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Secretary’s Beat – Meeting Minutes

Hamfesters club meeting May 1, 2020 7:35 pm The first Zoom club meeting, 28 people attended tonight.

President’s Report: by Nora KC9MLV, Thanks to Brian W9HLQ, & Gene W9PNG, for tech support. Welcome to all. Happy birthday today Dave N9KPD. Happy birthday to all May birthdays.

Health & Welfare: Gregg AA9MZ, is feeling better. John KB9FQB, was released from the hospital.

Membership: KC3INU, new member, who is out of state.

Treasurer’s Report: by Ed WA9EOL, We purchased club polo style shirts for $200.00. Thanks Cindy N9CAS, for ordering them.

Education: By Brian W9HLQ, our club’s general license class has ended. Tomorrow there will be VE testing in Steve’s W9KXT, garage.

Programs: by Don KC9EQQ, all future club events depend on the shelter in place order. Check the Hamfesters website for updates. Please let Don know if you have information on other hamfests; are they cancelled, or not. The date of our hamfest might be moved to the fall.

Field Day: by Jim W9JPR , FD 2020 either we’ll meet as a group, safety precautions will be followed, or everyone will stay at home FD on your own gear.

Hamgab: Thanks Gene W9PNG, & Brian W9HLQ.

Adjournment: Gene W9PNG, & Jim W9JPR @ 8:14 pm.

CQ Field Day

de Jim Riley W9JPR

Option 1: If everything gets back to normal, Field Day will be at Southbridge Church about a quarter mile west of Harlem on 155^th St. or Wheeler Dr. If you’re not sure where that is, just visit http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator and type W9AA where it asks for location or call sign. Talk-in will be on 146.43 simplex. Look for the yellow and white canopy tent when you get in the parking lot. That will be our GOTA tent and our GOTA call will be W9PNG. Our category will be 3A. Operations run from 1 p.m. Saturday June 27 through 1 p.m. Sunday June 28 but setup begins at 0800 Saturday.

Option 2 will be somewhat the same as Option 1 except there will be no GOTA tent. We’ll still operate 3A using the trailer, Kurt WB9FMC’s CW tent, and a portable setup in Steve W9KXT’s backyard. Steve is still within the 1,000-foot diameter circle that the ARRL allows us. This option means “social distancing” is still in force. We will not be open to the public and there will be no hanging around. The trailer will have an operator doing his own logging or working with a logger six feet away. Operators and loggers will cycle through an hour or two hours at a stretch depending on how many sign up. You can always sign up for multiple shifts. We cannot leave the trailer unoccupied so at least one operator will have to be there at all times, especially overnight. You will be on your own for food and drink. We will need a team for setup and teardown and will do our best to social distance. A lot depends on how the church feels about this. If they say no, we move on to the final option.

Option 3 will be the ARRL’s alternative—operate from home. Use your call and operate 1D (Home, commercial power) or 1E (Home, emergency power) if you have a generator. There will be a place on the FD entry applet to list Hamfesters as your club association. The ARRL will not be accumulating club scores, so we’ll have to do that ourselves. See last month’s FD article for more info.

This is as definite as I can be on this year’s Field Day but the COVID-19 situation changes on a daily basis and we have to change with it. A lot of our group is in emergency management and we know how to deal with the situation we’re given. That’s how we’ll do it this year.     

One of Our Own in QST!

VEs Brave the COVIDs!

VE Testing

Hamfesters VE Testing Report
Al Bukowski N9ZD – VE coordinator

The Hamfester’s VE examinations to Continue on APPOINTMENT TIMES ONLY for the remainder of the year. NO WALK-INS

The Hamfester’s Radio Club VE test session(s) for 5/9 – 6/13 – 7/11 – 8/8 – 9/12 – 10/10 – 11/14 – 12/12  will be Appointment only.

Candidates MUST email to get an appointed time (earliest 8AM), other instructions, and directions to the Exam Location
Liaison Al Bukowski (N9ZD)        ( aln9zd@gmail.com )

TEST Location: TBD – Oak Forest, IL  60452  (will be using a VE’s Garage for now unless Oak Forest City Hall reopens)

VE Stock test material will be in Plastic protective sleeves to protect the next user after disinfectant cleaner applied.

NOTE: Since Hamfester’s average candidate attendance the past years has been average of 4, the 
Appointment times will be 3 candidates 8:00 AM / 3 candidates 9:30AM /  3 candidates 11:00AM  / Flexible as needed

A Special ‘Thank You’ to All the VE’s volunteering there Saturday morning to assist me at the Exam sessions.

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Club Information

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Pics from May Meeting

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