2026-05-05 Net Minutes

Check-ins (32)

David Bailey (K5DKB)

Reminder: this month’s meeting will not be at the usual place
- Instead of meeting at the American Legion Post, we’ll be at the Community Emergency Operations Center (CEOC), 110 N Main St, Bryan [Google Maps]
- 2026-05-16 09:30 (same time as usual)
- Show up early since we’ll need to be let in
- This is a neat opportunity to see how the local emergency personnel operate in an emergency

Tom Johnson (KI5ZPG)

Matthew Barry (KG5LYE)

Minutes will be sent out after the net.
Observation: today is Cinco de Mayo and “Taco Tuesday”
Also the last day of final exams: congrats students on completing Spring Semester!

Lorna Flansburg (KI5FIZ)

Bank balance: $12,440.79
73 members
Next license exam
- 2026-05-16 11:00 (after club meeting)
- Community Emergency Operations Center (CEOC), 110 N Main St, Bryan [Google Maps]
- If you’re looking to take the Technician Class exam, be sure to have your FCC Registration Number (FRN) from https://fcc.gov

Question #274 for conversation: Do you have a weather station? Fancy or complex? Standalone or connected?

(If interested in submitting a weekly question, email n5zkf@arrl.net)

N5BRZ-10 WinLink gateway is down
- Hope to be back up by the end of this week
Weak cold front coming in Wed/Thu
Weather station: I have an AcuRite station
- Wi-fi enabled, sends data to WeatherUnderground
- Connects to phone and to a Python script for keeping home weather historical records

I have an EcoWitt HP2564
- Has a fancy LCD screen to show data indoors
- No moving parts: uses a piezoelectric sensor to detect rain
- Sends data to an online service that can be monitored remotely
- Supposed to connect to WeatherUnderground, but that doesn’t seem to be working now

Question:
- Android-based texting to audio modem
- Custom protocol… not doing any encryption
- Do I need to inform anyone of what I am doing and how?
K5WTR: PSK31 doesn’t require notification
KG5LYE:
- I believe this is what Amateur Radio frequency reservation was made for: experimenting!
- Be ready to provide details if asked (probably out of curiosity more so than litigation)
- Be aware of baud rate limitations
- Maybe limit transmissions in “data” band allocation?
KG5EFO:
- Look for “Amateur Radio Digital Communications Group” on groups.io
- Question: Did it sound like WinLink earlier on KD5DLW?
  - White-noise fast data rate “bursts”
  - Might be a clue for the WinLink gateway (wrong frequency?)
N5ZKF:
- FCC Part 97 prohibits obscuring the meaning of messages
- Look for “encoded”