History 3

ECRA History - page 3

A plaque for Silent Keys was approved by membership on February 19,1991. The plaque will be shown at Crown International.

February 5,1991 over 400 Hams in Elkhart County. How can we get more interested in ECRA? (Seems this question never gets old.)

June 4, 1991- Board gets letter from ARRL giving the club Special Service Club Designation.

June 18, 1991 the group voted to purchase an Advanced Computer Controls RC-96 controller for the repeater.

September 3, 1991 New firmware installed on computer. Features included real time clock, calendar, date, scheduler (week-day, week-end, day of the month), female voice with 32 words (mostly numbers), male voice and sound effects. It has a lithium battery back-up for the clock feature. The new firmware is scheduled to turn on for net operations at 7:29 and shut off at 8:30 p.m. on Mondays and changes to night mode from 11 p.m. To 6:00 a.m. daily.

January 21,1992 Membership is over 100 and the by-laws are updated.

ECRA sets up a training committee, to arrange for starting classes on April 21,1992. "10 codes" and signals restricted by Board for use on ECRA repeaters. Bill VanPatten as KA9TMW then got a Purple Crystal Award from the trustee Tom Szerencse WB9VTZ for timing out the repeater.

August 14, 1992, 145.43 power amp is offline. GL Net got hit by lightning and fried the power supply and circuitry. Repairs made by NQ9Q. GL Node moves to SRI 5 & US 120 at Sandy's (W9JOE) site in the fall. Net-Rom in Dunlap is not working and to be investigated by Jon KB9ATR. A new Controller from A/D Technologies is under consideration for the 2 meter repeater.

November 2, 1992 The ECRA GL-Net node was destroyed when Heritage Cable sold out to new company. They tore down the building losing power. The back-up came on and quickly died. Then power came back on and the surge killed it.

November 30, 1992 at the last general meeting the members accepted an idea to purchase a new controller at the cost of $2300.

September 15,1993 The DART repeater takes a hit and 145.430 loose a power amp. Tom gets them fixed. Only $300 is needed to get the new controller.

September 21,1993 A vote was taken to set up proxy votes for members unable to attend meetings. Port-A-Pit will be contacted to inquire about a 1994 fundraiser.November 16,1993 DART now at Goshen College. DART was at Sam's at the corner of C.R. 26 and C.R. 9. Tom Szerencse WB9VTZ gets a plaque for his super efforts as trustee.

January 18, 1994 HamFest Committee to meet at Town Haus restaurant at 7 p.m. Dave Evans AA9DG has the new A/D Technologies DRC-186 controller up and running. The DART machine got approval for a phone line at the cost of $10.00 a month.

April 1994 Our very own Dennis Drudge W9XD is published in "QST". His "TONE DECODERS" are made available to the membership.

ECRA HAM FEST August 6,1994.

September 20, 1994 the modem was damaged by lightning on the 145.430 mhz repeater. The new voice commands are recorded and will be activated soon. DART got approval for phone line again for $12.00 a month.

April 3, 1995 Transmitter "fingerprinting" system installed to help track down illegal repeater users.May 1996 New 150 Watt Henry Radio Power Amplifier installed on the 145.430 Mhz repeater. November 26 1996 Founder Clarence Moore's former call sign W9LZX granted to ECRA as its official club call sign.

January 3, 1997 224.90 MHz repeater moved from Goshen College to join the 145.420 MHz repeater at the WFRN tower at the corner of C.R. 26 and C.R. 9.

July 13, 1997 First annual ECRA family picnic conducted at Ox Bow County Park.

August 16,1997 lightning hits 145.430 MHz repeater. Only one chip was damaged.

September 16, 1997 Seven of eight repeater jamming devices located by a team of ECRA members led by Pete Ostapchuk N9SFX. Perpetrators were caught and they promised not to do it again.

January 20,1998 Handbook committee formed.

March 17,1998 Members voted to join INDIANA RADIO CLUB COUNCIL.

June 26, 1999 ECRA joins Goshen Amateur Radio Club and Elkhart Red Cross Club for a Fox Hunt

All Logo's and any Trademarks, on this site, are hereby acknowledged and/or used with permission.

ECRA History - page 3