[WIham] Fwd: April 2010 Central Division Newsletter Posted

[Mark Thompson]

From: ARRL CL Division www.arrl.org>
To: 
Sent: Sun, Apr 4, 2010 6:06 pm
Subject: 2010-04 Central Division Newsletter Posted


4 APR 2010


After a considerable delay (my fault), another division newsletter has
been posted at:

http://www.central.arrl.org/newsletters.html

This issue contains the following articles:

An overdue thank you to the people who have worked a long time to
regain recognition of Amateur Radio emergency communications
capabilities by the State of Illinois.

While many of you consider this to be preaching to the choir, I review
the basic rules/techniques for preventing personal identity theft when
using the Internet.

A brief note about the changing of our Central Division 
Web Master.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Central Division
Director: George Isely, W9GIG
w9gig at arrl.org
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Central Division News & Views 
________________________________
Fellow ARRL Members...

I hope these electronic
 newsletters will be the first in long series of newsletters from your Central Division Director - long after I have departed from the scene.  I plan to do about four of these a year, but this could vary depending on the amount of Central Division ham radio news that develops.  The news items that appear on the ARRL website will not be mentioned here unless they are of particular interests to hams in this division.  As a general rule, items reported here will be in areas of interest to all hams such as: proposed legislation that could or will affect Amateur Radio, area-wide interference and intruder problems, FCC enforcement activity within our division, large-scale public service or emergency communications activities in this region. 

Keeping this criteria in mind, if you have news items that you
 think qualify for publication here, please mail them to me at my address listed on the Director’s Page on this website or email me direct at: dick at pobox.com  Photographs (digital- JPG format or paper) are a welcome addition to any submitted item and will enhance the probability of its publication.

________________________________

Issue #21 - April, 2010
Amateur Radio Regains Illinois EMCOM Recognition

After a hiatus of many years, the State of Illinois has finally agreed to reinstate a state-wide RACES organization.  Illinois SEC Brad Pioveson, W9FX; Charlie Richey K9DUE; and  Jim Pitchford N9LQF; successfully concluded an
 agreement with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) this past February 9th.  I take no credit for this achievement, but it has been a long-standing goal of mine to have the Indiana and Illinois ARRL Sections create the same amateur radio emergency communications organization that exists in the Wisconsin Section. 

In Wisconsin, every amateur radio EMCOM operator wears both the ARES and  RACES hats.  This has eliminated EMCOM turf wars in Wisconsin and has led to the creation of a smooth-running state-wide amateur radio organization that has an excellent reputation for quick and efficient performance of emergency radio communications for many years.  Indiana hams are already working in this direction and now Illinois hams will be able to do so.  Congratulations to all who have
 contributed to this effort!

Personal Identity Theft
This is not an amateur radio issue, but a growing majority of amateur radio licensees are consistent computer and cellular telephone users.  I include cell phones because recent generations of hand-held communication devices are really computers with cell phone functions added.  Therefore, everything I say in this article also applies to cell phone use.
I'm guessing that 90 percent of the stolen identity problems are caused by ignorant, careless, or thoughtless computer and cell phone users.  These users provide a fertile base for the spread of
 Internet SPAM and virus-infected emails.  Everyone should use both an anti-virus and a fire wall program, and keep them up to date.  If you receive email messages from persons or institutions you don't recognize or normally deal with,do not open (read) the message - Trash It. 
The IRS, FAA, FBI, FCC, CIA, DOD, FTC, etc, and all genuine banks and financial institutions do not make inquiries, or send demands for payment or "account verification" by email.  If you receive an un-requested email from a business or what looks like an official government agency, do not respond to the message - Trash It.
Electronic greeting cards are also an easy way to receive a computer virus, or at least receive more SPAM email.  Usually, the notice you receive, does not announce the
 sender.  Consider this to be a red danger flag.  And some of those sites that tell you the name of the E-card sender can be spoofs of legitimate web sites. If you receive an unexpected anonymous email notice that you have an E-Card waiting for you,ignore the message - Trash It.
If you receive an email from someone you know, but the message headers look like it's multi-forwarded SPAM email, do not open the message - Trash It.
If you receive an unexpected email with an attached file from someone you know, verify its authenticity with the sender before you open it.
I have been using the Internet since 1994 and I follow the above rules.  My name, callsign,
 address, home telephone number and email address are published in QST 12 times a year.  This data is also posted on the ARRL web site and it now probably exists in over 500,000 computers world-wide.   Yes, I have to filter (block) a couple hundred junk and scam email messages every day.  However, my computer has never been hacked and my identity has never been stolen.

New Central Division Webmaster
After eight years of serving as the Central Division Webmaster, Clay Melhorn, N9IO, has stepped  down.  We all owe Clay our thanks for a job well done.  I am grateful that he has always been there when I finally finished a newsletter and was anxious to get it published. 
 Somehow with everything he does, Clay was always able to get it posted in a very short period of time.  Thank you Clay!

The new Central Division Webmaster is Greg Braun, N9CHA.  Greg makes his living producing video projects (advertising and training) for industry.  He is very skilled with both still and video cameras and has excellent graphics layout sense.  Greg, thanks for taking on this job.

Long Overdue Newsletter...
It’s been almost a year since I published my last division newsletter.  When I was first elected as your Central Division Director, I was
 concerned about sending out too much stuff.  However, the only complaints I have received about this newsletter is that I don’t send out enough of them.  I will try to step up the frequency, but please keep in mind that I try not to duplicate any of the topics that are reported by  the ARRL.  When I was first elected, there was only one weekly ARRL Letter.  Now there are several fine periodic electronic publications available to ARRL members.

Hamfests & Meetings
As of the publication of this newsletter, here is our ARRL travel schedule through September.  It is subject to change if required ARRL meeting dates are changed or there are last minute transportation
 problems.   
# = W9GIG only     * = W9XA only

April 9-10 # AES Superfest Milwaukee, WI 
May 2 * Kishwaukee Hamfest Sandwich, IL 
May 13-16 Dayton Hamvention Dayton,
 OH 
June 6 SRRC Hamfest Princeton, IL 
June 20 6 Meter Club Hamfest Wheaton, IL 
July 9-10 Indianapolis Hamfest Indianapolis, IN 
July 11 FRRL Hamfest Aurora, IL 
July 14-18 ARRL Board Meeting Hartford, CT 
September 10-11 W9DXCC Convention Elk Grove Village, IL 
September 17-18 Peoria Superfest Peoria, IL 
September 25 Radio Expo Belvidere, IL 

I hope to see many of you at these hamfests.  In addition to shopping for new and used equipment, they are a great way to renew and develop friendships and to meet some of the voices you have heard on your radios.

73 - George R. (Dick) Isely, W9GIG 
       Central Division Director 

________________________________

(Remember to bookmark the
 ARRL Central Division Web URL) 
(Please pass the word about this web site) 
www.central.arrl.org