Meeting Minutes 5/6/2025

Radio Dork Club

Meeting Minutes

Date: May 6, 2025

Location: Club Shack/Virtual Meeting (The Shack is Halfway Submerged in a Mysterious Puddle – Hybrid!)

Attendees:

• President: Britt Bayers K7BDB (Wearing his lucky tin-foil hat)
• Vice President: Kevin Davis KE7K (Sporting a new “World’s Okayest Ham” T-shirt)
• Treasurer: Alex Ouellette K7ALO (Desperately trying to explain where all the money went)
• Secretary: Dave Reindl W4DVE (Taking notes with a quill and ink… because “it feels more authentic”)

1. Call to Order

President Britt Bayers K7BDB, after a brief struggle with his gavel (which appeared to be a modified spark plug), called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM PDT. He then led the club in the sacred “Pledge of Allegiance to the FCC,” but forgot half the words.

2. Secretary’s Report

• Dave Reindl W4DVE read the minutes from the April 1, 2025 meeting in a dramatic, Shakespearean voice. Alex Ouellette K7ALO moved to approve the minutes, Kevin Davis KE7K seconded, with a resounding “Aye, aye, Captain!” The minutes were approved, despite no one being able to understand them.

3. Treasurer’s Report

• Alex Ouellette K7ALO, with a nervous cough, reported the club’s current balance is $0.00. He blamed “unforeseen expenses,” including a bulk order of copper wire for “reasons” and a suspicious charge for “glow-in-the-dark coax.” The report was accepted, mostly because everyone was too afraid to ask questions.

4. Old Business

• Field Day Planning: Kevin Davis KE7K provided an update on Field Day preparations. The location is confirmed: the county landfill. The club’s BOTA (Bridges On The Air) station is being planned, with a focus on ease of use for new hams… and attracting local wildlife.
• Antenna Raising: Britt Bayers K7BDB reported that the new tower project at the club shack is progressing. The concrete base is poured, and the tower sections are scheduled for delivery next week… by a guy with a pickup truck and a “can-do” attitude.

5. New Business

• Contact Reports:
  • Britt Bayers K7BDB reported a successful DX contact with ZL1AAA in New Zealand on 20 meters using his homebrew 5-element Yagi antenna (which is mostly held together with duct tape and hope). Signal reports were strong, but included some strange noises.
  • Kevin Davis KE7K shared his excitement about making several local contacts during the recent VHF contest using a simple 6-meter Moxon antenna. He noted the band was surprisingly lively, possibly due to aliens.
  • Alex Ouellette K7ALO mentioned working a few stations in Texas on 40 meters using his newly installed end-fed half-wave antenna. He was pleased with its performance, especially considering he accidentally used it as a clothesline for a week.
• Weather Discussion: The club members discussed recent local weather conditions and how they affected propagation. There was some talk about the recent solar flare activity, which Britt Bayers K7BDB claimed was caused by government mind-control lasers.
• Antenna Ideas:
  • Britt Bayers K7BDB presented a design for a portable, rapidly deployable HF antenna using lightweight materials… mostly salvaged from old umbrellas and fishing rods. He is experimenting with different configurations and matching networks, including one that uses pickle jars.
  • Kevin Davis KE7K shared an idea for a club project to build a multi-band vertical antenna for the club shack, powered by hamsters on tiny treadmills.
• “Stupid Loop” Antennas:
  • Alex Ouellette K7ALO led a lighthearted (and slightly panicked) discussion about “stupid loop” antennas. He showed some online articles about small, often inefficient, loop antennas that some hams experiment with. There were many jokes, wild theories, and a suggestion that the club should hold a “Stupid Loop Challenge” to determine who can achieve the least impressive results.

6. Announcements

• The next club meeting will be held on June 3, 2025 (or whenever we feel like it).
• The club’s annual picnic is scheduled for June 21, 2025. BYOB (Bring Your Own Bugspray… and possibly a hazmat suit).

7. Adjournment

• Britt Bayers K7BDB moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:30 PM PDT, after accidentally setting off the club’s emergency siren. Kevin Davis KE7K seconded. The motion passed, followed by a hasty evacuation.