Meeting Minutes 4/1/2025

Date: April 1st, 2025 Time: 19:00 PDT Location: Virtual Meeting (various basements and attics in Vancouver, WA) In Attendance:

• President: Britt Bayers, callsign K7BDB
• Vice President: Kevin Davis, callsign KE7K
• Treasurer: Alex Ouellette, callsign K7ALO
• Secretary: David Reindl, callsign W4DVE

1. Call to Order: President Bayers called the meeting to order at 19:03 PDT. He noted the auspicious date and cautioned members against any excessively foolish radio-related pranks during the week.

2. Secretary’s Report: The minutes from the previous meeting (March 4th, 2025) were read by Secretary Reindl. Treasurer Ouellette moved to approve the minutes, and Vice President Davis seconded the motion. The minutes were approved unanimously.

3. Treasurer’s Report: Treasurer Ouellette reported a club balance of $0.00. Recent expenditures included the purchase of copious amounts of electrical tape and a bulk order of zip ties. No new income was reported. President Bayers suggested a bake sale to fund future antenna projects, a suggestion met with lukewarm enthusiasm.

4. Old Business:

• Review of Recent Contacts:
  • President Bayers recounted his successful DX contact with ZL1XYZ in New Zealand on 20 meters using his homebrew 5-element Yagi antenna mounted on the newly reinforced (and slightly leaning) tower. He noted excellent signal reports both ways and proudly displayed his digital QSL card.
  • Vice President Davis shared his enjoyable VHF contact with a station in Tillamook, Oregon, during the recent sporadic-E opening. He was using his trusty Comet GP-9 vertical antenna. He mentioned the thrill of making a contact well beyond the typical line-of-sight range on VHF.
  • Secretary Reindl reported a fun local net check-in using his attic-mounted dipole antenna. He noted some QRM from a nearby appliance but appreciated the casual ragchew with local hams.
  • Treasurer Ouellette mentioned participating in the Washington State Parks On The Air (POTA) activation from Fort Columbia State Park. He used a portable end-fed half-wave antenna and made several contacts on 40 meters, including a surprising QSO with Florida despite the less-than-ideal propagation.
• Weather Reports and Ham Radio:
  • President Bayers initiated a discussion on the utility of amateur radio in receiving and disseminating weather information. He highlighted the National Weather Service’s SKYWARN program and encouraged members to get involved in local weather spotting nets. Vice President Davis mentioned using APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System) to track local weather conditions in real-time.

5. New Business:

• Antenna Usage and Performance:
  • The discussion shifted to antenna performance. President Bayers raved about the forward gain of his Yagi for DXing on HF. Vice President Davis reiterated the reliable omnidirectional coverage of his vertical antenna for local VHF/UHF work. Secretary Reindl inquired about the experiences of others with loop antennas.
  • Treasurer Ouellette shared his positive experience with the end-fed half-wave antenna for its portability and decent performance across multiple HF bands during his POTA activation.
• New Antenna Ideas:
  • Vice President Davis proposed exploring the construction of a Moxon antenna for 6 meters, citing its compact size and good forward gain. He offered to research designs and present findings at the next meeting.
  • Secretary Reindl mused about building a small transmitting loop antenna for low-frequency experimentation, acknowledging the challenges of efficiency but intrigued by its small footprint.
• Latest Ideas for Stupid Loops:
  • President Bayers, with a mischievous grin, brought up the topic of “stupid loops” – unconventional and often humorous antenna configurations.
  • Secretary Reindl jokingly suggested a loop made entirely of coax cable, just to see what would happen.
  • Treasurer Ouellette proposed a square loop antenna mounted inside a hula hoop for maximum portability and aesthetic appeal.
  • Vice President Davis countered with the idea of a loop antenna fashioned from old garden hoses, filled with salt water for conductivity. This idea was met with a mix of laughter and genuine curiosity. President Bayers suggested they dedicate a future “Antenna Fun Day” to experimenting with some of these ridiculous concepts.

6. Announcements:

• The next club meeting will be held on May 6th, 2025, at 19:00 PDT.
• Vice President Davis will present his research on Moxon antennas at the next meeting.
• Members were reminded of the upcoming local hamfest on April 26th.

7. Adjournment: President Bayers adjourned the meeting at 20:17 PDT.

Respectfully submitted,

David Reindl, W4DVE Secretary, Amateur Radio Dork Club