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Vol. 31, No. 48
November 26, 2008 -- Covers the period November 16-22.
Upcoming Meetings and Events
Annual Board Meeting
January 16-17, 2009 @ 9:00am in Windsor, CT
CEO
Reported by Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ
The ARRL HQ will be closed on Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th in
observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday. Sending good wishes your way
for a safe and happy holiday weekend!
Lisa and the Ethics & Elections Committee would like to thank Greg
Kwasowski, Khrystyne Keane, Amanda Grimaldi, Mark Dzamba, Margie
Bourgoin, Shelly Bloom, Jodi Morin, and Kim Rochette for making ballot
counting go so smoothly this year. Thanks also to the managers who also
contributed to the effort by supplying the staff.
Development
Reported by Mary Hobart, K1MMH
Returns are coming in slowly for the Spectrum Defense Fund. We have
received two gifts of $5000 and $4000, and a commitment from a donor's
IRA for $10,000. The campaign totals $56,000 so far with a year-to-date
total of $179,000.
The Diamond Club has received numerous contributions at the Gold ($1000)
and Silver ($500) levels along with one at the Director Level ($5000).
Calendars are being mailed to new and renewing Diamond Club members who
contribute $100 or more.
Holiday cards are being mailed this week.
Production/Editorial
Reported by Joel Kleinman, N1BKE
Happy Thanksgiving to all from the Production/Editorial staff!
Khrystyne Keane wrote and distributed The ARRL Letter, Vol. 27, No. 46,
for November 21, 2008. She also voiced ARRL Audio News for November 21.
Lab
Reported by Ed Hare, W1RFI
Product Review
Bob Allison is working on a load test fixture to test AC inverters for
Product Review.
RFI
Mike Gruber began a review of some longstanding power line noise and
other interference cases. As an example, one power line noise case in
Cincinnati, Ohio was first reported in 2004. I issued an ARRL Letter in
the matter in 2006. The FCC then issued their first letter a few months
later. The second FCC letter was issued in May of 2008. The
complainant reports his numerous phone calls to the utility now go
mostly unanswered.
Mike Gruber forwarded documentation to Chris Imlay concerning a case
involving interference from a uV light in a home septic system. The
light is apparently causing harmful interference to an operator the
Amateur Service. Although it has been ongoing for several years it is
still not resolved. This case is in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Software Support
Bob Allison helped out Debra Johnson with determining if one of our NEW
CDs, "Digital Technology for Emergency Communications Course" works with
Windows Vista. The computer in the cabinet that was used with the Flex
radio happened to have Vista. Bob set this up in the Lab and was able
to assist members with their issues.
TIS Statistics
Question BA MG EFH ZL AN Totals
01 What rig is best? / Prod Rev 2
2
02 RFI/EMI/FCC issues 9 5 7
21
03 How to use equipment 1 1 2
4
04 Propagation 0 0
05 Antenna/Feed line/Tower questions 2 3
11 16
06 Locate companies, parts or services 1
14 1 16
07 Software problems 2 2 3 1
8
08 Regulatory questions 0 1 3 3
7
09 Operating / amateur exam questions
8 8
10 Article photocopy/archive corrections 63
7 33 103
11 Other 1 13 8 1 23
12 BPL 6 0 6
13 PAVE-PAWS 3 0 3
14 Misdirected 2 11 13
A summary of categories will appear at the end of each month.
Sales and Marketing
Reported by Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R
The Warehouse crew fulfilled 1,035 packages for publication and product
orders, shipped 320 free book membership premiums, and sent December QST
mailing supplements.
In addition to administering SK correspondence and updating membership
records, Gail processed 21 hamfest and 4 convention packages for
November and December events and completed the "Coming Conventions" and
"Hamfest Calendar" columns for the January issue of QST. She
coordinated travel for HQ support/representation for several upcoming
conventions and prepared a package of 12 new convention applications
going in a mail vote to the Executive Committee this week.
A "new products" mailing is ready to go to the printer.
House ads are being designed for the first edition of the ARES HTML
e-newsletter, which will be sent out December 16th.
A Thanksgiving Holiday-themed email solicitation featuring our new books
was sent out to 62,000 members. The email offers $5.99 Flat Rate
Shipping on all orders placed online through December 1, 2008.
Basic Antennas: Understanding Practical Antennas and Design is Now
Shipping.
The customer service team participated in a in-house training session to
learn/refresh the group on 'best' phone techniques. Just in time for the
holiday rush!
Membership & Volunteer Programs
Reported by Dave Patton, NN1N
Contest Branch
Sweepstakes logs keep rolling in! We have 1,200 for SS CW and 1,350 for
SS Phone.
2008 RTTY Roundup certificates have been printed and will go out the
door early this week.
We're starting to promote the next upcoming event on the main contest
page. Carol Michaud, KB1QAW, has started making graphical banners with
links to the official rules. This will help promote our own events more
efficiently.
The VUAC is once again examining the Rover rules for the ARRL VHF
Contests, as well as the EME contest, at the request of the respective
communities of participants. Talks are ongoing.
W1AW
Joe updated the web code practice files and their archives. He created
the texts for the December W1AW Qualifying Runs. Joe also updated the
firmware and installed a new fan control board on the Alpha 9500
amplifier. He also uploaded both contest and regular W1AW logs to LoTW.
Field Organization/Public Service Team
Tuesday, November 18, was election-ballot counting day for five Section
Manager Elections that faced opposition. Thanks go to Leona Adams,
Chuck Skolaut, Norm Fusaro, Alex Tara, and Steve Ewald for handling the
ballot counting and the related work.
The following were elected Section Manager of their respective sections,
and they begin their two-year terms of office on January 1, 2009. Art
Zygielbaum, K0AIZ (Nebraska); Mike Lisenco, N2YBB (New York City/Long
Island); Mike Neilsen, W1MPN (Eastern Massachusetts); George Strayline,
N3GZ (Southern New Jersey). In Indiana, Raymond Andrews, K9DUR,
received a winning margin of votes over opponent John Poindexter, W3ML.
However, after ballots had already been mailed out to ARRL members in
the Indiana Section, Andrews wrote to ARRL Headquarters and withdrew his
candidacy due to health concerns. As such, the Indiana Section
Manager's position for the new term starting in January was considered
vacant right after the ballot counting because Andrews won the majority
of votes. According to the Rules and Regulations of the Field
Organization, vacancies in the office of Section Manager shall be filled
by appointment by the ARRL Membership and Volunteer Programs Manager, in
consultation with the respective Section's Director. After ARRL MVP
Manager Dave Patton, NN1N, consulted with ARRL Central Division Director
Dick Isely, W9GIG, John Poindexter, W3ML, was appointed Indiana Section
Manager with a term to begin January 1, 2009. Poindexter's term of
office will be for 18 months -- instead of two years -- because this new
term of office in Indiana had to be resolicited. The following
incumbent ARRL Section Managers did not face opposition and were
declared elected for their next terms of office starting January 1,
2009: Dale Bagley, K0KY (Missouri); Jim Boehner, N2ZZ (South Carolina);
Dee Turner, N4GD (West Central Florida), and John Rodgers, N3MSE
(Western Pennsylvania). Since there were no Section Manager nominations
received for the next term of office in Northern New York, nominations
will be resolicited in the January 2009 issue of QST.
Chuck Skolaut learned that Official Observers in California have checked
out a report where police communications were heard on a local Amateur
Radio repeater. There is a potential intruder on 3815 kHz (USB) that
sounds like scrambled transmissions. Our monitoring stations were asked
to gather information. ARRL Headquarters also received a nomination for
the ARRL International Humanitarian Award.
Sincerely Compiled by,
Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ
Assistant to the CEO
Staff Absentee List
All Staff 11/27-11/28 Holiday
`` 12/25 Holiday
Kathy Allison 12/26 Vacation
`` 1/2 Vacation
Mark Dzamba 12/1-12/5 Vacation
Steve Ewald 12/1-12/5 Vacation
Steve Ford 12/22-1/5 Vacation
Scott Gee 12/8-12/9 Vacation
`` 12/24-12/26 Vacation
Dan Henderson 11/25-12/5 ARI Headquarters Milan/Pescara
Convention, Italy
`` 12/18-1/5 Vacation
Joe; Kleinman 12/3-12/9 Vacation
`` 12/11 Vacation
Bill Moore 12/26-1/3 Vacation
Alex Tara 1/2 Vacation
Sharon Taratula 12/24 Vacation
