IN-Newsletter Vol. 27, No. 46 November 17, 2004 Upcoming Meetings Ballot Counting, Director/Vice Director Elections November 19th in Newington, CT A & F Committee November 20th in Newington, CT at 8:30am Board Meeting January 21-22, 2005 in Windsor, CT Development 2100 long term members have been recognized for their longevity as members of 50, 60, 70 or 80 years with a personalized certificate and congratulatory letter. Pins at the appropriate level are being mailed this week. The 2005 Spectrum Defense fund has topped $150,000 from nearly 3000 donors, on its way to reaching a goal of $250,000. We have received several gifts of $1000, $2000 and more. Since the campaign mailed earlier this year, a third appeal will be mailed over President Haynie's signature to approximately 6500 prior donors who have not yet contributed to the 2005 Defense Fund. This group will not receive the Year End appeal letter. Concurrently, a new Year End appeal is being mailed to more than 40,000 member in an effort to raise $116,000 before December 31. This group will not receive the third Defense letter. Article selection is being made for the next issue of the Legacy Circle Letter for planned giving. ARRL Foundation scholarship applications continue to come in. We have received information from a Foundation bequest donor who has decided to change his plans and inaugurate a new scholarship in his late wife's name with an initial gift of $10,000 before December 31. Plans are being made for the January meeting of the ARRL Foundation Board of Directors, including the preparation of a Foundation Director's Notebook. Media & Public Relations The Toy drive proceeds well going into its final full week. WPBT (Channel 2) is doing a shoot about the toy drive this week. This is initially for "New Florida" which is one of the public broadcasting shows. Their national material is also fed to many other PBS locations. News releases and updates are going out weekly. Applications are coming in for the annual Bill Leonard awards. A recording of the PR forum at Dayton 2004 has been digitized and will be included in a PIO toolkit CD being developed. Production/Editorial The Emergency Communication Handbook has been released to the printer. Editorial work is progressing nicely on the January 2005 issue of QST, and the January/February 2005 issues of QEX and NCJ. Rick Lindquist reports The ARRL Letter, Vol. 23, No. 45, distributed to 66,589 ARRL members on November 12. Rick prepared/edited news items on the FCC's problems processing amateur applications (2), ARRL Community Education Project to visit 12 communities, HF propagation anomalies from geomagnetic storms, Georgia State Convention youth involvement, W1AW 2004 FMT announcement, and several news briefs. Rick voiced, edited and produced ARRL Audio News for November 12. The list of repeaters and stations reporting they are airing ARRL Audio News in full or in part is up to 177. Sales & Marketing Returns from the recent Fall membership mailing have already exceeded 500 applications from among lapsed members. We are tracking and studying the mailing closely, because it is producing some of the strongest membership returns we have seen in a long time from direct mail. Advertising procurement for the January issue of QST is in full swing. We are very pleased to report that, after much coaching, Yaesu committed to some expanded page space advertising in addition to their normal cover spot. They were so pleased with the December QST layout that they are repeating the exact same spread in January. Gap Antenna traditionally forgoes advertising in January QST. ARRL sales crew took the initiative and had our Diane Szlachetka create a completely new, slick ad for Gap using her imagination and talent. We took that ad to Gap and once again asked for an order for December QST, this time making it easy for the customer to say Yes because we had an ad ready to go. They loved the ad and placed the order. We will now move forward and try to bring this client onboard as a regular client employing our creative and graphic service capability. Rick Spears from RLS Electronics in Russellville AR has passed away at the age of 47. Our condolences go out to his family. A handful of new products will be introduced in the January issue of QST: Hints & Kinks for the Radio Amateur, 17th edition, ARRL Order No. 9361, Retail $17.95 The ARRL Emergency Communication Handbook, ARRL Order No. 9388, Retail $19.95 ARRL Periodicals on CD-ROM 2004, ARRL Order No. 9396, Retail $19.95 We have introduced Holiday Greeting Cards, based on the cover design of December's issue of QST. The cards are part of our Holiday Publications Promotion--and are already helping to drive more business to the ARRL e-store. Members and customers can also purchase additional quantities for $9.95 per set (includes 20 cards and 20 envelopes). We trust this product will prove to be very popular with our members and that we can make this an exciting annual offering Membership Services Awards Branch WAC QSL Cards Checked 54 WAC Certs. (72 QSLs ES/C) 12 5BWAC Certs. (90 QSLs ES/C) 3 Extra Class Certs. 18 A-1 Op. Noms. 3 LTMA Inquires 2 VUCC Initial Apps. 3 Grids 301 VUCC End. Apps. 7 Grids 665 Awards Mailed 58 Processing Status: Current or up to three weeks. For the coming week-WAS Specialty, WAS in the 90th, and VUCC awards processing/mailing, and mail out all awards processed this week. DXCC Branch For the week of: November 14, 2004 Beginning Cards 43,820 Cards Received 4,481 Cards Processed 16,719 Ending Cards 31,582 Applications Pending 374 Processing Time 5.4 Weeks Year-to-date (2004) Cards Received 498,625 Cards Returned 516,089 DXCC is currently mailing applications received on October 7, 2004. DXCC is currently entering cards received on October 7, 2004. Bill Moore attended the Ft Wayne hamfest this past weekend. Work processed: 22 DXCC apps / 4,388 country credits 3 VUCC / 232 Grids 2 WAC / 12 credits Logbook of the World QSO records entered into the system 55,652,179 QSL records have resulted 2,086,358 Logs Processed 79,290 Active Certificates 11,973 Users registered in the system 8,831 Current Applications 188 Ready Applications 77 Applications Awaiting Mail 111 QSL Bureau Processing time is 3 days. This week 101 pounds of cards were received from members. Cards mailed as of 11/14/04: 882,310. No cards were mailed this week. W1AW Joe uploaded W1AW/90 logs to LoTW, and also updated the web code practice files. He performed some initial frequency measuring tests on the Harris and Omni VI+ exciters (in part for preparation of the 2004 FMT). After the testing, he also set three of the Harris exciters to the published FMT voice frequencies. Joe created the 2005 Qualifying Run schedules for both W1AW and K6YR. Joe printed both the mailing labels and certificates for the Hiram Percy Maxim 135th Birthday Celebration. He also readied a "newer" PC (550 MHz machine) to ultimately replace the 166 MHz PC currently in use for the APRS/WX station. Scott worked on slow and fast code practice files for the latter part of the month of November. He proofed the 2005 QR schedule for Joe and also handled some evening phone sales calls in the daily 5 PM to 8 PM time slots. Field & Educational Services Rosalie updated the Department of Homeland Security on progress made for the new CEP grant; CNCS has requested a weekly report to be sent to them. She spoke with a person in the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Public Affairs Office about a possible news item for the future. She handled an initial inquiry from CTDLC, our online course Web host. Rosalie set up, moderated and took notes for an ARISS-Intl education committee teleconference. JSC reported 6 astronauts and 1 spouse passed their license exams; call signs will be reported. Gail Iannone wrote 22 hamfest and 4 convention announcements for the January issue of QST and sent these to the Managing Editor. She also sent 7 hamfest approval letters and 2 convention approval letters to the sponsoring committees confirming the Division Director's approval of their events as ARRL-sanctioned, and processed 3 label requests for upcoming events. Volunteer Instructor/Mentor/Club Program Norm Fusaro interviewed and wrote a Web story about a Utah club that has a great mentor program. He networked with an ARES group and several members looking for our educational services. He and Margie are developing a list of questions they will use as a survey for the Volunteer Instructors -- welcome back, Margie. Norm is reviewing a product from the ETP that may have value for a club activity; he discussed it with Bob in Marketing since the product may be good for clubs to purchase. Margie Bourgoin updated 36 club records and sent several information kits to members requesting these. She replenished some video library stock and other materials that we provide to members. Steve Ford provided her and Norm with some time to explain the Access databases required to process the incoming Emcomm and PSAR surveys that Margie will be responsible for. Margie entered all the data we have received and both programs are now current. Field Organization/Public Service Team Leona Adams added over 20 new Field Appointments into the database, and handled the respective initial supply packages. Three dozen appointment updates or cancellations were processed as were section-related expense reports. Incoming SM election ballots have slowed, but members in those sections have until November 19. Incumbent KY SM John Meyers, NB4K, has been nominated for another term starting in April, 2005. Steve Ewald hosted a visit from the RI SM and the Technical Coordinator. Steve turned in the Public Service column articles for January QST, and showed Margie Bourgoin how to compile the Field Organization public service statistics for the monthly column. We learned that the Eastern Washington Section held their Fall ARES/RACES Leadership Summit and spent time discussing many issues, such as Winlink 2000 and making plans to test it in a future simulated emergency test. Chuck Skolaut received news about an AM broadcasting station in Texas that had been causing interference to local radio amateurs on 160 meters. The problem was resolved thanks to efforts of a local ham and the cooperation of the station's technical staff. Chuck received an FCC Monitoring Request to cover a particular 20-meter frequency. He is following up with the Official Observer Coordinators and Official Observers to put this request into action. Amateur Radio Education & Technology Program (ETP) Mark Spencer made his recommendation on the November round of ETP grants, and is waiting to hear what items to forward to the Executive Committee. He continues to develop the basic electronics curriculum and it is approximately 2/3 complete. He went to a local school to provide in-service training on integrating wireless technology into their classrooms; the school had expressed interest in the ETP, and this training was the first real step toward their adoption of portions of our program. Community Education Program Bill Barrett has nearly finalized his PowerPoint presentation that will be given to the 12 Citizen Corps Councils around the US. He continues to work on plans for the CD and booklet in parallel. He selected a variety of photos for possible use. Bill spoke with Danbury city officials and may be testing everything on them. He has begun calling some of the 12 Councils to make introductions. Some hams in other parts of the US are networking with him on their unique activity with Citizen Corps. Regulatory Information John Hennessee continues to strongly encourage non-members who ask for regulatory advice to join or rejoin. Several members renewed this week at his urging. He continues to update the regulatory Web pages and assisted an amateur with covenant concerns in Riverside, CA (N6ZOA). EmComm Grants Dan Miller was assisted in the ARRL booth at the RVer & Yachter convention in Melbourne, by Dick Mondro, W8FQT, Sandy Mondro, KG8HM, and SFL SM Sherri Brower, W4STB. A 50-year ARRL member plaque was presented to Vic Poor, W5SMM, a Winlink 2000 chief developer as nearly the entire Winlink development team watched (they were offering forums and workshops). Dan says this was an outstanding convention! Following it, Dan and Glen Warnstaff, K5CPD, set up the first-ever ARRL Exhibit Booth for the International Association of Emergency Managers in Dallas. A highlight was a QSO with Jim Haynie on a local repeater. At the booth, 28 licensed hams signed in--many licensed a year or less, to talk about communications support for their agencies. And, 73 people completed a survey with valuable statistics for our grant provider. A big hit were the two ARRL lanterns (thanks to Mary and Debra!) raffled off (and then presented) among those completing the survey. Sincerely, Dave Patton, NN1N Special Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer DCP: lk Staff Absentee List All Staff 11/25-11/26 Holiday Mary Hobart 11/29-11/30 Vacation Robert Inderbitzen 12/2-12/3 Vacation Joe Carcia 11/19 Vacation Rick Lindquist 11/22-11/24 Vacation Mark Dzamba 12/24-12/30 Vacation Pam Dzamba 12/24-12/30 Vacation Jon Bloom 11/22-11/24 Vacation Shelly Bloom 11/22-11/24 Vacation Dan Miller 11/22-11/30 Vacation Steve Ewald 11/29-12/6 Vacation Rosalie White 11/24-11/29 Vacation Eileen Sapko 11/18-11/19 Vacation Wayne Mills 11/22-11/30 Vacation Janet Rocco 11/19 Vacation