President Jack McGowan AD7NK called the meeting to order at 19:00 and welcomed the 38 attendees. Ray Draves KE7VTR, a guest, introduced himself.
Don recapped the various events from March including the Antenna and Attenuator Parties, the Spring Picnic, and the Transmitter/Geocache Hunts. Bill Hooper K6WWH and Dale Lang AA1LZ were first to find the transmitters. In April, Lloyd will host another attenuator building session and Ken will arrange a field trip to the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory.
We had one large expense in March namely, liability insurance, and will have a large expenditure in April for a new repeater.
Ron reported that the new UHF repeater has been received and installed.
During the past month the club’s web site had 615 hits from 416 persons. The most popular web pages were the events and newsletter pages. The visits came from 30 countries including: U.S., Germany, Brazil, Italy, U.K., etc.
There are three weeks of school left. On the fifteenth we have a special treat for the students as we will visit the local radio control airplane facility so the students can fly their planes and watch others fly theirs. Lloyd is arranging for another session of attenuator building. As was proven at the recent transmitter hunt, a good attenuator is essential when you get near the transmitter. Another attenuator build is planned for Friday, April 23rd at 7 p.m. There are three people presently signed up to attend. If you would like to build an attenuator, please contact Lloyd , N7GV at 648-2834. The charge for parts is $10.
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The GVARC will hold a special event on May 8, 2010 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. MST. Lloyd N7GV and Gene W0KAD are coordinating the effort with assistance from Jon Otto AD7GS and Don Doehring K7DOD. We will set up at the discone antenna to celebrate the 24th anniversary of the Titan Missile Decommissioning and will use 21.280, 14.240, and 7.225. Jack McGowan AD7NK, will bring soda, water, and a grill. Jon will get hot dogs, buns and chips.
QSL certificates will be available to those who send us QSL cards.
It should be lots of fun. Hope to see you there.
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Ken Van Horn KE7VTW Announced that he has thirty people signed up for the Mt. Hopkins Field trip on April 30. There may be room for one more as he will be riding “shotgun.” Our website has a map and directions to reach the visitors center. Participants should remember to bring some warm clothes and a picnic lunch.
Joe Schienberg NX2L, received a QSL card from the Admiral Nimitz Museum for his participation as a WWII veteran in their celebration. Congratulations Joe!
Bob Epstein AD7FQ thanked those members that volunteered to help last week’s Tour De Cure and let us know that another opportunity will be available on Sunday, April 26th with the Tour De Tucson Mountains. See Bob for details.
John Super W2CRS presented an interesting and informative talk about TAK spiral antennas and displayed two that he has made. These antennas are spirally-wound dipoles that can be purchased from TAK-TENNA for $150 plus $18 shipping or homebrewed for about $20. John’s antennas are constructed from PVC pipe and fairly heavy gauge wire used in chain link fences. As with other dipoles, they can be made to cover a variety of frequencies. John had handouts that indicated the SWR for various frequencies on twenty and forty meter bands. These antennas can be used in a vertical or horizontal orientation and John has had a good performance with his. If you didn’t get a handout and would like one, email me and I will scan mine and email them to you. Also, you can learn more about these antennas on the internet. Google: “Bills TAK antenna,” then click on: “DXZone/Antenna,” then click on: “ZMV spiral antenna.”
The meeting was adjourned at 19:47.
Our next meeting will be at 19:00 on May 12th.