ARRL Hudson Division 
 August 2002
 Hudson Division Beacon - e-mail edition
 By Frank Fallon, N2FF, Director, Hudson Division, ARRL
 30 East Williston Avenue, East Williston, NY 11596
 (516) 746-7652
 n2ff@arrl.org
 Hudson Division Home Page - http://www.hudson.arrl.org
 
ARRL Members
 
Please continue to spread the word to others who may want to receive
this information that they will need to access the ARRL members only web
site and after becoming a member they must edit their profile and elect
to receive bulletins from the Section Manager and Director.
 
ALERT: Ramapo Mountain ARC Hamfest in Oakland, NJ this weekend and also
the NJ QSO Party. It is also Lighthouse Weekend.
 
Please save Saturday, November 9th, 2002 for the Hudson Division Awards
Dinner at Biagio's in Paramus, NJ. More to follow in a Special
Bulletin!
 
> ARRL BOARD MEETING 
 
The complete Minutes of the ARRL Board meeting are available on the web
at http://www.arrl.org/announce/board0207/ bellow are some of the
highlights and comments.
 
Probably the biggest news at the ARRL Board meeting arrived at Newington
Thursday afternoon as Board Committees were meeting prior to the actual
Board Meeting either at HQ or at the Marriott Hotel in Windsor just
outside Hartford. An Associated Press reporter called Jennifer Hagy to
get information about the Homeland Defense Grant that ARRL had received
from the Corporation for National and Community Service. ARRL had
received no notice prior to this call from the press. The phone
continued to ring for days with requests for information from the media.
 Hartford TV crews arrived at Newington and there was local news
coverage Thursday evening. 
 
When Mary Hobart, K1MMH, ARRL's new Chief Development Officer was
contacted at a committee meeting at the Marriott things became a great
deal clearer. Earlier in the year Mary had applied for a Homeland
defense Grant administered by the corporation. She had applied for a
three year grant for more than $540,000 to train 5200 hams. The
reporters calling were telling us that we had received a first year
grant of $181,900 to train hams through our existing emergency training
program. Days later ARRL still had no official word but much of the
smoke has now cleared and it appears that the three year grant, funded
in year one at $181,900, will renew in year two and three depending on
performance and fund availability. Never before has ARRL received a
federal government grant. This is an important first and a validation
of our emergency communications capability. Both staff and Board
members were very excited about the announcement, which Mary made at the
start of a buffet dinner Thursday evening. Even Riley Hollingsworth who
was present thought it was a very positive development. Jim Haynie and
Mary Hobart were floating around for the rest of the evening on cloud
nine. 
 
Here are some of the highlights of the meeting.
 
6. Mr. Frenaye reported on the activities of the ARRL Foundation, and
reported that the Foundation's assets continue to average $2.15 million.
He added that the scholarship programs are more popular than ever with
473 applications received this year from which 34 winners were selected
to share $34,000 in grants. 
 
As a director member of the ARRL Foundation I am one of four members who
selects the recipients for the scholarships. It takes a lot of time to
read the applications and weigh the individual merits of each and
finally decide who will receive an award each year. We have developed a
spreadsheet program to help perform the task and then make the final
decision in a three hour long teleconference call. In the end we make a
number of ham families and their high school seniors very happy. To
those of you who have over the years contributed to the ARRL Scholarship
Fund, a BIG thanks. See page 77 August 2002 QST for pictures of
recipients.
 
12. Chief Development Officer Hobart presented her report outlining the
success of fundraising for the Defense of Amateur Radio Frequencies
Fund, and the Education and Technology Fund. She also expressed her
gratitude to United Technologies Corporation for its grant to ARRL to
help train Amateurs in emergency communications, and she announced that
ARRL had been selected to receive a federal grant for emergency
communications training from the Corporation for National and Community
Service that is managing the federal fund for Homeland Security. She
also discussed the possibilities for a premium membership program, and a
planned giving program. 
 
We made a number of changes, which we hope, will help us fund the ARRL's
many missions.
 
In minute 29 we created a true endowment program composed of major ARRL
mission- related funds for those donors who prefer this form of giving. 
In minute 31 on motion of Mr. Bellows, seconded by Mr. Fallon, it was
unanimously VOTED that the American Radio Relay League adopt a "Premium
Membership Program" as designed by the Development Office to attract
renewable annual major gifts and to recognize member generosity.  Most
of you will get a mailing about the "Diamond Club" just before your next
renewal cycle.
 
We voted in minute 34 and 35 to move Section News and Contest Line
Scores to the Web effective January 2003. The ARRL Board began to
discuss this decision in October of 2001. It was not a unanimous
decision. I voted for the move. I did so because I feel strongly that
the Web provides a better way to get the Section News and Contest Line
Scores info to members in a more detailed and timely fashion. Currently
hard copy Section News is very limited and out of date by the time it
reaches members. Web based columns have no limit on size. In the QST
version Section Managers must follow a strict line count formula
dependent on the number of members in the section. They are severely
limited. With no limit as to length using a web based system and the
ability to include pictures, the move will be a big improvement, a much
better way, in getting the information to members most of whom are on
the Internet. Those few who are not will on request be mailed news of
their section each month. Six complete pages are used each month for
Section News but less than 30 percent of our members tell us they read
Section News each month and what they read is probably only their
section. They do not read the other five pages. To me that indicates
that we are probably printing five pages a month, or 60 pages a year of
micro print that you are individually not interested in and will most
likely not read. Why should we continue to do that if we now have a
better means of getting the same information to you in a more timely and
detailed fashion with pictures added? I realize that not everyone will
see it my way, but that's my thinking. I hope that we will all be able
beginning in 2003 to read 60 interesting QST pages. 
 
We also voted to remove contest line scores. As a contester I do like
to see my score listed especially if I come close to winning something. 
I'm listed in the RTTY Roundup Results on page 90 in the September QST
with 727 QSO's but still behind Jerry, NO2T who had 30 more QSO's and
won the Hudson Division Single Operator High Score Plaque. I'm also
listed in the 10-Meter Contest in the same September 2002 QST where you
will find me listed as M/N2FF under England with a big 34 QSO's. I was
operating from my granddaughter's bedroom using an indoor dipole but I
still managed more QSO's than a certain unnamed member of BARA who had
even fewer contacts. Using the web software you will be able to
discover who that is. Starting January 2003 the individual line scores
will no longer be reported in QST. There will still be a report of the
contest but the article will no longer contain the line scores. Those
will be found on the web. All of us, myself included, will have to get
use to seeing our call on the web rather than in QST.
 
[ Note: The Web Reports (including the sortable results data bases) for
the ARRL 10-Meter Contest (by N1ND) and RTTY Roundup (by WS7I) are now
available at http://www.arrl.org/contests/results. The 10-Meter report
features a nice sidebar about the PA1TT operation as well as an imperial
ton of Soapbox including this remark from WRTC operator Laurent, F5NLY,
"Crazy with a dipole, but funny, just a hobby...I mean!" The RTTY
report features a big batch of photos and a sidebar titled, "The Meanest
Thing We Ever Did." From the ARRL Contest Rate Sheet. Please, if you
are a contester, take a look at what is now available on the web.] 
 
Both of these changes will free up space in QST for other articles. In
addition the minutes of both the Executive Committee meetings and the
ARRL Board meetings will no longer be printed in QST. (Oh heck, I won't
see my name and call!) That is effective immediately. There is a three
page article starting on page 41 of September QST with pictures and
charts reporting the July 2002 Board Meeting but not the detailed
minutes of the meeting. You will have to go to the web for that or make
a request by mail to HQ.
 
58. On motion of Mr. Fallon, seconded by Mr. Walstrom, the following
resolution was proposed:
WHEREAS, there is a need for local government legislators and
administrators to learn about Amateur Radio and its emergency
communications capabilities; and
WHEREAS, Amateur Radio volunteers are very willing to work with their
town's municipal governments; and
WHEREAS, September will for decades be an important time for all
Americans to consider the problems of security and emergency
preparedness;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the ARRL Board directs the VRC to
study for possible implementation an eight hour operating event to be
conducted each year on a weekend in September from homes, EOCs,
government buildings, and other emergency facilities designed to
demonstrate the ability of Amateur Radio to communicate locally, across
state lines, and nationally.
 
A few members commented to me and suggested that we need to do more to
show off our emergency communications ability to local government types.
 It is my hope that this event will do this. It will not be like Field
Day as there will be no set up time formulas. It is strictly designed
to show off ham radio and it might be combined with SET. At this point
it is only a suggested idea which may or may not be accepted.
 
59. On motion of Mr. Fallon, seconded by Mr. Fuller, it was unanimously
VOTED that the VRC is directed to study the implementation of an ARRL
Science Fair Project to be included in the ARRL Amateur Radio Education
and Technology Program.
 
About two years ago, after attending the Dayton HamVention, I had an
idea and a wrote a proposal and presented it to the ARRL Volunteer
Resources Committee. The proposal was for an ARRL Science Fair Project
to become part of our educational program. The proposal was very
favorably accepted at that time by the committee but no further action
has since been taken. Now that we have staff in place to help
administer an educational program it is, I believe, time to look at the
program seriously and see if we can develop the funding for it. What I
picture is a science fair open only to those students with Amateur Radio
licenses whose project is concerned with radio or radio propagation or
in some way uses Amateur Radio as part of the project. My vision is to
organize a judging system manned by division volunteers and award prizes
in each of the fifteen divisions to the top three participants. All of
the first place winners would be invited to a major hamfest (Dayton,
Dallas, Miami or Timonium ) where the projects would be displayed,
judged and then three top winners would be selected. The Science Fair
Project should help us get the best and the brightest into ham radio,
provide media exposure for ham radio, and create an interest in schools
and communities across the country in our fascinating hobby. Now that
we have a Chief Development Officer in place I think we will be able to
find the necessary corporate sponsors and financing to implement the
project.
 
63. On motion of Mr. Frenaye, seconded by Mr. Bodson, it was unanimously
VOTED that the President is authorized to appoint an ad hoc working
group to study the new HF data modes in the Amateur Radio Service. The
Terms of Reference are to develop recommendations for introduction of
voice-bandwidth data modes and to advise the Board on amateur-internet
HF linking and HF automatic control with a final report to the Board by
January 2003.
 
64. On motion of Mr. Frenaye, seconded by Mr. Stinson, it was VOTED that
at the next practical opportunity the ARRL shall petition the FCC to
revise Part 97 to regulate subbands by signal bandwidth instead of by
mode.
 
Comment: Items 63 and 64 show that the ARRL Board is aware of the
changes taking place in HF digital communications such as the advent of
digital voice, Clover 2000 and Pactor III, modes as wide as ssb. 
Currently Pactor III must be used in the digital bands in the US. There
is an indication that we need to rethink where we want to put these
modes. There are a number of questions to be answered here. See the
September 2002 issue of QST "A Solution to HF Digital Chaos?" on page 53
for a discussion of part of the problem. Does digital voice belong in
the voice or digital segment of the band? Perhaps we want to allocate by
signal width rather than type? There are some decisions to be made. 
Someone has read this and seen a plot to ban AM. That is NOT the case
nor the reason for these two items. AM is in no danger.
 
> CC&R BILL GAINS MORE SUPPORT IN WASHINGTON - HR 4720
 
--Additional cosponsors have signed aboard HR 4720, the bill in Congress
aimed at providing relief to amateurs faced with private deed covenants,
conditions and restrictions--CC&Rs--in erecting antennas. The list of 18
members of Congress who have agreed to cosponsor the measure includes
two amateurs. They are Oregon Republican Greg Walden, WB7OCE--one of the
two original cosponsors of HR 4720 with Texas Republican Pete
Sessions--and Arkansas Democrat Mike Ross, WD5DVR.
 
Walden and Ross are believed to be the only Amateur Radio licensees in
the US House of Representatives.
Congress now is in recess until after Labor Day.
 
Arkansas Section Manager Bob Ideker, WB5VUH, who ran into Ross at the
Little Rock airport while both were waiting for flights, claims at least
some credit for getting the Arkansas Fourth District representative to
sign onto the bill as a cosponsor. Ideker also has invited Ross--a
Novice licensee and ARRL member--to visit some club meetings in his
district.
 
New York Democrat Steve Israel introduced HR 4720--the "Amateur Radio
Emergency Communications Consistency Act"--on May 14. The measure would
require private land-use regulators--such as homeowners' associations-to
"reasonably accommodate" Amateur Radio communication consistent with the
PRB-1 limited federal preemption. PRB-1 now applies only to states and
municipalities.
 
In addition to Walden, Sessions and Ross, the list of HR 4720 cosponsors
now includes Representatives
JD Hayworth (R-AZ), Patrick Tiberi (R-OH), Patsy Mink (D-HI), Ken
Calvert (R-CA), Rick Boucher (D-VA), Joseph Hoeffel (D-PA), John Duncan
Jr (R-TN), Dennis Moore (D-KS), Charles Stenholm (D-TX), David Price
(D-NC), Bob Schaffer (R-CO), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bart Gordon (D-TN),
Charles Taylor (R-NC), and Ralph Hall (D-TX).
 
Visit the US House of Representatives Write Your Representative Service
available on the ARRL Web page, for information on how to contact your
representative. The ARRL requests those writing or e-mailing members of
Congress--whether or not they are supporting this legislation--to copy
ARRL on their correspondence--via e-mail to ccr-bill@arrl.org or via US
Mail to CC&R Bill, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.
Correspondents should include the bill number, HR 4720, as well as their
name and address on all correspondence. >> from the ARRL Web
 
> NEW YORK LEGISLATIVE SESSION ......
 
The "New York Times" 'Metro' section on Sunday July 28th had the
following article by James C. McKinley and Richard Perez-Pena on page
28. I am going to omit the in depth analysis of what was enacted and
what failed. It's simply too long. 
 
"A Summary of Major Actions of the Major Actions of the Legislature's
225th Session" 
 
Albany ....The 225th annual session of the New York State Legislature
dragged quietly to a tentative close on July 2, after six months of
partisan posturing and wrangling and very little real action. 
 
Time and again, Gov. George E. Pataki, the Republicans who control the
Senate and the Democratic leaders of the Assembly appeared to make
progress toward major deals, only to see them fall apart in waves of
recrimination. It was, by all accounts, one of the most gridlocked
years in memory, a sharp departure from the axiom that Albany finds a
way to do business in even numbered years when officials must stand for
re-election. 
 
Even the end of the session was not agreed on, having become, like so
many things about state government, something of a fiction. The session
was scheduled to end on June 20, but trickled on, as each house found
reasons to return a few times - the last session of the Senate on July 2
to pass a handful of bills - and each has signaled that it come back
this year, if deals can be reached on major legislation. 
 
The biggest agreement of the year included giving Mayor Michael R.
Bloomberg far greater control of New York City's schools, a big increase
in health care spending despite a looming fiscal crisis, and, after two
years of bitter conflict, a package of women's health care measures,
including requiring insurers to cover contraceptives. 
 
Chef among the long list of failures was the inability of lawmakers to
agree on revamping the state's system of long mandatory sentences for
drug crimes, enacted three decades ago under Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller.
 
 
High hopes were also dashed for legislation to reduce rising
auto-insurance premiums and insurance fraud, a package of anti terrorism
bills championed by the governor, a bill to raise the minimum wage, an
overhaul of the state's toxic-waste-clanup program, a statewide ban on
smoking in restaurants and a law to prevent discrimination against gays.
 A requirement that clergy members report abuse of children to the
authorities, agreed on in principal by all sides, appeared to run
aground on what seemed like a simple language problem. 
 
The season began with a deal between Mr. Pataki, a Republican who is
running for a third term, and Dennis Rivera, a high ranking Democrat and
the leader of the largest health workers' union in the state, for $1.8
billion in new health care spending over the next three years. About
half of that money will go toward pay raises for members of Mr. Rivera's
union, 1199/S.E.I.U. 
 
Despite questions about the fiscal soundness of the deal, it sailed
through the Legislature in January and the union repaid Mr. Pataki by
endorsing him for re-election. 
 
There were 745 bills that passed in both the Assembly and the Senate,
most of them narrow local issues like property transfers. Of those, Mr.
Pataki has signed 198 into law and vetoed 2, but most have not yet been
delivered to his desk. 
===================================
 
The article sums up our collective difficulty in dealing with the
legislature this year. I have sent the following web bulletin to all
ARRL members in New York State - WNY, NNY, ENY and NLI sections:
 
It now appears that the New York State Assembly will NOT go back into
session this year. In July we had strong indications that the Assembly
was planning to return around July 24th. That date has since past and
as we draw closer to primary elections in September and then November
elections chances of a return to Albany grow dim. We continue to
monitor the situation and will send a delegation to Albany if the
session goes into a Special session, but that does not appear likely.
 
This is disappointing but not the end of our New York legislative effort
to get a tower bill. Our New York PRB-1 Task Force will meet and plan
for the 2003 session. We are disappointed but not discouraged. We have
made a number of good contacts in Albany and those same people will be
there in 2003. We have made some very important inroads. The
proclamations we received this year during our lobbying effort from the
legislature and the governor are important evidence of Amateur Radio's
emergency communications capability that will be of help to us in years
to come. Our bill was successful in the Senate and that support will
not go away. The bills will have to be reintroduced in 2003 and will
have new numbers attached to them. Our effort is not dead. It just does
not appear that it will be successful this year.
 
We want to thank all of you who wrote, telephoned and faxed. Without
your effort we would never have had success in the Senate. We plan to
thank Senator Volker for his support in getting passage in the Senate
and hope that some of you will also find time to write and thank him.
 
Thanks for your help. 
 
Please be prepared to help again in 2003.
 
> ARRL LEGISLATIVE AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS MANAGER STEVE MANSFIELD 
 
A memorial service was held August 3 for ARRL Legislative and Public
Affairs Manager Steve Mansfield, N1MZA, of West Hartford, Connecticut,
who died July 29 following a spirited battle with brain cancer. He was
55. With the League for 11 years, Mansfield was the League's
representative on Capitol Hill. He also managed the ARRL's public
relations efforts. Although he initially bounced back following a
diagnosis of brain cancer and subsequent surgery in 2000, he had
suffered several setbacks in recent months.
 
"I shall remember his wit and enthusiasm when we worked together in
Washington," ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, said of Mansfield-an
avowed "political junkie" who'd accompanied Haynie on official trips to
DC. "He loved his job and he will be missed."
 
Mansfield was deeply involved in the ARRL's efforts to initiate
congressional legislation to aid Amateur Radio operators bound by
restrictive private deed covenants, conditions and restrictions--CC&Rs.
Introduced earlier this year, HR 4720-the Amateur Radio Emergency
Communications Consistency Act-would provide relief to amateurs
prevented by CC&Rs from installing outdoor antennas by making such
private land-use regulations subject to the PRB-1 limited federal
preemption. Mansfield also wrote and edited "DC Currents," which
detailed the League's Washington efforts in QST.
 
As part of ARRL's "Washington Team," Mansfield gave a face to Amateur
Radio as he shared its story with members of Congress and their
staffers. ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, remembered Mansfield
as "a consummate professional and team player" with a keen, probing
intellect.
 
ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, said Mansfield "did an
extraordinary job for the League in Washington." Mansfield came aboard
in 1991 with "the right stuff," Sumner recalled, and, although not a ham
when he joined the staff, Mansfield rekindled the passion for Amateur
Radio he'd felt after building a shortwave receiver as a youngster in
Indiana, and he soon became N1MZA.
 
Mansfield leaves his wife, Ellyn, two daughters, Ramona and Elizabeth,
two sisters and a brother. Condolences may be sent c/o Ellyn Mansfield,
102 Clifton Ave, W Hartford, CT 06107-1720.
 
In lieu of flowers, the family invites memorial contributions to a food
bank of your choice or to The Burris School, Ball State University
Foundation, PO Box 672, Muncie, IN 47308.
 
>From Special Bulletin 6 ARLX006
 
> NJ QSO PARTY THIS WEEKEND.....
 
New Jersey QSO Party - CW/Phone - sponsored by Englewood ARA, 2000Z Aug
17 - 0700Z Aug 18 and 1300Z Aug 18 - 0200Z Aug 19. Frequencies: 1810,
3535, 7035, 14035, 21100, 28100 kHz, SSB - 3950, 7235, 14285, 21355,
28400 kHz, VHF/UHF 50-50.5 and 144-146 MHz. Exchange: QSO number and SPC
or NJ county. QSO points: 3 pts/QSO. Score: QSO points x NJ counties. NJ
stations use NJ counties + states (except NJ) + provinces, max. 83. For
more information - http://pages.infinit.net/ve2pij/njqso.html. Logs due
Sep 15 to Englewood Amateur Radio Association, Inc., PO Box 528,
Englewood, New Jersey 07631-0528. (From The ARRL Contest Rate Sheet) 
 
 
>>>>>APPROVED HAMFESTS: 
 
 17 Aug + Ramapo Mountain ARC Oakland, NJ
 2002 http://www.qsl.net/rmarc Div: Hudson
 Contact: Steven Oliphant, N2KBD Sect: Northern New
 10 Glen Road Jersey
 Ringwood, NJ 07456
 Phone: 973-962-4584
 Fax: 973-962-6210
 Email: rmarc@qsl.net
 
7 Sep + Saratoga County RACES Ballston Spa, NY
 2002 http://www.capital.net/users/lake Div: Hudson
 Contact: Darlene Lake, N2XQG Sect: Eastern New
 314 Louden Road, #84 York
 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
 Phone: 518-587-2385
 Email: lake@capital.net
 
 15 Sep + Long Island Mobile ARC Bethpage, NY
 2002 http://www.limarc.org Div: Hudson
 Contact: Diane Ortiz, K2DO Sect: New York
 PO Box 392 City-Long Island
 Levittown, NY 11756-0392
 Phone: 516-520-9311 or
 631-286-7562
 Email: hamfest@limarc.org
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Hudson Division
Director: Frank Fallon, N2FF
n2ff@arrl.org