[SFDXA] Southeastern Division Spring Update

[Bill]

Although it really feels more like summer in Central Florida, we're well
into Spring. I've been quite busy professionally, so this update will
cover a lot of ground!

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First off, congratulations to Ellen White, W1YL for being featured in
an excellent interview article in the May/June National Contest Journal
(NCJ). Ellen, her late husband Bob (W1CW), and her late son Jim (K4OJ)
were part of the ARRL Headquarters staff family for many years.

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Congratulations to Kai Siwiak, KE4PT, for winning the Cover Plaque
Award for his article "An Off Center End Fed Dipole for portable
Operation on 40 to 6 Meters” in the March 2015 issue of QST.

SFL Section Manager Jeff Beals, WA4AW, and I had the privilege of
presenting the 2013 Doug DeMaw, W1FB, Technical Excellence Award to Kai
at the Melbourne Hamfest last year.

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Congratulations to the Orlando Amateur Radio Club (OARC) for being
named Club of the Year by the Dayton Hamvention®.

"The Orlando Amateur Radio Club (W4PLB) is the largest and oldest
Amateur Radio club in Central Florida with a membership base of more
than 300. An ARRL Special Service Club, it sponsors the annual Orlando
HamCation®, the second largest ham radio gathering in the US."

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The Florida QSO Party (FQP) is this weekend—Saturday, April 25 1600Z
(Noon EDT) - 0159Z (9:59 PM EDT) Sunday, April 26 1200Z (8 AM EDT) -
2159Z (5:59 PM EDT).

There is an 18th Anniversary Special Event Award-  2015 FQP Spelling
Bee:
Contact all six 1x1 stations during the 2015 FQP whose suffixes spell
“ORANGE”
The callsigns and hosts are:
K4O – W4UH/PAL
K4R – N4WW/ORA
K4A – K1PT/MRT
K4N – K1TO/MTE
K4G – K5KG/SAR
K4E – W4MLB/BRE
All six stations will be on both modes full-time and should be very
accessible. QSL the six 1x1 calls active in FQP via KK3Q direct or via
bureau.

See http://www.floridaqsoparty.org/ for detailed rules, mobile routes,
past results, plaques, county maps and much more.

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ARRL Teachers Institute Sessions are still accepting applications for
all four sessions of the ARRL Teachers Institute this summer. The
deadline is May 1.

More information about the program and the application can be found at:
http://www.arrl.org/teachers-institute-on-wireless-technology

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Want to know when hamfests will be held near you? Visit:
http://www.arrl.org/hamfests/search There are numerous search options
to choose what area you want to know about.

Upcoming Conventions in the Division are:

6/6:     Georgia State Convention (Atlanta Hamfestival)
7/10:   Northern Florida Section Convention (Milton Hamfest)
8/15:   Alabama State Convention (Huntsville Hamfest)
10/9:   Florida State Convention (Melbourne Hamfest)
11/7:   Georgia Section Convention (Stone Mountain Hamfest)
12/11: West Central Florida Section Convention (Tampa Bay Hamfest)

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The Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015 -- H.R.1301 -- has been introduced
in the US House of Representatives. The measure would direct the FCC to
extend its rules relating to reasonable accommodation of Amateur
Service communications to private land use restrictions. US Rep Adam
Kinzinger (R-IL) introduced the bill on March 4 with 12 original
co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle -- seven Republicans and five
Democrats.

HR 1301 would require the FCC to amend its Part 97 Amateur Service
rules to apply the three-part test of the PRB-1 federal pre-emption
policy to include homeowners' association regulations and deed
restrictions, often referred to as "covenants, conditions, and
restrictions" (CC&Rs). At present, PRB-1 only applies to state and
local zoning laws and ordinances. The FCC has been reluctant to extend
the same legal protections to include such private land-use agreements
without direction from Congress.

The following Representatives from districts within our Division have
already signed on as co-sponsors:
Rep Pierluisi, Pedro R. [PR]
Rep Rooney, Thomas J. [FL-17]

If you live in their districts, please thank them by sending a letter
or email to them.

If your Representative isn't listed above (and most aren't!), please
consider writing a letter to them.

For more information on H.R.1301, including how to identify your
Representative and a sample letter, please see:
http://www.arrl.org/hr-1301

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We are seeking a volunteer for the Division Legislative Action Chair
(DLAC). The person will need to have time available to be able to
commit to it.

The DLAC appoints, trains and manages one or more Legislative Action
Coordinators (LAC) for each state in the Division. The two documents
available at http://www.arrl.org/resources-1 describe the ARRL's
grassroots program in detail and there is also a training video on that
web page.

The DLAC position can be done electronically via email, telephone, and
web meeting; the DLAC is not required to physically travel around the
Division.

If you are interested in the DLAC position, please email me at
k4ac at arrl.org. Please include if you have prior experience that would
help in the DLAC position such as grassroots campaigning/organizing or
management in a volunteer organization (or whatever you believe would
be beneficial)

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Please share this update as widely as possible (club newsletters, club
reflectors, etc.)!

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Thanks & 73 de Doug, K4AC, and Mike, AA6ML

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ARRL Southeastern Division
Director: Doug Rehman, K4AC
k4ac at arrl.org
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