Compiled by S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
ARRL News Editor
k1sfa@arrl.org

This feature -- including convenient Web links to useful information -- is a concise monthly update of some of the things ARRL is doing on behalf of its members. This installment covers the month of December.

Disregarding the ARRL’s suggestions, the FCC granted a secondary allocation to implanted medical devices that operate on 413-457 MHz.

While the NTSB has called on all 50 states to ban portable electronic devices -- including hands-free cell phone operation -- the ARRL maintains that mobile two-way radio equipment has been in use for at least 70 years and is quite dissimilar from full-duplex cell phones.

The ARRL has been working closely with the producers of the hit ABC comedy Last Man Standing, starring Tim Allen as Mike Baxter, KA0XTT.

The ARRL announced its “DIY with Amateur Radio” campaign.

The ARRL celebrated 50 years of the Amateur Satellite Service on December 12, the date that OSCAR 1 -- the first Amateur Radio satellite -- launched into space.

A record number of logs have been received for December’s ARRL 10 Meter Contest.

The ARRL announced the Diamond DXCC Challenge, celebrating 75 years of the ARRL’s DXCC Award Program.

ARRL Lab Engineer Mike Gruber, W1MG, compiled a list of all power line noise cases that had FCC involvement. He also continues to work with a Florida ham to develop a cure for an RFI problem involving a pulsed dc motor in an HVAC system. ARRL Lab Test Engineer Bob Allison, WB1GCM, retested a late mode switching supply and determined how to reduce the RF noise generated at the dc output. This “fix” was passed along to the manufacturer, who will use Allison’s instructions for the needed improvement.

The ARRL Executive Committee approved equipment and resource grants for schools in Ohio and Idaho.

W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, installed a new vertical antenna and KA9Y receiving loops for 160 meters. QST Technical Editor Joel Hallas, W1ZR, modeled two new 40 meter antennas for the 120 foot tower that were damaged in October’s snow storm.

ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, K1IU, and ARRL Contest Branch Manager Sean Kutzko, KX9X, along with Ward Silver, N0AX, activated W1AW in the ARRL 160 Meter Contest. They made almost 1000 QSOs with 86 ARRL/RAC Sections for a claimed score of 166,926. With this contest, W1AW has earned the Worked All States (WAS) Award for 160 meters.

FCC Commissioner Michael Copps announced his retirement.

Amateur Radio was featured on the popular television game show Jeopardy!

The ARRL warned members about fraudulent e-mails asking for personal information.

A new QuickStats poll was made available on the ARRL website.

The winners of the QST Cover Plaque Award for December are Ashraf Abuelhaija and Klaus Solbach, DK3BA, for their article “An Inverted V Wire Yagi with Switchable Pattern Rotation for 14 MHz.”

The February issue of QST and the January/February issues of QEX and NCJ were released to the printer. The following books were also released to the printer: Get on the Air with HF Digital, Emergency Power for Radio Communications (second edition) and the ARRL 2011 Periodicals CD.

Official Observer Desk: ARRL Field and Regulatory Correspondent Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG, handled complaints from Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana regarding interference to channel 1 in the 60 meter band, CB operators on 10 meters, operations on 14.313, 14.250, 7.213 and 3.910 MHz, boot-legged call signs, antenna restrictions, shortwave broadcasters on 7.175 MHz, an Over-the-Horizon radar on 40 meters, several unidentified carriers on 20 meters, inappropriate images being sent over SSTV and overseas operations.