date

2026-01-17

convened

11:47

adjourned

12:55

Officers

• President: David Bailey (K5DKB) present
• Vice President: Tom Johnson (KI5ZPG) present
• Secretary: Matthew Barry (KG5LYE) present
• Treasurer: Lorna Flansburg (KI5FIZ) present

Attendees (28)

Quorum attained!

• Christy Bailey (KI5WUM)
• David Bailey (K5DKB)
• Matthew Barry (KG5LYE)
• Michael Bobinski (N5NYL)
• David Cooper (KI5JPG)
• Ron Estes (KJ5EFO)
• Lorna Flansburg (KI5FIZ)
• Phil Gates (N5ZKF)
• Sandra Gates
• Ron Hambric (N5SBN)
• Tom Johnson (KI5ZPG)
• Garrett Martin (W5HVS)
• Russ McDonald (KL2PB)
• Shirley McDonald
• Jeff McDowell (KI5CES)
• Bob O'Connell (KC5DWB)
• Barbara O'Connell
• Rick Pfeil (W4RDP)
• Bill Preston (KZ3G)
• Rich Rychetsky (W5SON)
• Ritchie Rychetsky
• Elizabeth Shutt (KJ5IDP)
• Jason Shutt (KI5LGO)
• Mike Streiff (KJ5EEV)
• Ken Wilson (KE5DFR)
• Mike Wisby (KA5HIA)
• Gabriel Rodriguez (AI5TN)
• Ken Reeves (KE5FIV)

Officer Reports

President

David Bailey (K5DKB)

• Heads-up: Meeting for May will have to be at a different location
  • Brainstorm places for us to meet

Vice-President

Tom Johnson (KI5ZPG)

• Winter Field Day is next weekend!
  • 3 Presentations/Programs:
    • KJ5EFO on Winlink
    • Radiosonde by a TAMU grad student
    • Trivia game hosted by KJ5EFO
  • Taco bar for dinner
    • It’d be nice to have a volunteer to make a pot of beans
  • Raffle

Secretary

Matthew Barry (KG5LYE)

Approval of Minutes

• Hearing no corrections, minutes stand approved as sent out
• Minutes from this meeting will be sent out later today

Treasurer

Lorna Flansburg (KI5FIZ)

• Ham License Exam at Winter Field Day
  • Sunday 2026-01-25 10:00
    • Easier for presentation schedule
  • If you’re available to VE, please let me know!
  • Anyone taking the Technician exam, please be sure to have your FCC Registration Number (FRN)
    • Note: If you have a callsign, it’s easy to look up your FRN

Annual Financial Report

• $8,569.58 balance at start of year
• $10,154.62 annual income
  • $7,342.52 from SK sales from Ernie Laney’s estate
  • $136.85 Money market account interest
  • $100 donations
• $5,549.24 annual expenses
  • Insurance
  • PO Box
  • $273 Postage/shipping for SK sales
  • Event-related expenses
    • Field Day
    • Winter Field Day, incl. Raffle Radio for this year’s Winter Field Day
  • We bought some equipment
    • Repeater
    • Dedicated laptops for event (Field Day) logging
• $13,174.96 balance at end of year

Club Merchandise

• Winter Field Day stickers: $2
• Club logo pins (limited): $3
• Club logo stickers: $2
• Club logo window clings: $2
• Club logo patches: $5
• Club logo keychains: $2

Membership Renewals

Membership can be renewed in any of the following ways:

• online at Ham Club Online
• request PayPal invoice via email
• mail in cash or check (PO Box 4442, Bryan, TX 77805–4442)
• bring cash or check in-person at a meeting

Other Business

Brazos County ARES

Ron Hambric (N5SBN)

• CEOC Visits every Friday
  • Winlink I-Gates are working now!
• Monthly Meetings
  • American Red Cross on Boonville
  • 3rd Monday each Month 18:30
    • This coming Monday!
• Contact us if you need help with equipment

Robertson County ARES

Lorna Flansburg (KI5FIZ)

• Monthly Meetings
  • 2nd Saturday 09:30
  • Franklin Fire Station on Glass St
  • Try to have a planned program
  • All are welcome to attend!
• Weekly Nets
  • W5KVN repeater
  • Thursdays 20:00
• Year in review
  • Did a lot last year with Brazos County ARES
    • National Night Out
    • Went to Farmer’s Market twice
      • Great way to get Ham Radio out in the community!
  • Fundraising
    • Set up N5BRZ CARES non-profit
    • Brazos Valley Gives
      • Many individual donations!
      • We did win some additional funds (about $3,200) from a large corporate donation pot
  • Work on new trailer
  • Met a few times on Zoom when appropriate (i.e., to be at computer and see screens)
  • Best part: Going to Amigo’s in Franklin for breakfast beforehand

SKYWARN

Ron Estes (KJ5EFO)

• Slight freeze tonight
• Prepare your houses, pets, plants, etc.

RACES

Mike Wisby (KA5HIA)

• It’s been a really good year!
• Officially moved to facility at RELLIS
  • 2 HF rigs
    • ICOM 7100
    • Yaesu DX-10
  • 2 HF antennas
    • Folded Dipole
    • Tuned Dipole
  • 900 MHz repeater
    • 9.5 mi range
  • Dual-band equipment
• Usually meet Wednesdays at 09:00
• Greetings from W5DZ
  • Couldn’t be here today, but he sends his regards

Health and Welfare / Good of the Order

• If anyone needs help with anything please reach out to the club. You can contact any of the officers at:
  • officers@w5bcs.radio
• Visit us online at w5bcs.radio

Presentation

W5BCS 2025 Year in Review by David Bailey (K5DKB)

Month-by-Month

• January
  • luncheon at Cooper’s BBQ (just like today!)
  • Winter Field Day
    • at American Red Cross
    • presentations
    • club build
  • Coffee and Donuts
• February
  • Meeting, Testing
  • Geochron presentation
• March
  • Meeting, Testing
• April
  • Meeting, Testing
  • Radio in the Park… with food!
• May
  • Meeting, Testing
  • Presentation on HamClock, Geochron’s free competitor
  • Coffee and Donuts
• June
  • Meeting, getting ready for Field Day
  • Field Day
    • Radios
    • Presentations
    • W5AC was there
    • Fox hunt
    • We sold a lot of stuff
• July
  • Meeting, Testing
  • Coffee and Donuts
• August
  • Meeting, Testing
  • Presentation on other radio services (GMRS, etc.)
• September
  • Meeting, Testing
• October
  • Meting, Testing
  • Radio in the Park, a PotA park!
    • W5BCS activated its first park!
    • We got an award:
      • Support your Parks Weekend Award
      • We Activated Washington on the Brazos State Park during Support your Parks Weekend
    • Planning another PotA this year to El Camino Real
  • Coffee and Donuts
• November
  • Meeting, Testing
  • Club Build
• December
  • Holiday Party at Lorna’s place
  • Meeting, Testing
  • Officer Elections
  • Show and Tell: 2 m CW operations with an HT

Overall

• 12 meetings
• 52 nets
• 10 license exam sessions
• 2 field days
• 10 social meals
• 1 holiday party
• 4 Post Donuts
• 1 Girls’ State sponsorship
• 2 Radio in the Park days
• 1 PotA activation
• 4 Meshtastic nodes deployed
  • https://brazosmesh.org/
  • 1 Meshcore node
• Testing
  • 12 offered
  • 10 attended
  • 28 gaind or upgraded
• 84 members
  • Includes 3 silent keys:
    • Ralph Cobb (W5RYC)
    • Henry Menefee (W5RAS)
    • Ray Meech (WA5IWB)

Looking Ahead to 2026

• License testing: 11 already planned (June is not yet solidified)
• 2 Field Days
• 4 service opportunities (5th Thursdays Coffee & Donuts)
• February presentation scheduled: TinyGS satellite ground stations
  • An easy way to get people interested in radio and space
• More planning to come!

Ideas

• SpaceX facility on the coast?
• Amateur Rocketry
  • Hearne Airport
  • https://www.tripoli.org/

Closing

Next Meeting

2026-02-21 09:30 at American Legion Post 159