<<070109.doc>>

IN-Newsletter

Vol. 32, No. 26

July 1, 2009  --  Covers the period June 21-27.

Upcoming Meetings and Events

Administration &Finance Committee

July 16 @ 8:30am in Newington, CT

Programs & Services Committee

July 16 @ 8:30am in Newington, CT

Second Board Meeting

July 17-18, 2009 @ 9:00am in Windsor, CT

CEO Office

The office will be closed Friday in observance of the Fourth of July.  Have a safe Holiday weekend!

Regulatory Information

Reported by Dan Henderson, N1ND

As of June 26, Chwat & Co had received 786 letters to 278 different members of Congress (267 House, 11 Senate) supporting HR 2160.  This does not include any letters sent directly to members of Congress instead of to Chwat & Co.  After receiving a copy of the ARRL petition for a writ of mandamus filed with the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, we wrote an article on the petition for the ARRL Web.

Field Day week meant an almost non-stop flurry of FD related emails and phone calls.  The Field Day site locator was again a big hit, with 1602 groups listed shortly after Field Day began on Saturday – that is 98 more than were listed in 2008.  We are aware of at least one contact with the ISS as well as several site visits by members of Congress and local officials.

We prepared a series of PowerPoint slides for General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, and myself to use in a presentation to the ARRL Board in July.  Member queries included (among other topics) questions about traveling with a HT on board a plane and a cruise ship, questions about IDing during a state-wide earthquake drill in NC, an inquiry about a club receiving funds for each member participating in a public service event from the event’s sponsor, and about obtaining a deceased parent’s callsign.  We also worked with Vice-Director David Norris, K5UZ, and his Volunteer Counsel regarding a lawsuit over long-installed towers on his property.

Media & Public Relations

Reported by Allen Pitts, W1AGP

The 2008 Annual Report has come back from the printer and is available as well as posted to the Web.  There are more localized media hits than I can recall in past Field Days, and they are still coming in.  I am also spotting heavy use of our wire release in whole or in part by outlets.  We were able to maximize the impact of the wire release with the posting of the Field Day logo and caption on the Reuters news billboard in Times Square and Las Vegas.  The story about this is at

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/06/23/10904/?nc=1 .

Development

Reported by Mary Hobart, K1MMH

The campaign for the Education & Technology Fund has produced more than $43,207 in revenue from 641 donors with a $67 average gift.  The goal for this campaign is $50,000.   Contributions for the Teachers Institute program now total $100,000 with $55,000 expected by year end.

The Diamond Club gross revenues now exceed $110,000.

ARRL 2008 Annual Reports will be mailed to major donors and Legacy Circle members listed in the Report, on the web and in QST.

Development has submitted a reforecast for revenues and expenses based on results through May 2009.

Reports are being prepared for the Second Board meeting on July 17-18, 2009.

Production/Editorial

Reported by Joel Kleinman, N1BKE

Sales and Marketing

Reported by Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R

Diane rewrote (updated) the R3 and R4 renewal notices and continues to work on a mailing to new hams.

The next 50,000 piece membership mailing scheduled to be sent the first week in August is in the early stages.  Also in the early stages is a mailing to those who were worked in LOTW, expected to go out sometime in July.

Publication and membership house ads have been updated for the 411 Ham Express.

A follow-up email to last weeks summer-themed email solicitation was sent on Thursday morning, encouraging last chance orders.  A Fourth of July email solicitation is being prepared for the holiday weekend.

Certificates of Appreciation are being prepared for staff and volunteers who participated in ARRL EXPO at the 2009 ARRL National Convention in Dayton, Ohio.

The warehouse crew fulfilled 908 packages for publication and product orders.  388 Membership premiums were shipped along with a sizeable July supplement (2,579 issues).  On hand unprocessed are 1,135 free books, 58 publication and product orders, and 3 July supplements.

ARRL Conventions

Date    Name    Division        City    State   ARRL HQ

Representative 
Jul 4   E. Pennsylvania Section AT      Bressler        PA             
Jul 17-18       Arizona State   SW      Williams        AZ      Bob Allison    
Jul 17-19       Montana State   NW      Essex   MT             
Jul 18  W0 DXCC/Contest Central DK      Rochester       MN             
Jul 23-25       Central States VHF      CL      Elk Grove Village       IL             
Jul 24-25       Oklahoma Section        WG      Oklahoma City   OK      Chuck Skolaut  
Aug 7-8 Texas State     WG      Austin  TX             
Aug 7-9 Pacific Northwest DX    NW      Spokane WA      Sean Kutzko    
Aug 14-15       New Mexico State        RM      Albuquerque     NM      Allen Pitts    
Aug 15-16       Alabama Section SE      Huntsville      AL             
Aug 15  Southwestern Division   SW      Santa Barbara   CA             
Aug 16  Kansas State    MW      Salina  KS             
Aug 22-23       West Virginia State     RK      Weston  WV             
Aug 23  W. Pennsylvania Section AT      New Kensington  PA             

Membership & Volunteer Programs

Reported by Dave Patton, NN1N

Field Day has come and gone.  But, a lot of fun was had at W1AW.  Thanks to Bob Allison, WB1GCM, Hugh Brower, KB1NFI, Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, Kim Dotolo and her daughter Kara, Penny Harts N1NAG, Tyrique Harts, N1TJH, Dan Henderson, N1ND, Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA, Joel Kleinman, N1BKE, Harold Kramer, WJ1B, Sean Kutzko, KX9X, Jodi Morin, KA1JPA, Allen Pitts, W1AGP and Steve Saint Andrea, AG1YK, for visiting and operating W1AW both before and during Field Day.  In addition, Susie (Wolfe) Blank, WX2L and Alan Wolfe, WB4L spent all weekend operating here as well.  Hugh and Bob also ran GOTA station W1HQ.  All total, W1AW made more than 2,300 QSOs using CW, SSB and RTTY on 160 to 2 meters.  A 2009 Field Day blog was also kept and can be seen at, http://www.arrl.org/blog/2009%20Field%20Day.

The late Friday afternoon severe weather affected everyone, including W1AW.  The station lost regular power around 5:00 PM and ran on its generator for the entire night.  In addition, the effect of whatever took out power (lightning strike, power-line down, etc.) also took out a visitor operator PC and the display on the 2-meter broadcast transmitter.

Special thanks to Bob Allison and Greg Kwasowski for their assistance in installing the 8 wire-radials around the 120’ tower.  While Greg made the 4-inch deep cuts in the lawn, Joe and Bob ran 8 - 1/4 wave sections of #14 wire.  This was done after the two installed a large copper “ring” around the 120’ tower.  (Each radial was also soldered to the ring.)  Once the radial installation was done, work turned to running cable out to the tower for a vertical antenna (which the radial system was primarily installed for).

Joe spent a few days working on the radial project.  In addition to the wire radial install, he and Bob also pulled coax through to the 120’ tower antenna box.  Joe also constructed a simple insulator/lightning arrestor box for wire vertical installations running alongside the 120’ tower.  He installed a high-power automatic tuner in the cellar.  This tuner will be used for the vertical antennas.  Joe also ran up the 120’ tower a wire vertical for 160 meters.  He repaired and reseeded a small area near the 120’ tower antenna box.  This area (of lawn) was disturbed as part of the radial system installation.  Joe also readied the station for the weekend Field Day operations.  This included putting together another PC to replace the unit that failed.  And, he also installed a backup 2-meter transmitter to replace the unit obviously damaged during the severe weather.  Joe (with Sean and Dan) also maintained the W1AW Field Day blog.

During Field Day, the 160-meter wire vertical was checked out when W1AW made a QSO with WB1GCM!

Scott worked on fast and slow code practice files for the latter part of the month of June and early July. 

Field Organization/Public Service Team

Thanks to the Mailroom Staff, Section Manager Election ballots and candidate statements for both the South Texas and Los Angeles elections were mailed to members of those sections ahead of schedule.  ARRL members have until August 14 to return filled-in ballots.

During the week before Field Day, many Section Managers and Section Leaders reported their plans to travel around their respective sections to visit Field Day camps.  This past week was also prime time to promote state proclamations of “Amateur Radio Week.”

Complaints continue to be received at Headquarters regarding a well known 75 meter frequency.  Chuck Skolaut has forwarded these onto the FCC.  A number of monthly Intruder Watch monitoring reports were received from IARU Region 3.  A report of 5-letter coded groups heard on 10.125 MHz was received and forwarded to the FCC direction finding station.

Official Observers have been busy, too.  For example, an unlicensed individual checked into a local SKYWARN net, and a local OOs followed up on it.  The situation was quickly resolved.  A stuck key on 7016.5 kHz was reported by OOs in Eastern Pennsylvania, but it ceased before source information could be obtained.  Also, a “buzz” type signal on 440 MHz has been heard in the Rochester, New York, area and OOs in the region are checking on it.

Sincerely Compiled by,

Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ

Assistant to the CEO

Staff Absentee List

All Staff       7/3             Holiday

Leona Adams             6/29-7/2        Vacation

     ``                 7/31            Vacation

Kathy Allison           7/6-7/10        Vacation

      ``                        7/16-7/21       Vacation

     ``                 9/25-9/28       Vacation

Bob Allison             7/6-7/10        Vacation

    ``                  7/16-7/21       ARCA/William AZ Hamfest

    ``                  9/25-9/29       Vacation

Shelly Bloom            6/29-7/6        Vacation

Joe Carcia              7/6-7/10        Vacation

    ``                  7/17            Vacation

    ``                  7/24            Vacation

    ``                  7/31            Vacation

    ``                  8/7             Vacation

     ``                 8/14            Vacation

     ``                 8/21            Vacation

Jackie Cornell          7/6             Vacation

      ``                        8/6-8/10        Vacation

Kim Dotolo              7/15-7/17       Vacation

Dennis Dura             7/1-7/7         Vacation

Steve Ewald             6/25            Vacation

Ann Figat               7/1-7/2         Vacation

Steve Ford              6/27-7/5        Vacation

Scott Gee               7/2             Vacation

     ``                 7/30            Vacation

Mike Gruber             6/22-6/26       Vacation

      ``                        8/24-8/28       Vacation

Dan Henderson           7/2-7/7         Vacation

     ``                 7/22-7/25       NCVEC Conference, Gettysburg, PA

     ``                 7/27-8/10       Vacation

Mary Hobart             7/16-7/18       Committee Meeting/Board Meeting

       ``       t               8/12-8/14       Vacation

Berta Hould             7/13-7/24       Vacation

Gail Iannone            7/20-7/31       Vacation

Bob Inderbitzen         6/23-6/28       Ham Radio 2009, Friedrichshafen, Germany

     ``                 6/28-7/2        Vacation

    ``                  7/27-7/31       Vacation

Debra Johnson           7/27-7/31       Vacation

Joel Kleinman           7/6-7/7         Vacation

Harold Kramer           7/16-7/18       Committee Meeting/Board Meeting

Lisa Kustosik           7/8-7/10        Vacation

     ``                 7/16-7/18       Board Meeting

Zack Lau                6/26-6/30       Vacation

Dave Patton             6/23-6/30       Ham Radio 2009, Friedrichshafen, Germany

     ``                 7/16-7/18       Committee Meeting/Board Meeting

AnnMarie Pinto          6/29-7/2        Vacation

Brennan Price           6/26            Vacation

      ``                        7/16-7/18       Board Meeting

      ``                        7/20-7/24       Vacation

     ``                 7/27-7/29       Vacation

Ashley Rakus            7/2             Vacation

Steve Sant Andrea       7/6-7/7         Vacation

Barry Shelley           7/16-7/18       Committee Meeting/Board Meeting

Dave Sumner             7/16-7/18       Committee Meeting/Board Meeting

Sharon Taratula         6/26            Vacation

Maty Weinberg           7/6-7/17        Vacation