IN-Newsletter Vol. 29, No.5 February 1. 2006 -- Covers the period January 22-28. Development The 2006 campaign for W1AW Endowment is in the mail. The test campaign for Ham Aid is in production and should mail the first week in February. Grant awards are being prepared for 7 of the 11 grantees of the Ham Aid project. Projects in the pipeline include grant requests for the 2006 Teachers Institutes, donor permission letters for the ARRL 2005 Annual Report, a save the date postcard for the 2006 Donor Reception at Dayton Hamvention, Member Loyalty awards for 2006, preparations for the spring Spectrum Defense campaign and information to John Chwatt for possible federal grants. ARRL Foundation The Annual Meeting was held on January 24, 2006 at 8 pm via conference call. Development is completing reports and minutes for that session. Scholarship applications are rolling in. The application deadline is February 1, 2006. Media & Public Relations The Hello campaign is being implemented with a website developer, writing for a 4 page QST tear out and major article, contacts with producers for the PSA and beginning the search for a producer on the longer video. Arrangements have been made to attend the RTNDA convention where it will be pitched to media. Responses and interviews relating to BPL issues continued. Production/Editorial Rick Lindquist reports The ARRL Letter, Vol. 25, No. 04, distributed to 65,906 members on Jan 27. Rick completed work on "Happenings" and collaborated with Dave Patton on the Board of Directors meeting article for March QST. He also prepared/edited articles on the ARRL Board of Directors meeting, ARRL Leonard and International Humanitarian award winners, IDACOMM gets out of BPL business, ARISS school group contacts in NY and GA, SuitSat-1 update, Fee payment required for vanity renewals, ISS commander completes WAS/WAC from space, ARRL job openings, and several news briefs and announcements. Rick voiced, edited and produced ARRL Audio News for Jan 27. Lab BPL: Over the last month, there have been a number of new BPL developments: * Ed Hare attended the IEEE P1775 BPL "EMC" committee meeting on January 11 in Las Vegas. No significant progress has been made developing BPL EMC standards. A representative from the Electric Power Research Institute proposed levels for the pending immunity standards, but it was clear from the industry reaction that they were not in support of the immunity levels the power industry was telling them that they needed. Ed invited Shinji Tanabe of Mitsubishi and John Boot of Current to join him for dinner, where they discussed the EMC aspects of distance extrapolation for measurements. * The National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative has completed a study on rural BPL. The study will be available only to its member utilities. It concluded that BPL is not suitable for rural deployment- it is only a "last mile" solution. * IDAComm, a major telecommunications consultant spin off from IDACorp (Idaho) announced that it is abandoning BPL because too few utilities are interested enough to make it profitable. IDAComm had cooperative relationships with Ambient, Amperion and Mitsubishi and they were the consultant for the CenterPoint trial in Houston, TX. * CenterPoint announced that it was no longer going to pursue an interest in access BPL, but that they would maintain some interest and a small trial in the Houston area to continue to look at utility applications. * United Illuminating "concluded its successful BPL test" in Shelton, CT. * TXU announced that it was going to deploy Current Technologies systems in its service area in northern Texas. Current does not use HF on overhead lines and notches the ham bands on its LV 240 wiring in premises. They have deployed past 60,000 homes in Cincinnati without major interference problems. * At the IEEE P1775 BPL meeting in Las Vegas, Ed Hare learned that the Southern Company, formerly a strong advocate and promoter of BPL, has abandoned its trials in Alabama and George and is no longer interested in BPL. * After a field visit by Ed Hare showed strong interference on the Amateur bands, ARRL renewed its complaint about the Ambient BPL system in Briarcliff Manor, NY. Ed also measured emissions well above the FCC limits above 30 MHz. * The interference issues in the Main.net BPL system in Manassas, VA have come to a real boil. In December, the involved ISP, COMTek, committed to notching the Amateur bands in the entire installation. At a meeting on January 17, the Manassas hams showed that the notching was not sufficient to protect the Amateur bands, with BPL noise being over S9 in some cases. COMTek told them that they were going to do no more; then issues a press release, announcing that they had successfully addressed all interference problems in Manassas. * The New York State Public Service Commission has issued a state rulemaking, addressing a number of BPL issues. RFI: * Mike Gruber completed an RFI report for a longstanding power-line noise case in Florida. Although this case has been ongoing for about ten years, the utility has not been able to correct the problem. The problem is well documented and should have been corrected years ago had there been a technically competent RFI investigation. * Mike Gruber completed the EMC Committee report for Chairman Dennis Bodson. * Mike Gruber some authors for a new edition of the RFI Book. ARRL Product Review Testing and Development: Mike Tracy completed the installation of the new screen room PC. Sales & Marketing We have reached an agreement with Hamvention to bring ARRL EXPO back to Dayton this year. ARRL will again organize its exhibit in the Ballarena Hall, allowing enough room to showcase a variety of ARRL programs and services. Planning information will follow soon, and at www.arrl.org/expo. After completing 18+ years of service, Customer Service Manager Kathy Capodicasa, N1GZO will be departing ARRL to take on a new employment opportunity with RR Donnelley. Most notably, we will miss Kathy's consummate attention to our fulfillment operations, and her great care to the finer details of administering membership and the circulation of ARRL periodicals. Millions of copies of QST have been delivered to member mailboxes under Kathy's watchful eyes. Her last day with ARRL is February 3. Please join us in sharing our thanks to Kathy and our best wishes for a bright and successful future. During this position vacancy, please direct routine membership processing inquiries to membership@arrl.org. These will be handled promptly by the customer service (fulfillment) team. More urgent requests or items requiring special handling should be directed to Bob Inderbitzen. ICOM is featuring their new and innovative products in an 8 page tear-out in March QST. Hamware.de is a new QST advertiser for March. The advertising department is completing work on NCJ and QEX as well as the Repeater Directory. Lisa Tardette is compiling a list of non ARRL publications that we currently do not offer at a discount to dealers. She will be researching our cost on these books to determine if we are able to discount them and increase revenue through dealer distribution. We are working with two Divisions to develop ARRL display materials for their use at hamfest exhibits, club meetings, or other area events. These are good opportunities, since the work will advance our goal of developing universal display materials with a consistent use of ARRL themes and designs. Prospective Ham Packages this week: 15 In January, we had 220 students join an online class. That is an increase of 23 students over the December classes--a promising start to the new year. ON-LINE COURSES Registrations During this week Graduations Antenna Modeling (EC-004) 1 0 HF Digital (EC-005) 1 0 RFI (EC-006) 0 0 VHF/UHF (EC-008) 0 1 Ant. Design and Construction (EC-009) 1 0 Technician Licensing (EC-010) 3 0 Propagation (EC-011) 3 2 Analog Electronics (EC-012) 1 3 Digital Electronics (EC-013) 1 1 Emergency Comm. Level 1 (EC-001) 21 29 Emergency Comm. Level 2 (EC-002) 4 7 Emergency Comm. Level 3 (EC-003) 3 5 Membership Services Contest Branch Certificates for the 2005 June VHF QSO Party have been mailed. Online versions of the 2005 September VHF QSO Party and 2005 10 GHz and Up contest were opened to the membership. Data entry for the 2005 160-and 10 Meter contests continued. Work on the 2006 Field Day packet including a change to the GOTA bonus scoring continues, with the PDF of the packet to be posted within the next couple of weeks. The draft of the QST version of the 2005 EME Competition results was received from the author, formatted and sent to production. Data entry for 2006 Straight Key Night was brought up-to-date to meet the quick turn around deadline for April's QST. Logbook of the World QSO records entered into the system 90,050,470 QSL records have resulted 4,693,461 Logs Processed 181,572 Active Certificates 17,323 Users registered in the system 11,483 Hybrids Pending Mail 98 QSL Branch There is a 6 day processing time delay. This week, 157 pounds of cards were received from members. The next scheduled mailing is Friday, February 3rd. W1AW Scott worked on fast and slow code practice files for the latter part of the month of January and early February. He also handled some evening phone sales calls in the daily 5 PM to 8 PM time slots. Joe created the texts for the February W1AW Qualifying Runs. He processed regular W1AW QSL card requests. Joe also finished compiling the 2005 FMT results for the web. (The acknowledgement letters to participants had gone out much earlier in the month.) Field & Educational Services Field Organization/Public Service Team At the recent ARRL Board Meeting, the ARRL International Humanitarian Award for 2005 was awarded to a group of 5 radio amateurs from India on a Dxpedition to the Andaman Islands in December of 2004. This group was recognized for their immediate actions to provide emergency communications via Amateur Radio to victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami. Chuck Skolaut is working on the QST announcement of this award. Information was forwarded to the FCC in a case involving interference to a 2-meter repeater from an uncoordinated one and interference on 10 meters from a CB operator. Documentation has been received concerning infractions on a 2 meter simplex frequency in California. ARRL Emergency Coordinators and section leaders involved in the 2005 SET are still sending in their activity results that are due at HQ soon. Steve Ewald heard from National Citizen Corps. it's now starting to collect summaries and data from its offices and partners around the country for their 2005 Annual Report. We have also been working on the on-line Net Directory data base. Leona Adams has been updating the Field Organization data base with appointment additions, updates and cancellations. Preparatory steps have been take in advance of sending appointment rosters to all Section Managers so they can review their records against those on file at HQ. ARISS PR: In just 24 hours' time, the SuitSat Web site -- Rick Lindquist listed the URL in his Web article - saw 40,000 hits! By noon the second day, another 20,000 hits were recorded. The media has been lit up about SuitSat as follows: * article on the New York Times Web site at http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/28/science/28suit.html?_r=1 </exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/28/science/28 suit.html?_r=1> * YubaNet article at http://www.yubanet.com/artman/publish/article_30883.shtml by Dr. Tony Phillips of Science@NASA * NASA TV footage of the ISS crew working on SuitSat * the Tallahassee newspaper interviewed an ARISS team member * NASA's Web story at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/26jan_suitsat.htm <http://mymail.arrl.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://science.nasa.go v/headlines/y2006/26jan_suitsat.htm> * Spaceflight's story on p.16 at http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-12/ndxpage17.htm l <http://mymail.arrl.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://spaceflight.nas a.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-12/ndxpage17.html> * AMSAT-Sweden article on its website * Russia's Energia on their Web site. IRLP audio for the Aquebogue (NY) school QSO was on the Web, and video was piped to three area school districts via a videoconferencing network. For ARRL Members: Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, finished his Worked All States by working KL7XJ in Alaska, who said: "It never entered my mind [to record the QSO].. I was too excited about the contact!" Hams are asking for Keps for SuitSat from the ARISS Team who will work with NORAD; Goddard Space Flight Center will design and print custom diplomas with special notes for groups and individuals who copy all 5 SuitSat special words (in each language of the greeting). ARISS News Update: Antennas for the European ISS Columbus module will soon be at ESA. A drilling plate was delivered, and ESA will work on it once the antennas arrive. The module will be tilted for affixing antennas to feed throughs and for testing antennas (electrical and radiation tests). Cable and antenna connectors will mate to an inside bracket. ARISS' Effect on Schools/Students: Schools and youth groups may send educational outreach reports and SSTV images to suitsat@comcast.net. The West Point ARISS QSO was watched live over the intranet in the school's conference room by Col. Shoop, the EE program director and other professors will explain the ham radio set-up to all cadets, and especially to those studying lunar inhabitation. The West Point newspaper and their Association of Graduates magazine will carry stories in hopes of "keeping the ham club in the minds of alumni who like to donate." The Romeo Elementary School has set up an ARISS Web site at http://www.phys.ufl.edu/~eshop/ariss/ARISS.html. International Aspects: The ISS crew removed SuitSat hardware from shipping containers and inspected it, comparing it to drawings; they charged SuitSat batteries. Tadeu Fernandes finalized details with the Brazilian Sp Agency for an upcoming Brazilian museum QSO. Field & Education Team Hamfest & Conventions Week Ending 1/27/06 Hamfest Apps. sent to Division Director for approval 11 Hamfest App. letters sent to event sponsor 12 Handouts and Door Prize Material Orders Processed 9 Label Requests for Upcoming Events 3 Convention Apps. sent to Division Director for approval 5 Convention Apps. Letters sent to Event Sponsor 3 Wouff Hong Supply Package sent to Convention Comm. 1 Convention Apps sent to the Executive Comm. for Approval 17 EC Convention Approval Letters sent to Convention Comm. 17 Clubs & Mentors Week Ending 1/27/06 Clubs Club Updates 346 Club assist. & histories 1 Below 51% notification 2 SSC SSC sent to ACC 8 SSC Cert. 7 letters sent 4 Instructors Instructor Reg 14 Teachers Teacher Reg 0 Materials & Brochures Class Materials 32 Graduation Kits 0 Exhibit Kits 2 Jota Kits 0 Label Requests Filled 1 Sales Orders Processed 4 Public Service Reports 0 Amateur Radio Education & Technology Program-Mark Spencer My thanks go out to the ARRL Board for taking action on the education mission statement. This statement will allow me to continue to pursue some initiatives to attempt to influence education standards and provides focus for the ETP. I have received a number of inquires and 4 formal applications for this summers Teachers Institutes. I am considering making a presentation at a March science teachers conference in New York City on bringing space in the classroom and the TI opportunity. Final determination will depend on cost versus anticipated audience size. Unfortunately one of the recent ETP grant recipient schools was not willing to accept the stipulations of the grant and have declined the grant. The equipment wish lists from the other grant recipients, along with the acceptance letters, have been slow in coming. Execution of the ETP grants will be on hold until the letters are in hand. I have ordered the parts and boards to begin production of the Modulator and Wave Fundamentals activity board. Sincerely Compiled by, Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ Assistant to the CEO Staff Absentee List All Staff 2/20 Holiday Ed Hare 3/12-3/17 ANSI Committee Meeting, Piscataway, NJ `` 3/30-4/1 IEEE EMC Meeting, Orlando FL Kathy Capodicasa 2/8-2/17 Vacation Bob Inderbitzen 2/6-2/10 Vacation Steve Capodicasa 2/13 Vacation `` 3/3 Vacation Dennis Motschenbacher 2/14-2/21 Vacation Rick Lindquist 1/30-1/31 Vacation `` 2/21 Vacation Eileen Sapko 1/27 Vacation Wayne Mills 2/3 Miami Tropical Hamboree Joe Carcia 4/21 Vacation Scott Gee 4/24-4/28 Vacation Norm Fusaro 2/4-2/5 SE Division Convention, Miami, FL Harold Kramer 2/10-2/12 N. Florida Section Convention, Orlando, FL Zack Lau 3/2-3/3 Vacation Mark Dzamba 2/14 Vacation Cathy Stepina 2/2 Vacation