Tuesday, July 17, 2007
We send our thanks to Marty N8MG as he departs his SEC role and heads off to anew career taking him out of state. Good luck and our thanks, Marty. TheSEC position will now be filled by John WB8RCR who will hold the postconcurrently with that of STM. This will allow a closer bond between ourARES/RACES organization and the National Traffic System. We will nowconcentrate on our successes in improving tactical messaging and the handlingof long-range traffic for our served agencies. We completed another successful ARRL Michigan Section Outing this pastweekend thanks to the tireless efforts of K8ZE, KA8YKK and WB8WJV. John,Debbie and Roger planned and implemented this annual event and held it atWoodlands Campgrounds. Guests included Great Lakes Division Vice DirectorGary KI4LA and Ohio SM Joe K8QOI as well and Midland County Emergency ManagerRoger Garner KB8VSS. Roger was able to present the EM's perspective ofcommunications needs from the ARES/RACES program at one of several forumsheld at the outing. Other sessions included NCS Training by K8AMR, NTS fromWB8RCR, Networking and collaboration from AB8CB, Digital Radio from WB8TKLand an ARRL Forum. An occasional shower did not "dampen" anyone's spirit asa large pole barn adequately houses all of the key activities. The AnnualSection Breakfast was provided by the Michigan Section Staff, and thetraditional Campfire entertainment was enjoyed by everyone. Of Special Note: On Saturday and Sunday, October 6 and 7, 2007, The SteamRailroading Institute will be conducting its fall excursion from Kawkawlin toGrayling, Michigan. Amateur Radio has been asked to play a significant rolein this event. During the 2005 excursion, it was discovered that cellular coverage alongthe route was very problematic. Therefore, Amateur Radio operators are beingasked to provide periodic reports of train location and handle anyoperational traffic or emergency communications that might arise during theexcursion. Our plan is to place two radio amateurs on-board. One would beequipped with a handheld radio (and spare batteries!) and the other with aportable VHF (two-meter) radio, mag-mount antenna, and power supply.Communications will be provided through assigned stations monitoringexcursion progress via VHF repeaters along the route. "Shore" stations must be willing to place periodic telephone calls andshould have some real experience handling third-party traffic. As this eventoccurs on SET weekend, ARES groups supporting the excursion by providing thisservice can count the activity toward their SET points. The Saturday excursion leaves Kawkawlin at 8-AM and is scheduled to arriveat Grayling at 4-PM. However, one should allow extra time for any delays,which may arise. The Sunday excursion leaves Grayling at 4-PM and isscheduled to arrive at Kawkawlin at 8-PM. Again, volunteers should allow fordelays. We can set this up for two teams, one team for each day, or, ifone team wants to spend the night in Grayling and return the following day,we can accommodate this as well. Grayling will be holding a big event thatweekend, with plenty to do in the area. This is an ideal opportunity for an ARES or NTS member who is also a railfan! A safety certification briefing will be conducted at Owosso in advance ofthe event for those who will be riding the train. This will take placebefore the event, most likely in September. This briefing is required forinsurance purposes and to insure both volunteer and passenger safety. If you are a rail fan or enjoy railroad history, you will not want to missthis opportunity. If you would like to volunteer for this event, pleasecontact Jim Wades, K8SIW at: wb8siw@charter.net For those interested in railroad matters, the excursion will be pulled bythe famous Pere Marquette 1225 steam locomotive. The 1225 was built to haulfast freight between the steel mills of Indiana and Illinois and the "arsenal of democracy" (Detroit) during the war years. The 1225 is, in manyrespects, the pinnacle of steam locomotive technology, having been designedand built at the close of the steam era. Movie fans will recognize the 1225as the authentic "Polar Express" locomotive utilized for the initial filmingand modeling of the animated Christmas move "Polar Express" starring TomHanks. A link to the train's routes can be found athttp://www.mi-arpsc.org/images/Kaw-Gra.gif Don't forget - big doin's at the Mackinac Bridge the 27th and 28th of thismonth - the Mackinac Bridge 50th Anniversary Special Radio Event. Most of uswon't be around for the 75th anniversary, so get involved if you can - it'snot too late. If they have enough operators, the event will open extraoperating positions to accommodate. If you can't work at the event proper,try to work W8M over the air - see the operating plan athttp://www.macbridge50.info for times, modes and suggested frequencies. Thanks to Marv, KC8MLD, Ron, WA8OOH, Hank, N8XX, Diane, WI8K and John, KC8ULEfor their efforts to take this grand bit of Michigan to the world by radio. Station Activity Reports (SAR) for June, 2007: WB9JSR 602, KC8WSE 316,AB8SY 249, K8KV 200, K8AE 164, K8LJG 161, K8AMR 138, KD8AAD 132, WB8RCR 75,K8RDN 48, W8RNQ 45, KD8BGQ 27, AB8WF 25, KC8MLD 15, KC8ZGB 15, WD8USA 13,N8UN 10, K8ZJU 9, K8YB 5, K8KHZ 2, WA8OOH 0, KC8BMV 0. Public Service Honor Roll Reports (PSHRs) for June, 2007: KD8BGQ 280, WU8Y174, K8MFK 140, K8AE 140, K8AMR 123, WB9JSR 120, WB8RCR 120, KC8WSE 120,K8ZJU 104, K8RDN 95, AB8SY 80, K8KV 80, K8VFZ 66. SARs are reports of all the radiogram traffic you have handled in the pastmonth. PSHRs include your net and public service activities for the month.PSHRs and SARs should be filed monthly with WB8RCR. You can access a simplereporting form at: http://www.mi-nts.org/PSHR_entry.shtml to provide yourreports to WB8RCR. June Official Emergency Station reports came in from W8UY and W8WRB. YourOES reports should be filed with WA8EFK. In all cases, reporting byradiogram is encouraged. Packet messages can be routed towb8rcr@wb8rcr.ampr.org and wa8efk@wa8efk.ampr.org73,Dale WA8EFK--------------------------------------------------------------------ARRL Michigan SectionSection Manager: Dale R. Williams, WA8EFKwa8efk@arrl.org
Monday, July 16, 2007
Lapeer County Swap
***Admission: $5***
Tables: $12 at the Door
$10 in Advance
Mail-in form for admission & tables at
http://www.w8lap.com
***Handicap Accessable***
***Free Parking***
***All Sales Inside***
***Refreshments Available***
***Limited Electricity Available***
***Talk-In 146.620-***
100Hz tone
Swap info: kd8vp@juno.com
Lapeer Mi
7th Annual
Ham & Computer Swap
Sunday, August 27, 2006 at 8:00 AM—1:00 PM
Lapeer Co. Center Building—425 County Center Dr.
(See map on back)
VE Testing
Bring the original and a copy of 2
forms of ID, current license & CSCE
(if any). Contact Al, N8NPR for test
details (810)631-4957.
NO WALK-INS
2006 LCARA Swap Table & Ticket Order
Please Print
Name:____________________________________Callsign_____________
Address:_____________________________________________________
City, State & Zip:_______________________________________________
Phone:_______________________________________________________
Tables are $10 each if purchased before the swap, $12 each the day of the swap
Number of tables:_________ X $10.00 = $_________
Number of tickets:_________X $ 5.00 = $_________ Total $__________
Electricity: Limited & on first reserved basis. Do you wish electricity? Y N
Mail to: LCARA, Box 12, Hadley, MI 48440-0012
For mail-in form - online at www.w8lap.com
August 27, 2006
Swap Directions
Exit 155 (I-69) head NORTH on M - 24 for 1.2 mi., turn right on De Mille Rd. (turns into McCormick Dr.). Go
0.2 mi., turn left onto S. Court St. Go 0.2 mi., turn left to the County Center Building at 425 County Center St,
Lapeer, MI 48446.
GPS: 43.04728N
83.30788W
Lapeer County Amateur Radio Assoc.
P.O. Box 12
Hadley, MI 48440-0012
FCC Amateur Radio Enforcement Correspondence Posted (Jul 14, 2007) -- The FCC has posted additional Amateur Radio enforcement correspondence and documents on its "Amateur Radio Service Enforcement Actions" page. Special Counsel in the FCC Spectrum Enforcement Division Riley Hollingsworth has sent letters to John C. Kimbrough, WR3S (Warning Notice and Notification of Removal of Automatic Control Privileges); Steve L. Wingate, K6TXH (Warning Notice), and Anthony W. Cranston, WA2HYO (Request for Information). The FCC Enforcement Bureau now posts Amateur Radio enforcement-related correspondence and documents -- with some exceptions -- on its own Web site. Direct all questions concerning the Amateur Radio Service Enforcement Actions Web postings via e-mail only to Riley Hollingsworth in the FCC Spectrum Enforcement Divis
Monday, July 2, 2007
Weaver's Words
- Ham radio offers too many operating options?
- Coming soon.
- Congratulations Blossomland Youth ARC.
- US House and Senate bills would kill Amateur Radio.
- Division Convention.
- HR 462 alive; needs support.
- One of the many ARRL services to members.
- Got a patch?
- Our letter writing campaign is showing success.
- FCC dismisses RM 11306 without prejudice.
- Tentative Travel Schedule.
++ Ham radio offers too many Options? ++
It can be argued that the most major problem facing Amateur Radio isthat we have been too successful. We have been too successful atobtaining and developing frequency bands, and in developing and using awide variety of modes to use in our operating.To follow the logic, take a moment from reading this e-letter and thinkof the many operating options we hams have. Think, too, about the widerange of frequency bands from 160M through those that are miniscule inlength. To name just a few, there are Morse code, AM, FM, RTTY, avariety of digital modes, FSK, AFSK, variations of TV, facsimile andthen we have frequencies that range through much of the wide world ofspectra. The bottom line is that each of us, if we wish, has manymodes of operation and many frequency choices we can use and enjoy. So, what is wrong with this?The problem is that in our nearsightedness, we have become extremelyfragmented as hams instead of remaining a cohesive group. During thepast few decades we have allowed ourselves in many instances to thinkour personal choices of operating styles, modes and frequency rangesare the only choices "real" amateurs could possibly make. We have, forexample, many VHF aficionados who see no value in HF. We have manydevotees of cutting-edge digital modes who see no value in CW or AM --the older modes of communication.There are SSBers who are so infuriated with AMers they would nearlycommit murder to clear the bands of the AM clutter. But, it isn'talways new mode vs. old mode. Some of our devoted CW ops thinkbroadband digital should be banned because it is nothing more than anuisance. Yes, indeed, we are equal prejudice individuals.I could name additional ham-to-ham prejudices, but I think you get theidea.So, who or what is hurt by these prejudices? Amateur Radio is. Theseprejudices divide us into splinter groups. We have become VHF hams,digital hams, anti-CW hams, anti-AM hams. We are Contesters oranti-Contesters. We are "its my frequency" ragchewers Instead ofpulling together for the benefit of all of hamming, all too manyamateurs feel they hold no stake when "the other guy's" idea of hamradio is threatened by attacks from the government or industry. As oneexample, many HSMM-hams couldn't care less if the FCC proposedabolishing all privileges for Morse code operating. Conversely, manyCW ops would do little more than smile if broadband digital was ruledillegal on ham frequencies.Regardless of the misconception by one "side" or another, all ofAmateur Radio loses any time the FCC begins to withdraw privileges --modes or frequencies -- from another phase. Clearly, I won't now or inthe future vote in favor of any proposals to have the FCC "modernize"Amateur Radio (as some hams would view it) by banning AM or by limitingthe privileges of Morse or other forms of operation preferred byanyone.Unfortunately, Amateur Radio has become a marginally functioning, ifnot nonfunctioning, family in many instances. We find brother hamfighting brother ham, and sister ham bad mouthing sister ham merelybecause their operating preferences are different. This is no way todevelop a winning team whether it is baseball, football, doublestennis, an army . . . or a strong lobbying (advocacy) team.Actually, I will correct my initial supposition. We hams don't havetoo many choices. Worse than this, we have too little maturity inthought to manage the privileges we have been given for our commongood.The real question is, "Why don't we all act like emotionally stablepeople and work together to our mutual benefit?" Just think what aformidable force for each other's good we would make if we would speakand act in unison.
++ Coming soon ++
In a few days, I will send you a "proper" questionnaire. I hope youwill take the few minutes required to answer it. It will provide mewith information on topics that may be discussed while I am inNewington for the Board of Directors meeting later this month. Thisquestionnaire is "proper" because it is a click-on-your-answer,automatically-tabulated one. This questionnaire is being sent to threeDivisions.While the new questionnaire is open, I will be working to review theprevious, low-tech one sent you a few weeks ago.
++ Congratulations Blossomland Youth ARC ++
Congratulations to the Blossomland Youth ARC, W8BYC, of Berrien County,MI. A relatively new club, it is formed of young amateurs who largelycame into Amateur Radio through the fine efforts of Matt Severin, N8MS. Matt, a teacher at Coloma Junior High School in Coloma MI, hasincorporated Amateur Radio into his classes thanks to his personaldrive and the support of his principal and a grant through the ARRLVictor C. Clark Youth Incentive program.As of June 20, Matt had 17 students who had participated in ham cluband Amateur Radio activities. Ten of these students had becomeTechnician licensees through the school program. Six of the Techs areworking toward upgrading to General.Matt, in turn, is planning for a new freshman class this fall and thechallenge of introducing it to the wonderful world of hamming.Great job, Matt. Thanks and continued success with your program.
++ US House and Senate bills would kill Amateur Radio ++
This is what lead stories in QST back in 1910-12 would have read, ifthere had been a QST back then. It was in these years that some dozenand a half bills were presented in the US House and the US Senate tooutlaw Amateur Radio. These bills were backed by the US Navy. TheNavy wanted full charge over the use of ham-free radio waves. Hams andtheir spark gap transmitters caused disruptive QRM to military andimportant civilian communication. One 1912 bill would have placed theownership and control of all transmitting stations under the Navy.With such a political force behind ban-the-ham legislation, why didn'tone of the bills make it through Congress and become signed by thePresident?Hams, themselves, came together to lobby their US Representatives andSenators so heavily and successfully that each of the bills died. Evenback in the early days of Amateur Radio, individual amateurs, bandedtogether in advocacy (lobby) efforts successfully to beat overwhelmingodds against them.There was no ARRL in 1912, but there were a few relatively large localorganizations. Among these were the Harvard Wireless Club, RhodeIsland Wireless Association, Wireless Association of Pennsylvania andJunior Wireless Club which became better known as the Radio Club ofAmerica. The clubs in their individual ways worked nearly as one tolobby successfully against anti-ham legislation. No "no-ham" billsmade it through Congress thanks to the lobbying effort of theburgeoning Amateur Radio fraternity.Finally, a modified bill passed Congress and was signed by PresidentTaft who signed it into law. This first US radio law became best knownfor making frequencies longer than 200 meters off-limits to hams. Thephrase, "200 meters and down" grew out of this feature of the law. Thefeature also relegated amateurs to supposedly-useless frequencies --frequencies that subsequently proved to be the most useful on andsurrounding earth.++ Division Convention ++Don't forget the Great Lakes Division Convention on September 22 inCleveland. This is the day before the Cleveland Hamfest. For fullinformation, go to http://www.2007gldc.com/. One can even makereservations for a hotel room from this site.One feature of these biannual conventions is the special awards thatare made to Division amateurs. Topping the list is the George S.Wilson, III, W4OYI, Lifetime Achievement Award. For you who don'trecall, George is the only ARRL President to come from our Division. He continues to live in Owensville, KY and is a strong support of ARRL. The Convention features interesting and informative seminars onseveral aspects of Amateur Radio topics. These are given by top-notchhams in the respective areas. ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN willspeak at the Convention dinner on Saturday evening. At other times, hewill be available for casual discussion. Watch for furtherinformation. Remaining, prestigious awards that will be given are theAmateur of the Year Award, the Technical Achievement Award and theNewsletter of the Year Award.Nominations for all but the newsletter award are made by GLD ARRLmembers. Nominations need to reach the Awards Committee no later than5 PM, August 17. They may be e-mailed or sent by US Mail. Theaddresses are on the nomination forms. If you know of a deservingnominee, please go to the Convention web site and print out or completethe nominating form. The winning newsletter is selected by anindependent member of the press from among the winners of eachSection's newsletter contest.
++ HR 462 alive; needs support ++
There is still time to write your US Representative urging his or hersupport of HR 462. If you haven't done this, yet, please write, soon. If you need me to send the boilerplate draft letter to you, again, justsend me an e-mail and I'll get it to you right away. We cannot affordthe luxury of remaining mostly an indifferent group if we want the FCC,Congress and the public to respect Amateur Radio and support itslegitimate needs. Each of us who are concerned about Amateur Radioneeds to demonstrate this concern and do what we can to support it. AsI see it, the least we each can do is to send a letter, an e-mail or aFAX.Just a reminder: Do not write to your US Senator at this time. Thetime to urge support for the Senate version of HR 462 will come in thefuture. Don't write to a US Senator about Hr 462, either. This billis in the House, only. Generally, Senators are not even aware of billsthat are in the house.
++ One of the many ARRL services to members ++
George A. Guerin, K8GG, of Ceresco, MI, reminded me of one of the fineservices ARRL offers to members. Members are eligible to receivenotices when it is time to renew their ham licenses. The notice alsogive direction on a quick and easy way to renew them online.George said it took only 12 minutes for him to renew, even though heuses dial up. George is all set for 10 more years.If you haven't signed up for this free ARRL member service, go to theMembership Modification Form (Member Data Page) in Members Only onwww.ARRL.org. Make certain the box in front of "Notification oflicense expiration" is checked. Just as George received an e-mailreminding of his pending license expiration, HQ will e-mail a reminderof this to you.Thanks for the fine comment, George.
++ Got a Patch? ++
A police department shoulder patch is the type being discussed. Itseems that the head of the ARRL DX Department, Bill Moore, NC1L was amilitary police officer. In his life-after-the-military he collectspatches from police departments around the US. Retired-but-still-consulting Blue Ash, OH detective Rick Burdick, K8WWArecently learned this and sent a Blue Ash patch to Bill for hiscollection.I am fairly certain we have still additional police officers among theGLD membership. I am more certain that Bill would appreciate receivinga patch from each of your departments. If you can come up with apatch, please mail it to Bill Moore, NC1L, ARRL, 225 Main St.,Newington, CT 06111. Bill is a great guy, a top-notch ham; anexcellent worker devoted to Amateur Radio and fires-up a mean grill atcook outs.
++ Our Letter Writing Campaign is Showing Success ++
We haven't won the war, yet, but our letter writing campaign on HR 462is showing success. Success, of course, can be judged in many ways. The ultimate in success in this instance is to have a Congressman/womanpony up and co-sponsor the bill. The next level is to receive a replyto your letter that demonstrates the Congressman read, understood andsupports the basic premise that licensed radio services -- includingAmateur Radio -- must be protected from callous QRM from unlicensedservices (Part 15).I haven't seen that any of our Division's Congressmen have becomeco-signers, yet, but feedback from Janet Worthington of Chwat & Companyis there are a few who are considering becoming co-sponsors. Inaddition to these Representatives, others are replying to Chwat and toDivision members with quite intelligent comments that show they arepro-Amateur Radio. This is all good, of course.Even the Representatives who reply with "bonehead" letters help us. They help when you share their replies with Chwat and me. In thesesituations, Janet Worthington and John Chwat are able to forearmthemselves with the knowledge they need in making calls toCongressional offices on Capitol Hill most effectively. They knowbefore they walk into the offices just what form of information willlikely be most effective in bringing our legislators on board with us. In terms of tennis scoring, this means -- advantage, Amateur Radio.To the many of you who haven't yet written to your US Representative onbehalf of HR 462 . . . why not? Even if you take a pessimistic pointof view, there is nothing to lose by writing and their certainly ispotentially a lot to gain.
++ FCC Dismisses RM 11306 without Prejudice ++
The FCC announced it was dismissing ARRL's RM 11306 petition as weDirectors had requested. This was done "without prejudice," whichmeans someone could review the petition and re-file all or part of itat some future time.Interestingly enough, before ARRL requested the Commission to dismissRM 11306, nearly everyone who commented on it expressed strongopposition. However, just as soon as we requested the dismissal, webegan to hear from significant numbers of members who strongly favoredit.This raises the question, "Where were these "fors" when they may havemade a difference?
++ Tentative Travel Schedule ++
Jul 12: Mahoning Valley ARA, Youngstown, OH - Gary
Jul 19: Programs & Services Committee Meeting, Newington, CT - Jim
Jul 20-21: Board of Directors Meeting, Newington, CT - Gary & Jim
Jul 28: UP Hamfest, Escanaba, MI - Jim
Sep 8: GRAHamfest, Grand Rapids, MI - Jim
Sep 9: Findlay Hamfest, Findlay, OH - Jim
Sep 22: Great Lakes Division Convention, Cleveland, OH - Gary & Jim
Sep 23: Cleveland Hamfest, Cleveland, OH - Jim
Oct 2: OH-KY-IN ARRL Night, Cincinnati, OH - Jim
Oct 8: Portage County ARS, Kent, OH - Jim
Oct 16: Branch Co. ARC, Coldwater, MI - Jim
Nov 14: Hazel Park ARC, Hazel Park, MI - Jim
Nov 19: Southern Ohio ARA Christmas Dinner, Russell, KY - Jim
Dec 1: Motor City RC 75th Ann., Wyandotte, MI - Jim
2008
Jan 17: Programs & Services Committee Meeting, Newington, CT - Jim
Jan 18-20: Board of Directors Meeting, Newington, CT - Gary & Jim
Jim Weaver, K8JE,
DirectorARRL Great Lakes Division
5065 Bethany Rd.
Mason, OH 45040
E-mail: k8je@arrl.org;
Tel.: 513-459-0142
ARRL - The Reason Amateur Radio Is!Members - The Reason ARRL Is!
- Coming soon.
- Congratulations Blossomland Youth ARC.
- US House and Senate bills would kill Amateur Radio.
- Division Convention.
- HR 462 alive; needs support.
- One of the many ARRL services to members.
- Got a patch?
- Our letter writing campaign is showing success.
- FCC dismisses RM 11306 without prejudice.
- Tentative Travel Schedule.
++ Ham radio offers too many Options? ++
It can be argued that the most major problem facing Amateur Radio isthat we have been too successful. We have been too successful atobtaining and developing frequency bands, and in developing and using awide variety of modes to use in our operating.To follow the logic, take a moment from reading this e-letter and thinkof the many operating options we hams have. Think, too, about the widerange of frequency bands from 160M through those that are miniscule inlength. To name just a few, there are Morse code, AM, FM, RTTY, avariety of digital modes, FSK, AFSK, variations of TV, facsimile andthen we have frequencies that range through much of the wide world ofspectra. The bottom line is that each of us, if we wish, has manymodes of operation and many frequency choices we can use and enjoy. So, what is wrong with this?The problem is that in our nearsightedness, we have become extremelyfragmented as hams instead of remaining a cohesive group. During thepast few decades we have allowed ourselves in many instances to thinkour personal choices of operating styles, modes and frequency rangesare the only choices "real" amateurs could possibly make. We have, forexample, many VHF aficionados who see no value in HF. We have manydevotees of cutting-edge digital modes who see no value in CW or AM --the older modes of communication.There are SSBers who are so infuriated with AMers they would nearlycommit murder to clear the bands of the AM clutter. But, it isn'talways new mode vs. old mode. Some of our devoted CW ops thinkbroadband digital should be banned because it is nothing more than anuisance. Yes, indeed, we are equal prejudice individuals.I could name additional ham-to-ham prejudices, but I think you get theidea.So, who or what is hurt by these prejudices? Amateur Radio is. Theseprejudices divide us into splinter groups. We have become VHF hams,digital hams, anti-CW hams, anti-AM hams. We are Contesters oranti-Contesters. We are "its my frequency" ragchewers Instead ofpulling together for the benefit of all of hamming, all too manyamateurs feel they hold no stake when "the other guy's" idea of hamradio is threatened by attacks from the government or industry. As oneexample, many HSMM-hams couldn't care less if the FCC proposedabolishing all privileges for Morse code operating. Conversely, manyCW ops would do little more than smile if broadband digital was ruledillegal on ham frequencies.Regardless of the misconception by one "side" or another, all ofAmateur Radio loses any time the FCC begins to withdraw privileges --modes or frequencies -- from another phase. Clearly, I won't now or inthe future vote in favor of any proposals to have the FCC "modernize"Amateur Radio (as some hams would view it) by banning AM or by limitingthe privileges of Morse or other forms of operation preferred byanyone.Unfortunately, Amateur Radio has become a marginally functioning, ifnot nonfunctioning, family in many instances. We find brother hamfighting brother ham, and sister ham bad mouthing sister ham merelybecause their operating preferences are different. This is no way todevelop a winning team whether it is baseball, football, doublestennis, an army . . . or a strong lobbying (advocacy) team.Actually, I will correct my initial supposition. We hams don't havetoo many choices. Worse than this, we have too little maturity inthought to manage the privileges we have been given for our commongood.The real question is, "Why don't we all act like emotionally stablepeople and work together to our mutual benefit?" Just think what aformidable force for each other's good we would make if we would speakand act in unison.
++ Coming soon ++
In a few days, I will send you a "proper" questionnaire. I hope youwill take the few minutes required to answer it. It will provide mewith information on topics that may be discussed while I am inNewington for the Board of Directors meeting later this month. Thisquestionnaire is "proper" because it is a click-on-your-answer,automatically-tabulated one. This questionnaire is being sent to threeDivisions.While the new questionnaire is open, I will be working to review theprevious, low-tech one sent you a few weeks ago.
++ Congratulations Blossomland Youth ARC ++
Congratulations to the Blossomland Youth ARC, W8BYC, of Berrien County,MI. A relatively new club, it is formed of young amateurs who largelycame into Amateur Radio through the fine efforts of Matt Severin, N8MS. Matt, a teacher at Coloma Junior High School in Coloma MI, hasincorporated Amateur Radio into his classes thanks to his personaldrive and the support of his principal and a grant through the ARRLVictor C. Clark Youth Incentive program.As of June 20, Matt had 17 students who had participated in ham cluband Amateur Radio activities. Ten of these students had becomeTechnician licensees through the school program. Six of the Techs areworking toward upgrading to General.Matt, in turn, is planning for a new freshman class this fall and thechallenge of introducing it to the wonderful world of hamming.Great job, Matt. Thanks and continued success with your program.
++ US House and Senate bills would kill Amateur Radio ++
This is what lead stories in QST back in 1910-12 would have read, ifthere had been a QST back then. It was in these years that some dozenand a half bills were presented in the US House and the US Senate tooutlaw Amateur Radio. These bills were backed by the US Navy. TheNavy wanted full charge over the use of ham-free radio waves. Hams andtheir spark gap transmitters caused disruptive QRM to military andimportant civilian communication. One 1912 bill would have placed theownership and control of all transmitting stations under the Navy.With such a political force behind ban-the-ham legislation, why didn'tone of the bills make it through Congress and become signed by thePresident?Hams, themselves, came together to lobby their US Representatives andSenators so heavily and successfully that each of the bills died. Evenback in the early days of Amateur Radio, individual amateurs, bandedtogether in advocacy (lobby) efforts successfully to beat overwhelmingodds against them.There was no ARRL in 1912, but there were a few relatively large localorganizations. Among these were the Harvard Wireless Club, RhodeIsland Wireless Association, Wireless Association of Pennsylvania andJunior Wireless Club which became better known as the Radio Club ofAmerica. The clubs in their individual ways worked nearly as one tolobby successfully against anti-ham legislation. No "no-ham" billsmade it through Congress thanks to the lobbying effort of theburgeoning Amateur Radio fraternity.Finally, a modified bill passed Congress and was signed by PresidentTaft who signed it into law. This first US radio law became best knownfor making frequencies longer than 200 meters off-limits to hams. Thephrase, "200 meters and down" grew out of this feature of the law. Thefeature also relegated amateurs to supposedly-useless frequencies --frequencies that subsequently proved to be the most useful on andsurrounding earth.++ Division Convention ++Don't forget the Great Lakes Division Convention on September 22 inCleveland. This is the day before the Cleveland Hamfest. For fullinformation, go to http://www.2007gldc.com/. One can even makereservations for a hotel room from this site.One feature of these biannual conventions is the special awards thatare made to Division amateurs. Topping the list is the George S.Wilson, III, W4OYI, Lifetime Achievement Award. For you who don'trecall, George is the only ARRL President to come from our Division. He continues to live in Owensville, KY and is a strong support of ARRL. The Convention features interesting and informative seminars onseveral aspects of Amateur Radio topics. These are given by top-notchhams in the respective areas. ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN willspeak at the Convention dinner on Saturday evening. At other times, hewill be available for casual discussion. Watch for furtherinformation. Remaining, prestigious awards that will be given are theAmateur of the Year Award, the Technical Achievement Award and theNewsletter of the Year Award.Nominations for all but the newsletter award are made by GLD ARRLmembers. Nominations need to reach the Awards Committee no later than5 PM, August 17. They may be e-mailed or sent by US Mail. Theaddresses are on the nomination forms. If you know of a deservingnominee, please go to the Convention web site and print out or completethe nominating form. The winning newsletter is selected by anindependent member of the press from among the winners of eachSection's newsletter contest.
++ HR 462 alive; needs support ++
There is still time to write your US Representative urging his or hersupport of HR 462. If you haven't done this, yet, please write, soon. If you need me to send the boilerplate draft letter to you, again, justsend me an e-mail and I'll get it to you right away. We cannot affordthe luxury of remaining mostly an indifferent group if we want the FCC,Congress and the public to respect Amateur Radio and support itslegitimate needs. Each of us who are concerned about Amateur Radioneeds to demonstrate this concern and do what we can to support it. AsI see it, the least we each can do is to send a letter, an e-mail or aFAX.Just a reminder: Do not write to your US Senator at this time. Thetime to urge support for the Senate version of HR 462 will come in thefuture. Don't write to a US Senator about Hr 462, either. This billis in the House, only. Generally, Senators are not even aware of billsthat are in the house.
++ One of the many ARRL services to members ++
George A. Guerin, K8GG, of Ceresco, MI, reminded me of one of the fineservices ARRL offers to members. Members are eligible to receivenotices when it is time to renew their ham licenses. The notice alsogive direction on a quick and easy way to renew them online.George said it took only 12 minutes for him to renew, even though heuses dial up. George is all set for 10 more years.If you haven't signed up for this free ARRL member service, go to theMembership Modification Form (Member Data Page) in Members Only onwww.ARRL.org. Make certain the box in front of "Notification oflicense expiration" is checked. Just as George received an e-mailreminding of his pending license expiration, HQ will e-mail a reminderof this to you.Thanks for the fine comment, George.
++ Got a Patch? ++
A police department shoulder patch is the type being discussed. Itseems that the head of the ARRL DX Department, Bill Moore, NC1L was amilitary police officer. In his life-after-the-military he collectspatches from police departments around the US. Retired-but-still-consulting Blue Ash, OH detective Rick Burdick, K8WWArecently learned this and sent a Blue Ash patch to Bill for hiscollection.I am fairly certain we have still additional police officers among theGLD membership. I am more certain that Bill would appreciate receivinga patch from each of your departments. If you can come up with apatch, please mail it to Bill Moore, NC1L, ARRL, 225 Main St.,Newington, CT 06111. Bill is a great guy, a top-notch ham; anexcellent worker devoted to Amateur Radio and fires-up a mean grill atcook outs.
++ Our Letter Writing Campaign is Showing Success ++
We haven't won the war, yet, but our letter writing campaign on HR 462is showing success. Success, of course, can be judged in many ways. The ultimate in success in this instance is to have a Congressman/womanpony up and co-sponsor the bill. The next level is to receive a replyto your letter that demonstrates the Congressman read, understood andsupports the basic premise that licensed radio services -- includingAmateur Radio -- must be protected from callous QRM from unlicensedservices (Part 15).I haven't seen that any of our Division's Congressmen have becomeco-signers, yet, but feedback from Janet Worthington of Chwat & Companyis there are a few who are considering becoming co-sponsors. Inaddition to these Representatives, others are replying to Chwat and toDivision members with quite intelligent comments that show they arepro-Amateur Radio. This is all good, of course.Even the Representatives who reply with "bonehead" letters help us. They help when you share their replies with Chwat and me. In thesesituations, Janet Worthington and John Chwat are able to forearmthemselves with the knowledge they need in making calls toCongressional offices on Capitol Hill most effectively. They knowbefore they walk into the offices just what form of information willlikely be most effective in bringing our legislators on board with us. In terms of tennis scoring, this means -- advantage, Amateur Radio.To the many of you who haven't yet written to your US Representative onbehalf of HR 462 . . . why not? Even if you take a pessimistic pointof view, there is nothing to lose by writing and their certainly ispotentially a lot to gain.
++ FCC Dismisses RM 11306 without Prejudice ++
The FCC announced it was dismissing ARRL's RM 11306 petition as weDirectors had requested. This was done "without prejudice," whichmeans someone could review the petition and re-file all or part of itat some future time.Interestingly enough, before ARRL requested the Commission to dismissRM 11306, nearly everyone who commented on it expressed strongopposition. However, just as soon as we requested the dismissal, webegan to hear from significant numbers of members who strongly favoredit.This raises the question, "Where were these "fors" when they may havemade a difference?
++ Tentative Travel Schedule ++
Jul 12: Mahoning Valley ARA, Youngstown, OH - Gary
Jul 19: Programs & Services Committee Meeting, Newington, CT - Jim
Jul 20-21: Board of Directors Meeting, Newington, CT - Gary & Jim
Jul 28: UP Hamfest, Escanaba, MI - Jim
Sep 8: GRAHamfest, Grand Rapids, MI - Jim
Sep 9: Findlay Hamfest, Findlay, OH - Jim
Sep 22: Great Lakes Division Convention, Cleveland, OH - Gary & Jim
Sep 23: Cleveland Hamfest, Cleveland, OH - Jim
Oct 2: OH-KY-IN ARRL Night, Cincinnati, OH - Jim
Oct 8: Portage County ARS, Kent, OH - Jim
Oct 16: Branch Co. ARC, Coldwater, MI - Jim
Nov 14: Hazel Park ARC, Hazel Park, MI - Jim
Nov 19: Southern Ohio ARA Christmas Dinner, Russell, KY - Jim
Dec 1: Motor City RC 75th Ann., Wyandotte, MI - Jim
2008
Jan 17: Programs & Services Committee Meeting, Newington, CT - Jim
Jan 18-20: Board of Directors Meeting, Newington, CT - Gary & Jim
Jim Weaver, K8JE,
DirectorARRL Great Lakes Division
5065 Bethany Rd.
Mason, OH 45040
E-mail: k8je@arrl.org;
Tel.: 513-459-0142
ARRL - The Reason Amateur Radio Is!Members - The Reason ARRL Is!
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