September 2005 - arrl-odv - reflector.arrl.org

RE: [arrl-odv:13115] Congressional Testimony
by Jim K8JE 28 Sep '05

28 Sep '05

Harold, GL with your testimony. You certainly have a great story to tell! Additionally, I wish to congratulate you and those who did the hands-on work in upgrading our web site. I've often complained about the user-unfriendly nature of it, but there has in my experience been a very nice improvement with this. I will add that I especially appreciate the easier-to-use layout of the Member Search feature. The inquiry boxes for calls and names are immediately accessible after the upgrade so that one no longer needs to scroll to reach them before inserting the inquiry information - saves time. Tnx Jim Weaver, K8JE Director, Great Lakes Division ARRL; http://www.arrl.org/ 5065 Bethany Rd., Mason, OH 45040 Tel.: 513-459-0142; E-mail: k8je(a)arrl.org ARRL: The reason Amateur Radio Is! MEMBERS: The reason ARRL Is! -----Original Message----- From: Kramer, Harold, WJ1B [mailto:wj1b@arrl.org] Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2005 10:57 AM To: arrl-odv Subject: [arrl-odv:13115] Congressional Testimony Hi, I just wanted to let you know that I will be testifying tomorrow (Thursday) in Washington, D. C. on behalf of the ARRL before The United States House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and Commerce, The Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet. The name of the hearing is "Public Safety Communications From 9/11 to Katrina: Critical Public Policy Lessons." http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/Hearings/09292005hearing1648/hearing .htm I will be testifying on the successful efforts of Amateur Radio operators who provided communications during the Katrina efforts, especially.when all else failed. I have enclosed a copy of my written testimony to the Committee. I will send along my oral testimony either Thursday or Friday. I am honored to be chosen to provide this testimony and I am proud of amateur radio's and the ARRL's role in the Katrina relief effort. 73, Harold, WJ1B Harold Kramer, WJ1B Chief Operating Officer ARRL - The National Association for Amateur Radio 225 Main Street Newington, CT 06111 860 594 0220 www.arrl.org/

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[arrl-odv:13117] Re: Congressional Testimony
by warren morton 28 Sep '05

28 Sep '05

Harold: Best of luck with your testimony and I look forward to your report. Rev WS7W On Wed, 28 Sep 2005 10:56:58 -0400 "Kramer, Harold, WJ1B" <wj1b(a)arrl.org> wrote: > Hi, > > > > I just wanted to let you know that I will be testifying tomorrow > (Thursday) in Washington, D. C. on behalf of the ARRL before The United > States House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and Commerce, The > Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet. The name of the > hearing is "Public Safety Communications From 9/11 to Katrina: Critical > Public Policy Lessons." > > > > http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/Hearings/09292005hearing1648/hearing > .htm > > > > > > I will be testifying on the successful efforts of Amateur Radio > operators who provided communications during the Katrina efforts, > especially...when all else failed. > > > > I have enclosed a copy of my written testimony to the Committee. I will > send along my oral testimony either Thursday or Friday. > > > > I am honored to be chosen to provide this testimony and I am proud of > amateur radio's and the ARRL's role in the Katrina relief effort. > > > > > > 73, > > > > Harold, WJ1B > > > > > > > > Harold Kramer, WJ1B > > Chief Operating Officer > > ARRL - The National Association for Amateur Radio > > 225 Main Street > > Newington, CT 06111 > > 860 594 0220 > > www.arrl.org/ > > >

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[arrl-odv:13115] Congressional Testimony
by Kramer, Harold, WJ1B 28 Sep '05

28 Sep '05

Hi, I just wanted to let you know that I will be testifying tomorrow (Thursday) in Washington, D. C. on behalf of the ARRL before The United States House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and Commerce, The Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet. The name of the hearing is "Public Safety Communications From 9/11 to Katrina: Critical Public Policy Lessons." http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/Hearings/09292005hearing1648/hearing .htm I will be testifying on the successful efforts of Amateur Radio operators who provided communications during the Katrina efforts, especially...when all else failed. I have enclosed a copy of my written testimony to the Committee. I will send along my oral testimony either Thursday or Friday. I am honored to be chosen to provide this testimony and I am proud of amateur radio's and the ARRL's role in the Katrina relief effort. 73, Harold, WJ1B Harold Kramer, WJ1B Chief Operating Officer ARRL - The National Association for Amateur Radio 225 Main Street Newington, CT 06111 860 594 0220 www.arrl.org/

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RE: SDRs and DHS's Communications Problems
by Huntington Howard-CADV02 27 Sep '05

27 Sep '05

Thanks, Dick, Frank Brickle, AB2KT, is a member of our SDR WG. Howie, K9KM -----Original Message----- From: dick(a)pobox.com [mailto:dick@pobox.com] Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2005 1:19 PM To: arrl-odv Subject: SDRs and DHS's Communications Problems 27 SEP, 2005 1305 CDT My son sent me this URL. It was written by a ham and discusses software defined radios (SDRs) and the severe limitations of DHS's current communications infrastructure. "FEMA & Open Communication Systems ~ by Dr. Frank Brickle" http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20050916105216639 73 - Dick, W9GIG

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Re: SDRs and DHS's Communications Problems
by W3KD＠aol.com 27 Sep '05

27 Sep '05

In a message dated 9/27/2005 2:15:11 PM Eastern Standard Time, dick(a)pobox.com writes: > > My son sent me this URL. It was written by a ham and discusses software > defined radios (SDRs) and the severe limitations of DHS's current > communications infrastructure. > > "FEMA & Open Communication Systems ~ by Dr. Frank Brickle" > http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20050916105216639 > > 73 - Dick, W9GIG > Interesting article, Dick. Those guys are good friends of ours already, especially Bob McGwyer (or however his name is spelled). They went with us to an FCC meeting that Paul Rinaldo set up, to present to FCC the accomplishments of the Amateur Service in SDR development. It was an exceptionally impressive presentation, though of course the OET people at FCC were yawning, except for Mike Marcus, who was going to great lengths to establish that he knew more about SDRs than did Bob (which clearly was not the case). As to the horrible state of DHS/FEMA communications due to "lack of SDRs" (which is apparently a euphemism these days for "lack of interoperability") there is a fascinating discussion thread on the NPSTC remailer about how interoperability, whether it is provided by SDRs or otherwise, is not as much of an issue in disaster relief communications as is basic Public Safety operability, and that less needs to be invested in Public Safety interop hardware ( interop channels, they say, already being available in most PS bands, VHF and UHF, 800 and 700 MHz) and more in hardening of PS systems and more technical and operational training. The NPSTC guys agree that when repeater-based PS systems fail in a disaster, both basic operability and interoperability go down at the same time. SDR technology is no different. I think the NPSTC guys are right; the reason we do so well in disasters, and provide interop communications of our own, is that we have operability and they don't. Chris W3KD

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SDRs and DHS's Communications Problems
by dick＠pobox.com 27 Sep '05

27 Sep '05

27 SEP, 2005 1305 CDT My son sent me this URL. It was written by a ham and discusses software defined radios (SDRs) and the severe limitations of DHS's current communications infrastructure. "FEMA & Open Communication Systems ~ by Dr. Frank Brickle" http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20050916105216639 73 - Dick, W9GIG

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[arrl-odv:13111] BoD candidate statements
by Bruce Frahm KØBJ 24 Sep '05

24 Sep '05

Tnx to Lisa, the candidate statements for the contested board positions are now posted as Word files at http://www.arrl.org/members-only/ODV/docs/Candidate-Statements/ I enjoy seeing these statements, especially to learn more about those who aren't currently on the board family. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bruce Frahm KØBJ bfrahm(a)st-tel.net

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[arrl-odv:13110] Re: FW: It seems to us
by Sumner, Dave, K1ZZ 23 Sep '05

23 Sep '05

That's an unedited version, Rick. Pse QTA. Dave K1ZZ -----Original Message----- From: k5ur(a)aol.com [mailto:k5ur@aol.com] Sent: Friday, September 23, 2005 4:13 PM To: arrl-odv Subject: [arrl-odv:13109] Re: FW: It seems to us Harold: Next to last paragraph, change "DXXX" to "DXCC." 73, Rick - K5UR -----Original Message----- From: Kramer, Harold, WJ1B <wj1b(a)arrl.org> To: arrl-odv <arrl-odv(a)reflector.arrl.org> Sent: Fri, 23 Sep 2005 15:39:48 -0400 Subject: [arrl-odv:13106] FW: It seems to us From: Kramer, Harold, WJ1B Sent: Friday, September 23, 2005 3:36 PM To: HQ Staff Subject: It seems to us The November QST "It seems to us" column: It seems to us.. In the forty-eight hours that followed Katrina's landfall in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, we began receiving life and death survivor inquiries, along with urgent requests for help here at ARRL Headquarters. Within a few days after Katrina's strike, we quickly became an information clearinghouse for Katrina volunteers, and served agencies. We began coordinating logistics, fielding public relations and media inquiries and managing monetary and equipment contributions. This was a new role for the ARRL staff whose past role has been to support the section and field level appointees during disasters. We responded by forming an internal team to handle these increasing demands. Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B and Interim Field Services Manager Dave Patton, NN1N led the team. Under their leadership, the team met daily to assess the situation. One of the critical areas was the increased demand for information from local and national media. Media and Public Relations Manager, Allen Pitts, W1AGP, fielded inquiries, that resulted in articles from the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, MSNBC, The New York Times, National Public Radio and hundreds of other media outlets. To date, Allen has responded to hundreds of inquiries to tell the Amateur Radio story.and they're still coming in. Allen also spent a couple of days at the Red Cross headquarters in Montgomery, Alabama handling the media requests that were overwhelming the communications volunteers. We also needed to quickly find a way to register hams who volunteered to serve in the Gulf region. With the help of AB2M's existing database, our Manager of Web Development, Jon Bloom, KE3Z and his staff, created an on-line volunteer database for hams who were willing to travel to the Gulf. At the same time, we received urgent requests from agencies in desperate need of amateur operators. Our solution was an on- line based database where operators could match the agency needs with their time, expertise and equipment. We created a prominent section of the ARRL Web site dedicated to Katrina resources and information. Rick Lindquist, N1RL, our News Editor, kept the web site updated with the latest information. The large volunteer response required us to provide detailed instructions to hams traveling to the Gulf Coast including the need for each ham to be a completely self-sustaining unit with their own food, water and shelter. The Amateur Radio industry helped in the effort by making significant contributions of equipment and supplies. The equipment included everything from HT's, and HF rigs to headsets, power supplies, batteries, antennas and coax. We sent the equipment to areas where ham gear was damaged or destroyed or where more permanent installations were required.. Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV, Janet Rocco W1JLR, Wayne Mills N7NG, and Norm Fusaro W3IZ, coordinated the equipment procurement and shipping. We also sent Dennis to Montgomery where he assisted Alabama Section Manager Greg Saratt, W4OZK, who was managing The Red Cross communications efforts for 250 shelters and kitchens. Communications between the HQ and the various parts of the ARRL Field Organization was one of our most important and critical functions. Steve Ewald, WV1X, acted as the link between headquarters, Section Managers (SMs) and Section Emergency Coordinators (SECs) in the Gulf. A daily SM/SEC conference call to the field team was coordinated through ARRL Headquarters. The conference call was used to assess the situation, communicate important information between SM's and provide support where needed. As information continued to flow into Headquarters, it became clear that we needed to monitor HF activity over the Holiday weekend. Joe Carcia, NQ1R, W1AW Station Manager, monitored the emergency nets for potential interference and passed emergency traffic as needed. Team members took shifts to monitor 20, 40 and 80 meters, 24 hours a day through the Labor Day weekend. Bill Moore, NC1L, DXCC Manager, monitored the nets and acted as a relay station and net controller during the overnight shifts, The HQ staff also stayed in daily contact with ARRL served agencies and other volunteer organizations. Former Field Services Manager Rosalie White, K1STO, participated in a daily conference call with VOAD, Volunteers Organized Against Disaster. She was the eyes and ears of ham radio, listening for problems where hams could help. Our Development Department, under the leadership of Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, established a set of "Ham Aid" <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/forms/cncs/> reimbursement procedures so radio amateurs volunteering to provide emergency communication in the field during the Hurricane Katrina disaster can recover some out-of-pocket expenses. The Corporation for National and Community Service ( <http://www.nationalservice.org/> CNCS) has provided a $100,000 grant supplement to the ARRL to help fund this effort. One generous donor contributed $7,000 to the effort. While many on the headquarters staff were involved in the day to day response and to Hurricane Katrina, other ARRL staff members pitched in to cover the organization's day to day operations in membership, publications, VEC, club relations, DXXX and contesting. In a very real sense, the response to Katrina involved the entire ARRL. We are working hard here at ARRL Headquarters to do everything possible to support volunteer amateur radio operators and served agencies that depend on Amateur Radio, especially..when all else fails. The ARRL Katrina Response Team Harold Kramer, WJ1B Chief Operating Officer ARRL - The National Association for Amateur Radio 225 Main Street Newington, CT 06111 860 594 0220 www.arrl.org/

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[arrl-odv:13109] Re: FW: It seems to us
by k5ur＠aol.com 23 Sep '05

23 Sep '05

Harold: Next to last paragraph, change "DXXX" to "DXCC." 73, Rick - K5UR -----Original Message----- From: Kramer, Harold, WJ1B <wj1b(a)arrl.org> To: arrl-odv <arrl-odv(a)reflector.arrl.org> Sent: Fri, 23 Sep 2005 15:39:48 -0400 Subject: [arrl-odv:13106] FW: It seems to us From: Kramer, Harold, WJ1B Sent: Friday, September 23, 2005 3:36 PM To: HQ Staff Subject: It seems to us The November QST "It seems to us" column: It seems to us.. In the forty-eight hours that followed Katrina's landfall in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, we began receiving life and death survivor inquiries, along with urgent requests for help here at ARRL Headquarters. Within a few days after Katrina's strike, we quickly became an information clearinghouse for Katrina volunteers, and served agencies. We began coordinating logistics, fielding public relations and media inquiries and managing monetary and equipment contributions. This was a new role for the ARRL staff whose past role has been to support the section and field level appointees during disasters. We responded by forming an internal team to handle these increasing demands. Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B and Interim Field Services Manager Dave Patton, NN1N led the team. Under their leadership, the team met daily to assess the situation. One of the critical areas was the increased demand for information from local and national media. Media and Public Relations Manager, Allen Pitts, W1AGP, fielded inquiries, that resulted in articles from the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, MSNBC, The New York Times, National Public Radio and hundreds of other media outlets. To date, Allen has responded to hundreds of inquiries to tell the Amateur Radio story.and they're still coming in. Allen also spent a couple of days at the Red Cross headquarters in Montgomery, Alabama handling the media requests that were overwhelming the communications volunteers. We also needed to quickly find a way to register hams who volunteered to serve in the Gulf region. With the help of AB2M's existing database, our Manager of Web Development, Jon Bloom, KE3Z and his staff, created an on-line volunteer database for hams who were willing to travel to the Gulf. At the same time, we received urgent requests from agencies in desperate need of amateur operators. Our solution was an on- line based database where operators could match the agency needs with their time, expertise and equipment. We created a prominent section of the ARRL Web site dedicated to Katrina resources and information. Rick Lindquist, N1RL, our News Editor, kept the web site updated with the latest information. The large volunteer response required us to provide detailed instructions to hams traveling to the Gulf Coast including the need for each ham to be a completely self-sustaining unit with their own food, water and shelter. The Amateur Radio industry helped in the effort by making significant contributions of equipment and supplies. The equipment included everything from HT's, and HF rigs to headsets, power supplies, batteries, antennas and coax. We sent the equipment to areas where ham gear was damaged or destroyed or where more permanent installations were required.. Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV, Janet Rocco W1JLR, Wayne Mills N7NG, and Norm Fusaro W3IZ, coordinated the equipment procurement and shipping. We also sent Dennis to Montgomery where he assisted Alabama Section Manager Greg Saratt, W4OZK, who was managing The Red Cross communications efforts for 250 shelters and kitchens. Communications between the HQ and the various parts of the ARRL Field Organization was one of our most important and critical functions. Steve Ewald, WV1X, acted as the link between headquarters, Section Managers (SMs) and Section Emergency Coordinators (SECs) in the Gulf. A daily SM/SEC conference call to the field team was coordinated through ARRL Headquarters. The conference call was used to assess the situation, communicate important information between SM's and provide support where needed. As information continued to flow into Headquarters, it became clear that we needed to monitor HF activity over the Holiday weekend. Joe Carcia, NQ1R, W1AW Station Manager, monitored the emergency nets for potential interference and passed emergency traffic as needed. Team members took shifts to monitor 20, 40 and 80 meters, 24 hours a day through the Labor Day weekend. Bill Moore, NC1L, DXCC Manager, monitored the nets and acted as a relay station and net controller during the overnight shifts, The HQ staff also stayed in daily contact with ARRL served agencies and other volunteer organizations. Former Field Services Manager Rosalie White, K1STO, participated in a daily conference call with VOAD, Volunteers Organized Against Disaster. She was the eyes and ears of ham radio, listening for problems where hams could help. Our Development Department, under the leadership of Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, established a set of "Ham Aid" reimbursement procedures so radio amateurs volunteering to provide emergency communication in the field during the Hurricane Katrina disaster can recover some out-of-pocket expenses. The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has provided a $100,000 grant supplement to the ARRL to help fund this effort. One generous donor contributed $7,000 to the effort. While many on the headquarters staff were involved in the day to day response and to Hurricane Katrina, other ARRL staff members pitched in to cover the organization's day to day operations in membership, publications, VEC, club relations, DXXX and contesting. In a very real sense, the response to Katrina involved the entire ARRL. We are working hard here at ARRL Headquarters to do everything possible to support volunteer amateur radio operators and served agencies that depend on Amateur Radio, especially..when all else fails. The ARRL Katrina Response Team Harold Kramer, WJ1B Chief Operating Officer ARRL - The National Association for Amateur Radio 225 Main Street Newington, CT 06111 860 594 0220 www.arrl.org/

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[arrl-odv:13108] Recall: It seems to us
by Kramer, Harold, WJ1B 23 Sep '05

23 Sep '05

Kramer, Harold, WJ1B would like to recall the message, "It seems to us".

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