BVARC are running this event, any queries please contact them directly

The time is finally here for the GHTG. Due to COVID issues, the Greater Houston HamFest committee decided this year we will have a small tailgate affair instead of the normal hamfest format which will return next year.

Mark your calendars for next year March 3rd and 4th, 2023 for the return of the Greater Houston HamFest.

So, for this year we will have the tailgate will be very basic event. Entry is $5 dollars whether you are selling or buying. There are 45 spaces for tailgaters and 6 spaces for vendors. We will have foodand drinks available at the community center and there will be a raffle at the pavilion. A map of the event area is below as well as the coordinates to find the entrance.

The times for the TailGate is 7 am to 2 pm on Saturday, April 16. Friday afternoon set-up is available but there is NO OVERNIGHT CAMPING ALLOWED. If you would like to set-up on Friday,please contact the BVARC Board of Directors to arrange access.

The raffle will be held on site and tickets will be $2 each. The grand prize will be a ICOM IC-2730A so make sure you get your tickets. You will need to be present to win. 

Some of the other things happening at the TailGate are:

Balloon launch by the Houston Balloon Launch Team 
Fort Bend County Communications trailer
Harris County Communications trailer License Testing

If you have any questions about the tailgate, contact anyone on the BVARC Board of Directors.

Minutes from the KARS BOD February 28, 2022

Original agenda:                                          

1. Apologies for absence

2. Treasurer report

3. Secretary report

* Activities coordinator report

4. General discussion

Meeting notes:

Our KARS board of directors meeting was conducted via Zoom.

1. The meeting started at 7:33 PM with all board members present.

• The treasurer reported that there is $xxxxx in the bank account. This reflects membership renewals of which we already received 42. This is the first year HamClubOnline automated messages are going out for members to renew their membership and there are some teething problems that are currently being worked out. In a few cases members had inadvertently received an email stating that their membership had expired. All these cases have been addressed.
  
  The idea was raised to have another raffle with a dearer raffle item, for instance a high-end antenna analyzer. Care needs to be taken to obey Texas state law that limits the number of drawings to a maximum of two per year. At this point it is unclear if a raffle with multiple prizes counts as a single drawing or multiple drawings.

• KARS received a new member application from Douglas Johse who will be put up for a vote at the March General meeting. Another person who emailed and expressed an interest (but who has not applied for membership) is David Bucklew. Reading between the lines he is keen to join, too.

• The Katy Safety Fest will be held on April 23 this year at Katy Mills Mall but at this stage it is not yet clear how many HAM operators the organisers need to shadow communications. When more details become available it will be shared with the members.
  
  Our Vice-President, Sergio, has a new call sign: KX5F.
  
  Potential topics for presentations were mentioned to be a presentation on FT4 for satellite, on different antenna options for mobile solutions, and on coax.
  
  Dave Scott is willing, when the weather gets warmer, to organize a fox hunt for the club and/or other interested parties.
  
  The club is still in the market for a laptop and the right machine at the right time is expected to come along in short order.

The meeting concluded at 8:10 PM.

Hielke Buddelmeijer

KARS Secretary

KI5JYX