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ARRL Michigan Section Digital Radio Group (DRG)
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Meeting Minutes - April 1st, 2006
MI-DRG Quarterly Meeting
April 1st, 2006
American Red Cross
1800 Grand River
Lansing, MI
In attendance:
Jay Nugent WB8TKL DRG-Chair / D2 Rep
Ed Galipeau WA1LRL NWS-DTX
Mike Grimm KA8YZQ Invited Visitor
Glenn Wright KA8E D2 Rep
Ron Schubot N8CML QMN Rep
Jeff Frank N8HEE Invited Visitor
Jon Harris KB8VAB D1 Rep
Marty Mendelson N8MG Section EC [SEC]
Dale Williams WA8EFK Section Manager [SM]
Jim Kvochick WB8AZP D1 Rep
Ray Larabee N8LRF D6 Rep
Don LaBrenz WB8I D6 Rep
John McDonough WB8RCR Section Traffic Manager [STM]
Red Duggan WA8RLI D7 Rep / DEC7
John Martin KF8KK D7 Rep
John Hosford KC8QZB Our Host
Absent:
Chuck Berkobien KC8TLJ D3 Rep (co-chair)
Jim Smith N8AVX Training
Dean Bass KC8BGK D3 Rep
Skip Kwasneski KA8IXC D8
There are currently no Reps to represent D5
Agenda Items:
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1) a) Acknowledge invited visitors
Acknowledged Mike Grimm KC8YZQ of Jackson County
Acknowledged Jeff Frank N8HEE of Eaton County
Both of these gentlemen were invited to attend for the JNOS/Hamgate training.
b) Find a new Recording Secretary
John McDonough WB8RCR volunteered to act as Recording Sectretary just for this one meeting.
The position remains unfilled.
c) Find new Co-Chair
Chuck Berkobien KC8TLJ has stepped down as Co-Chair as he felt he could not allocate
the necessary time to the job.
Don LaBrenz WB8I has volunteered to take on the duties of Co-Chair.
d) Staff changes: WZ8N replaced by KF8KK (D7)
Dave Stein N8WVI resignation (D5)
N8CML has moved over from D5 Rep to QMN Rep
e) D5 no longer participating
Charlie Chapman WB8SFR [DEC5] has expressed his desire to not have District-5 participate in
the DRG. WA8EFK stated that the DRG Representatives run the DRG and *NOT* the DEC's. And
that the DRG was not concieved as an ARES/RACES organization but rather as a Michigan
Section organization. He also stated that it must have a broad collection of representation.
It was agreed that we 'prefer' the DEC to appoint qualified representatives to the DRG, but
that the DRG can select representatives from the same geographic area on our own.
f) Been 1 year. Should we formalize an election structure?
The group agreed that the terms of office should be for 2 years.
The group gave a 'vote of confidence' to keep WB8TKL as the DRG Chair.
2) Training session:
a) ICOM D-Star 128k data radio demo (KA8E)
Glenn Wright KA8E gave what started out as a short talk about "Digital Voice" radios,
particularly about the ICOM ID-1 and the Alinco. Glenn had several radios on display for
everyone to see. The group decided that the current level of DV activity did not yet
warrent a large number of channel allocations. 145.67 should suffice for the near term.
It was also agreed that DV and AX.25 Packet *CANNOT* share the same channels without
interference. There was much interest shown on the subject of Digital Voice.
b) More "Network Training" - ENCAP routing
Jay Nugent WB8TKL set up four JNOS/Hamgate boxes all attached via a 'simulated' Internet.
Members from select Counties were seated in front of the node that was pre-configured for
their County. Jay took them on a step-by-step tour familiarizing them with simple JNOS commands,
how to configure JNOS to connect to the Internet, and how to configure the ENCAP interface.
Also covered was how the ENCAP routing works, loading the ENCAP.TXT world routing tables,
setting up local route tables, and ultimately establishing connections with the other nodes
via Encapsulated routing (a form of Virtual Private Networking, or VPN).
The training culminated in the nodes being able to send SMTP mail between one another and
in establishing links and using the CONVerse bridge (a form of Instant Messager IM).
c) The "Big Giveaway!" Must be present to win.
At the end of the training, three nodes were given to BAY, JACKSON, and KALAMAZOO to take
home to put online however those members saw fit.
NOTE: Within the following few weeks the MIDLAND, LEELANAU, KALAMAZOO, and OTTAWA Hamgates
went online, partly because of the training received at the DRG meeting. EATON and
MUSKEGON gained enough interest in JNOS to begin work on their own Hamgates :-)
3) Working Group Reports:
o Networking
+ WPXD status report
+ MEDN network (re)deployment
+ Loss of connectivity (Freedom-1 Network)
+ Goal to survive "Infrastructure Failure" is 2006 S.E.T.
and link EOC's via CONVerse bridges
- How are we progressing with District Network Maps?
o Still no maps from: D1, D3, and D6
o Each District please assign a "Mapmaker"
- Proposed "Local Access Frequencies by District"
o How are we progressing in the deployment?
- D2S moves to 144.91 (Hamgate.Monroe)
- D6 moves to 147.58 (Hamgate.Kent DAPR)
- D3 moves to 144.95 (MEDN)
- D1S using 145.05
- Network Training documentation (work in progress)
- Perhaps each District assign an ADEC in charge of "Network"
o Frequency Coordination
- Must know what's out there...so update the database!
~ Work progressing on an SQL database of the raw data
- Will the MARC still recognize the legacy Packet freqs
and does it matter
+ Digital Voice (it's NOT Packet) so where does it belong?
o Operational Standards
- District "Standards", are we ready to commit?
o Publish "living documents" on website
- 3-Letter County designators (two formats)
o Training
- Basic Packet training at CARS meeting in Jackson (April 18th)
- Basic Packet Training (on website)
- Network Training (under development)
- Hold "Network WG" meeting in Ann Arbor (WCC campus)
o Sometime in April, but what date? (?8th or 29th?)
4) Go around the room answering:
o "What is the status of my Districts network?"
o "What problem areas are we experiencing?"
o "What are we planning in the near future?"
5) Packet "Go-Kit" Show-n-Tell
6) Misc:
!!! Need to collect EOC Callsigns, Aliases, & Frequencies
+ Pass printout around room for folks to fill in missing data
o Please add your node data to the Node Database (via webpage)
- Nothing to build maps from if we don't have the data!
- What is the progress on the SQL database?
o Need more participation in the Working Groups!
!!! Need more participation on the DRG mailing list!!!!
+ Recent SPAM issues
- "Participate! Or Jay will Dictate!" ;-)
o Need LEADERS for each of the Working Groups
- Hold regular work sessions
- Discuss issues via the email list(s)
7) Set Date and Location of the next Quarterly DRG meeting:
+ Next meeting in June/July
+ Set Date and Location
o Ann Arbor?/Monroe?/Kalamazoo?/Grand Rapids?
8) Set "Action Items"
o Node Database updates!!!
o Each District develop an "Operations Plan for Packet"
o Each District develop and Publish their own Network Maps
o Each District provide updates for the EOC database
o Begin migration to the new frequencies & build Gateways
!!! Foot Stompin' Cheer Leadin' Rally the Troops to build nodes!
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