January 5, 2023 Club Meeting
Thursday, January 5, 2023 at 7:00 PM Medford Police Department Community Room, 219 S. Ivy St., Medford, OR
Program: Summits-on-the-Air (SOTA), Amy Haptonstall, AG7GP
The program will be on Summits-on-the-Air (SOTA). This is an activity about traveling (usually hiking) to mountain and hill top summits, and operating and activating those locations.
Amy Haptonstall, AG7GP is an avid hiker and contester, and has won multiple awards.
Did Santa Claus bring you a new Ham Radio related toy? If so, consider bringing it for show and tell, and / or making a few brief remarks in case others in the club would be interested.
Announced in the January 2023 issue of The Repeater.
Meeting Notes
From the February 2023 issue of The Repeater.
January 2023 RVARC Meeting Minutes
7pm President Don Bennett, KG7BP, called meeting to order. 23 attendees with visitor Devin Eskridge, KJ7OES, Vice-President of the Southern Oregon Amateur Radio Club in Grants Pass (www.soarc.org).
New Business:
The thank-you letter from the ARRL for the $50 donation to the Spectrum Defense Fund had the old W7DTA callsign, wherupon Scott, NA7OM, mentioned that our club info on the ARRL site had the old data.
Don discussed new ways to administer the license process: one way is to use old chromebooks for online testing. See hamstudy.org and exam.tools for instance. Scott, NA7OM, made a motion that Pat, KD7MPA, research proposals for online license testing and report back next meeting. Tom, N5EG, seconded. Vote was a unanimous yes.
Treasurer’s report: $5152.02 before paying the $50 Oregon Corporation Registration fee.
Old business:
Tom, N5EG, reminded us that if our names were preprinted on the signup sheet, that our 2023 membership dues have been recorded as paid.
Amy, AG7GP, commented that, for CQP, the club got 4th in our category.
Pat gave away two gift certificates from RT Systems.
Presentation #1:
Lud, KB2EVN, showed us, among other things, the 100th edition of The ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications. Additional info: Handbook 100: Hardcover Collector’s Edition ISBN: 978-1-62595-157-1 home.arrl.org/action/Store/Product-Details/productId/2003373106 Handbook 100 includes complimentary e-book and supplemental content. Download the fully searchable digital edition of the printed book, plus expanded content, software, PC board templates, and other support files. The ARRL started in 1914, and Lud had a copy of the first issue of the handbook from 1926. He had a 1953 Hallicrafters (AM & 2-30MHz) receiver on display, using tubes of 1.4v filament voltage, with 7.5v and 90v batteries for power. As an historical aside, he explained that the original meaning of QSB was “is my spark is bad?/your spark is bad”.
Presentation #2:
Amy, AG7GP, who has been doing SOTA (Summits on the Air, www.sota.org.uk) for 3 or 4 years, gave a presentation on SOTA history, rules, methods, equipment, and planning. She found it the perfect mesh of outdoors, radio, exercise, and community. And it has a contest aspect as well. SOTA originated in Scotland in 2002, and now involves over 100 countries. The point system varies by region, and is not based on difficulty, but rather on prominence and elevation. Much good info and advice was given, and hopefully there can be a link given to the full presentation slide pack, for our edification.
Various links to info from the presentation:
- sotl.as/map
- hamalert.org
- vk3zpf.com/vk-port-a-log
- sotamat.com
- pnwsota.org
- sotawatch.sota.org.uk/en/
Apps: sotaspotter & sotagoat
8pm End presentations
Allan, K7GT, was looking for hiking folks to go on various SOTA hikes with him. Contact him if you are interested.
8:12pm break for snacks & visiting
8:45pm adjourn meeting
Submitted, John KF7UMK, Secretary
