<<082411.doc>>
IN-Newsletter
Vol. 34, No. 34
August 24, 2011 -- Covers the period August 14-20.
Upcoming Meetings and Events
Executive Committee:
October 1 @ 8:30am – Dulles, VA
United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI)
October 3-7 – ARRL HQ
Section Managers’ Workshop
October 21-23 – ARRL HQ
Ballot Counting for Director/Vice Director Elections
November 18 – ARRL HQ
Regulatory Information
Reported by Dan Henderson, N1ND
Since August 1, a lot has happened. The Regulatory Information Manager attended the Rocky Mountain Division Convention in Taos, NM, presenting the kick-off keynote address. While in New Mexico, a meeting was held with Rocky Mountain Division Director Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT, Vice-Director Dwayne Allen, WY7FD, and two Section Managers on problems within their sections.
Information update / verification request letters for the ARRL VC programs were prepared and will be mailed the week of August 22. The VCE letter database was also prepared. Those letters will be sent the week of August 29. Several pending VC/VCE appointments were finalized and entered into the master database. Thanks to Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ, for her assistance in preparing the mailings.
The data entry for 2011 ARRL Field Day was completed with over 2600 submissions being processed either through the web applet or manually by Kathy Allison, KA1RWY (thanks Kathy!) It appears a record number of submissions were received again this year. The combined list of Logs Received was posted to the web and announced in the ARRL Letter. The next phase will be addressing problems and then writing the article for the December issue of QST.
We addressed an interference concern to one of the NCDXF beacons that appears to have been resolved. We also provided coverage for any immediate concerns that came up requiring OO consideration while Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG, was on vacation.
Two requests for financial assistance from the Amateur Radio Legal Defense and Assistance Committee were received and forwarded to General Counsel and the committee chair. Information was provided to amateurs with PRB-1 concerns in California and Florida. We also worked with two amateurs on CC&R problems in Florida and Arizona.
A concern was raised about public safety officials in Chicago programming amateur radio frequencies into radios they were testing to determine the interoperability capability with these radios on the amateur frequencies. Working with Illinois section officials, we were able to clarify with city officials the Part 97 prohibition of signals from non-amateur radio services being re-transmitted on the amateur bands as well as clarifying that only licensed amateurs could transmit on the amateur service allocations.
Media & Public Relations
Reported by Allen Pitts, W1AGP
PRC call on 8/17 was held with two major decisions made. First was that PR-101 more than covers and updates materials in the old PIO handbook, so we will drop the handbook now that PR-101 is freely available on the web. Second was to hold a special Webinar on emergencies and the PIOs work on Nov 3rd. We have Mark Kraham, Chairman of the RTDNA, and Howard Price of ABC-TV in NYC to present the media’s needs as part of the Webinar.
Hurricane Irene media relations are in gear with a general “Hams Prepare for Irene” release sent to PIOs on Tuesday and an East coast wire service Thursday morning. PIC’s have been contacted up and down the coast and (in those sections that have a PIC) are active. Contact has been made with the Weather Channel’s communications staff which is passing our info on to their newsroom. They have been invited to come to W1AW. Local TV Channel 8 also is interested in visiting.
Greg is working on correcting a problem with my office phone limiting call forwarding to my cellphone. We hope to have that fixed by the weekend. The idea of holding a Webinar with selective SM, PIC and SECs was adopted and is being implemented this week.
Development
Reported by Mary Hobart, K1MMH
Development will welcome Individual Giving Manager Lauren Clarke to the office starting Monday, August 29. Please welcome her as she tours the building on her first day.
The Diamond Club continues to grow steadily reaching $193,879 or 69% of the annual goal.
Contributions to the Education & Technology Fund mailing now total $31,593.
The Defense Fund remains as 46% of the annual goal, awaiting an influx of contributions from the next issue to Spectrum Defense Matters.
A third partial distribution of $200,000 from the Matthias Trust has been added to the ARRL Endowment. This contribution brings the total estate gift to $1.6 million so far.
Production/Editorial
Reported by Joel Kleinman, N1BKE
The October issue of QST was released to the printer August 23.
The 2012 ARRL Handbook and the September/October issue of QEX have been released to the printer.
Khrystyne Keane wrote and distributed the ARRL Letter and produced and voiced ARRL Audio News for August 18, 2011.
Sales and Marketing
Reported by Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R
The first batch of “Happy Birthday” postcards have mailed to domestic members with September birthdates. The postcards include an offer for a $10 publication discount (redeemable online, and valid for the entire month). We’ve already received a handful of new orders with the applied discount! This new mailing will be tracked and evaluated over the next 4 months.
IT completed a mailing list for MetLife which will be used to promote the group-rate auto and home insurance benefit to ARRL members in October.
A master CD and production specifications have been turned over to the Publications Department for a new product: ARRL Exam Review – Platinum Edition. The CD-ROM is based on the same software included with each of the license manuals. This software-only version includes all 3 license examination levels: Technician, General and Amateur Extra. Users can review questions, answers, plus short explanations to help make sure they understand the answers. Users can also take randomly-generated practice exams using questions from the actual examination question pools. The product will be introduced at $39.95 retail.
Members of the Sales and Marketing Dept and Lab enjoyed a demonstration of the TravelPlus Mobile GPS e-product for Garmin navigation units. The product was introduced into the marketplace earlier this year. The demonstration included an overview of the product by developer DHF Systems and a mock purchase-and-download of the product led by IT Manager Michael Keane.
Covers and a QST ad for the upcoming editions of The ARRL Handbook and ARRL Antenna Book have been completed.
The warehouse crew fulfilled 627 packages for publication and product orders, 280 membership premiums, and QST mailing supplements.
Membership & Volunteer Programs
Reported by Dave Patton, NN1N
W1AW
Joe installed the Alpha 9500 power amplifier in Studio Three. It is attached to the new Kenwood TS-590 transceiver. He also installed antenna switches in Studio Two to allow for swapping between the 2m/70cm satellite and 2m/70cm beam antennas used on the Kenwood TS-2000X transceiver. Joe also updated the W1AW/West Coast Qualifying Run schedule web pages.
Field Organization/Public Service Team
Leona Adams reports that incumbent Alaska Section Manager Jim Larsen, AL7FS, has been nominated to run for another term of office that begins on January 1. 2012. In Tennessee, there will be a Section Manager election this fall. Jack D. Green, AD4LP, of Sale Creek, has been nominated to run for the office of Tennessee Section Manager. As mentioned in an earlier IN Newsletter, Lowell Bennington, WD4DJW, of Harrison, Tennessee, has already been nominated. Leona has received candidate statements from both of these nominees. Nominating petitions for this election cycle are due at ARRL Headquarters by September 9.
Steve Ewald completed work on his contributions and input to October QST, and worked with the Emergency Preparedness Team to update and include new information to portions of the ARRL Web site
Education Services
Reported by Debra Johnson, K1DMJ
Continuing Education Program
Now that the course transcript for the new Introduction to Emergency Communication course is available we re-launched the field instruction and exam processes of the Emergency Communications Training Program. This generated a flood of inquiries and new applications for the roles of Field Instructor and Field Examiner, as well as listings of exam sessions and field classes to be approved. Jennifer Knapp is on the receiving end of a very large volume of emails and tackling the pile-up as best she can. We have developed new field exams which are being printed to provide to field examiners when requested and have updated the website with revisions of forms and instructions. IT is working on improving some features of the FI and FE search tools and the exam and class listing database listing/search on the website. Jennifer also paid mentor stipends to mentors who supported the online program during the first half of 2011 and posted a recognition list on the website.
Education & Technology Program
I wrote a news story about the 2011 Teachers Institutes which provided a summary of the sessions we offered this year, and which, hopefully, will encourage more donations to the ETP fund. Jennifer updated the ETP database with teachers who attended this year. HRO won the bid to provide the radio equipment for the schools awarded grants in the May round. Equipment has been shipped for 4 out of the 6 schools awarded grants in the May round.
In addition to an enthusiastic report on his experiences with the TIs in Utica and here at HQ (included in the new story) Nathan McCray K9CPO reports he responded to numerous questions about setting up weather stations and ham radio stations from TI participants. The interest from this year's groups has been exceptional!
School has opened at Pueblo High School in Tucson and Miguel Enriquez, KD7RPP reports that his radio class has 23 students studying for the ticket. Here’s the list of projects his students are working on: Solar Go-Kart Competition in coordination with a University of AZ program, modifying an amateur radio drone to transmit on ATV frequencies, CubeSat design to include ATV transmission, Estes Rockets are being modified to include an accelerometer and ATV transmitter, remote images received via radio telescope using telescopes in Australia and Norway are ready to share, a weather satellite imaging system is being set up to provide daily images of the western US for the US composite map that Nathan produces and shares daily with ETP schools, a production line is being set up to produce fox transmitters requested by amateur radio clubs and groups working with youth (read more about that program in an earlier news story). The Pueblo HS Radio Club has received 10 dual band HTs to use the club’s very own 440 repeater (W7ATN) from West Valley Amateur Radio Club in Sun City. Miguel is also working with three schools in Southern Arizona to help them get their clubs organized.
ARISS
ARISSat was turned on to test the signal on July 30-31, and hams sent 50 reception reports to ARISSat leaders. Prior to the spacewalk on August 3 during which the satellite was deployed, Cosmonaut Volkov handled all pre-deployment procedures, installing antennas and readying other parts of the satellite. Deployment took place at 1843 UTC after a hold to question if the 70 cm antenna looked okay. Despite some possible damage to the antenna, signals were heard upon deployment and all systems were operational. To read about current concerns with battery deterioration and for SSTV images, telemetry data and technical details visit the project website at: http://www.arissat1.org/v3/.
An ARISS contact with Mike Fossum, KF5AQG took place for students at the United Space School, in Seabrook, Texas on July 30. This is a two week summer school session for a highly diverse group of high school students held at the University of Houston satellite campus. Students are mentored by astronauts, engineers, and scientists, and the educational outcome is a team project to design a mission to Mars. Amateur Radio was among the topics presented.
On August 6, the Chanute Air Museum hosted an educational activity for over 250 Boy and Girl Scouts and 100 Scout leaders from a half dozen states around the Midwest that included an ARISS contact with astronaut Mike Fossum, KF5AQG. The museum reaches out to youth with its Aviation Camp, and this year hosted “Space Jam 5”. Scouts chose a number of merit badges to earn, including the Radio Merit Badge, Electronics, Robotics, Emergency Preparation, Aviation, Chemistry, and Medicine. Girls and boys, ages 11 to 20, were involved in learning activities including breadboard projects, composite materials, space exploration, and radio. Space Jam 5 leaders exhibited APRS, ATV, and set up 4 HF and VHF stations, and some of this was used to support a major search and rescue simulation. A cross band repeater high altitude balloon with ATV was launched. Purdue University and DePauw University representatives were on site offering education programs. The Vermilion County Amateur Radio Association members assisted with the ARISS contact, and BSA Crew 272 was running all of the gear.
Sincerely Compiled by,
Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ
Assistant to the CEO
Hamfest/Member Contact/ARRL Representative/Meetings/Vacations
All Staff 9/5 Holiday
Leona Adams 8/26 Vacation
Kathy Allison 9/2-9/9 Vacation
Joe Carcia 8/26 Vacation
Steve Ford 8/18-8/25 West Virginia State Convention, Weston, WV/Vacation
Scott Gee 9/7-9/9 Vacation
`` 9/26-9/30 Vacation
Mike Gruber 8/20-8/27 Vacation
`` 9/26-9/30 Vacation
Ed Hare 8/19-8/26 IEEE Regional Meeting/Vacation, San Francisco, CA
Dan Henderson 8/29-9/2 Vacation
`` 9/15-9/26 Ten Tec Hamfest, Sevierville, TN/SEDCO/Vacation
Mary Hobart 9/9 Vacation
`` 9/22-9/23 W4DXCC
`` 9/30 Vacation
Gail Iannone 8/26-9/9 Vacation
Sabrina Jackson 9/26 Jury Duty
Joel Kleinman 8/25 Vacation
`` 9/21 Vacation
Zack Lau 11/5-11/6 Iowa Section Convention, Davenport, IA
Dave Patton 8/25-8/28 JARL Ham Fair, Tokyo, Japan
Diane Petrilli 8/26-9/2 Vacation
Steve Sant Andrea 9/26-9/27 Vacation
Chuck Skolaut 8/28 W. Pennsylvania Section Convention, New Kensington, PA