<<012010.doc>> IN-Newsletter <<Microsoft Word Picture>> Vol. 33, No. 3 January 20, 2010 -- Covers the period January 10-16. Web Site Update Reported by Katie Glass This week all of ARRL staff will see the new Web site. We will be opening up the site to the Directors and Board on Friday. Jon Bloom and his team are working extremely hard to make sure everything works for our launch the first week of February. Technical Relations Reported by Brennan Price, N4QX The staff of the Washington Office has a busy schedule of meetings over this week and next, in preparation for several international meetings coming up this year. Regarding the proposed PLT/Smart Grid contribution from Current Technologies to the next meeting of Working Party 5A, the author has agreed to divide it such that it is slightly less objectionable. We continue to resist the substantial objectionable content. Media & Public Relations Reported by Allen Pitts, W1AGP With the vacancy in the position of ER&R, I have been asked to be the lead contact person for the ARRL HQ response to the situation in Haiti and this has taken up the past several days. The ARRL and its ARES program will do all we can to provide support to our served agencies and we have been hosting conference calls with various representatives from agencies, key ARRL leaders, Amateur Radio related news outlets, RAC, IARU Region 2 and others. The situation is still very fluid at this time. Development Reported by Mary Hobart, K1MMH The Spectrum Defense Fund for 2010 is off to a strong start during the first weeks of the year. So far more than $10,000 has been contributed by 119 donors for a strong average gift of $91.42 Likewise, so far in January the Diamond Club has received $4878 from 44 donors for an average contribution of $110. The next projects for fund raising include communications with Diamond Club members both past and present to introduce and encourage monthly installment giving of $10, $25 or $100 a month, and a campaign to continue building the W1AW Endowment. Letters will be mailed to current installment donors advising them of the total of their contribution totals paid against their pledges in 2009. Production/Editorial Reported by S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA The March 2010 QST - our annual antenna issue -- left for the printer on Wednesday, January 20. Along with all the fun antenna articles, it will feature an 8 page advertising pullout. Work continues on the new edition of the Ham Radio Licensing Manual. This book will cover the new Technician class pool (released January 4) that goes into effect July 1 of this year. Along with Allen Pitts, Khrystyne Keane has been participating in conference calls with various served agencies, Section Managers, HQ staff and news outlets regarding the situation in Haiti as it pertains to Amateur Radio Khrystyne wrote and edited the January 14 edition of The ARRL Letter. She also voiced and produced the ARRL Audio News. Sales and Marketing Reported by Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R Planning is underway to help support the rollout of the new ARRL web site. A handful of membership-related direct marketing activities are underway or in planning, including the following: * An upcoming mailing to lapsed and "never" members who made purchases in 2009 * A test mailing to Technician licensees * An email to December 2009 expirees - theme: "Re-commit Yourself to Amateur Radio and ARRL in 2010" * A large membership campaign is being prepared for mailing in February * A mailing to current, active Volunteer Examiners An email was sent to 600 current ARRL members whose membership is about to expire and who have hams (non-members) in their household. A special incentive was offered for each joining family member. Already, the effort has produced 33 applications including renewals and new family memberships. Diane Petrilli will attend the ARRL Northern Florida Section Convention (Orlando HamCation) in February, to help support the membership recruitment effort at this large event. Diane is also attending training in March-produced by the American Society of Association Executives. ARRL's Extra and General Q&A are now available for purchase and download as e-books from Amazon's Kindle store, completing this suite of licensing resources available to e-readers. An early-year publication promotion is running through the end of the month, featuring ARRL Book Bundles. The e-store promotion includes a handful of specially themed and discounted publication "bundles." The Member Services team is completing their online customer service training. In advance of the ARRL Board meetings, the lobby received a thorough re-stocking and cleaning. Displays were organized to help show-off public service apparel and supplies, and resources for ARRL membership recruitment. MetLife is preparing a mailing to support this affinity benefit. We are reviewing materials and preparing a mailing list. During the last 2 weeks, the warehouse crew fulfilled 1,388 packages for publication and product orders, 1,107 membership premiums, and QST mailing supplements. The warehouse has also prepared 1,100 mailers for international members that will receive the 2009 Periodicals CD-ROM. Now Shipping: 2009 ARRL Periodicals on CD-ROM ARRL Conventions Date Name Division City State ARRL HQ Rep. Jan 29-30 Delta Division DL Jackson MS Feb 6 SC State RK Ladson SC Norm Fusaro Feb 6 Virginia State RK Richmond VA Brennan Price Feb 12-14 N. Florida Section SE Orlando FL Diane Petrilli Feb 27 Vermont State NE Colchester VT Ed Hare Mar 6 S. Texas Section WG Rosenberg TX Dan Henderson Mar 6-7 Alabama State SE Birmingham AL Bill Moore Mar 12-13 Louisiana State DL Rayne LA Norm Fusaro Mar 12-13 Oklahoma State WG Claremore OK Mar 13-14 Santa Clara Valley PC Monterey CA Mar 20 S. Florida Section SE Stuart FL Mar 20 Nebraska State MW Lincoln NE Bob Allison Mar 20 W. Texas Section WG Midland TX Mar 26-27 Maine State NE Lewiston ME Mar 27-28 Maryland State AT Timonium MD H. Kramer & D. Petrilli Business Services Reported by Deb Jahnke, K1DAJ In response to both email and telephone solicitations, we're pleased to welcome five new advertisers to March 2010 QST and one advertiser returning after a very long absence: S9 Antennas; Balun Designs LLC; HI-Q ANTENNAS; MICROBIT 2.0 AB; Electronic Products Design, Inc and Barker & Williamson. Email solicitations have gone out for advertising in the new edition of the ARRL Repeater Directory; ARRL Ham Radio License Manual and the ARRL Technician Q & A. An email reminder has also been sent to all of our publication dealers, reminding them of timeframes and ordering details for new titles. A follow-up mailing is completed and set to go in 4 weeks. Membership & Volunteer Programs Reported by Dave Patton, NN1N W1AW Joe updated the web code practice files and their archives. He processed one W1AW Qualifying Run certificate. Joe also processed regular QSL card requests. When the radios have not been in use by visitors, he has been monitoring the various HF nets involved with the Haiti relief effort. In addition to regular monitoring, Joe also briefly checked W1AW into the IRESC (International Radio Emergency Support Coalition) Echolink node. The IRESC is also involved with traffic handling for the Haiti earthquake. He also made a software change to the system used by the Flex-5000 software-defined radio in Studio Two. Field Organization/Public Service Team After the earthquake in Haiti on January 12, Steve Ewald and the Field Organization/Public Service Team assisted Allen Pitts and others at HQ to gather news and information on the initial Amateur Radio response. We helped answer questions from Field Organization and Section Leaders among others and received some reports from them, too, on what was going on during this emergency. The January QST Public Service column that highlighted the Official Observer program has encouraged several ARRL members to apply for this position. Leona Adams and Chuck Skolaut handled a dozen approved appointment applications from the applicants' respective Section Managers. Indiana Section Manager John Poindexter, W3ML, has been nominated to run for another term of office. Members in Virginia have begun to return their filled-out Section Manager election ballots. Chuck Skolaut compiled and sent out the monthly Official Observer summary to all Official Observers, OO Coordinators and Section Managers. OOs in Ohio are checking on a report of business use of a 2- meter simplex frequency as well as interference to an air traffic control station thought to be coming from a high-powered Citizen Band operation. There is a carrier on 14.340 MHz, and this report originated in San Diego area. Meanwhile, another carrier has been heard on 3.925 MHz by a monitoring operator in Arizona. The inadvertent airing of NOAA weather broadcasts on a Tennessee repeater(s) is now in process of being resolved. Headquarters also learned that IARU Region 2 is now active on Twitter. Sincerely Compiled by, Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ Assistant to the CEO Staff Absentee List Leona Adams 2/12 Vacation Steve Capodicasa 1/22 Vacation `` 2/8 Vacation Steve Ford 1/22 Vacation Scott Gee 4/14-4/16 Vacation Joel Hallas 2/26 Jury Duty Dan Henderson 3/5-3/7 S. Texas Section Convention/Greater Houston Hamfest Rose-Anne Lawrence 2/8-2/12 Vacation Diane Petrilli 2/12-2/14 N. Florida Section Convention Jon Siverling 2/1-2/10 Geneva Dawn Trigilio 1/22 Vacation