AmateurRadio.com

Obi Wan Kenobi might have uttered, ‘There’s a positive change in The Force’ these days in Newington. It’s no secret that the ARRL has been suffering from the transition of a career long Chief Officer (Dave Sumner) to a new CEO who can effectively lead the non-profit corporation, also a public charity, which declared a $20.5M net asset figure to the IRS for 2017. The failed interim CEO, Mr. Gallagher, tried to execute an executive style which he perhaps found successful in the financial world but a flop at a non-profit like the ARRL. His retirement after only a brief period in Newington was perhaps best for all involved. I wish him well as a fellow amateur radio operator. He just proved to not be a good fit as CEO of the League.

The realization by President Roderick and the changing Board of Directors that this executive style could not bring success to this transition in executive leadership at the headquarters in Newington CT resulted in the hiring of Howard Michel WB2ITX. He had been at the similar, but the far larger IEEE organization, which operates sort of like the ARRL for engineers and other technologists in the United States. It’s net asset declaration to the IRS in 2017, by comparison, was $415M! But he has shown in the brief time he’s been CEO in Newington that he understands the difference between management and executives in the non-profit world. More to come in a future blog post on that distinction.

At the recent ARRL Board Meeting, Mr. Michel was able to get approval for what seems to me to be a fundamental change in the organizational structure and, hopefully, the culture which drives the some 100 employees of the American Radio Relay League. While I may write more about these fundamental changes that the new CEO has put into action on February 11, 2019, here is synopsis from the League’s website:

‘The Board received the report of ARRL CEO Howard Michel, WB2ITX, who outlined plans to reorganize and refocus the activities at ARRL Headquarters. Michel said providing better value to membership is a top priority, and he sees value creation and value delivery as key components to long-term membership retention and growth.’

Better value to membership? Now, that is a mouthful to us members! The operational details of that value proposition will be what members, including former and potential members, will consider and remember. That is, what is the ARRL actually going to do in order for members to see a greater value in their annual dues? They could be convinced with a quick strategic example: offering free shipping & handling on purchases from the ARRL Store to current League members!

Let’s look at this small but important thing of free shipping and handling. As I discussed with Dan Romanchik KB6NU on the ICQ Podcast this week, he and I both are Amazon Prime members. Our British colleague, Martin Rothwell M0SGL, smiled at this recognition during our recording as he works for Amazon across the Pond. Dan and I both stated that we tend to not buy books and related items directly from the ARRL website because of the stiff shipping and handling fees. Instead, Amazon Prime members get free shipping on most items which Dan and I take advantage of with these purchases. So Amazon realizes the retailer’s profit margin from the sale of ARRL products through the Amazon.com website. The League, however, only reaps the wholesaler’s margin.

To be fair, the League does give a few Members Only discounts of, say, $3, off of a $27 book—if the League publishes the book. (Note that the League also resells RSGB publications so they probably have those price arrangements locked in without much margin to discount.) And, there are periodic discounts sent out to members via postcard or email advertisements. I’ve found that they only amount to relieving me of the net shipping charge. I cannot use any other additional discounts such as the annual Birthday Discount that I get during my birthday month. As a certified ARRL Instructor, I get a discount on some purchases but I cannot use any of these other discounts. All of this complexity adds up to the member just using Amazon Prime or just not buying a book or other product on impulse. The moment of excitement passes.

I’m a retired Editor-in-Chief for Springer Media, a very large scientific publisher based in The Netherlands. I ordered all the textbooks in my college bookstore as a student worker back in the early 1970s. In between, I launched two peer-reviewed scientific journals, edited others, and negotiated publication relationships with several major publishers. I’ve been an editorial consultant to a dozen or more textbook publishing houses. So I come at this from decades of experience in the publishing industry, not just the consumer side of publishing. So let’s look at typical publisher (wholesaler) and book reseller (retailer) relationships. Many hams may not realize the pricing structures in place worldwide on book publishing.

But the ARRL will ‘lose’ money by offering free shipping and handling to members, right? I can certainly hear Marketing Manager Bob Interbitzen NQ1R saying that upon hearing this idea. Perhaps not. They may actually make more money. Amazon is a major bookseller (an understatement if there ever was one). The typical wholesale discount to a retail book seller is 55%. Large retailers might get 60% while the independents buying them for 40% of the stated retail price. Thus, the ARRL sells Amazon and perhaps others these books at a greatly reduced wholesale price but not when the point-of-sale is through the ARRL Store on their website.

“The typical wholesale discount to a retail book seller is 55%.”

I do not know what the ARRL’s financial terms with Amazon or other retailers is. But it is highly unlikely that it differs substantially from these industry norms. After all, amateur radio operators are hardly a significant market for Amazon to break with their acquisition norms for retailing. I wish it were different but it’s not. The actual financial relationship that the League has with it’s retailer on books and other items could be something very, very different. I want to acknowledge that. But, if it is, that’s another issue. Moreover, shouldn’t that information be made known to the membership?

So, if the ARRL could do something to stimulate more direct sales to members from their website, they would recoup the wholesale discount to Amazon on each of those sales, right? What could drive more members away from Amazon (especially Prime members) and back to the League’s Store?

If CEO Howard Michel’s intention is to increase value to League members, giving them free shipping and handling because they are members would do that. And, it would do that in a tangible and visible way to the entire membership of some 150,000 out of the 750,000 or so license holders in the U.S. Trading out the typical 55% wholesale discount to Amazon (and other retailers) to increase the value of membership would actually result in a higher profit margin to the League, all things being equal. Mr. Michel would indeed qualify as the Obi Wan Kenobi of the ARRL should he bring this about. The League should, at least, run honest numbers on this change to see what the financial impact might be on current revenue.

“The business of increasing the value of membership in the American Radio Relay League: that would be a good deal. And a good deal for both members and the League itself!”

But it would also be like a lightning strike to ensure that the membership sees and believes that this reorganization of the ARRL Headquarters means business. The business of increasing the value of membership in the American Radio Relay League: that would be a good deal. And a good deal for both members and the League itself!

Will they do this? I don’t know. But your telling CEO Michel and your Division Director that it’s what you want would help get it on their minds. And having the CEO and Board of Directors listening to you hams, whether you’re a current member or not, is definitely a good deal!

In the 1990s while living in eastern Montana, I had the amazing experience of reuniting two soldiers that served in the Devil’s Brigade. They both trained near Helena, Montana.

One day, I was operating on the amateur radio shortwave Ten-Meter band, and a gentleman answered my, “CQ, CQ, CQ, this is N7PMS in Montana, Over”. I took notes of our conversation.

The next day, when again I called for any station to answer my call for a conversation, another fellow, from Canada, answered me. I learned something amazing: Both of these two men mentioned that, during World War Two, they both were in the same special forces unit, training near Helena, Montana.

One of these Veterans served in the Canadian Armed Forces, and the other in the American Armed Forces. Listen to my story, for the full details of this amazing experience I had as an amateur radio operator.

Jump to 3:22 if you wish to skip my introduction to the story, during which I give some background on when and so on:
https://youtu.be/YFMplHjxy6s?t=3m22s

This certainly was one of the most memorable moments in my amateur radio hobby experience! The joy of reuniting friends is good.

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Special_Service_Force:

The 1st Special Service Force (also called The Devil’s Brigade, The Black Devils, The Black Devils’ Brigade, and Freddie’s Freighters), was an elite American-Canadian commando unit in World War II, under command of the United States Fifth Army. The unit was organized in 1942 and trained at Fort William Henry Harrison near Helena, Montana in the United States. The Force served in the Aleutian Islands, and fought in Italy, and southern France before being disbanded in December 1944.

The modern American and Canadian special operations forces trace their heritage to this unit. In 2013, the United States Congress passed a bill to award the 1st Special Service Force the Congressional Gold Medal.

Thank you for watching, and sharing. Comments are welcome: do you have a memorable moment in your radio hobby experience on the air?

73 de NW7US

My first QSO (and, yeah, it was with Morse code) was petrifying and…

What’s your story of your first QSO?

73 de NW7US

This is my reply to many responses that I have been receiving on my original blog entry, located at this AmateurRadio.com website,(my shortened URL: https://g.nw7us.us/arrl2fccR2) as well as to the original video, posted in that blog entry.

I wish to reply to all of those who are against the idea of expanding the privileges of the Technician-class licensee, the expansions including the ability to operate Voice and Digital in limited slices in a subset of lower-than-Ten-Meter amateur radio shortwave allocations.

It seems to me, that…

…the issue is not one of Technician-class licensees wanting more privileges, as a whole. What the ARRL is addressing is the *lack* of desire by most current Techs to upgrade.

The logic behind the idea of expanding privileges concludes that if you give them a taste of lower-shortwave propagation and excitement (by moving past the CW-only restriction on the lower tech allocations), then they *will* want to upgrade.

This logic is already proven as applicable by the fact that the General class exists! All that this proposal will do is allow the Tech to experience what could be very attractive–just like for the General.  If it worked in the past with Novice, Technician, General, Advanced, and Amateur Extra (exposing to all of HF, even if by way of a CW-only requirement), then it will work, now.  The difference is that the CW-only requirement on lower HF bands is highly restrictive because the mode is no longer needed to operate on any frequency, and, most will not take the time to learn it just to see if they WANT to explore the lower HF bands, or ever upgrade.

The bottom line is that we should make the Tech ticket more relevant. The expansion is not dumbing down, nor does it give away the farm.

I discuss this original point in the two videos that were lower down in the original post:

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty9HINa3nAg[/embedyt]

and,

[embedyt] https://youtu.be/83I3EEQxfZA[/embedyt]

Thanks for reading, watching the videos, and having a useful dialog about this very important change to the amateur radio regulations in the USA.

P.S., 

That aside: This may, in the long term, reveal one of two possible truths:

1. There is no real need for three license classes. Two would suffice. General and Amateur Extra, or Technician (merged with General) and Amateur Extra.

2. There is no real need for three license classes. One would suffice. Make the test hard enough to cover the Extra-class material, and all material under that class, and merge everyone into one tested class. I believe that this has been tried in other countries, and it appears to work well.

I’ll be crucified for stating those ideas, but, hey, this is just a hobby.

73 de NW7US dit dit

In this video, I expound on another point of view regarding the ARRL petition to the FCC. The petition requests an expansion of operating privileges of Technician-class operators in the USA. The ARRL believes that giving broader shortwave access, using digital communications, to Technicians, will better entice the Techs to upgrade to General or Amateur Extra. In this video, I discuss this a bit.

If you are wondering why I’ve made a few videos about this topic, when the topic has been the hot item on many forums already, I believe that the drama will not cease until well after the FCC makes a decision, because this is a relevant topic, and one that has a significant impact on the amateur radio community at large. It is not a trivial conversation about which type of coax is best suited for Arctic field activity.

After some replies came from various viewers, I clarify my point. I stand corrected.

I failed to mention that there are a limited few slices of VOICE (SSB) spectrum on HF that the petition seeks for the Tech licensee. The ARRL states, “ARRL has asked the FCC to expand HF privileges for Technician licensees to include limited phone privileges on 75, 40, and 15 meters, plus RTTY and digital mode privileges on 80, 40, 15, and 10 meters.”

More specifically, “ARRL proposes to provide Technician licensees, present and future, with phone privileges at 3.900 to 4.000 MHz, 7.225 to 7.300 MHz, and 21.350 to 21.450 MHz, plus RTTY and digital privileges in current Technician allocations on 80, 40, 15, and 10 meters. The ARRL petition points out the explosion in popularity of various digital modes over the past 2 decades. Under the ARRL plan, the maximum HF power level for Technician operators would remain at 200 W PEP. The few remaining Novice licensees would gain no new privileges under the League’s proposal.” Reference: http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-requests-expanded-hf-privileges-for-technician-licensees

My point holds: give some reason to desire to upgrade to a higher class. Do this by granting HF operations on lower bands (lower in frequency than 10 Meters), with more than a CW-only privilege.

If a tech can only use CW on 80m, but doesn’t know CW, then it is likely she won’t ever try making contacts on 80m. Hence, no exposure to the magic of 80-meter DX. If, however, the Tech can dabble with digital or limited SSB, on 80m, then she gets a real, practical exposure to the magic, and may well upgrade. Why do you think a General, who has limits, would ever upgrade? What am I missing here?

The following video expands this idea:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83I3EEQxfZA[/embedyt]

The truth is, I see a strong argument for just ONE license, permanent. Or a temporary entry-level training ticket, then the permanent. But, that would make us like some other countries. That can’t be good.

The original video to which this new video continues is here:
[embedyt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWSAvDWE3Js[/embedyt]

Some viewers are asking me why I am making a video while driving. They try to convince me that talking while driving is too distracting. My answer is here:
[embedyt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyNHKViyCGE[/embedyt]

73 de NW7US

I have my opinion on ARRL asking FCC to grant more HF privileges to Technician-class licensees.

I verbalize them in this video:

[embedyt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWSAvDWE3Js[/embedyt]

After you hear my comments, please leave your comments.

Thanks, 73 de NW7US dit dit

Here is video footage of the journey to Antarctic Bouvet Island, made by the 3Y0Z amateur ham radio team. This footage caught a few moments on the deck of M/V Betanzos.

As you can see in the last moments of this footage, the weather conditions contributed to the decision to abort the DXpedition, as it was far too dangerous to continue this expedition.

As reported by ARRL:

“Our captain has decided that it is in the best interest of safety and expediency to proceed directly to Capetown, South Africa, rather than Punta Arenas, Chile. We are now heading north to avoid the possibility of encountering ice. Currently, there is no ice in sight or on radar. In due time, we will head easterly toward Capetown. Our entire team is safe. Most are resting in their bunks and in good spirits. We will keep the amateur radio community and our families informed, as we continue our journey.”

In a huge disappointment for the DX community and the members of the 3Y0Z Bouvet Island team, the DXpedition’s leaders announced at 2000 UTC today (February 3) that a decision had been made to abort the DXpedition and head back to Chile.

“During the last 72 hours, we continued to experience the high winds, low clouds, fog and rough seas that have prevented helicopter operations since our arrival at Bouvet,” said an announcement on the 3Y0Z Bouvet Island website. “No improvement was predicted in the weather forecast for the next 4 days. Then, last night, an issue developed in one of the ship’s engines. This morning, the captain of the vessel declared it unsafe to continue with our project and aborted the DXpedition. We are now on our long voyage back to Punta Arenas. As you might imagine, the team is deeply disappointed, but safe. There is already talk about rescheduling the DXpedition.”

Bouvet Island currently is the third most-wanted DXCC entity, behind Kosovo and North Korea. The 3Y0Z DXpedition, comprised of top operators with considerable DXpedition experience, has been in the planning stages for 2 years and had attracted contributions from clubs and individuals around the world.

A dependency of Norway, Bouvet is a subantarctic island in the South Atlantic. The last Bouvet activation was 3Y0E, during a scientific expedition over the winter of 2007-2008.

Video Author: Nodir Tursun Zade, EY8MM

This copy is used BY PERMISSION from EY8MM, given in writing on 23 February 2018