March 2018

THE SPLATTER

YELLOWSTONE AMATEUR RADIO CLUB: K7EFA.NET
P O Box 883

Billings, Montana 59103

Meetings held on the 3rd Membership classes, trainings. YARES
Monday, each month at the meeting 2nd Monday at EOC, Fire station
oil and gas board building
behind the Westside Target #1 East of Downtown Perkins.

building 6:30 PM Serving the community since 1956

Issue for MARCH 2018

YARES Meeting Minutes 3.Agency Reports:
12Feb18 at 7:30pm at the Emergency Operations Center in Exercises – March 2-9 is the Vigilant Guard exercise in
downtown Billings (2300 9th Ave North). Great Falls (only a slight chance that hospitals in Billings
might be playing-along with flood-victim patients
Introductions: Ron/wn7y, Randy/kr7ran, Stephanie/kr7stf, transported via helicopter to Billings?), March 27-30 is an
Ben/ki7gai, Charlie/n7erg, Darrell/kc7nhf, Mabel/kc7rcu, IEMC (Integrated Emergency Management
Vern/kg7vgx, Chuck/kc7vhz, Gary/kc7ax, Bob/n7bla, Course/Exercise) that simulates a massive, coordinated
Ellen/n7eln, Walt/wb7usv, Bob/k7rbl, Stanley/kg7ere, terror assault, not sure if ham radio will be involved or
Tom/af7tr, Jerry/ke7pdk, Paul/kf7soj, and Justin/ki7mew. not. Also, Ron mentioned we have the annual Fire
(19 hams, no visitors) Station Simplex Exercise each spring (an unannounced
YARES exercise), and he is also looking at a Multi-Mode
Questions on sign-in sheet this month: Traffic Handling Exercise (take several messages and send
them among the group with a goal of having the
1.Did you receive a WENS Alert? 18/19 hams present messages transmitted by 10-20 different modes,
indicated that Yes, they received the meeting reminder. frequencies, bands, etc.)

2.Planning to help with Science Expo on Friday/Saturday Monthly LEPC meeting – next is Mar 8th @ 1330
March 23-24th? 4/19 hams present indicated Yes, 9/19 Quarterly Radio Checks – Feb = NWS & B.C. (Paul/kf7soj
indicated No, and the others marked this a Maybe. indicated that the Billings Clinic exercise was conducted
last week already)
3.Planning to help with Peaks-to-Prairie on Sunday April
29th?9/19 hams present indicated Yes, 6/19 said No, and Past Events:Large “Silent Key” estate donated to YRC
the rest were Maybe. soon – Ron will re-blast the current listing. YRC is getting
down to the final-call for this equipment, Charlie and
Regular Reports: others are ready to get their garage space back!
1.Operations/Callouts – None in past 30 days. 1/16/18 – “Response to Nuclear Detonation” webinar –
Ron had blasted out an invitation email to this, and we
2.YRC Repeater Status – general consensus was that the talked about it last month at YARES. Nobody was able to
repeaters are running well – which is a good thing attend, partly due to busy schedules but it also appears
considering the deep snow at the repeater sites! that CDC replaced this webinar with one on Influenza
Outbreaks – probably more timely with the current flu
situation in the country.

YARES continued Have you been to visit the “lower bands” yet? No

]1/20/18 – ARRL Jan VHF Contest at the YRC Field Day site – Ron no not the 160 or 80 but the 630Meter or the
2200Meter bands. They run from 472-479khz
gave a quick report on how we scored so many points in our final
and 135..7-137.8khz. Not a very large spread is
score when the whole upper-plains were all experiencing

absolutely terrible band conditions that weekend. Ron is still it? Before using the bands for transmitting, you
holding out hope that YRC may take 1st place in Montana for that must first notify the Utilities Technology Council
contest. and if they do not answer then you have the go
Upcoming Events:YARES Calling Tree Updates – Ron is working on
the final update of the Calling Tree, and passed around the current ahead to work, after 30 days of waiting.

list to have hams present double-check their contact info.

2/24/18 (Sat) – Boy Scout Merit Badge Day – Ron gave a quick From the February QST 2018
overview of the event, and a call for more hams to help onsite at
MSUB that Saturday, but we also need to have several hams at There is a new 605 application for a license out.
home on the repeaters ready to talk with the Scouts over the This will affect those that are applying for a ham
airwaves – so all hams can help that day. license for the first time. This is the felony page
and must be answered. If you have a conviction
3/10 (Sat) – Scout Show at Metra Pavilion – who is willing tostaff a you must send in an explanation to the FCC, not
booth for this annual event? – signup sheet passed-around. to the examiners. Learn more from the ARRl site
or the FCC site. The examiners are aware also.
3/23-24 (Sat) – Science Expo at MSUB – who is willing to
staff a booth for this annual event? – signup sheet passed- Have you tried the new Winwarbler with the DX
around. Also, the Science Expo is still looking for Judges on suites? Why not, maybe you haven't heard of it.
that Friday night to judge the kids' science expo projects. If If like me you tried it years ago and found it a
you have never done that, it is a real blast, and a great way little bit lacking, well the new one (V9) seems to
to give back to the community and help young people. You be much better. Got to pay attention to the
receive a nice, free dinner and training session right after installation files and what they ask. It is useful
5pm that night, then you go judge your assigned exhibits for XP to Win 10.
after that. You get to choose what grade level you want to
judge – so if want real easy, you can judge the elementary http://radiocheck.us/ Hey, if the bands are dead where you are,
grades (lots of experiments on generating electricity from why not give this site a chance? Not only can you listen to other
lemons or potatoes!), but if you want a real challenge you radios but could transmit. Here is an excerpt fro his site.. 'Site
canvolunteer for the higher grades.4/29 (Sun) – Peaks-to- visitors without a radio can still listen to ham radio operators
Prairie (40thAnniversary) – who wantsto help with this using the Live Radio tab. The Live Radio page only tunes to the
great annual Event? – signup sheets available. ham radio bands shown on the page. You cannot tune to all of
the bands shown on the Bands web page. The Live Radio page
Update on YARES Training Classes – Ron gave an overviewof allows visitors to experience the fun of tuning to ham radio
the “voting” for Training Classes this Spring. Top vote- transmissions across selected ham radio bands. Ham radio
getters were “Digital Modes for EmComm”, “Net Control operators contact each other by calling CQ or by joining traffic
Station training”, “Red Cross terms and processes”, and nets, where the conversations of several hams are managed by a
“Hospital terms and processes”. We will also hold the basic net control operator." Keith Cambron kc1att Do you have only a
ICS classes since over six hams signed up for each of these. Tech license, this site will let you listen to the ham bands open in
Texas. Now you just have to upgrade, this is just a taste of the
Special Presentation: How to quickly read NWS Bulletins – candy.
Ron gave a very abbreviated presentation on how to quickly
extract the weather-warning info you need from these text How far away can you see a cherry red Tesla Roadster? A
bulletins. (abbreviated because the wireless internet in the telescope in Chile spotted Elon Musk's electric car 3.7
EOC was acting very flaky and slow). Ron will create a million kilometers from Earth as it was passing by star
summary document of his presentation and blast it out cluster NGC 5694. NASA published orbital elements for
later, separate from these minutes. Meeting adjourned at the Roadster on Feb. 8th. Learn more. at
2044 MST local time.
http://spaceweather.com/

Page 2

YELLOWSTONE RADIO CLUB (YRC) VI. OLD BUSINESS
- - - - GENERAL MEETING- - - - Dave Movius Antenna Donation. Nothing to report. Waiting
February 19, 2018 for Dave as his time allows.
Grizzly Peak/RLM Use Agreement. A draft license has been
Location: Montana Oil/Gas Building received. Jerry and Lynn have provided comments. Jerry
Start Time: 7:00pm gave a brief overview of some of the issues that were on the
I. INTRODUCTIONS: The following were table. The Board will review the proposed agreement at its
present. (Total 24) next Board meeting and decide what the appropriate response
will be.
Steve Hokanson, KF6WYL Ed Gale, KA0MRD Potential Trailer Purchase. The Board noted storage, hookup,
restoration and value issues. Gary Waddingham pointed out
Walt Baytor, WB7USV Darrell Berreth, KC7NHF that the purchase of the trailer may encourage new hams to
work on getting it ham ready so they feel like they have a
Mabel Berreth, KC7RCH Ed Auker,, AG7HA stake in doing something important for the club. As an
alternative, a donated (or low cost) Stillwater Mine
Randy Kraai, KR7RAN Stephanie Kraai, KR7STF Ambulance may be considered, if it becomes available.
Charlie is open to further suggestions on how to proceed so let
Ellen Drommond, N7ELN Vern Drommond, KG7VGX him know your thoughts..
VII. NEW BUSINESS
Dave Swanson, KI7CSV Bob Lough, K7RBL United Way suggests using 30 of their volunteers to assist our
volunteers. They only want to help out on weekdays, want to
Gary Waddingham, KC7AX Ron Glass, WN7Y meet at a single location, and want to volunteer the last week
of March. Charlie pointed out we really need licensed ham
Bill Cole, KK7OC Charlie Hanson, N7ERG radio volunteers. He will get back with United Way.
Paul Stiles. Working on a MESH Network that would link
Bob Brgerson, N7BLA Ben Larson, KI7GAF hospitals, EOC, NWS together on internet with Roundup/Red
Lodge repeaters. The Board favors this proposal. Paul will
Dennis Tulp, AE7DU Justin Shoftt, KI7MEW give a presentation at the April YRC meeting.
VIII. OTHER
Laurel Pruess, Guest Paul Stiles, KF7SOJ The Wyoming Ham Fest for 2018 is scheduled, date unknown.
The Cloud Peak Radio Group will host a swap meet on April
Stanley Bruce Jerry Jacobs, KE7PDK 7 from 9-10am at the Masonic Lodge Building. Cost is
$10/table for an 8’ table.
II. APPROVAL OF December 18, 2017 YRC MINUTES IX. ADJOURN
A motion to adjourn was made by Stephanie and seconded by
A motion was made by Bob Lough and seconded by Ellen Dennis to adjourn at 8:16 pm
To the best of my knowledge the above information
Drommond to approve the December 18, 2017 minutes. accurately reflects the minutes of the Yellowstone Radio Club
General Meeting held on February 19, 2018.
There was no discussion on the minutes. The minutes are Jerry Jacobs Secretary, Yellowstone Radio Club

always available at each YRC meeting for review, and can February 19, 2018

also be viewed on the monthly “Splatter.”

III. FINANCE REPORT (Steve Hokanson)

Checking: $4,810.90 Petty Cash: $98.64

Savings: $3,256.95 Interest: $.13

IV. YARES REPORT (Ron Glass)

Boy Scout Merit Badge. February 24.at MSUB New Technicians
Vigilant Guard Exercise. March 2-9 KI7TPZ WilliamConner
Boy Scout Show at Metra. March 10
Science Expo. March 23-24. More Judges needed. Free KI7TQA Ronald Styles
dinner/training included
IEMC (Integrated Emergency Management Course). March 27- Upgrade from Technician to General
30
Peaks 2 Prairie. April 29. 40th Anniversary. (This may be the KI7GAE Douglas Pressman
last event)
Annual Fire Station Simplex Exercise. Date unknown, Next test in March
sometime this Spring
Multi-Mode Traffic Handling Exercise. Date unknown,
involves send/receive messaging for 10-20 modes
Upcoming Training. Digital Modes for EmComm, Net
Control, Red Cross, and Hospital terms and process, were
top choices to consider.

V. COMMITTEE REPORTS Page 3
Repeater Committee. (Gary Waddingham, Tom
Kelly, or Bob Port)
Any repairs necessary are on hold pending better
weather
Health and Wellness Committee. (Ellen
Drommond)
All are well, no health concerns reported.
Field Day Committee (Paul Stiles)
Paul stated that our 1 x 1 field day call sign had
been approved. Continued next column>>>>

YELLOWSTONE RADIO CLUB
President Charles Hanson N7ERG
Vice Prez Vern Drommond KG7GVX
Secretary Jerry Jacobs KE7PDK
Treasurer Steve Hokanson KF6WYL
Dues and contributions sent to 83 Lily Valley Circle, 59106

Splatter editor, JR

[email protected]

office 26 MONTANA st. ROUNDUP, MT. 59072

Board of Directors

Charlie Hanson N7ERG

Vern Drummond KG7VGX

Steve Hokanson KF6WYL-

Stephanie Kraai, KR7STF

Lynn Crosby, KE7PZY

Paul Stiles, YARES , KF7SOJ

Jerry Jacobs, Sect. KE7PDK

Yellowstone radio club has a new box number

YRC, P.O, Box 883, Billings, Mt. 59103

Send correspondence here

K7EFA CLUB PATCHES Artwork presented.

Contact Paul KF7SOJ for information or

purchase ability.