In-Newsletter
Vol. 25, No. 17
April 29, 2002
Sales & Marketing
Dennis Motschenbacher is happy to announce that Bob Inderbitzen is now our
Marketing Manager. This promotion is made in recognition of Bob's proven
success working with various departments developing marketing strategies
that are both effective and project a continuity of effort within the
League. Bob will begin to work with Dennis to develop both short term and
long term marketing plans that will draw together the total talent resource
of the ARRL staff.
Circulation and Pub Sales
Lisa Tardette moved into a new role that allows her to devote 100% of her
time to Dealer Sales. She has relocated into the area occupied by the
advertising staff so that both groups can learn from each other as well as
back each other up. Zoe Belliveau is our new Products Fulfillment
Supervisor taking full responsibility for getting the orders entered and out
the door, lifting that load away from Lisa.
The arrival of the new edition of the ARRL Repeater Directory has been
delayed until the first week of May because of a problem at the printer.
All drop-shipment orders will be fulfilled as soon as the books come off
press, and all other orders will be fulfilled upon the arrival of the books
in Newington.
Although we have extensively used electronic methods to promote membership
and publications, we tried an experiment using the same medium to encourage
lapsed members to rejoin ARRL. Bob drafted an email solicitation to expired
members, seeking renewals. With the assistance of Jon Bloom we were able to
gather a small group of expirees whose memberships had been expired for at
least six months but less than one year-and had an e-mail address on record.
Bob Inderbitzen put an eye-catching piece together, which included graphics
along with suitable text.
Generally, our e-mailed publication mailings have gleaned a 0.5 percent
return. This mailing has pulled just a little over that mark at 0.8
percent. In addition to exploring this method of solicitation further, we
are using Bob's piece (with appropriate text changes) as the first
electronic reminder to upcoming expirees before their first mailed renewal
notice.
Advertising
Dennis Motschenbacher is pleased to announce that Hanan Rayyashi is our new
Advertising Supervisor. Joe Bottigleri will be joining the Advertising
Sales Staff Monday April 29. Hanan and Joe will be preparing an aggressive
sales plan that includes closer contact with our current advertisers and
clearer targets for obtaining new advertisers.
New advertisers booked this month include ACE-HF, Tom's Tubes, and Terry
Software. We lost a couple of ads due to advertiser seasonal adjustment.
The Advertising staff will be working with the Production staff to plan the
transition to computer-to-plate ad processing and to further refine the flow
of information between the groups.
Marketing
Bob Inderbitzen conducted a publication solicitation that was emailed to
members on April 18. Within 5 days, it had yielded nearly $31,000
(excluding shipping and sales tax). One third of the sales volume came from
Handbook and Antenna Book orders.
Some of Bob's other activities for the week: drafted posters featuring ARRL
publications for Dayton Hamvention; sought engraved samples of a proposed
new Life Membership plaque; finalized artwork for TravelPlus CD-ROM product;
compiled product pricing and details for proposed ARES emergency apparel;
closed a small publication order with RSGB; arranged delivery of the new
International Microwave Handbook, published by RSGB (with contributed
material from ARRL).
Publications
The June issue of QST has been released to the printer. We checked page
proofs for The ARRL Extra Class License Manual.
We wish Joe Bottiglieri, AA1GW, well in his new position on the Advertising
sales staff. Joe has been Product Review editor since 1998 and the Managing
Editor of NCJ since 1999.
Membership Services
Awards Branch
WAS QSL Cards Checked 600
WAS Certificates 12
5BWAS Certificates 3
WAC QSL Cards Checked 180
Extra Class Certificates 20
A-1 Operator Nominations 2
Long Term Member Inquiries 3
Long Term Member Awards Mailed 39
25-Year Member Award 1
VUCC QSL Cards Checked 235
VUCC Endorsements 2
Grids (Data Entry) 125
VUCC Awards Mailed 8
Also ordered the 5BWAS engraved plates for the plaques.
Backlog Status
A-1 Operator Awards 4 weeks
Basic WAS 4 weeks
Specialty WAS 1 week
WAS QSLs 1week
WAC QSLs 1 week
CP Awards 3 weeks
RCC Awards 3 weeks
OTC Awards 3 weeks
Friendship Awards 3 weeks
Extra Class Awards 1 week
VUCC Awards 2 weeks
25-Year LTM Awards 2 weeks
40-Year LTM Awards 2 weeks
50-Year LTM Awards 19 weeks
60-Year LTM Awards 19 weeks
70-Year LTM Awards 2 weeks
For the coming week-U.S. WAC, A-1 Operator, VUCC, RCC, OTC, Friendship
awards, and 5BWAS plaques.
DXCC Branch
Weekly Report April 28, 2002
Beginning Cards 38,254
Cards Received 11,410
Cards Processed 10,734
Ending Cards 38,930
Applications Pending 273
Backlog Time 10 Days
Year-to-date
Cards Received 177,229
Cards Returned 247,744
QRP Issued this week 3
QRP YTD 191
Card Return: DXCC is currently mailing applications received on April 18,
2002. Card Processing: We are entering cards received on April 24, 2002.
Kathy Kostek's last day was Friday, April 26.
QSL Branch
QSL service status: Current. Cards mailed year to date as of
04/28/2002-730,500. No cards were mailed this week. Janet Rocco spent 4
hours conducting tours around HQ.
Contests
Response to the online Sweepstakes CW results have been very positive. In
addition to the detailed writeup, we have received lots of nice comments on
the searchable database. Work is underway on the Phone Sweepstakes results,
and Dan has been hard at work recruiting authors for the DX Contest and
other results articles. The ARRL Contest Rate Sheet subscriber base now
stands at over 2200.
W1AW
What started out as a simple repair on a Harris amplifier turned into a
minor overhaul. At least three (3) components in the low-pass filter
assembly in the Harris 17-meter amplifier had shorted. This short in turn
took out transorbs (transient voltage protection devices) on the power
MOSFETs in one of the amplifier modules. Thankfully, the
"semi-cannibalized" spare Harris amplifier on hand had a good low-pass
board. Joe Carcia swapped out the boards, replaced the faulty transorbs,
and performed some quick tests on the amplifier module. The repairs
corrected the problem, and the amplifier is back up and running. Joe Carcia
also repaired one of the ground lines on the Rohn 65 (125' tower) guy wires.
These grounds shunt (to ground) any static charges that may build up on the
guy wire itself. He also replaced a coaxial "pigtail" on one of the
antennas using by visiting operators. Joe Carcia also updated the web code
practice files and prepared the W1AW Qualifying Run texts for the month of
May. Scott Gee worked on fast and slow code practice runs for the latter
part of the month of April and the first part of May. He handled some
evening phone sales calls in the 5 PM to 8 PM time slot. W1AW telephone
sales year to date (2002): $3,593.
Field & Educational Services
Regulatory Team
Brennan Price is following up on re-testing of candidates for the OO
position, verifying they are working on the tests. Brennan completed
frequency coordinator reimbursements for the Repeater Directory; $15,437
will go to 44 coordinators or coordinating bodies in the US and Canada. For
regulatory inquiries, Brennan briefed the rules applicable to the
retransmission of an ARISS contact in Australia and to the use of IRLP and
similar audio transmission protocols in the US.
John Hennessee received no more complaints about Marsh Affinity Group
Services, ARRL's insurance administrator. Marsh assigned Gail Ferrett as
new account executive and Peggy Keane as new assistant. They are John's
primary contacts when helping resolve insurance concerns. He assisted
amateurs with covenant-related antenna restrictions in St. Louis County, MO
(N0VUB); Cudady, WI (KA9FZI) and Cocoa, FL (W2KTG). John signed up a new
Volunteer Counsel: Jeff Scherzer, N2BRQ.
Field Organization/Public Service Team
Leona Adams has seen and handled a big increase in appointments,
particularly emergency-related ones (23 EC and DEC appointments, with 52 in
all). She sent Section Managers their monthly e-mail list of current and
expired appointees.
On his return from the EMCOMM 2002 conference, Steve Ewald reported an
enthusiastic turnout of around 150 persons for the ARRL Sacramento Valley
Section event. He worked on his trip report and a news story. ARRL HQ has
been receiving reports of Amateur Radio emergency responses to a large
wildfire in Colorado and a train wreck in the ARRL Orange Section. He
joined Dan, Mary, Mark, Rosalie and Mary Hobart for a meeting about the
UTC-sponsored grant and how the project will be organized.
Field & Education Support Team
Gail Iannone packed handouts for the Dayton Hamvention and distributed room
confirmation numbers to those staying in ARRL's block of rooms at the Dayton
Marriott. She also sent 16 handout packages for upcoming events, 13 hamfest
approval letters, and processed 14 door prize orders.
Jean Wolfgang has been reviewing several youth pages on the Internet to help
with her ideas for an outline on a future Amateur Radio Youth Page. She
also reports that many of the supporting documents that will be sent with
the award nominee packages to the various committees are now complete. Jean
is representing ARRL and giving a talk at the ARRL Delaware State
Convention.
Margie Bourgoin processed three new affiliated clubs whose paperwork will be
headed to the Executive Committee. She wishes to thank everyone at HQ for
their "welcome back" wishes for son Sean, and reports that he is home safe
and sound for the time being!
Mary Lau wants to remind staff that scholarship awards will be announced
within the next two weeks and callers who are inquiring about same should be
sent her way (extension #230).
Rosalie took part in the VRC teleconference meeting, took notes and wrote
the Minutes. She networked with the ARISS team about third party issues for
Italian school kids belonging to a school club with a ham license.
C-CE
Steve Blair formatted the first lesson and introduction for a new C-CE
course. He made revisions to one of the online courses, and also tallied
results coming in from the questionnaire on why some folks drop out of the
emcomm course.
Dan Miller states beta-testing is going well on the satellite course; two
AMSAT officials are participating in this -- Keith Baker, KB1SF, and Steve
Bible, N7HPR. Sixteen students enrolled in the Antenna Modeling course last
week; all C-CE courses are running smoothly.
73,
Sincerely,
Mark Wilson, K1RO
Chief Operating Officer
MW:lk
Staff Absentee List
Name Date(s) Reason
All Staff 5/27 Holiday
Dave Sumner 5/7-5/15 Geneva
`` 5/17-5/19 Dayton Hamvention
Mark Wilson 5/3 Vacation
Dennis Motschenbacher 5/1-5/2 MFJ visit
Jennifer Hagy 5/17-5/19 Dayton Hamvention
`` 5/20 Vacation
Lisa Kustosik 5/17-5/19 Dayton Hamvention
Joel Kleinman 4/30 Vacation
Maty Weinberg 4/29 Vacation
Kristy Perillo 5/2-5/13 Vacation
Dan Miller 5/3 Vacation
Brennan Price 5/8-5/15 Vacation
Wayne Mills 4/25-4/30 Visalia Convention
`` 5/3 Lebanon, MO Convention
Scott Gee 5/2-5/3 Vacation
Bill Moore 5/3 Birmingham, AL Convention
Beverly Fernandez 4/29-5/1 Vacation
`` 5/2-5/3 Sick
Jan Carman 5/3 Vacation
