In-Newsletter Vol. 25, No. 31 August 5, 2002 Development Much of the week of July 29 was spent working with our Program Officer from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). After considerable consultation and review with staff, the implementation plan and budget were sent off on Friday afternoon for final approval. Once the plans are approved the full details of implementation will be released to the Board and the ham community. Rosemary Salerno, Grants Administrator from the CT Dept of Public Safety paid a visit to HQ on Friday August 2. She had heard about the federal grant and wanted to learn more about Amateur Radio. Jen Hagy and I hosted her visit which included a conversation with Rosalie White and a trip to W1AW. Debra Johnson of Glastonbury CT will join the Development Office as Development Associate on August 19. Debra comes to us from a position as Executive Assistant to the President of Connecticut Public Broadcasting. The Education and Technology Fund has topped off at $198,000 from approximately 3400 members. The W1AW Endowment test campaign has reached $16,000 in the first two weeks of returns. The Development Office will participate in a forum on the Education and Technology Project at the Southwest Convention in Escondido CA. Preceding the convention visits will be made to donors in Bermuda Dunes and Palm Springs. Media Relations Most of the media interest we've been receiving still revolves around the federal grant for emergency communications training. Jennifer, Dan Miller and Joe Carcia were interviewed at Connecticut's WDRC studios in Bloomfield. The 25-minute interview, for the program "Hot Seat" went very well and we were able to plug the UTC grant, the League's 800 number and a lot of other interesting facts about Amateur Radio. The show will air on Sunday, August 11th at 6:30 AM on WDRC-FM 102.9. At 8:00 AM, the show will run simultaneously on WDRC-AM 1360, and sister stations WSNG-AM 610, WWCO-AM 1240 and WMMW-AM 1470. The host indicated that he might be interested in a follow-up interview once the program takes shape later this fall, and the actual training begins. Thanks go to Dan and Joe for being excellent on-air representatives for ARRL and ham radio! Jennifer, Mary Hobart and Dan Miller also sat down to talk about the federal grant with a writer from Newington Life magazine. The writer was very familiar with our organization and what hams can do during times of emergency. The article should run in the September issue. Another Connecticut newspaper, The Day (out of New London) is also doing a story on the federal grant and how it will help train amateurs throughout the country. Jennifer was careful to give UTC a plug for their generous support in Connecticut and the reporter was passed on to Dan Miller for more information on the course itself. In a meeting with Mary Hobart and other key ARRL staff members, we discussed the timeline for announcing more details about the grant and exactly how the training will be organized. It was decided that another press release would go out after the training gets underway. Jennifer continues to handle legislative related questions and e-mails. Please have anyone with such questions contact me and messages which should be handled by Chwat and Company will be forwarded on. Production/Editorial The Antenna Modeling coursebook and the Sep/Oct 2002 issue of QEX have been released to the printer. Brennan Price, N4QX, attended the Western New York Section Convention in Williamsville August 4. Sales & Marketing Group Members of the Sales & Marketing Group attended a demonstration led by Randy Wiberg of R. R. Donnelley and Sons. The focus of the meeting was new and different methods for print advertisers to reach their customers via a variety of different magazine inserts and gatefolds. A significant part of the week was spent working on the computer conversion and we continued discussions and experimentation to ensure a smooth crossover. Deb Jahnke provided analysis reports of recent advertiser activity and month end publication sales preliminary reports. Deb also worked with Bob Inderbitzen to provide a progress report of activity generated by the recent QEX Business Plan. Our distribution of publication promotional material is beginning to pay off. We are pleased to welcome two new ARRL dealers: Tri-Planet LLC located in Ridgeland, MS and Dave's Radio in Harrison, AR. In addition, since our notification to dealers that QST is no longer being distributed via newsstands we are beginning to see dealers increase their monthly QST copy orders. This week Barry Electronics in New York NY, HSC - Halted Specialties in Santa Clara CA and Chris Supply in Rapid City SC raised quantities. July's publication email solicitation produced excellent results. The promotion highlighted the new ARRL Image Communication Handbook. A follow-up email was sent to customers, generating a surge of orders during the last two days of the promotion period. The campaign lasted 5 days, producing the following results: * 529 Orders * Sales Total (excluding tax and shipping) $23,251.00 * Average Order Total: $43.95 * 126 orders included the Image Communications Handbook * * We've added two products from Noble Publishing to our offerings. The items have been added to the ARRLWeb Products Catalog: * Q from A to Z http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=8773 * Basic RF and Microwave Design Series. 50-minute course on CD-ROM. * * Filter Design by Transmission Zeros http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=8782 Advanced Filter Design Series. 60-minute course on CD-ROM. * * Other activities: * The Sales & Marketing Team reviewed drafts of the 2003 ARRL Handbook cover. * The team hammered out a proposal for conducting the Fall Membership Campaign. * Bob coordinated house advertising for the September/October issue of QEX. * The team is reviewing applications and resumes for the new Sales and Marketing Specialist. * Advertising successfully implemented process changes that took us much closer to going to complete computer-to-plate, a process expected to bring efficiencies to the preparation of QST. * Planning began to launch an aggressive program to expand our advertisers' use of our magazines for the upcoming holiday season promotions. Membership Services Awards Branch WAS QSL Cards Checked 100 WAS Certificates 11 5BWAS Certificates 3 WAC QSL Cards Checked 54 WAC Certificates 23 WAC Endorsements 5 5BWAC Certificates 2 Extra Class Certificates 17 RCC Awards 6 OTC Awards 2 Long Term Member Inquiries 5 A-1 Operator Nominations 1 VUCC Endorsement Apps. 5 Grids (Data Entry) 406 VUCC Certificates Processed 11 VUCC Awards Mailed 24 Processing Status: Current or within three weeks. For the coming week-Basic WAS awards for July, 25- and 40-Year member awards, Code Proficiency and VUCC awards. DXCC Branch Weekly Report August 4, 2002 Beginning Cards 63,803 Cards Received 9,568 Cards Processed 15,684 Ending Cards 57,687 Applications Pending 487 Processing Time 5 Weeks Year-to-date Cards Received 373,558 Cards Returned 426,398 QRP Issued this week 0 QRP YTD 224 DXCC is currently mailing applications received on June 29, 2002. DXCC is currently entering cards received on July 9, 2002. All of the Friedrichafen applications have been entered. The remaining applications should be in the mail this week. DXCC is currently auditing 2 applications. Contest Branch Data entry for 2002 Field Day continued. Numerous problems with files from the IARU HF Championships were handled. Checked scores for the ARRL DX Phone Contest were received from the log checking team. They are being formatted to upload to the master database. Log Check reports from the 160-Meter contest were received and will be posted soon. A problem with the eligibility list submitted by the PVRC for the 10-Meter contest was brought to our attention and we are working on straightening out the list with the PVRC scorekeeper. QSL Branch QSL service status: Current. Cards mailed year to date as of 08/02/02 - 1,242,575. No cards were mailed this week. Janet Rocco spent 9 hours conducting tours around HQ. W1AW Thanks to Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV, for activating W1AW in the North American CW QSO Party. He made 583 QSOs, with 164 multipliers, for a claimed score of 95,612. Scott Gee worked on slow and fast code practice runs for the early part of the month of August. He also handled some evening phone sales in the 5 PM to 8 PM time slots. Joe updated the web code practice files. He prepared the text for the August W1AW Qualifying Runs, and processed regular W1AW QSL card requests. W1AW telephone sales year to date (2002): $6,339. Field & Educational Services F&ES congratulates Dan Miller; he will soon be moving within F&ES, from CCE Coordinator to become the manager of the emergency communications training programs unded by the Connecticut UTC grant and the new CNCS federal grant. Rosalie took part in two NASA teleconference calls this week; she moderated the ARISS-International school group and drafted the minutes. Regulatory Information John is in the note-taking and planning stages with other staff for the next printing (or edition) of the FCC Rule Book. He assisted amateurs with local government zoning problems in Pember Township, NJ (KA1AOR); Talbot, MD (K2WC); and Genessee, WI (K9OGZ). Field & Educational Services Team Margie Bourgoin sent paperwork on 11 clubs to the EC for an affiliation vote. She is still seeing SSC renewals coming in, and sent monthly reports on new hams in their area to clubs via email and hard copy. Margie worked with Tom Hogerty in placing the colorful Big Project and the recruitment Bridges tri-fold brochures on the ARRLWeb. JoAnn Arel assisted in the Contest Branch this week, plus updated records on 27 clubs, 10 instuctors, and 1 teacher. She also mailed 5 club kits, 50 brochures, 9 videos and 1 JOTA kit. Jean Wolfgang reports the HandiHam weekly newsletter carried information regarding the ARRL on-line course. The readers were informed that the courses are "blind-accessible to users of screenreading computers." The newsletter asks that any blind individual who has taken the course to share the experience with HandiHams. Jean also reports that one of the winners of the Technical Innovation Award has donated his share of the cash award to the ARRL Education Fund! Gail Iannone sent 7 convention applications to the Executive Committee via an e-mail vote and notified the sponsoring committees that they were all approved. She also sent 4 hamfest approval letters and 3 convention approval letters to the sponsoring committees confirming the Division Director's approval of the events as ARRL-sanctioned, processed 4 door prize orders, 1 label request, and sent 6 handout packages for upcoming events. Mary Lau completed the happy task of mailing scholarship checks to colleges on August 1, officially ending the scholarship cycle for 2002. New for 2003 is the creation of a scholarship application window, October 1, 2002 to February 1, 2003. Sections/Divisions with relays this week included: SDG = 2; MS, AR, GA, OH, MN, SCV, NLI, and NE Div. Field Organization/Public Service Team We welcome Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG, from Great Bend, KS, who has joined the F & ES staff. He's begun on-the-job training in the Amateur Auxiliary/Official Observer program and with Regulatory issues; thanks goes to Brennan Price and John Hennessee for their assistance. Jettie Hill, W6RFF, of Roseville, California, has been appointed as Sacramento Valley Section Manager, effective August 1, after Jerry Boyd, K6BZ, resigned. Leona Adams and Steve have been working on the steps of transition. This week, Leona received SM nomination petitions for John Rodgers, N3MSE, of Western Pennsylvania, and Melvin Miller, K5KXL, of Oklahoma. SM expense reports indicate a busy hamfest travel season. Steve Ewald has been in touch with San Francisco, Sacramento Valley, and Oregon Section Leaders as ARES groups work with or prepare to assist fire fighters and other agencies. News reports are going to Rick Lindquist. Steve helped Chuck get acquainted with the office environment and his new job duties. Thirteen SMs have said they will attend an SM Workshop at HQ in September. Steve is working on logistics for this. CCE Jerry Ellis is being inundated with queries via email and telephone about the federal grant. Despite these, he continues to improve his skills with handling all the CCE duties on his list. Dan Miller reports that all UTC-grant-related duties remain on schedule. Plans for announcements and implementation of the CNCS grant are coming together. A total of 11 students enrolled this month in the Satellite Communications course. The Big Project Jerry Hill continues work on the curriculum, specifically Units 5 and 6, which were sent to the teacher-reviewers. One of the latter is working with NASA JPL to investigate using Amateur Radio and the Internet to remotely control robots in schools across the country. A Southern Methodist U professor contacted Jerry; their engineering department is thinking of incorporating The Big Project in their "Infinity" program, which interests high school students in engineering careers. Volunteer Examiners Department Trip Report - Bart Jahnke, travel to and attendance at the 7/26/02 NCVEC Meeting in Gettysburg PA Eleven VECs met in Gettysburg PA to permit FCC staff from Washington DC and Gettysburg to be present (all but Mo-Kan, W4VEC and Jefferson LA were present). Several FCC representatives were present, including William Cross and Pat Rinn (Auctions) plus Brian Dobbs (a contractor) from DC; and Riley Hollingsworth, Mary Shultz, Tracy Simmons (the new Deputy Branch Chief filling the late Steve Linn position), Becky Little (who will replace Darlene Reeder when she retires at the end of the year), and Donna Scott from FCC Gettysburg. John Creel WB3GXW (Laurel VEC) chaired this year's conference. Next year's conference is July 25 in Gettysburg. John Creel will remain Chairman. Actions taken by the group: The group decided to create a NCVEC Web site -- ncvec.org -- for VEC news and policies, standards, question pools and the like. An authorization of up to $1,000 was approved (as drawn from the NCVEC travel expense fund sustained by the $1-per-renewal/mod contributed by the VECs, and with a fund total now at $42,000). Unanimously approved. Sunnyvale VEC proposed to bring back the 10-question multiple-choice format for Morse code quizzes. Presently either a minute solid copy or correctly answering 7 of 10 fill-in-the-blank questions is required. After minimal discussion the proposal was defeated 9 to 2. Dot/dash Morse code copy (transcription) during exams was discussed, and died for lack of consensus. The QPC offered its standard report (a new Extra pool took effect 7/01/02, Technician next for 7/01/03, General after that on 7/01/04, then skip a year for the next Extra update on 7/01/06). The conference embraced the current four-member committee for another year. FCC's Donna Scott, from Gettysburg, distributed some stats to the VECs. These were for the past 12 months (7/15/01-7/15/02) ARRL market share of elements administered was 69.8%. ARRL filed 61% of all applications (W5YI mods/renewals are mixed in here lowering the number); and served 70.7% of applicants; and sponsored 62.5% of all test sessions held. See spreadsheet attached. I requested that FCC supply me with 7/99-7/00 and 7/00 - 7/01 reports as well (that request is working at FCC). Jim Wiley, KL7CC, representing the Anchorage VEC and Alaskan Amateur Licensing interests, presented a report on the unique difficulties they have in getting examinees to VEs, or VEs to examinees. Jim's report proposed to use video conferencing, where three VEs are together at a location viewing the remote test via video conference, with a trusted individual/proctor on sight overseeing the examinee in person. Before proposing this solution, Jim contacted potential sources of financial support to fund VE travel to remote areas in Alaska. He indicated that no funding was offered by any source. He did say that the Anchorage ARC brings in significant funds from the 25% of an Alaskan Bingo license they own (to the tune of $136,000 last year) and commented that those proceeds still would not cover annual costs to travel to remote locations. Fred W5YI commented that he had a VE team from Nome who traveled to a remote area to serve 13 children-travel at the team/club's expense. Jim Wiley commented that the Nome Club also has a Bingo license. (Jovially it was commented that perhaps all VECs should get Bingo licenses-BJJ). The group broke for lunch. When lunch was over, Bill Cross of FCC was called upon to offer his read on the matter. Bill commented that: * video conferencing technology is readily available * colleges use video conferencing for credit courses * the identification responsibility is important, at which time it was commented that preregistration could be required to have the person's identity known in advance * he said ARRL pushed for the three VE requirement, in that one VE could cheat, two VEs might cheat but getting three to cheat was a an extreme * once licensed, Alaskans could help themselves by becoming VEs in the remote areas John Johnston spoke up stating that he thought the rule may be broad enough to allow reinterpretation as to what "present" and "observing" means. He noted that the three VEs would themselves be putting their licenses on the line if any concern about the requirements were an issue. He asked who are we to say that the VEs wouldn't meet the requirements through a video link with a local proctor of appropriate trustworthiness credentials. Further he said the term test "session" is not defined as an in-person activity. When Bill Cross was asked to provide a written statement to authorize such an activity, he replied it wasn't necessary as the rule was broad enough to encompass this application. Again, recognizing three VEs must agree to the use of such procedures. Jim Wiley said that he was given a soft commitment from the Alaskan Educational body that all schools would consider adding a ham radio curriculum if license testing were available. Bill Cross said that even if embraced by Anchorage VEC, not all VECs were required to use such procedures. Each VEC can choose in what way they are comfortable in coordinating their exams (pointing out that ARRL and W5YI would be the other likely VEC participants in such a process, but that we are not required to participate). The Conference voted to endorse a trial to be conducted by the Anchorage VEC, the period to encompass one year of testing (recognizing set up could still take 3-6 months before the trial), and to report back to the conference at regular intervals and at the end of the trial. While Anchorage VEC was not obligated to report to the Conference, Jim agreed to do so. I abstained in this vote (primarily as no vote was necessary-Anchorage VEC already had authority to do it, as determined by the FCC reading). Both Bill Cross and John Johnston suggested that such tests should be limited to only where amateur radio is regulated by FCC, and at certain US Military Facilities overseas. The conference adjourned shortly thereafter. Anyone who wishes to receive a copy of Jim Wiley's original multipage report to the VEC Conference can contact me. Addendum In a recent post-conference exchange between Bill Cross and Rick Lindquist, Bill Cross clarified his position: -----Original Message----- From: William Cross [mailto:BCROSS@fcc.gov] Sent: Wednesday, July 31, 2002 9:06 AM To: rlindquist@arrl.org Subject: Re: NCVEC conference As I recall, the discussion dealt with methods VEs could use in meeting the requirements of Section 97.509(c). One of the VECs active in Alaska [there are 3 that were mentioned] believes that it has come up with a program that meets the requirements of the rule and insures the integrity of the exam system, yet allows for testing in remote locations. It was a classic "how to do something" discussion. I told them that the VEC and the VEs are responsible for the proper conduct of the exams and that no rule changes appeared to be necessary because the rules do not address the "how to" of exam administration. I also pointed out to the Conference that no VEC is required to coordinate an exam session where the VEs are using a method testing that the VEC is not comfortable with. The Conference was willing to allow the Anchorage VEC to conduct a trial in Alaska of the program it has developed after it describes the program in further detail. Because the program deals with how exams are conducted by VEs, this is a matter that can be addressed by a VEC under it authority in Section 97.519(a). 73, Sincerely, Mark Wilson, K1RO Chief Operating Officer MW:lk Staff Absentee List Name Date(s) Reason Mark Wilson 8/9 Vacation Lisa Kustosik 8/9 Vacation Dave Patton 8/20-8/26 Tokyo Ham Fair `` 8/23 JARL HQ Steve Ewald 8/8 Seminar Jerry Hill 8/16-8/18 SW Division Convention Jean Wolfgang 8/16 Vacation Leona Adams 8/19 Vacation Bob Schetgen 8/5-8/7 Vacation Ed Hare 8/23-8/25 West Virginia State Convention Karen Isakson 8/5-8/12 Vacation `` 8/16 Vacation AnnMarie Pinto 8/12-8/23 Vacation MaryAnn Macdonald 8/12-8/14 Vacation Maty Weinberg 8/12-8/16 Vacation `` 8/27-8/30 Vacation Rick Lindquist 8/22-8/25 New Mexico State Convention Bob Inderbitzen 8/19-8/23 Vacation Scott Gee 8/5-8/9 Vacation Wayne Mills 8/5-8/16 Vacation Dennis Motschenbacher 8/13-8/18 TenTec & Huntsville Hamfest `` 8/23-8/24 Boxboro Hamfest `` 8/25-8/30 So. California Advertisers Hanan Rayyashi 8/16-8/18 Huntsville Hamfest Debbie Jahnke 8/12-8/16 Vacation <<VEC stats -- July 2002.doc>> Frank & Twila: I will send you hard copies.