ARROW/RedCross Agenda for September 23rd, 2008



Meeting began at 19:05
Meeting ended at 20:09

In attendance:
WB8TKL, W8FSA, N8CBW, KD8GWX, W8SGZ, KD7RPJ, N8SBE, K8GEO


Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2008 13:26:02 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jay Nugent 
Reply-To: ARROW-RedCross@yahoogroups.com
To: ARROW-Red Cross 
Subject: [ARROW-RedCross] Meeting Agenda for September 23rd, 2008

Greetings,
   The following is the rough agenda for tonight's meeting.  If you have
additional items to add, just email me, or bring them up at the meeting,
of course!

  "+" denotes changes since the previous agenda


  1) The SOU has been completed and is ready to be signed.
      + The last edit was completed and the SOU is posted on the
        www.nuge.com/~wb8tkl/redcross website
      + Corey has a copy of the Master document ready for printing.
      + A "photo-op" needs to be scheduled for the signing.  Then both the
        Red Cross and the ARROW can put out a "press release" to raise a
        little community awareness of both organizations.


  2) Status of PC's and net access
      - The Grand Rapids Red Cross has determined the proper
        configuration of "OutPost" (WinXP) to talk directly with JNOS.
        We will try to get this configuration on our boxes ASAP.
           + Have attempted to get OutPost configured but still run into
             some odd behavior on login.
      + Have installed "Alpine" on both the XP and Linux boxes.  It sends
        email okay, but still needs to be configured to properly POP3/IMAP
        from the Exchange server.
      + Will eventually configure Alpine to POP email directly to/from the
        JNOS box


  3) Station Managers & ID Cards
      - Get proximity/swipe card for Mark W8FSA
           + Does Mark now have his proximity card?????


  4) Staff training
      - Train ASM's on all equipment in the Comm-Center
           + Most ASM's know how to operate the systems in the Comm-Center
             with the possible exception of the JNOS/Packet station.
             More hands-on training will come in time...
      - Train SM's on ARC operational policies & procedures
           + Some ASM's understand the ARC procedures and processes.  More
             training will come in time...


  5) Comm-Center updates:
        + Bulletin board has been mounted on the back wall.
        + 12-volt emergency lighting has been (temporarily) installed
          (turn it on by plugging in the power-poles near the 12v P.S.)
        + A fan has been placed in the room for better air circulation
        + A single run of RG8X has been (temporarily) run through the 2nd
          conduit to the tower
        + A 12-foot (temporary) crossarm has been installed at the 30-foot
          level on the tower.  A 2/440 J-Pole is mounted on the North side
          and a 2/220/440 (unity-gain) Tri-V has been mounted on the South side.
          The J-pole uses the RG8X coax feed.  The Tri-V *can* be placed
          on the HF dipole feed when needed.
        + S.E.T. materials are posted on the bulletin board
        + MI-ARPSC, HWN, SATERN, and SEMTN freqs/times posted on the BB
        + Determined the telephone in the Comm-Center is extension #252
        + Updated the Chapter phone directory and posted on the BB


  6) Red Cross hierarchy chart (who are the players?)
      - Corey provided Org Charts
           + Jay printed out copies and posted on the bulletin board
           + Station Managers, ARROW BoD, Washtenaw ARPSC, and ARRL
             Michigan Section Staff contact information, along with the
             ARROW Membership roster, have all been posted on the bulletin
             board.


  7) Work party needed to install HT chargers in DAT/ERV vehicles
         -- Need to coordinate HT installs in DAT/ERV vehicles
            (Clark & Jay)
            - Corey asked us to hold off 1 month as National may be
              replacing some vehicles
                  + Continuing to hold on this project


  8) Work party to remote 47.42 MHz to Corey's office
      o Determine pinout and wiring for remote control head
         -- Test remote head locally
              - DONE (tkl)
         -- Route and pull control cable through the building
            (perhaps see IT guy & use existing CAT5 cables)
              - Motorola stipulates 100 foot max cable run
      - Will we need this for the September exercise???
         + No change in status...


  9) 10-meter Groundplane cut down to 47.42 for Corey's house
      - Are ya ready, Corey?


 10) 2-meter/440 synth rig w/PL needed
      o Current rig is a loaner from N8AMX and is "strange" to operate
      o Likely will want/need *TWO* rigs in a real event
      - Possible sources of loaners/donations???
        (Corey == 7100  //  N8SBE == 10w 2/440 rig)
      - Will need something better before the September exercise
         + Jay (TKL) will loan Kenwood TM-V708 2/440 rig for the S.E.T.


  11) Shelter/Canteen Test Exercise, September 27th [S.E.T.]
      - Met with Corey twice to work on the "plan"
           + Met again with Corey Nygaard & Dale Austin to finalize
             the S.E.T. plans (@ 4pm today)
      - Met with RACES Leadership and they wish to participate by
        staffing the County EOC (and perhaps others) as well as
        deploy the 4WD Team as appropriate.
           + RACES group (Ben KC8NIY) planning to open both County
             and Ann Arbor EOC's and perform their own SET scenarios.
      - State ARPSC has announced a "pandemic" event for the state
      - NTS will follow a more ICS-like command structure
           + "Division" and "Strike Team" assignments have been
              posted on the bulletin board.
      - What additional pre-event training do we want/need???
      - Should we run temporary coax and mount an additional 2/440
        temporary antenna???
           + Coax has been run and TWO antennas have been temporarily
             hung on the tower.


 12) Plan further tower work and antenna installations:
      + 75-meter dipole
         + Still needs to be rehung to far side of parking lot
           (not too much call for HF comms yet so this has been low on the
            priority list)

      o HF beam & rotor
         - Beam is at KT8K's and will need to be refurbished
              - Tim KT8K reports two elements are bent and there are an
                ODD number of traps.  The antenna need MUCH attention and
                *may* not be deployable before Winter.
         - Rotor
            - Research what further hardware (mounting plates, thrust
              bearings) are needed to mount the rotor atop the Trylon T500
              64' tower

      o Additional coax runs (fill pipe in one pass)
         - Steve WB8WSF will purchase 1000' roll of 9914 in July
           for $500.  ARROW will cover initial costs with ARC reimbursing
           at a later date
            - WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE COAX, STEVE???? (wb8wsf) !!!!!!!!
                  + Steve was able to get the first 500 feet and has
                    delivered it to Jay (stored in his garage)
                  + Remaining 500 feet will be shipped at a reduced cost

      o What other antennas should we install?
         - 2-meter omni for Packet
         - 2m/70cm stick identical to existing stick
         - Scanner antenna (50MHz thru 900Mhz)
         - HF tri-bander beam (already planned)
         - 2-meter beam (atop HF tri-bander) for Simplex operations
         - This leaves one "spare" coax run for temporary HF/VHF/UHF ants.

       ------- This all needs to be coordinated ---------
             Note: HWF, GEO, FSA participated in earlier install
             - A deployment plan needs to be written
             - Materials need to be priced & purchased
             - Work needs to be scheduled
             - Execute! (before the snow flies!!!)

             + No change in status.
               This project eeds to be planned out, materials priced and
               purchased, and the plan executed.  Expected to be worked on
               after the S.E.T. is over and before the snow flies.


 13) Comm-Center "projects":
      o Need bulletin/white boards (Corey & Mark W8FSA)
            + Bulletin board has been provided and installed (TNX Corey!)
            + Still awaiting the white board from W8FSA
      - Need 6-volt lantern batteries (qty 2) for flashlights
            + no change in status
      + 12-volt backup lighting system
            + Halogen lamp proven to provide adaquate backup lighting for
              the entire room.  LED lamp provide marginal and localized
              lighting needs only.
            + 12v Halogen desk lamp (temporary) provided by TKL for
              Packet/Linux desk
      + Comm-Center toolbox is still VERY shy on needed hand tools to
        perform simple maintenance needs.

   See the "WISH LIST" at www.nuge.com/~wb8tkl/redcross/wish-list.html



 Misc.:
   -- September 23rd     [ARROW/RedCross meeting]
   -- September 27th     [** Simulated Emergency Test ** S.E.T.]
   -- October 4th        ARRL National Simulated Emergency Test S.E.T.
   -- October 12th       [Michigan State ARRL Convention]
                          and DRG Presentation by WB8TKL
   -- October 14th       DAT team meeting @ 6pm
   -- October 23rd       [Washtenaw ARPSC General Membership Meeting]


   Thanks!
      --- Jay Nugent  WB8TKL
          o ARROW/RedCross Liasion & Station Manager

In response to the issue about dumbing-down Amateur Radio, a fellow Ham
said:    "Would you like fries with that emergency communication?"
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