June 2004 - arrl-odv - reflector.arrl.org

[ARRL-ODV:10674] IN-News
by Kustosik, Lisa, KA1UFZ 03 Jun '04

03 Jun '04

IN-Newsletter Vol. 27, No.22 June 2, 2004 Upcoming Meetings July 15th in Newington, CT at 8:30am Programs & Services Committee July 15th in Newington, CT at 8:30am A & F Committee July 16-17, 2004 in Windsor, CT Board Meeting Development The 2004 spring Defense Fund campaign has raised more than $161,000 from 2833 donors, providing a healthy average contribution of $56.83. Returns from the targeted follow up campaign are being received. The 2004 Education & Technology Fund is nearing mail date. This year's smaller campaign is focusing on two new initiatives within the framework of the program -- funding the pilot Teachers Institute in August 2004, and funding the production and distribution of less expensive ($350) and popular project lesson kits to more schools. The revenue from this campaign is projected at $97,800. Thanks to ARRL staff for their gracious welcome of Mike Zak, W1MU, during his first visit to ARRL HQ last week. The visit was productive and conversations will continue through the summer and fall to identify ways that ARRL and Mike can work together to strengthen ARRL. Copies of the 2003 Annual Report will be mailed this week to major donors and Legacy Circle members. A letter will be mailed to update selected donors whose lifetime giving is approaching the $10,000 benchmark for the Maxim Society. With the help of Tom Hogerty, guidelines for the ARRL Foundation grants will be posted on the ARRL website the week of June 7. The August QST will include an article about ARRLF grants and four new scholarships that will be offered for the first time next fall. Over the summer Development will work with the Foundation and Tom Hogerty to merge the web pages into an integrated presence that clarifies the roles of both organizations and presents the options for giving to the Amateur Radio family. Media Relations The 2003 Annual Report is back from the printer, several days ahead of schedule. Copies are being mailed out to the Board, and to Derek Riker in Washington. Copies will be made available to members upon request, and it'll also be available in electronic form on the Web. Jen completed a fill-in-the-blank press release for Field Day, along with a list of PR tips for Amateur Radio Week (June 20-27) and Field Day. Both items were posted to the PR pages. For the past couple of weeks, she has been answering member questions about their Field Day publicity efforts. Jen did a BPL interview with The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, PA). The reporter also talked to Jim Haynie, and at least one local ham she suggested as a contact. The story is set to run on the front page on June 4. The May issue of Contact! was posted to the PR pages. Production/Editorial The July/August 2004 issue of QEX has been released to the printer. Rick Lindquist reports that The ARRL Letter, Vol 23, No 22 (May 28) distributed to 67,125 members. Rick prepared stories on: FCC extends BPL proceeding reply comment deadline, NTIA hints at Phase 2 study findings, ARISS school group QSO is first for Expedition 9 and astronaut, FCC Amateur Radio Enforcement Letters, Hams assist after tornados, Powell assures Powell and Walden on restructuring, Youth column (A. Hartlage), QRP community (A. Luscre), Amateur Amateur column (G. Hoffman), various news briefs on an ever-expanding variety of ham radio topics--approximately 500,000 in all! With voiceover assistance from Jennifer Hagy, Rick voiced, edited and produced ARRL Audio News for May 28. Sales & Marketing Strong online ordering activity continued throughout the week, largely advanced by the Memorial Day holiday promotion that ended on May 31. In January 2001, ARRL teamed with Barker Specialty Company to provide quality ARRL logo merchandise for hams. The popularity of these items continues to grow, evident when we see photographs from members wearing the items at hamfests and public service activities. This past weekend, ARRL and Barker Specialty announced the new, improved ARRL merchandise e-store at http://www.barkerspecialty.com/arrl. The revised site sports a new look and includes many exciting new products. Email solicitations sent to members and previous customers generated over 120 orders over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. As part of a promotion to help launch the new site, customers receive a free gift for qualifying purchases made in June. Now Shipping: ARES Magnetic Sign (8 x 18-inches), http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=9413 RSGB IOTA Directory 40th Anniversary Edition, http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=9314 Radio Propagation -- Principles & Practice, from RSGB, http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=9328 Membership Services Awards Branch WAS Replacement Cert. 1 WAS Ends. (300 QSLs F/C) 6 5BWAS Plaques 4 WAC QSLs Checked 156 WAC Certs. (162 QSLs F/C) 27 WAC End. (6 QSLs ES/C) 1 A1 Op. Noms. 2 LTMA Inquiries 3 LTMA File Card Records 21 VUCC Certs. Processed 6 VUCC Initial Apps. 3 Grids 212 VUCC End. Apps. 2 Grids 242 Awards Mailed 39 Processing Status: Current or up to three weeks. For the coming week-Basic WAS awards for May, U.S. WAC awards, Extra Class certificates, WAS/90th awards, and mail out the foreign WAC awards. There have been 30 WAS/90th awards issued as of this week. DXCC Branch For the week of: May 30, 2004 Beginning Cards 66,184 Cards Received 6,964 Cards Processed 14,097 Ending Cards 59,051 Applications Pending 474 Processing Time 3 Weeks Year-to-date (2004) Cards Received 208,655 Cards Returned 266,089 DXCC is currently mailing applications received on May 10, 2004. DXCC is currently entering cards received on May 17, 2004. One offshore DXCC card checker was appointed this week for Portugal. Logbook of the World QSO records entered into the system 44,164,380 QSL records have resulted 1,432,191 Logs Processed 52,375 Active Certificates 9,947 Users registered in the system 6,995 LoTW credits sold: 36,516 LoTW credits used*: 15,067 LoTW credits not yet used: 21,449 LoTW credit transactions**: 261 Average credits/transaction: 140 LoTW credit fees: $6497 Average per-credit fee: 17.8 cents Applications submitted: 171 (53 hybrid) Applications finished: 36 (4 hybrid) * "LoTW credits used" means credits applied to DXCC application QSO records. ** "LoTW credit transaction" means a purchase of payment credits either directly or as part of a DXCC application. Note: Not all of the LoTW transactions have been sent to DXCC since some are part of hybrid applications (applications that include cards sent in the mail as well as LoTW credits) for which the mail component has not yet been received so DXCC hasn't retrieved the application from LoTW. Contest Branch 2004 ARRL DX CW checked results were received from the log checker, formatted, and imported into the databases. The tables were then prepared and sent to the author. Tables were prepared for the 2004 January VHF SS and sent to the author. Final editing for the 2003 Ten Meter contest and 2004 RTTY Roundup was finished for QST. Numerous Field Day questions were handled via email and telephone. QSL Bureau There is a delay of 4 days. This week 108 pounds of cards were received from members. Approximately 125 pounds of cards are waiting to be processed. Cards mailed as of 05/30/04: 523,775. No cards were mailed this week. Field & Educational Services Rosalie wrote and sent a message to introduce our newest staff member, Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, to affiliated clubs. She and Steve prepared an item for SMs about Norm working with the ACCs. Rosalie was nominated for another term as ARISS secretary-treasurer. Astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, made his first QSO -- with kids at Erie Planetarium. Jean Wolfgang developed and submitted four class rosters to CTDLC, our Web host. She prepared items necessary for graduating 35 students, requested their checks, and printed certificates and ID cards for these students. Jean began fulfilling requests from 3 students for CEUs. She attended a two-day class on advanced techniques in using the Access program. Norm Fusaro drafted a white paper of basics for the new Mentoring Program, which started him on developing his ideas for an action plan and a timeframe for some elements of the program. To help with this, he reviewed data from surveys and reports. He sent three messages to 1800 affiliated clubs. Linda and he wrote one message that introduced clubs to our new recruitment service allowing clubs to get data on new hams and upgrades. Norm replied to some mentors offering assistance to ARRL, and to some clubs to solicit details on their programs. He updated some Web pages, and assisted with recognition of Owensboro ARC on its 50-year anniversary. Gail Iannone sent 6 hamfest approval letters to the sponsoring committees confirming the Division Director's approval of the events as ARRL-sanctioned, processed 2 label requests for upcoming events, and coordinated travel for Dennis Motschenbacher to be the HQ rep at the EWA Section Convention, September 25 in Spokane and for Rick Lindquist to be the HQ rep at the WPA Section Convention, September 12 in Butler. She sent paperwork for 4 clubs seeking ARRL-affiliation to the Division Directors and SMs for their approval and sent 10 letters to club officials stating the EC's approval of their clubs as ARRL-affiliated. Linda Mullally updated records of 40 affiliated clubs, and checked a membership roster for 1 club wishing to be actively affiliated. She registered 7 Volunteer Instructors. She handled 1 SSC renewal, 1 label request and 3 club vanity email requests. Field Organization/Public Service Team Thanks to Jon Bloom we now have the "New Amateur Reports" (New ARRL Members, New Hams, and License Upgrades) online, for those SMs who want to welcome new radio amateurs to their ARRL Section and to introduce them to the ARRL Field Organization. Many SMs gave very positive feedback about this new Web-based service and resource. Chuck Skolaut prepared and sent a reminder to SMs, Official Observer Coordinators and Official Observers who might be traveling on the holiday weekend, about the FCC's ongoing request to monitor 10 meters for unlicensed operations and to report these occurrences to HQ. Chuck also received a letter of thanks from a Houston ham after he received a "Good Op" report from an OO. The correspondent said he didn't know this type of report existed, and now he'll be even more aware of setting a good example on the air. Leona Adams received and processed two SM nomination petitions from incumbents Sherri Brower, W4STB (Southern Florida) and Scott Bauer, W2LC (Western New York). She handled 20 new Field Organization-appointee supply packages including six for Technical Specialists, plus a half-dozen OO test packages to members recommended for this appointment. Steve Ewald was in touch with Section Leaders of Nebraska and Iowa following severe weather and tornadoes there. The Nebraska SEC gathered news and information that was funneled to Rick, N1RL, for ARRL's Web News page. Steve heard from Louisiana SM Mickey Cox who met with his US Representative, Rodney Alexander, about BPL. South Dakota SM Rich Beebe wrote to his US Senator, Tim Johnson, about BPL, and received a letter in reply (Copies went to Derek Riker). Steve took part in an ARES-COM telecon. He sent invitations for the 2004 SM Workshop to 14 folks to ask which weekend of September is best for their schedules. Amateur Radio Education & Technology Program Mark Spencer is corresponding with new grant schools about their equipment needs. He completed preparation for HamCom. Tragically, one of the Program's lead teachers, K2RME, died in a car accident. His excellent program was to be an example used by a sister school recently awarded a grant; the schools will be in turmoil for a while. Mark learned that a Napa Valley school that was ready to turn down their grant is back on track after finding lead teachers. He is setting up in-service training on wireless technology for teachers at a local high school. Regulatory Information John Hennessee reviewed and updated Chapter 1 of the ARRL Handbook to reflect the changes in the technical rules effective June 1. He reviewed several club constitutions for groups wanting to become affiliated with ARRL. He continued updating wording in preparation for the more comprehensive future rules. He also assisted amateurs with local government antenna zoning problems in Placerville, CA (W6FI) and Hancock County, IN (W9DEW). 73, Sincerely, Mark Wilson, K1RO Chief Operating Officer MW:lk Staff Absentee List All Staff 7/5 Holiday Dave Sumner 6/18-6/21 NW Division Convention, Seaside, OR Dennis Motschenbacher 6/4-6/5 Georgia Section Convention `` 6/19-6/20 HamCom, Dallas, TX `` 7/23-7/25 Central States VHF, Toronto, Canada `` 8/20-8/21 NM Division Convention, Albuquerque, NM `` 8/27-8/29 SW Division Convention, Phoenix, AZ Rick Lindquist 7/2-7/9 Vacation Robert Inderbitzen 7/19-7/30 Vacation Fatima Lorusso 6/14 Vacation `` 7/6-7/9 Vacation Janet Rocco 6/29 Jury duty `` 7/26-7/30 Vacation Cathy Stepina 6/3-6/13 Vacation Zoe Belliveau 6/21-6/25 Vacation Joe Carcia 5/28pm-6/4 Vacation `` 6/9pm Vacation Steve Ewald 5/28-6/4 Vacation Jon Bloom 6/14-7/2 Vacation Jean Wolfgang 6/4-6/7 Vacation Chuck Skolaut 6/11-6/12 Iowa State Convention Mark Spencer 6/18-6/20 HamCom, Dallas, TX `` 6/23-7/4 Vacation Wayne Mills 6/4 Rochester Convention 6/18 Hamcom, Dallas, TX 6/23 - 6/28 Convention, Friedrichshafen, Germany Debra Jahnke 7/5-7/9 Vacation Joel Kleinman 6/15 Vacation Stu Cohen 6/4 Vacation `` 6/11-6/14 Vacation Zack Lau 6/28-7/2 Vacation Ed Hare 6/30-7/14 Convention/Vacation

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[ARRL-ODV:10673] Re: Manassas Journal Messenger June 2 story BPL
by Sumner, Dave, K1ZZ 03 Jun '04

03 Jun '04

Manassas' innovative Internet service set for change By SARI KRIEGER News & Messenger Wednesday, June 2, 2004 Manassas put itself on the national map this year when it became the first city in the country to implement broadband over powerline Internet service citywide. But the city and BPL franchisee Prospect Street Broadband mutually agreed recently to terminate their contract. Manassas officials will open bids at a public meeting on Monday from prospective new franchisees. "We just had differing needs," said Manassas Utilities Director Allen Todd. "We had general differences on what we were expecting from a franchise and what they were expecting on what they wanted to do as a franchise." Although no single issue broke the deal, Todd said, an example of those differing needs included the city's desire to have a local customer service center, and Prospect's desire to do that work from afar. Prospect Street Broadband could not be reached for comment. The city granted Prospect Street Broadband a franchise last fall to provide high-speed Internet services to city residents through existing city power lines. So far, 200 homes in Manassas use the $26.95 per month service, which allows subscribers to access the Internet by plugging a modem into any city outlet. The Tudor Oaks and Battery Heights neighborhoods have been fully outfitted for the service, and the Wellington neighborhood is nearing completion, for a total of about 3,000 homes. The system should be fully operational citywide by the fall. Current subscribers should receive the same service, and others can still subscribe, despite the contract termination. The system is checked a few times daily, and no disruption has occurred since Manassas and Prospect Street parted ways, Todd said. "The existing users should not see any impact," Todd said. But this contract termination is just another example of "a BPL deployment decision gone wrong," according to David Sumner, Chief Executive Officer of the American Radio Relay League. Sumner and other shortwave radio advocates have kept a close watch on BPL in Manassas and BPL pilot sites across the country. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has joined these advocates in opposing the service, citing its possible interference with devices like ham radios, citizen's band radios and some emergency communications. FEMA, Sumner and others maintain that when the BPL service is transmitted across power lines, radiation from the lines may occur and render some radio uses unclear or inaudible. Sumner and representatives from the Old Virginia Hams, a local amateur radio club, have agreed that Todd and others in the city have been working to address the interference noticed in Manassas. But Sumner's fears about BPL have not been allayed. "I do find it troubling that the City of Manassas would file comments with the [Federal Communications Commission] that describe their BPL experience in glowing terms, and fail to mention the cancellation of the franchise, which occurred several weeks before the comments were filed," he said. Prospect Street hired a local company called Zplug to handle the marketing, accounting, billing and other aspects of running the service, and Zplug has continued to do so in the interim. A new franchisee can continue to use Zplug or choose a different company. Another Prospect contractor, Main.net, had been providing the equipment, and will hold on to the current stock. The city utility department is responsible for installing and maintaining the equipment outside the home. The possible new franchisee, which will be responsible for running the system, will be discussed at the special City Council session at 7 p.m. Monday at the Police Department conference room. The city receives 10.5 percent of the revenue from the BPL service, Todd said, and the city is only responsible for the small cost of installing the equipment. The income from BPL returns to the self-sufficient utilities department, and any extra revenue could possibly be used for other city purposes. But Sumner said BPL won't be a financially sound investment for the city, as some officials expect, especially with the city operating the system until a new franchisee can be found. The Manassas Utilities Department has temporarily shouldered the $140,000 cost for equipment already installed, but Todd said the new franchisee would reimburse the city for that amount. "It doesn't take an MBA to figure out that operating the system is costing a lot more than it is producing in revenue from paying customers as of the time the bid package was released," Sumner said. Staff writer Sari Krieger can be reached at (703) 369-6751. This story can be found at: <http://www.manassasjm.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=MJM%2FMGArticle%2FWPN_…>

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[ARRL-ODV:10672] Test Message
by W3KD＠aol.com 03 Jun '04

03 Jun '04

This is a test. Please do not reply. Thanks. Chris Imlay

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[ARRL-ODV:10671] Re: Power
by W5JBP＠aol.com 03 Jun '04

03 Jun '04

You may have read about the storms that hit the DFW area. Yesterday the power company (TXU) said that over 350,000 homes and businesses were with out electricity. I am one of them. It has been over 60 hours now, but thanks to the Dallas ARC, I have one of their 8KW gen sets going to run the refrigerator and freezer. I do not have phones in the office as they take external 120 volts and the UPS does not like the gen set (I guess it is not exactly 60 hertz) so I am up for a short while to sent this e-mail. My cell is charging at the moment and should be OK in a little while. More storms last night and more for today. Jim Haynie

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[ARRL-ODV:10670] Test message - disregard
by K5ur＠aol.com 02 Jun '04

02 Jun '04

This is a test message. Disregard. 73, K5UR

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