio.
J.M. said he would like to see a club setup a Telpac node. The equipment needed to setup a node is a radio, TNC, preferable a TNC2Clone, and a computer hooked up to a constant internet connection like DSL or cable internet.
A motion was made to form a committee to look into putting a node here in Conway. The motion passed. Those that volunteered to be on the committee were George Carroll - Chairman, Glenn King, Ken Chafin, and Jim Grinder.
J.M. Rowe Answers Club Questions
J.M. also took questions from the club on any issues the club had. He spook briefly on the Arkansas ARES SOP (Standard Operating Procedures). The SOP can be found and downloaded at http://www.arkansashams.org/ares/aresracessop.pdf.
He also spoke about what is going on with the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) at Camp Robinson. J.M. said it wasn't known if the amateur radio presence that ADEM had while in Conway will ever be the same in the future. Problems from not being able to use a 2 meter radio from inside the building to budget issues are a few things that might hinder the return of the presence of amateur radio operations at the facilities.
J.M. also explained the club's ARES chain of command. Glenn King is the county Emergency Coordinator (EC), Dale Temple, W5RXU, is the district EC, and we are located in district A. The Arkansas ARL Section website can be found at http://www.arkansashams.org/.
Open Floor Discussion
Wayne Johnston showed a flashlight that was delivered late. Wayne did a presentation at the March meeting about LED flashlight. All the flashlights are compared in a document that is available on the club's website, under Handouts.
Perry Carleton said that MEMS was very thankful to the storm spotters that operated during the April 3rd storms. The Little Rock MEMS personnel were listening to the weather net with the amateur radio station they have. George Carroll reminded everyone that the storm spotting is very serious and all amateur operators need to act very professional when participating in a weather net.
John Nordlund stated that the CAUHF group has initiated their internet based text discussion on a Jabber server. Anyone interested in joining the group needs to talk to Ron Lynch or Bill Maples of the CAUHF Club. The information is being channeled to broadcast media stations as well as any other group or agency that desires a connection to the service. He said the system has saved lives during the last two tornado events in the state because it drastically cut down the report times, as much as 10 minutes, which went to the broadcast media. Some of the broadcasts have gone out through KARK Channel 4, KARN 920 AM and 102.9 FM.
Glenn King and Frankie Parks stated that some people that were interested in the next Super Session ham class have contacted them. John Nordlund said another class will be setup in the near future. Also, some Emergency Communications courses will also be planned. John said that possible in January 2009 that John Robinson with the National Weather Service may conduct the Skywarn Storm Spotter course over the Arkansas Health Department's video conference system. This would be available statewide.
Glenn King also mentioned that the 146.970- (114.8 pl tone) is ready to go back on the air. Glenn will put it back up in the next week. When this repeater comes back on the air, the 145.210 repeater will be taken down for repairs and tuning. This means that the Thursday Night Nets will have to move over to the 146.970 repeater.
Upcoming Events - Craig
Memphis Freefest
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Location: Bartlett, TN
Conway Co. Test Session
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Farm Bureau building just off Highway 9 in Morrilton, AR
Test Session By CAUHF
Saturday, April 26, 2008
AR School For the Deaf
2400 West Markham
Little Rock, AR 72203
In the Athletic Complex
2008 Superfest - Springdale, AR
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Toad Suck Daze
May 3rd, 8am - Noon
Field Day
June 28th & 29th
Thursday Night Net Control & Reminder
Craig Mangrum, N5CTM, will be the Net Control Operator for the Faulkner Co. Amateur Radio Club Net on Thursday nights for the month of April. Craig Mangrum, N5CTM, will be net control for the month of April. Please contact Frankie if you're willing to be net control. The net meets each Thursday at 7:30 P.M. on 146.970- MHz with a PL Tone of 114.8Hz. The 145.210 repeater will be going down for repairs and tuning. Please make note of this and come join in!
Craig Mangrum made a motion to adjourn and Jim Elliot 2nd it. The meeting adjourned at 19:50
Reminder
Don't forget about lunches at Smitty's BBQ in Conway on Fridays at around 11:00 am till we leave.
For more information about the Faulkner County Amateur Radio Club, including news and upcoming events, go to http://www.w5auu.org/
Minutes taken and typed by Craig Mangrum, N5CTM, Secretary/Treasurer