This past Wednesday we had our 1st trial run at Jason’s Deli. I think we had a total of 14-16 show up for coffee. Everyone seemed to like the location and atmosphere as well as the food/drink choices.
I know a few commented if we moved here permanently they’d probably eat dinner here on Wednesdays. I know I as well as a few others had dinner during this test run.  We will try this location a few more times and bring this up for membership discussion and vote at the December meeting.

The only negative so far is they don’t offer decaf coffee, but on the plus side there are fountain drinks and tea for the non coffee drinkers.

At the board meeting everyone agreed we need to meet here a few more times to see how things work

For Wednesday 10/30 we will be meeting again at Jason’s Deli, 21953 F, Katy Fwy, Katy, TX 77450.

73
Jimmy Vance NA5D
president@katyars.com

Minutes from the KARS Monthly Meeting October 14, 2019

The meeting started at 7:30 with the Pledge of Allegiance.

This month’s presentation was by Jeff Hoke – Radio Communications Tech and troubleshooter for RFI complaints.

Jeff, with the help of a very informative PowerPoint presentation, outlined what RFI is, how and where it is generated and what it affects. Many of the complaints can be narrowed down to common items found in most households, cell phone chargers, touch activated lamps, faulty doorbell transformers and a list of other items in most homes. Outside causes of interference could be caused by pole mounted equipment, lightning arrestors, fuses and improperly routed open neutral or ground wiring.

Jeff is very willing to assist amateur radio operators tracing down such RFI interference and gave several helpful hints on narrowing down the problem and eliminating any household sources. He brought several pieces of specialized equipment he uses in the field to narrow down any CenterPoint sources of problems.

KARS Business

The Board of Directors meeting minutes were previously shared, a motion was made by Bob WB3EWP and seconded by Charlie KT5BBQ. A majority show of hands accepted the minutes.

Upcoming Events

November 9th, 2019

Next Smoke Alarm Blitz is scheduled. The previous Blitz was successful and many homes had their existing systems checked, restored to operation or units replaced by new ones.

November 9th is also the date for our next VE Examination. Those wishing to test for their license or upgrade can do so, you can go to the KARS website and contact any one of the board members to reserve your spot.

Raffle tickets continue to be available so don’t miss the opportunity for a chance to win the “Shack in a Pack”!

Wings over Houston is scheduled for October 18 through the 20th. A great event to assist with communication and get to see both static and dynamic presentations.

October 27th is the Fairfield Triathlon.

November 2nd – Hero’s ride in Waller at the VFW.

Rudy’s BBQ has been verified and reserved for the KARS Annual Christmas Meeting.

Next KARS meeting will be on November 11th.

We had 23 visitors and one new member voted in.

Welcome Russel Wilhelm III KI5GKZ !!

Meeting adjourned at 8:35 pm.

The meeting started at 7:30 with the Pledge of Allegiance.

KARS Business

Motion was made by Tom AE5TG to accept the board meeting minutes, seconded by Mike, KA5OXA.

Volunteers are requested for the upcoming Tour de Cure Benefit ride, on September 21st to provide communications at the break points and support for SAG vehicles. Contact Jimmy Vance NA5D for details.

There is a ESD 48 Smoke Alarm Blitz scheduled for September 14th. Volunteers are needed to work with the first responders who will be going house to house to check smoke detectors, replace batteries if needed and replace failed units with new ones if necessary. Also installing carbon monoxide detectors.

Upcoming Texas QSO party is scheduled for September 14th and 15th.

Conversation was started concerning the location of the Annual KARS Christmas Party. Last year it was held at Rudy’s BBQ on I10 in Katy. That location is tentatively chosen for the 2019 event, other suggestions will be considered and put to a vote.

Clarification was discussed related to the “First Year Free” membership for new HAMS that join KARS. The primary intent is to provide that benefit up to the normal annual renewal date, which occurs in March of each year. Also the suggestion of requesting a $5.00 fee from new applicants. Topic will be brought up in next meeting.

VE Session Summary from September 7th, 2019.

5 – New Technician Licensees

2 – New General License Upgrade

Extra License upgrade

The KARS raffle ticket sales are off to a good start. You are encouraged to purchase a ticket for a chance to win an Elecraft KX3 complete “Shack in a Pack” radio system. Buy a ticket!!

Treasury report: $3,849.44 current balance.

3 new members were voted in by majority show of hands. Welcome to KARS!!

There will be a “Meet the Candidate” meeting at TranStar on September 28th,, 2019 to meet and listen to the ARRL candidates in the upcoming election.

The ARRL ballots should be arriving between September 15th and October 10th, 2019.

Guest speaker was John R. Stratton N5AUS. Topic was ARRL, present and future of HAM Radio.

John gave a detailed presentation and summary of the history of ARRL and emphasized the importance of the organizations responsibility to protect the frequency allocations that are presently in place. John also stressed the importance of member involvement at the local community level and active participation in groups and clubs whose presence in the community provides a meaningful service in situations that require positive methods of communication.

One of the things that was highlighted was the necessary line of communication between ARRL and the local clubs and organizations. These local groups are the first line of visibility and recruitment needed for the continuing participation in amateur radio. Community events, EmComm testing and drills are important, as is the recognition by the communities that such volunteer services are available and can provide lifesaving communication in times of disasters and emergencies.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:23 pm.

The meeting started at 7:30 with the Pledge of Allegiance.

This month’s presentation was an in depth explanation of the APRS System (Automatic Packet Reporting System) by Michael Deaver, KG5JBJ.

Michael went into detail about how the system works, what type of communication devices could take advantage of this tool and how it is in use worldwide in various situations. It provides accurate GPS location tracking which is very valuable, especially during coordinated events and useful in disaster situations. The PowerPoint presentation can be found on the KARS website, along with many other informative presentations that have been shared at KARS monthly meetings.  http://www.katyars.com/karspresentations/

Dave Scott WD7RZA has completed the alignment of the new KARS 442.3500 repeater and it will shortly be installed at the hospital location. Some maintenance will also be done to the antenna systems at the same time. Updates will be posted to the website and the Facebook page.

August 17th will be the practice ride for the Tour de Cure, the Tour de Goya ride. It is a short event that begins and ends in the Brookshire area. There are several volunteers that have signed up and anyone who would like to participate to help and observer how ham radio plays an important part in local community events is welcome to attend.

A motion was presented to accept the board meeting minutes by Bob WB3EWP and seconded by Tom AE5TG. Motion was approved and minutes accepted.

A new club membership application was submitted by Verdi A. Wahjosoedibjo N5VW. A show of hands vote by attending members approved the application and accepted. Verdi was accompanied by his daughter who has also expressed an interest in ham radio and is planning to take her Technician exam next VE session. Welcome to the Katy Amateur Radio Society!!

The next VE Session is scheduled for September 7, 2019. Details can be found at the KARS website, along with what items you need to bring.

Date: September 7

Time: 9:30 am – 11:00 am

Cost: $15

Venue:  Westlake VFD ESD47, 19636 Saums Rd, Katy, TX

KARS Raffle tickets have been printed and are available, you can go to the website and use the link to purchase online and use PayPal option.

Treasury Report: $4680.73

The meeting was adjourned at 8:23 pm.

The meeting started at 7:30 with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Our guest speaker for the evening was Mike Urich, KA5CVH. Mike has been involved in all aspects of Emergency Communications, from manning stations during natural disasters, aiding search, rescue and recovery events, holding training and instructional classes and being very involved with the ARRL community. He is an excellent liaison between the needs of the first responders and those in the HAM community who wish to contribute their time and expertise.

Highlights of the presentation included the basic information concerning training, what equipment is needed and what would work best for certain situations. One key thing is that, in emergency remote operations the rule is: Keep it simple. UHF/VHF FM, 20/40/75 meter SSB are the most commonly used and recommended.

Much information can be gleaned by visiting the website: HarriscountyARES.org

Mike brought several examples of his portable operation kits. Start simple and keep it affordable.

A motion was made to accept the meeting minutes, Bob, WB3EWP made the motion and Mike, KA5OXA seconded the motion, and it was passed with a majority vote.

Some Quad Club Field Day statistics:

10A operation, 4 stations SSB, 4 stations CW and 2 various digital modes.

Extra points for a solar powered station

Contacts 3,883 total contacts for a 15K point score.

There were 3 Tri-band antennas, 2 40m beams, two beverage antennas, two manlifts, 65’ and 45’, a 50’ tower on a trailer and the Fort Bend Emergency Communications Trailer was on site.

A storage unit for the clubs equipment has been located and will be finalized. It is on Franz road near Station 4, which is a good central location for the Katy area.

Discussion for the next KARS Raffle, where it was proposed to offer a Elecraft KX3 “Shack in a Pack” for the prize. Tickets will be $20.00 each and sales will be started soon to allow ample time for interested parties to participate. The raffle will be open to all.

A motion was made by Mike KA5OXA to approve the raffle and the club purchase of the radio and was seconded by Tom, AE5TG. A majority show of hands passed the vote. Elecraft does offer a discount to participating clubs.

VE testing on July 6th: 6 tests administered, 4 new Technician Class and 2 upgrades to General Class.

The Meeting adjourned at 8:35 pm.

Field Day 2019 Photos

See who you recognize…

Minutes from the KARS Monthly Meeting February 8, 2021

In keeping with the continuing social distancing guidelines, our KARS meeting was conducted via Zoom.

The meeting was started at 7:30 pm with the Pledge of Allegiance.

The meeting started off with an announcement that there were two slots available for Net Control on March 23 and 30.

Members were advised that membership dues are due by 1 April.

We did not secure a room for our face-to-face monthly meetings and the board and membership expressed the desire for a hybrid setup where members have the choice between joining in person and joining online.

We had a new member, George T Richards (WA9GUS; General Class) who was voted on by the members present. There being no dissenting votes he is now an official member of Katy Amateur Radio Society.

The working group lead by Louis Orlando (W5BWV) was asking for members to email their suggestions on membership recruitment and retention.

The treasurer reported that not all members had paid their dues yet and gave an update on the storage shed. The price was to increase to $72 in February, but we had countered with a lower offer. No news yet on that being accepted. The 5×10 storage unit is climate controlled.

The suggestion of an ice cream social with Brazos Valley was raised to establish potential collaborations.

The option of a DMR repeater for KARS was raised, but with the new one in Richmond that covers most of Houston there was not much to gain.

The meeting ended with a presentation by John Thurmond (K5JBT) on microprocessors. He showed what was possible with just a handful of dollars in equipment and a copy/paste code from freely available websites. During the presentation he showed how easy it was to create a light that would differ in brightness depending on the strength of the Rx signal. Specific equipment that was mentioned was: Pi Zero; Arduino ($30), Arduino Nano ($20), the Arduino Starter Kit ($36), and the Raspberry Pi Micro Controller (Pico RP2040 for $4). John showed that you don’t need advanced programming skills, and that there is a huge library that you can tweak to your particular purpose.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:30 pm

Hielke Buddelmeijer KI5JYX

Secretary KARS

Meeting started at 7:33 with the Pledge of Allegiance

The presentation that was scheduled for this month’s meeting has been postponed. The hospital has upgraded their viewing configuration, removing the projection machine and installing a large flat screen monitor. The original VGA connections are no longer available, now inputs are HDMI. The club will take steps to be sure the proper adapters are available prior to the next scheduled meeting.

The June KARS Club Meeting presentation will be a demonstration and basic instructions on the operation of the K3 equipment that will be used at the combined Field Day June 22nd and 23rd. If you are not familiar with this equipment which is very popular during contesting please attend and feel free to take notes.

I static demonstration of the new BuddiPole mast assembly was given by Jimmy Vance, which showed how the antenna had been adapted to securely fit the mast and facilitate the ease of setup and operation when the remote repeater is used.

The Smoke Alarm Blitz had been cancelled, a tentative reschedule date had been set for June 8th. This date would be in conflict with the scheduled Extreme Weather Conference to be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center on the same date. There may be some issues having enough volunteers to properly execute the Smoke Alarm Blitz.

A vote was taken to officially allow Katy Amateur Radio Society Club to participate in the upcoming Multi-Club Multi-Day Field Day activities. If the vote passed there would be a $250.00 participation fee. The motion was made to approve participation by N5KT and seconded by AE5TG. A show of hands, yay or nay indicated a majority approved of the participation.

Speculation is that, during Field Day the most promising modes of communication would tend to be CW and FT-8, given the inconsistency of the bands for voice communications. The bands to be used include 10m -15m-20m-40 m. Phone or FT-8

Group discussion concerning the Saturday morning KARS breakfast meetings. The suggestion was made to suggest several locations and, by majority vote decide which location would be the posted weekly Saturday location.

The suggestions were:

Lubys

IHop (if chosen time would be shifted to 7:30, before their normal traffic picks up

Rudy’s BBQ

Freddy’s

By show of hands vote Freddy’s was selected over the other options.

Treasury Report: $4600.07

Museum Ship Weekend is June 1st and 2nd. Checking on availability of the Battleship Texas for operation.

Meeting adjourned at 8:20 pm. There were 27 members and 1 visitor.

Meeting started at 7:32 with the Pledge of Allegiance

Presentation this evening was given by Andy McAllister W5ACM covering the balloon launch with occurred at the recent HamFest.

Andy went into great detail and description of the preparations and results of the above mentioned launches. Andy also had a very detailed and historical presentation covering the progress that has been made over the years in planning and staging the events by the South Texas Balloon Launch Team.

The next major launch event is scheduled on September 28^th, 2019 to be held at the Intergalactic Spaceport at the Wharton Airport. Plans are for a 28# payload. Launch will be at 10:00 am. APRS tracking can be followed at 144.39 MHz

Meeting minutes from the Board meeting were accepted.

The Buddipole setup for the club portable repeater antenna has been ordered.

Texas Parks On The Air – No shelters were available to reserve for the event.

Next Smoke Alarm Blitz is scheduled for May 4, 2019. More details will be posted and volunteers are welcome.

The Safety Fest is scheduled, rain or shine, for April 13^th. 6 to 8 volunteers to act as rovers are needed.

Treasury Report: Current Balance: $4601.31 after Buddipole Purchase of $309.17

We had 25 members attending, with one visitor, Keith, KA5BZM

Meeting adjourned at 8:34