IN-Newsletter
Vol. 28, No. 39
September 28, 2005 – Covers the period September 18 -24.
Upcoming Meetings and Events
United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI)
September 26-30 – ARRL HQ
Executive Committee Meeting
October 22 – Dallas, TX
CEO
John Hennessee made a presentation at the SM Workshop. He also answered a wide range of regulatory questions. He assisted amateurs with local government zoning problems in West University Place, TX (K5LM) and Yonkers, NY (AB2PP).
Development
The 2006 Spectrum Defense Fund campaign will be headed to the production house on Wednesday. This campaign for the entire ARRL active membership is budgeted to raise $275,000. The message is focused on the need to protect Amateur Radio frequencies to protect ham radio's ability to respond as they did so well during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. With the shortfall from the summer campaign, the fall campaign is vital to our continuing work in advocacy.
Work continues on the 2006 budget and the Growth Task Force.
The ARRL Foundation has approved a $1000 grant to the Nixa (MO) ARC. Inquiries are being considered for new scholarships for 2006.
Media & Public Relations
While Rita did not generate the activity of Katrina, there were some smaller radio and newspaper interviews done. But there remains the problem of good PR opportunities lost because no one took video of hams in action during the first 36 hours and then made it available to news outlets. Other activities included PR orientation to new Section Managers and encouraging them to recruit PICs. As soon as Delta Division Vice Director Henry Leggette secures the promised location in Memphis, further announcements of the Toy Drive can be made, including that for a video being done this week by Rich Lubash featuring Patty Loveless. Rich is also working on a documentary of hams in Katrina actions which can be broadcast freely. Due to Katrina, the Hello campaign is about a month behind schedule but has now received videotape from NYC and Japan. The Sept Contact! is (finally) out on the web.
Production/Editorial
Maty Weinberg has prepared the 2005 Microwave Update Conference Proceedings for the printer.
Rick Lindquist reports The ARRL Letter, Vol. 24, No. 37, was distributed to 66,576 ARRL members on September 23. Rick wrapped up work on the "Happenings" column and a Hurricane Katrina article for November QST. He also monitored teleconferences for and prepared/edited stories on Amateur Radio’s Hurricane Rita response, the new "CC&R" bill just introduced in the 109th Congress, the IARU Administrative Council meeting (thanks to Dave Sumner for the info and photo) and several news briefs and announcements. Rick voiced, edited and produced ARRL Audio News (with sound bite assistance from President Jim Haynie) for September 23.
Sales & Marketing
We have accumulated over 5,500 pre-orders for the 2006 ARRL Handbook, exceeding the original sales forecast of 3,180 units. An email solicitation sent on Wednesday helped net another 203 direct orders.
ARRL's newest product is a deluxe, 13-month Amateur Radio Calendar for 2006. The calendars begin shipping in mid-October (ARRL Order No. 9607--retail $12.95 plus shipping and handling).
November 2005 QST went to press on Thursday. The advertising page count target was met, however dollar target fell short by $6,800.00. ALINCO opted out for November citing the fact that they did not budget for the specialty advertising they did in 2005. They will be in the December tear-out and will budget for the specialty venues in 2006. HamPROs did not place an ad in November QST; instead, they decided to try an ad in November CQ. They will most likely be back for December.
Kenwood has cut back to two pages instead of three for the months of October and November. They have not indicated their plans for December as of yet.
Work continues on NCJ and QEX advertising. J-TEC is out of both publications for this issue, but will be advertising in December QST as an alternative.
A flyer has been sent to advertisers as a follow-up to the email solicitation for the December QST Holiday tear-out.
Requests for new ham information were sent to 10 prospects.
Product Fulfillment Supervisor Zoe Belliveau, KB1MPK, is now managing our publication store in the lobby. Zoe has already contributed some welcome, new ideas to help keep the store looking fresh and inviting for our visitors.
Bob Inderbitzen participated in the SM training workshop on Saturday.
Online Courses
On September 26, registration begins for a level 1 and a level 2 Amateur Radio Emergency Communications class (100 slots in each). These are among the first EmComm course offerings that will not be grant subsidized. As part of the regular routine of administering the online courses, 12 rosters were sent to the Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium for classes that were being readied to open this week. Mentors have been contacted to help make assignments to the next set of classes. Field tests were registered and certificates mailed to students completing their tests.
ON-LINE COURSES Registrations During this week Graduations
Antenna Modeling (EC-004) 3 0
HF Digital (EC-005) 0 2
RFI (EC-006) 1 0
VHF/UHF (EC-008) 2 0
Antenna Design and Construction (EC-009) 0
Technician Licensing (EC-010) 6 0
Propagation (EC-011) 1 0
Analog Electronics (EC-012) 3 0
Digital Electronics (EC-013) 2 0
Emergency Comm. Level 1 (EC-001) 3 by mail 37
Emergency Comm. Level 2 (EC-002) 20 11
Emergency Comm. Level 3 (EC-003) 53 9
Membership Services
Awards Branch
Extra Class Certificates 15
A-1 Operator Nominations 4
LTMA Inquiries 1
VUCC Initial Applications 7
Grids 486
VUCC Endorsement Apps. 3
Grids 131
Awards Mailed 34
In addition, spent two+ days training, doing research and data entry for the DXCC Plaque program. On Friday, Eileen placed an order for 40 Honor Roll plates, 30 Top of Honor Roll plates, and 13 5BDXCC plates with Modern Craft Engravers.
Processing Status: Current or up to three weeks.
For the coming week—Foreign WAC, VUCC, and WAS Specialty awards, do research and data entry for DXCC Challenge plaques and place the current order, plus mail out all the processed awards.
DXCC Branch
For the week of:
September 25, 2005
Beginning Credits 92,007
Credits Received 13,697
Credits Processed 10,993
Ending Credits 94,711
Applications Pending 981
Processing Time (Conventional) 9.5 Weeks
New First-Time Ever Awards issued this period: 26
Year-to-date (2005)
Credits Received 474,907
Credits Returned 454,311
DXCC is currently mailing applications received on July 20, 2005. DXCC is currently entering credits received on August 15, 2005.
Logbook of the World
QSO records entered into the system 79,406,176
QSL records have resulted 3,814,693
Logs Processed 145,688
Active Certificates 15,861
Users registered in the system 10,547
Hybrids Pending Mail 125
QSL Bureau
There is a 2 day processing time delay. This week, 93 pounds of cards were received from members. No cards were mailed this week.
Field Organization/Public Service Team
Thanks to everyone at HQ for welcoming the ten Section Managers that were here this past week and weekend for the 2005 SM Workshop. Steve Ewald, Chuck Skolaut and Leona Adams served as primary hosts for the Section Managers who visited with all of the HQ staff members and participated in training sessions on the 24th and 25th in the HQ conference room. Thanks to Jon Bloom, Bob Inderbitzen, John Hennessee, Allen Pitts, Chuck and Mary Skolaut (along with Steve) for making presentations at the Workshop. The SMs who were here for the Workshop participated in the ARRL telebridge-sponsored teleconfernece with the SMs/SECs in the Hurricane Rita affected sections. Throughout the week, the Team kept in touch with Field Leaders in the Gulf Coast region as Hurricane Rita advanced toward shore, struck and moved on.
Leona has also been making preparations for the Western Massachusetts Section Manger election, and has handled a number of updates and changes to the Field Appointment data base as requested by Section leaders. Carl Clements, W4CAC, has been nominated for another term of office as SM of Virginia.
Rosalie edited and distributed the latest edition of the ARES E-Letter. Rick Palm reported getting emails an hour later. Readers now total 11,325 versus 10,898 for the Sept 11 issue, making for a gain of 427 readers in 11 days!
Johnson Space Center (JSC) powered down Mission Control for Hurricane Rita evacuation; ISS control was given to the Russian Space Agency. Rosalie took on duties of an ARISS School Mentor who evacuated. Some JSC hams didn't evacuate; they are on the JSC Ride-out Crew for the EOC. With NASA shut down, MCI agreed to provide a free ARISS telecon on Friday -- this week Rosalie took part in 3 ARISS telecons.
Rosalie kept the Brooklyn (NY) Bourough President, at his request, updated on the 3 Russian Space Tourist QSOs. She networked with Rick Lindquist on latest details about these 3 schools, and she routed their applications to the ARISS Ops. She networked one of the teachers with a teacher who had an ARISS QSO last week. Rosalie coordinated the Ga Tech Amateur Radio Club with the Georgia Tech Aerospace Engineering Dept staff, for their Exp. 12 QSO where area high school students will be guests -- the high school teacher is readying for his ham test. Thanks goes to RoseAnne for sending ARISS teaching aids to a Florida teacher who called after sending in her ARISS application.
Taking part in some NVOAD telecons this week, Rosalie reported on ham radio response to Katrina and Rita. She updated a NVOAD information matrix that reports on its organizations' work. She followed up with the Kat Team about a message regarding New Orleans' water supply that we'd sent to FEMA. She took part in the HQ telecons regarding Rita, and forwarded a request from the Humane Society for lingering needs from Katrina. She monitored the local repeater during the Emergency Power Operating Event.
She pointed an ARISS volunteer, whose neighbor is a Girl Scouter, to our resources for Scouts.
Rosalie and Chris Imlay networked with a government employee (with SHARES) about insurance coverage for SHARES ham operators who are ARES disaster workers.
Sincerely,
Dave Patton, NN1N
Special Assistant to the
Chief Executive Officer
DCP: lk
Staff Absentee List
Dave Patton 10/6-10/7 Vacation
10/19-10/24 Vera Cruz, Mexico (FMRE Convention)
11/21-11/28 Cartagena, Colombia (CQWW CW)
Dave Sumner 9/30 Vacation
10/3-10/9 IARU R3 Directors meeting and SEANET meeting, Bangalore
Mary Hobart 9/30 Vancouver, WA
Scott Gee 9/29-9/30 Vacation
Ed Hare 9/27-9/30 RFI Committee Meeting, Irvine, CA
`` 10/3-10/5 Vacation
`` 10/31-11/2 Vacation
Bob Inderbitzen 10/21 Vacation
Allen Pitts 10/5-10/7 Vacation
Joel Kleinman 9/29 Vacation
Wayne Mills 10/5-10/10 RSGB Convention
Scott Gee 9/29-9/30 Vacation
Kathy Allison 10/20-10/21 Vacation
Joe Carcia 10/21pm Nat’l Science Teachers Assoc. AR presentation, Hartford, CT
Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ
Assistant to the CEO
ARRL: The National Association for Amateur Radio
225 Main Street
Newington, CT 06111
Tel: 860-594-0245 Fax: 860-594-0259
email: lkustosik@arrl.org