Scout Radio Victoria

Agenda - March Monthly Meeting

Tuesday 21st March 2023, 7.30pm

BATCave, Legana Street, Mount Waverley

Chair: Luke Byrnes

Minutes: Alice Hayllar

Meeting Opened: 7:30pm

Attendees

Luke Byrnes, Alice Hayllar, Andy King, Kent Cochran, Daniel Gutsell, Adrian Robinson, Matt Cengia, Douglas Ahern, Mark Perkins, Col Herbert, Neil Wilson.

Neal Wise, Anders Hamilton, Juliet Montague, Bibby Montague,

Apologies

Gemma Nash, Dimitrios Karagiannis, Karl Donald, Christopher Ly, Ross Swinton, Murray Taylor

Absentees

Philip Adams, Steven Munro, Alan Kanowitz, Jodie Bedford, Kevin Bedford, Glenn Perry, Allison Burdon, Alan Stratford, Alberto Scelsi, Ash Clark, Ben Hodder, Bryan Ackerly, David Timms, Franc Rojo, Jenny Adams, Peter Chaplin, Peter Watkins, Quintin Coutinho

Meeting Items

Administration

Chair's Comments

SRV logo

Previous Minutes

It was moved by Matt Cengia and Daniel Gutsell that the minutes of the Scout Radio Victoria meeting held Tuesday 21st March 2023 be adopted. Carried unanimously.

Finance

Account Balance on Monday 20th March 2023
STEM - State Radio (Bendigo Bank) $8,840.87

Work Health & Safety (WHS)

Program Review

Hoadley Hide Site Visit

  • Hoadley Hide prep went well, @mattcen did some great mapping work to determine propagation capabilities for RA8 on the Friday.
  • Adapted from the rogaining points from several years back. A very fancy coverage map was also created, coloured by elevation.
  • About 80% of sites we wanted to use should be sufficient for use.
  • There is a map with black areas where we are expecting to have coverage issues

PVRG

  • RA8 and fox hunting were set up and hugely successful at PVR gathering on the long weekend.
  • Great demonstration opportunity for RA8 as an event management utility too.
  • Special mention to Will for running this activity

John Moyle Memorial Field Day

  • Happy Birthday Mafeking: well done to members of this table and Mafeking Radio for a successful JMMFD event with ~122 contacts, beating their previous record of 116.
  • Strong marketing opportunity with 3+ attendees interested in registering for the June Amateur course at Camp Warringal - all three took 4th Edition books home with registration links too.
  • Luke, Douglas, Reagan (Venturer), Sarah, Laura (Bill waters), Jess, Gemma, Matt (Turbo), Andy, Jordan (Black Flats) and Adrian participated at Mafeking using VK3SCM
  • Contesting is a great way to engage people in radios
  • Looking into branching out across the state, Adrian and Douglas have agreed to keep the Mafeking event running while Luke and others work on other events.

Program Planning

Trello Update

  • needs improvement, but moreso needs your individual involvement - email notifications enabled for it are your friend!
    • Would there be interest in more email related support? Suggest a function.
    • "Ready an Invoice" Feature sends relevant information to our treasurer so we can send out invoices quicker.
    • Expansion into hire requests, training courses
    • Looking into setting it up so that an email can be sent to trello to automatically set up cards.
    • Looking into New Equipment request cards as well.

take some time at the end of the meeting to assist with Trello onboarding

Cuboree

  • Kent to work with Luke to send out an eDM to known Amateurs who are Scouting members to assist with Cuboree.
  • Scout support at Cuboree as Staff.
  • Looking to reach out to people who have previously completed one of our foundation radio courses
  • Anything beyond the card information that's noteworthy?

Program Enrichment

Star Trek: Survival

We need resources in order to be able to run STS again. Logistics and Catering is where we are currently lacking. Having the participants cater for themselves will take out time for the program and require more logistics in getting groups to ensure that scouts that are in attendance have everything needed to cater for themselves.

This might be ok for next year as it is a long weekend but is a bit more difficult this year.

Festival of STEM

Replacing STS2023 Pilot program with a Festival of STEM

Intention to run a Skills Development weekend in August/September 2023, instead of STS Pilot Program - we need more SME's and to build confidence and cross-skill across our STEM teams.

Conference-style activity blocks for both Adult and Youth members, with SME presenters and facilitators running information sessions, tutorials, Q&A, Show and Tell, etc.

Ideas could include sessions on:

  • configuring a repeater
  • programming commercial radios
  • programming digital radios
  • building antennas
  • running RadioActiv8
  • soldering projects, etc
  • 'What makes a good JOTA program' talk
  • other topics suggested

Costs to facilitate food, accommodation, etc. Date to be figured out based on appropriate venue availability.

Thoughts? Discuss!

  • Everyone likes the idea
  • Juliet, Bibby, Adrian, Douglas, Alice, Daniel are interested in coming to it
  • Douglas suggested Gilwell Training ground for a potential venue
  • Kent suggested to incorporate a message handling course into the weekend
  • Luke will put together a structured platform in how it will operate and how it will look
  • We will be asking for people to put forward a program for the event and a session they can run where possible

Amateur Events

John Moyle Memorial Field Day

As above, MRP Amateur Radio Group scored about 122 contacts.

Sadly the publisher of VKCL has actually become a SK in the last two years, and the software is no longer being maintained. Scope to introduce a versatile logging program into the community that meets our needs too?

Training Courses

Foundation Amateur Courses

Completed a budget for the course, all Foundation courses should be $220 (excl. ACMA and Callsign costs).

Dates confirmed:

  • 31 March 2023 - 2 April 2023 @ Bay Park Scout Camp, Mt Martha
    • All books delivered as of Monday 18th March.
    • Trainees Phil, Luke, Kent*, Sarah. Gemma providing Catering. All welcome, please let Luke know if you are attending.
    • Course has 6 participants, running a small loss ($57) due to small numbers.
  • 2 June 2023 - 4 June 2023 @ Camp Warringal, Whittlesea
    • Trainees Phil, Luke, Kent*, Sarah. Val Paton has been asked to Cater.
    • Expecting a full course, possibly overflow - additional trainers may mean that we can increase our capacity.

Aim for a course in the West (suburban or rural) in the later half of the year - any date suggestions from trainers?

Attempt to get another date this half of the year, Luke and Phil to discuss offline. 5-7th May 2023 as a potential date, lightly pencilled in.

Daniel is pencilled in for 2-4 June 2023.

  • Foundation courses to be planned for 2023 to accommodate:
    • Interest from the 4x4 Team to host a course.
    • Interest from Mallee Mud Kamp attendees (x2)
    • Interest for Western Vic JOTA to have another course at Cooinda Burrong
    • Interest from MRP team members
    • Interest from Hurstbridge Scouts and Venturers
    • Follow up with registrants from previous course in Geelong who were unable to attend.

New Licencee 'Welcome pack'

  • Thanks to Daniel for preparing some resources. Please provide any feedback you have directly to Daniel.

https://github.com/Scouts-Victoria-Program/jota-handout

Any suggestions for addition to this info for the end of March course?

Available on Github

SRCOP

Dates proposed:

6 May 2023 @ GSWAC

Program Support

Youth Net

  • No development at this time, to be followed up with this offline - hopefully this month..
  • Echolink is a struggle with youth registering, can be overcome, however mindful it is a barrier.
  • Scout radio Victoria have 4 talk groups on DMR. 1921-1924.
  • It works really well, if we can link it into IRLP and Echolink, DRM bridge it will allow more accessibility. Most important thing is getting radio in hand.
  • Kent has concerns around linking DMR and Echolink but is resolved happy hearing we have control over it.
  • It is a well dispersed network with very limited access points.
  • Would like to eventually buy some hotspots to send out with the radios.

ScoutHike 20/21 May 2023

Motorola have advised their VHF equipment is unavailable. Luke is in talks with Branch about an appropriate, long-term commercial solution to resolve this. Plan is still to get a VHF DMR Repeater, DMR Base station at every sleep point that uses that repeater. If it doesnt work effectively this year we will use 2m amateur as back up, only change this year is moving to VHF DMR from 2m commercial. Long term allows to not just support ScoutHike but to also provide program at it. If we rent and buy simultaniously it allows us to grow our product to reduce costs over time. This can eventually lead to having scouts able to check in at their activities themselves over radio. Basic requirements it needs to be digital VHF in the forrest.

Proposal to be made to include everything we need to make this happen in order to get a loan from Scouts Vic.

Program team will be promoting for events to provide appropriate funding to teams who are working events.

If our plan goes ahead we will be charging ScoutHike a higher cost bringing in further revenue.

Availability Summary:

  • Daniel is available with no preference
  • Karl is available
  • Murray is unavailable - same weekend as JOTT
  • Andy avaiable and same sleep point as last time is fine
  • Mark is available and has a preference for sleep point 3
  • Kent is unsure, most likely only the sunday, will know closer to the date
  • Gemma is a maybe
  • Phil only availble if twilight sailing falls apart, will only know a week before
  • Peter Chaplin has advised he is unable to attend this year, but will happily prepare the trailer for the event as required.
  • Alice is doing first aid at sleep point 5
  • Adrian is tentative but leaning towards yes
  • Col
  • Neil is planning to be there, no sleep point preference
  • Requirement for Matt McKernan to be on a specific sleep point
  • Neil knows 2 Venturers who are licensed and may be interested in joining
  • Douglas is a maybe depending on Mafeking working bee
  • Matt Cengia is a no
  • Neal W is interested to learn and can probably be available

Support Development

Hamfests

  • To-do:
    • Identify old surplus equipment
    • Book Moorabbin - 6th May 2023
  • Kent has identified what our old radios are in order to see what we can take to Hamfest to clear out our inventory. Kent to distribute a list and we'll accept offers within the Unit before selling them publically.
  • Happy to take promotional stuff to Hamfest, though this is not a recruitment opportunity, mindful to do targeting recruitment on individuals passionate about Scouting, not just Amateur Radio.
  • Murray suggested having something to show that yes we do exist this is who we are, suggestion of wearing uniform.
  • Scout Uniform or appropriate Scouting attire such as Scout Radio tshirt in order to show we are Scouts is fine. Bear in mind it is going to be a dirty environment when deciding what to wear.
  • Do we want to get new team shirts? - to be discussed at a later meeting
  • Booking needs to be done quickly.
  • We have been offered the opportunity to set up our RA8 gazebo
  • We have also been offered 2 tables for the price of 1 if we want it
  • Murray has 1 off Trio CRO (model ) with test probe, 1 off Kenwood TS-820 HF SSB transceiver, 1 off Wouxun KG-UV6D UHF/VHF Walkietalkie

One table should be enough at least with SRV equipment, welcome to sell personal gear but let us know so that we can accomodate in regards to number of tables to book.

Scout Radio Victoria Assets

Working well, to be published shortly on our website. Reminder of fee structure: $200 to hire for an event such as Surmfoot or Mudbash, $100 for just the committee, $50 for smaller events such as our courses. Support infrastructure still underway (storage, accessories, etc).

Filters

A Trello card has been setup and Mark has been added to it

Is someone willing to own this process? Simply needs a Trello card to give everyone ability to comment and shape the next steps for purchasing.

Everyone to add any comments or ideas they may have to this card

Additional Business

  • Plan to look at getting a bulk lot of 40 second hand laptops all the same model so there is consistency across the computers used at our events.
  • Murray has some ideas for challenge cards that will be shared
  • Neil mentioned a concept on setting up STEM radio sites at various campsites. He has found a potential donor/grant opoortunity to get this paid for. ARDC are funding NFP organisations and we would qualify for it. A card has been created on Trello with Neil added to it. If you have any ideas on what we can add to these containers please comment on the card.
  • Daniel mentioned that there is an amatuer radio event where the Museum ships get on the air for people to be able to chat to them on June 3rd Trello card has been created
  • Thankyou to Daniel for his work introducing many young people to radios at the John Moyle weekend.

Meeting Closed: 21:25

Next Meeting: Tuesday 11th April

Appendix 1 - Finance Report

March 2023 Meeting

Prepared Monday 20th March 2023

STEM - State Radio (Bendigo Bank)

Date Description Credit Debit Balance
14/02/2023 Opening Balance $8,911.61
19/02/2023 Transfer to STEM Purchases Card: timber to construct radio stands $200.00 $8,711.61
26/02/2023 Damien Kuzek: Amateur Course Fee $220.00 $8,931.61
27/02/2023 Fiona Macdonald: Amateur Course Fee $220.00 $9,151.61
27/02/2023 Peter Macdonald: Amateur Course Fee $220.00 $9,371.61
1/03/2023 Inspire Apparel: Amateur Radio Badges $54.00 $9,317.61
1/03/2023 Interest $0.06 $9,317.67
5/03/2023 Camp Warringal: Amateur Course Deposit $200.00 $9,117.67
5/03/2023 Bay Park: Amateur Course Deposit $200.00 $8,917.67
6/03/2023 Toni Archer: 3 old JOTA badges $7.20 $8,924.87
11/03/2023 Scouts Victoria: Starlink for Surfmoot $ 150.00 $9,074.87
17/03/2023 ACMA: VK3RRC License $234.00 $8,840.87
20/03/2023 Closing Balance $8,840.87