<<112608.doc>> IN-Newsletter <<Microsoft Word Picture>> Vol. 31, No. 48 November 26, 2008 -- Covers the period November 16-22. Upcoming Meetings and Events Annual Board Meeting January 16-17, 2009 @ 9:00am in Windsor, CT CEO Reported by Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ The ARRL HQ will be closed on Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday. Sending good wishes your way for a safe and happy holiday weekend! Lisa and the Ethics & Elections Committee would like to thank Greg Kwasowski, Khrystyne Keane, Amanda Grimaldi, Mark Dzamba, Margie Bourgoin, Shelly Bloom, Jodi Morin, and Kim Rochette for making ballot counting go so smoothly this year. Thanks also to the managers who also contributed to the effort by supplying the staff. Development Reported by Mary Hobart, K1MMH Returns are coming in slowly for the Spectrum Defense Fund. We have received two gifts of $5000 and $4000, and a commitment from a donor's IRA for $10,000. The campaign totals $56,000 so far with a year-to-date total of $179,000. The Diamond Club has received numerous contributions at the Gold ($1000) and Silver ($500) levels along with one at the Director Level ($5000). Calendars are being mailed to new and renewing Diamond Club members who contribute $100 or more. Holiday cards are being mailed this week. Production/Editorial Reported by Joel Kleinman, N1BKE Happy Thanksgiving to all from the Production/Editorial staff! Khrystyne Keane wrote and distributed The ARRL Letter, Vol. 27, No. 46, for November 21, 2008. She also voiced ARRL Audio News for November 21. Lab Reported by Ed Hare, W1RFI Product Review Bob Allison is working on a load test fixture to test AC inverters for Product Review. RFI Mike Gruber began a review of some longstanding power line noise and other interference cases. As an example, one power line noise case in Cincinnati, Ohio was first reported in 2004. I issued an ARRL Letter in the matter in 2006. The FCC then issued their first letter a few months later. The second FCC letter was issued in May of 2008. The complainant reports his numerous phone calls to the utility now go mostly unanswered. Mike Gruber forwarded documentation to Chris Imlay concerning a case involving interference from a uV light in a home septic system. The light is apparently causing harmful interference to an operator the Amateur Service. Although it has been ongoing for several years it is still not resolved. This case is in Cincinnati, Ohio. Software Support Bob Allison helped out Debra Johnson with determining if one of our NEW CDs, "Digital Technology for Emergency Communications Course" works with Windows Vista. The computer in the cabinet that was used with the Flex radio happened to have Vista. Bob set this up in the Lab and was able to assist members with their issues. TIS Statistics Question BA MG EFH ZL AN Totals 01 What rig is best? / Prod Rev 2 2 02 RFI/EMI/FCC issues 9 5 7 21 03 How to use equipment 1 1 2 4 04 Propagation 0 0 05 Antenna/Feed line/Tower questions 2 3 11 16 06 Locate companies, parts or services 1 14 1 16 07 Software problems 2 2 3 1 8 08 Regulatory questions 0 1 3 3 7 09 Operating / amateur exam questions 8 8 10 Article photocopy/archive corrections 63 7 33 103 11 Other 1 13 8 1 23 12 BPL 6 0 6 13 PAVE-PAWS 3 0 3 14 Misdirected 2 11 13 A summary of categories will appear at the end of each month. Sales and Marketing Reported by Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R The Warehouse crew fulfilled 1,035 packages for publication and product orders, shipped 320 free book membership premiums, and sent December QST mailing supplements. In addition to administering SK correspondence and updating membership records, Gail processed 21 hamfest and 4 convention packages for November and December events and completed the "Coming Conventions" and "Hamfest Calendar" columns for the January issue of QST. She coordinated travel for HQ support/representation for several upcoming conventions and prepared a package of 12 new convention applications going in a mail vote to the Executive Committee this week. A "new products" mailing is ready to go to the printer. House ads are being designed for the first edition of the ARES HTML e-newsletter, which will be sent out December 16th. A Thanksgiving Holiday-themed email solicitation featuring our new books was sent out to 62,000 members. The email offers $5.99 Flat Rate Shipping on all orders placed online through December 1, 2008. Basic Antennas: Understanding Practical Antennas and Design is Now Shipping. The customer service team participated in a in-house training session to learn/refresh the group on 'best' phone techniques. Just in time for the holiday rush! Membership & Volunteer Programs Reported by Dave Patton, NN1N Contest Branch Sweepstakes logs keep rolling in! We have 1,200 for SS CW and 1,350 for SS Phone. 2008 RTTY Roundup certificates have been printed and will go out the door early this week. We're starting to promote the next upcoming event on the main contest page. Carol Michaud, KB1QAW, has started making graphical banners with links to the official rules. This will help promote our own events more efficiently. The VUAC is once again examining the Rover rules for the ARRL VHF Contests, as well as the EME contest, at the request of the respective communities of participants. Talks are ongoing. W1AW Joe updated the web code practice files and their archives. He created the texts for the December W1AW Qualifying Runs. Joe also updated the firmware and installed a new fan control board on the Alpha 9500 amplifier. He also uploaded both contest and regular W1AW logs to LoTW. Field Organization/Public Service Team Tuesday, November 18, was election-ballot counting day for five Section Manager Elections that faced opposition. Thanks go to Leona Adams, Chuck Skolaut, Norm Fusaro, Alex Tara, and Steve Ewald for handling the ballot counting and the related work. The following were elected Section Manager of their respective sections, and they begin their two-year terms of office on January 1, 2009. Art Zygielbaum, K0AIZ (Nebraska); Mike Lisenco, N2YBB (New York City/Long Island); Mike Neilsen, W1MPN (Eastern Massachusetts); George Strayline, N3GZ (Southern New Jersey). In Indiana, Raymond Andrews, K9DUR, received a winning margin of votes over opponent John Poindexter, W3ML. However, after ballots had already been mailed out to ARRL members in the Indiana Section, Andrews wrote to ARRL Headquarters and withdrew his candidacy due to health concerns. As such, the Indiana Section Manager's position for the new term starting in January was considered vacant right after the ballot counting because Andrews won the majority of votes. According to the Rules and Regulations of the Field Organization, vacancies in the office of Section Manager shall be filled by appointment by the ARRL Membership and Volunteer Programs Manager, in consultation with the respective Section's Director. After ARRL MVP Manager Dave Patton, NN1N, consulted with ARRL Central Division Director Dick Isely, W9GIG, John Poindexter, W3ML, was appointed Indiana Section Manager with a term to begin January 1, 2009. Poindexter's term of office will be for 18 months -- instead of two years -- because this new term of office in Indiana had to be resolicited. The following incumbent ARRL Section Managers did not face opposition and were declared elected for their next terms of office starting January 1, 2009: Dale Bagley, K0KY (Missouri); Jim Boehner, N2ZZ (South Carolina); Dee Turner, N4GD (West Central Florida), and John Rodgers, N3MSE (Western Pennsylvania). Since there were no Section Manager nominations received for the next term of office in Northern New York, nominations will be resolicited in the January 2009 issue of QST. Chuck Skolaut learned that Official Observers in California have checked out a report where police communications were heard on a local Amateur Radio repeater. There is a potential intruder on 3815 kHz (USB) that sounds like scrambled transmissions. Our monitoring stations were asked to gather information. ARRL Headquarters also received a nomination for the ARRL International Humanitarian Award. Sincerely Compiled by, Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ Assistant to the CEO Staff Absentee List All Staff 11/27-11/28 Holiday `` 12/25 Holiday Kathy Allison 12/26 Vacation `` 1/2 Vacation Mark Dzamba 12/1-12/5 Vacation Steve Ewald 12/1-12/5 Vacation Steve Ford 12/22-1/5 Vacation Scott Gee 12/8-12/9 Vacation `` 12/24-12/26 Vacation Dan Henderson 11/25-12/5 ARI Headquarters Milan/Pescara Convention, Italy `` 12/18-1/5 Vacation Joe; Kleinman 12/3-12/9 Vacation `` 12/11 Vacation Bill Moore 12/26-1/3 Vacation Alex Tara 1/2 Vacation Sharon Taratula 12/24 Vacation