Steve Wooten, KC0QMU, the Emergency Coordinator presided over the monthly meeting of the St. Louis County ARES^® group on September 8, 2008. The Meeting was held at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital.

Steve said that St. Louis County ARES^® now had 82 members.

Steve said that the group had held a UHF simplex exercise on August 28, 2008. He had received reports from several participants and read highlights from some of them. He asked the attendees who had participated in the exercise for their comments.
The general consensus was that UHF simplex propagation in this area is too unpredictable, though the group may try another such exercise in the winter.
An interesting result of the lead-up UHF repeater tests was that a number of amateur radio operators in Columbia would like us to perform additional repeater tests on the Show-Me-Intertie.

Steve said that he had no recent news from the Veterans Administraion Medical Center. They have ordered "non-penetrating roof mounts" for the three clinics. They plan is for all three clinics to have functional amateur radio stations by November of this year, though Steve doubted that they would be ready that soon.

Steve had many of the members' ARES^® ID cards. They are valid until March 2010.

Steve said he was looking for more people to join the St. Louis County ARES^® Planning Committee.

Steve said that the group was developing a "demonstration team", members who can give presentations about St. Louis County ARES^®. Anyone interested in being on the team should contact Steve.

Mark Biernacki, KB5YZY, said that the St. Louis and Suburban Radio Club would hold several activities on Saturday, September 27, 2008. They will include a fox hunt, picnic, and radio demonstration for officials of the city of Olivette.

Steve said that the "Grove Fest" will take place on September 20, 2008. Part of this street festival will be booths and tables from various preparedness organizations, including St. Louis County ARES^®. The group's table will be manned by Craig Hirsh, K0CMH, and Gary Hoffman, KB0H. Anyone who would like to help out is welcome to drop by the table.

St. Louis County ARES^® will be holding an exercise, essentially a Digital Field Day, on Friday, September 26, 2008 and Saturday, September 27, 2008. Details and instructions were passed out and will be posted on the Web site. Craig Klimczak, K4LSU, will be giving an amateur radio demonstration at the St. Louis Science Center on that Saturday, but will be available on the air to take contacts directed to N0ARS.

Steve said that the group would have a table at one more hamfest this year, the Halloween Hamfest in Kirkwood.

Craik Klimczak will give a presentation on the Missouri Emergency Packet Network at the October ARES^® meeting.

Jim Conley, N0OBG, gave a presentation on WINLINK 2000.

© 2012 St. Louis County ARES^®

00530