[mvarbb] Re: WEAVER'S WORDS -- BACK-TO-SCHOOL EDITION

Tue Aug 30 08:01:54 EDT 2005

Date: Mon, 29 Aug 2005 06:00:39 -0400
From: "ARRL Web site" <memberlist at www.arrl.org>
To: w8lly at dayton.net
Subject: WEAVER'S WORDS -- BACK-TO-SCHOOL EDITION

(Direct any replies to k8je at arrl.org, only.)

INSIDE:
- HQ COMMITTEE TACKLES RECRUITMENT, ACTIVATION, RETENTION
- K1STO RETURNING TO THE MIDWEST
- CONGRATS TO OWENSBORO, KY.
- REGULATION BY BANDWIDTH -- EXTINCTION FOR AMATEUR RADIO?
- TRAVEL
- QSO PARTIES IN THE GLD

HQ COMMITTEE DIGS INTO RECRUITMENT, ACTIVATION, RETENTION

It turns out that my comments in the last issue of Weavers' Words were
very prophetic.  Recently-hired, ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold
Kramer, WJ1B, announced the formation and operation of a special, ad
hoc, committee that will develop new and unique means of recruiting
people into Amateur Radio and ARRL.  Because much of the action
proposed in the League's Restructuring 2 Proposal were intended to
modernize the appeal of Amateur Radio to non-hams, the committee will
also consider ways of implementing certain of these proposed actions
using existing license structure.  The FCC, of course, rejected
Restructuring 2 and similar petitions to change the Amateur Radio
rules.

Establishing this committee is another example of HQ's responsiveness
to Board of Directors instructions to develop new means: a) for
creating interest among people (especially youngsters) in Amateur
Radio, b) for getting new hams active and c) for maintaining the active
interest of licensed amateurs in our service.

ROSALIE WHITE, K1STO:  BACK HOME AGAIN IN INDIANA

Rosalie White, K1STO, has been one of the most identifiable and
appreciated members of our HQ staff for 24 years.  Rosalie has made a
tough, but excellent, decision to leave the League as a full-time
employee so she can return to her Hoosier home to help family members
cope with medical issues.  Although she will be missed in Newington, we
in the GLD as well as the Central Division can expect to see her during
coming months as she visits hamfests, swaps and meetings.  We can also
rely on her continued assistance with the Amateur Radio in the
International Space Station (ARISS) program, her work on the new ARES
E-Letter she developed, her work on the ARES Digital Network Management
Team and her participation in ARRL's served agencies (including FEMA)
program.

Dave Patton, NN1N will add the duties of Acting Manager of Field and
Educations Services to his already-full plate of assignments.

We wish Rosalie and her Hoosier-land family well, as we also wish Dave
the best in his expanded assignment.  I just had an interesting
thought:  Do you suppose Tony George who heads the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway will be able to convince Rosalie to sing "Back Home Again in
Indiana" to mark the running of the 2006 Indianapolis 500ll race?  If
she will do this, I'll get the trombone I played while marching on the
track before the race (all too many years ago) and accompany her.

CONGRATS TO OWENSBORO, KY

I'm tossing in this brief respite from Amateur Radio to recognize the
sense of pride held by the hams in the greater Owensboro, KY area over
the Owensboro Little League Baseball team.  The boys made it to the LL
World Series where they played excellent ball.  I don't know if any of
the boys are licensed amateurs, but I feel certain there must be a
ham-parent, grandparent or other relative of one or more of them in the
town that gave us past ARRL president George Wilson, W4OYI.

REGULATION BY BANDWIDTH:  EXTINCTION FOR AMATEUR RADIO?

I initially had written a longer version of "bandwidth" comments, but
I've decided this would generally waste your valuable time.  Instead,
please see if the following thoughts provide useful perspective for
you.

Concerns/claims I've received and my answers:

1. "This is a sell out to WinLink 2000."  Hardly!  I know of absolutely
no pressure put on any of us 15 Directors (you know, the guys who vote
on this stuff) by WinLink 2000.  In sharp contrast, there has been a
bunch of WL2K "hate mail."  In addition, there is no way under the
proposed regulation that WL2K will take-over our bands and force other
modes out.  Although digital is a very useful form of operating, it is
not the prime form used by any of the Directors.  Can you envision the
15 of us would summarily vote to put ourselves off the air?

2. "This is a sell out to SSB operators."  Talk about going from the
sublime to the ridiculous!  One action the Board took is to expand the
"SSB," etc. proposed bandwidth segment to 3.5 kHz vs. 2.7 or 2.8 kHz.
Doing this avoids the need to worry over the bandwidth of a
state-of-the-art, communications-quality SSB signal.  What a
sell-out!?

3. "This is another in ARRL's move to get rid of CW."  (I've heard it
all!)  It is true that the precise width of band segments designated
specifically for CW and certain quite narrow digital signals would be
less than at present, but this represents only a superficial view of
the plan.  CW (and very narrow digital modes) will definitely benefit
from being segregated from wider, more QRM-prone signals than is true
at present.  There would be less, less-harmful QRM to CW, etc. This
would mean there would be an increase in effective CW, etc. band
space.

4. "The proposal ignores the need to experiment on HF with wide-band
digital." I have to admit there is some basic truth in this concern.  I
have strongly encouraged including such an allocation.  I can say is
that this and other details of the bandwidth proposal have not yet been
engraved in granite and that the possibility of a wideband digital
(e.g. HSMM) allocation is alive and well.  I, for one, am working
toward this goal.

5. "The proposal would abolish AM."  Not so, special provisions would
allow use of AM in perpetuity.

Finally, a clear majority of GLD members have told me they favor the
proposal in spite of the volume of no-bandwidth comments I've
received.

TRAVEL

It was nice to meet the good people at the Portsmouth (OH) Hamfest.
The weather, unfortunately, cut back on attendance, but the excellent
company made up for this.  Future travel plans:

2 Sep.  - Jim: HAMCO ARPSC Picnic.
10 Sep. - Dick: Grand Rapids Hamfest.
10 Sep. - Jim: Louisville Hamfest, Kentucky ARRL Convention,
Shepherdsville.
11 Sep. - Jim: Findlay Hamfest.
12 Sep. - Jim: Northern Kentucky ARC Meeting.
17 Sep. - Jim: Ohio Section Meeting, Columbus.
18 Sep. - Dick: Adrian Hamfest.
18 Sep. - Jim: Gr. Cincinnati ARC Hamfest, Sharonville.
25 Sep. - Jim: Cleveland Hamfest.
Sep. 30-1 Oct. - Dick: Am. Radio Lighthouse Annual Conv., Port Huron.
9 Oct.  - Jim: Kalamazoo RC/SMART Swap, Kalamazoo.
13 Oct. - Jim: Mahoning Valley ARA Meeting, Youngstown.
21 Oct. - Jim: QCEN Meeting.
30 Oct. - Jim: USECA, Sterling.

QSO PARTIES

As usual, operating in the Ohio QSO Party was enjoyable.
Unfortunately, I was unable to heAr anyone in the Kentucky QSO Party.
Propagation seemed to be too long when I was able to operate.

73, CUL,

Jim Weaver, K8JE
Director, Great Lakes Division ARRL; http://www.arrl.org/
5065 Bethany Rd., Mason, OH 45040
Tel.:  513-459-0142; E-mail:  k8je at arrl.org
ARRL:  The reason Amateur Radio Is!
MEMBERS:  The reason ARRL Is!

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ARRL Great Lakes Division
Director: James Weaver, K8JE
k8je at arrl.org
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