ARRL - My Rethink

[W3DBB]

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[WA3VJB]

Here are the comments of the IEEE group.

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

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

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

I'm not sure ARRL cares if any of us renew; they seem to have their eyes on taxpayer-provided largesse.

Could you expand on this?

[W1DAN]

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

[W3SLK]

Dan said:

I am happy the ARRL has him. Good guy.

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!

[W1DAN]

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