W4WVP

President Norton called the meeting to order at 7:55 PM. This followed a presentation on RMS Express - An Inexpensive HF Digital Messaging System by Ken, WB4AKK.

President Norton reviewed the Treasurer’s report.

Dennis provided an update on ARRL activities. He noted that there was a new Emergency Communications Advisory Board for this area. AE4EX was the Roanoke Division representative to this board. He also noted the FCC had released an article about radio spectrum use that was on the FCC web site. The ARRL is busy getting ready for the annual Dayton Hamfest. The National ARRL Convention this year would be in Plano, Texas.

Gary provided an update on Emergency Communications. He noted that the current QST had a good article on amateur radio’s role in the Haiti relief operations. He said this year there would be a Marine Corp Marathon website where members could volunteer for the MCM event. Volunteers were also needed for the National Marathon this weekend. There had been not EnComm requests for the local flooding that had occurred during the recent storms.

Pat reported that CERT classes were in progress at this time. (That is why Cynthia was not at the meeting.) Classes would be ongoing for the next 4 to 5 weeks. CERT is very interested in amateur radio as a communications resource in emergencies.

Mike reported that the local club repeater net on Tuesday evening would still welcome member to volunteer for Net Control duties if they were interested in getting that experience. There was no report from Craig & Randy about repeater progress in obtaining new power supplies.

Discussion was held about the changes occurring in the Red Cross operations in Arlington.
The club members noted that the club would have to be ready to adapt to any changes requested by the Red Cross. A number of alternatives were discussed.

Old Business - Art reported that the T-MARC meeting had no items of interest to the club and the club’s repeater operation. He reported that NERA was going to use a new site on the WAMU tower and their Washington repeater on 449.475 would be operational shortly.

New Business - The club will be on the air for the VA QSO Party this weekend. Operational setup will begin at 1 PM this Saturday. Operations can also be scheduled for Sunday. Contact President Norton by e-mail if interested.

In attendance were: Ken WB4AKK, George KR4MU, Chuck KI4DHW, Dennis W4PWF, Jack K5OTZ, Mike KA8OPJ, Prentiss K4PDJ, Pat KJ4OCA, Keith (New), Jim K9AUC, Arthur W4ART, Gary KC5QCN, and Mike NW3V.

Arlington Amateur Radio Club station W4WVP will participate in the Virginia QSO Party on Saturday, March 20, and on Sunday, March 21. Members may participate at W4WVP and/or using their own callsigns as fixed, mobile, or expedition stations. In the latter case, members are requested to indicate membership in “Arlington ARC” (that’s the name in the ARRL Affiliated Club database) when submitting their logs. This allows the Club to be eligible for awards (if at least two affiliated logs beside W4WVP’s are submitted), and each member submitting a log is also eligible for individual awards. All participants submitting a log will receive a certificate.

The VQP 2010 home page is at http://www.qsl.net/sterling/VA_QSO_Party/2010_VQP/2010_VQP_Main.html”. The rules are at
http://www.qsl.net/sterling/VA_QSO_Party/2010_VQP/2010_VQP_Rules.html.

W4WVP will be QRV (ready) at 1800 UTC (2 pm EDT) on Saturday, 20 March 2010, and will probably remain open until interest wanes. Hours of operation on Sunday are still TBS, but early afternoon is a good bet. We may have Cub Scout visitors during the contest.

73,
–Mike, nw3v

This meeting began with a presentation on the Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS). The presentation was made by Mr. David Trachtenberg, State MARS Director of Virginia. Gary and Ken are both active in MARS and can answer any follow up questions the club members may have about the MARS programs.

President Norton called the business meeting to order at 8:05 PM. The minutes of the January 2010 meeting were approved as posted on the web site. The Treasurer made his report.

ARRL Business - Members noted that the new ARRL web site has not been put on line. It was noted that the ARRL was working on a draft proposal to address the use of the amateur bands by users who were in paid positions. This was seen to be in conflict with the inherent nature of amateur radio.

EnComm - Gary noted during the current snow emergencies, there had been no outages of normal communications. Thus there were not ARES or other amateur operations. Red Cross and Arlington County Shelter were opened during this period. Gary will be working towards organizing an ARRL Emergency Communications course in the near future. He noted that the course would include a Beginners and Advanced levels of training.

Club Weekly Net - Craig noted the club weekly net is doing very well with lots of check-ins. We continue to encourage members to join the weekly net. Gary again mentioned the idea of broadcasting material from the ARRL Newswire before net. Craig also mention the need for 12A or 20A power supplies for the repeater system. Check if you have an extra power supply to donate. The club voted to authorize Craig and Randy to acquire low cost used power supplies for the repeater system at upcoming hamfests or other opportunities.

Red Cross - George noted that Jim and he had been cleaning out excess and obsolete paper from the radio room in an effort to utilize the limited space more effectively. The will be a Red Cross meeting on communications tentatively on March 10 in Fairfax, Va.

CERT - Pat noted that a new CERT class will begin in March. Please contact Cynthia if you want to participate.

Old Business - Ken provided the club with a sound card interface for the TS-850S HF transceiver. This is stored in the top drawer of the file cabinet in the station.

New Business - 440 Repeater available for club use in nets or emergency training. This is W8HNT on 449.325 (-) with PL 151.4. This repeater is in the center of Arlington County.

T-MARC Coordination - Art will attend the upcoming coordination meeting at Winterfest and represent our repeater interests.

New Members - The club voted to approve membership for Dave Shaw, David Church, and Efrain R. Reyes.

Potential Changes to Club Meeting Times - This was discussed. President Norton will undertake an e-mail survey of club opinions on this question.

Upcoming Operating Events - This includes the VA QSO party on Sat, March 20 and Field Day June 26 & 27. The club has the room reserved for these events. Discussion on Field Day brought up the idea of a simpler setup that would focus on operating radios with less emphasis on a complex computer logging system. The focus would be having a smaller number of radios setup up, but manning each radio for a longer period during the 24 hour operating period. The approach would be less competitive, but emphasize having more fun. Further discussion will be held as we approach the event date.

Present at the meeting were: Ken WB4AKK, Arthur W4ART, Ian KI4DTP, Pat KJ4OCA, Randy WB4MJF, Craig K4GOR, David Church (SWL) , Prentiss K4PDJ, Gary KC5QCN,
George KR4MU, Chuck KI4DHW, Mike KG4RKL, Mike KA8OPJ, and Dave KJ4IMI.

LTC (Ret) Henry J. “Jack” Reed, rocket scientist, amateur radio operator (a.k.a. “HAM”), photographer, American Red Cross Volunteer, and INSPIRE board member, died from a heart attack on Nov. 5, 2009, in Arlington.

Jack was born in 1945 in Washington D.C., the only child of Henry J. and Marjorie (nee Friday) Reed. After his father’s death in a 1959 Capital Airlines turbojet crash near Baltimore, he moved with his mother to her hometown of Charleston, SC.

After graduating from Clemson University in 1967, he was commissioned into the Army, serving in Vietnam, Korea, West Germany, and several assignments in the United States, earning the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, Overseas Service Ribbon, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, among others. During his Army career he completed two masters’ degrees in engineering from University of Texas at El Paso, and from University of Southern California.

Retiring in 1990 as a Lieutenant Colonel, he and his wife, Barbara Clemens, settled in Arlington VA. Working for Nichols Research, and then Computer
Science Corporation, he helped develop missile and sensor technology.

A HAM radio operator since a teen, Jack, WA4FXX, was President of the Arlington Amateur Radio Club for 11 years, a 13-year volunteer at the Smithsonian’s
NN3SI station, and a member of the Pentagon Amateur Radio Club.

Jack was an American Red Cross volunteer at the Arlington County Chapter of the American Red Cross, which sponsored the Arlington Amateur Radio Club and provided space for its station, meeting, and other activities. Through those associations, he participated in many emergency preparation exercises.

As a means of helping his community be better prepared for and able to respond to emergencies. Jack – along with wife, Barbara – completed Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training in Arlington, VA in 2006. He was an active member of the County’s CERT, as well as his neighborhood team.

Jack was also a board member of The INSPIRE Project, an organization, partnered with NASA, to provide hands-on opportunities for students of all ages to enhance their knowledge of space science.

His work as a photographer was published in the 2008/2009 Washington Project for the Arts Directory, and his work can be viewed on their website.
Besides an exhibition of his work at the Arlington County Central Library, his work was also included in shows at the Ellipse Art Center, and at Green Springs Garden. During the last few months of his life, Jack put his photography on hold as he helped his wife through her breast cancer treatments.

Jack was deeply devoted to his family. For that devotion and his ongoing service to his country and community, his wife and children will always be grateful.
Besides his wife, he leaves his son, Stephen W. Reed, of Tampa FL, and his step-daughter and her husband, Laura L. and Alan J. Lauder of Arlington VA. His internment, with full military honors, will take place on January 14, 2010 at Arlington National Cemetery.

Posted belatedly at the request of Barbara Clemens. Converted from original Microsoft Office document format received 2009-11-30 from Barbara Clemens.

Acting President Bodson called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM. Minutes for the December 2009 meeting were approved as posted on this site.

ARRL News - Dennis reported on the recent ARRL board meeting that elected the new ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN. Other new officers were elected. See the ARRL website or the new issue of QST.

The ARRL has signed an memorandum of understanding with the American Red Cross concerning radio amateurs who are credentialed to help in emergencies. Those who volunteer through the ARRL will be accorded recognition based on ARRL or local criteria. Those who volunteer through the Red Cross must meet the Red Cross requirement.

The ARRL has formed an Emergency Communications Advisory Committee to address issues in this important area.

EnComm - Gary reported that the Haitian relief efforts were well underway. There was no need for any amateur deployment at this time. All government communication efforts were being conducted on government frequencies.

Old Business - It was noted that current membership applications are pending. It was decided to defer these applications until the February 2010 meeting. The request from Yorktown H.S. for aid in starting a radio club was responded to, but no further requests were forthcoming.

New Business - A new schedule of CERT classes was provided for all members. It was noted that the Arlington Chapter of the American Red Cross has now been consolidated into the National Capital Region. Discussion was also held on topics relating to club operations. These included:

-Having program speakers start at 7:30 PM and then holding the business meeting later,
-Checking the website copies of the club’s constitution and by-laws,
-Checking to see if the club was required to file a Federal tax return,
-The need to archive club minutes, and
-The need to notify all members of club meetings.

Upcoming Events - The following events were noted for the calendar:

Sat Feb 6 - Frostfest in Richmond, VA
Sat March 20 - National Marathon and VA QSO Party
Sat April 10 - Bull Run Run
Sat/Sun June 26/27 - Field Day
Sun Oct 31 - Marine Corp Marathon

The election of officers was held and the results are posted separately on the website. New President Chuck Norton invited all members to submit new suggestions to him by e-mail.

Program - Mike, KA8OPJ demonstrated certain antennas including a two meter two element quad, a two meter wire element J-pole, and a 20 to 6 meter broadband coaxial antenna.

Present at the meeting were: Ken, WB4AKK, Dennis, W4WPF, Mike, KG4RKL, David Church, Craig, K4GOR, Jim, K9AUC, Gerry, KJ4DFY, Pat KJ4OCA, Cynthia, KJ4CLK, Chuck, KI4DHW, Efrain, HK3TKI, Arthur, W4ART, Prentiss, K4PDJ, Mike KA8OPJ, Mike, NW3V, Gary, KC5QCN, George, KR4MU, Randy, WB4MJF, Jack, K5OTZ, and John, W7JCF.

The next club meeting is on February 16, 2010.

Election of Arlington ARC officers was to have been done at the November meeting, according to By-Laws, but was tabled until January to allow reflection after the sudden death of 11-term President, and unopposed nominee for reelection, Jack Reed, WA4FXX, now -SK. This evening, at the January meeting, Members elected Chuck Norton, KI4DHW, President, unopposed. Incumbents, unopposed, were reelected: Vice President: Dennis Bodson, W4PWF; Secretary: Ken Heitner, WB4AKK; Treasurer: Mike Ingles, KG4RKL; and Activities Chair: Gary, KC5QCN. Officers assumed office upon election, although new President KI4DHW asked Acting President W4PWF to continue presiding over the remainder of the meeting. This is my unofficial eyewitness account; stay tuned for official Minutes of the meeting. — Mike, NW3V

President’s Report (Dennis)-
-The organization of the party contributions on the AARC net went well. The elections postponed in November will take place in January.

Program Chair and Emergency Coordinator’s Report (Gary)-
-Full information on the Marine Corps Marathon event will be put out in January.

Jim Hastings -
-The Red Cross now has four new UHF type radios. One is in a go kit with a mag mount antenna. Art asked about the “red” battery. It is charging.

New Business-
-Chuck is a grandfather for the first time and passed the Extra exam on Saturday.
-Art mentioned that the Chinese had launched a new amateur radio satellite yesterday.
-Art also mentioned that WAMU had provided tower space for the NERA repeater and we should thank them for that action.

ARRL Report (Dennis) -
-There will be a lot of change and shifting in the ARRL leadership. The Board of Directors meeting in January should be interesting.
-Senate Bill Number 1755 passed unanimously and has gone to the House. It is currently in the Energy Committee. It would be preferred if it was in the DHS Committee.

-The meeting adjourned at 7:50 PM. In attendance were: Chuck KI4DHW, Cynthia KJ4CLK, Pat KJ4OCA, Jim K9AUC, Gary KC5QCN, Prentiss K4PDJ, David Church, Craig K4GOR, Dennis W4PWF, Arthur W4ART, Randy WB4MJF, Chris KK4WB, Roy AI4GO, George KR4MU, Mike NW3V, Susan Strank, and Barbara Clemens. (Thank you to Cynthia for the meeting notes!)

An obituary of Jack Reed, WA4FXX-SK, appears on page B-6 of the Metro section of today’s

Washington Post

. The online version is here.

In a message transmitted to Arlington Amateur Radio Club members today, Dennis Bodson, W4PWF, Arlington Amateur Radio Club Vice President and now also acting President, wrote

It is with deep regret [that I] inform you that our President Jack Reed, WA4FXX, became a Silent Key (SK) last evening. Chuck Norton, KI4DHW, Informed me that Jack past away at 9PM last night….

President Reed called the meeting to order at 7:37 PM. Corrections were noted to the previous minutes and they were approved. The Treasurer made his report.

Tom Azlin, N4ZPT, made an excellent presentation on the use of 23 cm D-Star 128 kB data bridge and 9600 baud packet to be used for communications at the Marine Corp Marathon. This is a very sophisticated data system meeting all of the marathon’s communications needs.

ARRL News - Dennis noted that there was a contested election for the Director of the ARRL Roanoke Division. There had been some problems with the Log Book of the World and electronic certificates. These problems have been fixed. The ARRL is now shipping out the ARRL 2010 Handbooks. Everything else was quiet.

Our guest, Max, from Australia asked about the foundation license concept in the US. He noted that the foundation license has been generally successful in Australia. Dennis noted that the Technician license has been the foundation license in the US. The FCC was generally reluctant to add any new license classes.

EnComm - The Arlington ARES sponsored course last month produced eleven new Technician licensees. They are generally members of CERT. Gary noted it would be desirable if there were more ARRL certified VE’s available from Arlington. Currently, only Dennis and Mike are ARRL certified VE’s

Upcoming Events - President Reed noted there were the following possible future events:
-November Phone Sweepstakes
-10 Meter Contest (if any propagation on 10 meters), and
-January RTTY Roundup.
Please let him know if you are interested in participating in any of these events.

New Business - The club received and application from Craig Pennington, KJ4NJF. (This will be deferred until next month). The club will hold elections next month. The floor is open for nominations. The meeting was adjourned.

In attendance were: Ken WB4AKK, Gary KC5QCN, Prentiss K4PDJ, Gerry KJ4DFY, Jim K9AUC, Walter KJ4DZZ, Dennis W4PWF, Jack WA4FXX, Pat KJ4OCA, Chuck KI4DHW, Chuck KE4LYK, Mike KG4RKL, Roy AI4GO, Tom N4ZPT, Arthur W4ART, George KR4MU, Randy WB4MJF, Mike NW3V, and Max VK2ARZ/W4