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IN-Newsletter

Vol. 36, No. 4

January 23, 2013  --   Covers the period January 13-19.

Production/Editorial

Reported by Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY

The March 2013 issue of QST goes to the printer tomorrow.

Joel Hallas gave a presentation to a Stamford Amateur Radio Association meeting on January 3.  The topic was "Coupled Resonator Antennas."

Lab

Reported by Ed Hare, W1RFI

Product Review

Bob Allison and Steve Ford produced three product Review videos for the digital version of March QST, featuring two balanced antenna tuners and an HF linear Amplifier.  Bob also assisted RJS Photography with photographing Product Review Photos, providing technical assistance.

Bob Allison wrapped up high power testing of balanced antenna tuners.  This was the culmination of many experiments to determine if the manufacturer’s specifications of the rated power were valid over both its specified frequency range and impedance range.  In both cases, we determined the actual power handling capability at the low end of the rated impedance range.  This data was passed along to the manufacturer, who thanked us for our work.

Web

Mike Gruber completed writing a new ARRL Web page on grow light RFI.  Interference complaints from grow lights have been increasing, especially in the last year.

Electronic Publications

Zack Lau compiled a list of resets for the Garmin royalty report.  There were only six resets of the program in the last half of last year, in part because of advising mentors to use the Firefox browser, which works much better with the Garmin plug-in than other browsers.

QST

Bob Allison started the alignment and testing of a 10 Watt, USB 17 meter transceiver kit.  The kit was built by Bob, at home, over the holidays and will be featured in an upcoming Product Review sometime this year.  Bob spent learned a new skill of soldering surface mount parts the size of a tip of a pencil.  If you would like tips on how to do this, please stop by the Lab and ask him.

Mike Gruber received a number of inquiries concerning the transmitter used on the cover of the January 2013 QST cover.  Mike originally built that transmitter around the Holidays in 1973.  The schematic for it appeared in a 73 Magazine article.  Fortunately, he was able to locate the original author, who now lives in Florida.

Bob Allison was called to be the stand in author of the Vintage Radio QST column for March.  A very unusual and secret radio device from Bob’s personal collection will be featured.

Radio Frequency Interference

Mike Gruber is working an article on RFI from Part 15 (LED) and Part 18 (CFL) bulbs.  This article is to be used in conjunction with the bulb test data described in previous Weekly reports.  When completed, this article will be available for publication in QST.

Mike Gruber completed putting conducted emissions data for bulbs into graphs for a Word document.

Mike Gruber worked on the EMC Committee report for Kermit Carlson.

Sales and Marketing

Reported by Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R

An email featuring ARRL License Manuals and the 2012 Periodicals on DVD helped drive some great traffic to the online store.  350 orders were received over the weekend.

The proof for the W1AW Challenge Coin, the third coin in this series, has been approved and is expected in-stock by early February.

A design for the 2013 ARRL Field Day logo is being wrapped-up.  This year’s product line will feature a t-shirt, pin, hat and mug.

A membership campaign was mailed January 14.  The next membership mailing is set for the week of February 18.

Recent membership appeals emailed to previous international members and lapsed-member Technician licensees returned 65 memberships.  A New Year’s Resolution themed e-mail brought in another 80+ members.

A buck slip promoting digital QST and the new Apple iOS app was included in a mailing to international members.  This particular group of international members are completing membership terms with the previously-offered annual QST CD benefit.

We contributed to cover designs for a couple of upcoming new publications: Ham Radio for Arduino and PICAXE and Radio Science for the Radio Amateur.

Bob Inderbitzen and Deb Jahnke visited the Connecticut Convention Center to review the services of an exhibition service company (decorator) for next year’s Centennial Convention.

Proofs were reviewed for a US Bank sponsored mailing, promoting the ARRL Visa credit card to small business owners.  These smaller, segmented mailings have contributed to growing the number of ARRL Visa Card holders—approximately 2,300.

Summary of Sales and Marketing Department telephone group (reported by Amy Hurtado):

Week of Phone calls     Per hour        Average wait    Complete without transfer      
1/13/13 1,223   27.1    43 seconds      78%    

Summary of warehouse fulfillment activity (reported by Steve Capodicasa):

Week of Packages fulfilled      Member Premiums
1/13/13 889     1,118  

Membership & Volunteer Programs

Reported by Dave Patton, NN1N

Field Organization/Public Service Team

Chuck Skolaut compiled and sent out the monthly Official Observer Summary to all OOs, OOCs, and Section Managers.  One radio amateur from Oklahoma successfully completed the requirements to become an Official Observer.  Word was received regarding a radio amateur having a large number of club call signs.  This case is being investigated.  An unidentified signal was heard on 1840 kHz, and was later identified as overload/mixing from a local radio station.  A report of code being transmitted on 7091 kHz with no identification was reported.  We also learned that a Michigan radio amateur was heard operating on 10 meters and also below the 10 meter band in what’s called Freeband.  This, too, is being checked out.

San Joaquin Valley Section Manager Dan Pruitt, AE6SX, has been nominated to run for a new term of office as Section Manager starting on July 1.  Leona Adams reports that other nominations for this particular Section Manager election cycle are due at Headquarters by March 8.  Meanwhile, Montana Section members have begun to return their filled out Section Manager ballots to Headquarters.  These ballots are due by February 15, and the ballot counting is scheduled for February 19.

Steve Ewald has been providing some administrative support for the Eastern, Pacific and Central Area Staffs of the National Traffic System as the New Year gets underway and a few new Area Staff appointments are in the works.

Sincerely Compiled by,

Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ

Assistant to the CEO

Hamfest/Member Contact/ARRL Representative/Meetings/Vacations

Steve Capodicasa        1/28            PTO

Bob Inderbitzen         1/24-1/28       Puerto Rico State Convention, Hatillo, PR

    ``                  1/29-1/30       PTO

     ``                 2/7-2/10        Southeastern Division Convention, Orlando, FL

Harold Kramer           2/7-2/10        Southeastern Division Convention, Orlando, FL

Diane Petrilli          3/9-3/13        ASAE Conference,

Steve Sant Andrea       2/13            PTO

Barry Shelley           1/24-1/25       PTO