Volume 12, Edition 6                                                                       June 2008

FROM THE TOP:

Gearing up for Field Day

The June 18th meeting will be held at McDougal Hall on the campus of the Sonoma Development Center

This month’s meeting will be a planning meeting for Field Day.

I would like to thank Jim, WA2EWE for making a very good presentation on WinLink. This program has a lot of applications for emergency communications.

Hit the Road Jack was held on June 1^st and supported by ACS. Thanks to Eileen, KG6QNT, the event went very smoothly.

The next ACS event is the 4^th of July Parade in Sonoma. This is a fun event, if you don’t mind getting wet. Contact Tom, KG6QJQ, if you would like to help out.

On June 28^th and 29^th VOMARC will be participating in Field Day. This is always a fun event with lots of food and radios to play with. This year we will be going back up to Camp Via, above the Sonoma Development Center. The club hasn’t been up there for a few years, but it is a great place to camp out. More information will be available at the meeting. Check out the ARRL website for more information on Field Day at: http://www.arrl.org/contests/forms/index.html#FD

We still need net control stations for the VOMARC (May, Jun, Sept and Nov.) and ACS (Jun, Sep, Nov. and Dec.) nets. Let me know if you are interested.

Hope to hear you on the air and see you at the meeting.

Minutes of the May 21 Meeting

The meeting was called to order at 7:30PM. 

There were 26 in attendance.  Introductions were made.

The minutes of the April meeting were approved as published in the newsletter.

Treasurer's report:  There is approximately $2700 in the bank after the deposit from the Hamfest of $697.25.  The actual proceeds from the Hamfest were $652.25.  The extra $45 is from an unknown source.  There is still an outstanding bill of $280.  More information will be available regarding the net proceeds from the Hamfest at the May meeting.

Ton Benton sold equipment for the widow of Jerry Sanden.  This money ($257) has been donated to the club specifically for training and equipment to helping youth to become hams

ACS:  The drill for this Saturday has been canceled.

Eileen, KG5QNT, is coordinating the Hit the Road Jack run this year and still needs volunteers.  The communications channels will be 146.565 & 446.5 PL 88.5.  Communication on each channel will be rebroadcast on the other channel.

There was discussion about digital modes being the technology of the future.  The question was asked if there will still be a packet station in the EOC.  There will be an RMS packet station in the EOC.

Eric Swanson, WB6MVT, the unit leader for the South County was visiting along with Tony Kamby, KD6WYH, and Matt Ibnummi, KE6LPO.

Upcoming events:  Sonoma Skypark will have its open house on May 31, 2008, from 11AM to 3PM.  VOMARC will have a station there as we did last year.  Last year the open house coincided with a contest.  W6AJF won the contest last year and was presented with a certificate. 

Licensing Class: June 21 - 22, 2008, will be the VOMARC sponsored ham license class.  It will be held at the police station.  15 have signed up.  Notices will be sent confirming the class.  People are to sign up ahead of time, drop ins are discouraged as there is reading to be done prior to the class.  Drop ins for the exam only are OK.

Field day is June 28-29, 2008.  It will be held at Camp Via behind the Sonoma Developmental Center.  Everyone who wishes to participates is encouraged to bring batteries, radios, Antenas.  We will operate as 3ASF, as before.  There will be dinner Saturday night.  The club will provide the meat.  All other food contributions are welcome.  For those staying overnight, there will be breakfast Sunday morning.  There will be more planning and discussion at the June meeting.

Continuation of other business:

Discussion of the Hamfest:  There was better attendance and more vendors this year than the past couple of years.  This year, the event was held the day before the Livermore event.  The suggestion for consideration was made that next year be held the day before Livermore as it seems to encourage vendors to come for both events in one trip.  Further discussion will be held on the date for next year; however, a decision needs to be made soon so the date can be reserved with the county.

Everyone is invited to the Memorial Day observance to be held at Veteran's Park 11AM Monday, May 26, 2008.

The meeting was adjourned at 8PM.

The program for the evening was on WINLINK and was presented by Jim McLaughlin, WA2EWE.  More information can be obtained on his web site or the WINLINK web site.

Respectfully submitted.

Joan Brady, W6WXU,
Secretary

We get Email  

Hello Eileen – on behalf of the Boys & Girls Clubs Valley of the Moon and Hospice By The Bay, I thank your crew of HAM radio operators for their invaluable presence at the Hit The Road Jack Race in Sonoma. It is always a pleasure to see … this community event and to be part of the impressive volunteer effort.  Thank you for being a part of its success!

With appreciation, Candace McKinnon
Volunteer Coordinator

Hurricane Ulysses Arrives in Mississippi on Thursday Morning

Hi Ken,  The drill went well.  All state wide traffic was by HF and local by VHF and some UHF.  The 80 meter band held up fairly well during the drill.

I have 8 people wanting to take the Tech course and have just recruited 2 new members.  Construction of our new EOC starts next week and the new radio equipment should arrive soon.

The badge machine for the County came in yesterday so all county employees and vols will be getting their ID’s soon.  This County has just leaped into the 20^th century in just 6 months.  In a year we may be in the 21^st .

73, Dan   KG6LJN

2008 VOMARC Net Control Assignments

2008 ACS Net Control Assignments

Posted: 6/23/08