<<121008.doc>> IN-Newsletter <<Microsoft Word Picture>> Vol. 31, No. 50 December 10, 2008 -- Covers the period November 30-December 6. Upcoming Meetings and Events Annual Board Meeting January 16-17, 2009 @ 9:00am in Windsor, CT Media & Public Relations Reported by Allen Pitts, W1AGP In a conference call Dec 2, George Dillon of the FCC requested the aid of the ARRL and clubs in distributing information about the DTV conversion coming in February 09. A plan was formed with consideration given to the lack of time available before the deadline, time of the year, local differences and easily achievable implementation. Section Managers were alerted to this on Dec 5 and announcements are going out to others this week. There are 9 Leonard Award nominees this year and packets with all the forms and materials were sent on Dec 9 to the voting members of the PR Committee. Meetings are continuing in the search for options in producing the PR-101 course for PIOs. A Web based course seems most likely and educational programmers are being sought. Meanwhile, work on the main ARRL Webpages for PR continue. The volunteer we had hoped would be the editor for the 2009 video PSA will be unable to do so due to health reasons. Matt Aaron and video engineers who work on the Financial Channel's "Dave Ramsey Show" have now volunteered. There were many good media returns for the efforts put into "Skywarn Appreciation Day" coverage. Development Reported by Mary Hobart, K1MMH The Spectrum Defense Fund has reached $206,000, just 46% of its 2008 goal. Two large gifts are expected before the end of the year. The Diamond Club has reached $268,000 in gross revenue or 72% of its 2008 goal. On Friday, December 5 an email message was sent to more than 63,000 ARRL members offering a $10 coupon for publication sales to members who make a contribution of $25 or more to any ARRL fund before December 31. Production/Editorial Reported by Joel Kleinman, N1BKE Khrystyne Keane wrote and distributed The ARRL Letter, Vol. 27, No. 48, for December 5, 2008. It distributed to 73,027 members. She also voiced ARRL Audio News for December 5. Both The ARRL Letter and ARRL Audio News will be on hiatus December 26 and January 2; both services will resume January 9. Lab Reported by Ed Hare, W1RFI For W1AW Bob Allison assisted Joe Carcia with installing a temporary 160 meter receiving array for the 160M contest. Product Review Bob Allison is revising and updating the ARRL Lab Test Procedures Manual. RFI Mike Gruber continues to review longstanding cases involving the FCC. Mike Gruber sent a letter involving a uV light case. TIS Statistics 12/1-12/7 Question BA MG EFH ZL AN Totals 01 What rig is best? / Prod Rev 1 4 5 02 RFI/EMI/FCC issues 2 8 2 8 20 03 How to use equipment 3 3 04 Propagation 1 1 2 05 Antenna/Feed line/Tower questions 3 1 1 16 1 23 06 Locate companies, parts/services 1 9 10 07 Software problems 6 6 08 Regulatory questions 1 3 2 6 09 Operating/amateur exam questions 1 8 9 10 Article photocopies/archive corrections 1 62 1 16 80 11 Other 2 3 3 6 11 12 BPL 3 3 13 PAVE-PAWS 2 2 14 Misdirected 1 1 11 1 14 Cumulative TIS Statistics October 20th to November 30th Question BA MG EFH ZL AN Totals 01 What rig is best? / Prod Rev 1 2 13 16 02 RFI/EMI/FCC issues 2 59 14 27 102 03 How to use equipment 1 2 22 2 27 04 Propagation 6 6 05 Antenna/Feed line/Tower questions 9 7 2 69 3 95 06 Locate companies, parts/services 2 4 42 2 50 07 Software problems 3 3 27 3 36 08 Regulatory questions 2 1 2 26 11 42 09 Operating / amateur exam questions 1 2 44 47 10 Article photocopies/archive corrections 11 526 36 102 677 11 Other 4 2 18 49 19 92 12 BPL 2 27 10 36 13 PAVE-PAWS 17 14 14 Misdirected 7 13 1 18 Totals for six week period 22 92 617 384 143 1255 Membership & Volunteer Programs Reported by Dave Patton, NN1N Contest Branch The SS CW log deadline has passed. We have received 1,336 electronic logs and 55 paper logs to date. The deadline for SS Phone logs is still a week away; so far, we have 1,763 electronic logs and 23 paper logs. Tree, N6TR (the log-checker for Sweepstakes) ran some preliminary numbers on how many entrants worked a Clean Sweep and how many worked 75 sections. These numbers will tell us how many Clean Sweep brooms and awards magnets we will be sending out gratis. They are: CW: 247 Clean Sweeps, 696 stations with 75 or more Sections. SSB: 286 Clean Sweeps, 574 stations with 75 or more Sections. 2008 RTTY Roundup plaques went out the door last Tuesday, December 2, 2008. ARRL DX plaques will be shipped this week. Sean, KX9X, was requested by VUAC member Joe Taylor, K1JT to provide the VUAC with perspective on the administration of the EME contest. The VUAC is examining the EME contest rules and also taking another look at the Rover rules for ARRL VHF contests. We are now including a congratulatory letter with every certificate and plaque the Contest Branch sends out. In addition, Sean, KX9X, looked through the W1AW logs from the recent Sweepstakes Phone contest and discovered 74 stations with a "check" of 07 or 08, indicating a newly-licensed Amateur. With the help of W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, Sean sent each of those stations an unsolicited W1AW QSL card, along with a letter thanking them for the contest QSO and welcoming them to Amateur Radio. W1AW Thanks to Sean Kutzko, KX9X, for operating W1AW in the ARRL 160-Meter contest. He made 178 QSOs, with 41 sections, for an initial clamed score of 17,066. Thanks to Bob Allison, WB1GCM, for assisting Joe Carcia in the install of the K9AY Terminated Loop antenna (off the Satellite tower). This loop antenna was used for receive-only for the 160-Meter contest. Joe updated the web code practice files and their archives. He also temporarily installed (for demonstration purposes) a Flex-Radio System Flex-5000A software-defined radio. (This radio will be an eventual donation to W1AW.) Joe finished constructing the support poles for the K9AY loop antenna. He also updated all the McAfee versions in every PC in W1AW. Scott worked on fast and slow code practice files for the first part of the month of December. Field Organization/Public Service Team Leona reports that the deadline to receive SM nomination petitions for the term beginning April 1, 2009 was December 5th at 4 p.m. SM nomination petitions that were received this week included: Thomas A. Brehmer, N0LOH - Iowa; Doug Dunn, K7YD - Montana; Robert Spencer, KE8DM - Arizona; James E. Brooks, Jr., KY4Z - Kentucky and Jay T. Urish, W5GM. She also reports that there will be two upcoming SM elections in both Arizona and North Texas: The candidates for Arizona are Thomas J. Fagan, K7DF and Robert J. Spencer, KE8DM. And for North Texas they are: Tom Blackwell, N5GAR and Jay T. Urish, W5GM. There will be a new SM in Arkansas, J. M. Rowe, N5XFW and a new SM in Iowa, Thomas A. Brehmer, N0LOH since there were no other nominees in these sections. Chuck received word back from the FCC that unidentified signals heard on 75 meters were identified as originating from overseas, the signals have since ceased. The monthly ARRL Monitoring System/Intruder Watch report was compiled and sent to the IARU Region 2 coordinator. A number of stations reported a "numbers" station on 3528.5 and it is being investigated. OOs in California are checking on jamming occurring on 75 meters and Western Washington OOs are checking on 75 meter interference, documentation has been received on this. Interference to 2 meter repeaters was reported in Indiana, Texas, and Western Massachusetts and is also being investigated. A report of music being played to jam the Maritime net on 14.300 appears to have been a one-time occurrence. Chuck conducted a tour for two visiting amateurs and assisted in entering DX cards into the database. Education Services Reported by Debra Johnson, K1DMJ Terry Dettmann WX7S is making good progress on revision of the RF Propagation course. The SCORM format of the new General license course and the new Digital EmComm courses are being tested with CTDLC. ARISS Astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, has been on the air recently. When Fincke isn't talking to students or the general ham population, he re-configures the ARISS radio into either packet or crossband voice repeater mode. The radio will be turned off during the docking and undocking for the upcoming shuttle mission. Students of Scuola Media Statale Donato Forlani in Italy participated in an ARISS contact with Fincke, who spoke a few sentences in Italian to the students. Astronaut Chris Hadfield, KC5RNJ/VA3OOG, turned his ARISS radio training session into a learning experience for students from Manordale Public School in Ottawa. Chris' training was scheduled as a QSO with the students who beforehand, had studied orbital mechanics and learned about Amateur Radio. For the terrestrial-based QSO, Chris used ARISS-flight-equivalent equipment that's installed in the ISS simulator module at Johnson Space Center. Hadfield is a back-up crew member for Expedition 19. Education & Technology Program Mark Spencer WA8SME reports that he has identified an alternative classroom location that will be suitable as a venue for the TI-2 and that he has completed the verification of the Yaesu receiver that will be used during the TI-2. Manufacturing of the modulation boards for next year's TIs is complete. A proposal for providing these boards through the ARRL was drafted and sent to HQ for consideration. Mark continues to service requests for curriculum materials from non-school educational organizations including schools from overseas and the department of the Navy. The TI announcement article for the Feb edition of QST has been drafted and sent to the editor. The revised brochure copy has been submitted to graphics. Twenty-three grant applications were submitted to the Executive Committee for their review and approval. Sincerely Compiled by, Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ Assistant to the CEO Staff Absentee List All Staff 12/25 Holiday `` 1/1 Holiday Kathy Allison 12/26 Vacation `` 1/2 Vacation Bob Allison 12/26 Vacation `` 1/2 Vacation `` 1/2 Vacation Dennis Dura 12/24-12/26 Vacation Mark Dzamba 12/1-12/5 Vacation Steve Ewald 12/1-12/5 Vacation Steve Ford 12/22-1/5 Vacation Norm Fusaro 12/23-1/2 Vacation Scott Gee 12/8-12/9 Vacation `` 12/24-12/26 Vacation Joel Hallas 12/24-12/31 Vacation Ed Hare 1/2 Vacation `` 1/5-1/9 Vacation Dan Henderson 11/25-12/5 ARI Headquarters Milan/Pescara Convention, Italy `` 12/18-1/5 Vacation Khrystyne Keane 12/26-1/2 Vacation Joe; Kleinman 12/3-12/9 Vacation `` 12/11 Vacation Harold Kramer 12/22-12/26 Vacation Rose-Ann Lawrence 12/8 Vacation Bill Moore 12/26-1/2 Vacation Dave Patton 12/22-12/31 Vacation Allen Pitts 12/26-1/4 Vacation Steve Sant Andrea 1/2-1/5 Vacation Alex Tara 1/2 Vacation Sharon Taratula 12/23pm-12/24 Vacation