<<060309.doc>>
IN-Newsletter
<<Microsoft Word Picture>>
Vol. 32, No. 22
June 3, 2009 -- Covers the period May 24-30.
Upcoming Meetings and Events
Second Board Meeting
July 17-18, 2009 @ 9:00am in Windsor, CT
Technical Relations
Reported by Brennan Price, N4QX
Brennan Price has returned from Study Group 5 meetings in Geneva, where Paul Rinaldo chaired his final meetings of Working Group 5A-1, which handles amateur and amateur-satellite issues. Ken Pulfer, VE3PU, has taken the chairmanship by the unanimous consent of Working Party 5A. Work progressed on the 500 kHz WRC-11 agenda item, and Ken and Brennan agreed on a work plan for the next meeting cycle.
Jon Siverling is in Ottawa for a CITEL PCC.II meeting, where a regional preliminary view on the 500 kHz agenda item is being considered.
Brennan is preparing for October's ITU World Telecom this week. In other ITU news, it appears that WRC-11 is likely to be moved to January and February 2012.
Regulatory Information
Reported by Dan Henderson, N1ND
The concerns over business-related communications and queries stemming from the FCC forum at Dayton continue to come into the office. We also continue to answer questions related to HR 2160.
A new PAVE PAWS status report for testing at the Cape Cod site was received Friday. We will begin reviewing it the week of June 1. Three previously identified repeaters and fifteen new repeaters are on the list. The Air Force is requesting 10dB or less reduction on fifteen of the repeaters. None of the newly identified repeaters is a new coordination - all had been on the air for at least one previous round of testing by the Air Force.
Contrary to previous information, the city of Palmdale, CA did file an appeal of the Superior Court's ruling in the Zubarau antenna case. We will continue to monitor and assist Mr. Zubarau's attorney as requested. Working with General Counsel and several Volunteer Counsels, the ARRL also assisted Tom Gleeman, KE6YNH, who is the defendant in a pair of small claims lawsuits in San Diego over RFI.
The Oregon cell-phone bill is stalled in the state senate, but the amateur radio exemption is still intact if it makes it to the senate floor. (Congratulations to SM Bonnie Altus, AB7ZQ, and her team on shepherding this bill). A Maine cell-phone bill, awaiting the governor's signature, could pose a problem for mobile operations, as it is a bit vague.
There are now 894 clubs and sites listed on the Field Day site locator applet representing all 50 states. There are also sites listed for six Canadian provinces/territories, as well as Puerto Rico. As we are into the "home stretch" for Field Day, the number of related phone calls and emails continues to rise, as is the norm.
Development
Reported by Mary Hobart, K1MMH
Development received revenues at Dayton Hamvention totaling nearly $35,000, including $20,000 for the Teachers Institute, $10,000 for Spectrum Defense and $4200 in Diamond Club contributions.
The campaign for the Education & Technology Program has yielded $20,242 to fund school grants. The follow up letter to Major Donors and Major Prospects will mail this week.
A new delivery of inscribed bricks for the Diamond Terrace is expected this week, bringing the number for installation to nearly 100.
ARRL welcomes Peter Radding, W2GP as the newest member of the ARRL Maxim Society.
Production/Editorial
Reported by Joel Kleinman, N1BKE
Khrystyne Keane wrote and distributed The ARRL Letter, Vol. 28, No. 21, for May 29, 2009. She also produced and voiced ARRL Audio News for May 29.
Membership & Volunteer Programs
Reported by Dave Patton, NN1N
Contest Branch
On May 26, the Contest Branch released the decision of the Programs and Services Committee concerning Rover Rules to the VHF community. These decisions redefined the Limited Rover Class to the lower four bands. ARRL Contest Branch Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, spent a lot of time answering emails concerning the decision for the remainder of the week.
Topics included complaints about the new change: some felt the new rule on Limited Rovers was too restrictive, others wondered why the rule didn't also apply to fixed-station Limited Multioperator entrants, and most felt the rule change announcement was made too close to the actual running of the event. Other topics concerned the perceived indifference by ARRL to not deal with the Grid Circling/Pack Roving "problem," which remains the most divisive issue within the Rover community, as it has been for a very long time. Several other emails asked why ARRL was changing Rover rules again when they should be working on getting the VUCC Award incorporated into Logbook of the World.
Kutzko wrote an article concerning the VHF Contest rules changes for the web crawler. He also wrote a separate web crawler article that focused on Field Day operating tips.
On or around June 10, the Contest Branch will be announcing to the HF Contesting community that the log submission window for the November Sweepstakes will be reduced from 30 days to 15 days. This is in direct response to the contesting community, who asked that Sweepstakes results (and results in general) be made available faster. This change will allow the scores to be made available online in as little as 60 days. This change will also go hand-in-hand with a drive by Sweepstakes Manager Ken Adams, K5KA, to reduce the number of paper logs submitted. While the Contest Branch has no plans to stop accepting paper logs, it is indisputable that electronic logs make contest administration and adjudication much easier. K5KA will be asking contesting clubs to help teach all members how to submit an electronic log for Sweepstakes. There are no plans to change the date the QST Sweepstakes results article appear.
DXCC Branch
Credits Applications
2008 Carryover 103,398 928
2009 Received 263,806 2,251
Cumulative Total 367,204 3,179
2009 Processed 286,672 2,506
Remaining 80,532 673
Processing Time 6 weeks
Category May 2009 Year-to-Date
Triple Play WAS 15 296
WAS Cert. (Manual) 24 141
WAS Cert. (LoTW) 35 172
A-1 Op Nominations 23 80
A-1 Op Certificates 14 85
Extra Class Cert. 6 45
WAC Certificates 35 71
VUCC New / Grids 8/681 54/3,995
VUCC Endorse/Grids 20/326 41/2,607
Processing Time Current
Logbook of the World
Category May 2009 % Change
Jan - May 09
QSO Records Entered Into System 225,124,908 13 %
QSL Record Matches 21,180,801 25 %
Logs Processed 976,415 26 %
Active Certificates 41,177 15 %
Registered Users in System 27,057 15 %
Logbook (Email Only) Inquiries May 2009
Initial Setup Inquiries 181
Maintenance 122
Award Related Concerns 100
Customer Usage Issues 72
Total 475
W1AW
Thanks to Bill Moore, NC1L, for covering the W1AW morning shifts on Thursday and Friday.
Joe created the texts for the June W1AW Qualifying Runs. He processed regular QSL card requests. He also installed a preamp/preselector on the recently installed NOAA-xx turnstile antenna. Joe also worked on the details for the upcoming Spring Frequency Measuring Test with Ward Silver, NØAX and West Coast FMT station Mike Fahmie, WA6ZTY. He also worked the early afternoon/nights shifts on Thursday and Friday for the vacationing Scott Gee.
Field Organization/Public Service Team
One radio amateur from West Virginia successfully completed certification to become an Official Observer this past week. A favorable resolution in California regarding the commercial use of 2 meters was reported by the local Official Observer Coordinator, and thanks was given to all those involved.
There was report of an Amateur Radio call sign that had been used to identify a low power beacon station outside of the Amateur Radio bands. Upon follow-up, this situation is now being handled. An ARRL Web page article that details the FCC forum held at Dayton has been forwarded to OOs, OOCs, and Section Managers. It contained a lot of good reference information.
The "gurgle" signal that was first heard on 20 meters, then 17 meters, has now been reported in the CW portion of 40 meters by operators in Alabama and New Jersey. An update was sent to the FCC direction finding station about this.
Incumbent Section Managers Phineas Icenbice, W6BF (Los Angeles), Ann Rinehart, KA8ZGY (West Virginia), and Bill Hillendahl, KH6GJV (San Francisco) have been nominated to run for another term of office beginning October 1, 2009. Nominations for this election cycle are due at Headquarters by June 5. Robert Griffin, K6YR, incumbent Section Manager of Santa Barbara has been nominated early for a new term of office beginning January 1, 2010.
Work is now underway the August QST Public Service column, and a few updates for the ARES Field Resources Manual have been identified before the manuals are reprinted.
Education Services
Reported by Debra Johnson, K1DMJ
The RF Propagation course has been revised and updated with a new lesson on NVIS by Terry Dettmann WX7S. Thanks to Joel Hallas W1ZR for his work as technical editor and to Nancy Hallas W1NCY for her thorough editorial assistance to get the online course ready for release.
The development of the new Advanced Emergency Communications is underway under the editorial leadership of Allen Pitts W1AGP. Several delivery mediums are being discussed for the new course. The new course will have student prerequisites and an application requirement which will need to be accommodated in whatever format/process is chosen.
Mark Spencer WA8SME reported back to Bob Allison WB1GCM on suggestions to improve the Kit Activity Booth debuted at the Hamvention, which he hopes others agree we should repeat at future ARRL events. Nathan McCray K9CPO provided assistance at the booth and reported that working with Mark and Bob at the project booth was a great experience!
Rosalie White K1STO worked at the ARRL Sales Booth at Dayton, and when not selling things there, she and Frank Bauer escorted ARRL National Convention special guest Richard Garriott, W5KWQ. Richard had 19 activities lined up, such as, forum talks, interviews, banquet speeches, and meet-and-greets.
Education & Technology Program
The Roswell Teachers Institute was completed May 29 with 15 participants. Mark Spencer reports that all of the instructional objectives were met, and the participants were a good and motivated group. A Web news story will be posted this week with more details. Mark is now in the retooling mode for the next TI in at the Parallax facility in CA that will start June 15.
Nathan McCray K9CPO has been working with other ETP schools on their weather equipment and on setting up radio stations in the classroom. He has completed hotel and logistical preparations for the Michigan TI and continues to work on instructional preparations, including working closely with Miguel Enriquez KD7RPP on personalizing their presentations for the TI's. He reports that they have developed a nice dialogue about possible future projects for the TI's. In his local school, Nathan wrapped up the robotics activities for the school year by presenting the BOE-bots and the math and reading concepts learned throughout the year to his school board. This was a big hit and assured expansion of the ETP program for the other schools in the district.
ARISS
Flemish Space Days, an event organized by the Flemish Space Industry (VRI), was held in the Brabanthal in Leuven, Belgium on May 8-10. Interactive booths, educational workshops and movies on space, avionics and astronomy were some of the activities available to the youth and public. An audience of approximately 110 parents, teachers, students and others attended the event on Sunday, May 10 and watched as twenty students participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ.
Certificates to reward hams who took part in ARISS ham activities that were part of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of ham radio in space are being designed and printed by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
The ARISS Houston Team provided training sessions on May 27 and 29 to prepare astronaut Doug Wheelock for his amateur radio license exam. Wheelock is a scheduled crew member of Expeditions 24 and 25 and will fly in the spring of 2010.
Sincerely Compiled by,
Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ
Assistant to the CEO
Staff Absentee List
Leona Adams 6/12 Vacation
`` 6/29-7/2 Vacation
`` 7/31 Vacation
Kathy Allison 7/6-7/10 Vacation
`` 9/25-9/28 Vacation
Bob Allison 7/6-7/10 Vacation
`` 9/25-9/29 Vacation
Joe Carcia 6/19 Vacation
`` 6/22 Vacation
`` 7/6-7/10 Vacation
`` 7/17 Vacation
`` 7/24 Vacation
`` 7/31 Vacation
`` 8/7 Vacation
Steve Ewald 6/8-6/12 Vacation
`` 6/13 Tennessee State Convention, Knoxville, TN
Steve Ford 6/3-6/5 Publishers Conference, Washington, DC
`` 6/27-7/5 Vacation
Scott Gee 7/2 Vacation
`` 7/30 Vacation
Dan Henderson 6/5-6/7 Georgia State Convention, Atlanta, GA
`` 7/2-7/7 Vacation
`` 7/23-8/10 Vacation
Mary Hobart 6/13-6/16 Vacation
`` 8/12-8/14 Vacation
Bob Inderbitzen 6/23-6/28 Ham Radio 2009, Friedrichshafen, Germany
`` 6/28-7/2 Vacation
Debra Johnson 6/15-6/16 Vacation
`` 7/27-7/31 Vacation
Joel Kleinman 6/4-6/5 Association Publishing Conference, Washington, DC
`` 7/6-7/7 Vacation
Harold Kramer 6/12-6/16 Vacation
Sean Kutzko 6/11-6/15 Vacation
Zack Lau 6/11-6/12 Vacation
`` 6/18-6/22 Vacation
`` 6/26-6/30 Vacation
Dave Patton 6/11-6/15 Vacation
`` 6/24-6/28 Ham Radio 2009, Friedrichshafen, Germany
Allen Pitts 5/27-6/8 Vacation
Brennan Price 6/12 Vacation
Jon Siverling 6/1-6/5 CITEL PCC.II, Ottawa
Dave Sumner 6/4-6/8 Seaside, OR
`` 6/11-6/15 HamCom, Plano, TX
Larry Wolfgang 6/5 Vacation
`` 6/17-6/19 Vacation
