IN-Newsletter Vol. 27, No. 52 December 28, 2004 Upcoming Meetings Board Meeting January 21-22, 2005 in Windsor, CT Media & Public Relations We've set up a special website to share updated and critical info regarding the Bay of Bengal earthquake and tsunami. There is an excellent video on the Toy Drive at http://www.newflorida.org/video.html . BPL related letters were published in Business Week and other locations. Production/Editorial John Ceccherelli, N2XE, who does some freelance editing for us, visited HQ Thursday. Rick Lindquist reports The ARRL Letter, Vol. 23, No. 50 was distributed to 65,720 members on Thursday, December 23, a day early because of holiday schedules. Rick prepared/edited the "QRP Community" column for December, plus stories on ARRL's second request to FCC to shut down the Briarcliff Manor, NY, BPL field trial, changes pending in Morse requirements and Part 97 rules, an ARISS contact with a school in Ireland, the wrap-up of the ARRL holiday toy drive (thanks to Allen Pitts, W1AGP), Dayton Hamvention 2005 awards and the devastation caused by the tsunami in South Asia. Rick voiced, edited and produced ARRL Audio News for December 24. Because of the New Year's holiday, there will be no ARRL Letter or ARRL Audio News until January 7. Sales and Marketing Display materials were produced for an ARRL exhibit at the United States Power Squadron's annual expo, coming up in January. Dennis will represent ARRL and Amateur Radio throughout the show. The mission of the USPS is "safe boating through education." The show will attract many sail and power boating enthusiasts. A mailing to ARRL publication dealers has been prepared, including another installment of the ARRL Dealer Newsline. The newsletter introduces a handful of new ARRL product offerings, including Hints & Kinks, Emergency Communications Handbook and others. Z Antenna Systems, a company that last placed 1/24th ads in QST March and April 2004, resumed advertising with a three-ad campaign for February, March, and April 2005 QST. A new 1/8th-page ad - developed by advertising staff and designed by ARRL Graphics Specialist Di Szlachetka debuts on page 146 of February 2005 QST. Richard Hef of GAP Antenna Products contacted advertising during the week of December 12 solely to express his pleasure with the published look of Diane's redesign of his ad material. Gap had not planned to advertise in January or February QST but our unsolicited makeover proposal changed their minds. After suggestions from Advertising staff, Saratoga Amateur Radio Products/Hamstop.com revised the new increased-size ad material that first appeared in January QST so that it better describes the featured products. Saratoga is evaluating the effectiveness of these new larger ads, and appreciated the suggested changes, intended to help maximize response. Jun's Electronics, after several years of consistently placing 1/2-page four-color ads in each issue, has unfortunately scaled back its advertising beginning in QST February 2005. We also were saddened to learn that Communications Headquarters, Wilmington, NC has closed up. Occasional and returning advertisers that placed advertising in this issue include Heil Sound and microHAM. Hamfest ads for the Dayton Hamvention/ARRL EXPO 2005, the Richmond Frostfest and the Greater Baltimore Hamfest and Computer Show also appeared in this issue. Staff prepared our six-month progress report for the Board of Directors. A follow-up email advertising solicitation for the 2005-2006 Repeater Directory went out during the week. We are currently taking insertions. Membership Services Awards Branch WAS QSL Cards Checked 450 WAC Certs. (126 QSLs ES/C) 21 5BWAC Certs. (90 QSLs ES/C) 3 WAS in the 90th Awards 48 A-1 Op. Noms. 3 A-1 Op. Certs. 17 LTMA Inquiries 2 VUCC Initial Apps. 4 Grids 288 VUCC End. Apps. 5 Grids 130 Awards Mailed 47 Processing Status: Current or up to three weeks. For the coming week- More WAS in the 90th award processing, VUCC processing/mailing, order 5BWAS plates, mail out all awards processed this week., and work on some LTMA projects. Logbook of the World QSO records entered into the system 59,051,863 QSL records have resulted 2,308,906 Logs Processed 88,049 Active Certificates 12,508 Users registered in the system 8,521 Current Applications 50 Ready Applications 0 Applications Awaiting Mail 50 QSL Bureau Processing time is 5 days. This week 102 pounds of cards were received from members. Cards mailed as of 12/26/04: 1,019,860. No cards were mailed this week. The final mailing for 2004 will be on 12/30. W1AW Scott worked on fast and slow code practice files for the beginning of the month of January. He also handled some evening phone sales calls in the daily 5 PM to 8 PM time slots. Joe updated the web code practice files. He also updated LoTW files and processed regular W1AW/90 QSL card requests. Joe continues inputting 2004 FMT entries. To date, there are 120 entries. Although the FMT postmark date was December 17, there are still entries being received. Field & Educational Services Rosalie critiqued Bill Barrett's audio tracks for the new CD-ROM prepared for the Community Education Program. She finished the department Board Report with inputs from staff. She took part in a P-SC telecon and an ARISS-Intl telecon, and sent to ARISS delegates, the draft text for a reprinting of the ARISS QSL card. Club/Mentors/Volunteer Instructors Margie Bourgoin proofread SM candidate statements with Leona Adams. Margie handled some of Gail's emails and phone messages during her vacation. She sent paperwork for one new club to the Division Director for approval and responded to inquiries from other clubs in the affiliation process, and to inquiries from a few hamfest applicants. Margie sent CNCS and UTC reimbursement checks and certificates to graduates. She notes a renewed interest in our Elmer Certificate, after a recent Web story about it, and fulfilled eight requests. Community Education Program Bill Barrett put the new projector through its paces. Field Organization/Public Service Team Leona Adams completed the composition of the North Texas and Arkansas SM election candidate statements and ballots. They are being printed, and work is progressing toward a mailing by January 3. Steve Ewald is organizing the many stories and information received about ham radio's response to this past hurricane season for an article in an upcoming QST. The following incumbent SMs were nominated for new terms beginning April 1, and ran unopposed: Jim Lasley, N0JL, Iowa; John Meyers, NB4K, Kentucky; Malcolm Keown, W5XX, Mississippi; Carl Gardenias, WU6D, Orange. Tom Fagan, WB7NXH, was the only nominee for Arizona SM and takes over for Cliff Hauser in April. April QST will resolicit for SM nominees in Montana, Wyoming and Puerto Rico. Chuck Skolaut received several unique-sounding intruder reports on 3700 kHz. A repeated voice message sounds like the cartoon character Yosemite Sam saying, "Varmint, I'm gonna blow you to smithereens." With the aid of the FCC direction-finding capabilities, local Official Observers near Albuquerque, NM, have been asked to assist in locating the source. Chuck also prepared ARRL's contribution to the monthly IARU Monitoring, and provided back-up to John Hennessee who is on vacation. CCE Jean Wolfgang reports that she has learned beta-testing is nearly complete on our new course -- Analog Electronics, written by Ward Silver, and it should be ready for debut some time in January. A second new course -- Digital Electronics, also by Silver -- will be next. Jean reassigned three students to new mentors due to a mentor emergency. She processed two technical class sections and two Level 2 emcomm sections, and set up 15 field test sections, which provided for 31 graduates. Sincerely, Dave Patton, NN1N Special Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer DCP: lk Staff Absentee List All Staff 12/31 Holiday Dave Sumner 12/27-12/28 Vacation Lisa Kustosik 12/29-12/30 Vacation Mark Dzamba 12/27-12/30 Vacation Pam Dzamba 12/27-12/30 Vacation Gail Iannone 12/20-12/31 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 Steve Ford 12/27-1/2 Vacation Rick Lindquist 12/27-12/30 Vacation Fatima Lorusso 12/27-12/30 Vacation Greg Kwasowski 12/21-1/3 Vacation Dan Miller 12/20-12/30 Vacation Deb Jahnke 12/27-12/30 Vacation Bob Schetgen 12/21-12/28 Vacation Dave Patton 12/30 Vacation Debra Johnson 12/27-12/29 ½ Vacation days Mary Hobart 12/27-12/29 ½ Vacation days