Minutes of the Regular Meeting on January 16th, 2023
The meeting was held over the internet via a Zoom video conference. The following people were present:
| Name | Call Sign | Position | MH Grid | WCARC | RAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles MacDonald | VA3CPY | President | FN25ag | Yes | Yes |
| Karen Bryden | VA3IGO | Member | FN25ag | Yes | Yes |
| Bertrand Zauhar | VE2ZAZ | Secretary | FN25bk | Yes | Yes |
| Lawrence Dobranski | VA3IQ | Vice President | FN25 | Yes | Yes |
| Rémi De Cristofaro | VA3DRI | Member | FN25 | Yes | Yes |
| Luc Pernot | VE3JGL | Member | FN25ek | Yes | Yes |
| Clayton Smith | VE3IRR | Member | EN82qb | Yes | Yes |
| Peter Jago | VA3PJ | Member | FN25ag | Yes | Yes |
| Wayne Getchell | VE3CZO | Director | FN25dh | Yes | Yes |
| Georges-André Chaudron | VE2VAB | Member | FN25 | Yes | Yes |
| Mike Kassay | VE3MKX | Member | FN14st | Yes | Yes |
| Mike Kennedy | VA3TEC | Member | FN25 | Yes | Yes |
| John McGowan | VA3JYK | Member | FN25 | Yes | Yes |
| Alan Howard | VE3VTT | Member | FN14 | Yes | Yes |
| Norman Siemens | VE3NPP | Member | FN25 | Yes | Yes |
| Richard | VA3VGR | Visitor | - | No | - |
| Leo | VE3ZLG | Visitor | - | No | - |
| Charles Gale | VE3XCC | Visitor | - | No | - |
| Matt Dean | VE3MAT | Visitor | - | No | - |
| Dave | VA3CP | Visitor | - | No | - |
| Norm Freidin | VE3CZI | Visitor | - | No | - |
Opening
The meeting was opened by the President, Charles (VA3CPY) at 7:17 pm. There were six visitors attending the meeting.
Secretary’s Report
- Bert (VE2ZAZ) posted a draft version of the December 2022 meeting minutes on the Club website prior to this meeting. Moved by him that the minutes be adopted as posted on the website. Seconded by Lawrence (VA3IQ). The motion was carried.
- A draft of the President’s annual report was also posted on the website. Moved by Bert (VE2ZAZ) that the report be adopted as posted. Seconded by Wayne (VE3CZO). The motion was carried.
- The RAC affiliation and liability insurance applications were completed. The full fee was paid to RAC by the Treasurer.
Treasurer’s Report
- Ray provided the following report. As of December 31, we had $2,491.57 in our banking account, $2,107.60 in our term deposit, and $15.00 in our share account. Note that we recently received payment for a few 2023 memberships and we recently issued a cheque for $301.58 to RAC for insurance. These will be reflected in our bank statement for January.
- Ray urges everyone to pay dues for 2023. Annual club dues are $30 for RAC members and $41 for those who are not members of RAC. You can either send a cheque to him or send an Interac money transfer to his email address.
Vice President’s Report
- Meeting presentations in planning:
- February 2023: Bert (VE2ZAZ) will describe his modernized HyGain TailTwister rotator controller.
- March 2023: Ray (VE3FN) will present his 10 GHz station.
- April 2023: To be determined.
- May 2023: No presentation is scheduled; the time will be spent preparing for the June VHF Contest.
Director’s Report
- Nothing to report.
President’s Report
- Nothing to report. Charles wishes the Club members a good year of ham radio activities.
Officers Election
Since the outgoing Treasurer, Ray (VE3FN), was absent from the Annual General Assembly meeting, and had not indicated whether he would accept to carry on with the Treasurer duties, the election for that position was postponed to this month’s meeting. Ray informed us that he had agreed to carry on with the Treasurer duties.
Presentation
Mike Kennedy (VA3TEC) – Digital Amateur Television (DATV)
Old Business
- 902/1296 MHz Beacons: Bert (VE2ZAZ) checked for the presence on the air of the 902 and 1296 MHz beacons, and both seem to be nonoperational. Ray (VE3FN) confirmed that had not heard them for months. The VE3ODG D-STAR is back operational.
- 432 MHz Yagi Antenna procurement: No update.
- WCARC badges: Lawrence will send an email to invite those who are interested to send $10 to the Treasurer. Then the order will be placed.
- WCARC Winter POTA (Parks On The Air): Lawrence (VA3IQ) announced that the shelter is booked for the whole winter. The plan to use the Baxter Conservation Area shelter fell through. He will try again in the spring. Pinhey’s Point is another venue to look into.
- 2023 June VHF Contest: Bert (VE2ZAZ) confirmed that the Kinburn Community building would be available for our VHF contest under the same conditions as last year’s venue. A reservation was made. The contract will be reviewed and a reservation payment will be issued by the Treasurer.
- Club project: Wayne (VE3CZO) commented that it was not obvious whether we could have a Club project going, considering that we still meet remotely.
New Business
None.
Show and tell
- Mike (VA3TEC) showed his log periodic antenna.
- Georges-André (VE2VAB): The ARRL Winter Field Day will take place on January 28th and 29th. Scoring is different from the summer field day. He will try an SDR setup on VHF and above.
- Ray: January VHF contest will take place this upcoming weekend (January 21st-23rd). Participation of the members, even if only on 2-meter simplex FM, is encouraged.
Ask the Club
Mike (VA3TEC): Had questions on measured VSWR of his dual band J-Pole at 1.2 GHz.
Adjournment
The President observed that there was no further business; the meeting was adjourned at 9:08 pm.