TASMA

Two Meter Spectrum Management Association
358 South Main Street, #90, Orange, CA 92668

General Meeting, Saturday, 7 April 2001
Minutes

Public Library, Walnut, CA
NOTE: THESE MINUTES APPROVED 4 AUG 2001

Board Members Present:

Chairman: Bob Dengler, NO6B
Vice Chairman: Pat Finke, KC6ACL
Secretary: Howard Brown, KG6GI
Treasurer: Jim Fortney, K6IYK
Members Present: Miguel Sanchez, KC6BEU; Baltasar Cervantes, KG6ESC; Randy Hammock, KC6HMR; Javier Ibarra, KF6IBY; Oscar Portillo, KC6OCV; Noe Nevarez, KF6OVP; Juan Barreda, KD6OWR; Walt Diem, K6PEA; Alfonso Torres, KC6PXG; Miguel Ramirez, NH2R; Ramon Casillas, N3RCA; Ponciano Jara, KE6RLP; Mike Marin, KF6RQV; Rogerio Gutierrez, KB6TRD

Visitors:

Sergio Acosta, KC6GLL; Andrew Ormonde, KB6OPR

TASMA Chairman, Bob Dengler called the meeting to order at 10:20 at the Walnut Public Library. There were 18 members present, of which 1 new member did not meet the 45-day membership voting requirement, and 2 visitors. The attendees each introduced themselves to those present.

Blue Voting Chits were passed out to the members present based on their eligibility to vote.

  1. Secretary’s Report – Howard Brown. The December Minutes as published on the TASMA Web Site, on by motion of Pat Finke, KC6ACL, seconded by Walt Diem, K6PEA, was approved without objection.
  2. Treasurer’s Report – Jim Fortney. The Treasurer’s Report detail is attached (See Appendix A) to these minutes. Some specific points that Jim made included:
    • The Board would review the unaccounted TC advances at their next meeting,
    • The TASMA mail address, currently in use, would probably change late this year,
    • Receipt of the TASMA Articles of Incorporation, and
    • Receipt of ARRL Club Affiliation status which will enable ARRL sponsored liability insurance.

    The Treasurer’s Report, on motion by Howard Brown, KG6GI, seconded by Pat Finke, KC6ACL, was approved without objection.

  3. Correspondence Report: The correspondence this quarter is attached (See Appendix B) and includes membership renewals and applications, 5 RFCs, 1 interference claim follow-up, various business letters, some newsletters (including returns), and some commercial junk mail.
  4. Revised Coordination Procedure: Bob Dengler presented the revised coordination procedures (See Appendix C) that were agreed at the March 3 Board meeting. The most significant changes were:
    • Deletion of requirement to submit site use permit,
    • Elimination of requirement for submittal of 10 copies of RFCs,
    • Making the TC Secretary responsible for receipt and distribution of RFCs rather than the TASMA Secretary,
    • Formalizing the test coordination meaning,
    • Changing one-year coordination periods to a period to be determined by the Technical Committee at the time of approval, and
    • Deletion of automatic granting of coordination upon expiration of the test period.

    There was considerable discussion of when the test period actually begins and notification to TASMA of the beginning of actual testing. Some comments included:

    • The test length should be sensitive to when the actual tests begin and could be adjusted when TASMA receives test notification.
    • A test period does not automatically expire; the Technical Committee must either approve the coordination, extend the test or cancel the test (e.g. if interference was reported).

    One member brought up the topic of determining when a coordinated repeater is no longer in use. The question was discussed of whether the repeater coordinee should be contacted directly and Bob Dengler suggested he would prefer that these issues be dealt with through TASMA.

  5. Bylaws Committee – Jim Fortney provided a report of the formation of the Bylaws Committee. The Bylaws Committee is developing a list of issues that need to be addressed. Examples of issues identified include:
    • What should be the qualifications, if any, for TASMA Board members.
    • What constitutes a quorum for meetings,
    • What should be the formal overall TASMA organization.

    The members of the committee are as listed in the recent issue of the TASMA News.

    Bob Dengler indicated that the purpose of TASMA should include a reference to the fact that TASMA is responsible for both Frequency Coordination and Spectrum Management. He also echoed Burt Weiner’s comment at the previous Technical Committee meeting to the effect that frequency coordination is essentially a gentlemen’s agreement between repeater operators to implement coordination decisions by the amateur community.

    No resurrection of the Constitution is planned. The Articles of Incorporation must contain of the material that might otherwise be part of a Constitution.

    It was observed that the Bylaws can currently be altered at any general or annual meeting by a simple vote of the majority of the members present and that there was no quorum requirement. The only current requirement is prior notification.

    The first issue has been posted on the TASMA reflector.

    It is hoped to present recommended revisions at the annual December meeting.

  6. Database Maintenance – Jim Fortney and Randy Hammock discussed the status of the Coordinated Repeater database.
  7. Jim Fortney – Jim made the following points:

    • The database has displayed anomalies for at least the past 1 ½ years.
    • The association has several, non-synchronized databases at its disposal (e.g. Web site listing, repeater listing, ARRL listing, etc.).
    • TASMA is using all available information to recreate and audit a coordination database.
    • Randy is pulling together the information.
    • Both TASMA members and non-members will be referenced in the database.

    Randy Hammock – Randy made the following points:
    • Plans on a single integrated database.
    • Ultimately hope for forms that can be completed on line, printed out and mailed.
    • Also plans on providing an automated process log.
    • The process will take some time because he is moving and is quite busy maintaining the JPL 220 systems.

  8. Recognition – Chairman Dengler took the opportunity to recognize certain individuals:
    • Burt Weiner for accepting the management of the Technical Committee,
    • Howard Brown for accepting both the TASMA and the Technical Committee Secretary positions, and
    • Jim Fortney for accepting, in addition to the Treasurer role, the Bylaws Committee Chairman and the management of the Coordinated Repeater database audit and correction activity.

  9. Spectrum Management Committee – Bob Dengler introduced the notion of a Spectrum Management Committee (SMC) and briefed on its operation (See Appendix D). The role of the committee would include:
    • Project future amateur radio community needs (e.g. impact of programmable and software radios.
    • Make the amateur community more aware of the band plan.

    Bob would like broad representation on the committee with limited participation by repeater owners/operators.

    An example of future needs might include slow scan TV on repeaters.

    Some member comments included:

    • It is important for the amateur community to know the location of the band segments for different modes.
    • Promoting the Spectrum Management plan is a new thought.

    The implementation of the SMC will be developed over time. Bob is looking for volunteers to participate in the committee.

  10. Next Meeting – The next general meeting of TASMA is scheduled for 4 August 2001. The tentative location will be in San Diego but that is subject to change.
  11. Adjournment – The meeting was adjourned at 11:55 on motion by Howard Brown, second by Jim Fortney which was approved without objection.

 

Appendix A – Treasurer’s Report

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Appendix B – Summary of Correspondence

42 pieces of incoming correspondence

2 pieces of outgoing correspondence

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Appendix C – Revised Coordination Procedure

TASMA

Two Meter Area Spectrum Management Association
358 S. Main Street, PMB 90
Orange, CA 92868

Request For Coordination Procedure


As we all know it is difficult to make a new repeater work on two meters today due to the very high number and utilization of repeaters on this band. This does not imply that it is impossible to establish a new repeater on the band, but that you must do a great deal of work to lay the foundation for a coordination. TASMA suggests that you try to share an existing repeater rather than add one more repeater to the already congested spectrum. If you decide that having your own repeater is the only option, then you must follow these procedures in order to be considered for coordination.
  1. Forms
    1. The following forms must be completed and returned to TASMA.
      1. RFC-01 (Request for Coordination)
      2. RFC-02 (Site Location)
      3. RFC-03 (Repeater equipment Information)
      4. RFC-04 (A marked map indicating the area of Coverage-i.e. AAA)
    2. One complete paper copy of the RFC package must be submitted.

  2. Processing by TASMA Technical Committee
    1. The Technical Committee secretary will verify the received RFC for completeness and will retain the original copy of the data. Incomplete packages will be returned to the applicant in a timely manner.
    2. The complete RFC packages will be dispersed as follows;
      1. One complete original package to the TASMA file
      2. One complete copy to the Technical Committee Chairman.
      3. The remaining copies will be distributed among Technical Committee members.
    3. The chairman of the Technical Committee will place all complete RFCs on the Technical Committee agenda for action by the Technical Committee at the next regularly scheduled Technical Committee meeting.
    4. The Technical Committee will review all correspondence, statements and technical members findings during the open Technical Committee meeting and will allow brief discussions from relevant parties.
    5. The Technical Committee will make a decision whether to grant a test coordination based on all information.
    6. The Technical Committee Secretary will publish an official report of the actions.
    7. In the event of a test coordination being issued, the Technical Secretary will send a notice to all co-channeled and adjacent channeled coordinees of the test coordination.

  3. Issuing the repeater test coordination
    1. The testing repeater coordinee has the primary responsibility to resolve interference issues with fully coordinated repeaters.
    2. The repeater test is valid for a test period long enough to assure propagation and usage compatibility.
    3. The applicant must notify TASMA in writing when the test operation begins.
    4. Unauthorized or deliberate operations outside of the authorized testing parameters will be grounds for immediate termination of the test.
    5. The testing repeater coordinee must comply with all requests to modify or cease operations as requested by the Technical Committee chairman and/or interference committee chairman. It is the responsibility of the testing repeater coordinee to resolve any complaints of repeater-to-repeater interference

  4. Verification of the testing repeater
    1. The Technical Committee chairman will be responsible for verifying the operations of the testing repeater and completing a verification report.
    2. The Technical Committee chairman may use the members of the Technical Committee and Interference Committee to assist him in the verification of proper operation.
    3. The following information will be recorded at several intervals over the test period:
      1. Repeater signal strengths at several locations while using the same equipment.
      2. Transmitter deviation.
      3. Approximate amount of usage.
      4. Approximate coverage area. (to verify if more or less power is being used than necessary).

  5. Final coordination decision by the Technical Committee.
    1. All findings of the Interference Committee, Technical Committee, co-channel station, adjacent channel stations, and the applicant that are applicable shall be considered.
    2. The Technical Committee will review all matters relative to reported interference as a result of a granted test coordination and act upon the report of interference accordingly.
    3. In the event of denial of coordination the applicant will be notified by the Technical Committee Secretary of such a denial and is to cease operations for which he/she has applied.

  6. Appealing decisions of the TASMA committees.
    1. All Technical committee decisions are final.
    2. All appeals must be to the TASMA board of directors in writing explaining the points of the appeal and contain supporting documents.
    3. All appeals must be made no later than 90 days after the Technical committees decision.
    4. A decision of a TASMA Technical committee can only be over turned by a majority vote of the TASMA board of directors.
    5. The decision of the TASMA board of directors on an appeal shall be final.

  7. Revision/Modification to an Existing Coordination.
    1. Request for administrative changes not affecting the RF profile will be processed and must be accompanied by form RFC-01.
    2. All other request for revisions and or modifications shall be submitted according to section A of this guide.
    3. Only the Officer of Record may submit revisions and/or modifications. Refer to RFC-01on file with TASMA.

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Appendix D – Spectrum Management Committee Proposal

Spectrum Management Committee

Purpose:- Determine spectrum needs of all modes currently utilized on the 2 meter band & develop a bandplan that reflects those needs.

- Forecast future spectrum needs of emerging modes & technology & communicate those needs to the TASMA membership.

- Facilitate the dissemination of the area 2 meter bandplan to the local amateur community, the ARRL, etc.

  
Composition:Diverse representation from all current & potential future users of the 2 meter band.
  
Meetings:Called by the SMC Chairman as needed

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