The AM Forum

It’s been no secret that I have, in the past, been highly critical of the activities of the ARRL. I have voiced my displeasure both on this site, and in correspondence with League officers and officials. Well folks, if we can piss and moan, we can also compliment, and I would like to share that I am encouraged, heartened even, by some things which I have discovered about our League. Yes, there have been times in the past where the League has departed from what I, as an individual ham, have felt should be done. And yes, the League has also been, at times, critical of vintage radio and certain endeared forms of modulation. Those faults, actions or inactions, were the source of my criticism.

Since my posting, I have been doing a not inconsiderable amount of due diligence about the League’s stance and activities on behalf of our beloved amateur service. I won’t get into great detail about who I spoke with or what I read, for the message of this email is not focused so much on the means as it is on the outcome. Suffice to say that that the “powers that be” provided little if anything of value, and it was the uncelebrated, all too often unrecognized “little guys (and gals)” who took the time to share with me.

I have come to the conclusion that there is a good deal more RIGHT about OUR League than there is WRONG. In fact, I would go so far as to say that certain steps, programs and activities have been undertaken most recently that have not only caused me to renew my membership but to quite vocally lend my support.

I’ll not share all, but when time permits take a few moments and look at the “Hello-Radio” campaign at http://www.hello-radio.org/.
Do this with an open mind, and remember that both radio and youth of today are a bit different than when you and I were but young JNs. I suspect that many, if not most of us, grew to love radio as a child. Recall the magic we felt, the mystery, intrigue, fascination and perhaps even fixation we found in radio? Discovering the basic joys of communication without wires, of radio magic that we grew to love. The “Magic of Radio” is not something that can be bought, it must be learned. I recall my wonderment as a teenager hanging a piece of wire out the window, and listening to all of these far away places on my DX-160. The late nights of tuning across the bands, eking out a weak signal or CQ amongst the static. The glow of the “magic eye” tube, or the nervousness of that first contact.

I believe that the “Hello-Radio” campaign offers the very same opportunity to young folks today. I’ll not bore you with details, suffice to say that I am delighted, relived really, that our hobby has a future, and that the League has discovered that that future begins with youth. There is more going on than meets the eye, or ear, and I'll post such as I come across it.

73 Bruce 1UJR

Let us know when you get anything other than lip service.

I guess you didn't take the time to read my posting Dave.
I'd encourage you to take the time to REALLY check out what the League is doing.

Sorry but I gave them the benifit of the doubt and my dues money for too long. Their robots on H.F. proposal was the last straw. Time will tell. Give a few years and you might hear yourself sounding like Phil PG when the league subject comes up. Prove me wrong. Rhetoric doesn't cut the ice.

Well its not really my job to prove you wrong, your mind is your own to change.
But if you are not getting accurate and firsthand information its tough to make an independent decision.

-Bruce

I have a non-ham buddy in Florida, in the Pompano Beach/Miami area. We've been good friends since 1979. He's well aware of my ham radio activities here, so he has an ear for whenever he hears ham radio new events, etc.

Anyway, he told me a couple of months ago that he keeps hearing these ads on the radio about becoming a ham radio operator and calling the ARRL in Newington, CT for details.  I've not heard the ads locally, but it appears that they do some warm and fuzzy advertising in selected areas.

T

If you go to Dayton, be sure to stop by space 1960 or 1961.

Hey, I resemble those spaces.

Top photo 2004, rainy Saturday(but before the big rain); bottom photo, 2005 cold Friday

Go here to hear the MP3 file on the ARRL's Radio Spot plus other info:
http://www.arrl.org/pio/pr.html#psa

Paul, I've read your work, you're a talented writer and journalist.
The League could really use your skill set, why not lend a hand?

-Bruce

I really don't know how effective the "Hello Radio" ad campaign will be but its my opinion that a real interest in radio tends to seeded in our youth as a result of some actual contact or experience with radio. Perhaps it was a set of walkie-talkies for christmas, twiddling with the knobs on grampa's old radio or buliding a crystal set for a school project. It is experiences such as these that seem to captivate a young person. I would suggest that, regardless of any ad campaign that the ARRL produces, we all should be promoters of our hobby amongst our friends, co-workers, etc. Not in an "in your face" sort of way, but by simply expressing our enthusiasm for our hobby in conversation and always being open to helping someone learn more if they wish. .

I frequetly talk about my radio activities with co-workers and one day one of my co-workers told me about having one of those "rocket radio" crystal sets as a kid. He told me that he spent hours hooking it up to anything metal and listening to all sorts of things. He then told me that he wished they still made them so his 8 year old son could experience the same magic he did as a kid. He was surprised when I told him that they in fact still do make a reproduction version of the "rocket" radio"! Yesterday I was at an antique radio club meet here in Michigan and I ran across one of those repro rocket radios, so for $5 I bought it for his son. I'll give it to him tomorrow and I'm sure he will be thrilled. Not much effort on my part but who knows, maybe another radio amateur will be born...

73,
Brian - W8KHZ

You hit it out of the ballpark there OM, that is exactly how it works!
Like you, I too became fascinated with amateur radio when just a JN.
For me it occured when I come across some old QSTs given by a friend.
Thats all it takes, just someone to light a spark, invite a kid or friend over to listen or see the hamshack, to give a bit back to the hobby.
Its those seeds planted in youth that grow to a lifetime love of radio.

Just yesterday I was watching Maine Public TV and saw a most interesting presentation, "Codebreakers of Dayton".
Would you believe it was a young boy who fell in love with radio that grew up to develop the "Bombe" machine that cracked the 4 rotor Enigma code? Just imagine if young Joe Desch had not found radio, we might be all speaking German.

See --> http://www.donet.com/~danderson/bombe/index.html

Joe Desch Bio -->> http://www.donet.com/~danderson/bombe/jrd.htm

Video at Google --> http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4543990307596694920&pl=true

-Bruce 1UJR

Bruce, I admire your initiative at looking on the other side of the glass. Way back when I was trying to be a JN, (took the exam in 8th grade never took it again until '90), the only material I ever saw regarding information was what the ARRgghhL put out. Those black magazines with the red stripes were extremely earmarked from the dozen or so peoples hands that they passed through. Later, when I did acquire my license, (KC4SLK for those that still remember), I was very thankful that they sponsored the VE examination, our club forum and other things that were more along the lines of public relations. It wasn't too soon afterwards that I began to notice some cracks. No longer was this the 'Silver Armor' of the (be)League(d). Year after year I found things that didn't sit well with me. Until finally I gave it up. Their recent action in past year or so reinforced my resolve. I guess what I'm trying to say falls along the same lines as that of 1000 ATTABOYS vs 1 AWSH!T. Unfortunately, lately its been several of the latter as opposed to the former.

I walked into a Best Buy store yesterday. It was amazing. The place was jammed with people buying MP-3 stuff, audio gear, speakers, cell phones, computer things and stuff I didn't even recognize.

The people seemed as relaxed and bored as in a super market. It was like, "this is just the way life is now" attitude. Outside several people were standing with headsets listening to MP3 stuff with cell phones in one ear talking away.

I smiled and realized that things have really changed in the last 10 years.  It will be very hard to attract these kinds of people into ham radio from a technology point of view.

People seem to be going towards the route of virtual reality and later we will be wearing Borg-type computer brain interfaces. No doubt about it.

As I drove away, I noticed the sophisticated cars everyone was driving and thought that people should have to build from scratch what they drive. It's just to easy to buy a new ricebox car on the payment plan.... ;D

Gawd... we sure have taken over this planet with techology. We're so organized as a species now, no other creature has a chance in comparison.

I must be getting to be an old buzzard to think this way, but I'm absolutely amazed at the technological progress in the last 25 years or so.  With the internet cranking, information exchange and progress will accellerate even faster now. Hold on.

T

Good post Tom, and very much on point. I wonder about that as well.

I'd like to think that with all the technology so integrated in our lives, yes even mine that the "human factor" will grow in importance.
Human contact will become more prized and sought after instead of the cyber world.
Perhaps I am wrong, but after a day of working with computers, CRTS, monitors, electronics and mechanical devices, what I crave at 5PM is human, not machine contact.

I sure hope it’s NOT like the Borg, and in fact technology becomes so integrated that it is invisible in our lives and is a means, not an end in and of itself.
I hope for a future when tech becomes a tool, and not tyranny, a liberator rather than an oppressor.

In fact, the measure of a good technology implantation is always one where the technology itself is nearly transparent in use.


-Bruce 1UJR

Here's more great info on how the ARRL is bringing amateur radio to the "still in school" generation:

ARRL staffer demos "magic trick" for science teachers (Apr 11, 2006) -- ARRL Education and Technology Program ("The Big Project") Coordinator Mark Spencer, WA8SME (left), shone the spotlight on Amateur Radio and the ARRL during the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) 54th national conference April 6-8 in . Spencer reports some 15,000 teachers stopped by the ARRL booth, and most picked up a brochure. "I talked with probably 300 educators specifically about ARRL-related programs such as the Teachers Institutes, 'The Big Project' and Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)," he said.

(http://www.remote.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/04/11/102/MarkSpencer-NSTA-06-1-th.jpg)

And in addition:

THE ARRL AMATEUR RADIO EDUCATION & TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM (ETP)
Aka "The Big Project"[/b]

http://www.remote.arrl.org/FandES/tbp/

(http://www.remote.arrl.org/FandES/tbp/bigproject.jpg)

She'll get on two meters once and hear a bunch of bitter old men P&Ming about their prostates.  Then she'll try and break in, and the bitter old men, not having talked with her every day for the last 35 years, will ignore her.  In frustration and disgust, she'll go back to doing what most other 6 year old girls do.

If she got on AM, OTOH.....

I too don’t see much excitement in 2-meter repeaters either, but there are a lot of other amateur activities that are available to no code techs that they can “wet their beak” on. Multi-mode rigs are available for VHF/UHF, satellite activity is up, band openings due to propagation or weather-related activity is common, VHF/UHF contests happen frequently, many clubs run activity nights on FM and SSB on VHF/UHF bands, amateur to internet interfaces are popular, SKYWARN and other public service type activities can also be found here, and probably a lot of other activities. It may not be as glamorous to us who came through the Novice, General, Advanced/Extra doors, but there are enough “hand’s on” activities on these bands to stimulate interest to maybe move forward.

The FCC recently shot down the ARRL’s request to re-introduce a Beginner’s or Novice Class license.

I agree, that does happen to many. But it doesn't have to occur. Much of it is a choice by those people - the don't choose to move beyond the 2M repeater scene. Some of it is also a lack of exposure.

There are many different options available to the Tech on VHF, UHF and the microwave bands. But, as you go higher in frequency, more technical ability is required. And there is where the problem/lack of action begins. And since most of the dead beats that hang out on the 2M repeaters have little or no technical abilities, newbies are unlikely to meet up with anyone who would steer/elmer them to other VHF/UHF/uW pursuits. Much that same thing occurs on HF these days too.

More good stuff from ARRL activities:

NEWINGTON, CT, May 2, 2006--A California high school that's participating in the ARRL Education and Technology Program (ETP--also known as "The Big Project") will offer a year-long elective course, "Radio Amateurs and Disaster Operations" (RADIO), starting this fall. Moorpark High School math and meteorology teacher Tom Baker, NC6B, says the course is the first of its kind anywhere in the US. The class curriculum was created in conjunction with the ARRL, the American Red Cross and various Ventura County agencies. ARRL ETP Coordinator Mark Spencer, WA8SME, gives the new course high marks and says it has a great chance to succeed.

For the rest of the story, go here:
http://www.remote.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/05/02/3/?nc=1

No doubt the ARRL has done a few bonehead things where their recent petitions are concerned.  The "Hello" program was a good idea just that it was done in a '50s way.  How much more effective it might have been with something more contemporary to say Radio is not dead.

That said, the League does so many good things that I have no problem giving them my money every year.  I would just hope that they can shake the Winlink/TAPR strangle hold and modernize their PR outlook.

Ya hit the nail right between the eyes Steve !
How many of us have elmered a newbie into ham radio in the past year, 2 years or 5 years ?
I'm not talking about helping a newcomer to AM. I'm talking elmering a non-ham to hamhood !!!

Being versatile in many aspects of the hobby helps.
Last summer one of the neighborhood kids got interested in my antennas and asked what all that stuff
was for. I showed him the shack of boatanchors. He was ho-hum interested until I showed him the satallite
stuff. I looked for the next pass of the ISS and the next day we chatted with an astronaut IN SPACE.

He's now a general and lovin' it.

We can piss n' moan all we want. But that ain't gonna help !
If the ARRL isn't doing the job you think it should then why not do it yourself? 

Ya know I have "re-thought" my decision to be part of the ARRL too! OOPS, I said that in 1978.  and  1986 and 1997 and...well, not yet again.
I really don't believe in the organization, or their approach to the hobby.
Our hobby indeed needs promotion, government representation and educational material, but
the existing representitive organization needs competition!
I wish there was an alternative to ARRL here in this country, not just a contesting mag like CQ...either.

Yes, we can do our individual part at "elmering" interested folks, assist in promos and the such.
Be visable in the community and part of a local club....
but since all of my communication over the years...yes years has time after time fallen on
deaf ears in Newington, I will just do my part by myself...at least I know my $$ will be spent as
I see fit...not on promoting another ARRL contest...73  tow

Good decision Steve.

ARRL loyalists like to defend the Newington group by pointing to the "good" things they do.
Such things will continue to happen., and you can write and praise good folks like Ed Hare.

Blind support should be immediately discontinued.

Expressing displeasure, and questioning those who offer blind support, can become part of a note addressed to Mary Hobart or whoever the recruiting person is. This is a back channel way of reaching those who will not hear.

Further expressions that marginalize the ARRL can be effectively filed in the regulatory arena, each and every time they utter yet another proposal that serves only a special interest group.

Eventually, as their subscription base continues to free-fall to single digits, the League's brain trust may actually become receptive to change, and perhaps scuttle their moribund system they will be convinced cannot represent the hobby.

For me, the refusal to listen to members, the perpetuation of the "ol'boy" network that prevents good peeps from running for director, and a worthless piece of crap "offcial organ" (read into that what you will) still is, albiet slightly, outweighed by guys like Ed Hare as well as a dogged defense against encroachments such as BPL. 

It is an absolute shame that Ed got run off this board by one or two knuckleheads who chose to mount personal attacks on him, under the presumption that he was fair game as a scapegoat for anti-ARRL sentiment.  >:(

John,
Ed may not actually have been "run off" by the aforementioned knuckleheads. I was of the opinion that the Back-Room Boys in Newington would eventually smack him around for participating in a freelance dialogue with us, since no such conversation could come to a good end (theirs).

So, knuckleheads may have provided an easy segue out of here.

THAT's a shame indeed.

In past decades, I felt the ARRL was off course and blind.  I still think it has many problems lurking out there, but in the past two or three years, I detect a bit of straying from the old way of doing things.

My director actually reads my email messages and replys with a thoughtful answer.  He also has told me that there are a couple of other directors that share his skepticsim of some of the issues that are posted against the organization on this board as examples as to why they are out of touch with the average operator.  I do not make smoke about the issues as I communicate with him.  I agree with most of the critics here and on other boards, so goes my communications with him.  I have read in the minutes that he actually does as he says in his messages.

I believe there is a movement of hams like you guys who are voicing their opinion which is causing a change in the ARRL.  I personally know Jim Haney and he was much more aware of the fact a change of direction was needed and I think he set the wheel in motion.  It will take some time, but I believe, positive changes will happen sooner than we speculate.

Jim,
Haynie was very disingenuous with me as he prepared to push a threatened bandwidth proposal. In a telephone call that he initiated to me, he asked "What bandwidth would the AMers settle for?" On the surface, it sounded like an overture to collect an opinion (mine). But my skepticism about the League's motives prompted me to ask him to consider that NO such constraint can be applied in a locked-down, full-time regulation.

My response and question was met with a combativness that surprised even me. He later came out and quoted me on a QRZ.com thread that "all AMers want to run as much bandwidth as they want."

There are other examples of Haynie's behavior, including mismatched answers to legitimate questions not involving AM, and his tendancy to get flustered, lose his train of thought, and come off sounding frightened that anyone should dare to question the League or it's intended point of view.

I'm waiting to see what the new guy brings to the table. But his early endorsement of the discredited Bandwidth Petition from the ARRL bodes poorly for any real change in the political climate in Newington. He will also be bolloxed, as have his predecessors, by the pre-emptive powers of the highest paid non-elected staff administration at the League, specifically, Messers. Sumner and Rinaldo.

.

I have not seen any proof of the ARRL's actions with Ed but I do know the treatment he recieved here from as John so politely put it "knuckleheads" was unexcusable.

What happened to Ed here was embarrasing and certainly against our standards. It's a shame .

It won't happen again here.

Ed Hare is substantially thick-skinned, according to how I've seen him exchange with people privately and publicly, including myself.

That said, I want to associate myself with Gary's vow against poor treatment of guests and participants on this website.

There's no place for serious but petty barbs and juvenile insults. If someone wants to put across their point of view, let them try to convince others with logic and reason that are expressed fully and respectfully.

Ed's treatment here is/was a verifiable fact. What the powers that be at the ARRL did or didn't do is pure conjecture. Let's not confuse the two.

Um, I labelled it opinion, but thanks for the emphasis.

Of course, the "opinion" flies in the face of the facts.


And you want to take Pete to task for posting good things in defense of the ARRL. But you'll post pure conjecture to make the ARRL look bad. That's the emphasis here and it's quite unfair.

"And you want to take Pete to task for posting good things in defense of the ARRL. But you'll post pure conjecture to make the ARRL look bad. That's the emphasis here and it's quite unfair. "

I tried . . . to stay out of this as it is so polarizing . . . even more than I am comfortable with . . . oh well . . .

If the ARRL was doing the job expected of it there would be no issue with Petes postings. However, when posting "good things" comes across as thinly veiled deception of the majority of actions, not in accord with the wishes of the membership (as indicated on this and many other ham boards), the actions are suspect and insulting. Pete has become the mechanism for transmitting this to the AM board. As such, even though I share an amicable on the air association with him, I think his posts represent the uncomfortable fact that we are being told to pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.  . . . that someone else knows what is best for us . . . that we shouldn't question or try to provide input . . . in fact, such efforts are often met with indifference and/or disdain. That's why Petes posts are often viewed with suspicion and even scorn.

As for mistreatment on the board . . . an exchange of ideas is good . . . crossing the line to abuse is not . . sometimes the relative position to that line is difficult to see from a small sample . . . .

I rethought my position on ARRL membership and am still a life member . . . I just need to figure out what to do with it . . . "changing from within" seems to be an illusion . . .

k3xf/0

Here’s some more “suspicious” going’s on with the folks at Newington.

NEWINGTON, CT, May 30, 2006: The ARRL Foundation has announced the recipients of 51 scholarship awards for the 2006-2007 academic year. Congratulations to these scholarship winners!
For the complete story, go here:
http://www.remote.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/05/30/103/?nc=1

(http://www.remote.arrl.org/news/images/Foundation-Logo-th.gif)

There you go . . . well done . . . I would be the first to admit it . . . 51 people well served . . .

Question . . . do occasional good deeds outweigh misrepresentation at large? . . . . . . Would you stay with a significant other who abuses you if they are nice 'sometimes'? How much is 'enough'. Many think the ARRL is not stable in the good/guided by constituency/effective vs. deceptive/damaging to the service/self serving balance.

I respect the heck out of you Pete . . . but we disagree on the net value of the ARRL as it is currently managed. I know I won't convince you to change your stripes but if you are bound to emphasize the positive accomplishments of the ARRL disproportionately to its total works you will continue to encounter questions about your objectivity. As do I, by the way, . . . without conviction and the willingness to act upon it, we are simply staunch supporters and perpetrators . . . . . . . of mediocrity.

-ap

Maybe you should run a list of "good things" versus "bad things", say over the last six months, and then determine their "net value".

Pete said:
Its not just the last six months. To paraphrase Stephen Coovey, "They made an extremely large withdrawl from my emotional bank account". Personally, they will be in arrears for a long time to come. Once again its the 'Attaboys' versus the 'Awwshits'. Taking in the last six months is merely cherry picking, at least from my viewpoint.

Geeez Phil, if you have to go back 42 years to find something "bad", what's there to discuss. That's older then some people on this board and really at this time deserves a "who cares". It's water well over the dam. ARRL proposed and supported it and the FCC actually made the ruling. Whether the FCC went along with ARRL's argument for passage,, or they passed it on their own, is something for the FCC to answer. So what do you have that is sooooooooooo bad with the ARRL. Go back 5 years, 7 years, and you can throw in RM-11306, and RM-11305 for that matter, since the majority of the general population who responded with comments were against both of them.

Let's keep any of your personal petitions/proposals to the FCC off the list.

And, I'm sure you'll also probably bring up that the ARRL is really only a book publishing Company, so I'd like to hear of some other ways you think the ARRL can generate revenue to support the staff including Ed Hare and their battles with BPL, etc. etc.

Pete said:

Well for starters, how about how they treated Carl and played their 'Conflict of Interest' card, when they had already set a precedence ~10 years ago? That has all the earmarks of 'good-ol-boy' politics. That might be water under the bridge now but what happens when some other candidate comes along that doesn't "tow the party line?"

One could believe that the current rules for candidates are fuzzy enough to cause misinterpretation based on a candidates current or former background as to whether there might be a “conflict of interest”. It seems that the ARRL also agrees since this was discussed at either a Board meeting or Executive Committee Meeting recently. The charge is to clarify the current “rules for candidacy” so that there can be no misinterpretation going forward. Carl’s legacy in all this is that he brought forth some of the ambiguity of the current rules.

I think his legacy would be more accurately stated that he came to the table with ideas unpalatable to the League, they found a supposed "potential future conflict of interest", and revisited their rules to justify their despicable action against him.

Pete, you know I'm not a knee-jerk ARRL hater, but the more I think about their treatment of him the angrier I get.  My renewal notice came several days ago and I haven't decided what action I'm gonna take yet.

Hmmm, and in your example, they are the only group that has showboated malfeasance in the name of "better" amateur radio. You need to rethink that one.
So, 42 years ago they did something that made many unhappy and recently they did something that made many unhappy but you failed to illustrate anything in between.


If only the League were just a book publishing company! We would be far better off if they would become a for-profit corporation, limit their activities to publishing books and magazines, and stay out of the regulatory arena. You love to bring up Ed Hare and the fight against BPL. Ed's work is admirable, but it is like a pearl in a vast sea of sewage, given the League's pathetic record over the past 42 years. And their publications leave much to be desired these days, as the ARRL Handbook has been watered down somewhat and QST isn't worth the paper it's printed on...even for wrapping fish or training puppies!
Advertising dollars can also pay a lot of bills each month. It probably makes little difference to the ARRL if members read QST or not. The advertisers think you do, so they keep on advertising and that revenue stream helps pay the bills. Their publications have to appeal even to the non-techy types, which in today's world, is probably the greater majority of amateur radio operators.


I had no reason to mention them in this thread until you just did. The petition seeking to ban or at least limit the activities of "bulletin stations" (read that, "wannabe broadcasters") on our HF phone bands was denied in the FCC's "omnibus" NPRM two years ago and you will see my name in several of the footnotes in that NPRM. At least I care enough about amateur radio to speak for myself on regulatory matters, rather than blindly following a bunch of out-of-touch good ol' boys in Newington, Connecticut, including an official from your division who thinks that our outmoded phone subband allocation on 40 meters is by international treaty, rather than by domestic regulation on the part of the FCC. This guy is representing you and the rest of the League's members in the Hudson Division?

Misinterpretation of the spoken word sometimes works on both sides of the fence. I won't defend something I know nothing about since I wasn't there to hear both sides of the discussion.

I don’t remember much of what Carl stated he would bring to the table if he were elected. What “ideas unpalatable to the League” are you referring too? It seemed to me most of this ideas were “typical political ramble” to gather as many votes from all sides. I believe he was also an advocate of “no code” and an official of No Code International. I don’t believe there was anything sinister or personal here, but deciding to wave strict interpretation of the rules in his face during this election, might make one believe otherwise. Hopefully, in three years, the rules will be clarified enough, that he can announce his candidacy again.

Pete said:
After a little investigation here on the board, I went back to when Carl, WK3C first showed up. His candidacy statement isn't working, (at least not for me but there is a link there if you want to see for yourself). Here is the link to his home page:
http://home.ptd.net/~wk3c/

Ironically Pete, you were the one that originally posted his Candidacy Statement.

And what are anti-ARRL postings based entirely on conjecture? It seems to me there is enough legitimate fodder for taking the ARRL to task without making stuff up. That's all I'm saying. Don't read my post as either a condemnation or confirmation of Pete's posts. He can speak for himself.

I read his platform statements but didn't see anything there to raise ARRL eyebrows. However, his web site rebuttal dissertation, after he was denied being a candidate, surely would/or has probably raised some eyebrows.

Article 11 in the Articles of Association is the one in question. It currently says:
"No person shall be eligible for the office of Director, Vice Director, President, Vice President, or Treasurer who has not been a Full member of the League for at least four continuous years immediately preceding nomination and throughout the subsequent term of office, nor shall any person be eligible who has not held continuously during that period a valid authorization as a radio amateur in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations of the United States. No person shall be eligible for, or hold, the office of Director, Vice Director, President or Vice President whose business connections are of such nature that he could gain financially through the shaping of the affairs of the League by the Board, or by the improper exploitation of his office for the furtherance of his own aims or those of his employer. The primary test of eligibility under this Article shall be the freedom from commercial or governmental connections of such nature that his influence in the affairs of the League could be used for his private benefit."

Item 39 of the January 2006 BoD Meeting:
 39. Mr. Bellows continued discussion focusing on Article 11 of the Articles of Association. He described a range of options the Board may consider as it works to update this Article.

So, probably due to Carl’s rumblings, and the inconsistency of following their own rules with past Directors/Vice Directors who may have had similar circumstances as Carl’s, an update is in order. Time will tell.

"Maybe you should run a list of "good things" versus "bad things", say over the last six months, and then determine their "net value". "

Marvelous debate fodder but a waste of time . . . the results are already in . . . and you don't get a recount . . .

The impression that the ARRL has earned is it is self-serving at best and a detriment to amateur radio at worst. IMO, this is not a lack of 'PR' of the good things the ARRL does. (The ARRL takes every opportunity to blow its own horn via its publishing and other channels to the extent such emissions are lessened in their effectiveness.) Rather, It is an opinion of; effectiveness and usefulness, the marked disdain for the input of its members, and misguided ARRL initiatives, held by many (apparently an increasing number) amateur radio ops.

I do not believe that the ARRL is on a path that will lead to better amateur radio . . . . and I am not alone in this opinion. Turning this around is not a function of advertising but one of positive change. Something the current ARRL administration is apparently unable to envision or accomplish.

 
 







 
 

.

Here are the comments of the IEEE group.

They seem to be stating the obvious. But, I guess it isn't obvious to the ARRL.

Could you expand on this?

Hi all:

Here is an interesting story for what it is worth.


I went to the ARRL area at the 2006 Dayton Hamvention (they had a whole section cornered off with carpet and a forum area with podium mike and chairs). They are really pushing in a new direction very hard with a corporate show look. It was good to see them trying. Hopefully their new direction will be successful.

I talked with the ARRL Affiliated club/Mentor Program Manager Norm Fusaro (W3IZ) about some Katrina stuff and got an amazingly poor response from him that angers me to this day.  I told him the equiment loaner program for emergency first responders that he runs was a good idea. I stated that I would also like to see a clearinghouse for hams affected by Katrina whereby a ham who has a rig they are not using can post what they have to donate on a web site or in their magazine. Then any ham who lost a rig by Hurricane Katrina could contact the lister directly for the rig.

Norm stated “yes there is something for this”. I asked what was it? He said “Insurance”. I got angry (which I never do in public!) and yelled at him in front of other people  “then obviously you have totally no idea what happened in Katrina, do you! There are many hams who lost EVERYTHING and had NO INSURANCE to recover from”. Norm did not apologize and asked for me to send him an e-mail with my suggestion.

So, I met up with Charlie WD5BJT (a friend wih literally lost everything and had no insurance as he could not afford it). He and I found the ARRL CEO Dave Sumner K1ZZ, and we told him of what transpired. We said that Norm is not doing the ARRL service with his statement. Dave was very nice and we had a very good chat. He has a fantastic memory as he remembered people from the New Orleans clubs in the 1970’s (even though he never lived there!). I am happy the ARRL has him. Good guy.

They also have a new promo video for their “hello” campaign. It opens with a guy in a telehraphers outfit tuning a 1950’s Harvey Radio labs TBS-50 transmitter with a 1920’s horn speaker connected to it. They could have used more period accurate gear!

73
Dan
W1DAN

Dan said:

Suffice to say the ARRgghhL could probably do better without him. I think you left with a warm fuzzy feeling because of the lipservice he dispensed. Did K1ZZ come up with anything better than Norm Fusaro suggested? I would like to hear (and see) what is going to be done, (if anything). Neither one is going to step on each others toes!

Hi Mike:

I was not given any better solution, but at least he spent the time to actually listen and talk about it.

I am not thinking the ARRL will actually do anything and feel maybe another organization would be more interested in providing this service.

Just an interesting story.

Dan