March 2020 - arrl-odv - reflector.arrl.org

[arrl-odv:29965] ARRL VE program
by Michael Ritz 26 Mar '20

26 Mar '20

Barry; Several people have sent me e-mails wondering what the official status of the ARRL VE program is. In other words, are VE packages still be processed, in either direction? (Exams sent out, and completed exams processed?). Is the FCC still processing results and issuing licenses? If they are still being processed, what is the expected delay time? Thanks! 73; Mike W7VO

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[arrl-odv:29972] Communicating better with SM's
by Mike Raisbeck 26 Mar '20

26 Mar '20

Hello All, Last week I was invited, along withRia, N2RJ, and Mike, W7VO, to an online meeting of Section Managers hosted byDan Marler, K7REX, the Idaho SM. Thetopic was communications between the SM’s and the Board. It was an interesting and lively gathering,with approximately 35 SM’s in attendance. It appears that the level andquality of communications is quite variable between SM’s and the Board. Some SM’s have close and productiverelationships with their Directors. Insome cases communications are strained, infrequent, or even absent. The concern was characterized best by thecomment, heard several times during the meeting, that SM’s will sometimes senda comment or query to their Director, only to have it fall into a black hole. The SM’s readily acknowledge, andwe agree, that the reasons for problems, when they do occur, are varied. Sometimes it’s as simple as a personalityclash. Sometimes the communication ismisdirected; perhaps it is a matter that should go through Steve Ewald, ratherthan through the Director. Sometimes itrelates to the degree of effort invested, either by the SM or by the Director. Factoring into this is the natureof the communication. In some cases, thecommunication involves matters local to the Division or Section. These, of course, really do need to gothrough the individual Division Director. Other times, it involves section management issues best considered by Headquarters. In this regard it was noted that the workingrelationship between SM’s and HQ, particularly Steve Ewald, appear to be quitegood. And there are also times at whichthe communication involves broader strategies or issues of interest to theBoard as a whole. This third category is interestingfor several reasons. SM’s are, almost bydefinition, very interested and active Hams with knowledge and experience wellabove average. This is knowledge that theBoard can and should be using. In manycases, it does. However, free flow ofthis information is, or may be, hindered by an old Board tradition that membersin a Division are discouraged from communicating to the Board except throughtheir Division Directors. How strongthis tradition remains is an open question, but it is certainly perceived bythe SM’s that in some Divisions it remains strong. It is a tradition that may have some positiveaspects when applied to matters that can or should be dealt with on a Divisionlevel, but insofar as it is applied to broader issues of policy that reflectmatters on a national level, it leaves Division members, and particularly theSM’s, at the mercy of their particular Director’s opinions and motivation. This is a filter that serves only to limitthe flow of useful information. The SM’s are looking for a way tooffer their thoughts to the Board on a broad and level field, and a way,perhaps, in which the Board could distribute information to them. As the meeting last Wednesday progressed,the idea of a discussion group accessible to ODV, SM’s, and a few select staffmembers began to develop. Here are someof the characteristics that such a group might possess: 1. Itwould be open to all Directors, Vice Directors, Officers, and Section Managers,as well as a few key staff 2. Itwould be moderated in some fashion. Whathas worked out well for other groups is to require approval for the first severalposts from a new member, after which posts would not be gated. The moderator could, however, reactivatescreening and/or limit member access as needed in the name of decorum. 3. Thegroup would have a statement of purpose, enforces loosely by the moderator,that: a. Messages and transactions would be directed tothe group as a whole, not to particular individuals b. Topics would be limited to those of generalinterest. In particular, matters limitedto a Division would not generally be appropriate c. No one would be required either to post or torespond 4. Civilitywould be expected and enforced. Lastly, this mechanism is notmeant, not could it be, a way to resolve all shortcomings in the communicationbetween the Board and the Section Managers. It is a tool. It is only atool. But perhaps, if it is successful,it could help bridge the gap that seems to have arisen. We propose that such a discussiongroup be established using the GroupIO system that the League used for a numberof other discussion groups. The effortto set this up is not large. We wouldalso need to find a suitable moderator. Thoughts ? MikeK1TWF Mike Raisbeck k1twf(a)arrl.net

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[arrl-odv:29966] Don Search, W3AZD, SK
by Mickey Baker 26 Mar '20

26 Mar '20

I've just learned that Don Search W3AZD, passed away early this morning. He suffered a head injury from a fall in December 2019 and deteriorated over the past few months. You may remember Don as one of the card checkers at the ARRL booth at many hamfests, and I'm sure the DXers have heard his voice in many pile-ups. Don was an HQ Employee on the DX Desk and has lived in Broward County, Florida, for many years. I'll post again after I receive more details. Mickey Baker, N4MB Palm Beach Gardens, FL *“The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead." Robert K. Greenleaf*

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[arrl-odv:29963] Fwd: announcing the Corona Challange
by rjairam＠gmail.com 25 Mar '20

25 Mar '20

A local club in my division has started this challenge. Others in other divisions may want to join in. Basically it’s on air activity to keep people active while social distancing is in effect Ria N2RJ ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Scara K2DLL <sparksfromthespa(a)gmail.com> Date: Wed, Mar 25, 2020 at 11:55 AM Subject: announcing the Corona Challange To: Hello all, I know that you are sitting at home with time on your hands. In order to help you out,SCARA has created the Corona Challange to help you while away the time. The ultimate Social Distancing happens via ham radio. Every QSO will be guaranteed to be in excess of the recommended 6 feet.. Just get on the air. I have attached a copy of the rules for you to download and keep, but here they are.: Corona Challenge - On Air Operating Event 2020 *Purpose:* to encourage ALL licensed Amateurs to get on the air and become more active while practicing “Social Distancing” or “Self-Quarantine” during the State of Emergency. *DATES:* March 22 2020 thru the end of the State of Emergency in Saratoga County, NY *Suggested Frequencies:* Any Amateur Bands and Repeaters *Modes:* SSB, AM, FM, DMR, C4FM, D-Star, CW, RTTY, FT8, FT4, SSTV, basically any over the air mode used by Amateurs *Exchange: * Call sign, signal report, *Logging:* Date, Time, Band, Mode, Call sign, Signal report, State for WAS, *Optional : Name and QTH* *Scoring:* SSB, AM FM (voice) 1 point each CW and Digital (Excluding Digital Voice) 2 points each Only count a QSO’s with a station once per band and mode QSO’s made on a net are not to be included. *Bonus Points:* Making a 2 way QSO on a mode or band that you have never used before 100 points. Non Licensed Household member make a QSO 200 points (Follow third party traffic laws) Work All States 300 points DXCC 500 Points *Total Score: * Total QSO points plus any bonus points *Entry:* Electronic logs for submission with over 50 QSO’s , prefer ADIF format or excel. Email your logs and summary sheet to KG2H(a)ARRL.NET or bring your log to the first club meeting after the state of emergency *Awards: *Certificates and TBD *MISC: *WAS application form is available at Http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Awards/ARRL_WAS_APPLICATION_FORM_-_2019_July… DXCC Country List http://www.arrl.org/files/file/DXCC/2020%20Current_Deleted.txt N1MM+ logging program https://n1mmwp.hamdocs.com/

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[arrl-odv:29960] ARRL News and Info Page COVID-19
by Shelley, Barry, N1VXY (CEO) 24 Mar '20

24 Mar '20

Good afternoon: Day 1 of ARRL -Remote is almost in the books and so far, I've not heard of any major stumbles. But all precincts have not reported. A web page has been created to curate previously published info that summarizes ARRL's response to the coronavirus, and news of interest to ARRL members and our global amateur radio community. The page can be reached through any of these URLs: www.arrl.org/arrl-news-coronavirus-covid-19<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-news-coronavirus-covid-19> www.arrl.org/coronavirus<http://www.arrl.org/coronavirus> www.arrl.org/COVID-19<http://www.arrl.org/COVID-19> We'll pin a quick link to this page from the ARRL main page in a couple of hours. 73, Barry, N1VXY

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[arrl-odv:29953] What I did with February
by hopengarten＠post.harvard.edu 24 Mar '20

24 Mar '20

Wedding of Annie Hopengarten, KB3SXH, March 1. Just before Covid-19 shut down the nation. Him? An anti-trust lawyer (Johns Hopkins, UMich Law). NOT A HAM. Grrrrr. Fred Hopengarten, Esq. K1VR Six Willarch Road Lincoln, MA 01773 781.259.0088, k1vr(a)arrl.org New England Director cid:a4a12f0b-0468-4a39-b953-31b2a3da8564 Serving ME, NH, VT, MA, RI and CT -- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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[arrl-odv:29952] LED lightbulbs and aircraft
by rjairam＠gmail.com 24 Mar '20

24 Mar '20

If you think this is just a ham problem you may want to think twice. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/features-and-news/interference-… The silver lining is that since it has the potential to interfere with aircraft we can likely now see manufacturers being a bit more careful with EMC of their lightbulbs. I have 100% LED here (about 50 bulbs total). I have had only one issue with RFI which was promptly dealt with by the manufacturer (Cree) and they sent me a new two pack of improved bulbs. 73 Ria, N2RJ

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[arrl-odv:29948] Safe Contesting Suggestions from CQ
by Michael Ritz 24 Mar '20

24 Mar '20

I think these are great ideas, so I'm passing along to ODV. With upcoming ARRL events coming up, (like the Rookie Round Up, SSB in April), it might be prudent to keep information like this in mind when publishing information about upcoming events. 73; Mike W7VO (Operating as WW7E next weekend, SOAB. No multi-op here!) "Safe Contesting Suggestions from CQ If you're "sheltering in place" or otherwise stuck at home to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, keep in mind that the CQ World Wide WPX SSB Contest on the weekend of March 28-29 is the perfect way to have some fun and keep connected with the outside world. However, we want to make sure you practice "safe contesting," especially if you're planning a multi-operator effort. A few suggestions: * Consider staying at home and operating single-op (except for family stations) * Consider remote multi-op with operators "traveling" to your station via the internet instead of in-person (if you're equipped for it and if your ops will all be legal) * If you're too far along in planning an in-person multi-op operation, please follow "social distancing" recommendations, including: setting up operating positions at least six feet (two meters) apart; * Not sharing microphones/headphones/computer keyboards without first wiping them down with disinfectant wipes; staggering meal breaks to keep from having everyone together at one time; * Not sharing sleeping/napping spots, * Not touching your face, and of course, * Washing your hands for at least 20 seconds between every contact (well, maybe not quite that often, but you get the idea). * We want all of you not only to enjoy this contest but many more to come as well!"

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[arrl-odv:29950] Washington State is now Closed.
by Mark J Tharp 24 Mar '20

24 Mar '20

Well, 48 hours from now. Mark, HDX

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[arrl-odv:29945] Web Story
by Shelley, Barry, N1VXY (CEO) 23 Mar '20

23 Mar '20

Good afternoon: We will be posting the following news item to the web site in a little while. This will be the first of what I envision to be periodic (don't ask me what specific period of time to which that refers) updates on HQ operations. As I said earlier, decisions are being made based on the information we have currently and the powers that be seem to change that information daily. We're making the best decisions we can with the information we have. ARRL Headquarters to Close ARRL Headquarters will comply with an executive order from Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont that all non-essential businesses and not-for-profit entities reduce in-person workforces by 100% not later than March 23, 2020, at 8 PM. ARRL will equip as many Headquarters staffers as possible to work remotely. W1AW bulletin and code practice transmissions will continue. Customer service representatives will be available to take calls, although response times could be longer than usual. Operations at the ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) will also continue, and the best way to receive a timely response is via email<mailto:vec@arrl.org>, as call volume has been heavy. The ARRL publication schedule will remain unchanged. The ARRL warehouse will be working with a reduced staff, so orders will be delayed, and ARRL will not be able to respond to expedited shipping orders. ARRL Headquarters will remain open until 5 PM on March 23, as managers and staff prepare for the shutdown. ARRL will keep members posted on this situation. I plan to have Steve Ewald post this to the SM reflector as well. Not for public consumption: The printer of QST and other titles has told us that their business is considered essential in those states in which they operate so they will be proceeding forward with business as usual. I fully expect we will keep our publication schedules and produce the magazines on time while the Publications Team is working remotely. I expect responses from the ARRL VEC to be slower than usual because of volume but that should abate fairly quickly as many, many sessions are being cancelled. The volume is likely to reverse as various areas of the country lift the restrictions currently placed on the size of public gatherings. We have posted a short message to the LoTW Groups IO. In addition, the LoTW certification process new and renewals will be impacted by the remote working conditions so these will be delayed but not indefinitely. As I've noted, I will keep the Board apprised appropriately as we move through the next several weeks. I expect operations to be a little rough as everyone adjusts to the remote working situation but we should fall into a comfortable pattern in fairly short order. I will try and respond to any questions you might have. Patience and Flexibility. 73, Barry, N1VXY

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