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MAARS Club Meeting Minutes
10 November 2023
Officers in Attendance:
President – Ryan Benteman – AD0TZ
Vice Pres. – Craig Moore – WN0KS
Treasurer – Suzanne Asbury – W0MMA
Secretary – Jason Johnson – KB0EOD
M.A.A.R.S. VE ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator Jim Foster – KS0VO
16 in Attendance
Meeting was called to order at 18:36 hrs. by Ryan Benteman – AD0TZ Club President Meeting began with introductions
Officer Reports:
President Ryan Benteman – AD0TZ Began meeting with introductions. Treasurer Report – Suzanne Asbury – W0MMA will review the October 2023 Treasurer’s Report as published 01 November.
Membership Dues for year 2024 were and continue to be collected. Ryan Benteman – AD0TZ presented a plaque to this years’ “The Glen Rubash Memorial M.A.A.R.S. Member of the Year” to Jason Johnson – KB0EOD.
Vice President – NSTR
Old Business:
Jon Klimek – KE0MHK Frequency Coordinator has/will update the latitude and longitude of the new repeater site with the Kansas Regional Coordinator so that our site license and Repeater Book can be updated.
Ryan Benteman – AD0TZ Approximate specifications of the new repeater site:
An increase in ground elevation by 110’
An increase in tower elevation by 155’
An estimated antenna tip elevation gain of 265’
The backup Motorola Quantar Machine fell victim to a failed Onan™ power supply while reprogramming and updating it. The backup duplexer (cans) were taken to Ka-Comm Inc., for alignment verification or tuning. The Motorola Quantar located at the KSDB-FM repeater site was taken offline and brought to the new tower repeater site along with the newly realigned or duplexer (cans) and is now online. The Old KSDB-FM repeater site houses the backup batteries power supply, as the new repeater site utilizes an AC to 48 VDC and 110 volt inverter to DC power system with generator backup, housing Riley County, Mutual aide as well as other agencies communications equipment. The KSDB-FM repeater site has had the M.A.A.R.S. APRS digipeater connected to the old repeater’s antenna increasing its effective range. Dave Mills – KD0AZG The Schurle 70cm tower site will be in a future project now that the 2m site has been completed.
M.A.A.R.S. VE ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator Jim Foster – KS0VO There will be a Testing Session at the Manhattan Public library on 11 November. 2nd Floor Auditorium 0900-1100 Hrs. Jon Klimek – KE0MHK discussed the Simplex Exercise (SET) Simulated Emergency Training exercise. Konza Prairie Overlook was the location of NET Control. Jon recapped weather, locations of the participants. KSU Game Day added an extra layer of confusion to the exercise as it was nearly impossible to activate the Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan, adjacent Bill Snyder Family Stadium. An alternate location was chosen, occupying the City of Manhattan Fire Department Training Center and Headquarters Fire Station, 2000 Denison Ave. An After Actions Review was sent to RCEM which will be included as an attachment for the next grant submission. There will be more exercises in the future.
New Business:
Ryan Benteman – AD0TZ, Officer Positions and Elections for 2024
Suzanne Asbury – W0MMA will remain Treasurer
Jason Johnson – KB0EOD will remain Secretary
Matt Hale – KF0ISO is Vice President
Dave Mills – KD0AZG is President
M.A.A.R.S. NET Control position is still available for the first Tuesday of the month weekly nets.
Jon Klimek – KE0MHK has proposed that meetings be moved from the Keats Park to the Manhattan Public Library in order to create a video teleconference with such programs as Zoom® or Skype®, linking the meeting to those which cannot attend with audio/video that Jon will provide. The Keats Park was chosen as a location for meetings once the library was closed to public meetings as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Keats Park has no public internet and cellular service is not reliable. The library does close at 2000 hrs. This proposal will be readdressed in January of 2024 when regular M.A.A.R.S. meetings resume. Jon Klimek – KE0MHK advises that the S-COM 7330 Repeater Controller needs to be serviced from the manufacturer in Van Nuys, CA. Bench time would be $100.00 plus servicing and shipping. Jon will contact S-COM and receive additional information which will be briefed at the January of 2024 when regular M.A.A.R.S. meetings resume.
Treasurer Report – Suzanne Asbury – W0MMA reimbursed Ryan Benteman – AD0TZ for the purchase of “The Glen Rubash Memorial M.A.A.R.S. Member of the Year” plaque, in the amount of $34.93.
Ryan Benteman – AD0TZ Motion was approved to purse the purchase of a new “Onan™ like” power supply as the Onan™ power supplies are prone to failure, for the backup Motorola Quantar Machine in the amount of between $200 – $500 including tax and shipping. The Christmas Party gathering is at Pizza Ranch, 511 McCall Rd, Manhattan, KS 66502, (785) 537-2200, on 08DEC23 at 1830 hrs. Families are encouraged to attend. There will be no formal meeting for the month of December. Suzanne Asbury – W0MMA will contact Pizza Ranch to reserve an area. Please contact Suzanne via email reply to her Christmas Party email with numbers in attendance.
Suzanne <suzasb@embarqmail.com>
Please refer to the link for Pizza Ranch Menu items: Menu: pizzaranch.com
Meeting adjourned at 19:14 hrs
Nothing Follows