IN-Newsletter Vol. 28, No. 50 December 14, 2005 -- Covers the period December 4-10. Upcoming Meetings and Events Annual Board Meeting January 20-21, 2006 in Windsor, CT Development The 2006 Spectrum Defense Fund has now topped $121,000 from more than 2300 members. A new offer is being designed staring in January to recruit members for the Diamond Club, thanks to help from Bob Inderbitzen and Kathy Capodicasa. An informational insert is being printed to promote planned giving and the ARRL Legacy Circle. Development represented ARRL at the National Conference for Individuals with Disabilities in Washington. In addition to learning more about the goals and needs of this audience, the conference offered ARRL an opportunity to exhibit brochures about Emergency Communications and Youth Activities as well as providing opportunities to promote Amateur Radio in forums on disaster preparedness. Several funding possibilities emerged which will be carefully researched. Media & Public Relations 14 entries for the Leonard Award were digitally duplicated and sent to all members of the PR committee. For Hello!, the logo is done, Italy shot video in front of the coliseum with past President Cossiga and is sending it in. The Swiss Army Knife for PIOs cover is done and the files are done except for last (post BOD meet) additions. Media Hits column was chosen from many good choices. The Toy Drive progresses well. 150 electronic learning lab kids and many bicycles have been purchased with donations. We have needed to go to a 3rd truck, and may well need a 4th. A media event is planned for the 15th at 2pm when the trucks leave. Every TV, radio and newspaper media outlet in the region has been contacted twice about it. Another media event, run by TSA, is at 1:30pm the following day when they arrive at Jackson which is the regional HQ. The toys will continue south to the coastal areas. Several local hams are planning to join in the actual distribution process. I will be gone Wednesday afternoon through the end of the week to go to Memphis. Among the VIP's expected at Memphis are: Bill Feist - SE Regional Disaster Coordinator for TSA; Mark Jones - Regional PR Manager TSA; Tonya Meeks - special assistant to Congressman Ford; Rep from Sen L. Alexander; Mayor Wharton. Production/Editorial Rick Lindquist reports The ARRL Letter, Vol. 24, No. 48, distributed to 65,879 members on Dec 9. Rick compiled "Happenings" in for Feb 2006 QST and updated written procedures for producing ARRL Audio News and submitted them to Joel Kleinman for review. This was done so that Allen Pitts can handle AAN while Rick's out of town the first week in January. Rick also prepared/edited stories on: Guilty verdict (6 counts) in Gerritsen radio jamming case; ARISS school group contacts in Massachusetts and Canada, Holiday Toy Drive donation deadline, Bob Schetgen-SK, the "QRP Community" column and several news briefs and announcements. Rick voiced, edited and produced ARRL Audio News for Dec 9. Sales & Marketing Returns from November's membership mailing to 20,000 lapsed members (General, Adv, and Extra) continue to come in-and is quickly approaching a 2% return. Holiday cards and gifts have been sent to advertisers, dealers and other sales and marketing clients. The Repeater Directory flyer was mailed last week. A solicitation which includes the Repeater Directory flyer PDF will be sent to ARRL clubs that operate repeaters. The Advertising Matters 2006 newsletter is nearly ready to be printed. Work is well underway on February 2006 QST advertising. HamPROS will be alternating ads with QST and CQ for 2006. KU4AB.com, a CQ advertiser, has committed to a 3 month ad campaign. As soon as a decision is made on the possibility of stocking our third "Dummies" title - Electronics for Dummies, an announcement of our new 25% discount on "Dummies" titles will be sent to the dealers. New ham information was mailed to 5 prospects this week. Product sales returns were brisk this past weekend, largely the result of an e-mail solicitation sent to nearly 48,000 members on Thursday and Friday. The campaign was built around a 4-day free shipping incentive for orders of $25 or more. Gross Sales (excluding tax and shipping) exceeded $37,000 [685 orders; average order amount $55.09]. A survey was conducted of current Repeater Directory owners. The survey was hosted using a trial subscription to an online survey provider. Tabulated responses began to accumulate within minutes of sending the invitation to complete the survey. The results will help our publications feedline team-an intradepartmental staff team that evaluates product opportunities. The majority of survey responses indicated a high degree of satisfaction with the current Repeater Directory product. Some additional results provided suggestions for new features and other related products. The 2006 ARRL Amateur Radio Calendars are a hit! We'll likely exhaust the supply before mid-January, far-exceeding expectations for sales and distribution. Thanks goes to Debra Johnson for her leadership in seeing this project through production, and to Sue Fagan for her consummate design. A solicitation for QEX and NCJ generated a handful of subscriptions during the past week. The solicitation included an incentive for multi-year subscriptions. In the week following the e-mailing, 279 QEX and 60 NCJ subscriptions were received, with a considerable number of multi-year subscribers. Online Courses Classes that opened on Dec 2 contained 122 students. November stipends to mentors have been mailed. ON-LINE COURSES Registrations During this week Graduations Antenna Modeling (EC-004) 2 4 HF Digital (EC-005) 0 0 RFI (EC-006) 0 2 VHF/UHF (EC-008) 0 0 Antenna Design and Construction (EC-009) 0 0 Technician Licensing (EC-010) 1 1 Propagation (EC-011) 1 0 Analog Electronics (EC-012) 0 1 Digital Electronics (EC-013) 0 0 Emergency Comm. Level 1 (EC-001) 7 60 Emergency Comm. Level 2 (EC-002) 8 8 Emergency Comm. Level 3 (EC-003) 9 14 Membership Services Awards Branch WAS Certificates (500 QSLs F/C) 10 WAS Certificates (350 QSLs ES/C) 7 Long-Term Member Inquiries 1 DXCC Plaque Charges 35 DXCC Plaques Shipped 2 A-1 Operator Nominations 8 VUCC Initial Applications 6 Grids 924 VUCC Endorsement Applications 1 Grids 6 In addition, compiled, proofed and submitted the latest VUCC award listing for February QST. Processing Status: Current or up to three weeks. For the coming week-Complete the report for January BOD meeting, Extra Class certificates, mail out the processed awards from the last two weeks, proof 80 DXCC engraved plates, and work with DXCC staff to ship the 80 plaques. Contest Branch Proofing of the 2005 IARU Web results article began and the results should be available on the web the week of December 12. Data entry for the November Sweepstakes continues. Parts of the EME database had to be re-written to incorporate the new categories added, after which data entry was begun for the 2005 Competition. The branch report for the 2006 January Board meeting was written and sent to the MSD assistant. Data entry on Sweepstakes cups/pins orders continued. N1ND also provided W1AW station coverage and conducted a tour on Thursday. DXCC Branch For the Week of: December 11, 2005 Beginning Credits 45,033 Credits Received 11,362 Credits Processed 2,830 Ending Credits 53,672 Applications Pending 401 Processing time 6.6 Weeks Year-to-date (2005) Credits Received 569,654 Credits Returned 598,244 DXCC is currently entering credits received on November 8, 2005. DXCC is currently mailing applications received on October 26, 2005. Logbook of the World QSO records entered into the system 85,627,512 QSL records have resulted 4,289,039 Logs Processed 166,912 Active Certificates 16,700 Users registered in the system 11,067 Hybrids Pending Mail 94 QSL Branch There is a 5 day processing time delay. This week, 83 pounds of cards were received from members. 27,125 cards were shipped this past week. W1AW Joe updated the web code practice files. He created the texts for the December W1AW Qualifying Runs. He also processed four (4) Qualifying Run endorsements and one new certificate. Joe processed regular W1AW QSL card requests. On Wednesday, he presented "HQ Staff access to the donated Kenwood TS-480SAT" during a "Brownbag Seminar" to HQ staff. Joe and other staff continue testing with the new 1.2 GHz D-Star repeater system. Joe also worked the late afternoon/night shift on Thursday for a vacationing Scott Gee. Scott worked on fast and slow code practice files for the month of December. He also handled some evening phone sales calls in the daily 5 PM to 8 PM time slots. Scott is also assisting the DXCC department by proof-reading applications that have been inputted into the DXCC system, but require a check of the work. Field & Educational Services Field Organization/Public Service Team Leona Adams received and handled several Section Manager petitions as the deadline for nominations arrived for terms beginning in April, 2006. Those nominated include Pete Cecere, N2YJZ (Eastern New York), Mickey Cox, K5MC (Louisiana), Tuck Miller, NZ6T (San Diego), Rich Beebe, N0PV (South Dakota), and Timothy Slay, N4IB (North Carolina). There will be an election in the Virginia section this winter. Chuck Skolaut received an FCC monitoring request for assistance from our Official Observers about a 2-meter frequency and one on 75 meters. Documentation has been received concerning problems observed on another 75-meter frequency as well as responses to an earlier FCC request on this same band. The ARRL Monitoring System has added a new member from South Carolina. Chuck is also kept track of several intruder reports on 75, 17 and 15 meters that have now been identified. Steve Ewald participated in a meeting with Alabama SM Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, and Vice President Kay Craigie and several other HQ Staff Leaders to discuss ARRL response to the hurricane emergencies. We heard from our National Weather Service co-sponsors of SKYWARN Recognition Day (held December 3). Early response indicates another successful and enjoyable event despite some poor band conditions. Steve is also working on February QST. ARISS PR: Ralph McCall School, Alberta, saw an audience at their ARISS QSO of 920 students, plus 140 from Chestermere School. Visiting dignitaries included Parliament Member Myron Thompson, the superintendent and associate superintendent of schools, school board trustee, 4 city councilors, mayor of Airdrie, and several area high school principals. Media reps were from: CBC TV & radio (www.cbc.ca/story/science/national/2005/12/02/astronauts-school051202.ht ml), Reuters, Newsworld, CTV news, City TV, Global TV, Calgary Sun, Calgary Herald, and 3 local newspapers. Seven New Hampshire media reps ran stories (see one at: www.thecommunityjournal.com/news/2005/1202/Townsend/034.html) on Hawthorne Brook Middle School's ARISS QSO where 100 people, including the district superintendent watching. ARISS News update: Rosalie conferred with MSD and F&ES on Bill McArthur's hopes to earn 2-meter and 70-cm WAC and DXCC from space! Astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria was assigned KE5GTK. ARISS' affect on schools/students: A New York 6th grader who didn't ask a question of Bill McArthur, but watched others interviewing him said, "I'll remember this for the rest of my life." Rosalie is working on whether an astronaut can record a greeting for HandiHams Camp. She assisted an ARISS school with how it can pay for an astronaut to visit and take part in local events. She aided an ARISS school that left the queue, rekindled their ham activity, and is now back in the queue. International Aspects: Rosalie drafted an agenda, took notes, and wrote the minutes for the ARISS-International School Selection and Educational Outreach Committee. She sent a list to the international mentors of all the schools that have not yet submitted NASA evaluations in the past two months. Italian astronaut Roberto Vittori, IZ6ERU, attended an education conference in Casale Monferrato and met with students from a school that won the European Space Agency's ARISS school competition. Field Education Team This week Norm Fusaro helped a ham with ALS find some help to set up his station. He worked with Diane Szlachetka to design a new Elmer Award. This was sent to the printer. Norm also worked with Gordon, AB3AX, in getting his ham classes started and helped Margo McKendree, Emergency Volunteer Coordinator in Nebraska coordinate with ARRL Affiliated Clubs for inclusion in EC planning. Norm sent out a batch of ARRISS QSL cards and fielded several calls concerning ISS contacts. Gail Iannone wrote 29 hamfest announcements and 4 convention announcements for the February issue of QST and sent to the Managing Editor. She also sent 6 hamfest approval letters and 1 convention approval letter to the sponsoring committees confirming the Division Directors' approval of their events as "ARRL-sanctioned" and processed 13 handout and door prize material orders for upcoming events. She sent 1 SSC approval letter and certificate to the president of a club seeking SSC status. Rosanne Lawrence ordered videos from Allied Vaugh Company. She also assisted a student and aviation teacher with extra material for exhibit to promote ham radio and start a club. Club Updates--21 Instructor Reg--4 Jota--1 Exhibit--1 Premade--12 kits Phone Orders--2 SSCs--10 to ACCs for approvals Amateur Radio Education & Technology Program-Mark Spencer The Ohm's Law Exploration Board prototype was completed this week. The board has been used in a ham class setting and it works as anticipated. This board development completes the next increment of boards that will be offered to Project schools early next year. A proposal for ARRL supplied volunteer instructor support resources has been drafted for presentation to the education committee during next week's meeting. I have been working with a Reno school that is scheduled for a January ARISS contact. My efforts have focused on getting their rotor system and tracking interface operational for the contact. Sincerely Compiled by, Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ Assistant to the CEO Staff Absentee List All Staff 12/26 Holiday `` 1/2 Holiday John Hennessee 12/16-12/26 Vacation Scott Gee 12/22-12/23 Vacation Steve Ford 12/16 Vacation `` 12/24-1/3 Vacation Bob Inderbitzen 12/27-12/30 Vacation Zoe Belliveau 12/27-12/30 Vacation Diane Szlachetka 12/27-12/30 Vacation Rick Lindquist 12/27-1/6 Vacation Joel Kleinman 12/29-12/30 Vacation Perry Williams 12/23-1/3 Vacation Mary Hobart 12/22-12/23 Vacation Steve Capodicasa 12/27 Vacation Dennis Motschenbacher 12/27-12/30 Vacation Allen Pitts 12/24-1/2 Vacation Dan Henderson 12/22-1/4 Vacation Gail Iannone 12/19-12/30 Vacation Norman Fusaro 12/23-1/2 Vacation Joe Carcia 12/14pm Vacation `` 12/15pm Vacation Greg Kwasowski 12/19-12/31 Vacation MaryAnn Macdonald 12/27-12/30 Vacation AnnMarie Pinto 12/19 Vacation `` 12/23pm Vacation `` 12/27 Vacation Debra Johnson 12/16-12/19 Vacation Mary Hobart 12/22-12/30 Vacation Lisa Taedette 12/27-12/30 Vacation