Well guys I am putting out another request for help. Anyone that has any Award or Endorsement issued in 1972 or EARLIER please send me the ward/endorsement number and especially the date issued if you have the info. I am still working on rebuilding the Awards database. I got great response last season and I really appreciate it as it filled in a lot of blanks. Send any info you have to kj8v@charter.net and I will get put in the database.
Thanks in advance.
Best 73
Dave KJ8V
Net Awards Manager

Congratulations to our new Public Relations Officer, N1KL Kevin Lynch geratol number 1371.

We held our annual October board meeting tonight and the main topic of business was our new Public Relations Officer.

73 Frosty W0FP

The 2013/2014 GERATOL season is officially under way !!! It was a great Net last night to launch the season.
Kenny, KE9TC did a superb job as our Net Controller to get the season under way………

We had over 35 check-ins on the first shift, with 22 different states represented, from New England to California !!
We had one VE mobile check in from Canada as well.
We also had a few guys working on their “basic” and who are in need of some of those key states to finish up their requirements…….

Conditions were amazingly quiet for this time of year !!

So for those who may have forgotten about the net start up, jump in this evening or some night this week and join the fun !!!

Regards, Kevin N1KL

As the Geratol Net season runs down and summer approaches, I’d like to take a minute to say a couple things here.

It’s never a bad time to thank those who volunteer. The net has some dedicated people who have performed duties for the net. Some have stepped down. Others have stepped in to take up the slack. Whether they are officers of the net, NCS stations, Awards or QSL Managers, if you’ve enjoyed your time on the net, it’s due to their efforts. Remember to thank them, whether on the air, an email, or drop them a QSL with a note.

Dayton will soon be upon us again. I’m sure the net will be represented there as usual. If you’re going, check the Yahoo page for details and to hook up with the crew.

Thanks for you input to the web page. The domain change to geratol.net went well, but I somehow never noticed a bunch of images that never got their links updated. I think they’ve been corrected now, but if you notice one that doesn’t work, please let me know – with sufficient detail to find it – and I’ll correct it.

Enjoy your spring and summer. Before we know it, it will be fall and time for the net to start again.

This is such good advice and is concise with so much you need to know in one place, that I am reposting it here for future reference. When I get time, I’ll reformat it and incorporate it into the appropriate section of the site. – Al AE2T

If you are working on the Basic Award please take your time when submitting your cards and check each one very carefully. Make sure the cards are from an Extra Class formatted call sign such as the 1×2, 2×1, AA2x2, the state you are submitting them for, that they are actually for the call sign you are submitting them for on the application, that the frequency is marked to four digits such as 3.668. E-QSLS must show the frequency in the comments field on the E-QSL or state that the contact was made on the Geratol Net and show the AG seal either on the card or below the card. If the AG seal is below the card you must submit the entire page so that the awards manager gets the AG seal.

On the application please include a valid email address and/or phone number (both are better) in case the awards manager has questions and/or he can notify you of your new Geratol Number. Also please indicate how you want the name on the certificate to read. If it is for a club, do you want a persons name or the club’s name on the certificate? This also holds true for any of the awards that have a certificate. Please include a check made out to Dave Ertel for the amount of the award and return postage if you want your cards back when submitting for the Basic Award. The cost of the Basic Award is $10.00.

I have found that the fastest and safest way to submit your cards for the basic award is to use the USPS small priority mail box (8 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ x 1 3/4″). It may cost a buck more, however, it works great. All priority mail now receives a tracking number included in the cost of the Priority mail postage. The tracking number should be on your receipt from the Post Office. If you want you can email the tracking number to me and I can watch for it also.

I know from experience that completing the Basic Award is very exciting and you just can’t hardly wait to get that New Geratol number, however, please take your time when submitting you cards as it will speed up the process. I don’t like to have to tell someone that one of their cards is wrong or something else is wrong, however, if you take your time when submitting them it will save a lot of time and pain down the road.

If you have any questions about cards and/or submitting your cards please DO NOT hesitate to contact me with your questions. I would much rather answer questions before you submit rather than have to tell you that there is a problem with your application or cards. You can contact me anytime via email or by phone. If you are calling via the phone, I am up until 11:00 PM EST/EDT every evening and don’t mind the calls. If I am across the street on the radio Sandy will call me on the intercom and let me know you are on the phone. If Sandy and I are both on the air I will try to have my cell phone with me. My contact info is as follows: email address is kj8v@charter.net, my home phone is: 231-864-2354 and my cell phone number is 513-850-9426.

Sandy and I really get excited when someone completes their Basic and Directors award and I just really want to make the whole process as easy for you as possible.

Good Luck and Best 73
Dave KJ8V Awards Manager

MINUTES OF THE GERATOL BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING, 24 FEB 2013, 3.668 MHZ

1. THE MEETING CALLLED TO ORDER BY CHAIRMAN (W0FP) AT 1901CST (0101UTC) ON
24 FEB 2013. PRESENT AT THE MEETING WERE:W0FP, VE3SIQ,
AA0ZP, N8OR, AI4IL, KJ8W AND KJ8V. A QUORUM WAS IN ATTENDANCE.

2. W0FP PROPOSED A MOTION TO CREATE A “W.A.S. COORDINATOR” POSITION. THE
MOTION WAS SECONDED BY AA0ZP. A UNANIMOUS VOTE APPROVED
THE MOTION. W0FP ASKED WR8O, RON GALLO, IF HE WOULD ACCEPT THE
POSITION. HE DID. PART OF THE RESPONSIBILITY IS TO FORWARD UPDATED
NET INFORMATION TO THE NET INFORMATION OFFICER AND TO PROVIDE A
“QUICK-START” PACKAGE TO NEW NET MEMBERS TO ASSIST THEM IN
WORKING TOWARD A GERATOL NUMBER.

3. THE CHAIRMAN ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY FURTHER BUSINESS WHICH SHOULD BE
ADDRESSED BY THE BOARD. THERE BEING NONE, A MOTION TO
ADJOURN WAS REQUESTED AND SECONDED. THE MOTION WAS APPROVED.

4. THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 1904CST (0104UTC), 24 FEB 2013.

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED
FRANK TAYLOR, AA0ZP, GERATOL SECRETARY

The Chairman (W0FP) called the meeting to order at 2041 CST, on 30 Oct 2012.

A roll-call was taken with the following board members being present: W0FP, AA0ZP, KJ8V, KJ8W, N8OR, and AI4IL. Members absent were: VE3SIQ, W4WDH, and K7OC. A quorum was present.

W0FP made a motion to allow remote operation for the purpose of working numbers for endorsement purposes only. AA0ZP seconded the motion. The board was asked if there was any discussion; there was none. Following a roll-call vote, the motion was passed by unanimous vote.

Motion to adjourn was made following a call for any further business. AA0ZP seconded the motion and all present voted to adjourn. The meeting adjourned at 2044CST .

Respectfully submitted, Frank Taylor, AA0ZP, Geratol Net Secretary.

The Geratol Net has begun it’s 2013 season and will be operating nightly, conditions permitting. Many thanks to all the net controls who keep this going. I understand there are still quite a few slots where NCS are needed, so if you can, please volunteer to help out.

I hope to get on occasionally. Right now, the driven element from my triband beam is laying across my 80m dipole. The U-bolt that attached it to the boom must have snapped in some high winds this spring and it fell off. It’s been laying there, on my roof ever since. I was hoping it might roll off, but maybe it’s best it didn’t because it probably would break it.

Anyway, there is still plenty of good weather and I plan on getting out to do some antenna work. At the very least, I’ll get the element off the dipole and get that hoisted back up where it belongs. I should be able to get the beam fixed as well in time for the NYQP.

Hope to hear you all on the net soon!

Al, AE2T, Webmeister

Dave sent this out on the Yahoo Group and I thought it was such essential information to the net, I’m reposting it here…

First and foremost, if you hear Jess or Patti on the air be sure and thank them or maybe even send them an email thanking them for all they did for the Net.

The awards are already to go. Frosty worked really hard and came up with a way to create the rectangular endorsement stickers so no more round ones. If you would like a rectangular sticker replacement for one of the round endorsement stickers just send the round one to me with an SASE and I will send you one of the rectangular stickers to replace it. Please thank Frosty for what he has done for the Net. Read more…

Recently, John Deegan, K9XT, #1569, contacted me regarding the Geratol.net domain name. He had registered it years ago for the net’s use and has held on to it up ’till now. He offered to release the name to us if we wanted it. Of course, I accepted!

So, you are now looking at the new Geratol.net web page. Looks the same as the old Geratol.info? It is, and if you type in the old domain name, you will still end up at the new .net page.

Many thanks to John for holding on to the name and keeping it from falling into the hands of domain speculators. I’ll keep both domains going for a while so that old links work, but  the Geratol.net domain will be our official URL from now on.

Please update your links, bookmarks and net preambles!