[CVRC] ARRL Club News for December 2007

Sat Dec 15 19:34:04 EST 2007

ARRL Club Newsletter
December 14, 2007
____________________________________________________________________

Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, Editor

IN THIS ISSUE:
+ Remember When?  Remember Now.
+ New Customizable Awards
+ ARRL Insurance Benefit
+ Once Affiliated, Always Affiliated

_____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________

Remember When?	Remember Now.
By Norm Fusaro, W3IZ

At one time or another we have all drifted back to happier, simpler
times to help ease the stresses of life.  While many professionals
might agree that an occasional trip down memory lane is healthy and
often therapeutic, few would recommend that we live in the past.  Our
human brains are wired to remember things that are comforting and
suppress unpleasant memories.  That is why we tend to use phrases
like "the good old days" even if the time in reference was peppered
with hardship.

Depending on how you look at it, ham radio like the automobile, has
either hardly changed over the last 100 years or has advanced
dramatically because of technological progress.  Today's automobiles
are loaded with safety features and convenience gimmicks yet the
basic car is still a wheeled vehicle that burns fossil fuel in an
internal combustion engine in order to transport passengers from
point A to point B.  In comparison radio operators still modulate and
demodulate electromagnetic signals to communicate with stations near
and far.  Computer processing and micro electronics play a big part
in how these illustrations have evolved, but have things really
changed?

Amateur Radio is just one of many sectors where we see
state-of-the-art technology blended with traditional concepts.	A
trip to any marina will find modern sailboats made from composite
materials and loaded with the latest navigational electronic devices
but the basic component, harnessing energy from the wind to propel a
vessel, has not changed in the thousands of years since its
discovery.  I am sure that you can think of your own examples where
the application of modern technology has reshaped an old-fashioned
idea, but the point is that while it is nice to remember and
replicate things from the past, we live in the present.

Many people have an image of Amateur Radio as a nostalgic remembrance
of another time when radio seemed to be magical when in fact it has
always been cutting edge and futuristic.  This portrayal of ham radio
is reinforced by radio amateurs themselves through their reluctance
to accept change and their insistence on preserving old technologies.
  The propensity to look back is not as prevalent in other activities
as it is in Amateur Radio.  When I go fishing I don't run into any
anglers sporting woven rattan creels and bamboo fishing poles yet
there is not a day that goes by when I am not reminded that "real
radios glow in the dark" or some other witty reference to bygone
times.	How far back do we want to go to be authentic before it
becomes absurd?  "If it ain't spark it ain't radio?"

Years ago companies like Heath provided a way for many to get
involved with Amateur Radio through kit building.  The radio kit was
less expensive than factory produced gear and, depending on the skill
level of the builder, the finished products performed pretty well.
Maintenance and repairs were easily performed because the builder had
an intimate knowledge of the circuitry.  Today, mass production and
robotic manufacturing processes help drive down the cost of
electronic equipment and in many situations make replacing a device
more cost effective than repairing it.	A current manufacturer of
Amateur Radio that started life as a kit company quickly experienced
a similar evolution.  After a few short years of producing kits, the
company found that they could offer a better product at a lower cost
by providing assembled circuit boards populated with surface mount
components.  Assembly is a matter of plugging-in boards and
configuring systems similar to how a computer is built.  Digital
electronics has allowed the experimenter to trade-in the soldering
iron for computer software codes and the term home-brewing, once a
common ham radio activity, has now given way to a more descriptive
phrase -- soft-brewing.

Developers like Joe Taylor, K1JT have completely re-written the rules
when it comes to EME, meteor scatter and other exotic digital modes
once reserved for the eccentric radio amateur.	Today many hams
employ WSJT software with modest stations to ricochet information to
one another via the lunar surface.  Other software experimenters are
developing new modes and tools for the radio amateur to exploit the
power of digital processing.  Commercial interests are able to offer
feature packed equipment that is relatively less expensive than gear
offered in the past, and hams are finding applications for this stuff
that could only be imagined a short time ago.

Amateur radio has many examples of innovation and creativity.
Sometimes an idea can be ahead of its time.  Take for instance an
article that appeared in the July 1934 issue of QST that suggested
"International Round Table Nets and Globe Circling Relays" using an
elaborate network of tape machines and relays to remotely control HF
stations as far as 200 miles away so that the ARRL broadcast could be
made simultaneously in all 48 United States.  We are able to do that
exact thing today using Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) but there
are some who will argue that this is not "real" radio.	Phooey!

ARRL founder Hiram Percy Maxim, W1AW was a forward thinker who moved
in the same circles as Edison, Ford and Firestone, people who changed
our world.  Maxim was innovative and has many inventions to his
credit.  When the spark gap transmitter used at Maxim's station 1AW,
could no longer generate radio signals it was replaced by a modern
transmitter that used vacuum tubes.  When asked if there were plans
to repair the spark gap transmitter Maxim acknowledged the position
of employing modern technology when he remarked "The voice of the
spark set at 1AW will not be heard again." (QST, January 1923, pg 14)

Maxim was always looking beyond the horizon.  Displayed in a showcase
at ARRL headquarters is the Elser-Mathis cup.  This trophy was
inspired by Col Fred Johnson Elser, W6FB and SCM Lt Cmdr Stanley
Mathes, K1CY after Elser learned of Maxim's fascination with the
planet Mars.  The unique wooden cup is waiting to be awarded to any
radio amateur for the first Amateur Radio Contact between Earth and
Mars.  I am certain that "tongue may have been firmly planted in
cheek" when this award was conceived but I believe that this trophy
may be awarded to some radio amateur in my lifetime.

I would like to think that if Mr. Maxim were here today he would be
very happy to see that Amateur Radio and the ARRL have stood the test
of time and continue to attract newcomers to the hobby nearly 100
years since the League was founded.  However I would not be surprised
if The Old Man shook his head in bewilderment to find that we have
spent much time and energy worshiping the past instead of looking
ahead to the future.

It may be comforting to stroll down memory lane and fire up the
vintage radio for the evening.	The warm glow of the tubes and the
refreshing aroma of heat radiating from the chassis will create
soothing reflections and transport you back to a time when there was
no internet, e-mail or cell phones.  As you blow smoke rings from
your briarwood pipe and replicate the authenticity of what you refer
to as "real radio," try to remember that the icons of technology that
you pay homage to were once state-of-the-art, modern appliances that
filled the dreams of many.  As much as Amateur Radio owes to its
past, adoration of vintage radio should not take away from Amateur
Radio's future.

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New Arrl Award Products Available

The ARRL now offers custom awards for clubs, groups and individuals
for recognition and achievement, offering a wide range of styles and
price levels. Each award is customized with your text and the ARRL
logo.

Products offered include a tan leather rectangular key fob with a
call sign on one side and the ARRL diamond on the other; a rosewood
pen and pencil set with personalization available on the pen and
pencil, as well as the presentation box; an 8x10 inch wood plaque
with blue plate engraved with up to 14 lines of gold text; a
swiveling wood desk clock that holds a photo or an insert ---
personalize this with up to 25 characters on two lines, and a
beautiful crystal 3-inch etched globe on a crystal base, presented in
a velvet-lined gift box.

Do you have that one ham in your group who comes out every Field Day,
rain or shine, who stays from beginning to end, helping out in any
way possible? Acknowledge their involvement with a beautiful gift
that shows how much you value their service? What about the ham in
your club that has been a member for 25 years and has yet to miss a
meeting? Show them how much you appreciate their contribution with a
small personalized token. Do you have an Elmer you would like to
thank with more than words? A personalized gift with their name and
call sign on it would remind them of you every time they used it.

Each item features the ARRL diamond logo. Award orders will be
processed and delivered within 20 working days. View the entire award
product line, as well as ARRL clothing items, at the Barker
Specialties Web site <http://www.barkerstores.com/arrl >.

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_________________________________________________

ARRL Insurance Benefit

Bill Morine, N2COP
ARRL Public Relations Committee Member

Several years ago, my automobile insurance carrier mailed me a new
policy.  I was about to file it away with my other papers when my eye
caught the title of a section of the policy that read, "CB
Radio/Telephone Exclusion".  I read the language and called my
carrier.  The claims department spokesperson confirmed that my
amateur radio equipment was excluded from the basic coverage however
for an additional $90 per year I could buy a rider that would cover
my ham radio equipment.  This was a nice offer but my equipment would
still be subject to my policy's $500 deductible.  Another example of
an inadequate insurance policy is the case of my buddy whose ham
shack suffered a lightning strike.  He had a $1,000 deductible on his
policy and to make matters worse, his claims adjuster had no
knowledge about amateur radio.	My friend has been off the air for
several months as he and the adjuster argue over the process of
repairing his HF transceiver.

That's when I realized another benefit of ARRL membership. - ARRL's
"All-Risk" Ham Radio Equipment Insurance Plan.	This is a
comprehensive program that protects Amateur Radio equipment in your
home car from all risk form which includes fire, lightning, theft,
collision, and other accidents and natural hazards.  Coverage can
also be provided for computer software and hardware as well as
station accessories such as antennas, rotators and towers.

Coverage is affordable and in most cases substantially lower in price
than adding a rider to your current homeowner's or automobile policy.
  As with all insurance products, you should read the provisions of
coverage carefully by going to
<
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/insurance/equipment.html
 >.  If you're like me and you shop around for insurance then you will
find that this is a good deal.	What's more is the underwriter even
has an agent dedicated just to ham radio claims so it's nice to know
that if you should ever have to file a claim you will be working with
someone who is familiar Amateur Radio.

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Once Affiliated, Always Affiliated

Once your club is affiliated, it remains affiliated however a club
can be listed as active or inactive.  To stay actively affiliated,
you must complete and submit an Annual Report at least once a year.
Your club's status will be changed to inactive should 2 years go by
without our receiving an Annual Report. Your club can return to
active status at any time by simply completing and submitting an
Annual Report.

Your club can update its record anytime important information
changes.  Information such as club officers, meeting time and place,
etc. should be kept current so that prospective members can get in
touch with you.

Updating your club record is as simple as following the update link
on the ARRL Affiliated Club web page:  www.arrl.org/club

If you need to update your Special Service Club record please visit
the SSC page at:
< http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/club/forms/fsd7/index.html >

You may direct any questions about clubs to clubs at arrl.org

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ARRL Affiliation Milestones for December 2007

	10 Year

*W2		
SNJ	Delaware Valley Ragchew Club	N2HQX

*W3		
EPA	Camp Watonka Amateur Radio Club KB3BUM

*W4		
VA	Franklin County Amateur Radio Club	W4FCR
KY	Big Sandy Amateur Radio Club	K4PGA

*W0		
MN	Stillwater Amateur Radio Association	W0JH
NE	Strategic Air Command Memorial	Amateur Radio Club	K0AIR

	75 Year

*W2		
SNJ	Manchester Area FM Group	W2SV

*W3		
WPA	Triple	'A' Amateur Radio Association, Inc.	N3TN
WPA	Beaver Valley Amateur Radio Association W3SGJ

*W0		
IA	Des Moines Radio Amateur Association	W0AK

======================================================================
The ARRL CLUB NEWS is published on the first Wednesday of each month by
the American Radio Relay League--The National Association For Amateur
Radio--225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax
860-594-0259; www.arrl.org. Joel Harrison, W5ZN, President.

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Editorial questions or comments: Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, clubs at arrl.org
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======================================================================
--
Dick Flanagan K7VC NV SM
k7vc at arrl.org