Annual President's Report to the Colorado QRP Club May 13, 2013

Having served as president and now re-elected for another term, I would like to say QRP Amateur Radio is alive and well. As the club slogan toots, "Life’s too short for $800 finals." It has been some time since we have published the President’s Report. It seems as though the COVID-19 pandemic has skewed all of our lives in many ways (even though the last report from Frank Ivan was way before the pandemic). We have moved to Zoom meetings, Zoom / Face-to-Face hybrid meetings and even the club’s own’s “FrankenNet” on Monday nights where we are checking in QRP enthusiasts via a local 2-meter repeater, Echolink, and Zoom. We have had participation from as far away as Taiwan and Eastern Europe.   As we move into the post-pandemic era, the club is once again searching for a physical location for Face- to-Face meetings for the locals here in Colorado, coupled with Zoom hybridization to welcome members from around the continent and the world. While the move to doing more via the InterWeb has been underway for years, the pandemic certainly scooted things along a little faster. While I am nowhere near the founding QRPers for the club, set up in 1994, I am number 155 and since I joined shortly after licensure in 1995, nearly 1,000 more CQC numbers have been added to our roster. Sadly, some of our members, including my main Elmers, are SK, but we are carrying on with their dream of promoting low power amateur radio.   Back in the 1990s much of the emphasis was on kit building and home brewing because in the years following the eras of Heathkit and TenTec there simply were not many ready-made QRP rigs, until Yeasu set the world on fire with the FT-817, a dang near bullet-roof all-band (up to 70 cm) all-mode QRP transceiver, still available as the FT-818. Those gone but not forgotten kits, however, were works of art from the likes of Oak Hills Research, Small Wonder Labs, Norcal, Emtech, and others.

The intervening years, however, brought us marvelous technical innovations, and, today, QRP enthusiasts have before them a myriad of ready-made QRP rigs as well as new kits incorporating newer and more miniaturized technology, including the upgradable software defined radio technology. Add to these the new and engaging activities that dang near demand QRP operations – Summits on the Air, Parks on the Air, Lighthouses on the Air, Islands on the Air, and Volunteers on the Air. More and more QRP categories in contests and QRP-only contests, like the QRP Foxhunts sponsored by CQC are appearing on the contest calendars. Portable operations have been accelerated with these and other activities, including emergency preparation.
 
More than ever, the club is embracing all modes of operating. We have over the years been very CW- centric, and for very good reason – it has been and still is about the most efficient mode, especially for QRP. However, more and more new hams are using single sideband and digital modes in their QRP work. With contesting and DX-peditions increasing worldwide, CW is still a major go-to mode for those operations, and more and more new hams are learning Morse. The new technology also has brought CW decoders into play, allowing more and more hams to participate in more and more modes. This is what we want – NO?
 
The club has continuously sponsored ARRL Field Day Operations and still holds a few scoring records. We will continue in that vein in 2023 at our Field Day site in eastern Colorado. We are looking ahead and forward to continued promotion of low power amateur radio in the form of meetings, nets, activities, contests, kit-building, antenna design, CW, SSB, FM, Digital modes, and information distribution via our website and a planned resurgence of the club’s world-famous newsletter, The Low Down. C U down the log..
 
Respectfully submitted,
Dick Schneider, ABØCD
President, Colorado QRP Club

Click Here for CQC's Constitution and Bylaws

Annual President's Report to the Colorado QRP Club May 11, 2013

Again thanks to the hard work of my fellow officers and the committee chairs we have had another good year. I want to thank especially Scott Garcia - KCØHSV Vice President, Vince Kumagai -KIØRB club secretary, and Roger Wendell - WBØJNR club treasure and webmaster.

We continue to add new members and also members are renewing their dues. Our Field Day sites are doing great and are the highlight of the club. The fox hunts are more popular than ever and are perhaps how we are know by the rest of the QRP'ers around the country. Finally our hamfest efforts really help the club treasury.

Once again we had a very successful Field Day. Our Battle Ground site won the top 2A Battery spot and our Aloha site made a marked improvement on their last year's score. We have a new site for the Battle Ground station this year that we think will be even better than the site we have used the last two years. We want to thank Ron Pitcock for hosting us the past two years.

Our picnic was at Jim Pope's Amateur Radio Museum and QTH. It was nice to just hold a relaxed eyeball QSO followed by a tour of about half the rigs ever made.

Vince and Jim are also our hamfest representing us ably to the Denver amateur radio community at large and greatly augmenting our treasury.

Our summer and winter foxhunts again attracted nationwide attention and participation. A record number of pelts were handed out by many very able foxes. We owe most of that success to the tireless effort our our foxhunt chairman Marshal Emm - N1FN. Hopefully he will continue as foxhunt chairman from Atlanta.

We will be faced with finding a new meeting location. We are planning to try the Arapahoe County Library System and have reserved a meeting room at the Smoky Hills Library for July. We will have more information on the web site. We want to thank Marshal for hosting us all these years at Morse Express.

Now that our Low Down editor - Dick Schenider - ABØCD is a published author with more books in the works, we need to get him more help with the Low Down. We are addressing that challenge, but a big part of the problem is that Dick has set such a high standard it is difficult for other people to produce that quality of work. That is probably why Dick is a published author.

Jim Pope is also the head of our program committee and is really helping to find interesting and informative programs for our meeting. If anyone has any ideas for programs or has a topic they would like to see presented, get in touch with Jim.

There are a number of people I want to thank. First, Marshal and Milestone Technologies for hosting us. The net co-ordinators are there every Monday. We also want to thank the Colorado Repeater Association for their fine repeaters. Is a tough job keeping repeaters up.

Finally, I want to thank the members of the club. I hope you have found the past year enjoyable and informative. With out our great members there would be no club. After all, it is a hobby so if you aren't enjoying it then something is wrong.

Respectfully Submitted
Frank Ivan - KØFEI - President 2Ø12 - 2Ø13

Annual President's Report to the Colorado QRP Club May 09, 2009

It is customary for the CQC President to deliver an annual report at the May general meeting. This coincides with our annual election of officers. As I will be ending my three years as your CQC president, I thought it might be useful to make my final annual report available in the Low Down, which might possibly come out before the May meeting, as well as at the meeting itself.

First, I would like to thank all of the CQC members, officers and committee chairs for their help and assistance over the past three years. The president's role is relatively easy. It is the other officers, committee chairs, and the general membership that do all the work. The combined efforts of all these people always have, and always will, make the CQC as successful as it is.

"Successful" is a good word to describe the CQC. At a time when other clubs experience waning interest and declining membership, it is remarkable at how robust our club is. Membership continues to grow. Participation in club activities continues to increase. Lack of cooperation from "Olde Sol" to the contrary, interest in QRP operation continues to grow. Amazingly, even as Morse Code is no longer an exam element, interest in learning and using Morse Code continues to grow.

There were many highlights for the CQC during the past year. Certainly, too many to cover all of them in a brief report, so I will touch on only a few, and apologize in advance if I fail to mention your favorite CQC activity.

Field Day continues to be the top highlight of the CQC year. The Competitive Station won the 2A QRP category in 2ØØ8, and darn near won the whole 2A category. When one considers how many stations enter 2A, and how many of them run high power, the Competitive Station score and 2nd place finish overall was a remarkable achievement. Congratulations to all who participated at the Competitive Site.

The Aloha Field Day Station did not win any prizes for contacts made with other Field Day stations. They did, however, achieve their primary goals of high participation, getting on the air, and introducing many newcomers to ham radio. Watching aspiring hams operate, perhaps for their first time, is a thrill unequaled by almost any other ham radio activity. Also, seeing seasoned hams who may not have been on the air in a long time pick up the mike, or tap the key, renews the spirits of all of us. Just participating in Field Day, be it at the Competitive or Aloha site, helps to recharge our ham radio batteries. I know that my family and friends, many of whom have no interest in ham radio, are already asking about and looking forward to this year's Field Day. Come join us, at either, or both sites.

Two years ago we stepped up the emphasis on our CQC Picnic. Shifting the date to September, when the weather is nicer, and cajoling some willing club members into hosting the picnic, has proven to be very popular. This past September's picnic was hosted by Jay, KT5E. How was attendance? Suffice it to say that there were so many people out on his back deck that I wondered if it might collapse under their combined weight. As well, Jay managed to introduce us to his recently purchased Elecraft K3. I know of at least two club members who subsequently purchased a K3 after listening to Jay's K3 in operation. Of course, his 1ØØ foot towers helped enhance the aura of the K3.

Our Program Co-Chairs have come up with some dynamic presentations. Club meetings would be somewhat humdrum if we did nothing more than conduct club business. Everyone looks forward to a good presentation. We have had a series of great presentations this past year. Most of them have been videotaped and are available on disc for a nominal fee, either at club meetings, or at the CQC table at hamfests. How many ham radio clubs can boast that they had two goats at one of their presentations? We can, and they sure did spice up the day.

The CQC is financially strong. Problems during the year dealing with a recalcitrant bank have been resolved. The club treasury is robust, and only waiting for the collective imagination of the club to find ways to use it to enhance our hamming experiences. With annual dues of only $6.ØØ, the club does a remarkable job of handling its finances.

As of the time of this writing, the CQC has just issued member number 861. Membership continues to grow. As most of you know, your member number is issued for life. Those club members with single digit member numbers proudly wear them on their sleeves. The rest of us look forward to handing out our member numbers in our three contests. These include the Great Colorado Gold Rush in the Summer, the Great Colorado Snowshoe Run in December, and the Winter QSO Party in February. It was surprising how many did participate in these sprints despite poor band conditions. One of the best ways to improve ones radio skills is to participate in one of these events. If and when the sunspot cycle gets rolling, participation in these events will increase dramatically.

There are many other highlights for the past year that I did not mention. Our CQC web page, www.coloradoqrpclub.org, has a great deal of information on club activities, including text, pictures and video. The web page also includes links to many other QRP related web sites. Many of us check out www.coloradoqrpclub.org on a regular basis to keep up to date on ham radio activities.

This year I have chosen to not identify by name the many people who headed or were involved in our club activities. We all know who they are. To each of them, we owe our thanks for a most successful year. Many of them take on more than their fair share of the burden. But, being involved in CQC activities is really not a burden. It is very rewarding and a lot of fun.

If the above is true, one may wonder why I have chosen to step down after three years as your CQC president. An organization thrives when new and innovative thinking is injected into the mix. It is time for new leadership, with new ideas and new approaches. A new president will bring fresh ideas to the table. Hopefully, along with a new club president, we will find more members willing to step up and take a leadership role in one or more of the club activities. My challenge to everyone in the CQC is to make a special effort in the coming year to become involved in some new aspect of the club. Try something you have not done before. Come up with an idea that the club has not tried before. I can think of no better way to renew your own enthusiasm for this great hobby.

Finally, I would like once again to thank the club officers and committee heads for the help and support that they have provided to me for the past three years. I want to assure you all that I will be here to provide my support and help to the new slate of officers, and to the committees, whenever I can, in the coming year. I'll be looking for you on our Monday night nets, and on the bands.

Pete Inskeep, NO2D
CQC President

Annual President's Report to the Colorado QRP Club May 10 2008

This past year has been an interesting one for the Colorado QRP Club. Let me touch on some of the highlights.

Almost every ham loves Field Day. CQC gave Club members, friends, and guests, twice as much to love by hosting two Field Day sites. The competitive site was, as always, competitive. If there was a "low light" to the year, it was the theft of key antenna components from the tower trailer. Undaunted, the competitive group made do with what was left, and still managed to win the class. Congratulations to everyone who participated at the competitive site.

After a short hiatus the Club once again fielded an "Aloha" Field Day event. It was held at Cherry Creek State Park, and was well attended. Many aspiring young future hams had their first opportunity to hoist the mike and call, "CQ Field Day." The Aloha site attracted many visitors. A high score was not as important as was having fun, camaraderie, and introducing new friends to ham radio.

Another equally enjoyable event was our annual picnic, held last September at the home of Jim Pope, KGØPP. It was well attended by club members and their families. A bonus treat was having the opportunity to tour Jim's two shacks with his awesome collection of rigs and accessories, from the most modern to, well, let's just say "way back." Everyone had a great time, and the club once again wants to than Jim for his wonderful hospitality.

The club remained financially solvent during the year. The reduction in the dues structure two years ago appears to have been more than offset by both growth in membership, as well as the efforts of some of our more experienced horse traders at the club table at the various hamfests.

The executive board started holding regular meetings prior to our Chat & Chew sessions. These board meetings enabled us to spend less time on minutia at club meetings, and more time with interesting presentations and eyeball discussions.

The Club web site, www.coloradoqrpclub.org, continues to grow, to inform, and to provide a historical backdrop to the progress of the club, and QRP, as well. Many of the members check out the web site on a regular basis to learn what is new, to review past meetings and events, and to pick up links to the many other ham radio activities that are somehow connected to the CQC in one way or another.

The Colorado QRP Club has been the sponsoring organization of the weekly QRP Fox Hunts during the past year. A lot of work goes into organizing, tracking and maintaining the web site for the very popular and competitive Fox Hunts. Sometimes it is a thankless job, especially when a hound happens to get "Skunked" in a particular week.

Our May meeting is the meeting at which we hold our annual election of officers. We all, and I in particular, have been very fortunate to work with such a fine group of officers and committee heads. The jobs of Secretary and Treasurer in particular require a great deal of time on the part of the incumbents. Thus, I would like to recognize Vince KIØRB, and Roger, WBØJNR, for their contributions in, respectively, the Secretary and Treasurer posts. We also elected a new Vice President this past May. Scott, KCØHSV, has added enthusiasm, ideas, and participation as our Vice President. He has been especially helpful to me in helping to provide some direction for the Club.

Committees work behind the scenes to make things happen. Field Days, either Competitive or Aloha, are not a success by accident. Lots of planning and personal effort goes in to making them successful and enjoyable. Thanks to Al, KØFRP, and Dick, ABØCD, chairpersons, and all those who worked with them, for making it happen.

Fox Hunts require more than good propagation, although that sure would help. Marshall, N1FN, is the guru behind the Fox Hunts. Al, KØFRP, is the score keeper. Roger, WBØJNR, maintains the web page. Getting all the foxes lined up for the upcoming season is a real organizational chore, as is cajoling Foxes into submitting their logs to satisfy the hunger of the chasing hounds.

Our Technical Committee may not be as active as some, but Gabe, W2ZGB, can provide technical assistance whenever called upon. There are rumors that his basement contains the entire remaining stock of Lafayette Radio parts and kits, as well as everything that used to be in the stores on Canal Street in NYC. If you need help, just ask Gabe.

I mentioned the club web page earlier. Roger, WBØJNR, not only is our club treasurer, but he also maintains the CQC web page and the Fox Hunt web page. Both sites are entertaining, informative, up to date, and extremely well done.

Dennis Edinger, WØGD, has been our Club Elmer for a number of years. He stepped down this year due to health and having moved to Florence. He was recently replaced by Frank Ivan, KØFEI, whose first duty is to activate the GOTA station for newcomers at the Rampart Range Competitive Field Day site. He is available to anyone needing "Elmer" help.

I'd also like to thank Marshall, Vince, Jim and Lou for acting as net control stations for our regular Monday night nets. We always need more net control stations, so please step forward and volunteer. It is not nearly as daunting a task as it might appear to be.

Finally, you can read all about it in our great publication, the "Low Down." Vince, our Secretary, also serves as editor of the Low Down. He can often be seen beating members with a mobile whip antenna in an effort to get a promised story or article done and turned in on time to meet the next issue deadline. With so much going on in ham radio it is not hard to find ideas for the Low Down, but it sure is difficult to get the great thinkers to put pen to paper.

I thought carefully about not mentioning any names in this year's report. There is always the risk of leaving out some individual who made a great contribution that was somehow overlooked. I hope I am not guilty of doing that. If I did, I apologize. Serving as a Club officer or Committee head is a sometimes difficult, but always rewarding job. The composition of our club leadership has largely remained stable in recent years. It is time for new faces and new ideas. I challenge all of you who sit and watch to think about stepping up, if not this year, then next year, to vie for a leadership position. We need new ideas, new enthusiasm and new leadership. We live in changing times, and it is time for CQC to change, as well.

Respectfully submitted by Pete Inskeep, NO2D, President.

Annual President's Report to the Colorado QRP Club May 12, 2007

[Ed note: Pete made this presentation during a full house
  for our regular meeting at Milestone Technologies.]

My annual report will touch on activities and accomplishments during this past year. I will also point to some activities and objectives which I hope we can consider in the coming year.

First, I want to take a minute to remind everyone of the untimely passing this past December of Rich High, WØHEP. Rich held CQC #1, and was the Club's first President. I did not have the pleasure of knowing him well, but I know that many of you did. He has been, and will continue to be, missed by all of us. His influence over, and direction of the Club, will be felt for a long time to come. I'd like to thank the many Club members who attended his memorial service. I know that meant a lot to his family.

Let me turn now to accomplishments and activities over the past year. I don't want to put the list in any order of significance. So I'll just list things as they have come to mind.

In 2ØØ6, the CQC continued a tradition of excellence in its Field Day operations. I have not seen the official results yet, but I understand that we more than likely were at the top of the list in the QRP two station battery operated category. Remember, Field Day is not a contest! RIGHT! Tell that to the gang that participated in Field Day. Field Day is always a group effort, so it is tough to single out any individuals. However, Al Dawkins, KØFRP, is a prime mover in our competitive site Field Day operation. Vince Kumagai, KIØRB, was instrumental in getting the tower trailer refurbished, with new tires. Thanks to both of you, and to the operators, and to all who helped in that effort.

Part of the glue that holds the CQC together between meetings is our Monday night nets. They can be interesting, sometimes even a bit exciting, but always an opportunity to talk radio and Club news between meetings and Chat & Chew sessions. Nets can't exist without net control stations, so I would like to recognize and thank Vince, KIØRB, Marshall Emm, N1FN, and Jim Pope, KGØPP, for their tireless efforts as net control stations.

Whenever someone wants to know more about the Club, or about QRP in general, we like to say, "Just go to our website, www.coloradoqrpclub.org. You will find it there." We have an informative and comprehensive web site of which the Club can be proud. We owe that excellence to our webmaster and treasurer, Roger Wendell, WBØJNR. Roger manages to keep the site up to date, and to add material in a very timely fashion. Roger, thanks for a great website.

Another activity which puts the CQC squarely in the middle of the QRP map, is the Annual Fox Hunt Program. Marshall, N1FN, who is also our Club Call trustee and meeting host, is the prime mover behind the Foxhunts. Marshall should take credit for expanding the hunt to 8Ø meters this past Winter. Eighty Meters was a popular addition. Marshall, thanks for keeping the Foxes in line and the Hounds at bay.

Marshall is also well known for providing a meeting home for the CQC Club. Marshall even purchased more chairs so that we can be more comfortable during meetings. Marshall's daughter, Nancy, has also contributed to our comfort by providing us with drinks, and, more recently, she has volunteered to pick up donuts for each Club meeting. Marshall is also Trustee of the Club Call Sign. Thanks to Marshall for being the guardian of our Club station call, WØCQC. Thanks to both Nancy and Marshall for making our meeting experiences more enjoyable.

We all look forward to reading each new issue of "The Low Down" as it comes out. I wonder if we have any real appreciation of how much work goes into publishing each issue? Vince, KIØRB, who is also our Club secretary, is our "Low Down" editor. Vince has to drag stories out of reluctant authors, find material of interest, and otherwise come up with stuff to put in "The Low Down." Roger puts "The Low Down" up on the CQC web site for all dues paying members to read. Thanks, guys, for a great newsletter.

The CQC home page indicates that we recently issued member number 829, to Louis, KCØCMO. I congratulate not only Louis, but all new members who have joined the club in the past year. We have added 51 new members since I joined a few years ago. Our growth has occurred at a time when many other clubs are losing members, and losing interest. As well, let me congratulate everyone who has either passed their first ham license exam, or upgraded, in the past year.

Here are some other notable activities from this past year. We have sponsored a club table at a number of hamfests. Some of our members participated in Hamcom at Estes Park. We have sponsored on-the-air contests, such as The Great Colorado Gold Rush and The Great Colorado Snowshoe Run. We became an affiliated Club with the ARRL. We sponsored two plaques in the 2ØØ6 ARRL Sweepstakes. These included the Rocky Mountain Division Single Operator QRP CW and Phone plaques. A new computer video projector was recently purchased, which enhances our presentation capabilities. Our web site now includes video snippets. We have had a variety of interesting speakers and presentations during the past year. I thank all who have participated in any of the above activities.

In recognition of the elections to be held shortly, I would especially like to thank our Club Officers who have served for this past year. Steve Finch, AIØW, as Vice President, Vince, KIØRB, as Secretary, and Roger, WBØJNR, as Treasurer. If these roles were all fun and glory, we would have a long list of nominees each year for every office. That is hardly ever the case. These are difficult, time consuming jobs. Steve, as Vice President, also held the job of CQC Program Chairman. I've already mentioned the other hats that Vince and Roger wear. Thanks to all of you for your willingness to serve.

With apologies for the many people and activities that I have left out, let me take just a moment to look forward to the coming year.

We are on track for solid Field Day performances in June for both the Competitive and Aloha sites. Participation in Field Day is one of my most enjoyable ham radio activities. It is the kind of activity in which every Club member, and friends and family, can participate in some way.

We have thus far two contests to sponsor this coming year. These are the Great Colorado Gold Rush in July, and the Great Colorado Snowshoe Run, most likely in December. We will take a look at sponsoring additional contests, as well, and do so if it makes sense.

Under the watchful eye of Marshall, N1FN, we will continue to sponsor the Fox Hunts. The Fox Hunt logo appears near the bottom of the CQC web home page. If the sunspot cycle cooperates, the Fox Hunts will become even more exciting than they were last year.

Dropping the Morse code requirement has not diminished interest in CW. Just the opposite seems to be happening. Many Club members and friends have been upgrading. As they upgrade and the HF bands become available to them, they realize the potential that operating QRP CW provides. They are going out and learning Morse Code without being required to do so. Using any mode, the popularity of operating QRP seems to be on the increase.

I would like to see the club become involved in a construction project. Many clubs have them. It does not have to be fancy, or expensive. A good project can generate enthusiasm, and helps us learn more about ham radio. Finding the right kind of project for us is key.

Members attend meetings more, I think, for the presentations, than for the business part of a meeting. We need everyone's help in finding or creating interesting presentations for our meetings. Coming up with good presentations is one of the most difficult tasks we have. There are at most, six opportunities for presentations during a Club year. We should make the best of those opportunities.

We had a standing room only crowd at our last meeting, and the luncheon that followed. It seemed to be the largest crowd at any CQC Club meeting that I have attended. More active participation in meetings helps to build momentum. Momentum serves to increase the breadth of ideas, interest, and activities in the Club. Ham Radio is not only fun on the air. It is also fun to meet and talk and share with other hams, face to face. Our Club provides these face to face opportunities, as well as promoting on-the-air activities. I think we should continue to stress this valuable aspect of our Club.

In summary, it has been a lot of fun to be your Club president this past year. I am not sure I was always up to the task, but I always enjoyed it. It also added greatly to my own appreciation of the hobby of ham radio. But, the president only sits up front and tries to keep order. It is all the other officers, committee chairs, and Club members, who help to make the Colorado QRP Club what it is. I thank all of you for being so helpful, and for providing strong guidance to me during this past year.

Pete, no2d.

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