Field Organization Volunteers

There are eight section-level appointments made by the Section Manager:

Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC)

The SEC appoints District Emergency Coordinators (DEC), Emergency Coordinators (EC), and Official Emergency Stations (OES), to administer Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES).

Section Traffic Manager (STM)

The STM appoints Net Managers (NM) and Official Relay Stations (ORS) in order to maintain the National Traffic System (NTS) at the local level.

Affiliated Club Coordinator (ACC)

Public Information Coordinator (PIC)

The PIC appoints Public Information Officers (PIO). usually attached to a local club for generating local PR.

Technical Coordinator (TC)

The TC appoints Technical Specialists (TS) who may assist with local RFI problems and give general technical assistance (supporting the ARRL Technical Information Service), and be part of the "Elmer" effort to help new hams.

Bulletin Manager (BM)

The BM appoints Official Bulletin Stations (OBS) for transmitting official ARRL and local bulletins of interest.

Official Observer Coordinator (OOC)

The OOC appoints Official Observers (OO), making them full-fledged members of the Amateur Auxiliary to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

State Government Liaison (SGL)

The State Government Liaisons (SGL), appoints Local Government Liaisons (LGL).

Also, Assistant Section Managers (ASM) can be appointed by the SM for special assignments.

There are many opportunities for you to serve. Contact your SM.

Assistant Directors (AD)

Appointed by the division director. In the Southwestern Division assistant directors are ARRL liaisons with local organizations and their appointment is mainly based on the request and recommendation of the groups they represent.
The current SW ADs are:

• Dick Barch, W1MII, South Bay ARC, CA
  
• Pat Bunsold, WA6MHZ, ARC El Cajon, CA
• Alan Corlin, AA6DW, Culver City ARES and Westside ARC, CA
• Craig Dible, KB6LAK, Verde Valley ARA, AZ
• Thomas Fagan, K7DF, Raytheon Catalina RC, AZ
• Mike Fulcher, KC7V, Central Arizona DX Assn, AZ
• Paul Gordon, N6LL, Caltech ARC, CA
• Gary Hamman, K7GH, Arizona Amateur Radio Club, AZ
• Bill Heather, KB6WKT, Downey ARC
• Ken Konechy, W6HHC, Orange County ARC, CA
• Joe Locascio, K5KT, Palos Verdes ARC, CA
• Jeffrey Lloyd, N6FRW, Riverside County ARA, CA
• Joe Madas, AE6JM, Emergency Communications
• Steve McCubbin, K6AOR, San Gorgonio Pass ARC, Coachella Valley ARC, Desert RATS, CA
• Rick Norwood, KD6KHJ, Big Bear ARC, CA
• Bob Overholser, K6HA , Inland Empire ARC, CA 
• Jim Pitman, WA6MZV, United ARC, CA
• Brad Rachielles, KC6NNV, Tri County ARA, CA
• Glenn Rattmann, K6NA, DX and Contests
  
• Fred Roberts, W6TKV, Corona Norco ARC, CA
• Charley Speelman, WA6RUZ, South Orange ARA, CA
• Gene Thorpe, KB6CMO, Western ARA and Fullerton RC, CA
• Kent Tiburski, K6FQ, Coronado Emergency Radio Operators, CA
• Richard Thompson, WA6NOL, Super System, CA
• Larry Weaver, N6TW, Webmaster and Technical
• Don Werner, WA6KKR, Relay Repeater Club, CA

Advisory Committees

There are two national ARRL Advisory Committees where representatives are appointed by the Division Director. SW Division committee members:

• Contest Advisory Committee (CAC): Bruce Horn, WA7BNM
• DX Advisory Committee (DXAC): Ned Stearn, AA7A.
• Emergency Communications Advisory Committee (ECAC): Grant Hays, WB6OTS.

Volunteer Counsel Program

Under this program, lawyers who are also licensed amateurs have agreed to assist other amateurs with ham radio-related legal problems,such as RFI and antenna restrictions. These lawyers will provide a free initial consultation to amateurs regarding ham radio legal problems. To date, the Southwestern Division attorneys that have agreed to serve are:

• Scott Bovitz N6MI
• G. Joseph Buck KC6I
• Leon Cooper N6KQM
• Dean Friedman WW6P
• John Goodrich KM1V
• Merv Hecht KO6E
• Denne Howard WB6TCA
• Simeon Lakritz WA9ZWL
• Ronald Mintz KE6WTN
• Murray Pasternack W6KRC
• William Seligmann WA6UUY
• Peter Singer W2PWS
• Thom Skeer W5HMV

Volunteer Consulting Engineers

VCEs are registered Engineers. Like the ARRL Volunteer Counsels they will provide a free initial consultation. However, they have special technical expertise in critical areas. For example, a VCE might act as an expert witness by providing technical data to municipal government representatives in support of a proposed Amateur Radio antenna and support structure. The VCEs in our division are

• H. Clark Bell K6MSK
• Ken Bourke N6UN
• Jerry Brooks KK6PA
• Morris Courtright KC7RDZ
• Stuart Downs WA6PDP
• W. James Easton WA6LQB
• Allan Fusler KI7NF
• Daryl Gerke K0FBF
• Richard Hall WV6Y
• Clarence Helmericks AA7GP
• Roger Leggett KC6YKL,
• Greg Smith N6NYX,
• Rick Tannehill W7RT,
• Ian Terver W7DIR,
• Bruce Wilson WA8HUL

Staying on Top with Technology

Technology provides the tools and techniques necessary to maintain and grow the Amateur Radio Service--enabling better, faster, cheaper ways to do our traditional tasks, and making possible new modes and capabilities not dreamed of just a few years ago. Part 97.1(b), Basis and Purpose, challenges us to the "Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art."

How well is Amateur Radio keeping up with, and adding to the explosion of technology, especially for personal communications? Will digital PCS/Cell phones turn our hand-helds and repeaters into museum pieces? Are we being outflanked by the Internet? With an eye towards these questions and our Part 97 mandate, your ARRL Board of Directors authorized the formation of a Technology Task Force (TTF) to assure that promising technologies are identified and applied to the Amateur Radio Service. The TTF serves as a steering committee for your League's efforts to keep us abreast of technology.

One of the resources tapped by the TTF is the League's Technology Working Group (TWG). The TWG is comprised of a balanced panel of technology experts and visionaries. The Southwestern Division is fortunate to have noted author and columnist Peter Coffee, AC6EN, as a member of the TWG as well as QEX Editor Doug Smith, KF6DX. 

Technical and Educational Advisors

TAs and EAs are ARRL national-level appointees who provide HQ with a volunteer resource. The current Southwestern Division TAs are:

• Paul Andreasen K1JAN
• Doug Millar K6JEY
• Joe Moell K0OV
• Tom O'Hara W6ORG
• Ivan Shulman WC2S
• David Zinder W7PMD

The EA in our division is Allan Cameron N7UJJ. 

Permanent Public Ham Stations

The Arizona Historical Society Museum is planning to reconstruct the well-known ham station of the late Senator Barry Goldwater, K7UGA. The amateur equipment, memorabilia and furnishings were donated last year by the family. However, financial donations are needed to put a "high-quality exhibit" together. If you would like to help, write Director Reba Wells Grandrud, Arizona Historical Society Museum at Papago Park, 1300 N. College Ave., Tempe, AZ 85281.

There are a number of museums, science centers, etc. that have ham stations where the public can observe the fun and value of Amateur Radio. In the Southwestern Division, the most notable ones are at the L.A. Maritime Museum (San Pedro, CA), the Queen Mary (Long Beach, CA), and the Arizona Science Center (Phoenix). These stations are always looking for volunteer operators, a great chance to share your Amateur Radio excitement with the public.

If you are interested in finding out how to go about establishing and funding a permanent Amateur Radio station at a public place you have in mind, contact ARRL Educaation Services Manager Debra Johnson K1DMJ -- djohnson@arrl.org.

W7ASC Center for Amateur Radio Learning has information on their web-site at www.w7asc.org  

Other Volunteers

There are many of you who give in other ways toward the betterment of the Amateur Radio with or without an official ARRL title. There are a number of position-holders whose names are kept confidential such as members of an official FCC Amateur Auxiliary Local Interference Committee (LIC). Included are the QSL sorters who normally want to stay anonymous despite donating many unselfish hours.

We would also like to give thanks to those members that give talks, write articles and books, and help make video tapes and CD-ROMs.

We must not forget Volunteer Examiners (VE) and ham instructors, both professional and volunteer, who not only help increase our ranks but also promote improved ham operators.

Fellow members that are on the NTS Pacific Area Staff (PAS) include

• Rob Griffin K6YR (chairman)
• Michael Atmore KE6DKU
• Daniel Farrell W6QZ
• Ken Miller K6CTW

Jack Hunter, KD6HHG, represents ARES for the division as the Southwestern Division ARES Coordinator.

Here are some of our Division members that have appointments on national League committees: Gordon West WB6NOA (PR Committee). In addition, Joe Moell K0OV is the first ARRL Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) Coordinator. 

Encouraging Youth

The best place to start to encourage more young folks to find the fun and excitement of ham radio is at home and youth groups such as the Scouts. The ARRL HQ can help with comic books, the ARRL Scout Handbook, computer software, videos, exhibit kits, awards, and instructor support. The ARRL Educational Activities Department is a good place to obtain help and ideas; software, videos, exhibit kits, awards, and instructor support.

Also, schools are a good place to help get more youth involved. The Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) has been a program that has been most valuable in this effort as well as gaining good PR for ham radio. This program is through the combined effort of the ARRL, AMSAT, and NASA, where students are able to make contacts with ham astronauts aboard many of the shuttle missions as part of the school curriculum. The International Space Station (ISS) is now operational, greatly expanding the program.