Lee Co ARES Monthly Meeting, February 2026
Lee County ARES members met on Feb 15. They discuss improvements on a radio and antenna of a team member. They discussed the support to the Lee Co EOC by providing use of two of their antennas for fire and EMS in the temporary dispatch room. They discussed procedures to assign a frequency designed for Lee Co ARES VarAc, Winlink P2P, and JS8Call and selected one. They discussed the last updates to VarAc including the Bulletin Board System.
A more central location for the EmComm trailer was discussed and the option on whether locate the propane bottles for best and safe use with the generator. Lee Co ARES members further discussed technicalities of the GMRS repeater at the Lexington location.
They also commented on the new net format and ways to improve it. They talked about the renewal of Zoom that is no longer offered by Tech Soup, and added Goodstack.com as an alternative to Tech Soup.
We discussed the newly updated EmComm plan adding the VarAc frequencies and interops.
Finally, we scheduled a tentative date for the demonstration to the public of the EmComm trailer and confirm participation to offer comms to the trail ride at a local event in April.
Been away from the radio for a couple of years…just getting back in…My family has a farm at Manheim, so my ties to Lee County are great. I’m impressed with your work with ARES. Many years ago I was active in Maryland-DC with ARES and other emergency comm operations…so I know the amount of dedication and hard work it takes to make it all work. Obviously, you’re doing a great job of it. I am attempting to reach Marida Borromeo and/or Calvin Burnham, names I gotten from the Giddings Times & News. My wife (WB3JDC) and I have recently moved from our Spring, TX home to a retirement facility in west Houston…almost Katy. I have surplus…free to you folks.. my 70-foot electric crankup tower, complete with 2mtr, 440 beams, a Ringo Ranger, aTH7DX, and TailTwister (sans rotator box) that is yours for the taking. You’ll need to take it down. With a few guys, that should be efficiently, fairly easily done. I put it up by myself!! Let me hear of your interest, 73, Charles Schneider, WA3ZTY, (I713-854-1933)