MINUTES OF THE NAPIER AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
Meeting on Wednesday 5 October 2016 at the Clubrooms 123 Latham Street
Chair: Wally ZL2MO, the meeting started at 7:30 pm.
Present: Revell ZL2SS, Dave ZL2DW, Laurie ZL2TC, Bert ZL2OC, Blue ZL3TT, Michael ZL2MY, Rob ZL2US, Dave ZL2MQ, Peter ZL2CD, Stan ZL2ST, Stu McLeod and Karl ZL1TJ.
Apologies: ZL2HB, ZL2DC, ZL2VM, ZL2IT.
Minutes of previous meeting: Read and confirmed to be correct: ZL3TT, ZL2MQ.
Arising: Stan reported discussions with both Contact Energy and the Unison lines company. The Radio Club remains classified as Commercial (by Unison). Next step: shop around for the best deal.
Correspondence: Received from Branch 13, proposal to reduce the number of repeaters in the area.
Finance: Account for beacon licence application presented by Laurie.
General Business: Laurie tabled a proposed remit for the 2017 NZART Conference: “That any contacts made via a terrestial VHF or UHF repeater shall not count for the NZART “Worked All Districts” and “VHF Century Club” awards, and any such contacts shall be invalid for the purposes of these awards. After discussion it was moved by Laurie ZL2TC and seconded by Karl ZL1TJ that the remit is submitted to NZART for consideration. For: 7, against: 1, carried.
Dave ZL2DW explained the outcome of the discussion regarding repeaters (usage, maintenance and costs) held at the most recent Branch 13 meeting. It is proposed that licences for 870 Te Mata, 605 Te Mata and 9175 Clifton are not renewed. Other licences for repeaters which are used by a few ‘special interest’ operators such as APRS, IRLP, D-Star and beacon licences are to be maintained for the present but may also become ‘debatable’ eventually depending on future MED licence fees.
The proposal is that Branch 13 and Branch 25 pay for 4 licences each thereby ending the long standing sharing arrangement. After an in depth discussion the proposal was agreed to unanimously.
Dave also reported the Branch 13 proposal to move the combined branches weekly net from the present frequencies (3615 and the 9175 repeater) to the 670 repeater. There were no objections.
Rob ZL2US announced the combined branches annual dinner: 25 November at the Taradale RSA.
Also, the next Branch 13 meeting and meal will be at Waipawa on the 26th of October, bookings for the meal to Rob or Dave 2DW. Blue ZL3TT is to organise a visit to his workplace, Weldwell, probably March next year.
Wally ZL2MO announced his resignation as President of the NARC at the next AGM. Work pressure and doing night shifts are making meeting attendance increasingly difficult.
The meeting closed at 8:20pm.
Followed by The annual Quiz and Sticky Buns event. Organised by Laurie, the questions (10 general knowledge and 9 radio technology) were ‘medium difficulty’, good questions with the odd trap for the unwary. Won by Dave ZL2MQ with only one wrong answer, second place to the undersigned and third place shared by ZL2DW and ZL2ST. Thanks Laurie for a fun exercise.
Karl Matthys ZL1TJ, Secretary NARC.