Shuswap Amateur Radio Club Minutes

Minutes of the Monthly Meeting: April 9, 2026

Location: Uptown SASCU – 1120 – 25^th St. NE

Present: Gary Stortz, Robin Hickman, Dave Hadley, Al Marr, Blane Ready, Peter Jugovic, Steve Poole, Phil Baker, Al Neufeld, Celia Harris, Jim Hilland, Aiden Haglund, Bruce Harding

1. Call to Order: 1900 hrs, Phil in the Chair
2. Introductions: round table
3. Adoption of the Agenda: M: Blane S: Al M                                  CARRIED
4. Adoption of the March 12^th Minutes: M: Dave  S: Gary               CARRIED
5. Financial Report: Treasurer

Regular Account: $4011.05                                              Gaming Account: $9.72

Income:                 $0.36 Int.                                                   Income: nil

$40.00 M’ship

Expenses:                                                                              Expenses: nil

$31.50 – SAEDS Room Rental (AGM)

$40.00 – Society Registration Fee

$201.60- P.O. box rental

$39.19- lock for storage container

M: Robin      S: Celia  , that the report be                                               ADOPTED

6. Web Site: no issues, some minor updates
7. Repeater Reports: all repeaters appear to be working fine

7.1 VE7RNH – 146.760- :

7.2 VE7AHR – 147.140+:

7.3 VE7QMR – 145.470-:

7.4 VE7RSA – 147.020+:

8. Club Correspondence:

8.1Annual report filed with B.C. registries

9. New and Unfinished Business:

9.1 Project Director Report – Peter J.

Potential Club activities:

1. Voice of the Shuswap – do an interview on Club services, benefits, activities, emergency roles,etc
2. Carey Benson Memorial – a NORAC (Vernon) camping event at Fintry Provincial campground April 17^th to the 19^th . Gary and Linda Stortz are going to join this group.
3. Marconi Day – April 25^th. SARC will be setting up a display at the Piccadilly Mall promoting amateur radio.  Volunteers needed to be at the table
4. Emergency Preparedness Week – May 6^th to 9^th. Newspaper article, interview with Voice of the Shuswap
5. Spring Fest on Hudson – May 9^th – Club could have a booth providing a presence similar to the Fall Fair
6. Hamvention – workshops, presentations, equipment swap/sale to bring other HAMS to Salmon Arm
7. Sicamous Safety Fair – June 13^th. Looking for volunteers

9.2 Logo expense: Robin.  Original allocation was $300.  GST added and additional $15

M: Robin               S: Blane , that the full amount of the bill be paid                CARRIED

M: Robin               S: Celia, that in future the treasurer be authorized to cover an invoice up to 12% over the quoted price.  (to cover taxes)                               CARRIED

9.3 Fall Fair: August 27^th to 30^th.

M: Celia                S: Al Marr,  that SARC have a booth at the Fall Fair                                                                                                                                                     CARRIED

10. Information Only Items:

10.1 Interagency meeting: Celia

CSRD interagency meeting deals with various groups involved in emergency operations and what roles they play

10.2 SARC EmCOMM- Peter

Report on file.  NOTE:  there will be monthly drill on the last Friday of the month at 10:00 AM

10.3 Technical Committee Planning – Peter and Robin to take on this role

11. Adjournment: 20:03 , Celia

Next Meeting: May 14, 2026

SARC – 2026 Technical Committee Planning
Introduction
This document provides a concise annual summary of maintenance and inspection activities
performed on SARC repeater sites during 2025. Full, detailed versions of each individual field
report are available in the Blog section at SARC.ca.
Throughout the year, the Shuswap Amateur Radio Club conducted scheduled maintenance and
technical inspections across four key repeater locations: VE7QMR (Queest Mountain),
VE7RNH (Fly Hills/Granite Peak), VE7AHR (Adams Hill) and VE7RSA. These visits
ensured continued reliability of the club’s communication infrastructure and provided valuable
insight into long-term equipment and site conditions. All repeaters remain operational, with
several areas identified for preventive maintenance in 2026.

1. VE7QMR – Queest Mountain (August 26, 2025)
Team: VE7HMN, VE7OHR, VA7VT, VE7PAE, VE7HDU + Vella team
Key Work Completed:
 Reset and testing of the APRS system
 Battery bank inspection and topping up with distilled water
 Repeater functionality testing
 Measurements of solar panels and Vella cabin roof for future relocation
Findings:
 APRS system operational.
 APRS trailer and solar infrastructure are deteriorating significantly due to harsh
mountain conditions.
 Relocating solar panels to the Vella cabin roof is feasible but requires a new support
structure to ensure proper tilt and weather resistance.
Status: Repeater operational; solar system upgrade recommended for 2026.

2. VE7RNH – Fly Hills / Granite Peak (August 30, 2025)
Team: VE7BPH, VE7HMN, VE7LOG, VE7GSZ, VE7PAE
Key Work Completed:
 Transmitter power and SWR measurements

 Battery and solar system inspection
 Structural inspection of the repeater building
 Attempted controller replacement (new unit malfunctioned; original left in service)
Findings:
 All equipment functioning normally.
 Roof repairs from the previous year remain intact, though minor water ingress was
observed on the floor.
 Access road partially obstructed by fallen trees; cleared during return.
Status: System stable; monitor roof condition and plan for future controller replacement.

3. VE7AHR – Adams Hill (September 13, 2025)
Team: VE7BPH, VE7HMN, VE7LOG, VE7GSZ, VE7PAE
Key Work Completed:
 Battery voltage and connection checks
 Solar charging system inspection
 Comshell vandalism/damage check
 VHF/UHF output and SWR testing
 General site cleanup
Findings:
 Internal equipment in excellent condition.
 One antenna slightly bent but fully functional.
 Significant damage to the 400-series coaxial cable (likely heat-related from recent
wildfire). Performance currently unaffected but replacement is strongly recommended.
 One grounding connector reinstalled; one guy wire tightened.
Recommended Equipment for Next Visit:
 Lock lubricant
 Safety harness and lanyard
 Ladder
 ~10 ft LMR-400 cable, 2× N-male connectors, self-vulcanizing tape
Status: Repeater stable; coax replacement is a priority for 2026.

4. VE7RSA – Repeater Maintenance (September 27, 2025)
Team: VE7BHP, VE7NIA, VE7PAE + VE7CAL & VE7RZZ (testing support)
Key Work Completed:
 Removal of defective batteries
 Installation of a new VHF transmitter
 Output power and SWR measurements
 Correction of a loose battery contact
 Full system functionality testing
Findings:
 New transmitter installed and set to 5 W.
 SWR measured at 1.7:1 (acceptable).
 Repeater shelter in excellent condition—dry, solid, and clean.
Status: Fully operational after equipment replacement.

Overall Assessment for 2025
Across all sites, the club’s repeater network remains fully functional and reliable. The
maintenance teams demonstrated strong coordination, technical expertise, and commitment to
system upkeep. Key issues identified include:
 Structural degradation of the solar trailer at VE7QMR
 Heat-damaged coaxial cable at VE7AHR
 Early signs of water ingress at VE7RNH
These items should be prioritized to maintain long-term system resilience.

Recommendations for 2026
1. VE7QMR
 Proceed with solar panel relocation and install a reinforced mounting structure.
 Move APRS equipment into the Vella Building and connect it to the Repeater battery
bank; add additional lead-acid capacity.
 Connect APRS solar panels to the Repeater battery system.
 Replace the Yaesu APRS radio with the ICOM unit that reliably restarts after
low-voltage events.
 Begin the process of removing the QMR trailer (including associated requirements).
 Coordinate with the Vella crew to ensure proper operation of their new generator and
our charger.
 Determine and test QMR linking alternatives.
2. VE7AHR
 Replace damaged coaxial cable and inspect antenna alignment.
3. VE7RNH
 Monitor roof integrity and plan preventive sealing or repair.
 Test the RLC-2 controller on the RSA repeater prior to deployment at RNH.
 Substitute the RNH controller if viable.
4. OTHER
 Create a unified equipment kit for all field visits (lubricants, safety gear, tools, spare
connectors).
 Continue detailed field reporting and annual consolidation for club records.
 Recalibrate repeater controller voltage and audio levels.
 Test coverage from the Loppet location.