ARRL Hudson Division August 2005 Hudson Division Beacon -- e-mail edition - # 53 THE HUDSON DIVISION TEAM Frank Fallon, N2FF, Director, Hudson Division, ARRL 30 East Williston Avenue, East Williston, NY 11596 516) 746-7652 n2ff@arrl.org Joyce Birmingham, KA2ANF, Vice Director, Hudson Division, ARRL 235 Van Emburgh Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450-2918 201) 455-5924 ka2anf@arrl.org Hudson Division Home Page -- http://www.hudson.arrl.org ARRL Members Please continue to spread the word to others that may wish to receive this information that they will need to access the ARRL members only web site. After becoming a member they must edit their profile and elect to receive bulletins from the Section Manager and Director. If you are already a member on the ARRL site (http://www.arrl.org) from the "Members Only" box click on "members data page" and then under email notification options set "Division/Section notices" to YES. You will receive the next bulletin sent. Past Bulletins are available at http://www.hudson.arrl.org LAST CALL FOR ANTENNA WORK: It's time for antenna work. While for the past month it has been almost too hot and humid to even think of hours outside readying the station for the winter months, those cold winds and snow are not all that far away. Plan now for those projects that can be completed during the cool days of September and October. If you wait too long you may well be limping trough the winter radio season with a less than optimum antenna system. Think 160, 80 and 40 as we head toward the bottom of the cycle. It's time to work those "band countries" on those low bands during this contest season. FALL HAMFEST SEASON: September 10th Saratoga RACES at County Fairgrounds, Ballston Spa, NY September 25th LIMARC at Briacliffe College, Bethpage, NY October 2nd OMARC Tailgate Hamfest - Project Diana Site, Wall, NJ October 2nd HOSARC Hamfest - NY Hall of Science Parking Lot Queens, NY October 8th BARA Annual Fall Hamfest -- Westwood Regional - Washington Township, NJ October 23rd TOBARES Hamfest - Knights of Columbus Hall Lindenhurt, NY > DIVISION NEWSLETTER OF THE MONTH The division website has a new section entitled "Newsletter of the month" with an attached PDF file of a club newsletter. The first award goes to the Peconic Amateur Radio Club and Editor Paul Birman, WA2JPJ for their August 2005 issue. Keep up the good work, Paul. We especially liked the obit of John Rieger, K2JRR, but it's a newsletter that is always interesting and has pictures. Our plan is to select a best newsletter each month and post it on the division web page. Only division newsletters that are in PDF files will be eligible. (PDFing files can save a club a lot of postage.) Make sure your club is sending a newsletter each month to n2ff@arrl.org . Yes, it is possible that a club can be selected for "Newsletter of the Month" more than once in any year. In September 2006 we will announce the winner for the "Newsletter of the Year" from among the twelve monthly awards. Division Assistant Directors will be asked to vote on the issue they liked best. The club editor of the issue with the most votes will be awarded a plaque for his or her efforts at keeping the club and the division informed and entertained. Thanks to webmaster Tom Carrubba, KA2D, for the suggestion. > 2005 Hudson Division Award Winners Selected - Awards Dinner November 12th Be there with us on Saturday night, November 12th, at the Elk's Lodge in Park Ridge, New Jersey to honor our recipients. It promises to again be a fun event with loads of door prizes. Here is a list of those getting awards this year: Amateur of the Year, Tom Raffaelli - WB2NHC (nominated by Lyle Anderson, KC2LCA and Rich Sandell, WK6R) Technical Achievement, Ulrich Rohde - N1UL (nominated by Mario Karcich, K2ZD (2004) Grand Ole' Ham, Frank Fix - K2AW (Nominated by Bill Hellman - NA2M) Lew Malchick, N2RQ Nominated by Martin Smith - KA2NRR) The committee decided to grant two Grande Ole 'Ham awards this year. The Committee was unanimous about awarding both Frank Fix and Lou Malchick the Grand Ole' Ham award. > WHAT HAS THE VICE DIRECTOR BEEN UP TO LATELY? See http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/08/18/3/?nc=1 for an answer. > LABOR DAY AT LIBERTY SCIENCE CENTER On Labor Day Monday, there will be a special event at the Liberty Science Center in Liberty State Park, and Ham Radio will be part of it! NPARC has taken a "proactive" stance to get Ham Radio into the programs and exhibits at the Science Center. They have agreed that they want a Ham Station set up and operating in the Front Lobby of the Museum (through which all visitors must pass) from 10 AM to 5 PM on Monday - Labor day. This will be a great Public Relations opportunity. Not only will there be thousands of visitors to the Museum on that one day, but we'll probably be able to get intensive Press and Video coverage of the event, and particularly of the Ham Radio Activities. Now comes the main point: We want this to be an NPARC, and Ham Radio sponsored event, we support the LSC, not the other way around! So all Club Members and friends are being asked to help. We will need operators and people to explain Ham Radio to visitors at the Museum, who will commit to a few hours from 10AM till 5 PM. We will use local and NYC repeaters, so we'll need operators to get on these repeaters and talk with the kids. If you are interested in helping out contact: Barry G. Cohen K2JV, 39 Cromwell Court, Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922 TEL: 908-464-1730 > CRONKITE DOES IT AGAIN - ANOTHER MUST SEE VIDEO ARRL Goes to Washington video now available in DVD format (Aug 18, 2005) -- A DVD version (http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=9507 ) of the League's 10-minute video The ARRL Goes to Washington now is available from the on-line catalog. The cost is $5. Produced by Dave Bell, W6AQ, Alan Kaul, W6RCL, and Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, this video documents the League's activities on behalf of Amateur Radio on Capitol Hill and at the FCC. Because ARRL's advocacy to support Amateur Radio in "official Washington" typically occurs behind the scenes, it receives little fanfare in relation to its importance and significance. This video offers an opportunity to call attention to this critical ARRL function in an entertaining and informative way. ARRL members often say that legislative and regulatory advocacy is very important to them. Now clubs, public information officers and others will be able to witness the League's leadership in action in the nation's capital for themselves. Featuring ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, and narrated by former CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite, KB2GSD, the presentation's debut at Dayton Hamvention was resoundingly positive. The video makes a great centerpiece for an Amateur Radio club program or meeting, and it's ideal for showing at hamfests, forums and even civic group meetings. It is not intended, nor available, for telecasting or broadcasting, however. The ARRL Goes to Washington remains available for downloading (See http://www.arrl.org/pio/VTS-Video.mpg ) , free of charge, from the ARRL Web site. Additional video programs are available through the ARRL Video and Multimedia Library. These free download and low cost offerings are great for use at club meetings or for other Amateur Radio presentations. (Note: You will probably want to right click when downloading and save as a target.) > H.Res 230 - Let Your Congressman know you Support this Resolution - Write please! > See sample letter at http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/04/28/3/?nc=1 To expedite delivery, send all correspondence bound for Members of Congress--preferably as an attachment--to hres230@arrl.org or fax it to 703-684-7594 also send me a copy at n2ff@arrl.org The ARRL will bundle correspondence addressed to each Member of Congress for hand delivery. A copy of HRes 230 is available on the ARRL Web site in .PDF format at, http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/filings/hres230/HRes230.pdf. See the ARRL Web site, http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/04/28/3/?nc=1, for more information. > Rosalie White, K1STO, departs ARRL Headquarters, keeps connection (Aug 22, 2005) -- ARRL Field and Educational Services Manager Rosalie White, K1STO, is leaving ARRL Headquarters as a full-time staff member on August 19. She is returning to her home state of Indiana due to family medical issues. But she won't be severing ties with ARRL Headquarters altogether. "I'm going to miss the ARRL staff terribly, because they all care so much about Amateur Radio and its future," White said. "I'm proud to be able to continue working with them, though, and handling some neat programs." Among other projects, White will continue her work on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program (she's ARISS International Secretary-Treasurer), the new ARES E-Letter, the ARES Digital Network Management Team, relationships with served agencies and some work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), among other responsibilities. She'll also help ease the transition for Dave Patton, NN1N, who will be taking over as Acting Manager of Field and Educational Services. "Rosalie has worked for us for 24 years," said ARRL CEO Harold Kramer, WJ1B. "She has been both a valued and valuable employee with her expansive skill set in Amateur Radio, our Field Organization, emergency communications, education, and aviation along with her knowledge of ARRL history and traditions." Kramer said that although he's only been with the ARRL for six months, he'll greatly miss her knowledge and insights as well as her perspective and advice. "I know that all of us will miss her both personally and professionally," he added. > Sign up for The ARES E-Letter (Aug 17, 2005) -- Since 9/11, interest within the Amateur Radio community in emergency communication and public service has greatly increased. More than ever, hams are volunteering to help meet the communication needs of our nation, states and communities. The ARES E-Letter is a response to this expanding awareness. Any ARRL Member with an interest in emergency communication or public service activities can sign up online to receive The ARES E-Letter via e-mail, and anyone can read it on the Web site. Each issue will contain a wealth of after-action reports, editorials, technical tips, news and views--information you'd otherwise have to wait for in QST. Timeliness, utility and inspiration are the goals of this informative publication that's devoted entirely to Amateur Radio emergency communication and public service. > Does This Make Ham Radio Better ? by Ward Silver (Here is a thought piece from Ward Silver, N0AX, which makes a few very interesting points.) In preparing a presentation for the Pacific NW DX Convention on new ways of visualizing radio information, I felt that it was important to evaluate the ideas for their possible effect on ham radio. After all, if new technology, techniques, or activities don't make ham radio "better", then why implement them? The implied part of that question is that we actually know what "better" is. The quick reply is usually, "Well, of course I know!" But when pressed, it can be difficult to say exactly where the Good Arrow points. A legalistic definition would be to point to the FCC's Part 97.1 - the Basis and Purpose for the Amateur Service, paraphrased here as: - Voluntary communications, particularly emergency communications - Advancement of the radio art - Advancing skills in the communications and technical phases of the (radio) art - Expansion of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts - Enhance international goodwill Those are a little dry, so translating those principles into more personable statements in no particular order: - Increase understanding of the physical environment of radio - Improve an operator's efficiency, accuracy, and breadth of expertise - Encourage technical learning about communications systems - Develop new radio services and techniques - Create new opportunities for building and innovation These are pretty much where my particular Good Arrow points. I don't expect every possible change to ham radio to score a plus on every one of those five points, but if a change can't muster a little enthusiasm in any of those areas, then maybe it's not going in the direction of the Good Arrow. Conversely, the more goals a change promotes, the better the change may be. Some changes have uniformly good effects, but most will be of the "some steps forward, some steps backwards" variety. This leaves us to count the steps, weigh them, and decide whether there is a net benefit. Things get even more complicated when combinations of changes are occurring. Two rights might make a wrong! Then there is the fact of having thousands of humans all acting and reacting at once - that makes life genuinely interesting, doesn't it? When presented with such a rich and frothy brew of possibilities, it's usually easiest to just pull the covers over one's head and reject them all. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't. If it's not broke, don't fix it. Of course, this conveniently ignores the fact that radio and radio operators are continually changing, whether we embrace change or not. Undoubtedly, amateur radio is in a watershed period, just as it was in the years following World War II, a period of dramatic technical change and a rapid change in the population of amateurs. While there was a lot of complaining, that upheaval seems to have turned out OK. Today, the rapidly hybridizing Internet-Radio combination, changing license requirements, and accelerating technical evolution of radio will probably transform ham radio to the same degree as before and after WWII. Radio in 1960 looked an awful lot different to an amateur that got started in the 1930's - a situation in which many of us find ourselves today. As you browse the Web, read the magazines, and kick things around with your friends, you'll encounter divisive and difficult topics such as CW testing, spotting networks, digital radios, bandwidth and band plans, and on and on. Even in such an environment, where it's difficult to know the long-term benefits and costs of changes, one can still apply Good Arrow measuring sticks and support the aspects of change that line up closest. Then it becomes a question of whether you choose to dwell on features that measure up or the ones that don't. Ham radio is molting - all we have to do now is decide which parts will make up the new lobster and which parts the old shell. ................. 73, Ward N0AX > NNJ CLUB ADDS ON LINE FORUM TO ITS SITE The Tri-County Radio Association, W2LI, now has an Amateur Radio Forum linked off its web site at www.w2li.org. The Forum is divided into discussion topics such as UHF/VHF, HF, GENERAL including General Discussions, Operating Practices and APRS/Packet and other Digital modes. > ARRL seeks dynamic individual for Membership Manager (Aug 11, 2005) -- The ARRL is looking for an individual with excellent organizational, communication and customer-service skills to join the ARRL Headquarters team as Membership Manager. The ideal candidate should be detailed oriented with a proven record of accomplishment in the field of membership recruitment and retention. This is a new position, and the Membership Manager will be a key member of the League's Sales and Marketing Department. "We need an experienced professional to manage and focus only on membership recruitment and retention," ARRL Sales and Marketing Manager Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV, emphasizes. Responsibilities include formulating and implementing member-recruitment activities to expand ARRL membership, analyzing growth patterns, supervising the membership renewal process, recommending and implementing strategies to increase member retention and growth, identifying recruitment targets and prepare analyses of membership trends. The Membership Manager will direct the delivery of all membership benefits as well as establish and monitor customer service standards. The position entails some overnight travel. A bachelor's degree or equivalent is required. Applicants should posses a thorough understanding of association management, customer service and programs. Knowledge of Amateur Radio or a ham radio license is a plus. At least five years of member services and/or association experience is preferred, with at least two years at the supervisory level. Complete details and requirements are on the ARRL Web site Employment at ARRL page. The ARRL is an equal opportunity employer. > New contest "Printable Line Scores" version available (Aug 8, 2005) -- A new, auto-updating HTML-version of the contest "Printable Line Scores" now is available on the ARRL Contest Results Web page. The new line scores document also automatically reflects any corrections, something that didn't happen in the former PDF version, where QST production staffers added the line scores to the QST version of the article and had to make corrections manually. The HTML Printable Line Scores for a given contest become available once the PDF of the contest writeup has been posted. "The idea is to give you exactly what used to be in QST," says ARRL Contest Branch Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND. ARRL members and non-members alike can access the line scores. "The new system interactively uses the current on-line database to generate the scores," Henderson explains. "When a change is made in the database, the line score document will reflect it immediately. Click on 'Printable Line Scores,' and voíla, it's there!" Because it's an HTML document, viewers no longer will have to use Adobe Reader to view or print their scores, and the type font is a bit larger and easier to read too. "This means it might take a couple of more pages to print the scores, but they'll be more readable," Henderson said. Printable Line Scores are available for any ARRL contest that includes an on-line database for members. That's most ARRL Contests starting with the 2001 ARRL November CW Sweepstakes. > PARC Founder and Inspiration, John R. Rieger, K2JRR is a Silent Key Peconic ARC Founder John Rieger, K2JRR, passed away August 2nd. While always interested in radio John came to ham radio late in life getting his Novice license in 1993. Back in the 1950's John founded the first FM broadcast station on Long Island, WLIR-FM, broadcasting from a subbasement of the Garden City Hotel, with its antenna concealed in the hotel's cupola. John was a class guy and will be missed by more than just the members of the Peconic Amateur Radio Club. Visit http://www.hudson.arrl.org/ to see a copy of the PARC newsletter with the obit and pictures. HAMFESTS: 10 Sep 2005+Saratoga County RACES http://wa2umx.net Talk-In: 146.40/147.00, 147.84/147.24 Contact:Darlene Lake, N2XQG 314 Louden Road, #84 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Phone: 518-587-2385 Email: dar@saratogaspringsny.usBallston Spa, NY Saratoga County Fairgrounds 163 Prospect Street 25 Sep 2005+LIMARC Outdoor Hamfair & Electronics Flea Market Long Island Mobile Amateur Radio Club http://www.limarc.org Talk-In: 146.85 (PL 136.5) Contact:Rick Bressler, K2RB c/o Sign-A-Rama 34A Hempstead Turnpike Farmingdale, NY 11735 Phone: 516-526-6975 Fax: 516-756-2921 Email: hamfest@limarc.orgBethpage, NY Briarcliffe College 1055 Stewart Avenue 2 Oct 2005+OMARC TAILGATE HAMFEST Ocean-Monmouth ARC http://www.omarc.org Talk-In: 145.110 -600 (PL 127.3) & 443.00 +5Mhz (PL 127.3) Contact:Jeff Harshman, N2LXM c/o OMARC PO Box 267 Oakhurst, NJ 07755 Phone: 908-922-0816 Email: n2lxm@juno.comWall Township, NJ Project Diana Site Marconi Road, Camp Evans 2 Oct 2005+Hall of Science Amateur Radio Club http://www.HOSARC.org Talk-In: 444.200 (PL 136.5); 146.52 Simplex Contact:Stephen Greenbaum, WB2KDG 85-10 34th Avenue, Apt. 323 Jackson Heights, NY 11372 Phone: 718-898-5599 Email: WB2KDG@arrl.netQueens, NY New York Hall of Science Parking Lot Flushing Meadow Corona Park 47-01 111th Street 8 Oct 2005+BARA Annual Fall Hamfest Bergen Amateur Radio Association http://www.bara.org Talk-In: 146.19/.79 (PL 141.3) Contact:Jim Joyce, K2ZO 286 Ridgewood Blvd. North Washington Township, NJ 07676 Phone: 201-664-6725 Email: k2zo@arrl.netWashington Township, NJ Westwood Regional Jr./Sr. High School 701 Ridgewood Road 23 Oct 2005+TOBARES Hamfest Town of Babylon Amateur Radio Emergency Services http://www.tobares.org/hamfest.html Talk-In: 146.685 / R (PL 110.9) Contact:Walter Wenzel, KA2RGI 373 15th Street West Babylon, NY 11704 Phone: 631-957-0218 Fax: 631-957-0218 (Call first) Email: tobares@optonline.netLindenhurst, NY Knights of Columbus Hall 400 South Broadway -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARRL Hudson Division Director: Frank Fallon, N2FF n2ff@arrl.org