Marching into Spring
March brings with it thoughts of Spring projects like launching antennas into trees, inspecting coax for winter damage, and improving upon an already great shack setup. As the snow melts, and the days start to warm, we can once again dream about events such as Hams in the Park and getting mobile with our equipment. With social distancing, all of this will be possible. We may even be able to conduct VE exams outdoors for the first time in months. (even if has to be the throwback to paper and pencil testing).
NS9RC is back to our high standards of operating efficiency with all of our repeaters functioning as they should. This is in no small part due to some of club’s unsung heroes. It is only fitting that I take some time to recognize these individuals. So, over the course of my next few months I want to recognize a few of these individuals that make our club outstanding.
Two of these individuals are Rob Orr, K9RST and Greg Karlove, W9GAK. I would compare both of them to a swiss knife because they possess so many novel abilities. Just this past February both of them braved the elements, with snow and wind blowing, to repair and replace our 2 meter antenna at the Allstate site with a newer, more commercial one. And this was not the first time this tag team took the initiative to insure our club remained on top of its game. Prior to this, both of them tackled a vexing issue with our new station at the Northbrook Library. Again, braving the elements, they completely reworked the antenna and wiring system of our station and got it up and running so we now have connectivity on UHF/VHF, D-Star and HF. This involved reorienting the rooftop antenna to a different location ( at the request of the Head Librarian), running more capable coax to avoid RF issues, and then tuning the antenna for optimum use. Once we get the go-ahead from the Northbrook Library for its use (post-pandemic), this should be a very useful resource for our club and the public at large.
Rob is very well known for his leadership, having served in my current position as President of the Club for countless years and sometimes having to juggle his work activities with our club’s needs, in his usual unselfish manner. Leading Field Day, the Evanston Century 100 Ride communications, and the Chicago Marathon, must have been physically and mentally exhausting, especially for so many years. In addition, he has stored the club’s Field Day and auction day equipment in his personal storage locker, often having to haul this equipment back and forth to these events with little to no help. He has never hesitated to lend a hand to anyone attempting to put up an antenna in places that personally frighten me because of the heights; and always with a smile on his face. His work behind the scenes at our auction and hamfests often goes unnoticed. His “MacGiverism” is to be admired as he works through various problems that are thrown at him, often with just his ingenuity to tackle the issues. Oh, and did I mention he is currently our webmaster, a title he does not want, but nonetheless garners him praise from people who view our site. In no small way, our website seems to attract new members, which can directly be credited to Rob.
Likewise, Greg has been a constant for the club. Leading our Tech Committee, he along with Vic Maiewski, KA9KBD, are the silent glue that holds our communication system together. Spending countless hours of their own time troubleshooting, analyzing, repairing, and or replacing our repeater equipment in places that are difficult to access, challenging to scale, and sometimes frightening to contemplate, they have without a doubt, tackled some major issues, each time bringing a satisfactory solution to a very daunting situation. Greg has the ability to fabricate parts that can’t be procured, solve technical issues that others scratch their heads at, and does all this with a smile. He shares in Rob’s “MacGiverism” talents and is usually the first to volunteer. When we need a new piece of technical equipment that need the Board’s approval, Greg prepares well thought out, well researched, proposals that maximizes the club’s purchasing power and puts our questions to rest.
When we went to selling some of our auction items online (due to the pandemic), Greg stepped up to help box and ship items to online purchasers, saving the club significant postage expenses. He also worked behind the scenes to help transport heavy items that were donated to the club from my garage to our storage area.
Needless to say, the club would not be in the position it is in without the sacrifice made by these two individuals. There are others that I will mention in future blogs, but it goes to show that our club is lucky to have individuals that will step up when the situation demands.
Having said this, I would like to ask all of our members to consider sharing what time they have to assist in running our club. We are currently looking for members to fill a few key positions. We need to find a replacement webmaster to coordinate and run our existing website. Rob is simply too overwhelmed to continue to do this activity among the many others he performs.
In addition, for future public events, we are looking for someone to coordinate our Field Day and Special Events activities. This role is vital to insure our club runs smoothly. For either of these two positions, please feel free to contact me directly to discuss volunteering. Likewise, if you have the time, please consider running for one of many board positions. Please let me know of your interests in helping our club maintain its high standards. I would love to share the many opportunities we have to assist our club.
Stay safe and get vaccinated when it is your turn.
73,
Burt KR9T