SCCARC Board Minutes 2/27/20

Call to order
A meeting of SCCARC (Santa Cruz County Amateur Radio Club) was held via telephone conference call on Feb. 27, 2020, beginning at 7:35 PM.
Attendees
Attendees: Allen, WB6RWU; David, N6DTA; John, N6QX; Becky, KI6TKB; Nate, KM6THA;
Cap, KE6AFE (late, due to net control duty); Richard, K8SQB;
Board Members not in attendance
Not in attendance: Don, K6GHA
Also present
Mike, KM6IKE
Approval of minutes
January BOD meeting minutes approved.
Reports
Treasurer’s Report
Club liability insurance renewed through April 1, 2021. $200 annual premium paid by John will be
reimbursed.
Club post office box renewal due soon, approx $106/year.
Recent members’ dues payments still being processed.
Old Business
Club Repeater Status Update (Nate)
The 70-cm repeater was returned from repair and is now back in service. Nate needs reimbursement for shipping costs.
The old 2-meter Micor radio which has an intermittent thermal problem has been replaced by the spare Yaesu DR-1X, now linked to old CAT-1000 controller via a special Yaesu interface cable.
Audio levels from the KJ6FFP/W Watsonville linked repeater are incorrect and difficult to adjust due to lack of test equipment and documentation. Nate will meet at the repeater site Sunday, Mar. 1, with Paul, K6EH, who has volunteered to assist.
The DTMF output to the Echolink computer had originated directly from the Micor radio rather than the CAT‐1000 controller for reasons undocumented and unknown. With the Micor out ofservice, outbound Echolink connections are therefore currently nonfunctional. Nate will attempt to figure out how best to restore this.
Nate continues to recommend equipment replacement as proposed last fall, for several reasons:
The controller, repeater radio, and other equipment in the rack are connected via a jumbled rat’s nest of cabling, undocumented, with little circuit protection, making service difficult.
The CAT-1000 controller’s manufacturer is out of business and parts unavailable.
The Watsonville UHF link will be easier to maintain, adjust, and when necessary, troubleshoot, with a modern radio of the same type as the one at KJ6FFP/W.
The Cat-1000 prioritizes audio from Santa Cruz over audio from Watsonville, making it difficult for South County hams to participate in nets. The poor ventilation environment in the repeater shack has stressed long-installed
equipment.

The repeater shed entry door is decaying and needs replacement. (Cap indicates that the club owns the actual building, but not the concrete slab or land on which it’s built.)
Becky asked the board to be prepared to revisit the discussion of repeater equipment upgrades and where funding might be obtained at next month’s board meeting. Becky volunteered to investigate cost of a new exterior door.
New Email Reflector (David)
97 members on email list
91 messages passed in February
David just posted a new poll asking members what topics they’d like to see covered in future club meetings.
New Business
Club Radio Shack at DeLaveaga Park
Cap reported that Shakespeare Santa Cruz expansion plans, as explained to him, will not affect the club shack, and do not conflict with operation of any club equipment, contrary to some earlier reports. Trees planted under our beam will not present a problem for many years; our old telephone pole antenna support will need replacement before then.
A possible roof leak needs investigation. Allen will investigate Hurculiner as a possible patching material.
Agreements about Club Equipment
Becky reminded everyone that any agreements regarding club equipment must be approved by the Board.
Field Day 2020
As Kerry, K3RRY, presented at the last club meeting, we hope to hold Field Day at the Ben Lomond Cal Fire Training Facility in Bonny Doon. But we need a Plan B in case construction there is not completed.
Becky will work with Kerry to ensure we have a captain for each planned station, and to agree on food policy at the event.
Special Event Stations
June 7, Wilder Ranch “History of the Ranch” – Richard will take the lead in organizing a ham station on site in a manner compatible with the Park Service’s plans.
July 3, Watsonville Airport Open House – Becky will discuss possibilities with Bob Wiser, K6RMW.
August Lighthouse event TBD.

Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 8:52 PM.
Next Board Meeting
Conference call, Thursday, March 26, 7:30 PM
Voice-only dial-in number: 515-604-9396. Code: 781200
Minutes by John, N6QX.

SCCARC Board Minutes 12/20/2019

Call to order
A meeting of SCCARC (Santa Cruz County Amateur Radio Club) was held at the Santa Cruz Red Cross
on Dec. 20, 2019, beginning at 7:05 PM.
Attendees
Attendees: Allen, WB6RWU; John, N6QX; Becky, KI6TKB; Nate, KM6THA; Cap, KE6AFE; Richard,
K8SQB; David, N6DTA
Members not in attendance
Not in attendance: Don, K6GHA
Approval of minutes
November BOD meeting minutes not yet distributed.
Reports
Treasurer’s Report
Cash on hand: $3646.51
Recent expenditures include $700 for the holiday lunch (offset by $300 in member payments), NARCC dues for 2020, and $215 for Yaesu repeater cable. Annual dues payments from all members are expected during the first quarter of 2020.
Old Business
Repeater Repair Update
The old Micor radio is back in service and currently working properly in the club’s 2-meter repeater. This restores most of the repeater’s previous functions. Experience suggests this radio will likely become unreliable again in hot weather. Cap received the interface cable which should
allow our spare Yaesu DR-1X radio to run with the CAT-1000 controller. Cap and Jeff, AE6KS, encountered squelch malfunctions while testing it, not yet resolved. Meanwhile, that Yaesu radio has been pressed into service to replace the similar radio in the club’s 70-cm repeater, which bricked during an attempted software upgrade. The board agreed to ship the bricked radio to Yaesu for a repair estimate and reimburse Nate for
shipping costs. KJ6FFP in Watsonville will remain linked to K6BJ-70cm, not K6BJ-2meter, until these issues are resolved.
January Club Meeting
Ron will present on vertical antennas; order forms for Ed Fong J-Poles will be available. Richard
and David will poll members on desired topics for future meetings.
New Business
Club Bylaws
Becky requested all Board Members read and comment on the current Bylaws. The Board voted
not to send any Bylaw updates to the Calif. Sec’y of State.

Future Club Activities
Becky requested input from Board Members on desired activities which support the statement of
club objectives in the Bylaws.
Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 8:25 PM.
Next Board Meeting
Conference call, Thursday, January 23, 7:30 PM
Voice-only dial-in number: 515-604-9396. Code: 781200
Minutes by John, N6QX.