hamfest

Minutes: June 9, 2026

June 16, 2026 Editor

1900 Meeting called to order by Vice President Todd Wilson, NØUNI.

Announcement
* Zack, WØZC, announced his Great Plains Super Launch ballooning event in Pella, IA, June 18-20.

Reports
* May minutes were read, John/Joe moved acceptance, passed.
* Treasurer’s report was read and distributed. Zack/Jeff moved, passed.
* Repeater trustee teport: .67 DMR repeater: Jeff and Zack have been putting in an effort to determine what is needed to connect it to Brandmeister or another server. Internet options: Starlink standby for $10/month or Ideatek for $35/month. The existing Internet connection there is unavailable to us. Jeff and Jerry will get together with the programming software to determine a configuration. Also, Zack has cleaned up the WØWR licensing for easier renewal.

Committees
* Hamfest: Zack is working with Bryon with our website to allow prepayment for vendor tables via debit or credit. If you are aware of a school, kid, or church group that would like to provide refreshments, let Jerry know. There are now three breakout sessions: Jerome, 9:15; Zack, 10:15; and Mira, 11:15. Laurel testing will begin at 10. For door prizes, Dan has provided a couple of 2m HT’s. Jerry has some power supplies. We could use an HF set. We can get ARRL certificates.

Old Business
* Field Day: Thanks to those who responded to Jerry’s schedule inquiry. Unfortunately, the response was from just a few. Field Day, for those who would like to participate, will be at the climate-controlled ACØRL shack. Nate and Joe moved that we allow up to $200 for a portable potty for Field Day; motion passed. More details about Field Day will be forthcoming.

New Business
None.

NCS
* Jun 16: NØUNI
* Jun 23: KAØNES
* Jun 30: KIØKG
* Jul 7: ACØMO

2000 Peace and harmony reigning, a motion to adjourn by John/Jeff, passed.

Minutes: May 12, 2026

May 26, 2026 Editor

1900 Meeting called to order by KBØSQL.

Anouncements
* EOC has been remodeled. Unfortunately a construction worker decided that all of the labeling on the coax and network cables was not required.
* Trip to Bob Barker’s QTH in Derby yielded another truckload of stuff, hamfest goodies.

Reports
* April minutes read; Jeff/John made motion, passed.
* Treasurer’s report read; Nate/Joe, passed.
* Repeater trustee’s report: .67 DMR, no progress. .12 AOK.

Old Business
* Hamfest committee: All is looking good for August. We need to schedule a meeting a few weeks prior. Refreshments could be provided by a charity/church/youth group for their fund raising, suggestions solicited. Club will need four tables. Dan provided two talk pods for door prizes.
* Field Day: The site at the new facility is not prepared. Marc has volunteered his FT8 setup, The EOC and Jerry both have a 7300. Jerry can provide a Starlink for Internet. The Mad Cow may not be available; we could possibly use Dan’s tower. We could use CERT’s or Todd’s generator. We could also get power from the building for lighting, etc. We’ll need the usual extension cords, food, drinks, etc. Past Field Days have been poorly attended. Jerry suggested that we do Field Day from our home QTH’s. He can open his shack for whoever wants to operate there. As a club, it is permitted with a power limitation.

No New Business

NCS
5-19: ACØMO
5-26: KAØNES
6-2: KIØKG

1953 Meeting adjourned, Bryon/Nancy, passed.

Hamfest ’26

May 13, 2026 Editor

= The vendor tables are first-come, first-serve. Each table is 8′ long. The price includes complimentary seating and one venue admission ticket. Use this link to reserve a table. Prepayment is required.

= You must preregister for the amateur radio license testing sessions. You may do so here.

= You must be present to win the door prizes.

We’re looking forward to seeing you!

Minutes: January 13, 2026

January 14, 2026 Editor

1900 Meeting called to order

Announcements
* Storm Fury on the Plains storm spotter training and weather awareness seminar will be at 1830 hours, Feb. 23, at the fire training center on East 4^th Ave. [Time was given as 1900 hours at the meeting. It has been changed to agree with NWS Wichita’s announcement.]
Roll call
* 17 present
Reports
* November minutes were read, motion Jeff/Zack, passed.
* Treasurer’s report read, motion Jeff and Joe, passed.
* Repeater trustee: The .67 site has been greatly upgraded with heating and air conditioning and a backup generator. We would like to see more activity on this repeater. The .12 repeater is nominal.
Committees
* Hamfest: The room is confirmed. We need speakers or presentations for break-out sessions. The event will be ARRL sanctioned, but due to the lack of communication with our regional ARRL representative, we have declined to host the state convention.
Old Business
* DMR Internet for the .67. Starlink has an affordable option. The hardware is less than $300 and the monthly fees are as low as $5.
New Business
* The club has agreed to investigate the Starlink option and what additional equipment is required to provide an Internet backbone to the .67 repeater.
NCS
* Jan. 20: NØFXG
* Jan. 27: KAØNES
* Feb. 3: ACØMO
Presentations
* WØZC presented his DXxpidition to the US Virgin Island of St. Thomas and the pitfalls of being on the wrong side of a hill. He also spoke about his POTA operation at VI0001.
* ACØRL brought a Starlink unit for the club to see.

2000 Meeting adjourned

Minutes: October 14, 2025

October 20, 2025 Editor

1900 Meeting called to order
Introductions were made.
Roll Call; 16 members present.

Housekeeping
* September minutes were read, Phil/Todd, passed.
* Treasurer’s report was read, Jeff/Scott, passed.
* Repeater Trustee, all repeaters nominal. Todd reported hearing the 147.120 repeater 15 miles east of Larned. I heard him call 25 miles east.
Committees
* Hamfest, room confirmed. Ron Cowan was notified that we want to host the state convention.
* Christmas Party will be at 6 p.m. December 9 in the Rice Park shelter house.
Old Business
None.
New Business
* POTA Weekend this weekend.
* Discussion on a format emergency calling frequency. Many felt that the 147.120 repeater is the best choice, backed up by the 146.67.
* Mark is not going to run for VP next year. We need someone willing to fill Mark’s shoes. VP responsibilities include:
4 Filling in when the president is absent.
4 Obtaining the chamber key.
4 Organizing monthly presentations.
In further discussion on new blood in the leadership, someone said to our president that he isn’t very professional. I recommend if you feel that way, get involved and run for an opening, and soon enough you can be running the club, if elected.
NCS
* 10/21: WØRHP
* 10/28: KAØNES
* 11/4: NØFXG

2002 Meeting Adjournment, Scott/Phil, passed.
Our next meeting is November 11.

Jerome Kahn, ACØRL, secretary-treasurer

Minutes: July 8, 2025

July 14, 2025 Editor

1900 Meeting called to order

Guests
* KEØVHD Patrick
* KFØTXG Scott
Both have signed up and paid their dues. Welcome, new members.
Announcements/Reports
* Minutes, Todd/John – Passed
* Treasurer’s report, Todd/Tom – Passed
* Repeater Trustee: .12 machine nominal. .67 machine: Repeater duplexer cabinet was rescued from Bontragers and taken to Bell Enterprises in South Hutchinson. The bottom of the cabinet is in bad shape. We are going to proceed with sand blasting. Whatever holes or missing metal exist we can replace, then we will powder coat it. The duplexers themselves can be placed back into service, and we will do that next week.
Hamfest Committee
Zack reported that there was a disconnect between various departments at the college. No word on insurance requirements. The hamfest is still a go. We will have a dinner meeting August 5, the Tuesday prior to the hamfest.
Old Business
We discussed the Field Day event; the good, the bad, and the ugly.
New Business
* New EOC is scheduled to be completed November 1.
* We need to fabricate some wood bases for the mad cow. They need to be 4 inches thick and 3 foot square
* We need more members of this group to be more involved and join CERT.
50/50 aka Crooked Raffle
Joe ACØMO won $5 and the remaining $5 goes to the club.
NCS
* July 15 WØRHP
* July 22 ACØMO
* July 29 KAØNES
* August 5 KFØBZM

2000 Meeting adjourned

Minutes: January 14, 2025

January 15, 2025 Editor

1900 Meeting called to order by President Charles Tucker.

We had an exceptional turnout and we did introductions. There was a new face: Mike Davidson, KBØUWN. We also had some Irish royalty present, Sir Sherradan.

Announcements:

* EOC is hosting a CPR and First Aid course, free to CERT members, $25/class to non-CERT members, and $45 for both. Register with KBØSQL. The classes will be held Feb. 11 and 13. The 11th conflicts with our February meeting, so depending upon conference room availability, we will announce when the February meeting will be held.

* The Great Plains Super Launch will be June 12-14th, hosted by Zack Clobes, WØZC. Check out the Super Launch website for more details. You don’t want to miss this!

Reports:

* November minutes were read and approved, motion John/Larry, passed.

* Treasurer’s report was read and accepted. There was a question on the $100 expense for last year’s hamfest; after research it was found to be money to make change for the entrance fee, to seed the till. Report was accepted, motion Larry/Jeff, passed.

Repeater Trustee

* The .67 machine is dying a slow painful death with low output and low modulation. The .12 machine is nominal. See the discussion below under New Business.

Hamfest Committee

Hamfest is scheduled for Aug. 9 at the HCC Fire Science facility. Laurel VEC will hold exams; they request advance registration. Ron Cowens has been contacted regarding ARRL participation. Break-out sessions are requested, so anyone who wishes to do a session should contact Zack, WØZC,

Old business

* Treasurer needs to get e-statements going at RCB.

New Business

* Reno County EOC has offered $5,000 to the club to replace the .67 repeater. That could buy us a DMR repeater. Internet access is unavailable and unaffordable for the club. It may be possible to set up a full duplex link via 70cm or 1.2m using TNCs for a Internet backbone to the site. We need to research if a 9600 baud link is sufficient for the DMR Internet link. Other repeater options are all on the table. Whatever we decide upon, it will need to be tolerant of the awful conditions at the site.

NCS

* Jan 21: NØFXG

* Jan 28: KAØNES

* Feb 4: KFØBZM

50/50

Our local knight in rusty armor, NØFXG, won again, I think this is becoming a truly crooked raffle. He took home $10, $11 to the club!

2000 Meeting adjourned, motion Scott/Phil, passed.

Minutes: November 12, 2024

November 13, 2024 Editor

1900 Called to (dis)order

Guest: John Brady, NØBJJ.
Announcements
* Jerry will have a three-element beam, rotor, and tower available early next year for free.
* Red Cross will be holding a CPR and First Aid class early in 2025. The cost is $25 for each class or $45 for both. CERT members’ fees will be paid by Reno County Emergency Management.
Reports
* October minutes read. Scott/Joe motion, passed.
* Treasurer’s report. John/Scott motion, passed.
* A question was brought to the president from a former member as to why we charged for admission at the hamfest. We have to pay over $200 for event insurance. We have to provide a door prize. We have to be frugal; we have money in the bank, but we must be able to replace any of the repeater equipment, radios, tower, antenna, heliax, duplexer, etc. We fund Little River school ham class.
* Repeater Trustee report and DMR discussion: infrastructure, power, tower, antenna, heliax, duplexer, Internet access, repeater.
Old Business
* Christmas Party will be at 6 p.m. December 10 in the Rice Park Community Building. Bring a side dish. No fees, except for KAØNES. 😊
* 20V-2 Article Part 1 published in the Signal Magazine. Mentioned were Scott, NØFXG; Charles, KBØSQL; Mark, KFØBZM. Scott took the world-wide publicity with his usual humble attitude; we should hereafter refer to him as Sir Sherraden. (Editor’s note: Knights are referred to by their first name, so it would actually be Sir Scott.)
New Business
Elections for 2025 officers. Motion was made to stick with current slate. Joe/John motion, passed.
NCS
* Nov. 19: NØFXG
* Nov. 26: KAØNES
* Dec. 3: ACØRL
* Dec. 17: KAØNES
* Dec. 31: NØUNI
* Jan. 7: ACØMO
50/50
NØFXG Sir Scott won and donated back to us lowly peasants $9.

2015 Meeting adjourned. Joe/Todd motion, passed.

Minutes: September 10, 2024

September 18, 2024 Editor

1900 Meeting called to order by Vice President Mark Rankin. We did not have a quorum, which requires 11 members present.
Announcements
* KS QSO Party, no word on our standing yet.
Minutes read and approved. Motion John/Larry, passed
Treasurer’s report read and approved. Motion Todd/Roger, passed
Repeater trustee – all ok
Committee Reports
* Hamfest committee:
We approved 8/9/2025 for the next hamfest. We discussed selling prize or raffle tickets, having guest speakers, and the possibility of hosting the State Convention. HCC approved our use or the Fire Training Facility for next year.
Old business
None.
New Business
* Christmas Party:
Carriage Crossing will cater meats only: turkey, roast beef, and chicken. Maybe 40 servings?
NCS
* 9/17: NØUNI
* 9/24: KAØNES
* 10/1: KBØSQL was volunteered in absentia. I think it’s near Topeka…
Motion to adjourn: Todd/John, passed.
1926 Meeting adjourned

Meeting: August 13, 2024

August 14, 2024 Editor

1900 Meeting called to order at the Reno County EOC.

Announcements:
* Wichita Hamfest will be Oct. 5th.
* Kansas QSO Party will be August 24-25. Our club will be using the WØL callsign and will be hosted by ACØRL at 1824 Nickerson Blvd. Operating hours will be from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. on the 24th and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on the 25th. This is a club event, so please do some operating. Even if you don’t have a General-class license, you can legally operate.
Reports:
* July minutes read, Motion Todd/John, Passed.
* Treasurer’s report read, Motion Phil/Todd, Passed.
* Repeater trustee report, all repeaters nominal.
Committees:
* Hamfest Committee
We profited $385. We had very happy vendors and attendees; Todd was the sole dissenter. Next year’s hamfest will be at same venue on August 9, 2025. Motion Zack, Jerry, passed. We will serve coffee. Door prizes will be announced in advance. And we’ll look into hosting the ARRL state convention.
Presentation:
This was given by Reno County 911 Director Kevin Irwin. His talk was very informative, and we should be very proud of the improvements he has brought to the Dispatch Center. The Q & A following his talk was very enlightening.
NCS:
* August 20: KFØBZM
* August 27: KAØNES
* September 3: NØUNI

Motion to adjourn, Larry and Joe, passed.

2000 Meeting adjourned