ARRL Sworn to Secrecy? PT1
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- Опубликовано: 11 июл 2024
- The ARRL is trying something that failed miserably about 5 years ago. The board is voting on a bylaw change known as Bylaw 46 or the code of conduct clause. I don't know everything about it so I'm bringing in a few people who do. Listen to them, and listen to how we the membership can keep the ARRL's business open and honest for the membership.
2 A Content from a Cop's perspective: Rumble.com/K6UDA
Show Notes:
Join Me every Monday at Noon Mountain Time (1800 UTC) for the 2 Alpha Ham Radio Podcast Live. I'll bring in short subjects that we can dive in and look at, you can bring up subjects to discuss. You can also join me as a guest on the show.
Join the show live : guest.ecamm.live/818a23d21
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I worked in radio 43 years. When I got back in ham radio 30 years ago I reached out to the ARRL. I wanted to promote ham radio on my morning show. There was no interest in promoting the hobby on local radio. That told me everything I needed to know. When my 14 year old grandson passed his tech license I took him to a Hamfest. I sent my grandson to the ARRL booth. My grandson was the only person at the booth. He introduced himself and the two guys at the ARRL booth couldn’t be bothered by a 14 year old. if I worked the booth I would have pounced on it, explained all the cool things ham radio offers.
I don’t hate the ARRL but I don’t like them either. I think their time has come and gone.
@@radioroadmedia me too. People are too soft which is why others get away with doing crap work / service.
Time for a class action law suit and audit of the books made public. Treat it like the NRA
Things such as the apparent issues possibly coming from these proposals are the reasons I left the organization you mentioned years ago
A class action should be brought by each and every life member who PAID for their membership and lifetime QST!
Sounds like NRA, this will destroy ARRL eventually.
I made this video to try and stem what seems to be happening. If I didn’t care, I’d just move on.
Power corrupts, absolute power, absolutely corrupts. Don’t think I’ll renew my ARRL membership this year!
Time to have a new organization that is really helping hams and not based on money.
It always starts out great and then ends up being about money
There's too much history, the current leaders proceeding with this need to be recalled and bounced from their leadership positions
@@PaulStAmand-sd1jsgood luck with that.
@@K8BARit will happen. Case in point, the NRA. Just like the ARRL, NRA was the only advocacy organization until they got corrupted and a bunch of new Grassroots groups started and the NRA is now longer anything like it once was. Several members of its leaders have been indicted for corruption. HAM radio is ripe for a new grassroots group to take the place of ARRL.
Thanks for having me on, Bob! I believe that the board has voted already on by law 46. We should hear the result soon.
Ria, I wasn't aware you weren't on the board anymore. I used to follow you religiously, but you stopped showing up in my feed and I didn't notice. Ria, you were the only ARRL officer I knew by sight and had any idea what they were doing. This is tragic. What are these guys thinking?
@@billtheslink4541 I left in early 2023. David Minster and his cronies sought to try to evict me with a phony ethics charge. All they got was a recusal, but another organization (ARDC) invited me to be on their board so I went with them instead. I've been having an absolute blast at ARDC doing much more meaningful work than I was at ARRL. I need to start making videos again. I was laid off in October and prior to that the company had me busy training my replacements overseas. :(
Holy crap. Thanks for bringing this to our attention. I don't believe this is even legal not that I'm an attorney, but from my limited experience in a similar organization organization here in CA. At any rate, as much as it hurts me to say it... It's our only real advocate... It might be time for a mass vote by not renewing. I'm so torn by all of this. And QST... I continue to pay for the magazine because magazines are a dieing breed but... Dang. Dang.... I'll be following this closely now...
I'm no attorney either, although I have about a year's worth of business law coursework included in my B.A.
Additionally, I've spent several years as a chair of a state association, which was a 501(C)(3) tax exempt, non-profit, and I believe that they have to post all the officer's salaries, at least, in the year-end report?
This sounds a heck of a lot like what was happening at the NRA for the last several years and we’re all seeing how that played out. The ARRL will never get my money.
Would be nice to know what the higher-up are being paid, including travel expenses
Board members are unpaid. You do get travel expenses to board meetings and certain conventions. The CEO is paid ~$350,000 per year and that may actually be increased. Are ARRL members getting their money’s worth?
@@n2rj I think 20k is more appropriate
They seem as useful as the NRA, just good at collecting money
Collecting money and sending junk mail
It’s time for a clean sweep…. “Make the ARRL GREAT AGAIN”
As much as I love the hobby I left the league when they installed a hedge fund manager who walked away from the 2008 collapse with loads of cash, they showed their cards that day to me.
Glad I didn't renew. Nice job on the video. Appreciate the content and keep em comming.
Thanks.
I did not renew the membership. I was raised to vote with my wallet.
I live in Idaho, been a ham since 1984, and an ARRL member since around 1986.
I like the magazines, and always looked forward to them every month.
A few years ago, I did an article, or at least put together an article for potentially being put in QST.
Our local ham club was assisting with safety communications for a local foot race and it was challenging due to the terrain and the 36 hour time frame of the race.
We had pictures of a couple of the stations, which included the runners, the radios and operators, antennas and remote areas.
In one picture, one of my operators could be seen carrying a firearm on the outside of their clothing.
Did I mention "remote area", think wild animals, being a legal to carry state, etc, etc. Let alone, the person in the picture was a law enforcement officer, just not in uniform.
The person at the ARRL who reviewed the article and I will not mention names, really liked the article, but when that person saw the firearm in the picture, one would have thought I had commented a major violation by showing that item being visible.
The response I received back was "our organization does not promote the use of firearms nor will allow weapons to be displayed in the QST articles".
I'll not go into the 2A or other freedom of speech tirade.
At any rate, I still maintained my membership, until I received my renewal notice a couple of days ago. Going to a renewal cost of $49 to $59, now $84 per year, for just including the magazine, and not much else, I am out. I'm a retired guy who is pretty much on a fixed income and for the lack of support other then getting a lot of worthless e-mails, a few contest notices, which I am not part of, the ARRL does not listen to anything we have to say.
I am also waiting to see how the 60 meter situation pans out as it looks like we are going to get screwed on that great EMCOMM band.
As for the secrecy issue of bylaw changes, the BOD have a "super-majority" group for voting, that sounds so much like our current federal government.
Sounds like the time for a change-
It’s a mistake by the ARRL editor to dismiss an article because the editor had a personal problem with a constitutional amendment.
It's become another NRA
I DID THE SAME THING. Seems they never really stood up to represent us before the FCC ON charging us for our licenses . Or other things. I will miss QST. That has always been a great educational experience reading the magazine. I could not afford the rate of belonging to the league.
I was a member for basically 52 years . I could not afford it anymore. Thanks for having this on.
Feels like something the NRA would do, as long as the ARRL is taking our membership dues, they owe us total transparency. We saw what happened with the NRA membership numbers when they were less than forthright. If ARRL goes the route with changing Bylaw 46, this will be my last year as a ARRL member. Went through this B.S. as an NRA Life member, so I'll not go through it again ARRL.
I used to leave my QST magazines at Orlando's VA clinic areas for other veterans to read while being served or hospitalized, to spark in them interest on our hobby, to let known how civil radio-comms intertwine with public disaster response, to help them consider integrate radio into their family emergency plans. I guess that will be ending shortly than expected! 😔
Yea, I liked to pass mine on also, sometimes at a campground library for book swapping. Hoping a kid found it and found it interesting. Oh well, now what? Publish my password?
I got my ticket in 1996 with my best friend. He became an ARRL member and I did not. I did not see a benefit from it. I finally got a one year membership 3 years ago. I did not see any value in it. They bombarded me with emails to buy hats and shirts. In my estimation they were not advocating for us. When my one year subscription ended, that was is. I did like the magazine but it had turned in to more ads than stories and news. People will vote with their wallet.
I saw this with a local club (without mentioning it), and the the vote to remove a club member was a total character as**inat**on. I chose to remain silent to avoid being a subject of a lawsuit, but I will never join that club EVER. If ARRL is going this way, I will leave the group and never return!
I won't be renewing my arrl this year. I am on a board and all members are invited to attend or join via zoom to give feed back.
This explains some things. I got the notification of the new bylaw suggestions. My first reaction was to reply back to my section and ask who transgressed and how. That's why bylaws get changed, right?
No reply.
What is stopping members from simply walking with their feet and creating a new organization? QST is great (or at least was years ago when I followed this closer), but can't the community come together and put a new publication out? It could be free and web based - but driven by the community.
I will remain a member so I can vote against the incumbents.
Amazing. Thanks for bringing this up. See you both at Hamcation. 😊
Several years ago when I was a member of the ARRL, I called out there with a regulatory question. Guy that answered the phone was to put it politely, a real jerk. It was as if I was really bothering him by calling to ask a question. That told me everything I needed to know and I never renewed after that.
My primary reason for being a member is the magazine and addressing HOA issues. I will have to rethink renewing my membership next year
Can you say Wayne LaPierre?
@K6UDA
Bob, that was a really good interview. You asked excellent probing questions, allowed plenty of time for your gest to answer & listened well. Many journalists could take a few pointers from that.
I'd heard some grumbling about a toxic work environment developing at ARRL recently. All that, plus the shadow board points to major issues at the top. I've heard it said that the fish rots from the head down. Sounds like we need to clean house at the ARRL starting with the CEO & board. If only we knew who these 10 shadow board members were . . .
We had a comparable situation at a church where I was on the Elder board many years ago, but that's another story.
Thanks.
I'm glad I am NOT an ARRL member.
Same here
I was going to join the ARRL, but now I am going to pause. If they can't be transparent in what they do for us then I don't know where my radio dollars are going. It is crucial this organization remain beholden to its members.
There is an invisible hand behind all this. We better figure out who fast.
FJB?
@@bruehlt ha, no. Who is behind the need for these rule changes and the desire to insert themselves between hams and the board? Why make these changes if it’s not a preliminary step to something…
Fuck the ARRL! Time for everyone, and I mean EVERYONE to stop paying for memberships, books, etc, from the ARRL!! We need an organization that will actually advocate for our legal and moral interests.
Damn. I had let my membership lapse, but decided to renew just this last week. A problem I can fix next year.
If you have evidence the board isn't operating according to its bylaws, report them to the state attorney general and the IRS. Boards should not be meeting in secret.
This is interesting, looking forward to part 2.
This has been going on for years, probably decades. When the air force wanted to take back the "entire" UHF (440 MHz) band around the "pave paws" sites, The ARRL maybe had 2 people that had any special knowledge of what was going on and they would not take questions or suggestions and never did a dam thing about it...not even a conversation with congress. What totally worthless pile of ... So many of these organizations forget who they are there to serve and decide it is themselves that they serve.
They raised the annual dues ten dollars as of the first of the year. By the renewal notice I received in December.
They double raised it on me. The membership fee going up AND different fee for the printed magazine. I cannot read the online version were i normally read it so i have to pay that 25 additional. Im just going to let my membership lapse.
I really enjoy QST, it is not the magazine it once was. I received magines from the the 1940s and 1950s, man has it changed. And BRW, I’m a Life Member. ARRL needs a wake up call!
Right on
Bob thanks so much for sharing. We need an organization that not only advocates for us but is accountable to it's members.
Thank you for putting this together, bringing Ria on as a subject matter expert, and sharing this with us. It is greatly appreciated, and we appreciate Rias' knowledge and time sharing as well.
This is a shame, but so many things going on in this country are a shame, so why not add this to the mix. I follow Ria as well, and I will share this with our group, Bob.
Thank you.
The problem is that the ARRL is run by a hedge fund manager and like all hedge fund managers, they bring their toxic hedge fund manager culture with them. The ARRL needs to be run by those who live the hobby, are smart, encourage learning and know how to navigate the ever increasing threats to amateur radio frequencies by commercial interests.
We need a new Wayne Green to stir things up agn.
WOW this puts the final nail in the coffin for me. My sub is up next month and I've been getting renewal notices for the last month. I've been on the fence as to whether or not I'll renew, well guess I won't. Thanks for bring this to my attention. I'm going to send this link to all my radio club members.
Lingering cough after the vid? NAC twice a day. NAC with Selenium and Molybdenum - 600 mg - Take 1 tablet in the morning and 1 tablet in the afternoon.
This is why I've never joined them before, it's the good ol' boys club - and they are not representing our interests. Not worth the time or money. The only way that I would join is if they had 100% transparency.
They've become the NRA. The NRA is no longer needed. The GOA and NAGR have replaced the NRA which has become a corrupt, useless organization.
I dropped them when they started with the woke crap and featured a lesbian married couple in the membership profile. It’s not mainstream and certainly against my views on marriage. Kicked them to the curb
Thank you both for the insight. Yes, the printed QST magazine is definitely my prime reason for joining and maintaining an ARRL membership since 2014. Reading a PDF/online issue of QST will be a seldom event for me. The printed QST magazine reviews and/or vendor advertising has led me to all eight of my transceiver purchases, all three of my power supply purchases and all eleven of the different antenna purchases. I've only purchased three ARRL Books so far. The printed QST magazine is the "interest igniter" that influences me to go watch ARRL Channel RUclips videos & other amateur radio hobby equipment reviewers & operating method lessons. It's just so easy & refreshing to pickup and use the printed QST magazine, (while waiting in the car, traveling on an airliner, sitting at the kitchen table or relaxing out on the porch), to focus on all of the latest ham radio topics & inspiration that QST magazine provides. I dread the possibility of the magazine fading away due to less engagement of it by a majority of fellow members who will precipitously ignore the online magazines as time goes by... (out of sight from the mailbox, out of time for staring at computer devices, and out of mind as it no longer entices the membership to conveniently/habitually pickup it up from the coffee table or bench), ...because they are too frugal to pay a separate/additional expense; they'll probably just depend upon RUclips for ham radio information, and ARRL Channel will be buried amongst other "distractions competing for our time" that RUclips always provides...fm P.S. I've viewed "On the Air" magazine a few times on my smartphone while waiting in the car. I like it too, but it's second fiddle to QST magazine and fatiguing to view on a small screen (I rarely carry around a larger tablet computer when mobile due to size, damage potential & theft concerns).
I've already made the decision to not renew when my membership when it expires later this year. And that's after 40+ years of continuous membership. They can't honor the contract they made with me when I last renewed so what's next to go? Looking forward to part 2.
ARRL priced me out of membership.
So, substantially increase the membership fee. Reduce the number of key services you are providing. Set up rules to cloak much of what you ARE doing in secrecy. Don't publish the salaries of the top people. Shift the power away from the membership and toward the upper staff. Intimidate Board members into silence by threat of removal should they speak the truth to members about what they are doing. This is an unethical way to run a public organization. It sounds like they are being run by people who crave power and want to ensure they maintain that power, and who are definitely covering something up that they do not want the membership to know. The thing about people who crave power is eventually it's learned those are the very people who should never have it. If the ARRL can't be loyal to its members, the members shouldn't be loyal to the ARRL. It's time to say goodbye to the ARRL until they change course and get back to representing its members instead of themselves.
Like with any other large organization, perceived power gives leadership a sense of entitlement and a misguided belief that they have no accountability, and that they are far above those whom they are supposed to be serving. The NRA, as many other's here have said is a fine example, as are many schools and government agencies... I have thought this was by design for years, now.
Makes me starting to regret getting my life membership
As for magazines, one other group (Esperanto-USA) now emails a link to a web version with downloadable PDF. Nothing proprietary about it that I've noticed. Honestly I like it better that way. Less paper contributing to household clutter.
Our scout troop started letting the boys opt out from the printed magazine subscription. Mine chose to skip the magazine this year. The only part they ever wanted to read was the joke page, and not very often even for that. So yeah. Magazines will either change or fade away.
I stopped being a member because they have not actually done their jobs.... I want hard copies of the magazines to read, thumb through AND put in the waiting room for others to read.
Also they blocked Firefox browser access to my account. They want me to use Chrome browser. I refused moving to Chrome. So, I did not renew after many years as a member.
One reason i joined the ARRL was for the LBOW. But with the invention, of the QRZ logbok, I can live without it. The QRZ logbook is easy, looks better, and is totally free. They have awards, confirmations, and Oh yeah, its free!!
Can we list the names of these board of directors who support this?
I'd like the list of which 10 are in the zoom calls, or alternately which 5 aren't.
It might also be possible to figure out by looking at lists of roll-call votes to see who is voting together but the board has been working to hide those too.
Glad to see you on the RUclips. Thanks foe taking the time to do the video. KD9PJN
I became a ham after I retired. I looked the ARRL but was unable to see what benefit they would bring me. To date I have not joined nor do I think I ever will.
Bob thanks for presenting this! You should reach out to a few of the candidates who ran for district directors. You will find a whole host of people who really wanted to help make changes at the ARRL. I wont out anyone specifically. But just talk with those who ran for those positions. It will probably be an eye opener! ‘73. WD8SED
This stuff is why I don’t join national organizations, it all about power and money.
I am absolutely against this.
Hello JK1OQP...I use to be a member of the ARRL back in the 2000s... haven`t renewed in years. I belong to other leagues in other countries such as New Zealand Amatuer club. This was a good video by the way. 73...
Sounds as if the ARRL board is right up there with the NRA board. Very sad indeed.
I’m with you. I will let my ARRL member ship lapse also. The ARRL president and corporation is responsible to its members. With out us members they wouldn’t be getting a large pay day every month. Several years ago there was a bill in congress to authorize those of us that live in an HOA community the right to put up an antenna. It was never voted on and received very little support from the ARRL. It would be interesting to find out how many hams and/or potential hams live in an HOA restricted community. I doubt the ARRL has a clue. The ARRL either supports us members or they can take someone else’s money not mine. Support and loyalty work both ways.
Been in ham radio since 1982, never been a member of ARRL.
I should have known it would be Ria when you began the introduction. How do you remove the entire group and start over.
Assuming we understand the mission of the ARRL, the Board’s primary focus must be to support that mission. I just read the ARRL’s “Vision Statement” on the website. There is no mention of lobbying for the benefit of members or protecting the rights of members pertaining to when, where or how HAM radio can be done. What this implies to me is that members need to refocus the ARRL charter to what we consider vital and change the Board to meet these needs. This can best be accomplished through the many HAM Radio clubs. N7DKE, Phoenix area.
They like to cover up Directors with criminal charges involving cirmes against young hams at hamfests- Still waiting for them to fess up-
I'm so disappointed about charging us $25 to get a paper magazine. I'm not a high tech man. I don't like reading mine online so why should I be punished. I probably won't renew. I will send them and e-mail about my displeasure as I believe everyone should do if they don't renew. They need to hear why we're not subscribing.
I'm disappointed by them taking it away in the middle of a membership year and saying *I* owed *them* money as a result. Nonsense. Fall to deliver what was promised and you owe me compensation, not the other way around!
Hi Bob,
For the record, the additional $10 increase in dues, PLUS the extra $25 for the QST mag. is a nearly 71.5 Percent increase over what we are now getting for $49, not $84. Maybe we should re-classify the league as an insurance company, for that is about the percentage they are wrongfully increasing their rates too. Aren't you glad we handed out all of that corporate welfare to the Ins. Co's, the banks, etc. during the pandemic to "save THEM"? Frankly, I think that we should recall ALL of that corporate welfare with interest at a minimum of 12% compounded monthly and recover out tax dollars going back to 2008's TARP garbage too!
I have heard now from about 20-25 hams local to my area that they either are not going to join ARRL or won't renew. I don't think this board with be in place by the middle of the year. Buh-bye!
I've looked at ARRL's online resources a few times but hadn't really thought about joining. Mostly because it's yet another org to work up the mental energy to keep track of and remember to renew & pay dues every year. Partly because there seems to be a mismatch between them and me about which FCC related issues to get spun up about and what to let slide. So I haven't looked into how it's actually run. But if there's secrecy, collusion, cliques, gag orders, BoD dilution, cronyism, expense report padding, unfireable leaders with golden parachutes, or anything even remotely of the sort, then count me out until it's fixed. Crap like that is why I let my NRA membership lapse many years ago.
I don't know enough to say for sure that there's a problem with ARRL. But a well run organization should leave no room for doubt. Transparency is fundamental.
Are there any alternatives to the ARRL?
That's a great question & as far as I know there isn't. In my opinion that's why they feel they can get away with rules and policies like this. Maybe its time for a new radio organization.
Here is another thought on the subject. What just happened to the NRA? The president of the NRA is under investigation of misappropriation of NRA money. Loyalty goes both ways. If the ARRL leadership want to make the big bucks then they should be supporting its members.
Well if this is the case I am cancelling my membership and unsubscribing from anything related to them. I’ll be watching for your part 2.
ARRL=NRA??? Sounding pretty similar
I think all the members that are in locked step should be investigated by the DOJ and FCC. You can bet they are all on the take.
The personal gear insurance is available to anyone regardless of membership. I confirmed with the insurance provider this year after the increases were announced.
Who’s the insurance company? I’d be happy to pass it on
@@K6UDA at the bottom of that page in the link I sent is an email you can confirm this is still the case, but the way it was presented to me the insurance company just wants your money.... they don't care about your membership.
I haven't seen an email or the link. Can you sent it to k6udaradio@gmail.com
Going the way of the NRA?
When I was first learning about ham radio, before I was ever licensed, ARRL was the first group I learned about. They helped me study for my license and found me a place to test. This makes me sad. YLRL will be getting my money from now on. 😢
Its sad to see this . But yes magazine is one key point. Every other organization i have involved in turns into this muck
And it gets so thick that can't see through. So no won't be joining joining
What's the arrl? 😂 I don't need it. I don't want it...going on 30 years!
I have not renewed my membership this year the only time I visited the web site was to renew my membership. Maybe I'm becoming an old grump 🤔
All due respect, but as a younger ham I've never had ARRL on my radar. They seem like a dinosaur of an organization, a thing from the past that most millenials and gen z will wonder the point of. I get more information and utility from channels like this than the ARRL. To me the board drama just sounds like the dying gasps of a doomed organization. When the boomers and gen x finally stop paying their dues, maybe the association will have a brief chance at rebirth into something that has utility. If not (IMO) no big loss.
So the arrl is just another NRA club
Btw, is there another magazine in the USA? Is there another radio insurance in the USA?
The ARRL was running off the rails by fighting some sort of no CW entrance level license in the l1980's. Or only recently the data limits wete relaxed.
@KD6UDA: This is all a continuation of the letter and email sent in eaely 2001, remind members that it is illegal to use amateur frequencies to coordinate attacks. The FCC also sent a letter and email with the same wording as the ARRL notices. Rather than telling the FCC to go do their own investigations, and protect the law abiding license holders, the ARRL did the bidding of their overlords (luke the good little simps they are).
Does blaming the law abiding for the acts of criminals sound familiar? It should.
A leader of another organization was using membership money to send board members, and even his wife on exotic tropical vacations. Hiwis the ARRL wasing their membership funds?
Where there is much light, there are many shadows. - Old German Saying
In the uk this would next happen
My decision made was based on the wonderful customer service. I ordered a license certificate thinking that ARRL would give me a real nice one instead it took over a month and it was basically a PowerPoint presentation slide printed on glossy paper and it cost $15 I went to qrz andaz was only $10 it was much more professionally done in appearance and I had it within a week and a half
This reminds me of the AMSAT shenanigans
Sounds pretty corrupt to me. I don't think they will be recieving any of my money.
Where is the link to the town hall type meeting in NE area?
Is Wayne Lapierre influencing the ARRL?
The ARRL's continued interest in this makes them completely contrary to what I would ever want anything to do with. It may be a time for a new representative for amateur's. It would have to be completely a grass roots movement...but so be it!
Gonna be honest, the ad section on QST kept getting bigger, and the actual interesting articles seem to have gotten smaller. I will say this much though, I just told someone today that doesn't print catalogs anymore that the emails that they were pushing usually wind up being mass deleted and the website that they point to only gets used when I have something clearly in mind to buy, but paper mail that I have to physically touch gets seen and looked at, and more than I'd like to admit drives impulsive purchases. Lack of physical media may be all green and everything (until they flatten green fields and forests to slap solar panels down that is) but it just isn't good for sales.
I not renewed due to the new price and lot of changes
I always opted out of receiving the magazine. I really don’t read them. I’m not giving them an extra $10 this year. I get more amateur radio knowledge out of RUclips. I really think that is where their downfall is. For many, the one worthwhile aspect of ARRL membership, which was QST, has been replaced.
So the ARRL is basically the NRA of ham?