IN-Newsletter Vol. 28, No. 42 October 19, 2005 -- Covers the period October 9-15. Upcoming Meetings and Events Executive Committee Meeting October 22 - Dallas, TX Annual Board Meeting January 20-21, 2006 - Windsor, CT CEO John Hennessee continues work on the regulations section of the ARRL's proposed input to the Question Pool Committee. He also assisted two amateurs with questions on covenants in Reading, MA (KB1MIC) and Richmond, VA (WK4Y). He continues to receive copies of letters sent to Representatives on HB 3876. Development The summer Defense campaign has topped $184,000 from more than 3750 donors. The 2005 Education & Technology campaign has exceeded $110,000 from nearly 1400 donors Development represented ARRL in Washington last week at a briefing to non-profits on hurricane response and future emergency preparedness. Speakers included DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff, Presidential Chief of Staff Andrew Card, Housing Secretary Alfonso Jackson, a representative from the Domestic Policy Council and David Eisner, CEO of CNCS. A pre-briefing reception provided an opportunity to network with some national non-profit organizations to exchange ideas on roles Amateur Radio might play in providing volunteers emergency communications and with key CNCS staff on concepts for future funding grants. Development staff continue to participate in the Growth Task Force in two areas - development of the new Technician Class question pool and the development of instructional materials. Media & Public Relations Two major events came up in PR in the past week. The first was the ARRL call for the FCC to close down the Manassas BPL operation. The second was the negotiation and agreement to partner the Toy Drive with the Salvation Army so that non-members may participate and also to secure the distribution aspect of the program. This was completed on Friday and changes and/or new press releases went out Monday showing the new partnership and eliminating the need for individual charity registrations in all the states. Three promotional videos done by Richard Lubash with Patty Loveless are expected any day now and will be distributed asap. Production/Editorial The December issue of QST will be released to the printer October 21. Joel Hallas has changed his "work here in the office" schedule a bit. For now, he'll be here at HQ Tuesdays and Fridays, and working at home the rest of the week. Rick Lindquist reports The ARRL Letter, Vol. 24, No. 40, distributed on Oct 14 to 65,381 members. He also prepared/edited articles on ARRL's request to FCC to shut down Manassas BPL system because of continued interference to ham radio; ARES activity re northeast US flooding; Greg Olsen's three ARISS school group contacts from the ISS; Hurricane Katrina/Rita ham radio support operations winding down; new BPL database draws fire from ARRL, as well as several announcements and news briefs. Rick voiced, edited and produced ARRL Audio News for Oct 14. Sales and Marketing The Membership Manager continues with the process of orienting with the organization and has begun to work with the department on a Fall Direct Mail piece and the development of the FY 2006 budget. Work continues on the advertising section and Holiday tear-out of December QST. R & L, LDG, and HamPROs have two-page spreads in this issue. This issue will see four new advertisers - The Mug Factory, Bosque Communications, KVK Antennas, and Advanced Communications & Electronics, Inc. Miracle Antennas, Larry's Antennas, and QRP J38 have returned to advertising in QST by taking advantage of the tear-out prices. J-Tec, LLC, jumped into QST (tear-out) for the first time. He normally advertises in NCJ and QEX and hopes to continue in QST in the future. Dollar and page targets have exceeded forecasted numbers by $5,500.00 and 2 pages respectively. The tear-out is currently $650.00 over target. On Thursday, dealers were sent an email regarding the debut of the ARRL Calendar that resulted in six quick stocking orders. We have noted that some Dealers are already beginning to reorder the 2006 Handbook. The Club Commission Membership Recruitment Program has returned over 1,000 membership applications in the first year following the reinstated $2 commission for renewals. As a reminder, clubs retain $15 for each new membership OR lapsed membership (of two years or more), and retain $2 for each renewal. Details are available via the club resource pages on the ARRL web site. ARRL Club Commission Membership Recruitment Program. First Time Renew Lapsed TOTALS Nov 2002-Oct 2003 215 123 89 427 Nov 2003-Oct 2004 201 102 74 377 Nov 2004-Oct 2005 283 601 147 1031 The ARRL Visa Card reached a milestone on Oct 12, with 1,000 cards issued. By mid-month (Oct 14), publication sales during the month reached $310,498--some $30k over the monthly target, with two full weeks to go. Sales of the 2006 ARRL Handbook are 79% of this total. The warehouse crew completed shipping all backorders for the 2006 ARRL Handbook. Thanks again go to those volunteers that joined the team to complete the initial shipments in record time. The Sales & Marketing Department has been getting a lot of very nice emails and calls regarding the 2006 Handbook and 1st edition Handbook special promotion. Initial sales are spectacular! Every department and every ARRL employee had a hand in preparing or distributing this very popular ARRL product is to be congratulated. Diane and Bob completed the Fall/Winter publications catalog. It has gone to press. Now available for ordering via the online catalog, www.arrl.org/shop: 2006 ARRL Amateur Radio Calendar; Microwave Update 2005; Mid-Atlantic VHF Conference-2005. Online orders were driven up this weekend by an email solicitation sent on Friday, October 14. The emailing introduced the new ARRL Calendar, and included a handful of other popular picks (ARRL Handbook, etc.). Among the 363 orders were sales for 74 calendars and 135 Handbooks. Gross sales (excluding tax and shipping) topped $17k. Online course processing was completed for 11 course sections, and welcome letters emailed to 239 students in those sections. ON-LINE COURSES Registrations During this week Graduations Antenna Modeling (EC-004) 2 0 HF Digital (EC-005) 0 0 RFI (EC-006) 0 0 VHF/UHF (EC-008) 1 1 Antenna Design and Construction (EC-009) 1 1 Technician Licensing (EC-010) 3 2 Propagation (EC-011) 1 2 Analog Electronics (EC-012) 0 0 Digital Electronics (EC-013) 0 0 Emergency Communications Level 1 (EC-001) 28 42 Emergency Communications Level 2 (EC-002) 12 3 Emergency Communications Level 3 (EC-003) 6 5 Membership Services Awards Branch A-1 Operator Nominations 2 A-1 Operator Certificates 2 Long-Term Member Inquiries 2 Replacement Award 1 Awards Mailed 51 In addition, compiled the latest VUCC award recipient list for December QST and shipped out 80 various DXCC plaques. Processing Status: Current or up to three weeks. For the coming week-25-Year Member and VUCC awards, Extra Class certificates, WAS and WAC QSL card checking, ship out the DXCC Challenge plaques (if they come in), and work with DXCC staff on on-going plaque program and training on Awards Branch programs. Contest Branch The 2005 Field Day results on the web were finalized and opened to the membership. The June 2005 VHF QSO Party results article was received from Production and is being edited for QST as well as the Web. Data entry for the 2005 10 GHz contest has begun, as has data entry for the 2005 September VHF QSO Party. DXCC Branch For the week of: October 16, 2005 Beginning Credits 81,295 Credits Received 15,685 Credits Processed 16,270 Ending Credits 80,710 Applications Pending 818 Processing Time 9.4 Weeks Year-to-date (2005) Credits Received 508,368 Credits Returned 500,237 DXCC is currently mailing applications received on August 11, 2005. DXCC is currently entering credits received on September 19, 2005. Logbook of the World QSO records entered into the system 80,887,193 QSL records have resulted 3,920,626 Logs Processed 150,965 Active Certificates 16,102 Users registered in the system 10,689 Hybrids Pending Mail 125 QSL Bureau There is a 3 day processing time delay. This week, 96 pounds of cards were received from members. Next scheduled mailing is Friday, October 21st. W1AW Thanks goes out to Steve Ewald, John Hennessee, Chuck Skolaut and Ron Cady, K1RKD (a member of NARL) for operating W1AW in Jamboree-On-The-Air. They made 68 contacts on 40, 20, 17 and 15 meters using SSB. In addition to working quite a few Scouts, they also contacted Mark Spencer, WA8SME (who was involved with JOTA activities out in California) as well as a number of K2BSA/portable stations. Joe updated the web code practice files. He began assembling hard-line cables for the eventual installation of the W1AW D-Star 23cm digital repeater system. Joe also began work on designing side-mounts for the 23cm D-Star antennas. Joe and Greg also installed power/LAN/antennas boxes in the main station area for the demonstration station (which will be used primarily to showcase the weather-satellite station, in addition to any other radio demonstration that may take place). Joe also ran the grounds and antenna cable to the Harris patch panel. Scott worked on slow and fast code practice files for the month of October. Scott also handled some evening phone sales calls in the daily 5 PM to 8 PM time slots. W1AW Nightly Telephone Sales year to date: $28,641. W1AW Nightly Telephone Sales (since assuming the responsibility in 1998): $264,874. Field & Educational Services Field Organization/Public Service Team With heavy rain all week long in the Northeastern U.S., Amateur Radio operators were called into action to provide communications for agencies and their communities -- especially in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Northern New Jersey. Steve Ewald (among others at HQ) kept in touch with the Section Leaders in these areas. Steve also completed work on the Public Service column for December QST. Plans are underway for the members of the F&ES department to help operate Jamboree on the Air from W1AW along with members of the Newington Amateur Radio League. We are also helping to host a meeting at HQ of the Connecticut ARRL District Emergency Coordinators and Connecticut Section Emergency Coordinator. Leona Adams continued to update the Field Organization data base with new appointments, changes and cancellations. She sent out two dozen supply packages to these new appointees, and handled several section-related expenses forms. A 2006 Section Manager Election and nomination schedule has been prepared and shared with several HQ staff members. A new, unidentified intruder on the low end of 80 meters was reported this past week by two Arizona hams. The unique signal consisted of a short burst of audio tones repeated every 20 seconds. The source of the signal was quickly confirmed by 2 New Mexico hams as originating from a facility used for propagation research near Albuquerque. This was the same source of the "Yosemite Sam" signal heard earlier this year. Chuck Skolaut also received documentation on a 75-meter frequency. This information was requested by the FCC. Other intruder reports have included observations on 20 and 160 meters as well as several problems on 2-meter repeaters. ARISS Astronaut Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, wowed scouts and hams by making QSOs during JOTA. The New York Daily News ran the story, "Students get an Astro-dinary Call," which covered one of Greg Olsen's ARISS QSOs. See: http://www.nydailynews.com/10-07-2005/news/local/story/353274p-301193c.h tml The Expedition 11 ISS crew returned home, and the US ARISS Team composed questions for the NASA and the Russian debrief sessions of astronaut John Phillips, KE5DRY, and Greg Olsen, KC2ONX. ARISS gave Tunisian Boy Scouts a small time segment of an ARISS QSO being done with a British school. The Tunisian scouts' ARISS activities will be highlighted at an exhibit table during the UN World Summit on the Information Society, which is being attended by IARU reps. It is hoped that Tunisian telecom authorities will see the benefits of changing their ham rules, which only allow ham club station licenses. The US ARISS Team will take part in a joint telecon with the Russian Space Agency and the Russian ARISS Team to discuss and finalize a few safety issues for the deployment and use of SuitSat. Rosalie reviewed two new ARISS school applications. One, from a Native American Indian reservation school, had an outstanding educational proposal that included study of solar flares and radio propagation, and the start of a school ham radio club. Rosalie made changes to the way applications are handled to aid with efficiency. More astronauts are studying for their ham exams, this time Nicole Stott and Garrett Reisman. Rosalie drafted the ARISS-International education committee telecon agenda, moderated the telecon, and finalized the meeting minutes. Field Education Team This week Norm Fusaro interviewed two clubs for upcoming web stories. He assisted two clubs in becoming active ARRL affiliates again and received a big thank you from AZ ACC for helping one of their SSC clubs get a recruiting effort off the ground. Norm met with members of the QPC and worked on the Technician license question pool. Norm continued work on mentoring tools for clubs and mentors. Gail Iannone wrote seven hamfest announcements and 1 convention announcement for the December issue of QST; she sent 5 hamfest approval letters and 3 convention approval letters to the sponsoring committees confirming the Division Directors' approval of their events as "ARRL-sanctioned," and processed 7 handout and door prize material orders and 2 label requests for upcoming events. She sent 3 SSC approval letters and certificates to those clubs seeking SSC status and 6 SSC renewal approval letters to those SSC clubs renewing their SSC status. She also reviewed membership rosters for 4 new clubs seeking ARRL-affiliation and sent to John Hennessee for his review of their Constitution and By-Laws; sent 6 new club affiliation applications to the Division Director and Section Managers for their approval along with acknowledgement letters to the club officials and sent 9 Charter of Affiliation certificates to newly-affiliated clubs. Rosanne Lawrence updated 53 affiliated clubs this week. She also registered 15 instructors and one teacher. She sent out the final request for JOTA kits and exhibit kits and took some orders for materials including an order for a technician video course. Norm and Rosanne discussed some ideas for upcoming articles pertaining to clubs. Amateur Radio Education & Technology Program-Mark Spencer I participated in four conference calls this week with growth task force. A draft text syllabus and outline was sent to the educational advisors for comment. Evaluation of the project school surveys continue as a few more trickled in during the week. The School Club Round-up article was edited and submitted to QST. I will participate in JOTA activities this weekend on HF and satellite. Next week I will be going to San Mateo to be a presenter at a California State Technology Teachers convention. The presentation is on Saturday, but I will be out of the office Thursday and Friday. Education & Technology Program This weekend's JOTA event is the best that I have heard in a number of years. Good band conditions supported increased activity levels, more youthful voices on the radio, and patient hams taking the time to encourage the mike-shy to get on the air and courteous hams clearing some frequency space to allow the scouts to get some solid contact. Kudos to all who participated, and to all who listened in. Activity reports are already being sent. The Educational Advisors have responded to an opinion query on instructor training, the information relayed to the growth taskforce. I participated in one telecom meeting of the ED group this week, provided updated draft questions and completed a draft text outline. There is a flurry of last minute grant applications coming in as the November 1 deadline approaches. This report is early and truncated because I will be presenting at the California Council of Electronics Teachers at the end of the week in San Mateo, CA. Sincerely, Harold Kramer, WJ1B Chief Operating Officer HK:lk Staff Absentee List Dave Patton 10/20-10/24 Vera Cruz, Mexico (FMRE Convention) 11/21-11/28 Cartagena, Colombia (CQWW CW) Ed Hare 10/31-11/2 Vacation `` 11/9-11/11 IEEE BPL study project, Portland, OR Bob Inderbitzen 10/21 Vacation Kathy Allison 10/19pm-10/21 Vacation Joe Carcia 10/21pm Nat'l Science Teachers Assoc. AR presentation, Hartford, CT Wayne Mills 11/21-11/28 Timbuktu, Mali (CQWW CW) Dan Henderson 10/28 Myrtle Beach Convention Steve Ewald 10/19-10/26 Vacation Bob Inderbitzen 10/21 Vacation Jean Wolfgang 10/28 Vacation Scott Gee 12/12-12/13 Vacation Pam Dzamba 10/17-10/21 Medical Leave Dennis Motschenbacher 11/3-11/4 Vacation `` 11/11-11/12 US Power Squadrons HQ, Raleigh, NC Sarah Dorsey 11/11-11/12 US Power Squadrons HQ, Raleigh, NC