<<081810.doc>> IN-Newsletter <<Microsoft Word Picture>> Vol. 33, No. 33 August 18, 2010 -- Covers the period August 8-14. Upcoming Meetings and Events United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI) September 27-October 1 - ARRL HQ Executive Committee Meeting October 23 @ 9:00am in St. Louis, MO Ballot Counting for Director/Vice Director Elections November 19 in Newington, CT Regulatory Information Reported by Dan Henderson, N1ND We continued discussions with NC Section Manager Bill Morine, N2COP, and Cleveland County planning and zoning officials on the wording of a draft ordinance for amateur radio towers. At Morine's request we have agreed to participate by phone in a meeting with county officials and local amateurs on September 7. We were contacted by Laura Smith regarding a situation in Lake Station, IN where a neighbor of Norman Triantafilos, KB9YGD, is seeking a restraining order from the local court to stop his amateur radio activities. The neighbor is seeking relief from what she claims to be harassment. The Regulatory Information office supplied Triantafilos' attorney with a copy of the Midwest City, OK letter prepared by ARRL General Counsel, which details the exclusive jurisdiction over RFI issues by the FCC. In addition, FCC field agents visited his home and did not find any violations of FCC rules in his station set-up or operation. The hearing, scheduled for Friday August 13, was continued until mid-September to allow the plaintiff time to secure counsel. Working with President Craigie, N3KN, and EVP Sumner, K1ZZ, we handled several requests for action through the Grassroots Legislative Action program. ARRL members in the CA-30 district were asked to contact their Representative, Henry Waxman, Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and request committee action on S 1755, which has been pending since the beginning of the year. A request was sent to DLACs in 12 ARRL divisions that have Senators on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (Roanoke, Southeastern and Central divisions do not) seeking letters of support to amend S 1536 - "The ALERT Drivers Act" to exclude Amateur Radio. The combined list of Logs Received for 2010 ARRL Field Day was posted to the ARRL Web. The list includes all logs we have received, including web applet, non-web email and regular mailed submissions. A total of 2,602 entry summaries were received and are included, with several additional entries pending for which we are seeking additional information. Thanks to Kathy Allison, KA1RWY, for finishing this task about four weeks earlier than in the past several years. Media & Public Relations Reported by Allen Pitts, W1AGP Media packets for the 75th Anniversary of ARES were sent to every section's PIC or SM plus ODV. Compliments have been received and what little materials were left over have already been asked for. Updates have been made to the Media & PR portions of the website. Pete Summers, KL2GY, unexpectedly took the main press release about the anniversary and turned it into a very good 3 minute audio for broadcast radio uses. Along with Don Carlson, KQ6FM, he has been given scripts and asked if they will create 60 and 30 second audio PSAs. The video PSA shot by Louise Summey and other students in SC is being edited and polished by Kevin O'Dell, N0IRW. The PR Committee is about to reach final agreement on the new PIO and PIC job descriptions and beginning work on the future of the PIO Handbook. Development Reported by Mary Hobart, K1MMH The Spectrum Defense Fund has raised $105,156 or 32% of the 2010 goal of $325,000. Nearly $62,000 of the funds raised can be attributed to the new Spectrum Defense Matters newsletter, which is now posted on the ARRL website. The second issue of the newsletter is planned for September. An opt-out message for ARRL members has been posted on the newsletter page of the web site for those who do not wish to receive the newsletter by email. The Diamond Club has reached $154,188 or 58% if the 2010 goal. A second mailing will go to all Diamond club donors that are up for renewal or have lapsed to encourage pledges of at least $10 per month. The 2010 Education Technology Fund mailing is in production and planned to mail the last week in August. Production/Editorial Reported by Joel Kleinman, N1BKE The 2011 ARRL Handbook and the September/October issues of QEX and NCJ have been released to the printer. Khrystyne Keane wrote and distributed The ARRL Letter and voiced and produced ARRL Audio News for August 12, 2010. Sales and Marketing Reported by Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R A large membership campaign is being prepared for mailing in September. Diane Petrilli is exploring a second telemarketing trial (one was conducted last year with mixed/poor results)-involving a telemarketing firm that has experience making outbound calls for membership organizations. We are pleased with the high response rate to an online Membership Benefits Survey. The survey invitation was sent by email to a sample group. The survey was also mailed to members that did not respond, and to another sample of members without known e-mail addresses. Results will be analyzed and reported in late September. Our affinity benefit partners are all gearing-up for program mailings during the next 2 months: ARRL Visa credit card (US Bank), ARRL Equipment Insurance Program (Marsh), and group-rate home and auto insurance (MetLife). Some commemorative products have been produced to help celebrate the 75th Anniversary of ARES: t-shirts, mugs, and a 'challenge coin.' The items are available for ordering online, and will begin shipping in early September. We have reached an agreement with MFJ to produce a Morse code oscillator kit for ARRL. The kit will retail for approximately $20. This is an excellent basic electronics kits for use by beginner experimenters, clubs hosting a 'project building night', instructors and teachers, and scouting groups. The project design is based on an oscillator project that had received attention in older ARRL license manuals. Manufacturing is underway, and we hope to introduce the project in late September. The kit will be available exclusively from ARRL and our authorized dealers-and branded as the "ARRL Morse Code Oscillator Kit," produced by MFJ Enterprises. A second-round of beta testing was completed for some license exam review software in development. The software will support our interest in marketing an official ARRL practice exam software resource. Plans include introducing the software into all ARRL license manuals before the end of the year. During the last week, the warehouse crew fulfilled 584 packages for publication and product orders, 257 membership premiums, and QST mailing supplements. Membership & Volunteer Programs Reported by Dave Patton, NN1N On Wednesday, August 4, Andrew Toth and his assistant from XX Towers, Inc. were on hand to replace the rotator atop the 120' tower (and to install the antenna side-arm on the Lab's tower). The replacement rotator - while fully functional on the test bench - failed under the weight of the mast and antennas. Therefore, the rotator that was originally pulled from the 120' tower was repaired and placed back into service. Joe processed regular QSL card requests. He also processed one Qualifying Run certificate and one endorsement. Joe readied three (3) coaxial cables for the Lab's D-Star antenna system. He also assisted Bob Allison, WB1GCM, with assembling the side-arm and antennas for the D-Star system. Joe also made a quick repair to the M-Squared antenna rotator (that was originally taken down by Andrew Toth) for its reinstallation on the 120' tower. Scott worked on fast and slow code practice files for the middle part of the month of August. He also assisted the DXCC department with the editing of applications. Field Organization/Public Service Team South Carolina Section Manager Marc Tarplee, N4UFP, has been nominated to run for a new term of office that begins on January 1, 2011. Leona Adams has sent out acknowledgement correspondence to all "first signers" on Section Manager petitions that have been submitted so far for the Fall SM election cycle, and petitions for this cycle are due at Headquarters on September 10. Editorial work for October QST continued with the review of the Public Service column lay-out and the receipt and submission of the Field Organization Reports. The monthly Official Observer summary was compiled and sent to all OOs, OOCs, and SMs. A radio amateur from Southern New Jersey successfully completed Official Observer training and joined the Field Organization this past week. There are currently 718 Official Observers nationwide. A follow-up on the unidentified signal reported last week on 7.189 MHz has revealed that it was coming from a local burglar/fire alarm system. Business use of a 2 meter frequency was reported in Illinois. The monthly Intruder Watch report to the IARU Region 2 coordinator was compiled and shared while Headquarters received the IARU Region 1 Intruder Watch report. Education Services Reported by Debra Johnson, K1DMJ Continuing Education Program We have accepted the last enrollments for the existing online EmComm Basic/Level 1 course. The last session started August 6. Field classes and field exams continue. The first draft of the new course has been produced by author Allen Pitts W1AGP. It will be reviewed by Mike Corey W5MPC and a group of subject matter experts before being outsourced for development for an online platform. Scouting The Amateur Radio booth at the National Jamboree produced 182 new licenses (new and upgrades) from 7 test sessions with 393 exams taken. The website was updated with news and stories about the 100th Anniversary of Scouting and the National Jamboree, as well as information about 2010 Jamboree on the Air. I prepared an article for September QST announcing this year's JOTA activity. Licensing Support A June newsletter was mailed to over 8,600 instructors and teachers and others who have signed up on the mailing list. We've engaged Jeff Cantor K1ZN to revise the Technician Instructor Manual. The project is anticipated to be ready for publication by mid-December. Education & Technology Program Bids for equipment to fulfill the May round of ETP grants were solicited and received. All 7 of the scheduled 2010 Teachers Institute are now complete. Since my last report Nathan McCray K9CPO conducted a TI at Parallax with 13 teachers and one at HQ with 11 teachers. Mark Spencer, WA8SME conducted two advanced TI-2s, one sponsored by DARA on Space in the Classroom at the DARA club house with 8 participants, and one on Basic Electronics at HQ with 12 participants. Thanks to AMSAT's Drew Glasbrenner KO4MA who supported the activities of the Space in the Classroom session by assuring that AO-51 transmitters were operating so participants could have opportunities to test equipment and practice their skills. Quite a few QSLs with AO-27 occurred during the HQ TI led by Nathan. We have been working with Robert Clark NJ4J, PhD from Penn State University to develop a survey that we will send to past participants of the TI this fall to learn what teachers have been able to use from the workshops and more about the issues and obstacles they face with utilization. Dr. Clark also participated in the Teachers Institute at HQ to get a personal view of the workshop experience. Mark Spencer submitted a paper to be presented at the October AMSAT Space Symposium about educational opportunities with CubeSat simulators as a pipeline to participation in actual CubeSat launches. Miguel Enriquez KD7RPP reports his local high school radio club completed the underwater robot designed for cave exploration that records temperature readings and compass headings and uses ATV to record images that are referenced to a running clock. He reports receiving donations from local Elmers of radio equipment for students and a promised donation of station repeater equipment from a local Shriner's organization. Miguel helped install a brand new 445.20 repeater on nearby Mt. Lemmon, which will be for the exclusive benefit of the Pueblo Magnet High School Amateur Radio Club. This repeater also serves as a control for the ATV repeater that was replaced with new equipment. Nathan McCray was busy with TIs during recent weeks but returning home to Wisconsin he takes on a new responsibility as school principal. He is working with two teachers from his previous school to make sure the robotics and amateur radio programs continue there and has recruited a local ham parent to help support them. In his new school in the 3rd largest district in Wisconsin he will have a staff of over 100. He sees huge opportunity in his new setting for wireless technology topics and has already started working on an ETP grant for his new school. While at HQ, Mark Spencer led two workshops to provide training for HQ volunteer tour guides with ETP educational resources. The purpose is to prepare our tour guides to explain and demonstrate to interested HQ visitors some of the tools we are providing teachers through ARRL's educational outreach efforts. A permanent display of these resources is now available in the Education Department. ARISS An external evaluation of the ARISS program prepared by an outside consultant hired by NASA determined that the program is meeting its goals of inspiring students to think about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) topics and provided some suggestions on ways to improve the educational impact of the program. As part of the preparations for an ARISS contact with the ISS and their application to become a NASA Explorer School, a Greenville Elementary School (Greenville, IL) 4th grade teacher led 3 teachers and 17 students to obtain a ham radio license. Read the full story at http://www.arrl.org/greenville-elementary-school-hams Though astronauts were busy with work activities and could not participate in Field Day activities in June, since then astronaut Doug Wheelock KF5BOC has been making dozens of general QSOs, many over the USA, thrilling many hams. Recent scheduled contacts with Wheelock have included Camp Cavett, Kingston, OK A July 8 contact with Wheelock was the culmination of radio activities in which the youth were introduced to the basics of radio wave propagation. Local radio clubs gave demonstrations to the youth and assisted with other hands on activities. National Boy Scout Jamboree, Fort A.P. Hill, VA- A July 31 contact by K2BSA with Wheelock, during which he answered 13 questions posed to him by the Scouts as approximately 800 others listened in. Sincerely Compiled by, Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ Assistant to the CEO Staff Absentee List All Staff 9/6 Holiday Jon Bloom 8/25-9/3 Vacation Steve Capodicasa 9/6-9/10 Vacation Joe Carcia 8/20 Vacation `` 8/27 Vacation Michael Corey 8/20-8/22 Southeastern Division Convention, Huntsville, AL Scott Gee 8/30-8/31 Vacation Mike Gruber 8/23-8/27 Vacation `` 9/27-10/1 Vacation Joel Hallas 8/20 Vacation `` 8/27 Vacation `` 9/3 Vacation Dan Henderson 8/23-8/27 Vacation `` 8/28 New England Division Convention, Boxboro, MA `` 9/24-10/3 Ten-Tec Hamfest,(TN)/W4DXCC/SEDCO/Vacation `` 10/14-10/19 Pacificon, San Ramon, CA/Beale AFB Mary Hobart 8/27 Vacation Gail Iannone 8/20-9/7 Vacation Bob Inderbitzen 8/23-8/27 Vacation Sabrina Jackson 9/1 Vacation Joel Kleinman 8/23 Vacation Jennifer Knapp 8/18-8/20 Vacation Lisa Kustosik 9/7 Vacation Sean Kutzko 8/16-8/25 Tokyo Ham Fair Maryann Macdonald 8/16-8/30 Sick Leave Bill Moore 9/10-9/12 Virginia Section Convention, Virginia Beach, VA Diane Petrilli 8/23-8/27 Vacation Steve Sant Andrea 8/30 Vacation Barry Shelley 8/9-8/20 Vacation `` 8/26-8/27 Vacation Dave Sumner 8/20 PM Vacation `` 10/22pm-10/24 Executive Committee Meeting, St. Louis , MO