MINUTES OF THE NAPIER AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
Meeting on Wednesday 7 May 2014 at the Clubrooms 123 Latham Street
Chair: Laurie ZL2TC, the meeting started at 7:30 pm.
Apologies: ZL2US, ZL2DC, ZL2DW.
Present: Lee ZL2AL, Mike ZL2MY, Wally ZL2MO, Bert ZL2OC, Revell ZL2SS, Willy ZL2AGD, Stan ZL2ST, Mike ZL2VM, Dave ZL2MQ, Peter ZL2CD and Karl ZL1TJ.
Minutes of the previous meeting: read and confirmed correct: ZL2MO, ZL2ST.
Arising: Mike ZL2VM on the Irirangi trip: there are actually 22 transmitters on the site.
Mike added some further interesting detail to the previous report.
Correspondence: The annual Branch circular from NZART containing the Update form for Branch Callbook information, pro-rata subscription information, the latest membership promotion, Remits for the Annual Conference, Notes for Examination Supervisors on new rules and a letter from President Vaughan Henderson ZL1VH regarding Callbook format.
Finance: The smile is back on Treasurer Stan’s face after both the Bay Hamfest and the Q-Tenna project returned a fair profit, boosting the club’s coffers to much healthier levels.
General business: Stan thanked Lee for all the time and energy he invested in the organisation of the recent Bay Hamfest, the outcome being a resounding success, both from the point of satisfaction of participants and from the financial side. Mike ZL2VM was given credit for suggesting the use of the Nelson Park Cricket Pavillion which turned ou to be perfect for our purpose.
Laurie, as well as entertaining the gathering with his discourse on mobile radio, had assembled a number of kitset Q-Tennas which were sold at the hamfest. Some more have been sold since and again Lee organised the despatch by courier. Feedback from buyers has been positive.
The possibility of a repeat of the Hamfest was discussed and generally agreed to but possibly with a two year interval, the next on to be 2016.
The few remaining Q-Tenna kitsets will be made available to club members, Thursday May 21 is to be a ‘Come and assemble your Q-Tenna night’ for those interested.
Dave ZL2MQ offered to build low powered 2m and 6m digital (JT4 or JT64) beacons for the club. The offer was gracefully accepted, Laurie to get the paperwork for this underway.
Wally is now ready to start the interior paint job, Lee to provide hime with a key.
Laurie reported briefly on the Wanganui Junk (mostly) sale. To be repeated next year.
Stan reported on the ZM4T contest Goup being highly successful having scored victories in the CQWW, both CW and Phone contests and also beating the ‘Aussies’ etc. in the Oceanea and WPX
contests. Sadly the goup may not be together much longer for various personal reasons.
Remits: Of those present 8 were eligible to vote and voted as follows:
Remit 1: 6 against, 2 abstentions.
Remit 2: 8 in favour. Stan moved to give our delegate discretion.
Laurie to approach Warren ZL2AJ to act as our proxy at the Annual Conference.
The meeting closed at 8.20 pm.
Followed by Lee’s presentation of the 2009 K4M Midway Island DX pedition. Another great James Brooks production. Midway Island, grabbed by the US for it’s guano fertiliser was the scene of the (in)famous WW2 Battle and remained a Navy base for many years. At present it is a nature reserve and the Dxpedition had to be timed with the annual vacation of the albatros population as these birds and antennas don’t go together. The island’s runways are being maintained by a crew of 40 or so Thai workers, mainly as an emergency landing site for aircraft in trouble.
Karl ZL1TJ
Secretary NARC