Minutes of the Napier Amateur Radio Club
Meeting on 5 May 2021 at the Clubrooms 123 Latham Street
Chair: Dave ZL2MQ, the meeting started at 7:30pm.
Present: Peter ZL2LF, Stu ZL2XC, Revell ZL2SS, Mike ZL2MY, Peter ZL2CD, George Theron ZL2KKT, Rob ZL2AN, David ZL2DW, Mike ZL2VM, Wally ZL2MO, Mark Paton and Karl ZL1TJ. Apology: ZL2IT.
Minutes of the previous meeting: Read and confirmed to be correct: ZL2MY, ZL2AN.
Arising: Wally suggested Revell contact Patsy Glasspole at NCC regarding tree removal. Revell has been in touch with Jeremy at NCC regarding this. He was told the last remaining tree will be removed also. This may take a while though. Dave 2MQ: we can now go ahead with the proposed new mast and long wire HF antenna. Wally offered his expertise in security matters for the NZART conference. George ZL2KKT has security qualifications also and is willing to be involved. Wally to take the lead. Mike 2VM reported on the disposal of SK Stan’s gear. Dave 2DW stated that a number of Conference registrations for AGM and ‘Deco Techo’ attendance only (zero food requirements) are to be expected. George: accurate numbers of participants need to be known in case of fire or other calamity.
Correspondence: with John 2VAF regarding Break-Out listing, now amended. With Stu and others regarding QRM problems. Conference mail and notices to members.
Finance: Stu presented a printed statement of the Club’s financial affairs.
General business: Dave 2DW: Branch 13 is proposing an Award to mark the club’s 75 years of existence. This would be March April of next year. Would Napier ARC be interested making this a combined branches event? It was agreed to in principal by all present, Dave 2DW to set in motion. Also: The combined branches mid winter dinner is to held once again at the Napier RSA on 25 June. Bookings to Dave 2DW. Also: the branch 13 annual donated junk auction will be held on 28 July.
NZART AGM Remit. Only one this year, to amend the constitution to allow AREC to become a charitable trust so it can receive financial grants from NZSAR and others.
Of the seven financial members present six were in favour, one abstention.
The meeting closed at 8:10 pm.
Followed by a discussion on the topic of QRM, primarily on the HF bands. This was triggered by a call for expert opinion / assistance by Stu who experienced a sudden and dramatic increase in noise in the top end of the 80m band. Contributions from Dave 2DW, Laurie ZL2TC (by email), Dave 2MQ, Rob 2AN and others painted a broad picture of all the many things that can be underlying such problems. LED and discharge lighting, solar chargers and inverters, steel structures acting as detectors and mixers, antenna faults, problems in the receiver front end, 11Kv insulators etc.. Rob demonstrated his prize piece of gear for such situations, a Tecsun radio with DF capability, S meter, attenuators and more.
Karl ZL1TJ