> Subject: Please publicize my upcoming General Class Oct 28
> Folks:
>
> I would appreciate your help getting the word out about my free weekly General Class licensing course on Zoom beginning Thursday, October 28 and running through Thursday, January 13 (9 sessions plus 3 weeks off for the holidays in November and December.) Sessions will start at 6:30 pm eastern time, and run 3 hours. These are the classes sponsored by the National Electronics Museum that we have been holding for years. Please publicize this with anyone you know that you think would be interested. Those wishing to sign up should email me at roland.anders@comcast.net.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Rol, K3RA
OCRA Club Meeting Minutes – September 13th, 2021
ORANGE COUNTY RADIO AMATEURS
Monthly Membership Meeting – September 13. 2021 – 7:00 pm
Platform Utilized: OCRA 442.150 UHF Repeater supplemented with Zoom
NET CONTROL AND MEETING OFFICIATION: W4SAR (Dave) Opened the meeting by inviting member check-ins. The following stations responded either by repeater or Zoom.
W4BOH (Wilson); N8BR (Bill); KO4DHJ (Ken); W4FK (Bob); KA5ETS (Doug); N4JQR (J.R.); W4ORD (Lad); N1QYW (Steve); KA1HPM (Nick); KN4JYP (Kathy); KM4MBG (Jack); N1LN (Bruce); KF4PAB Lenore; W4SAR, (Dave); KR3AM (Mark); KJ4VWG (Sam); K4SAR (Joe); KO4SZE (Bob); KU4GC (Dee); KR4UB (Dan); KD4YJZ (Karen) N1YXU (Laurie); KN4VXB, (Aurora).
W4SAR (President): called for Officer Reports.
- W4ORD (Vice President): No formal report, but emphasized that he is waiting for a directive from the executive board indicating whether members prefer a catered dinner or a member provided potluck at the club Christmas party. David, our president, responded with a promise that he would poll the executive board and forward a decision so that plans may be made well in advance of the event.
- KR4UB (Treasurer): 85 dues payments are needed to cover fixed expenses for the club (insurance, post office box, safety deposit box, website, Zoom and Sera, etc). As of this meeting, 93 members are current, 4 need to renew and 4 are expiring. In the last 12 months 22 new members’ dues will cover recruiting and member retention expenses (website and zoom). 26 new members have joined with 11 being newly licensed. 25 memberships have expired over the past 12 months.
- KR4UB (Repeater Manager Orange County): no report. KA1HPM (Repeater Manager Chatham County): Not much going on. We still need permits for towers in Siler City. Receiving on Tower Rd. is good and we have had some long distance check- ins.
- KM4MBG (Jack) and KF4PAB (Lenore) represented the DFMA. Lenore reported that the club’s repeater for 6 meters had been moved to a new location.
- W4SAR (David) reported that the club’s efforts to sponsor amateur licensing examinations had again become active after significant slow-down due to covid-related issues. He was pleased to report that Bob, KO4SZE had passed his Technician’ license test. David is hoping to begin regular examination sessions soon.
In addition, David announced that there was nothing else on the formal agenda for the current meeting and suggested that he will be calling a meeting of the club’s executive board members shortly.
General Discussion:
KN4VXB (Aurora) described the up-coming Fox Hunt and her presentation. Planning for this event is largely based on lessons learned from a former one that occurred last year. It is scheduled to take place on October 9th at 10:00 am. In case of rain it will be moved to the same time slot on October 23rd. There will be both an on-foot event as well as one requiring the use of vehicles to hunt the fox(es). All potential attendees for this event should plan to bring picnic lunches. In addition, those who are interested in constructing their own radio for the hunt should plan on participating in a “virtual build day” that will be held on September 25th.
W4ORD (Lad) is looking forward to “in person” meetings so food will be available.
K4SAR (Joe) is a new zoom attendee who reported that recent activity on the 12 and 10 meter bands has been picking up due to the increase in sun spots
W4SAR (David): Meeting Adjourned and repeater secured at 8:30
WLB/s
OCRA Club Meeting Minutes – August 9th, 2021
Monthly Membership Meeting – August 9. 2021 – 7:00 pm
Platform Utilized: OCRA 442.150 UHF Repeater & Zoom
NET CONTROL AND MEETING OFFICIATION: N1LN (Bruce) opened the meeting by inviting member check-ins.
RADIO & ZOOM ATTENDEES: N1LN (Bruce), N8BR (Bill), KO4DHJ (Ken), W4BOH (Wilson), KU4GC (Dee), KG4CFX (Chris), KW4JY (Calvin) KM4MBG (Jack), KI4MXP (Gerald), KX4P (John), W4ORD (Lad), W4OFZ (Bill), WB4OSU (Sherri), NA4VY (Dave), N1YXU (Laurie), KK4RRT (Michael), KJ4VWG (Sam), N8VNR (Kevin), KN4VXB (Aurora), N1QYW (Stephen), KR3AM (Mark), KR4UB (Dan), .N4JQR (J.R.), KO4BHX (Ben),KG4GRY (Eli), KS4DOW (Kadar), KE0KHD (Sam), KI4TRD (Allan), KW4JY (Charles), NC4CD (Charlie), KM4IWI (Wild Bill), K4SAR (Joe), KN4DRN (Michael)
ANNOUNCEMENTS: KR4UB (Dan) gave the treasurer’s report relating to club dues. Club dues are OCRA’s income to pay club expenses. 91 members dues are current, 6 need to renew, and 2 are expiring soon. Of the 25 new members this year 11 are newly licensed. Membership for 25 folks is expiring.
(1) N1LN (Bruce) Regarding membership dues, it is easy to pay. There is a PayPal link in Dan’s membership listing email and on the club website or you can send a check to the OCRA Post Office Box, or give cash to Dan.
(2). Dave (W4SAR) was not able to join the net tonight. Bruce mentioned the need for Volunteer Examiners to help in the upcoming August 28 VE session. Contact Dave if you can assist.
(3) Bruce also explained that Net controls are needed for the weekly Saturday morning AuxCom net. Mark (KR3AM) and Doug (KA5ETS) have been net controls most of the time. This is not a hard thing to do and would be excellent practice should we ever be needed to assist in public service activities or emergency situations. Check with Mark – I am sure he would be happy to provide assistance to new (want to be) Net Control members. Should you be interested in being a future net control, the script can be found on the OCRA website at this URL:
https://ncocra.org/WordPress_v1/orange-county-auxcomm-training-net-script/
or, on the NCOCRA website, click on REPEATERS, then click on AuxComm Training Net Script.
KN4VXB (Aurora): The next Fox Hunt will be held on Oct 9. There will be 2 events – (1) on foot (2) driving from your car. Be sure to sign up.
W4ORD (Lad): Announced that the Holiday party has been put on hold for now due to the ever changing Covid environment and potential recent increase in risks.
N1LN (Bruce) Many of us will now be moving to the NASA presentation to be held on Zoom. Dan (KR4UB) sent numerous emails with the login information, however, if anyone needs that info – I will pass it along here on the net. The info was passed along.
The net closed around 19:25 with everyone checking out.
BM/DE/WB/s
Combined OCRA/DFMA Meeting with NASA Presentation – Monday August 9th
Given the latest CDC information regarding the spread of Covid-19, now containing the Delta variant, the OCRA Board of Directors has made the decision to postpone the return in August to our regular in-person meetings at the Efland Baha’i Center.
The upcoming club meeting on Monday August 9th will be a special meeting as a combined OCRA/DFMA Over-the-Air Club Net and Zoom Meeting with NASA guest presentations, Monday evening August 9th beginning at 7pm.
Note the following time and agenda changes for this special meeting:
- The Over-the-Air Club Net check-in will begin at 7pm instead of the usual 7:30 on the 442.150 mHz repeater to get callsigns & names of the meeting attendees for the club meeting minutes and any brief club announcements.
- The OCRA Zoom Video Conference will available starting at 6:45pm for any last minute video/audio testing by attendees, check-ins by attendees not having UHF radio capability, and for all to join in for the NASA guest speaker presentation starting at 7:30pm .
- Our guest speaker will be Al Feinberg, the Strategic Content and Media Advisor for NASA Space Communications & NASA Television Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
- The radio net will be secured at 7:30pm and then the Zoom video conference will continue with speaker introductions.
- Questions any attendee would like to ask the presenters can be posted in the Zoom chat window.
Al’s presentation will be on “Space Communications in Support of NASA”.
The timing of these presentations could not be better as November 9, 2021 will be the 20th Anniversary of International Space Station contact from Barbara Pedersen’s science class room at Chapel Hill Phillips Junior High School. Club member Barbara, KE4JZM was instrumental in the planning, coordination with NASA and with additional club volunteers, the building of the amateur radio station in her science class room that was used for the successful contact.
The Zoom access link, Login ID & password has been distributed by email to all OCRA members and to the DFMA members via the DFMA Link Newsletter email list.
OCRA Club Meeting Minutes – July 12th, 2021
SEE LATER NOTICE regarding postponement of OCRA in-person meetings due to resurgence of COVID. The August OCRA club meeting will continue with the 442.150 Net & Zoom video conference format.
ORANGE COUNTY RADIO AMATEURS
Monthly Membership Meeting – July 12, 2021 – 7:30 pm
Platforms Utilized: OCRA UHF Repeater
Minutes
MEETING CONVENED AT 7:30 PM.
MEMBER CHECK-IN: Attendees: N1QYW, Steven; N8BR, Bill; KR3AM, Mark; W4SAR, Dave; KD4YJV, Karen; W4ORD, Lad; KU4GC, Dee; N1LN, Bruce; KR4UB, Dan; N4JQR, J.R.; KN4VXB, Aurora; KO4DHJ, Ken; KA5ETS, Doug; NA4VY, Dave; KI4RAN, Bill; KZ1X, Steve; KM4MBG, Jack; WA2JLW, Roy; N1YXU, Laurie; KM4WXW, Jeff; WB4OSU, Sherri; KO4RQN, James.
OFFICERS’ REPORTS:
W4SAR (David-President): We will begin our meeting with reports from club officers.
W4ORD (Lad-Vice President): Nothing important to report except that we are still waiting for a decision on the Christmas party. We have also been clearing trees to replace antennas that fell during our last storm.
KR4UB (Dan-Treasurer): As of this month 95 members are current, 4 need to renew and 5 are expiring. In the last 12 months 27 new members have joined with 13 being newly licensed and 20 memberships have expired.
N8BR (Bill-Secretary): No report.
W4SAR (David-President):
(1) The Baha’i Center has analyzed the progression of the pandemic and decided that face-to-face meetings will again be permitted to take place at their facility. Therefore, at the August 9th general club meeting OCRA will re-assume its traditional face-to-face format for the first time in over 18 months. Also, as a special surprise we have been informed that the NASA group who recently cancelled last month’s presentation, will be available to deliver their program at the August meeting. Technology for their planned presentation will be managed by KR3AM (Mark). At this point in the planning process we anticipate that there will be both a live presentation as well as one on Zoom for folks who are unable to attend the meeting in person. Hopefully this plan will mark the end of our dependence on the repeater-based club meetings that prevailed during the pandemic.
(2) Volunteer Examiner (VE) Sessions will be re-established face-to-face on August 28th at 10 a.m. Club members with VE accreditation from the ARRL are encouraged to participate in this important club activity. Additional information will be forthcoming in August.
(3) Field Day Success Early reports suggest that club field day efforts from home stations were successful. Club participation was great with scores submitted by 37 operators representing many levels of experience using a variety of modes, equipment, antennas, and operating styles to collectively earn a preliminary total of 30,576 points.
Numerous comments from participating operators indicated that field day provided a myriad of learning experiences, a superb opportunity for development of operating skills and an enhanced appreciation and understanding of how communications technologies can be used in ways that bolster human safety and well-being.
(4) Meeting Adjourned – 8:40 p.m.
WLB/DE/s
.
OCRA Club Meeting Minutes – June 14, 2021
ORANGE COUNTY RADIO AMATEURS
Monthly Membership Meeting – June 14, 2021 – 7:30 pm
Platforms Utilized: OCRA 442.150 UHF Repeater and Zoom Video Conference
Minutes
MEETING CONVENED AT 7:30 PM.
MEMBER CHECK-IN: W4SAR (David), KU4GC (Dee),), KM4MBG (Jack), KF4PAB (Lenore), KZ1X (Steve), KO4DHJ (Ken), KA5ETS (Doug), KD4YJZ (Karen), KR4UB (Dan), KA1HPM (Nick), K4SAR (Joe), KN4BTI (Mark), KO4GJO (Boyd), N1YXU (Laurie), W4ORD (Lad), KX4P (John), KN4GUM (Nan), KN4VXB (Aurora), N4JQR (J.R.), KR3AM (Mark), WB4OSU (Sherri), NA4VY (Dave), N1LN (Bruce) and W4BOH, Wilson.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT – W4SAR (David): There will be no formal president’s report tonight. However, we will give club officers an opportunity to make brief comments as necessary and we will then conclude our planning for field day. W4ORD (Lad) – Nothing important to report. We are just finishing preparations for field day and awaiting club consensus on the preferred format for our Christmas party. KR4UB (Dan) – 94 club members are current with their dues. Membership for 15 has expired, membership for another 7 is expiring soon, and 5 need renewal.During the past 12 months we have acquired 24 new members,12 of whom are newly licensed. There is no recent news about our repeaters. Noteworthy is the fact that the towers are going up in Chatham County and there will probably be opportunities for more new ones. Over all I believe there is a good outlook for the future.
FIELD DAY UPDATE:
1. N1LN (Bruce) – There will be another session dealing with N1MM software on June 19th at 10:30 am. This will be held on a new zoom account. We have tested the latest N1MM software and discovered glitches in the scoring tools. This was reported to the N1MM folks and elicited an immediate response. We will test the revision needed. Regarding logs, it is important to submit a document in Cabrillo format and to have proper instruction on that task prior to sending off logs. Be sure to bring your questions to the Saturday meeting.
2. KR4UB (Dan) – Commented on digital modes. Thanks to Bruce for building the spreadsheet on field day interests and intentions. 11 members attended the meeting on digital formats. Attendees will be using various digital modes. We are making good progress in getting educated for the event.
3. W4SAR (David) – Many folks will be using N3FJP software for station control and logging in field day. The program is very user friendly. We are available for answering questions as needed.
4. N1LN (Bruce) – Inquired about individual plans for hosting and emphasized the need to get the information out to prospective attendees.
5. W4ORD (Lad) – indicated that he had hosting opportunities for both ssb and digital operating and was waiting to hear from anyone interested.
GENERAL COMMENTS:
KR4UB (Dan) – The cancellation of our planned NASA presentation was due to a death in the family of one of the presenters and computer problems experienced by the other. We are working to reschedule this important event. Several options are being explored. Hopefully It will be possible to bring the speakers to our usual meeting spot at the Efland Baha’i Center. If this option eventuates, we will have to arrange for a wifi hotspot to be installed so the presentation can be distributed to those attending our meetings virtually.
For future planning purposes Dan requested the meeting attendees as they checked out of the net meeting to answer two questions:
How many would attend a rescheduled NASA presentation?
- Of the 26 attendees at the meeting (several late arrivals missed the poll) 23 expressed that they would attend.
- Given the late breaking (day of the event cancellation) two methods were used to notify attendees:
- direct mailing of members
- posting on groups.io.
What is the preferred and most relied on method of notification?
- 14 preferred exclusive direct mailing notification (in this case from the OCRA mass emailer of the NASA cancelation).
- 9 stated they received the direct mailing and some also received a group.io email notification of the posted cancelation notice.
- One concern expressed with groups.io was that a late breaking notificcation may not be received in a timely manner based on the various notifications options .i.e. the daily digest (of the previous day postings sent the morning of the next day), or no email notification.
W4ORD (Lad) – Will be presenting poetry readings at the Colonial Inn in Hillsboro on a regular basis and invites all club members to attend.
NA4VY (Dave) – Wants to discuss with club members various ways to interface digital ham gear with N3FJP software.
W4SAR )Dave) – The Efland Baha’i Center has announced the facility will re-open and be available for club meetings to resume. There are already events scheduled for July, precluding a meeting then and also might be too soon after Field Day, but it will be available in August. As a cost cutting measure, the internet access has been dropped, but WiFi hotspot access via cell phone can be used given the close proximity to a cell tower. In addition to use of a hotspot for presentations, the club still wants to maintain the Zoom capability at the club meetings for members unable to attend in person.
MEETING ADJOURNED at 8:35 P.M.
WLB/DE/s
2021 OCRA/DFMA Field Day Score – “preserving history…”
2021 OCRA/DFMA Field Day ARRL Score Totals
Thanks to all who not only worked 2021 Field Day, but went the extra mile in submitting (and correcting) submissions to make sure all our points rolled up as a single OCRA/DFMA Field Day Club submission
________________________________________________________________________________________________
from last July's post Field Day participant score submission effort.... The 2021 Field Day results below compiled from your email reports and, cross checking with the ARRL Submission site indicates all scores have been correctly reported for a combined OCRA/DFMA club score. Your final review is needed to make sure it is 100% accurate before further distribution. Please point out anything that needs to be corrected. Copy me on any remaining ARRL Submissions or Corrections to http://field-day.arrl.org/fdentry.php thanks, Dan KR4UB
ARRL Score Calculation Formula
[CW-CNT x 2 = CW Pts] [SSB-CNT x 1 = SSB Pts] [Digi-CNT x 2 = Digi Pts] ARRL Score = [CW + SSB + Digi Pts Sum) x Pwr_Mult + Bonus Points]
| MBR.FCC.ID_ | First | Station | Station_Band_Mode | Bonus_Activity | FDay Class | CW QSO | CW Mult | Digi QSO | Digi Mult | SSB QSO | SSB Mult | Pwr Mult | QSO Score | Bonus Score | ARRL Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N4GF | Roger | Port able | 40M | Education, Emerg Pwr, Public Loc, Youth Ops, Web Submit | 1, A, B | 4 | 2x | 5x | 40 | 370 | 410 | ||||
| WA2JLW | Roy | Home | 80M, 40M, 20M, 15M, CW | Emerg Pwr, Web Submit | 1, E | 82 | 2x | 5x | 820 | 150 | 970 | ||||
| WB4OSU | Sherri | Home | 40M, 20M, WSJT, PSK31 | Emerg Pwr, W1AW Msg, Web Submit | 1, E | 79 | 2x | 5x | 790 | 250 | 1040 | ||||
| N2XZF | Paul | Home | 20M, 10M, SSB | Emerg Pwr, Web Submit | 1, E | 32 | 1x | 2x | 64 | 150 | 214 | ||||
| KX4P | John | Home | 80M, 40M, 20M, 15M, 10M, CW, SSB, WSJT | Web Submit | 1, D | 239 | 2x | 2x | 956 | 50 | 1006 | ||||
| WA4PSC | Howard | Home | 160M, 80M, 40M, 20M, 15M, 10M, CW | W1AW Msg, Web Submit | 1, D | 1369 | 2x | 2x | 5476 | 150 | 5626 | ||||
| N4JQR | J R | Home | 80M, 40M, 20M, 15M, 10M, 6M, SSB | W1AW Msg | 1, D | 60 | 1x | 2x | 120 | 50 | 170 | ||||
| W1KES | Keith | Home | 80M, 40M, 20M, 15M, 10M, 6M, WSJT | Web Submit | 1, D | 114 | 2x | 2x | 456 | 50 | 506 | ||||
| W4KIL | Andy | Home | 40M, 20M, 15M, 10M, 6M, WSJT | W1AW Msg, Web Submit | 1, D | 213 | 2x | 2x | 852 | 150 | 1002 | ||||
| KR4UB | Dan | Home | 40M, 20M, 15M, 10M, WSJT | W1AW Msg, Web Submit | 1, D | 426 | 2x | 2x | 1704 | 150 | 1854 | ||||
| N4KW | Pete | Home | All, CW, SSB, not sure about 2023 | Web Submit | 1, D | 356 | 2x | 163 | 1x | 2x | 1750 | 50 | 1800 | ||
| N8BR | Bill | Home | 80M, 40M, 20M, CW | W1AW Msg, Web Submit | 1, D | 641 | 2x | 2x | 2564 | 150 | 2714 | ||||
| KO4DHJ | Ken | Home | 80M, 40M, 20M, SSB | Web Submit | 1, D | 45 | 1x | 2x | 90 | 50 | 140 | ||||
| Mark | Home | 40M, 20M, 15M, SSB | W1AW Msg, Web Submit | 1, D | 207 | 1x | 2x | 414 | 150 | 564 | |||||
| KY4HU | Charles | Home | 40M, 20M, SSB, WSJT | W1AW Msg, Web Submit | 1, D | 123 | 2x | 5 | 1x | 2x | 502 | 150 | 652 | ||
| K1ZW | Larry | Home | 20M, 15M, 10M, SSB | Web Submit | 1, D | 14 | 1x | 2x | 28 | 50 | 78 | ||||
| KZ1X | Steve | Home | All, CW, aka W4EZ | Web Submit | 1, D | 123 | 2x | 2x | 492 | 50 | 542 | ||||
| KO4TXN | Steve | Home | All, SSB | W1AW Msg, Web Submit | 1, D | 160 | 1x | 2x | 320 | 150 | 470 | ||||
| KJ4VWG | Sam | Home | All, SSB | W1AW Msg, Web Submit | 1, D | 73 | 2x | 81 | 2x | 454 | 150 | 604 | |||
| N1LN | Bruce | Grp_1 | Captain, 80M, 40M, 20M, 15M, 10M, CW, aka NC4KW | W1AW Msg, Web Submit | 1, D | 1351 | 2x | 486 | 1x | 2x | 6376 | 150 | 6526 | ||
| N1YXU | Laurie | Grp_1 | All, SSB, aka NC4KW | 1, D | 486 | 1x | 2x | 972 | |||||||
| W4BOH | Wilson | Grp_2 | Captain, All, CW | Web Submit | 2, D | 623 | 2x | 37 | 1x | 2x | 2566 | 50 | 2616 | ||
| KN4VXB | Aurora | Grp_2 | All, SSB, aka W4BOH | 2, D | 36 | 1x | 2x | 72 | |||||||
| NA4VY | David | Grp_3 | Captain, All, SSB, WSJT | Web Submit | 2, D | 222 | 1x | 2x | 444 | 50 | 494 | ||||
| William | Grp_3 | All, 20M, SSB | 1, D | ||||||||||||
| K4SAR | Joe | Grp_4 | Captain, 80M, 40M, 15M, 10M, SSB | Emerg Pwr, W1AW Msg, Web Submit | 1, E | 491 | 1x | 2x | 982 | 250 | 1232 | ||||
| KI4RAN | William | Grp_4 | All, SSB | 1, D | |||||||||||
| KD4YJZ | Karen | Grp_5 | All, SSB, PSK31 | 1, E | 105 | ||||||||||
| KU4GC | Dee | Grp_7 | Captain, 80M, 40M, 20M, 15M, 10M, SSB, WSJT | W1AW Msg, Web Submit | 2, D | 309 | 2x | 40 | 1x | 2x | 1316 | 150 | 1466 | ||
| KF4PAB | Lenore | Grp_7 | aka KU4GC | 2, D | |||||||||||
| KM4MBG | Jack | Grp_7 | aka KU4GC | 2, D | 2x |
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Orange County Radio Amateurs & Durham FM Association ARRL Submission Score to date : 35,560
CW QSO Total Count : 5,009, Digi QSO Total Count : 1,850, SSB QSO Total Count : 2,589, Bonus Activity Points : 3,520
31 Hams on 2021 Field Day N1LN Sign Up List, 12 Group Station Participants, 18, Home Stations, 1 Portable Station
________________________________________________________________________________________________
OCRA Membership Meeting – June 10th, 2019
Quote
Original post date June 2019
Dave W4SAR, club president opened the meeting with introductions, the topic for tonight’s meeting being Field Day Planning and call for officer reports. He reported that at the last VE Session on June 8th, 6 candidates were tested with 5 passing the exam earning their license.
Dan, KR4UB, treasurer reported 74 members are current with their dues with 25 members needing renewal. Club treasury balance is in line with ongoing expenses.
Dan also covered the need for attendees who plan to have a Saturday dinner or Sunday breakfast meal from the field day grill to pre-pay for the food to be purchased on their behalf. Costs for some food items have increased as much as 15% from last year and we need your help in keeping the cost per meal low.
Nick, KA1HPM made an announcement of a request he had made to the ARRL via Carl Bowman, Section Manager requesting that an ARRL contest be organized to celebrate the 150th birthday of Hiram Percy Maxim on September 2nd, 2019. The ARRL responded with an alternative option of a Special Event Station be set up to celebrate the event. Nick made the call for volunteers to set up and run such a station, using his call sign KA1 H(iram) P(ercy) M(axim) on September 2nd from 8am to 8pm.
Next, Dave W4SAR began the planning discussion for the 9A class battery powered 5 watt station operation for 2019 OCRA/DFMA Field Day to be held at the Wilson, W4BOH QTH on 3117 Moorefields Road , Hillsborough.
Starting Friday morning at 8am focus will be on tower setup and all other outdoor ground activity to get as much as possible done prior to mid day heat.
Stations and Band Captains are as follows:
- CW Stations – Bruce N1LN Captain – 3 stations located inthe MCU covering 80 -10M CW operating antennas onf 3 towers. 2 sets of headphones are on each radio so interested observers can listen in on the operation. Operator slots are available.
- 80M SSB Station – Steve, W3AHL Captain – located in the W3AHL motorhome using two 75M dipoles. Typically band conditions mean 75M is a 6pm to 6am operation. New operators are welcome.
- 40/15M SSB Station – Joe, K4SAR Captain – located in an air conditioned trailer using a 3 element 40M wire beam and 3 element 15M beam. Joe needs operators to sign up.
- 20M SSB Station – Lad, W4ORD Captain – located in an air conditioned trailer using tower mounted team, solar power charged batteries.
- 10M SSB/Digi Station – Dave, NA4VY Captain – located in the air conditioned “red barn” using a Moxon beam.
- 40/20M Digi Operation – Dave, W4SAR & Sherri, WB4OSU are co-captains operating PSK-31 and maybe FT-8 located in the handicap accesible garage at the food area.
- 6M VHF Station – Doug, KA5ETS principle operator also located in the “red barn” building.
- Satellite Contact: Dan KR4UB & Bill N8BR will be out on the grounds at the scheduled times for satellite overflights.
Additional operators are needed on all stations.
Bonus Point areas were covered next. Volunteers signed up for the various areas are listed OCRA website home page.
Bruce, N1LN then gave a presentation and demo of the N1MM logging software to be used at field day. The presention is available on the OCRA website home page.
Steve, W3AHL discussed the networked logging setup using the pre loaded and configured laptaps that will be available to each station. All stations need to be ready to participate in the isolated WiFi network setup test at 9AM Saturday morning.
Dan, KR4UB filling in for Keith, W1KES club secretary.
OCRA Board of Directors Meeting Minutes – May 11th, 2021
ORANGE COUNTY RADIO AMATEURS
Executive Board Meeting – May 11, 2021 – 7:30 pm
Platforms Utilized: Zoom
MEETING CONVENED AT 7:30 PM
OFFICERS PRESENT: W4SAR David, (President); KR4UB Dan, (Treasurer); N8BR Bill, (Secretary); KD4YJZ Karen, (Board Member); N1LN Bruce, (Board Member); W4ORD Ladd, (Vice President); KU4GC Dee, (Board Member); KA1HPM Nick (Board Member) and W4BOH Wilson (Board member)
W4SAR (Dave): Welcome. Call to order. The agenda for this meeting contains a continuation of field day planning, presentation of a report by our treasurer and a commentary on club officer training.
FIELD DAY PLANNING: N1LN (Bruce): The following points were made during this presentation: (1.) We are currently into the 5th revision of the survey of planned Field Day activities submitted by club members during recent weeks. As was the case last year, twenty-seven members have indicated their intentions to come on-board to represent our club in Field Day this June. (2.) The next step in our planning is to agree on software training for our operators. Bruce has revised his presentation on N1MM software and to be available for individualized instruction to anyone needing help with that platform. (3) W4SAR (David) has agreed to provide instruction on N3FJP contesting software to whomever might be interested in using it, and (4). KR4UB (Dan) has graciously offered his services in helping set up and operating digital modes.
QUARTERLY TREASURER’S REPORT: KR4UB (Dan) provided the Quarterly Treasurer’s report. Data presented therein is managed and archived by Quicken. Since OCRA’s primary source of income is from membership dues, the presentation was tailored to provide a clear picture of the number of membership dues payments it takes to cover the club’s re-occurring fixed costs such as insurance, a permanent mailing address (post office box) needed to ensure timely receipt of IRS correspondence, insurance invoices, etc and the safe deposit box for storage of the club’s key documents. Significant fund expenditures for repeater maintenance and discretionary spending such as the RF filters purchased for Field Day were also highlighted.
This and future treasurer quarterly report formats will be a look back over a rolling past 12 month income/expense period for comparison to the club meeting monthly membership trend reports for easy comparison of the balance of income and expense.
Membership turn-over was also discussed. During the past year with Covid-19, and no face to face meetings possible, the number of new members joining the club has reached a record high and exceeded the number of memberships expiring. Initial club contact by new applicants was largely through the club website. Very positive feedback has been received on the use of the Zoom video conferencing during nets, club meetings, special interest gatherings (HamPiE) to provide the opportunity for new members to get to know other members in the club and get their questions and assistance needs met.
ANNUAL BOARD MEMBER TRAINING: KR4UB (Dan) The following information URL links were sent to the board membership for the annual board education guidance in carrying out their respective duties and responsibilities.
- From the Business Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association Guidebook for Board of Directors of North Carolina Nonprofit Corporations
- From the NEO Law Group recognized by the American Bar Association Journal for their work with non-profit organizations.
MEETING ADJOURNMENT: 9:24 PM
WLB/DE/s
2021 OCRA/DFMA Field Day Operating Tips
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This article by Dave, W4SAR originally posted June 2020 for our first 1D/1E "at home" Field Day was used for planning the 2021 OCRA/DFMA 1D/1E Field Day
Hi All from Dave, W4SAR
So pleased to see so many of us will be participating in Field Day this year, despite the fact that for safety’s sake, the two clubs cannot run the usual top-ranking mega-operation. In stead most of us will operate out of our homes, but as part of your score submission, you can still declare your club affiliation which will allow us to show an aggregate club score. I will talk about logging contacts and score submission on a separate posting.
Here , I will tell you a bit about how Field Day works, and some tips from a number of us who have operated over the years, to help make your participation more enjoyable.
First off, Field Day is a bit different than most contests. As a matter of fact, The ARRL officially does not call it a contest, it is a very big disaster drill involving all of the United States and Canada. No prizes for high scorers, just bragging rights. Although our fantastic joint club operation got us as high as #2 in the total rankings, the real contest has always been with ourselves, can we outdo what we did the year before? In most cases, we did, and we have learned how to make our stations more efficient as a result.
So, how do I take part in Field Day?
THE EXCHANGE-
In most contests, stations make a quick exchange of information, usually callsigns, locations , signal reports, possibly a listing number.
For Field Day , the exchange is very simple: CALLSIGN, STATION TYPE , LOCATION.
You will note there is no signal report , if you can hear them well enough to exchange info, that is enough. (It is amusing to hear on other contests things like “What is your callsign…again… again…got it, you are 5X9!)
CALLSIGN – Yours if you are using your own station. If you are a guest operator, then use the control operator’s callsign
STATION TYPE: For a full run down, look at the Field Day rules. either online or download the PDF. For most of us , we will be either “DELTA” stations, or “ECHO” stations
DELTA- A home station using commercial power. A rule waiver this year allows Delta stations to work *all* stations, under the usual rules, Deltas could not work other Deltas.
ECHO- A home station using emergency power. You may use batteries (not recharged by commercial power during FD), generators, solar panels. Echo stations continue to work everybody.
The other part of station type is a number indicating the number of transmitters that can put out a signal at the same time. So if you are a Delta station with only one radio , you will be a “One Delta”. If you are an Echo station that is running two transmitters at the same time, you will be a “Two Echo”. I noticed some confusion regarding number of operators, that is irrelevant for the exchange information. Whether you have one operator for all of Field Day, or have 20 operators rotating in for relief, your “One Delta” will stay “One Delta”.
Lastly, your location is part of the exchange, which will be either the ARRL Section, or RAC section for Canadian stations. For us it will be “North Carolina”.
So I will give you examples of an exchange by both Phone and by CW/Digi.
By Phone:
My station – “Whiskey Four Sierra Alpha Romeo, One Echo, North Carolina”
Other Station, “Whiskey Four Sierra Alpha Romeo, this is Kilo Three Zulu Papa, Two Delta, Eastern Pennsylvania”
My Station- “Kilo Three Zulu Papa from Whiskey Four Sierra Alpha Romeo, I copy Two Delta Eastern Pennsylvania, Thanks and 73”
By CW or Digital:
My Station: “W4SAR 1E NC”
Other Station: “W4SAR DE K3ZP PSE COPY 2D EPA”
My Station: “K3ZP DE W4SAR QSL 2D EPA, TU and 73”
Both stations have exchanged the necessary info and have politely moved on. Depending on who you talk to, it may be even more terse or more wordy.
Now some operating tips:
You may work the same station on different bands and different modes. For Example I can work K3ZP on 80, 40 and 20 meters by phone. I can also work him on 20 meters alone by phone, CW and Digital modes. Do note that Digital contacts only may be done once , by whatever method is used. You can’t work someone on FT8 and then work them again on PSK31,only one digital contact is allowed.
Have a comfortable chair, you can operate longer with good back support.
If a lot of people are working a station you are trying to get, move down the band and work one without so much competition, you can get back to them later when the big guns have moved on.
Even if they sound in the clear, if a station does not respond to you after three tries, move on and try again later. The propagation may improve in the meantime and then they may hear you, this is especially true if you are running QRP (5 Watts max).
Mix it up, I usually “hunt and pounce” running up and down the band and calling to stations I hear, but occasionally stop in a clear zone and call CQ for them to come to me.
Just have fun with it, take breaks and let other operators relieve you. If you are operating solo, take breaks and be sure to eat and stay hydrated.
Keep an eye on the weather, if thunderstorms are approaching, shut down your station and disconnect the antenna feed line until the storms are well past.
Listen on different bands for activity, even ones not likely to be productive. At FD’s past, even with poor solar indices, occasionally 10 meters had productive openings.
Jus plain have fun with it!
In my next post, I will talk a bit more about logging your exchanges, ways to maximize your score, bonus points you can catch, final score submission.
73,
Dave, W4SAR
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2021 OCRA/DFMA Field Day – Logging Contacts, Bonus Points, Maximizing Score
More useful information for 2021 Field Day from Dave W4SAR, originally posted June 2020 for our first 1D/1E “at home” Field Day
Hi All from Dave, W4SAR,
In my last post, I wrote a bit about how Field Day works, and what the information exchange consisted of. Here I will talk about recording those contacts, strategies to maximize the number of contacts, and using multipliers and bonus points to get yourself the biggest final score. My next and final message in this series will go over the submission of your final score to the ARRL.
First off, though getting the maximum score you can is the primary goal of any amateur radio competition, it is not the only goal. You need to make it an enjoyable experience for yourself, and learn a few things in the process so you can do it better later on. In other words, don’t obsess about not getting 500 QSO’s, glory in making your first contact, your 10th contact, your 100th. Hey look I just worked South Dakota! Look , I just worked N1LN on three bands! Set yourself some fun goals, and celebrate them with us. We’d love to see how you are doing on Field Day, post messages to this reflector so everyone can see each other’s accomplishments.
Now on to LOGGING:
Logging your contacts:
You need to preserve a record of the contacts you have made, your logging entries will be the exchange information of the stations you had worked, and the time you worked them. It is best to use UTC, Coordinated Universal Time, rather than local time, that avoids the problems of logs listing a variety of local time zones, in short, everyone will be on the same page for time signatures. Field Day will run from 2:00pm local time on Saturday, June 27 to 2:00 pm local time on Sunday June 28. In UTC, that translates to 1600 hours Saturday to 1600 hours Sunday.
If you are logging by computer, make sure your computer is set to the correct local time and date. Electronic logging programs have the ability, based on local time, to correctly record the entry in UTC, but you will need to check your settings to make sure that the time offset is correct.
For those of you performing paper logging, I suggest setting a digital clock to 24 hour format, and then set it to UTC.
Here is what a string of log entries should look like, it will have the time/date in UTC, callsign, station type and location of the station worked:
1601 6/27/2020 N1LN 2E NC
1605 6/27/2020 W2LOP 5A NNJ
1608 6/27//2020 N6HHI 1D LAX
1611 6/27/2020 XE1L 1D DX
1615 6/27/2020 W3AO 45A MDC
1616 6/27/2020 VE1AA 1E GTA
Notice that the locations are abbreviated to 2 or 3 characters. Electronic logging programs will have this standard list ready to plug in (more on that later). For paper loggers, on page 47 of the PDF packet for Field Day is a list of the ARRL/RAC sections and their standard abbreviations, I suggest printing it out for reference. There is a misconception that we may only work stations from the USA (and it’s territories) and Canada. Not so! You will notice a station from Mexico in the list above. Just mark any station outside the USA and Canada as “DX”, if they don’t provide a correct station type, just ask them if they are a home station using commercial or emergency power, and mark it down accordingly, a little bit of work, but it nets you another QSO point.
Electronic Logging:
Likely most of us will do this as it offers a number of advantages, especially when you have managed to work a few hundred contacts. Among those advantages are:
Backing up of information- most will automatically back up at set intervals, Additionally, you can backup to a USB drive as often as you like. I do this on a frequent basis just in case the laptop crashes.
Duplicate checking- When you type in the callsign, it will automatically warn you that you had already worked this station. saving you time so you can move on. If you ignore the warning, most will not let you make the entry.
Autofill- If you have already worked a station on another band/mode, when you type in the callsign it will automatically y fill in the station type and location. Again, a time saver (BTW, working the same stations on a different band or mode is not a Duplicate entry).
Statistics- If it interests you, you can see how quickly you are making contacts and see how many you are making on different bands/modes. A fun one for me is looking at the map of the USA and Canada and seeing it fill in with locations I have worked.
Report generation- I will cover this in my next posting regarding submission of final scores to the ARRL.
By far, the most popular electronic logging programs are N1MM, and N3FJP, there a few others out there , but I am not familiar with them. Those of you who are Excel capable can also like set up a spreadsheet for logging, including Duplicate checking. I will speak to the two I know:
N1MM- Probably THE most popular amateur radio logging program. It is an open-source collaboration, and the price cannot be beat, it is FREE. It is fully capable in dupe-checking and autofill and statistics, you can customize the windows, and generate a Cabrillo file for your report (again, more on that later). If you are new, there is a bit of a learning curve on using it. Bruce, N1LN, is probably our best local resource regarding the use of N1MM. He can answer questions, but with less than a week to Field Day, I don’t see us having much , if any time for a clinic on this. I you want to use it, the download is free, as are any updates. If you already have it,make sure you have the latest update before using it for FD 2020. Keep in mind that when we go back to regular Field Days as a large group, this is the program we will use.
N3FJP- I have used this one for many years, until I started learning to use N1MM for the past few years. As I am operating my station by itself, I am once again using the N3FJP Field Day Logger. It is not free, you can download and test drive it for up to 20 QSO’s, but to validate it for perpetual use, the licensing fee is quite reasonable at $8.99. The interface, in my opinion , is more user-friendly for a new user, the template is dedicated for field day . So just set your laptop correct local date and time, use the settings to input your callsign, station type, and location. Then, just plug in the info from your QSO’s as they come. The report generation id Field Day dedicated, so a summary sheet and dupe sheet can be readily generated for that final submission. I am very familiar with this program and can be a resource if anyone wants to go with it.
One other thing with these programs is to make sure to have it set for input on the same band and mode you are working (i.e. 20 M Phone , 40 M CW, etc). when you change bands or modes on your radio, be sure to match the change on your logging program, or you will have Dupes flagged incorrectly or have new QSO’s with incorrect information. I speak to this from experience.
Paper Logging;
If you just plan to casually work Field Day, and don’t plan on lots of contacts, or just plain don’t want to use a computer while working that radio, you can go old school and just do paper logging. Page 46 of the PDF for the FD information packet (downloadable from the ARRL website) has a logging template you can print out and use. Again , the info is the time of contact in UTC, callsign, station type , location, and what band and mode was used. However, you would be on your own for duplicate checking. If you have a short list, you can just scan it to see if you already worked that station. If you have gone to multiple pages, this is more difficult and time-consuming. The ARRL has not recently added the manual dupe sheet to their info packets, with so many now doing computer logging. However, I have found the old template from years past and will attach it to this message. It is a grid divided up by call sign prefixes and call zones . Just fill in the call sign suffix on the proper grid square. Now you have a quick reference you can scan for duplicates. For the final report, you will have a bit more work than most, to be covered later.
Multipliers:
Each QSO by phone that you log is 1 point, whereas QSO’s by CW or Digital modes count as two points each. Additionally , there is a multiplier applied to these based on power level used and power source. The multiplier applies to the highest power level used by that station throughout Field Day, you cannot break them down between power levels.
5X Multiplier- 5 Watts maximum output at the feedpoint for your coax AND power source other than commercial grid or fossil-fuel driven generators. By definition, this would only apply to Echo Stations (home station using emergency power), or Bravo stations if any of you are doing that. So with a 5X multiplier, each phone QSO equals 5 points, each CW or Digi QSO equals 10 points.
2X Multiplier- If your power output at the feedpoint will be between 5 and 150 watts, the 2X multiplier applies for all station types. If you are a Delta station (home station using commercial grid), your multiplier remains 2X even if you are using 5 Watts or less. Phone QSO’s equal 2 points, CW and DIGI are 4points.
1X Multiplier- Between 150 and 1500 Watts.
The multiplier is up to you, based on your capabilities and strategy. If you have really efficient antenna systems, going for 5X is an option, as that strategy is what helped our FD operation place so high in the rankings. But you will hear a lot of stations that will not hear you.
I personally plan on going with the 2X multiplier, since I only have a G5RV multiband wire antenna and a 1/4 wave vertical for 40 meter digital to use. The strategy is that I’d make more then 2.5 X the number of contacts at this power level to make up the difference from a 5X multiplier at QRP levels.
As for the 1X level, they will be heard! When the lights brown out in Orange County, that is Bruce and Laurie keying down.
Bonus points;
In addition to QSO points, there are bonus points to add to the score (multipliers do not apply to these). The information packet goes into detail on these, I will just do a quick run-through on those that apply to home stations (Deltas and Echoes).
Emergency Power- 100 point bonus for each transmitter using emergency power only for entirety of Field Day (100 points for one transmitter, 200 for two, and so on).
Media Publicity- sending out a notice to news media about your station. You need to retain a copy of the press release and who you contacted for documentation, document any media response. 100 points
Message Origination to Section Manager- report on your station , number of personnel, ARES personnel. Must be sent via RF. 100 points.
Message Handling- 10 points for each message sent through traffic nets, up to 100 points.
Alternate Power- at least 5 QSO’s made using anything other than direct power or battery power derived from the commercial power grid or fossil fuel driven generators. Examples are solar panels, batteries charged solely by solar panels, manually driven generators, fuel cells etc. Document which QSO’s in your log were done vis Alternate power.100 points
W1AW Field Day Bulletin- These are generated by phone, CW and digital modes. Copy must be submitted for documentation. See the ARRL FD Info packet for the schedule. Personally, I use PSK 31 to copy the message, and then cut and paste it into a Notepad file for documentation. If you go by phone, try to record it for transcription. Tip- The bulletin is first put out on the Friday evening before FD itself, it is a good time to catch it and it is perfectly within the rules to do so. 100 points
Elected Official- If you can get one to come to your QTH, document it. 100 points.
Served Agency Official- A visit to your QTH by any representative of an agency served by ARES, these include Emergency Management, American Red Cross, Municipal Fire Departments. 100 points
Youth Participation- 20 points for each operator 18 years of age or younger at your station, up to 100 points total. You must document Name or Call sign and age of each youth op, and document which QSO’s are theirs on your log (at least one QSO for each).
Web Submission- Using the ARRL’s web interface to submit your final score (details later). 50 points.
Other bonus points are available only to Class A, B and F stations. Unfortunately, the 100 point Satellite contact bonus does not apply to home stations. But you do get the hugest of bragging rights.
I will add the ARRL Field Day Info Packet and the Dupe Sheet template to the files section of this IO group. I can also email those directly to anyone that requests them.
Okay, my next and last message will go over the final submission of scores, and maybe a few more operating tips. Stay tuned.
73,
Dave Snyder, W4SAR
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OCRA Board of Directors Meeting Minutes – April 13, 2021
ORANGE COUNTY RADIO AMATEURS
Board of Directors Meeting – April 13, 2021 – 7:30 pm
Platforms Utilized: Zoom.
MEETING CONVENED AT 7:30 PM
OFFICERS PRESENT: W4SAR David, (President); KR4UB Dan, (Treasurer); N8BR Bill, (Secretary); KD4YJZ Karen, (Board Member); N1LN Bruce, (Board Member); W4ORD Ladd, (Vice President); KU4GC Dee, (Board Member); KA1HPM Nick (Board Member) and W4BOH Wilson (Board member)
W4SAR (Dave): Welcome. Call to order. The agenda for this meeting is to consider the most recent draft of our proposed revision of the club’s repeater code of conduct and to continue our discussion of field day plans.
KR4UB (Dan): Moved that the revised Code of Conduct for OCRA Repeaters be approved and adopted by The OCRA Board of Directors.
The motion was passed unanimously.
W4SAR (David) led a spirited discussion about this year’s field day operation. A statement to the club outlining the board’s recommendations will be forthcoming.
Meeting adjourned at 9:12 PM
WLB/s
Club Membership Meeting Minutes- April 12, 2021
ORANGE COUNTY RADIO AMATEURS
Monthly Membership Meeting – April 12, 2021
Platforms: OCRA UHF Repeater and Zoom.
Minutes
MEETING CONVENED AT 7:30 PM.
MEMBER CHECK-IN – W4SAR (David)
OCRA UHF REPEATER: W4SAR (Dave); KD4YJZ (Karen); KU4GC (Dee); KA5ETS (Doug); W4CFO (James); W4AEN (Ed); W3AHL (Steve); KA1HPM (Nick); W4ORD (Lad); N4JQR (James); N1LN (Bruce); KI4MXP (Gerald); KN4JYP (Kathy); N4KF (Kenneth); KM4MBG (Jack); WB4OSU (Sherri); WA4PSC (Howie); KK4RRT (Michael); N1YXU (Laurie); KI4RAN (Bill); KO4DHJ (Ken); KR4UB (Dan); KM4WXW (Jeffrey) KN4VXB (Aurora); N2XZF (Paul); KF4PAB (Lenore); KN4QBZ (Fred); KR3AM (Mark); KN4JYP (Kathy); W4CFO (Jim); KW4JY (Calvin); KZ1X (Steve); W4BOH (Wilson); KZ1X (Steve); K2HJX (Jeremy); ZOOM: N8BR (Bill); KR4UB (Dan)
OFFICERS’ REPORTS:
President – W4SAR (Dave): Introduction and General Remarks
Vice Present – W4ORD (Lad): No formal report. Noteworthy is the fact that he contacted Virginia, the director of Aux Comm, and informed her that if there are no candidates for the coordinator of Aux Comm in Durham County he would be happy to be considered for the position.
Repeater Committee Reports – KR4UB (Dan – Orange County) and KA1HPM (Nick – Chatham County): No new information to report.
Treasurer – KR4UB (Dan): Currently 99 members are current with dues paid for 2021, 6 members need to renew and 5 memberships are expiring. This past year 32 new members joined 15 of whom are newly licensed.
MEETING AGENDA
Revised Job Descriptions for Executive Committee Members – W4SAR (Dave) We will now vote on proposed changes in the club bylaws that govern the position descriptions for officers and executive board members. We will accomplish this task via the club repeater and Zoom. For several weeks documents containing both current position descriptions and those being proposed have been posted on the club website for perusal. In order to vote you must be a club member in good standing (paid-up dues for the current year). When your call sign is announced, please reply “yes” if you favor adoption of the proposal, “no” if you do not favor adoption, and “abstain” if you are not a member in good standing or you choose not to vote for some other reason. The foregoing procedure resulted in the club’s adoption of the revised bylaws with a final vote of yes=28, no=0, and abstain=1 (new member abstaining due to not yet being familiar with the club’s bylaws).
Our second issue for discussion is the proposed revision of the club’s repeater code of conduct.
KR4UB (Dan) A copy of the proposed revision of our Repeater Code of Conduct which has been prepared over a period of several months has been posted on our Club’s website since the last club general meeting. It has gone through at least 3 revisions. An adopted code of conduct better positions the club when action must be taken on violations on the club’s repeater systems as required by FCC regulations. Comments on the document are now needed. We hope that you will be in agreement with its message. It has been a long time in coming!
KM4MBG (Jack)-The Durham AuxCom group is also looking for a coordinator to re-establish relationships with the county.
Field Day 2021- W4SAR (Dave): We are starting to round the corner on our planning for this year’s field day. The pandemic is still alive and we need to make some important decisions rather quickly. The basic issue we need to resolve concerns the format of this year’s club effort. To establish perspective most of you will recall that before the Covid 19 pandemic began OCRA participated in field day as a large multi-station group operating together at the W4BOH home. Last year in 2020, because of restrictions in group activities stemming from the pandemic, individual club members operated field day at their respective home stations with each contributing to an aggregate score for the club. This format was actually encouraged by and facilitated through changes made in contest rules by the ARRL. Noteworthy is the fact that over the years both of these formats have yielded impressive scores placing our club efforts among the top 9 of several thousand Field Day entrants. So, will our operation this year be a large group activity, a number of isolated individual activities, or a hybrid effort that can include both? General Discussion: W4BOH (Wilson): Generously offered his home and facilities for a group effort. He further recommended that if we do this we could require vaccinations and masks. N1LN (Bruce):suggested that this year’s field day might be a good opportunity for small groups to develop and operate in very safe ways. KR4UB (Dan): If we work FD individually from home stations it might be valuable to maintain contact with each other using Zoom. This could be especially useful for sharing information about band conditions and activity levels or simply exchanging conversation between operators. Zoom contact with other stations was a great resource for Dan this past field day.
Additional respondents presented various positions on the question of which mode for field day is best for the club. Some were supportive of a large group setting while others liked the notion of single operators working in isolation from home stations. All were sympathetic with the need for protecting the health of all participants.
Field day activities will be further discussed at the next meeting of the Executive Board tomorrow evening.
Meeting Adjourned at 8:20 p.m.
WLB/s
2021 OCRA/DFMA Field Day Announcement
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If you received the May copy of QST, you probably read that, due to ongoing health and safety concerns, the ARRL has extended the COVID-19 pandemic-modified ARRL Field Day rules from 2020 to apply to this June’s Field Day event. Due to the extension of the ARRL rules waiver and club members raising concerns about the dangers of large group gatherings, the Board of Directors of the OCRA/DFMA clubs have made the decision to not host and sponsor a large, joint Field Day operation this year.
Fortunately, this decision does not mean that members of the OCRA and DFMA clubs will be excluded from operating Field Day. However, it does mean that we will need to modify the ways we participate and accommodate changes from our traditional in-person, multi-station event.
Specifically, it means that members will be encouraged to participate in Field Day from home stations, as they did last year. As an alternative to this scenario, several club members have expressed interest in getting together in smaller groups to operate in Field Day.
The next step in understanding the membership plans will be to collect information about operations. To do this, information will be collected from three sources – this email reflector, the OCRA Saturday morning AUXCOMM net, and the DFMA Thursday night net. A separate email will be sent to this reflector that will include examples of the information that will be requested and collected. The summary information will be collated and distributed.
Last year, the combined score of the OCRA/DFMA Field Day activities put us in the top 10 nationally. Hopefully, this year we will be able to do well again. As with last year, your individual scores can be aggregated into the overall OCRA/DFMA club total. More instructions will be communicated in June informing all OCRA/DFMA Field Day stations the steps that will be required to make this happen.
In closing, we hope this COVID-19 pandemic will be behind us for next year’s Field Day event. We all want our lives to be back to as normal as possible, with one of those normal actions being a large group, single location Field Day 2022.
Regards,
OCRA/DFMA Board of Directors
OCRA Board of Directors Policy Statement – OCRA Repeater Code of Conduct
Approved by the Orange County Board of Directors, April 13th 2021 Meeting
Introduction
Orange County Radio Amateurs, Inc has over the years been very fortunate regarding licensed amateur transmissions on its repeaters, especially the 442.150 repeater with its wide regional coverage. The vast majority of the licensed operators using OCRA repeaters set an exemplary example of ham radio communications.
OCRA repeaters are one of the more visible assets of the club and are “G-Rated” 24 hours a day. We want non-hams to know that Amateur Radio is an interesting hobby and a good group of people to know.
Incidents occurring in 2020 have necessitated closing the repeater as required by FCC regulations to prevent radio transmissions in violation of FCC & other Federal Laws. When the repeater must be closed, it will be available only for scheduled nets or when sufficient control operators are scheduled to monitor transmissions and shut it down upon further violations. When these situations occur, status information will be posted on the OCRA website home page. Information regarding violations can be sent via this link to the OCRA Board of Directors .
The acceptable use policy proposed below is drawn from policies published by a number of other amateur radio clubs who have faced similar situations on their repeaters.
Illegal Practices
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- Violations of FCC Regulations and the Federal Decency Act for Radio Transmissions e.g. profanity, racial, ethnic derogatory comments require the repeater to be immediately shut down.
- Repeater users shall not make any transmissions suggesting, advising, or otherwise recommending any illegal activity or “messages encoded for the purpose of obscuring their meaning. read more…
- Unidentified transmissions including “kerchunking” are not allowed per FCC regulations. If you need to test your radio, just say your call sign and the repeater will respond with the courtesy tone. read more…
- Dealing with illegal interference. If the person is unlicensed, it is against FCC regulations to communicate with them. It is best to not acknowledge or let the interferer know the effect their transmissions may cause. To do so only feeds the “attention seeking” of the individual causing the interference. read more… read more…
- Prohibited Transmissions (Part 97.113 Sections 2 & 3) No amateur station shall transmit communications for hire or for material compensation, direct or indirect, paid or promised. See FCC Section 97.113 for further details. An amateur operator may notify other amateur operators of the availability for sale or trade of apparatus normally used in an amateur station, provided that such activity is not conducted on a regular basis.
- Prohibited Transmissions per 47 CFR 97.113 (Recommend Review of 97.113 in its entirety)
In brief:
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- Rebroadcasting law enforcement or public safety radio transmissions at any time is not permitted. No station shall retransmit programs or signals emanating from any type of radio station other than an amateur station (with limited exceptions in 97.113)
- Retransmissions must be for the exclusive use of amateur radio operators and may not be conducted on a regular basis, but only occasionally, as an incident of normal amateur radio communications.
Best Practices in Communications, Common Courtesy, Use of Repeater as a Shared Resource
- Repeaters are a shared resource & require cooperation in its use. Be attentive to the amount of time you use the repeater to allow time for others. Be a considerate operator.
- Long winded, reoccurring conversations by the same users or, conversations in poor judgement have led to:
- Illegal interfering transmissions from others tired of hearing an individual on the repeater.
- Others to stop using or listening to the repeater.
- Using the repeater as a platform for soap boxing is not allowed. Soap boxing is when a user carries on a conversation on the repeater that is a thinly disguised broadcast. The subject is generally to “put down” an institution, group, or individual over as wide as possible audience.
How to sound like a pro when operating on a repeater. https://rmrl.org/dl/operating_on_a_repeater.pdf
Enforcement Pathways include the following:
- First Warning: Verbal reminder (not over the air), email, phone call.
- Written Warning: Formal Warning from the Board of Directors and placed under routine moderation by designated repeater Control Operators.
- Continued Violation after Written Warning. Individuals may be formally banned by the Board of Directors. Attempts to use the repeater for other than bona fide emergencies after being banned will lead to a filing for enforcement action by the FCC.
Repeater transmissions may be recorded at any time for the express purpose of diagnosing technical problems, for minutes of official club meetings and for gathering evidence of FCC rule & code of conduct violations for review by the OCRA Board of Directors and submission to the appropriate Federal agency for enforcement action.
The FCC and SERA (South Eastern Repeater Association) suggest the use of recordings for reporting violations. Re: fcc.gov quote:
“When filing a complaint….. include a recording or transcript of a broadcast when possible, though any documentation you provide becomes part of the FCC’s records and may not be returned”
Reference Quotes from FCC Enforcement Action
The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the Federal Communications Commission can prohibit a certain type of conversation over a particular frequency where the alternative would be to deny many intended users any access to the frequency. Finally, the court held that the prohibitions in Section 97.113 are reasonable exercises of the Commission’s authority to “[c]lassify radio stations” and to “[p]rescribe the nature of the service to be rendered by each class of licensed stations and each station within any class. (paragraph 46) ….“It is well-established that regulation of radio in general does not violate the First Amendment or Section 326, 33 and courts have made clear this conclusion.” (paragraph 12) read more…
Reference Sources for OCRA Acceptable Use Policy.
W7ARA Arizona Repeater Association
WB4GBI Repeater System – Tennessee
AA5RO Alamo Repeater Association
WB4GBI Acceptable Use Policy (PDF file)
KB5UJM Repeater Code of Conduct
Escondido Amateur Radio Society Rules of Conduct
Google Search – Amateur Radio Repeater Code of Conduct
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations – FCC Part 97 – Amateur Radio
Telecommunications Act of 1996 – Obscene, Indecent, Profane Language
FCC – Amateur Communications & Operations FAQ
FCC EDOCS – Amateur Proceedings, Decisions, Enforcement Action
FCC – Interception and Divulgence of Radio Communications
Radio Television Digital News Association (Rules regarding re-broadcasting of Police Scanner Traffic
Monthly Membership Meeting Minutes – March 8th, 2021
ORANGE COUNTY RADIO AMATEURS
Monthly Membership Meeting – March 8, 2021 – 7:30 pm
Platforms Utilized: OCRA UHF Repeater and Zoom.
MINUTES
MEMBER CHECK-IN – W4SAR (David) and KR4UB (Dan):
OCRA UHF REPEATER: W4SAR (David), KU4GC (Dee), W4ORD (Lad), KA1HPM (Nick), W1AEN (Ed), KO4GJO (Boyd), KK4RRT (Michael), KO4DHJ (Ken), KM4MBG (Jack), KR4UB (Dan), KA5ETS (Doug), KD4YJZ (Karen), KO4JAW (Mark), KO4ICM (Doug), KI4RAN (Bill), W4APM (Alan), N1LN (Bruce); N7RYN (Ryan), K2RRT (Mark), WB4OSU (Sherry), N1YXU (Laurie), KM4IWI (Bill) and N2XZF (Paul).
ZOOM: N8BR (Bill), NA4VY (Dave), and KR4UB, Dan),
OFFICER’S REPORTS:
President – W4SAR (David): Introduction and General Remarks
Vice president – W4ORD-(Lad): We are still in limbo with respect to arrangements for a holiday party. The final decision to have a party depends on the situation with Covid 19.
Treasurer – KR4UB (Dan): Current Club Membership stands at 96 current active paid-up members and 30 requiring renewal. 32 new members have been added during the past 12 months with 16 of those being newly licensed.
Secretary – N8BR (Bill): No formal report. But, in response to David’s request I will briefly review the Club’s proposal for processing club minutes.
- Executive Board Meeting Minutes – The club secretary will prepare draft minutes of executive board meetings and distribute them electronically to board members for review and approval within seven (7) days of the board meeting. Board Members will be permitted seven (7) days to review those draft minutes, articulate recommended revisions to the secretary, and for him/her to post the revised minutes on the club website for the general membership.
- General Membership Meeting Minutes – The club secretary will prepare draft minutes of general membership meetings and distribute them electronically to board members for review and approval within seven (7) days of the general membership meeting. Board Members will be permitted seven (7) days to review those draft minutes, articulate recommended revisions to the secretary, and for him/her to post the revised minutes on the club website for the general membership. Approval or disapproval of the minutes will be voted upon by general membership present at the following general meeting. Proposals #1 & #2 above were discussed at length by the executive board, revised pursuant to their recommendations, and adopted unanimously by their vote.
KR4UB (Dan): The report this evening is focused on our club’s development of a comprehensive code of conduct for amateur operators using our repeaters. For many years we have been blessed with repeater users who follow accepted protocol and practice common sense guidelines on the repeater. But unfortunately, in 2020 we have witnessed a disturbing increase in the number of transmissions violating FCC regulations. A number of these events required that our repeater be temporarily shut down as required by the FCC for a period of time. The OCRA Board of Director’s response has been to develop a set of guidelines which succinctly articulates the standards of behavior we expect our users to adhere to. Our executive committee along with representatives from the DFMA have worked hard to draft a document that accomplishes that goal, It has now gone through a number of iterations the most recent of which is posted on our club’s website. We are currently seeking input on that document from our membership, and plan to vote acceptance of the final version as policy before the next general meeting.
W4SAR (David): We are making progress with the development of revised job descriptions for our officers and board members at large. The document has gone through several iterations and will be adopted by the board shortly.
N1LN (Bruce): This report is relevant to the development of a club based equipment Loan Program. It is a new initiative for the Orange County Amateur Radio Club, having been launched in January, 2021. Its goal is to help club members who are new to the hobby borrow a piece of club-owned-equipment for a period of up to one year in order to get a new station up and running, or to replace failed gear in an existing setup. Our goal is to compile a list of club-owned equipment that is available to loan and give that information to club members. Club members familiar with loaned items will be available to help with their installation and use. Noteworthy is the fact that one Kenwood transceiver has been loaned to a club member via this initiative,
Action Item: Bruce will be finalizing the document and putting it on Google Docs. Also, Bruce will start to build a list of loanable equipment by sending an email to all club members requesting info about potential items they would like to add to the list. Some of the equipment could be OCRA owned and some owned or donated by members to the club.
W4SAR (David): A number of folks have applied to the club for license exams. Currently we are not using the B’Hai center for meeting purposes. When the CDC comes through with new guidelines and the parish is happy with the safety of its facility we will go back to holding face-to-face meetings there once again. Lad (W4ORD): commented on a recent covid 19 report that up-dated the proposed interval thought to exist between vaccination time and the development of immunity. A discussion about field day arrangements ensued. It was recalled that some weeks ago the ARRL renewed the modifications in traditional field day rules that applied last year regarding home based (D and E classified) stations. The current plan is to go with last year’s plan until further discussion yields a change in club perspective.
Club Roll Call check-out for the repeater took place at 8:10 pm. WLB/s
Updated Descriptions – OCRA Officer and Board Member Responsibilities
President The President shall be the chief executive Officer (CEO) of the club and shall, subject to the control of the Membership, supervise the affairs of the club and the activities of the Officers. He or she shall perform all duties incident to his or her office and such other duties as may be required by law, or by these Bylaws, or which may be prescribed from time to time by the Membership. The President will preside over and maintain order in all meetings. In consultation with the Board of Directors, the President will set agenda for meetings. He/She shall enforce the due observance of the constitution and by-laws, decide all questions of order and sign all official documents.
Vice President The Vice President shall assume the duties of President in his absence. The Vice President shall provide leadership in the identification and presentation of programs for club meetings. The Vice-President shall also serve as a liaison with the Durham FM Association or other clubs with which we are holding joint activities (i.e Amateur Radio Field Day) for the mutual benefit of their members.
Secretary The Secretary shall maintain the Articles of Incorporation and the By-laws and all documents and associated records of the organization. He/She shall keep minutes of the General Membership and the Board of Directors meetings and report the same to the membership. He/She shall manage all club correspondence.
Treasurer The Treasurer shall receive and receipt all moneys paid to the club, keep an accurate record of all receipts and expenditures, and pay bills authorized by the Board of Directors. At the end of each quarter, He/She shall submit an itemized financial statement to the membership. The Treasurer shall also oversee maintenance of documents for taxation status and to assure compliance with federal, state and local taxation laws. At the end of his term, He/She shall transfer all records, funds and documents to his successor.
• Board Member-at-Large Board Members shall provide input to Board meetings on behalf of the membership. They will vote to approve or reject all motions, actions or pronouncements of the Board allowable by law, or by these By-Laws, or as amended by the Membership.
OCRA Board of Directors Meeting Feb 9. 2021
ORANGE COUNTY RADIO AMATEURS
Executive Board Meeting – February 9, 2021 20 – 7:30 pm
Platforms Utilized: Zoom.
MEETING CONVENED AT 7:30 PM
OFFICERS PRESENT: W4SAR David, (President); KR4UB Dan, (Treasurer); N8BR Bill, (Secretary); KD4YDJ Karen, (Board Member); N1LN Bruce, (Board Member); W4CFO Jim, (OCRA Member); W4ORD Ladd, (Vice President); KU4GC Dee, (Board Member); KA1HPM Nick (Board Member): KM4MBG Jack, (DFMA President) and W4BOH Wilson (Board member)
W4SAR (Dave): Welcome. Call to order. The draft agenda for this meeting is as follows: 1) Officer’s reports 2) ARES/Auxcomm report 3) A quick tutorial on use of the new G-Suite platform 3) Review of Second Draft, Updated Officers and Board Members Role Descriptions 4) Review of Proposed Acceptable Use Policy 5) Preliminary Field Day plans 6) Other items, time allowing.
OFFICER REPORTS
Vice President W4ORD (Ladd): The exchange Club is holding a place for us on their schedule for next December in case COVID 19 restrictions are lowered between now and then. Or, we may have a potluck, Time will tell.
Treasurer:
KR4UB (Dan): First, I believe the board should know that when club finances are discussed in open meetings we never announce specific account balances. Second, I want to explain an expenditure I made on behalf of the club since I would like to be reimbursed for the funds. Specifically, I purchased a new S–com Controller for $580.00 and a Polyphaser for $90.24, and would like to draw $670.24 from the club account for my reimbursement. Both of these items are to be used on our repeater systems. Dan shared with board members a copy of the paperwork confirming the purchase and a receipt for the payment. The board voted unanimously to approve this transaction.
Repeater Committee
KA1HPM (Nick) : Not much to report. We will build our new repeaters when the weather warms up. The antenna that Dan is storing at his QTH needs to be tested before it is moved to the new site in Goldston where it will be installed. Bruce (N1LN) offered to help with moving the antenna, setting it up for testing at Dan’s QTH, and checking the SWR. It was mentioned that Steve (W3AHL) may like to be involved in this project.
Change in Agenda
W4SAR (Dave): I would like for Jim, W4CFO to present a mini-tutorial on our new Google Suite, but I believe it is more appropriate to have him do that later in the meeting. So let’s move ahead to other items:
Plan for reviewing and approving club minutes
N8BR (Bill):
In response to questions from an earlier meeting regarding the processes used by the club for reviewing and distributing our meeting minutes, I drafted proposals for processing and reviewing meeting outcomes from both the executive board as well as those from the general membership. The overarching goal of each procedure is that it be as simple as possible and at the same time to maximize transparency in the decision-making functions of our club. Both draft proposals were discussed at length by the executive board, revised pursuant to their recommendations, and adopted unanimously by their vote.
1, Executive Board Meeting Minutes:
The club secretary will prepare draft minutes of executive board meetings and distribute them electronically to board members for review and approval within seven (7) days of the board meeting. Board Members will be permitted seven (7) days to review those draft minutes, articulate recommended revisions to the secretary, and for him/her to post the revised minutes on the club website for the general membership.
2. General Membership Meeting Minutes:
The club secretary will prepare draft minutes of general membership meetings and distribute them electronically to board members for review and approval within seven (7) days of the general membership meeting. Board Members will be permitted seven (7) days to review those draft minutes, articulate recommended revisions to the secretary, and for him/her to post the revised minutes on the club website for the general membership. Approval or disapproval of the minutes will be voted upon by general membership present at the following general meeting.
Plan for Loaning of Club Equipment
N8BR (Bill): At our last executive board meeting N1LN (Bruce) proposed that OCRA establish a program through which club members could borrow club-owned equipment. The concept was approved by the board contingent upon the development of appropriate paperwork and a management strategy to oversee its operation. I have followed up on that charge with the form presented below that has been extensively edited by N1LN (Bruce). I believe, as does the executive board, that It adequately facilitates the implementation of the new program for club members. In the near future we will prepare an inventory of club owned equipment that is eligible for loan to members. Discussions concerning liability ensued. W4ORD (Ladd): Perhaps we should provide borrowers with specific instructions for grounding the equipment they borrow.so if lightning hits and their house burns down we won’t be sued. N1LN (Bruce): I have added a section requiring borrowers of club equipment to install proper grounding to the items they use. Plus, there are waivers of liability in the lending agreement.
W4BOH (Wilson): Perhaps we need to have an agreement similar to this that will apply to the repeater equipment we loan to Chatham County. Of special concern are the liability issues. KR4UB (Dan): explained that the repeater equipment remains under the ownership of OCRA and is housed in Chatham County secure communications facilities. The FEMA MOU “Memorandum of Understanding for Auxiliary Support” defined by FEMA for such arrangements, will be used as the instrument to document this long-term agreement.
APPLICATION FOR EQUIPMENT LOAN PROGRAM
Note: The document represented below is a draft of the application form that the board approved for the equipment Loan Program. Printed copies for actual use by those wishing to apply for the program may be obtained from the Club Secretary
The Equipment Loan Program is a new initiative for the Orange County Amateur Radio Club, having been launched in January, 2021. Its goal is to help club members who are new to the hobby borrow a piece of club-owned-equipment for a period of up to one year in order to get a new station up and running, or to replace failed gear in an existing setup. The application process is simple.
(1) We ask that you complete the form presented below. It is a request for your basic contact information.
(2) Please supply the name of the equipment you would like to borrow, its serial number, and the length of time you want to use it. Keep in mind that the initial loan period we offer is for a maximum of 6 months. Depending on circumstances and your needs, with club approval this period could be extended to one year.
(3) Along with your application please submit a photocopy of your current valid amateur radio license from the FCC web page. We will use that document to verify your qualifications to legally operate the borrowed equipment.
(4) Sign and date the Loan agreement below, and return to the club officer who manages this program. He/she will advise you on equipment pick-up and return.
Name (last)__________________ (first)_____________________Call Sign________
Address(street)________________________________________Zip______________
Phone(cell)____________________(home)_____________________email________
Equipment Requested
Make___________________ Model No______________________ Serial __________
Additional items included such as a microphone, power supply, morse key, antenna tuner, etc.
Item Make Model Serial #
- ________________________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________________________
Date of loan _______________Agreed date for equipment return_______________
Loan Agreement: By signing this agreement the borrower agrees to comply with the following terms:
- Use/Disclaimer: The lender disclaims all representations and warranties associated with the loaned equipment and any use thereof. This includes any damages, losses, claims, causes of actions, expenses and liability of any nature whatsoever associated to or related to the use ol the equipment while under the care of the borrower.
- Borrower will keep their OCRA membership in good standing (dues) and their membership record current with any changes in address, or contact information.
- Borrower agrees to use the loaned equipment for amateur radio activities only and not for commercial application(s).
- The borrower shall be responsible for returning the equipment by the date specified above. Equipment shall be returned to the lender in as good a condition as when received by the borrower except for reasonable wear and tear.
- Borrower shall comply with all federal, state, county and municipal laws and ordinances applicable to the use of the loaned equipment.
- The borrower shall be responsible for the installation and grounding of the equipment and any associated antennas.
Signatures:
Borrower___________________________________________________Date_______
Lender (OCRA Board Member)___________________________________________________Date_______
This document has been reviewed by the Executive Board and adopted by the unanimous vote of that body.
Review and Revision of Job Descriptions for Club Officers.
W4SAR (David): Presented the second draft of his ideas on proposed duties of executive committee officers and members at large. The presentation garnered substantial discussion and led to numerous suggestions for additional revisions. We also have to give consideration to the job descriptions for board members at large. David will consider the committee’s suggestions and craft revisions for consideration at the next executive board meeting.
Review and revision of Acceptable use policy for club repeaters
KR4UB (Dan): Provided an overview of the revisions made in the draft of the club’s acceptable use policy for repeaters. Discussion ensued on the legality and enforcement of repeater rules. The thesis presented is based on FCC regulations and enforcement declaratory rulings that amateur radio repeaters are private property. And as such, in addition to their responsibility to ensure compliance with FCC regulations, the owners have the right to establish policies that dictate how those facilities are to be used and what behaviors are acceptable for their users. The only extra-organizational body that influences this process is the FCC. So, as long as our repeaters function within the guidelines of the FCC, we can regulate them in whatever way we determine is in the best interest and safety of our users and the hobby they enjoy. If our guidelines are violated by a user, we can ban that person from using our repeater. The FCC will support this decision even to the extent of taking action to temporarily suspend or even revoke his or her amateur radio license and possibly level fines.. In practice this is usually done via a multi-step process over a defined period of time.
Dan will place the latest revised acceptable use policy draft on the OCRA G-Suite document system. for another round of board reviews and alterations as needed..
W4CFO (Jim): Presented a brief but very useful overview of the “big picture” in our club’s struggle to learn and effectively use Google Docs and its associated editorial tools.
Meeting was concluded at 9:11 P.M.
WLB/DE/s
OCRA Board of Directors Meeting Minutes – January 12, 2021
ORANGE COUNTY RADIO AMATEURS
Executive Board Meeting – January 12, 2021 – 7:30 pm
Platforms Utilized: Zoom.
Minutes
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: W4SAR David, (President); KR4UB Dan, (Treasurer); N8BR Bill, (Secretary); KD4YJZ Karen, (Board Member); N1LN Bruce, (Board Member), KU4GC Dee, (Board Member); KA1HPM Nick (Board Member): KM4MBG Jack, (DFMA President) and W4BOH Wilson (Board Member).
PRE-MEETING INFORMAL DISCUSSION AMONG BOARD MEMBERS:
- N8BR (Bill) suggested that at some point it might be helpful to develop an organizational chart that incorporates the proposed revisions being made in job descriptions for our club officers.
- W4SAR (David) agreed to add a discussion of Google G-Suite to the agenda.
MEETING CONVENED AT 7:30 PM
W4SAR (Dave): Welcome. Call to order. The agenda for this meeting includes:
- a brief review of club elections,
- a progress report on our continuing review of position descriptions for club officers,
- progress with the development of acceptable use policies for club repeaters,
- the quarterly treasurer’s report,
- development of a club equipment loan program and
- a proposal for the development of a club program for recognizing and rewarding member involvement and accomplishment in club functions.
Club Elections- W4SAR, (David): There were 48 responses to the Survey Monkey that served as an electronic ballot for the election. Posted responses were cut off at 40 without paying. Since one of those cut off responses was from Karen, it left 7 that could not be read. However, since all votes accounted for were almost unanimous for the incumbents and one new candidate (exceptions, one write-in for President, one abstention for VP), and any remaining ballots would not change the outcome, it was decided to let it stand. A different platform will be used from now on.
Google G-Suite – KR4UB, (Dan): G-Suite is an organizational application for business data, available at no cost for 501c(3) non-profit organizations. OCRA needs a solution for critical long term records retention.
- Dan reported that Jim, W4CFO has submitted the application to qualify OCRA for free, non-profit use of G-Suite for the club’s long term record storage needs.
- Extensive effort was recently spent on a search for some of the club’s key original records that the club can not afford to lose. Past club officers having come and gone in the early years of the club without a long term records storage process made this a challenging task.
- G-Suite’s first use is planned to serve as the work space for the club secretary to write the drafts of club meeting minutes and for distribution to the board for the review and approval process.
- Other key club documents such as the by-laws, appointments by the board of key members to carry out club responsibilities on the behalf of the board are in need of revision. To be in good legal standing, documentation requirements are placed on 501c(3) organizations for this process.
Continuation of Review and Revision of Club Position Descriptions.
- W4SAR (David): Confirmed that All members of the board have received a copy of the proposed revisions that he has circulated for consideration.
- KR4UB (Dan): Suggested that these revisions should be merged with existing by-laws which are legally mandated for the club. We would then be best able to study them and vote on their adoption.
N1LN (Bruce) commented on the proposed responsibilities of our club vice president in the job description currently undergoing revision. Specifically, that officer is required to
- assume the duties of President in his/her absence,
- assist in coordinating programs for club meetings,
- assist in the coordination of Field Day activities with other clubs, and
- To maintain close contact with the Section Emergency Coordinator and with local Emergency Operations officials to further participation in the Amateur Radio Emergency Service and /or AUXCOMM.
This list is too specific. It also involves more work than is reasonable for one person. How will we be able to find a person who is willing to seek election to this position?
One possibility for the VP’s revised job description might be to have he or she perform only three principal tasks:
- assume the duties of President in his/her absence,
- provide leadership in the identification and presentation of programs for the club, and
- provide a liaison function to coordinate activities of both OCRA and DFMA clubs for the mutual benefit of their members.
Finally, the person who assumes the VP position should have the prerogative of delegating responsibilities to other club members. This might involve assembling committees to work on program development, or asking the 8 members of the club’s executive board to develop one program each per year for the club, etc.
ACTION ITEM: Dave will update the position descriptions for BOD review prior to the next BOD meeting.
Progress with Development of Acceptable Use Policies for Club Repeaters
KR4UB (Dan): A draft copy of the proposed acceptable use policy for club repeaters has been circulated to all members of the executive committee. Please study this document carefully and submit your recommendations for revision via Google docs. Dan will consider all feedback, incorporate changes, and make revisions for consideration at our next meeting.
Dan presented an overview of the draft document. He emphasized that while 99% of the hams using the OCRA repeaters set an exemplary example, 2020 had a number of incidents that the club needs to be in a better position to handle.
ACTION ITEM: Dan will update the document, post on Google Docs with the request that every BOD member to review and comment prior to the next BOD meeting.
Quarterly Treasurer’s Report KR4UB (Dan): A comprehensive quarterly report was presented by our club treasurer. All of the data he presented indicate that our books are in order. Our executive board voted unanimously to accept the report.
Development of an Equipment Loan Program for Club members.
- N1LN (Bruce): This initiative is designed to help club members who are new to the hobby or financially strained to borrow a piece of equipment owned by OCRA for a period of up to one year in order to get a station up and running.
- The executive board discussed this proposal at length and voted to approve it contingent upon the development of appropriate managerial paperwork by our club secretary.
- ACTION ITEM: Club secretary to develop a document that can be used for this purpose. It will be placed on Google Docs for all to review prior to the next BOD meeting.
Development of a club wide program for recognizing and rewarding member involvement and accomplishment in club functions.
- N1LN (Bruce): This proposal is for a program that seeks to get more club members involved and actually contributing to its weekly, monthly and annual activities.
- ACTION ITEM: Bruce will put together a list of proposed qualification items for review and modification that will be put on Google Docs. Bruce requested BOD members to please make additions.
- ACTION ITEM: Bruce to also post similar qualification lists from other clubs that already have recognition programs – PVRC / CWOps.
- . Members of the executive board are enthusiastic about this proposal and will consider it for adoption at the next board meeting.
MEETING ADJOURNED AT 9:20.P.M .
WLB/DE/s
OCRA Board Meeting Minutes – December 20, 2020
Executive Board Meeting – December 20, 2020 – 7:30 pm
Platforms Utilized: Zoom.
MEETING CONVENED AT 7:30 PM
OFFICERS PRESENT: W4SAR David, (President); KR4UB Dan, (Treasurer); N8BR Bill, (Secretary); KD4YDJ Karen, (Board Member); N1LN Bruce, (Board Member Nominee); W4CFO Jim, (OCRA Member); W4ORD Ladd, (Vice President); KU4GC Dee, (Board Member); KA1HPM Nick (Board Member); KM4MBG Jack, (DFMA President)
Welcome. Call to order. The agenda for this meeting includes: Board actions needed for scheduling its meetings, officer reports, sponsorship of NCQP, club elections, discussion of repeater code of conduct, ARES, Field Day, club by-laws, establishment of a board committee to oversee and manage its repeaters, development of up-dated job descriptions for club officers and disbursement of funds for club projects.
Scheduling of Board Meetings:
Following extensive discussion, the board voted unanimously to schedule all of its regular meetings for the upcoming year on the second Tuesday of the month.
Club By-Laws:
Dan, KR4UB has located the original OCRA Articles of Incorporation filed with the NC Department of the Secretary of State August 11th, 1992 and the existing bylaws last revised and approved by the membership on December 6th, 1993. These documents filed in a different era, are in need of updating to ensure the executive board and club member volunteers performing duties on the behalf of OCRA are covered by our current insurance policy. The current insurance policy includes coverage exclusions which at best are ambiguious and needs to be reviewed and evaluated by legal-council so appropriate changes can be considered and adopted.
Club Officer and Board Member Roles and Responsibilities:
All board members, officers and other attendees at this meeting enthusiastically supported the need to develop clearly defined job descriptions for club officers and board members. Numerous suggestions were floated concerning what the actual duties of each officer should be. Furthermore, they supported the notion that roles and responsibilities of both DFMA officers and board members and their OCRA counterparts should be designed to foster cooperation between the two clubs and be agreed upon by both. In that context it was proposed that the vice presidents of each club be responsible for coordinating field day, as well as programs for club meetings and liaison functions between clubs. David Snyder (W4SAR) has agreed to prepare a draft proposal of these job descriptions for presentation at the next full membership meeting.
Establishment of a Board Committee to Oversee and Manage Club Repeaters:
In our current era, the nature of the work load to keep the OCRA repeaters on the air has changed. Two repeaters have been re-deployed to new site locations due to loss of the original repeater sites, and in to areas where they will better serve our expanding base of club members in Chatham County and also better positioned to provide emergency back up communications. During that time the majority of the managerial duties necessary to keep our machinery operating were carried out by Dan, KR4UB. While repeaters remain high on Dan’s list of favorite things, the existing club responsibilities such as treasurer, webmaster for the OCRA website, involvement in club recruitment, and DFMA secretary is too much. At the end of the current year, he will step down the repeater manager role.
Accordingly, the OCRA Board of Directors voted unanimously to establish a Repeater Committee. This group will be comprised of Nick (KA1HPM-Chair), Dan (KR4UB), and Jim (W4CFO). The first action of this newly formed committee will be to establish its rules, duties and responsibilities.
Development of a Code of Conduct for Users of Our Club Repeaters:
Dan (KR4UB) reported that in 2020, the number of repeater misuse/illegal transmissions were significant and of the nature that required the 442.150 repeater to be shutdown for periods of time. Due to some of the issues involved, discussion of these incidents is limited to the Board of Directors, Control Operators and with SERA our repeater coordination agency. A Code of Conduct policy adopted by OCRA would put the club in a better position to deal with these situations. Jack (KM4MBG) DFMA President, discussed issues of misuse and suggested that any Code of Conduct we develop should be similar between our clubs. He further recommended that we make these regulations for all club activities and not just for repeaters. Executive Board members and officers unanimously agreed that this project should move forward. Dan (KR4UB) will develop a draft document to start the process, first being worked on by the OCRA & DFMA boards, then draft distribution to the respective memberships for discussion and feedback, then distribution to the ham community at large and lastly, adoption and publication as policy.
Club Elections:
W4SAR (Dave) has sent out ballots to club members on Survey Monkey.
Treasurer’s Report: KR4UB (Dan) OCRA currently has 118 active members, 89 of which are current with dues and 29 needing to renew their memberships. 24 new members have joined over the past 12 months.
A more detailed treasurer’s report was given to the board.
- Additional items are needed for repeater projects related to the installation of new towers.
- Board approval was given to expenditures in the amount of $750.00 for this purpose.
- Board approval was also given for Nick, KA1HPM to move the new, but never deployed (due to loss of the UNC campus repeater site) VHF antenna from storage at Dan’s QTH for installation on a tower at Goldston, in lower central Chatham County.
Auxcom Report:
W4SAR (David) reported that Steve, W3AHL, who has done a wonderful job with the development and management of AUXCOM in Orange County will likely be moving sometime in the future, and we must start thinking about designating a replacement. Attention must be given to this issue early in the coming year.
Club Sponsorship of the North Carolina QSO PARTY:
(David and Dan): A check from the club for $50.00 has been approved and sent to support this endeavor.
Meeting adjourned at 9:10 pm.
WLB/DE/s