UAARC meets the second Monday of the month at 7:00PM
in the Upshur Rural Electric Coop auditorium
1200 W. Tyler St., Gilmer, TX
Christmas Party December 7, 2020.
Please note first Monday.
Bring your favorite Christmas Treat
We will vote to amend the By-Laws, Article 5.1 to read “Regular Club Meetings shall be held once a month” at the 12-7-20 meeting. We cannot always count on the venue being available on the same night.
UAARC News
October 26
The Upshur County repeater got a significant boost with an antenna party Saturday. We had a perfect crew of Jo Ann KA5AZK, Nancy KT8TOR, Gary K5GDM, George KG5UGY, Tommy KG5ZSU, Jim N5TQI, Garrett Manning no-call and John W5BWC.
The DB224-E that Jerry WA5OKO donated to us weighs 38 pounds. In order to raise it in the upright position, it required a nearly equal counterweight attached to the bottom, bringing the total weight to just under 80 pounds. Several hours were spent Saturday morning studying and designing the lift. After a quick lunch, the crew split into ground and tower members. The first task after settling in atop the tower was to raise a gin pole and mount it. Next the tower crew disconnected the Ringo Ranger for the ground crew to lower.
Next, the ground crew raised the DB224, now 40 feet long to the upright position, where the counterweight kept it for the trip up the tower. The tower crew clamped it into place atop the tower. Testing yesterday after the installation showed a 13 dB improvement in receive performance. We may need to increase the transmit power if we see the repeater now hears better than it talks.
Many thanks to the antenna party, and if you get the chance be sure to tell them so! Please try the new antenna from you QTH and mobile as you can.
October 14. We had 17 in attendance at the club meeting and it was sure good to meet in person again. We voted on the club logo, had a program by Kelly KD5S on Fox Hunting which he will conclude at the November meeting, and great cookies, sausage/cheese and crackers supplied by our newly appointed Refreshment Chairperson, Jo Ann KA5AZK.
The club needs a photographer, if interested contact an officer or use the contact email on this website. Jo Ann KA5AZK took a charter member picture and 2020 officers picture. We make take another Charter Member picture at the December meeting, so make plans now to be there. See sidebar for meeting dates and times.
September 8. The club meeting was held using WebEx with 14 in attendance. Kelly, KD5S hosted the meeting and provided the program on lightning safety. See groups.io/uaarc for a link to that video.
Debbie, KI5BHT presented a logo contest. The club needs a logo for the webpage, groups.io, caps, vest, tee shirts, etc.. Please submit your design to Debbie or the club’s email (on the contact page) before October 9, 2020. We will vote on the designs at the October 12 (MONDAY) evening meeting.
The UAARC now has 21 dues paying members. Remember you have until the end of the year to pay your dues to become a charter member. However, to receive your Charter Member Certificate at the December Christmas party (club meeting) please pay your dues by no latter than the end of November, otherwise you will not receive your certificate until January 2021.
The UAARC Board of Directors met Aug. 18, 2020 for the first time. Minutes of the meeting will be on the Meeting Minutes page but the short version follows.
The main topic was how to resume eyeball meetings, which everyone seems to miss. For the September club meeting, Kelly KD5S offered to host a WebEx video conference. This is a secure Cisco product which will allow us to see one another again! For October, with cooling WX, it is thought we may have an outdoor meeting.
The next big news item is this website. The BOD approved the proposed url https://www.uarc.club which has now been donated to the club. The url ownership will remain with the officers, keeping it separate from the website developer.
The Secretary/Treasurer, Debbie KI5BHT has already secured the club’s mailing address and donated the box rent. She also will announce a club logo contest at the September meeting, so be there to join in on that project.
Remember to pay your prorated dues before the December meeting.
WA5OKO Antenna Donation
Another big news item – Jerry Ritchie WA5OKO has donated a factory new DB224-E to the club. This is a very significant donation, one that would make well established clubs drool, much less our start-up club. This is a professional-grade Andrews (now Commscope) VHF antenna for the Upshur County Repeater. Who’s up for an antenna party??
WA5OKO Repeater Donation
After Jerry donated a DB224-E to the club he came into possession of a new Bridge Com BCR-50V VHF Repeater to which he donated to the club!
The repeater was put on the air by Jerry WA5OKO and John W5BWC 9-15-20. The repeater came factory programmed, Jerry set deviation on his Service Monitor and it was ready to go on the air.
The Upshur ARES net used it for the first time 9-17-19 with excellent results. Any club would be thrilled to have this repeater, but we certainly are and owe Jerry a big Thank You!!