May 2016 - arrl-odv - reflector.arrl.org

[arrl-odv:23688] Thank You and HNY!
by Brian Mileshosky 02 Jan '17

02 Jan '17

Okay, now I'm bored on the air -- same for a zillion other League members and hams across the world. Fair warning: I'm making a Director's motion in January to create a Centennial QSO Party Anonymous or Points Anonymous service, because lots of people now find themselves staring hopelessly at their now absolutely quiet radios. A huge THANK YOU to everyone -- ODV, staff, volunteers, members, hams -- for an absolute home run on the air this past year. Centennial celebration aside, if there is one thing that I hope everyone who participated in the QSO Party walked away with, it is that they became better and more dedicated radio operators throughout the year. That they used this year-long opportunity to learn more about themselves as an op, learned more about their gear, uncovered station and operating limitations and found ways to resolve them, and rediscovered the magic, fun (God forbid), and camaraderie that is ham radio. One very profound moment today was working a few folks in the QSO Party who I hadn't worked since back in January 1, 2014. Staring at that date in the log, and greeting those hams once again, with literally one year of time padding our last QSO was an in-your-face "this year has absolutely flown by way too fast" epiphany. I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as they could while it lasted. Happy Centennial, and Happy New Year everyone. Be safe this evening and see you in a few weeks. 73, Brian N5ZGT ARRL Director, Rocky Mountain Division

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[arrl-odv:24932] Status of the WN3A PRB-1 antenna case
by Bob Famiglio, K3RF 31 Aug '16

31 Aug '16

Fellow ODV members: At least three of you have asked recently about the status of the notorious WN3A antenna litigation and whether it has been resolved yet. Here is an update as to the federal court proceedings. You all will recall that the ARRL filed an amicus brief in support of the radio amateur I represent. Copies of my WN3A briefs were also circulated through the ODV server late last summer. You might also recall this case before the 3rd circuit court of appeals concerns a federal judge's legal opinion that any accommodation a town provides a ham, in the towns own judgement no matter how arbitrary, is reasonable accommodation under PRB-1. The federal court ruled hams need not bother coming to federal court for relief under PRB-1 as long as they get a hearing before a local zoning board and a decision is rendered. PRB-1 was found to be very limited in effect by the court. We appealed. Recently we received the attached correspondence from the court clerk scheduling oral argument the week of our next board meeting. This is significant in that the 3rd circuit court does not routinely grant oral argument anymore-decisions are based on the lengthy briefs and research provided by the parties, as they should be. However, in cases which are of first impression and in which a significant precedential decision is anticipated, oral argument is requested by the court as it is here. Our panel of three judges includes the chief judge of the court. This appeals court controls the federal courts in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey, but the decision will surely affect the whole country as the case will be quoted as a significant circuit court decision no matter which way it goes. The argument is just a few days before the January board meeting. I may know from the questions from the court as to any leanings, but that speculation is always dangerous. What seems certain is that the court will not just treat this case as a "do over" by just sending it back to the trial court. They could do that without the need for argument. Rather, it likely will decide what PRB-1 actually means in view of the conflicting court decisions and rules for its interpretation from around the country, all raised by the numerous opponents and their various legal arguments against all ham antennas. I expect a written decision in February now, but that prediction may be off. I hope to see you all in the greater Newington area in a few weeks and will let you know what the judges wanted to know during argument. Let's keep our collective fingers crossed. I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season. I am hoping for a late Christmas present from the 3rd circuit court. 73. Bob Famiglio, K3RF Vice Director, ARRL Atlantic Division 610-359-7300 www.QRZ.com/db/K3RF

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[arrl-odv:25354] CAI letter
by Tom Frenaye 29 May '16

29 May '16

Mike, Chris, etc. Thanks for the good news on HR-1301 so far. Is the CAI letter public information? Is there a private or public version of the compromise legislation? -- 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:25353] A&F Minutes - May 4, 2016
by Shelley, Barry, N1VXY 27 May '16

27 May '16

Good afternoon: Attached are the minutes of the May 4, 2016 meeting of the Administration and Finance Committee Meeting including the attachments, representing the reports that were distributed at the meeting. If you have any questions, please let me know. Have a great holiday weekend. 73, Barry J. Shelley, N1VXY Chief Financial Officer ARRL, Inc. The National Association for Amateur Radio (860) 594-0212 www.arrl.org

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[arrl-odv:25352] IN-News
by Kustosik, Lisa, KA1UFZ 27 May '16

27 May '16

IN-Newsletter Vol. 41, No. 18 May 25, 2016 - Covers the period May 15-21. Upcoming In-Person Meetings and Events LoTW Study Committee July 13 @ 10:00am in Newington, CT Administration & Finance Committee July 14 @ 8:30am in Newington, CT Programs & Services Committee July 14 @ 8:30am in Newington, CT Second Board Meeting July 15-16 @ 9:00am in Windsor, CT CEO Office The office will be closed Monday, May 30 in observance of Memorial Day. Have a safe and enjoyable Holiday weekend! Production/Editorial Reported by Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY The July issue of QST has been uploaded to the printer. The July/August issues of QEX and NCJ are being produced. Sales and Marketing Reported by Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R Dayton Hamvention 2016 is history! Our advance team arrived on Wednesday to begin setting up our large exhibit area, ARRL EXPO. This was our 11th year supporting ARRL's "show within a show," which has become a popular feature of Hamvention. ARRL EXPO included 22 unique exhibits covering nearly 9,000 square feet of the exhibit hall. Our team included over 125 people: volunteers, officials, and staff. Traffic on Friday and Saturday was brisk, which was most apparent throughout the big ARRL Store. New exhibits, including one to spotlight the yearlong National Parks on the Air event, saw regular interest from convention goers eager to speak with our program representatives and volunteers. Authors Glen Popiel, KW5GP - author of High Speed Multimedia for Amateur Radio and Arduino for Ham Radio - and J.K. George, N3BB - author of Contact Sport: A Story of Champions, Airwaves, and a One-Day Race around the World - signed a lot of books as they met and talked with visitors at our "Meet the Authors" table. A significant highlight on Saturday was our first-ever ARRL Youth Rally. Eighteen young people participated in the all-day Rally, which required advance online registration. They were led by professional educators Tommy Gober, N5DUX, and Jennifer Gober, KE5LNK. The kids engaged in hands-on activities, which included a small electronics construction project, and setting-up a backpack portable station and antenna. Their day ended with an HF operating experience, supported by a group of contest clubs eager to introduce the young newcomers to on-air operating. On Saturday night, a handful of our officials and staff were graciously invited to attend the Hamvention Awards Convocation. Awards included: Amateur of the Year - Joe Taylor, K1JT; Technical Achievement - John S. Burningham, D.I.T., W2XAB; Special Achievement Award - Special Achievement Award: Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU; Club of the Year - Rocky Mountain Ham Radio, N0SZ. ARRL sponsored six of the Hamvention forums, including an Amateur Radio Disaster and Emergency Communications Panel, moderated by Mike Corey, KI1U. The panel included experts from VoIP WX Net and VoIP Hurricane Net, US Army MARS, US Air Force MARS, Hurricane Watch Net, SATERN, the ARRL Field Organization, Department of Homeland Security SHARES, and the National Hurricane Center. Tom Gallagher was seen everywhere - enjoying introductions with dozens of manufacturers, exhibitors, and industry representatives. Tom also supported a Q&A during our Youth Rally - eliciting some great ideas from the next generation of radio amateurs. Jen Glifort posted daily ARRL News<http://www.arrl.org/news> briefs from Hamvention. We posted photos and videos throughout the convention to ARRL's Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153798991842408.1073741892.20069…> page. The show wound down on Sunday, and within an hour following closing - ARRL EXPO was packed-up, and wrapped-up. Over 1,000 membership applications were returned from ARRL EXPO at Hamvention. By Tuesday, these had all been processed by our staff into the membership recordkeeping system. Emailings are being prepared for the Memorial Day weekend, promoting publications, products, and membership. New editions of The ARRL Extra Class License Manual and ARRL's Extra Q&A are now available in the Kindle e-book format from Amazon. Bob Inderbitzen is readying materials to support our booths at the upcoming Northwestern Division Convention in Seaside, Oregon, June 5-7, and the International Exhibition of Radio Amateurs in Friedrichshafen, Germany, June 24-26. Summary of Sales and Marketing Department telephone group, reported by Yvette Vinci: Week Ending Calls Answered Calls Per Hour Total Talking Duration Average Speed of Answer 5/20/2016 780 17.3 26:44:10 12 seconds 5/13/2016 764 16.9 23:24:06 11 seconds 5/6/2016 799 17.7 23:23:55 9 seconds 4/29/2016 832 18.5 29:07:34 8 seconds Summary of warehouse fulfillment activity, reported by Steve Capodicasa: Week Ending Packages fulfilled Member Premiums 5/20/2016 976 470 5/13/2016 835 420 5/6/2016 968 716 4/29/2016 1,042 550 Field Services & Radiosport Reported by Dave Patton, NN1N Centennial QSL's returning from printer-more than 250,000 of 750,000 printed so far. DXCC Paper/Fieldcheck Processing Time 3 Weeks Logbook Processing Time 1-2 Days W1AW As expected, it was a busy Dayton week, with W1AW receiving many visitors who were on their way to attend Dayton Hamvention. Joe Carcia processed regular QSL card requests. He made a quick repair to one of the Icom amplifiers used in the broadcast racks. He also updated the W1AW QST code practice source web page. Joe constructed and installed a rotatable rack support for use in the ENG van. Scott Gee worked on fast and slow code practice files for the week. Scott also processed some VUCC endorsements and certificates. Field Organization/Public Service Team As a way to "kick-off" the activities for Dayton Hamvention, several Section Managers among others were on hand for the Section Managers' conference on Thursday afternoon, May 20, in Dayton, Ohio. Several more Section Managers were monitoring via the Internet. Thanks to Ohio SM Scott Yonally, N8SY, Tennessee SM Keith Miller, N9DGK, and Los Angeles SM David Greenhut for organizing this conference. Thanks, also, to Tom Gallagher, Rick Roderick, Mike Lisenco, Debra Johnson, and Steve Ewald, for making presentations during this conference. Leona Adams reports that Idaho Section Manager Ed Stuckey, AI7H, has been nominated to run for a new term of office. Petitions are due on June 10 for new terms of office beginning October 1. Chuck Skolaut compiled and sent the monthly Official Observer Summary to all OOs, OOCs, and Section Managers. One radio amateur from Connecticut successfully completed requirements to become an Official Observer this past week. A question about identifying on DMR repeaters and a complaint about operation on 7.248 MHz were received. A monitoring request was forwarded to the Georgia OOC to monitor for reported interference on a frequency. Research was done to supply information regarding the call sign of an Illinois ham in the 1960s. Chuck also conducted one code practice session and a qualifying run at W1AW. Sincerely Compiled by, Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ Assistant to the CEO Hamfest/Member Contact/ARRL Representative/Meetings/Vacations All Staff 5/30 Holiday All Staff 7/4 Holiday Bob Allison 7/22-7/23 Oklahoma Section Convention, Oklahoma City, OK Alli Barbieri 6/9-6/13 PTO Steve Capodicasa 6/13 PTO `` 6/27 PTO `` 8/22-8/26 PTO `` 9/19-9/23 PTO Joe Carcia 5/27 PTO Lauren Clarke 6/2pm PTO `` 6/13-6/21 PTO Steve Ford 7/5-7/15 PTO Norm Fusaro 6/3-6/5 Northwestern Division Convention, Seaside, OR `` 6/22-6/27 International Exhibition, Friedrichshafen, Germany `` 8/5-8/7 Texas State Convention, Austin, TX `` 8/19-8/21 West Virginia State Convention, Weston, WV Tom Gallagher 6/10-6/12 West Gulf Division Convention, Irving, TX `` 6/14-6/21 PTO `` 6/22-6/27 International Exhibition, Friedrichshafen, Germany `` 7/14-7/16 Committee Meetings/Board Meeting `` 7/22-7/24 Oklahoma Section Convention, Oklahoma City, OK `` 8/12-8/14 New Mexico State Convention, Albuquerque, NM Scott Gee 6/30-7/8 PTO Mike Gruber 5/31-6/3 PTO `` 8/22-8/26 PTO Ed Hare 5/23-5/26 IEEE EMC Society BOD meeting, San Francisco, CA `` 6/10-6/20 PTO Dan Henderson 5/31-6/3 PTO `` 6/10 PTO `` 6/29-7/1 PTO `` 7/14-7/16 Committee Meetings/Board Meeting Bob Inderbitzen 6/2-6/6 Northwestern Division Convention, Seaside, OR `` 6/7 PTO `` 6/21-6/27 International Exhibition, Friedrichshafen, Germany `` 6/28-6/29 PTO `` 7/5-7/8 PTO Debra Johnson 6/16-6/23 PTO Lisa Kustosik 7/14-7/16 Board Meeting, Windsor, CT Sean Kutzko 6/17-6/19 Tennessee State Convention, Knoxville, TN Zack Lau 6/17 PTO Diane Middleton 6/14-6/17 PTO `` 7/19 PTO `` 7/25-7/29 PTO Barry Shelley 6/2 PTO `` 6/17-7/1 PTO `` 7/14-7/16 Committee Meetings/Board Meeting `` 7/18-7/26 PTO Chuck Skolaut 8/20-8/21 Kansas State Convention, Salina, KS Maria Somma 5/31-6/1am PTO Yvette Vinci 5/31 PTO

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[arrl-odv:25351] RM-11767, Expert Linears America LLC Petition for Rulemaking to Remove the 15 dB limit for external power amplifiers
by James F. Boehner MD 27 May '16

27 May '16

Thanks, Chris! Hopefully the FCC will move faster than “the speed of government” on this one. ’73 de JIM N2ZZ Director – Roanoke Division Serving ARRL members in the Virginia, West Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina sections ARRL – The National Association for Amateur Radio™ From: arrl-odv [mailto:arrl-odv-bounces@reflector.arrl.org] On Behalf Of Christopher Imlay Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2016 10:11 AM To: arrl-odv Cc: Kutzko, Sean, KX9X; WW1ME Rick Lindquist; Henderson, Dan N1ND Subject: [arrl-odv:25348] RM-11767, Expert Linears America LLC Petition for Rulemaking to Remove the 15 dB limit for external power amplifiers Greetings. I have just now filed the attached comments in support of RM-11767 at the instruction of and with the approval of the Executive Committee. The Petition proposes that the Commission amend Section 97.317(a)(2) of the Amateur Service rules in order to eliminate the requirement that, for a manufacturer of external RF power amplifiers to receive a grant of certification therefor, the the amplifier must not be capable of amplifying the input RF power (driving signal) by more than 15 dB of gain. This petition continues the effort that Bill Cross initiated for us in 2006 in Docket 04-140 which eliminated the 50-watt minimum drive power requirement for amplifiers and modified the ban on amplifiers that exhibited amplification between 24 and 35 MHz. the rule now requires zero amplification between 26 and 28 MHz. But in 2006 FCC left in the 15 dB limit on amplification. Now, that rule makes it impossible for, for example, SDR low power output transmitters to be amplified to full legal power without an intermediate amplification stage added. I am personally very glad to see this proposal; the first Amateur matter I worked on for Bob Booth, W3PS in 1979 was the court appeal of the linear amplifier ban. The FCC overregulated terribly in 1978 and only now is the last major vestige of that being addressed. The Expert Linear petition was prepared by my good friend Jim Talens, N3JT, a PVRC guy, excellent CW man and former FCC staffer. Thanks for timely review and very helpful edits by the entire Executive Committee, and most especially for the good edits from Rick Roderick and Greg Widin. 73, Chris W3KD -- Christopher D. Imlay Booth, Freret & Imlay, LLC 14356 Cape May Road Silver Spring, Maryland 20904-6011 (301) 384-5525 telephone (301) 384-6384 facsimile W3KD(a)ARRL.ORG

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[arrl-odv:25349] CAI letter of support
by Mike Lisenco N2YBB 26 May '16

26 May '16

Hello ODV – Attached you will find the letter CAI sent to the House Telecomm subcommittee in support of the amended H.R. 1301. We are satisfied that we can take this letter to the Senate in our quest for passage of the Bill. To that end, we have meetings already scheduled with the Senate sponsors next week to discuss strategy for moving the bill forward. On the House side, we hope to have full committee mark-up in the near future, however, no date has yet been set. It is our understanding that with the agreement in place, and the letters received, there should be nothing blocking the bill from moving forward in committee. I look forward to your comments and questions. 73 de Mike N2YBB - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mike Lisenco, N2YBB Director, Hudson Division Chairman, ad hoc Legislative Advocacy Committee ARRL - The national association for Amateur Radio™ 917-865-3538 n2ybb(a)arrl.org

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[arrl-odv:25348] RM-11767, Expert Linears America LLC Petition for Rulemaking to Remove the 15 dB limit for external power amplifiers
by Christopher Imlay 26 May '16

26 May '16

Greetings. I have just now filed the attached comments in support of RM-11767 at the instruction of and with the approval of the Executive Committee. The Petition proposes that the Commission amend Section 97.317(a)(2) of the Amateur Service rules in order to eliminate the requirement that, for a manufacturer of external RF power amplifiers to receive a grant of certification therefor, the the amplifier must not be capable of amplifying the input RF power (driving signal) by more than 15 dB of gain. This petition continues the effort that Bill Cross initiated for us in 2006 in Docket 04-140 which eliminated the 50-watt minimum drive power requirement for amplifiers and modified the ban on amplifiers that exhibited amplification between 24 and 35 MHz. the rule now requires zero amplification between 26 and 28 MHz. But in 2006 FCC left in the 15 dB limit on amplification. Now, that rule makes it impossible for, for example, SDR low power output transmitters to be amplified to full legal power without an intermediate amplification stage added. I am personally very glad to see this proposal; the first Amateur matter I worked on for Bob Booth, W3PS in 1979 was the court appeal of the linear amplifier ban. The FCC overregulated terribly in 1978 and only now is the last major vestige of that being addressed. The Expert Linear petition was prepared by my good friend Jim Talens, N3JT, a PVRC guy, excellent CW man and former FCC staffer. Thanks for timely review and very helpful edits by the entire Executive Committee, and most especially for the good edits from Rick Roderick and Greg Widin. 73, Chris W3KD -- Christopher D. Imlay Booth, Freret & Imlay, LLC 14356 Cape May Road Silver Spring, Maryland 20904-6011 (301) 384-5525 telephone (301) 384-6384 facsimile W3KD(a)ARRL.ORG

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[arrl-odv:25334] Amended HR-1301 Approved
by Mike Lisenco N2YBB 25 May '16

25 May '16

BOARD CONFIDENTIAL --- DO NOT DISCUSS OUTSIDE OF THE ARRL ODV Good Evening - - I am happy to announce that ARRL has reached an agreement in principal with CAI. The agreement is dependent upon the receipt of a letter from CAI which announces their full support of the amended H.R. 1301 legislation (see attached). The letter will actively endorse the text and urge that it be substituted for the current text of H.R. 1301 in the form of the Substitute Amendment, urge that the Bill be marked up in the Energy and Commerce Committee, and that it be considered for passage on suspension if possible. The letter will also be used to inform Senator Nelson that CAI now supports the legislation and a similar request for passage of the Bill is expected. When this communication is made, and is satisfactory to the parties concerned, the bill will move forward. I hope to have a copy of the CAI letter to you as soon as it is transmitted to us from the Congressional staff negotiating the agreement. Vy 73 de Mike - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mike Lisenco, N2YBB Director, Hudson Division Chairman, ad hoc Legislative Advocacy Committee ARRL - The national association for Amateur Radio™ 917-865-3538 n2ybb(a)arrl.org

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[arrl-odv:25344] Why Don't We Have This Program?
by John Robert Stratton 25 May '16

25 May '16

Ladies and Gents Why — if we have an agreement with Liberty Mutual — do we not have this program? $5.00 x 168,628 = $843,140.00. Dunno 'bout you high on the hogs folks, but that looks like REAL money to this South Austin boy. 73 *-----------------------------------------------------* ** John Robert Stratton N5AUS Office telephone: 512-445-6262 Cell: 512-426-2028 PO Box 2232 Austin, Texas 78768-2232 *-----------------------------------------------------* -------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: John, get a quote and we'll donate $5 Date: Wed, 25 May 2016 11:46:16 -0600 From: Liberty Mutual Insurance <affinity(a)libertymutual.com> To: jrstratton(a)strattonlawfirm.com Students benefit, and you could too. Unsubscribe <http://click.email-libertymutual.com/?qs=5db15bf3bd0e9efc4ab0f29cae4b42eda7…> Liberty Mutual Insurance A message from Liberty Mutual Insurance to University of Texas alumni. Liberty Mutual Insurance The University of Texas at Austin Alumni Association Logo Liberty Mutual Insurance | Quote for Scholarship Get a Quote | $5 will be donated Get a quote and we'll donate $5 to the Texas Exes Scholarship Foundation.^1 GET AN ONLINE QUOTE <http://click.email-libertymutual.com/?qs=5db15bf3bd0e9efc6edbffa138fa9154b8…> CALL 855-323-2150 <tel:8553232150> Or call *855-323-2150 <tel:8553232150>* for a free rate quote. As an alumni of the University of Texas, you could give much needed help to others.^2 LEARN MORE <http://click.email-libertymutual.com/?qs=5db15bf3bd0e9efc6edbffa138fa9154b8…> Get a Quote | $5 will be donated This organization receives financial support for allowing Liberty Mutual to offer this auto and home insurance program. ^1 No purchase of a policy is necessary. Program not available in CT, FL, IA, MA, ME, ND, NM and PA. Offer valid May ‌1 - Ju‌ne 30, 2016. ^2 Discounts and savings are available where state laws and regulations allow, and may vary by state. To the extent permitted by law, applicants are individually underwritten, not all applicants may qualify. Liberty Mutual Insurance is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Auto insurance underwritten by Liberty County Mutual Insurance Company, 21‌00 Wal‌nut Hi‌ll La‌ne, Irv‌ing, TX. ©2016 Liberty Mutual Insurance. All rights reserved. This email message contains information regarding products and services offered by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. If you do not wish to receive email messages from Liberty Mutual that are advertising or promotional in nature, please unsubscribe now <http://click.email-libertymutual.com/?qs=5db15bf3bd0e9efc4ab0f29cae4b42eda7…>. <http://click.email-libertymutual.com/?qs=5db15bf3bd0e9efce0d3bb11bfd893747f…> Coverage provided and underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance and its affiliates, 175 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116 USA - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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