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:

This last three months were very busy for MARC volunteers. New coordinations and a few de-coordinations were finalized. The job of supplying the ARRL with the Michigan database was completed by Dave, WD8DJB, MARC’s database manager. This is used by the ARRL to build the yearly repeater directory. Check out the almost constant updating that Dave must perform. Data updates are available on the web site by looking at the MARC quarterly report.

You may find that some repeaters that you hear on the air are not listed in the repeater directory. This may be for several reasons. First, only coordinated repeaters are listed in the directory. In some cases, a repeater is put on the air that cannot be coordinated. The reason may be due to the distance to a coordinated repeater.This could be a co-channel or adjacent channel repeater and could be located in Michigan, or might be in a surrounding state or Ontario, Canada. Distance requirements must be met, or waivers have to be signed by the existing repeater sponsors before an application for coordination could be finalized. In many cases, a waiver cannot be obtained. In other situations, the sponsor may request that their repeater is not to be included in the directory.

Another frequent problem that occurs is that the annual report (TDS) to update MARC records is not sent in for 3 or more years. Per MARC bylaws, an update is required every year, but an additional year is permitted before a repeater is considered overdue. If a sponsor or trustee does not take the time to report that their repeater is still on the air, as well as providing the location, power, antenna, and other important coordination data to MARC, the repeater is removed from the directory. In some cases, this is the only time a sponsor or trustee submits a renewal.

Please, if you are a sponsor of a repeater, make sure your TDS report is up to date; your repeater is on the air and it is providing the coverage that you agreed to when your coordination was granted. If you cannot provide this minimum requirement, then you are obligated to return the pair to MARC. There are people on the coordination waiting list that, in some cases, are located in geographical locations where a coordinated but non-used pair could be issued to them. Unfortunately, they are unable to obtain their desired coordination until the sponsor of the non-used repeater returns the pair or a sometimes difficult de-coordination effort is undertaken by MARC volunteers.

73, Phil W8IC

Electronic Meeting Information:

The March meeting is an Electronic Meeting!

PHONE BRIDGE ONLY:

Dial In Number:    888-232-3870
Event ID:        603585#
   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://connect2.uc.att.com/attinc/meet/?ExEventID=8603585
   3. Enter your name and email address
   4. Click on the "join event" button
   5. Once connected click on the telephone
       icon for dialing 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.

-----------------------------------------------

Database Manager's Corner

The ARRL Repeater directory went to press on January 29, 2013. Any updates since will be included in next years publication. At this time the ARRL is excluding Mototrbo type systems until the FCC resolves a few legal issues surrounding amateur use of Mototrbo. MARC does publish Mototrbo systems in our repeater directory.

A number of repeaters were removed from the ARRL and MARC repeater directories for lack of a current update. The ARRL requests that we provide information for active fulltime repeaters. So if we do not receive a TDS for three years we will drop your repeater from the ARRL and MARC repeater directories as we have no easy way to determine if your repeater is operational.

We have a number of TDS forms that are overdue, 25% of the repeaters in our database have not been updated in two or more year’s. So take a minute and check your entry in the MARC Repeater Directory to see if it is time to update your records.

We are attempting to respond to every TDS form we receive by return email so you know that your form has been received and you have a copy of what was submitted. If you submitted a TDS and did not receive an email response please contact us at mail@miarc.com.

MARC Meeting Minutes

Date: December 1, 2012
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, WB8AZP
Coordinator: Dan Thompson, N8WKM
Coordinator: Phil Manor, W8IC
Coordinator: Fred Moses, W8FSM
Database Manager: Dave Johnson, WD8DJB

* Absent: Dave, WD8DJB
Visitors/Members present: Corwin, WB8UPM; Doug, N8PYN; Carl, KB8FQJ; Paul, KC8BDK

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

Meeting called to order by Phil at: 1:05 PM.

Motion to approve minutes from the September meeting were made by Dan, seconded by Fred, vote taken, minutes approved.
Treasurer’s report for September and October are in the newsletter. Dave is not here to give the November report. Dave informed Phil that he would send out banking information to the board for audit.

Old Business:

Phil reported that Resolution 12 now needs to be voted on for inclusion into the bylaws. The resolution was read by Phil. Motion made by Fred, seconded by Jim to accept the resolution into the bylaws. Discussion, voice vote taken, motion passed. Resolution 12 will now be added to the MARC bylaws.

Next, Resolution # 13 was read by Phil, also ready for vote for bylaw inclusion. Discussion. Motion to include this resolution in the bylaws made by Jim, seconded by Fred, voice vote, motion carried.
Resolution #13 will now be added to the bylaws.

Last meeting follow-up Phil stated that he would write up a DOG resolution to include the new SNPR pair so that Dave can place the info on the MARC web site. Done At the September meeting, Fred stated he would set up a simulcasting experiment to see how it would perform. The intent was to help develop rules for MARC coordination standards. The experiment is currently up and running. Much discussion followed. MARC will continue to accept input from interested parties as this technology is developed. MARC has no specific rules to coordinate simulcast repeater systems at this time.

Fred had asked about sponsor and secondary sponsor on the TDS application. Dan stated that this is still an issue on the web site because it will cause problems with the software. Phil will check with Dave on the possibility of adding text to the application that would add the secondary sponsor to the comments section until a permanent solution can be reached.

Phil thanked Fred on his de-coordination work. MARC now has several open repeater pairs available to the coordinator.

New Business:

K8ABZ has signed the non-disclosure letter for MARC. Dan made a motion to appoint Jim, K8ABZ to a position as a coordinator, second by Jim. Vote taken, motion passed. Jim will be working on out of state cross coordination requests on 10, 6, and 2 meters as well as 440 MHZ, as soon as he is comfortable with the procedures. Note: Dan, N8WKM handles the 220 MHZ band as well as all bands 900 MHZ and up for out of state requests.

Paul, KC8BDK joined the meeting and stated that he was trying to set up a meeting with Corwin but Paul’s schedule has not allowed this to occur. He requested that Corwin’s repeater on 146.740 be coordinated. Phil stated that he needs a waiver from K8BYI repeater, the SEMARA club. Paul said that he would contact the SEMARA group and request that the waiver be signed and returned to Phil so that he can continue with Corwin’s coordination application. Phil stated that he would also contact SEMARA and let them know what took place at this meeting.

Adjournment:

Motion to adjourn made by Fred at 1:57 pm, seconded by Jim.
Motion carried.
Meeting adjourned at 1:57 PM.

Respectfully submitted,
Ann Manor, KT8F, Recording Secretary

March Meeting Information:

March 2 2013
1:00 pm EST
Electronic Meeting
Callin Numbers:
    Toll-Free 888-232-3870
    Toll         805-240-9853
Access Code:    603585#   (For Bridge & Webmeeting)
Webmeeting URL: https://connect2.uc.att.com/attinc/meet/?ExEventID=8603585
Meeting Number: 8603585

Directions:

For the Conference Bridge:
Dial the callin number listed above.
Wait for the call to be answered by the automated receptionist.
When prompted enter the meeting number listed above followed by the #.

For the Web Meeting:
Click on the link provided above.
Enter your name and email address, then select the "join now" button.