Feb 2011

Mid-South Amateur Radio Association - Club Meeting Minutes February 17, 2011

Location: Northeast Police Precinct (Appling Farms Parkway) 6850 Whitten Bend Cove, Memphis, TN 38133

Attendance: President Tony Brignole (WA4KHN), Vice-President Del Earnheart (AJ4EM),

Secretary Linda Ware (KJ4ELL). Total attendance: 22.

Tony took the opportunity to start early and go over FreeFest update and discussion re: vendors, prizes, layout, tables and additional tables, parking lot, and P.R. Discussion about alternate venue at some point. It's completely committed with a waiting list, inside and outside. The early e-mail effort to past vendors and ARRL affiliated clubs has worked well and calls are still coming in.

Welcome: Meeting called to order by Tony at 7:00 p.m. Introductions; introductory comments.

Tony (WA4KHN) read current Treasurer's Report for John Parish (KD4EUZ). Printed copies were available on the front table. Motioned (Del AJ4EM), seconded (Linda KJ4ELL), and accepted as read. There is additional money collected from the estate sales that will be in next month's report. Minutes from previous club meetings were posted on the website and printed copies available on the front table. Motioned (Randy W4RMV), seconded (Nina WB4CHH), and accepted as posted by attending membership (viva voce).

Old Business: Tony presented an update and printed copies of the list for the Dick Barnes estate. Club members get a 10% discount on remaining items; some are to be sold on e-Bay. Randy Van Voorhis made final distribution of remaining software purchased by club members.

New Business: FREEFEST - update was covered earlier before the welcome and introductions. Rick Kanschat (N0KYN) offered to set up a tour of LeBonheur on a Saturday, before FreeFest. An e-mail will be sent to members to gauge interest and response before finalizing the date.

Program: Randy Van Voorhis (W4RMV) gave a presentation on Home Networking and Wireless Routers. Good, comprehensive program including hubs, forms of wireless security, using Windows 7, wireless set-up, user name and password settings and issues, pricing and availability of wireless "G" vs "N" routers; continued with group Q&A and discussion, including internet connections and providers, ip addresses, and uses for ham radio.

Ham Hilliard will be teaching an antenna class Saturday February 26, 2011, starting at 9:00 a.m. Location is at Christ Church Bartlett, 5955 Yale Road. Contact Ham at w4gmm@bellsouth.net.

Next meeting is March 17th (St. Patrick's Day, there will be treats). Program will be Repeaters: the concept, how it works, what it does, how we got to where we are today in ham radio.

Motion made to close meeting by (Ham W4GMM), seconded (Jeff AJ4GY). Meeting adjourned by Tony at 7:50 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by Secretary, Linda Ware (KJ4ELL)