Welcome to the MARC Newsletter a publication of the Michigan Area Repeater Council. This news letter is published quarterly in conjunction with the quarterly business meetings. If you prefer a non-columnized version of this newsletter click here for the wide version.

President’s Update:

The ARRL is requiring more data from MARC for its repeater directory.

It has been very busy over the last three months. Dave, our database manager is working overtime with all the TDS updates and changing the basic TDS application to comply with ARRL requirements among other updates. I have been very busy with new coordinations and applications keep coming in. If your application takes a bit longer than normal please have patience, MARC will get to it, but if you don’t see anything in the activity report in 30 days, please send me an email with enough info to look into your application delay. If you know of a repeater that is off the air, contact the repeater trustee and ask if the repeater is off the air and the coordination can be reissued to a new sponsor. If it can be reissued let me know and I can start the process that takes some time. Please, only submit one repeater, once that one is processed another can be submitted. The amount of applications and other documents are bogging me down at this time. Are you interested in coordinating? (It is all volunteer) If so, send me an email and I will explain the job to you. Send to: w8ic@miarc.com

73, Phil W8IC

Electronic Meeting Information:

The March 5, meeting is an Electronic Meeting at 1:00pm!

PHONE BRIDGE ONLY:

Dial In Number:    312-777-1449
Event ID:        2202098#
   1. Dial into bridge using Dial In Number
   2. Enter Event ID
   3. If the meeting organizer is already present,
        you'll be connected. If not, you'll be
        placed on hold until the organizer appears.

WEBMEETING & Phone Bridge:

Your browser must be Microsoft™ Internet Explorer Version 4.x, 5.x or Netscape™ Communicator Version 4.x.

   1. Activate your Web Browser
   2. Go To https://www.connectmeeting.att.com/connectmeeting
   3. Enter Meeting Number 3127771449
   3. Enter Participant Code 2202098
   3. Enter your email address and Name
   4. Click on the "Submit" button
   5. Follow the on screen instructions
       

Participation in the webmeeting is only needed for things like slideshow presentations, or use of a whiteboard where someone may need to do an illistration. It also allows us the opportunity to display the actual text of a motion for everyone to read. If you are unable to participate in the webmeeting you may still join in on the phone bridge from wherever you are.

The abilities for MARC to use the Phone Bridge and Webmeeting facilities has been brought to us by Jim WB8AZP and his employer.

We hope that moving to this format will increase participation by the membership of MARC so that we are better able to serve the amateur community.

Editors Comments:

I don't often put my own comments into the newsletter, but there is this space to fill. Normally Dave sends content to me about things happening from his angle of recordkeeping. This quarter finds us with Dave extremely busy with family matters. In the mean time, I would like to take the time to pat Dave on the back. Between Dave and Phil, the lions share of the load is being taken right now.

The new TDS forms have been put on the website. We are having to change many things because the ARRL has decided that this is the only way they will take the repeater directory information. One note that you may want to take, is that unless they have changed their minds, repeaters that are listed as CLOSED will not appear in the repeater directory. Please check use caution when making this selection on the TDS form as many online directories get their information from the ARRL database.

Along with all of these changes means that Dave had to spend much of his time reworking the databases along with getting some fast updates on writing php in order to modify the code that was previously on the website. Unfortunately between work, health and family I was not able to do it and with minimal help Dave took this on and made something workable of it. I am hoping to get some time this spring to rewrite some other things that still need to be done.

Much for the same reasons that I have not been able to work on website and database software, I have been somewhat limited in coordinating duties. Phil has once again taken a chunk out of that load by covering the 220 and 900 MHz bands for me.

As Phil mentioned, if you want to do something to help, believe me, you can be put to work. If you are looking for big praise or fame, this is probably not the right thing, but if you don't mind doing some work to help other amateur radio operators work together than please join us and ask how you can help.

Dan Thompson, N8WKM

MARC Meeting Minutes

Date: December 5, 2015
This meeting took place electronically.

Officers:

President: Phil Manor, W8IC
Vice President: Dan Thompson, N8WKM
Secretary: Ann Manor, KT8F
Treasurer: Dave Johnson, WD8DJB
*Director: Fred Moses, W8FSM*
Director: Jim Kvochick, K8JK
Coordinator: Dan Thompson, N8WKM
Coordinator: Phil Manor, W8IC
*Coordinator: Jim Poehlman, K8ABZ
Database Manager: Dave Johnson, WD8DJB
Newsletter Editor: Dan Thompson, N8WKM

*Absent: Fred Moses, W8FSM. Jim Poehlman attempted to attend the meeting, but had a problem joining with his computer on line and with the phone number.
Visitors: Coorwin Moore, WB8UPM


Note: call signs of board members are not repeated in the minutes as they are listed above.

Meeting called to order by Phil at: 1:02 PM.

The Minutes of the September 9, 2015 MARC meeting were not read by Ann as the meeting participants had read them and the minutes were on the meeting screen for all to see.
Motion to approve minutes from the meeting was made by Jim, seconded by Dave, vote taken, minutes approved. Corwin joined the meeting after the minutes were approved. Corwin stated he was not in attendance at the September meeting as stated in the September 2015 minutes. Today’s minutes reflect the correction as stated by Corwin.

Treasurer’s report provided by Dave. Motion to accept the report made by Ann, supported by Jim,vote taken, motion carried.

Old Business:

Corwin stated that the new test TDS form does not have a box to include a field for a secondary sponsor. Dave stated that he will add it to the new TDS form.

New Business:

Phil stated that resolution #14 dated June 2, 1012 needs to be voted on for inclusion into the bylaws or dropped. Motion made to accept resolution #14 was made by Jim, supported by Dave. Motion passed. This resolution will be printed in the next newsletter and voted on again at the next meeting, March 5, 2016. Resolution #14 - 2 June 2012: Add 441.500 in, 446.500 out, as a SNPR pair to the existing 440.500 in, 445.500 out pair.

Dave stated that the MARC database conversion and TDS form update is taking a very many hours of his time. Dave also does the treasury work and all the updates from annual TDS coordination renewals. Thank you Dave for the massive amounts of time and work donated to MARC.

Dan, N8WKM joined the meeting. He was given a synopsis of what took place in the meeting so far. Phil checked with Dan on the new 220 and 900 MHz applications. Dan is backed up and cannot get to them at this time. Phil will process these two applications.

Phil asked Dave about sending our database to adjacent states. Dave would like our database cleared of coordination’s that are off the air or not reporting, as required before sending anything to adjacent states. He will normally not automatically send the database out. Phil will send the files that he uses for coordination, which are minimal, to states that send theirs to MARC. (MACC files) Corwin asked about database backups for MARC. Dave informed the meeting that backup copies of the MARC database are kept back to 2010. 240 versions of the database can be brought up as needed.

Adjournment:

Motion to adjourn made by Jim, seconded by Dave at 1:20 PM, motion carried.
Meeting adjourned at 1:47 pm.

Note: The March meeting will be conducted electronically on March 5, 2016 at 1 PM.

Treasurer's Report
For the Period: 11/30/2015 to 02/29/2016

MARC Funds balance on 11/30/2015 was $ 4,995.10

Income for December, January and February was $ 122.35 from dues and interest.
Expenses for December, January and February were $40.63 for PayPal fees and postage.

MARC Funds balance on 02/29/2016 was $ 5,076.82

Respectfully Submitted,
Dave Johnson, WD8DJB
MARC Treasurer

Supporting Detail

MARC Funds as of 11/30/2015