IN-Newsletter Vol. 27, No. 49 December 8, 2004 Upcoming Meetings Board Meeting January 21-22, 2005 in Windsor, CT Media & Public Relations Entries are being duplicated for the Leonard Professional Media Award. All recently elected Board members have been asked for bio material and respondents' home area news outlets have been sent news releases. Toy drive activity continues and QST article written for February. Initial contacts made regarding National Association of Broadcasters convention. CONTACT done for December. Production/Editorial The January/February 2005 issue of QEX has been released to the printer. Rick Lindquist reports The ARRL Letter, Vol. 23, No. 47, distributed to 67,043 members on December 3. Rick prepared/edited articles on the FCC's denial of a petition to standardize AM and SSB bandwidths, a successful ARISS school group contact with Italy, Update on the ARRL toy drive, ARES-RACES-MARS meeting to explore enhanced cooperation, Senate confirms Adelstein, ham's complaint leads to fine for taxi company, FCC fines truck stop firm for alleged illegal transceiver sales, AOR donation of digital units to W1AW, FCC enforcement letters and several news briefs. Rick voiced, edited and produced ARRL Audio News for December 3. Product Review and New Products for the February 2005 issue of QST have been submitted for typesetting and layout. Sales and Marketing It's still climbing! The exceptional response to the fall membership campaign has reached 4%, or 821 sign-ups from among lapsed members. Product sales ended November achieved 90% of the month's sales forecast. The small shortfall is attributed to some transfer business for sales of the 2005 Handbook taken in the previous month. We are delighted to also accumulate back orders in November for approximately $10,000 in back-ordered hardcover Handbook orders that will be counted with December figures when the books arrive. Year-to-date product sales have exceeded forecast by over $220,000--largely due to strong sales of Now You're Talking! and a carefully planned and executed marketing plan for the 2005 Handbook. 117 Advertising Media Kits are on their way to prospective advertisers. Our very important client planning tool, 2005 Advertising Matters, is also now in the mail to all current advertisers. The advertising solicitation for the 2005-2006 Repeater Directory has been drafted and printed. It will hit the streets some time this week. During the month of November (advertising for QST January 2005 and NCJ and QEX January/February 2005), our Advertising staff signed on three new magazine advertisers and one new banner advertiser. Other client successful negotiations included some nice "up-sizing." * Arcom Communications, a repeater controller manufacturer, and Rasband Excursions, a Princess Cruises Alaskan ham adventure travel agency, joined the growing ranks of QST advertisers. * TechNote Time Watch Company (after experiencing significant response from a New Products Announcement in QST November 2004) decided to give QEX advertising a try. * In addition to these new advertisers, three existing QST advertisers increased their level of advertising beginning with the first issue of 2005. * W5YI Group increased the amount of advertising placed in each issue during 2004 for a 12-issue campaign during 2005. The new campaign consists of a total of 1/2-page of advertising in each issue, up from 1/3rd-page total ad space in several previous years. * DX Engineering increased their ad size from 1/3rd-page ads placed in 2004 issues, to 1/2-page ads now scheduled to run during 2005. * Saratoga Amateur Radio Products/Hamstop.com doubled their ad size from 1/6th-page to 1/3rd-page for January QST. (They will be tracking the response to this ad before deciding on whether to continue at the new size.) * Buckmaster Publishing, after enjoying terrific response to banner ads for a new dipole antenna product, placed an additional 1/24th-page ad in each 2005 issue of QST to advertise these products of their new "subsidiary": Buckmaster Antennas. * The BetterRF Company added an additional 1/24th-page ad to their existing campaign for 2005 issues, to market their new "Yaesu TUNE" control. * Personal Database Applications - makers of LOGic 7 logging software - was granted a short-run "no charge" trial banner ad run during November. Due to favorable response to that ad, they've signed up for a banner appearance during the month of December. * Occasional and returning advertisers that placed advertising in QST January 2005 include A & A Engineering, Barker & Williamson Antennas, microHAM, RedStar Radio and QRP J-38. Hamfest ads for the Orlando Hamcation and the Richmond Frostfest also appear in this issue. * SGC Incorporated has devised a new advertising campaign strategy and has contracted for 12 full QST ad pages over the coming year. Marsh Affinities has contracted for four 1/2 page insertions over the coming year as well. Membership Services Awards Branch WAS QSL Cards Checked 350 WAS Certs. (900 QSLs F/C) 18 WAS Certs. (350 QSLs ES/C) 7 WAS End. (50 QSLs ES/C) 1 A-1 Op. Noms. 6 LTMA Inquires 5 VUCC Initial Apps. 11 Grids 1,867 VUCC End. Apps. 2 Grids 92 Replacement Awards 3 Awards Mailed 29 HF Awards Mgr. Appt.: George Barnhart, N9TRC, Morrison, OK. Processing Status: Current or up to three weeks. For the coming week-VUCC awards processing/mailing, compile the latest VUCC awards listing for Feb. QST, WAS/90th awards, Extra Class certificates, A-1 Operator awards, and mail out all awards processed this week. Contest Branch Most plaques for the 2004 DX Contest were shipped. We have had to hold about a dozen as the inventory has run out and won't be replenished until after the first of the year. The IARU results were received from the Log Checking team, several corrections made, re-run and then processed into the master database, and tables and scores sent to the author. Data entry for Sweepstakes began. DXCC Branch For the week of: December 5, 2004 Beginning Cards 65,976 Cards Received 17,136 Cards Processed 12,470 Ending Cards 70,642 Applications Pending 474 Processing Time 6.3 Weeks Year-to-date (2004) Cards Received 522,041 Cards Returned 534,098 DXCC is currently mailing applications received on October 22, 2004. DXCC is currently entering cards received on October 22, 2004. Turnaround time for applications with just LoTW credits is 1 working day. Turnaround time for hybrid (apps with LoTW and paper credits) is approximately 2-3 working days. Bill Moore attended the Pescara, Italy convention from Nov 23-30, 2004. He checked cards in Milan at ARI HQ on Nov 24-25, went to Pescara on Friday Nov 26 and the convention was Nov 27-28. With the help of ARI card checker Mario Ambrosi, I2MQP, we checked 58 applications totaling over 6,500 cards. Attendance was estimated to exceed 15,000 for the 2 days. Mario and Bill also discussed the prospect of 2 more DXCC card checker nominations in Italy; they will be submitted shortly. Two nominations from JARL are currently in progress. Logbook of the World QSO records entered into the system 57,309,170 QSL records have resulted 2,191,454 Logs Processed 83,806 Active Certificates 12,192 Users registered in the system 9,090 Current Applications 25 Ready Applications 0 Applications Awaiting Mail 25 QSL Bureau Processing time is 4 days. This week 145 pounds of cards were received from members. Cards mailed as of 12/05/04: 961,060. No cards were mailed this week. W1AW Mark Spencer, WA8SME operated W1AW in Skywarn Recognition Day on Saturday. He made a number of QSOs, including some on PSK31, to make W1AW eligible for an event certificate. Mike, W1MG (of the ARRL Lab) and Joe, NJ1Q spent a few hours tracking down power line noise plaguing W1AW. So far, one power pole (located about a block away to the NNW of W1AW) seems to be one of many noise sources. So long as the weather stays dry, Mike and Joe will continue to do more fieldwork to track down other sources. Joe created the texts for the December W1AW Qualifying Runs. He processed two Qualifying Run certificate requests and began processing W1AW/90 QSL card requests. Joe continues with 2004 FMT entries (to date, there are 88). Scott worked on fast and slow code practice files for the month of December. He also handled some evening phone sales calls in the daily 5 PM to 8 PM time slots. Field & Educational Services Rosalie handled some of Steve Ewald's calls/emails while he was on vacation. She got final approval from the publisher to use text from Ham Radio for Dummies in the booklet for our pilot grant (working with Citizen Corps Councils). She then worked with Di, Bill and Mary on the booklet. Rosalie shared with other staff a report from a member on an ARES drill to simulate emergency communications needed in setting up multiple clinics in the event of a viral pandemic Gail Iannone sent 10 hamfest approval letters and 1 convention approval letter to the sponsoring committees confirming the Division Director's approval of their events as ARRL-sanctioned. She processed 8 hamfest and convention material orders and 2 label requests for upcoming events. She coordinated travel for Chuck Skolaut to be the HQ Rep at the Mississippi State Convention on February 4-5 in Jackson. Gail sent 3 SSC approval letters and certificates to club officials. Mentor/Instructor/Club Program Norm Fusaro prepared materials on club programs and resource materials for use at the ARRL West Central Florida Section Convention where he was the ARRL HQ representative. He met the new WCF SM and gave him a CD that Norm had prepared for this past fall's S< Workshop. Norm worked on an article that will eventually be submitted for QST. Margie Bourgoin took the F&ES stock inventory, the videotape inventory and tallied the F&ES revenue report -- revenue for November totaled $703. Margie has taken responsibility now for ensuring that grant reimbursement checks get taken care of in a timely manner. She handled one SSC renewal, and did data entry of emcomm surveys and Public Service Activity Reports that are used in future reports to our grantors. She compiled instructor survey replies, and responded to instructors' inquiries and comments. Certification/Continuing Education Jean Wolfgang set up an inventory system to track all supplies used each month for the online courses. She spoke to a representative of Army MARS about putting together a hybrid emcomm class for students in Nebraska. Jean created the November mentor list for those who will receive stipends. She developed a list of all mentors who assisted in grant-sponsored course sections in 2004. She will send email to these mentors asking them to review all students' progress and ensure they passed all students who have completed courses. Regulatory Information John Hennessee is in the process of locating and updating the list of sample, pro-amateur antenna zoning ordinances in the PRB-1 package that is on our Web site. If anyone knows of exceptional ordinances, please let John know. Thus far, ordinances for Scotia, NY and Medford, NJ have been added. John reviewed a potential Web article for Joel Kleinman, processed a VCE application, reviewed the constitutions of potential affiliated clubs and worked on an FAQ on Part 97 concerns. He assisted an amateur with local government antenna zoning problems in Fort Myers, FL (KI4SMJ). Amateur Radio Education & Technology Program Mark Spencer received positive votes from the Executive Committee on his recommendations for which schools should receive Big Project grants. He sent letters with the news to the schools, and some teachers already responded. They haven't sent "cookie cutter" lists; they are putting thought into equipment tailored for their program. Mark sent the expectation letters to school administrations and for supporting club endorsement. Final execution of grants will occur when approval of the budget is given in January, and with Mark's receipt of endorsed expectation letters. We congratulate new ham Judy Miller, KB1LUS, from a recent Tech class, along with 7 others including 3 youngsters. Community Education Program Bill Barrett went to the Danbury (CT) town hall to try out the audiovisual set up for his test presentation that will take place with city officials there this Wednesday evening. He ironed out some technical difficulties, and has completed a near-final version of the show. He began working on various handouts and forms. Members continue to contact Bill about the new program. EmComm Grants Dan Miller reports the following graduation numbers: Year 3 CNCS (grant year ends Sept 2005) Level 1 99: Level 2: 67 Level 3: 37 Year 2 UTC (grant year ends Dec 2004) Level l 281 Level 2 361 Level 3 271 Field Organization/Public Service Team Chuck Skolaut reports that the FCC recently acted quickly on a CODAR signal report first heard by an Oklahoma ham on 12 meters; the intruding signal has been moved to another non-ham frequency; good teamwork! A monitoring request from the FCC for assistance from Official Observers to monitor a specific 75-meter frequency was forwarded to the appropriate area being affected. With the help of the FCC monitoring station, a steady carrier on 60 meters was determined to be originating outside of the US. Chuck assisted with some of Steve Ewald's duties while he is on vacation. Expense reports are coming in rapidly now, as the end of the year is approaching; a reminder went to SMs about submitting reports. Leona Adams is entering expense report data into Section budgets for Accounting to process. She entered new appointment data, updates and cancellations into the database, and sent supply packages to new appointees. An SM nomination petition deadline is Dec 10 for the term beginning April 1; Leona sent some first signer letters to hams requesting these. Sincerely, Dave Patton, NN1N Special Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer DCP: lk Staff Absentee List All Staff 12/24 Holiday `` 12/31 Holiday Mark Dzamba 12/24-12/30 Vacation Pam Dzamba 12/24-12/30 Vacation Allen Pitts 12/10 Vacation Gail Iannone 12/20-12/31 Vacation Scott Gee 12/13-12/14 Vacation Joel Kleinman 12/9 Vacation Janet Rocco 12/10 Vacation Di Szlachetka 12/27-12/30 Vacation John Hennessee 12/18-12/28 Vacation Wayne Mills 12/20-12/30 Vacation Dan Henderson 12/21-12/30 Vacation Maryann Macdonald 12/27-12/31 Vacation Karen Isakson 12/17-12/24 Vacation Linda Kleinschmidt 12/20-12/24 Vacation Steve Ford 12/24-1/2 Vacation Rick Lindquist 12/27-12/30 Vacation Lisa Tardette 12/27 Vacation Fatima Lorusso 12/27-12/30 Vacation