March 2022 - arrl-odv - reflector.arrl.org

[arrl-odv:33509] FW: SM message
by Minster, David NA2AA (CEO) 11 Mar '22

11 Mar '22

FYI (this was sent to ECFSC but I am also sending to ODV) I had this sent out to the SMs this afternoon in case you hear about this note or the note that Mike Walters sent. Thanks David From: Minster, David NA2AA (CEO) Sent: Friday, March 11, 2022 2:47 PM Subject: SM message Happy Friday ARRL Section Managers! I wanted to write you a note about where we're at and where we're going with ARRL. After much of the hobby has been in hibernation due to COVID concerns and restrictions, in-person events are opening up and returning to the excitement and vibrancy we are used to. We saw a tremendous crowd at Orlando for our National Convention and HamCation with enthusiasm and passion on display everywhere. We are preparing now for Hamvention, SEA-PAC, and Friedrichshafen all coming up within the next 90 days or so. We're hearing from more clubs with their newsletters and activities. POTA activations are extremely popular, and with the improvement in weather and sunspots, we expect activity to skyrocket. And the granddaddy of the all, Field Day, is only 106 days away and counting! Here is your leadership moment, your moment to shine. If you have not been to hamfests or club meetings in your section it is time to get moving! And if you have? Share the learnings! What are you hearing from members? How can we improve or enhance their ARRL experience? What can you be doing in the section to improve your team, your activities, and your outreach? The intention of our monthly calls is to take the time to share these things so that everyone - especially HQ - can learn from you! We will be launching in the next 4 weeks an ARRL Foundation Club Grants program. We are finalizing the grant criteria now. What does this mean to YOU? Again, it is a leadership moment... with every club in your section. What do they need to become resilient? How can we help them grow? What programs do they need for members? How can we take the hobby out to the community to grow awareness and engagement? YOU need to be their mentor. YOU are the expert with the knowledge and awareness of the clubs and the members who can come together to pull this off successfully. YOU are the ones who are connected to ARRL Directors and Vice Directors, many of whom were SMs themselves, and get them involved in the process - they have created a new standing committee looking at Field Service and EmComm every 2 weeks now! We have $500,000 to use to get this done. EVERY section should be making an aggressive effort to put forward applications to get things moving in EVERY club! As I believe Mike Walters has told you, my concern is the low attendance at the monthly SM meetings. Our members deserve every single one of the section managers to be in attendance on those calls. If you cannot attend one, send your ASM or SEC. But do not leave your section unrepresented. Now, let's take a moment to point out the elephant in the room: we have had some sections where the SMs essentially went radio silent, to their members, to their Directors, and to HQ. This isn't fair to the people that elected their SM and expected them to do a good job. If you find that being an effective SM is a problem, PLEASE reach out to Mike Walters and have a discussion. We need you to be on top of your game... this year, and every year, but especially this year. It is a year of rejuvenation and expansion. It is a year of a return to normalcy. Things slowed down a bit, but did not stop. The world kept going. Innovations in ham radio kept going. The move into Cycle 25 kept moving. More than ever, we need you to be fully engaged with your SM responsibilities. Help us help you by reaching out to Mike. But going forward, there is an expectation that EVERY section will be properly represented on EVERY section managers monthly call. If you haven't seen it, the new ARRL frequency chart cards were a ridiculous success at Orlando. You NEED these for your ARRL table at events. We were cleaned out within 3 hours of the first day of HamCation. Again, Mike Walters can help you get a batch to take to upcoming hamfests or even Field Day sites! Drive up getting members radio active. Drive up the excitement. Thanks for your time and your volunteerism for ARRL and its members. Very 73. David, NA2AA

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[arrl-odv:33493] A&F Meeting Notice
by Ryan, Jeff, K0RM (Dir, RM) 11 Mar '22

11 Mar '22

The A&F Committee will be meeting in-person on April 9th, 2022, at 9:00 AM at the Denver Airport Marriott at Gateway Park, 16455 E. 40th Circ., Aurora, CO 80011. 73, Jeff, K0RM

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[arrl-odv:33500] ARRL News Editor announcement
by Minster, David NA2AA (CEO) 11 Mar '22

11 Mar '22

We're pleased to welcome Dave Greer, N4KZ, of Frankfort, Kentucky as our new ARRL News Editor! Dave will begin editing and producing the ARRL Letter and ARRL Audio News next week. He succeeds Rick Lindquist, WW1ME, in these duties - as Rick has decided to retire from this role. Dave's professional background, though retired about 2 years ago, includes 40-years as a print and broadcast journalist, including 18-years with the Kentucky Press Association. Dave was licensed in February 1969 as a teen and has been very active in amateur radio throughout his entire life. He operates 160 to 6 meters on SSB, CW and digital, and holds many operating awards from ARRL including DXCC, 8 Band DXCC, DXCC Honor Roll and 5 Band Worked All Zones from CQ. On VHF, he has been active on weak-signal modes on 2 meters, worked meteor scatter and made more than a few EME contacts on 2-meter CW. He has attended Dayton Hamvention 38 times starting in 1976! He served two terms on the ARRL Public Relations Committee and volunteered as an ARRL Official Observer.

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[arrl-odv:33496] EC-FSC Committee meeting
by Dale Williams 09 Mar '22

09 Mar '22

ODV members, Here is the link for the next EC-FSC Zoom meeting, set for Sunday evening at 8:00 PM Eastern Time. Attached, you will find the agenda and the current list of pending projects. As usual, we request that you mute you video and audio for the formal portion of the meeting. Thanks for your interest in the activities of the committee. 73, Dale Williams WA8EFK Chairman EC-FSC P.S. Committee members, please take note of the updated agenda. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dale Williams is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: EC-FSC Zoom Meeting Time: Mar 13, 2022 08:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83544517201?pwd=ZzhJeUE0TkcrV04wa3pkektWQnZzQT09 Meeting ID: 835 4451 7201 Passcode: 692615 One tap mobile +16465588656,,83544517201# US (New York) +13017158592,,83544517201# US (Washington DC) Dial by your location +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) Meeting ID: 835 4451 7201 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcJf9dkzi ------------------------------------------------------------------------

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[arrl-odv:33490] ARRL Stance on Russian invasion of Ukraine
by James F. Boehner, MD 09 Mar '22

09 Mar '22

OR we can simply say that we agree with the IARU in this matter: Statement from IARU <https://www.iaru.org/2022/statement-from-iaru/> Feb 28, 2022 · <https://www.iaru.org/category/emergency-comms/> Emergency Comms, <https://www.iaru.org/category/iarums/> IARUMS, <https://www.iaru.org/category/sin-categorizar/> Sin categorizar, <https://www.iaru.org/category/spectrum/> Spectrum, <https://www.iaru.org/category/vhf-uhf-shf/> VHF/UHF/SHF, <https://www.iaru.org/category/youth-general/> Youth General · <https://www.iaru.org/author/w5zn/> Joel Harrison In response to recent world events, the International Amateur Radio Union has issued the following statement: “IARU is an apolitical organization focused on promoting and defending amateur radio and the amateur radio services. The amateur radio service is about self-instruction in communications and friendship between people.” We are the International Secretariat of the IARU as well as one of their member-societies. This would not be much of a stretch. My preference is that the ARRL takes a leadership role and as policy makers of our organization, we put out our own position statement. However, should we wish to take a subordinate position and merely support the IARU as one of its member societies, that would at least be something. Or we can be silent on the matter. I just would like guidance on what to say when asked, as all of us will have communications with our members, either electronically or in person in the very near future. If we do not take a position, I know there are some who will want to know why. ‘73 de Jim N2ZZ Director – Roanoke Division Representing ARRL members in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia ARRL – the national association for Amateur Radio Facebook Page: ARRL Roanoke Division Website: www.arrl-roanoke.org <http://www.arrl-roanoke.org/> From: arrl-odv <arrl-odv-bounces(a)reflector.arrl.org> On Behalf Of Mike Raisbeck via arrl-odv Sent: Tuesday, March 8, 2022 12:50 PM To: arrl-odv(a)reflector.arrl.org Subject: [arrl-odv:33488] Re: ARRL Stance on Russian invasion of Ukraine There seem to be two paths forward here which involve remaining nonconfrontational; Path 1: 1. we struggle to maintain some sort of non-confrontational stance and maintain good relations with individuals not obviously connected with the opposing government’s actions 2. relations slowly soften 3. in the end, cooler heads prevail, and the crisis is averted Path 2: 1. we struggle to maintain some sort of non-confrontational stance and maintain good relations with individuals not obviously connected with the opposing government’s actions 2. the opposition sees this as weakness, and pushes additional demands 3. we do a few cycles of this, until finally the demands push to close, and we fight back against a now stringer opponent There have been examples of both over the last 100 years. For Path 1, think thaw in the cold war, and the Berlin wall coming down. For Path 2, think the Sudetenland and “peace in our time”. Both paths start out the same way. The biggest difference in outcome between these two cases seems to me to be the stability, ambition, and ruthlessness of the “other side”. Which situation do we have in front of us? Its hard to know, but I do think that if we are considering the approach suggested by David and Art, it should be tested against both of these scenarios. It’s easy to fall into the “righteous indignation” trap and to take a harmfully aggressive stance. It is equally easy to fall into the “friendly engagement” trap and ignore the next step that the opponent is likely to take. In either case, “I don’t know what will happen” isn’t a useful excuse for inaction. Decisions often need to be made on incomplete data. And finally, as to Ricks comment “… ARRL cannot get involved in political or international disputes.”, there is no non-political position here. Choosing not to “get involved” is itself the taking of a political position. Mike K1TWF -----Original Message----- From: Arthur I. Zygielbaum < <mailto:aiz@ctwsoft.com> aiz(a)ctwsoft.com> To: david davidsiddall-law.com < <mailto:david@davidsiddall-law.com> david(a)davidsiddall-law.com>; <mailto:arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> arrl-odv(a)reflector.arrl.org < <mailto:arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> arrl-odv(a)reflector.arrl.org> Sent: Tue, Mar 8, 2022 11:54 am Subject: [arrl-odv:33487] Re: ARRL Stance on Russian invasion of Ukraine David, Thanks for forwarding this. Sometime I'll have to share a letter that I received from a Cuban ham during the height of the cold war. Ham radio keeps the doors open and provides connections supportive of knowing each other as people. I agree that we should not use ham radio in any political sense. It's difficult because, like I suspect all of you are, I am abhorred by the actions taking place in Ukraine. 73, Art On 3/8/2022 9:14 AM, david davidsiddall-law.com wrote: NOT FOR PUBLICATION OR FURTHER DISTRIBUTION These are tough questions with multiple layers. At such times it can be helpful, although not dispositive, to hear the views of the trained and experienced. With that in mind, below is an email from Fred Laun, K3ZO. His email is addressed to the CQ Contest Committee, on which he serves. He also is an ARRL Diamond Club member. I am circulating it here with his permission and it should not be distributed further without his express consent. (He mentions his Argentine experience – K8CX has preserved some background here: <http://hamgallery.com/qsl/country/Argentina/lu5hfi.htm> http://hamgallery.com/qsl/country/Argentina/lu5hfi.htm.) From: Alfred Laun Date: Mon, Mar 7, 2022 at 9:13 PM Subject: Re: CQ contests during War Gentlemen: In recent years it has been my role in the CQWW Committee to provide some overall knowledge of international affairs to bear on what CQWW means to the world. This very much includes the fact that the international friendships we develop through participation in our chosen hobby transcends the differences of opinion that particular political events may try to foist on us. As an officer in the American Foreign Service for 25 years, holding a Top Secret security clearance, I was well aware of the false impressions authorities and political actors tried to impute to our non-political actions as proud members of the Amateur Radio Service. One of my proudest achievements was to help convince the authorities in Thailand that the Amateur Radio Service was not a security threat to them, but in fact was a very civic minded hobby which brought people together and was of great assistance in times of emergency, such as floods and tsunamis. When I first arrived in Thailand, Amateur Radio was formally illegal. Now Thailand has a thriving Amateur Radio Service with over 100,000 licensed hams. The principal problem it has these days is that there are few times examinations are given to allow VHF-only licensees to upgrade to HF status. I personally almost lost my life in 1974 because I had two very visible towers as a part of my hilltop contest station at LU5HFI. Anti-government elements there, given the fact that I was an American government official, assumed that my station was being used to relay messages from the American Embassy in Chile to Washington in connection with the overthrow of the government in that neighboring country. My long experience as a ham in several different countries has convinced me that, no matter how we personally may feel about a particular political situation, it is NEVER a good idea to use our Amateur Radio institutions to push a political point of view. I was posted in Vietnam in 1971-1972. There have been wars going on since then in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria to name only a few. It is a sad aspect of humanity that even in modern times wars continue to be used to settle accounts. This does not mean that we should allow our emotions of the moment to distract us from the peaceful, forward-looking, example that we as radio amateurs can exhibit to the world. Let's not allow any of our actions to lead to unintended consequences. Sincerely, Alfred A. "Fred" Laun, III, K3ZO ### _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv(a)reflector.arrl.org <mailto:arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list <mailto:arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> arrl-odv(a)reflector.arrl.org <https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv> https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv

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[arrl-odv:33486] Re: ARRL Stance on Russian invasion of Ukraine
by david davidsiddall-law.com 08 Mar '22

08 Mar '22

NOT FOR PUBLICATION OR FURTHER DISTRIBUTION These are tough questions with multiple layers. At such times it can be helpful, although not dispositive, to hear the views of the trained and experienced. With that in mind, below is an email from Fred Laun, K3ZO. His email is addressed to the CQ Contest Committee, on which he serves. He also is an ARRL Diamond Club member. I am circulating it here with his permission and it should not be distributed further without his express consent. (He mentions his Argentine experience – K8CX has preserved some background here: http://hamgallery.com/qsl/country/Argentina/lu5hfi.htm.) From: Alfred Laun Date: Mon, Mar 7, 2022 at 9:13 PM Subject: Re: CQ contests during War Gentlemen: In recent years it has been my role in the CQWW Committee to provide some overall knowledge of international affairs to bear on what CQWW means to the world. This very much includes the fact that the international friendships we develop through participation in our chosen hobby transcends the differences of opinion that particular political events may try to foist on us. As an officer in the American Foreign Service for 25 years, holding a Top Secret security clearance, I was well aware of the false impressions authorities and political actors tried to impute to our non-political actions as proud members of the Amateur Radio Service. One of my proudest achievements was to help convince the authorities in Thailand that the Amateur Radio Service was not a security threat to them, but in fact was a very civic minded hobby which brought people together and was of great assistance in times of emergency, such as floods and tsunamis. When I first arrived in Thailand, Amateur Radio was formally illegal. Now Thailand has a thriving Amateur Radio Service with over 100,000 licensed hams. The principal problem it has these days is that there are few times examinations are given to allow VHF-only licensees to upgrade to HF status. I personally almost lost my life in 1974 because I had two very visible towers as a part of my hilltop contest station at LU5HFI. Anti-government elements there, given the fact that I was an American government official, assumed that my station was being used to relay messages from the American Embassy in Chile to Washington in connection with the overthrow of the government in that neighboring country. My long experience as a ham in several different countries has convinced me that, no matter how we personally may feel about a particular political situation, it is NEVER a good idea to use our Amateur Radio institutions to push a political point of view. I was posted in Vietnam in 1971-1972. There have been wars going on since then in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria to name only a few. It is a sad aspect of humanity that even in modern times wars continue to be used to settle accounts. This does not mean that we should allow our emotions of the moment to distract us from the peaceful, forward-looking, example that we as radio amateurs can exhibit to the world. Let's not allow any of our actions to lead to unintended consequences. Sincerely, Alfred A. "Fred" Laun, III, K3ZO ###

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[arrl-odv:33477] Fwd: FCC Fee
by Michael Ritz 07 Mar '22

07 Mar '22

FWIW. Can K3ZJ either confirm or deny? ..... 73; Mike W7VO > ---------- Original Message ---------- > From: Riley McLean <w7ril(a)yahoo.com> > To: "w7vo(a)arrl.org" <w7vo(a)arrl.org> > Date: 03/05/2022 9:02 PM > Subject: FCC Fee > > > Hey Mike... > > We had our monthly Valley Radio Club meeting on the air last night (Mar. 4th) and we got some info from one of our long time members. Kenton Srurdavnt, K7BQ, he is our long time FCC local contact person. He has known all those in the know at the FCC. Including Riley Hollingsworth and Laura Smith and others going back 40 years or so. He told us that in the last two days he was on a conference call with a group at the FCC and was told that when the computer glitches are ironed out the $35.00 fee will go into effect on or about April 25th. So we should get the 30 day notice of this action about March 25th. Kenton told the whole group about this over the air so a lot of folks heard it. And I don't doubt what Kenton had to say. > > I thought you should know this little piece of info as I know you keep getting asked when the fee goes into effect all the time. Maybe you can give them some kind of an answer now.. > > Stay well. > > Thanks for all you do for ham radio. > > 73, Riley, W7RIL > Valley Radio Club, Prez > Eugene >

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[arrl-odv:33474] FW: ARRL Stance on Russian invasion of Ukraine
by James F. Boehner, MD 07 Mar '22

07 Mar '22

I awoke to a tweet today from the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) regarding their stance on the Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine: <https://rsgb.org/main/blog/news/gb2rs/headlines/2022/03/04/rsgb-statement-t he-russian-federation-and-belarus/> RSGB statement: the Russian Federation and Belarus - Radio Society of Great Britain - Main Site : Radio Society of Great Britain - Main Site We will no doubt be asked about our stance on the matter, and I think we need to be proactive when we are called upon as to our position. I should say first that although my name is German, I am directly of Ukrainian decent, having maternal grandparents who emigrated to the US in 1912. RSGB has taken the "me too" approach, imposing their form of sanctions against Russia. It is an easy and safe approach, as they are following the lead of the rest of the world. Although this may be a very unpopular position to take, I am personally opposed to the RSGB's decision. From watching the news reports, this invasion was initiated by the Russian leadership, not by its people. This appears to be a very unpopular war among many Russian citizens. Although probable hyperbole, it is said that every Russian has a relative in Ukraine. All are suffering in different ways. From seeing the demonstrations in Russia, protestors are coming out in droves, at enormous personal peril, as freedom of speech as we know it does not exist there. The necessary sanctions that have been imposed and are yet to be imposed on the Russian Federation will affect the people more harshly than the leadership, although they will take their hit as well. Amateur Radio is different. We are international ambassadors of good will. Our very basis of purpose in Part 97 includes the following: (e) Continuation and extension of the amateur's unique ability to enhance international goodwill. During the cold war, amateur radio was one of the few channels of communication that those under Eastern Bloc rule had with the Western world. It is reasonable to condemn the actions of the Russian Federation's leadership, but not to hold our brethren responsible for the actions of their leaders; to do so would threaten our status as international ambassadors and would directly go against our basis and purpose of the Amateur Radio Service in the United States. We should stand apart from the RSGB on this matter. Opinions may differ, but there is no doubt that we will have our position questioned, particularly after the RSGB statement. We need to have this conversation and be ready to respond. '73 de Jim N2ZZ Director - Roanoke Division Representing ARRL members in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia ARRL - the national association for Amateur Radio Facebook Page: ARRL Roanoke Division Website: <http://www.arrl-roanoke.org/> www.arrl-roanoke.org

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[arrl-odv:33481] Small correction
by Art Zygielbaum 07 Mar '22

07 Mar '22

I accidentally left a word in when editing the email on electronic balloting. The first sentence in the second paragraph read: "We ask your help in testing the electronic paper and electronic balloting processes." It should read "We ask your help in testing the paper and electronic balloting processes." Amazing how many times you can proof-read something and still miss. 73, Art -- Arthur I. Zygielbaum, K0AIZ ARRL Midwest Division Director ARRL - The national association for Amateur Radio®

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[arrl-odv:33480] Electronic Balloting Plan and Demo
by Art Zygielbaum 06 Mar '22

06 Mar '22

Dear ODV members, The E&E Committee has been working with Diane Middleton, CFO, to develop a plan and demo for Electronic Balloting. The attached report/plan is the result. This action is in response to the Zygielbaum-1 motion from the January 2021 board meeting which tasked the E&E committee with investigating the state of electronic balloting and delivering a report to the board. Based on the good background work of Diane, we feel that she has identified an appropriate vendor, Election Services Company. In order to allow electronic balloting during this year's Division Directors elections, we need to meet a pretty aggressive time-table because of QST and the vendor deadlines. The attached plan addresses all that. We ask your help in testing the electronic paper and electronic balloting processes. To that end, a "fake election" will go live from March 17 through March 21. This demo will be made available to all of ODV. Notice to ODV will be sent by the vendor ahead of the demo. Your observations and thoughts on both the electronic and paper balloting would be most appreciated. For any of you who would not normally use an electronic balloting process, we ask that you give it a try. We also ask your help especially in critiquing the parallel paper balloting process. Of course, we value your suggestions, corrections, etc., to the plan and to the process itself. Election Services Company is willing to work with us to meeting the observer requirements established in ARRL By-Law 20. E&E is going to consider suggesting changes to that by-law given that the election will be conducted by a certified third-party. It would be hard, for example, to observe the processing of electronic ballots. Paper ballots will not be counted by hand, they will be scanned and also processed electronically. Election Services is willing to consider an outside audit in case election results are contested, but that would be at our expense. It is our intent to formally present the plan at the upcoming EC meeting in order to get approval to proceed given the schedule. Thanks for your help. 73, Art K0AIZ Chair, Ethics and Elections Committee -- Arthur I. Zygielbaum, K0AIZ ARRL Midwest Division Director ARRL - The national association for Amateur Radio®

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