January 2004 - arrl-odv - reflector.arrl.org

[ARRL-ODV:9885] Re: Good grief!
by James Weaver 06 Jan '04

06 Jan '04

For whatever it is worth, I have a policy of replying in some way to every E-mail/snail mail message sent me by a GLD member. Generally speaking, I extend this to nonmembers whom I also let know that I would most likely consider their thinking more seriously if they were members. Aside from the above, I have one comment regarding protocol for communications from the League. I just reviewed the W1AW operating schedule. In full deference to whomever (Joe?) who makes up these schedules, when the heck is 12PM? I know of 12M (noon) and 12MM (midnight) but given that each 12 is right "in between AM and PM (or PM and AM) which of these is 12PM? I fully know about 12:01AM and 12:01PM, but . . . Or have we totally capitulated to ignorant computers that know no more than we program them to know? Seriously, though, shouldn't we technical communications types get it right in what we write? Sorry. Its early in the year and I haven't gotten tired, yet. AMATEUR RADIO: The only fail-safe communications system in the world. ARRL: The reason Amateur Radio is! Jim Weaver, K8JE, Director, Great Lakes Division ARRL 5065 Bethany Rd., Mason, OH 45040-9660, Tel. 513-459-0142, E-mail k8je(a)arrl.org

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[ARRL-ODV:9884] Re: R&R Committee Motion #1
by Andy Oppel 06 Jan '04

06 Jan '04

I'll chime in on this one since I'm in the Information Technology industry. I think you need both formats as was done with "Amateur Radio Today" (VHS video tapes as well as MPEG format on a CD). I offer the following points to consider: 1. MPEG video files can be downloaded from a web site. This was offered for "Amateur Radio Today" and we have no way of knowing how many copies were actually downloaded, so counting the number of tapes vs. CDs distributed may not yield accurate results. 2. MPEG is probably the safest digital video format since all Windows computers come with the Windows Media player, which is quite capable of playing the format. There are other formats (Quicktime, for example, which is a favorite on Apple systems), but usually you need a 3rd party player to play them. 3. There are still a lot of people who have VCRs but not computers with CD ROM drives. (DVD is a different format altogether and requires a more expensive drive. Many newer computers come with DVD drives that can also handle CD ROM formats, but those with older computers typically will not have DVD available to them. 4. When traveling to a club meeting, you are much more likely to find a VCR and TV available than the much more expensive Data Projector required to project images from a computer. I know one SM who went out and bought a Data Projector precisely because of this issue (he already had a laptop, but they are worthless in a meeting of any size without a projector). I went to one hamfest where they told me that had a data projector available, and when I got there, all they had was an overhead projector. The organizers didn't really know what a data projector was and what we had was "a failure to communicate" (1 bonus point for those who can name the movie that comes from). I ended up going to a copy center and printing out 30 copies of my powerpoint slides. 73, Andy Oppel, N6AJO Vice Director, Pacific Division, ARRL n6ajo(a)arrl.org home: (510) 864-2299 cell: (510) 910-1508 At 03:30 PM 1/5/2004, you wrote: >5 JAN, 2004 - 1715 CST > >Hello Rod... > >Was there any discussion about the format(s) to be used for the recruitment >videos? I believe mailing, handling, duplication, and storage of video CDs >is now cheaper (or at least no more expensive) than video tapes. Does >anybody have an idea which format would reach more people? How many >"Amateur Radio Today" CDs were produced and distributed vs video tapes? > >In the public at large, there are probably still more video tape players/ >recorders in use than video CD players/recorders. However, in our target >audience of younger people who are more technically inclined (both >licensed and un-licensed) I would bet the number of DVD and CD >players/recorders now out outnumber the video tape players/recorders. > >Perhaps the format to be used has not yet been decided and the motion has >been kept generic for this reason? > >73 - Dick, W9GIG >

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[ARRL-ODV:9883] Good grief!
by Kay Craigie 06 Jan '04

06 Jan '04

Somebody has spurred the people who're against the Morse code requirement to carpet-bomb us with e-mails. I am not responding to any sent to me, assuming that they are also e-mailing their views to their Directors. If they are, fine. If they're not, then it's their bad. I assume you Directors are quite capable of making up your own minds and don't need your inboxes jam full of cc's of "thank you for your input" from me about this. 73 - Kay N3KN

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[ARRL-ODV:9882] Email About Morse Code
by dick＠pobox.com 05 Jan '04

05 Jan '04

5 JAN, 2004 - 1725 CST Since late last night, I have received seven email messages on the Morse code issue. Since last July through 11:00 PM last night, I have received 40 plus emails on this issue and one hard copy letter. What I find interesting is that all seven of these emails support doing away with the remaining Morse code licensing requirement. Is this the start of a NCI campaign that will soon be answered with a FISTS email campaign? I wonder if the number of daily messages will exceed the number of spam messages I receive - after 80 percent of the spam has been filtered out. 73 - Dick, W9GIG

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[ARRL-ODV:9881] Re: R&R Committee Motion #1
by dick＠pobox.com 05 Jan '04

05 Jan '04

5 JAN, 2004 - 1715 CST Hello Rod... Was there any discussion about the format(s) to be used for the recruitment videos? I believe mailing, handling, duplication, and storage of video CDs is now cheaper (or at least no more expensive) than video tapes. Does anybody have an idea which format would reach more people? How many "Amateur Radio Today" CDs were produced and distributed vs video tapes? In the public at large, there are probably still more video tape players/ recorders in use than video CD players/recorders. However, in our target audience of younger people who are more technically inclined (both licensed and un-licensed) I would bet the number of DVD and CD players/recorders now out outnumber the video tape players/recorders. Perhaps the format to be used has not yet been decided and the motion has been kept generic for this reason? 73 - Dick, W9GIG

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[ARRL-ODV:9880] Re: Membership growth
by Sumner, Dave, K1ZZ 05 Jan '04

05 Jan '04

Echoing Tom (I think), it's not the decline in membership that I find alarming so much as the decline in activity. We've had anecdotal evidence of this trend, but with the Readex survey we can quantify it not only in terms of the rising number of inactive licensees but also in terms of declining numbers of hours, and greater passivity (listening/monitoring as opposed to being on the air), among those who remain active. There is also declining attendance at hamfests and club meetings. So the pool of potential ARRL members is shrinking. Unless that trend is reversed, pulling new and returning members from the pool will be increasingly expensive and difficult. The 2004 plan reflects that: we're planning to spend more money on membership promotion just to stay even. Looking on the bright side, at least two of the specific agenda items for the upcoming Board meeting directly address how to expand the pool of potential members. Dave K1ZZ -----Original Message----- From: Frenaye, Tom (Dir, NE) Sent: Monday, January 05, 2004 4:14 PM To: arrl-odv Subject: [ARRL-ODV:9878] Membership growth The Recruitment and Retention Committee report that Rod distributed earlier today said: "...ARRL membership continues to decline at an alarming rate." Even though the last few month's data is roughly break-even, the report is really on target. We are currently have fewer full members than we have had since March 1992 - about 12 years ago. If you count associate members, foreign members and subscriptions, we have the lowest totals since October 1988 - more than 15 years ago. I'm just back from vacation and have not read through the budget/plan document yet but I hope we're going to be spending some money and resources to try to change things. I don't think we can do more than stem the tide by soliciting non-member hams - we need to generate real growth in the number of licensed hams (and in the number of new active hams). Interesting graph attached. 73 -- Tom ===== e-mail: k1ki(a)arrl.org ARRL New England Division Director http://www.arrl.org/ Tom Frenaye, K1KI, P O Box J, West Suffield CT 06093 Phone: 860-668-5444

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[ARRL-ODV:9879] Re: Web survey
by Art Goddard 05 Jan '04

05 Jan '04

Good point that it's important how our decisions are presented to the Amateur Radio community. Especially decisions relating to emotionally-charged issues. Andy, if one of your constituents had made the following comment, would that also indicate the need for some "serious education"? Comment: "Removal of the Morse testing requirement will hasten the decline of CW as a mainstream operating mode. I hope the ARRL will at least maintain a single Morse calling frequency in its future band plans." 73, Art W6XD ----- Original Message ----- From: "Andy Oppel" <andy(a)andyoppel.com> To: "arrl-odv" <arrl-odv(a)reflector.arrl.org> Sent: Monday, January 05, 2004 11:44 AM Subject: [ARRL-ODV:9874] Re: Web survey > Bob Vallio and I conducted a formal survey in the Pacific Division via > e-mail on the Morse code licensing issue. While we have not yet tabulated > the results yet (there were over 1,000 responses), we noticed two things in > the write-in comments: > > 1. A surprising number of members believe that removal of the code > proficiency license testing requirement automatically means that the code > segments of the bands will be re-farmed to other operating modes. Comments > such as "We have to save the code test to protect the lower portion of the > bands." were rather common. > > 2. Some members equate removal of the testing requirement to a total ban > on the operating mode. Comments such as "We have to save CW because it > works when other modes do not." were less common, but still prevalent > enough to be of concern. > > It seems clear to me that no matter what the board decides at the upcoming > meeting, we have some serious educating to do about what the decision does > and does not mean. The simpler and more direct the explanation, the > better, in my opinion as it would be a shame to lose a lot of members over > this type of misunderstanding. > > 73, > Andy Oppel, N6AJO > Vice Director, Pacific Division, ARRL > > n6ajo(a)arrl.org > home: (510) 864-2299 > cell: (510) 910-1508 > > At 07:43 AM 1/5/2004, you wrote: > >One device that we, along with many other Web site operators, use to build > >site traffic is to provide an interactive opportunity for site visitors. > >Every week the "ARRLWeb Survey" asks a different question which typically > >garners 2,000-3,000 responses. Obviously it is not scientific; while it is > >occasionally possible to learn something from the responses, respondents > >are not representative of anyone but themselves and there is no easy way > >to guard against "stuffing the ballot box." Most of the time there is no > >reason for anyone to respond more than once, although occasionally we do > >see evidence of ballot-box stuffing. For example, a couple of months ago > >when we asked which operating system people were using, some Mac users > >submitted multiple responses because they would like the ARRL to devote > >more resources to providing Mac-compatible products. > > > >The question that went up last Friday was appropriate for the New Year: > >"Which is your greatest hope for Amateur Radio in 2004?" The possible > >responses given were: > > > >That BPL (Broadband over Power Line) will be stopped before it spreads > >That the FCC will drop Morse code testing > >That the FCC will retain Morse code testing > >That more antenna restrictions will be overturned > >That more people will become hams > >None of the above > > > >When the question first went up, for a while BPL was getting the most > >responses. Then the anti- and pro-code denizens began publicizing the fact > >that the question was there and wholesale stuffing began. So the numbers > >of responses, which now total more than 10,000, are even more meaningless > >than usual. > > > >Dave K1ZZ > > 73, > Andy Oppel, N6AJO > Vice Director, Pacific Division, ARRL > > n6ajo(a)arrl.org > home: (510) 864-2299 > cell: (510) 910-1508 > >

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[ARRL-ODV:9878] Membership growth
by Tom Frenaye 05 Jan '04

05 Jan '04

The Recruitment and Retention Committee report that Rod distributed earlier today said: "...ARRL membership continues to decline at an alarming rate." Even though the last few month's data is roughly break-even, the report is really on target. We are currently have fewer full members than we have had since March 1992 - about 12 years ago. If you count associate members, foreign members and subscriptions, we have the lowest totals since October 1988 - more than 15 years ago. I'm just back from vacation and have not read through the budget/plan document yet but I hope we're going to be spending some money and resources to try to change things. I don't think we can do more than stem the tide by soliciting non-member hams - we need to generate real growth in the number of licensed hams (and in the number of new active hams). Interesting graph attached. 73 -- Tom ===== e-mail: k1ki(a)arrl.org ARRL New England Division Director http://www.arrl.org/ Tom Frenaye, K1KI, P O Box J, West Suffield CT 06093 Phone: 860-668-5444

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[ARRL-ODV:9877] Blocked Messages to KØQB
by John Bellows 05 Jan '04

05 Jan '04

In an effort to see if I was paying attention my ISP undertook an equipment and software change/improvement which resulted in a delay (read that as blockage) of all traffic sent to me through the OD, ODV and A&F Reflectors as well as anything forwarded through arrl.org. The problem is now being solved. The temporary fix is to let everything including all spam through to me. If anyone on the ODV list sent me anything between December 28, 2003 and noon January 5, 2004 that was bounced or generated a this item has been delayed message, please resend the item to me. Yes, I have a renewed appreciation of the frustration felt by members when arrl.net mail is blocked. Thanks to Barry and the IS staffers who untangled this for me. Jay, KØQB

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[ARRL-ODV:9876] Re: Draft Agenda, January 2004 Board Meeting
by James Weaver 05 Jan '04

05 Jan '04

Sounds right to me. I have a buck or two in Procter & Gamble and various other stocks and have yet to be invited to a Board meeting! Maybe Kay and I should compare our portfolios and gave a party of our own whenever a co-held company has a Board meeting. 73, tnx, Jim AMATEUR RADIO: The only fail-safe communications system in the world. ARRL: The reason Amateur Radio is! Jim Weaver, K8JE, Director, Great Lakes Division ARRL 5065 Bethany Rd., Mason, OH 45040-9660, Tel. 513-459-0142, E-mail k8je(a)arrl.org

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