SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, INC.

==> WPX Awards via LoTW Enters Beta Testing -- Earlier this year, the ARRL and CQ Communications announced that the ARRL will provide support for CQ-sponsored operating awards by the ARRL's Logbook of the World (LoTW) electronic confirmation system. The WPX Award is the first of the CQ-sponsored awards that LoTW will support. "We had originally planned to introduce this new program in early April, but due to the introduction of the new DXCC fee structure and our new Online DXCC application, we had to push the date back," explained ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B. "We are now beta testing the program with a select group of hams and are looking forward to launching to LoTW-WPX partnership in the first part of May."

==> ITU Telecom World 2012 Conference Seeking Participants for Young Innovators Program - As part of ITU Telecom World 2012 -- scheduled for October 14-18 in Dubai -- the conference will present the Young Innovators Program. With its theme of Youth Innovation for Development, the Young Innovators Competition is a chance for the next generation of young visionaries to demonstrate their ideas and innovations on this global stage and show how their fresh digital thinking can change the world for the better. The program seeks to attract dynamic, engaged young people and identify projects with a genuine potential to succeed. The goal of the program is to build a cohesive international community of highly talented of social entrepreneurs from age 18-25 who are working on ICT-based initiatives from the conceptual stage through to projects in areas of critical relevance to the burning issues facing the world today.

==> Get Ready for ARRL EXPO at the Dayton Hamvention - The ARRL has finalized its planning to bring its large exhibition -- ARRL EXPO -- to Dayton Hamvention, May 18-20. The ARRL EXPO has been a mainstay at Hamvention since 2005, serving as the centerpiece for most of the League's activities at the country's largest Amateur Radio convention. ARRL EXPO is as much about creating an experience for convention goers as it is about having a place for members to interact with other members. The ARRL EXPO team includes more than 100 ARRL volunteers, officials and staff members.

==> Changes Permit More Field Checking of DXCC Cards - Acting on a recommendation by ARRL Membership and Volunteer Programs Manager Dave Patton, NN1N, the ARRL's Programs and Services Committee (PSC), adopted new rules for ARRL field card checkers. ARRL card checkers now may check QSL cards for those entities deleted from the DXCC list and, with exceptions, check cards for 160 meters. In addition, the PSC decided not to change the process by which card checkers are appointed.

==> 2012 Continues to Show Growth in Amateur Radio Licensing - The first quarter of 2012 (January-March) saw a high level of Amateur Radio license exam sessions, producing an elevated influx of applications for new licensees. According to ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, these numbers outpaced the 2011 first quarter results by 30 percent. This uptick does not only apply to new applications; there was a 6 percent increase in the number of upgrades, too. "Statistics over the last 13 years reveal that these are some of the highest numbers that we've seen since the early 1990s for the total number of US amateurs," Somma said. "Now there are more than 704,000 radio amateurs in the US."

==> Special Event Stations Planned for London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games - Some special event call signs will be activated to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games: 2O12L from London, England and 2O12W from Barry, Wales. The London 2012 Inspire program has granted the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) -- Great Britain's IARU Member-Society -- use of the "Inspire mark" for these stations. Both stations will be on-the-air for the duration of the Games, July 27-August 12.

*Storm Operator Jennifer Melfi, KC2TMA, Receives Special Service Citation - On August 27 and 28, 2011, for 28 hours during Tropical Storm Irene, 13 year old Jennifer Melfi, KC2TMA, assisted the Town of Babylon (New York) Emergency Operations Center by calling for volunteers on the radio several hours before the storm struck. She tirelessly provided emergency communications, relaying information about shelters and highways to Town of Babylon officials, Red Cross shelters and other nets throughout Long Island. In January, Senator Owen H. Johnson (D-4), presented her with a much deserved Citation at the Ham Radio University event at Briarcliff College in Bethpage, New York. The citation states, in part, "Age does not play a factor in one's ability to volunteer their time to serve one's community. This citation recognizes your outstanding community service to the residents of the Town of Babylon, may you be an inspiration to others who follow in your footsteps."

*ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference Set for Atlanta - The dates have been set -- September 21-23 -- for the 31st Annual ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC) in Atlanta at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel. The DCC schedule includes forums, demonstrations, a Saturday evening banquet and an in-depth Sunday seminar. This conference is for everyone with an interest in digital communications -- from beginner to expert. Technical papers are also being solicited for the conference proceedings. You do not have to attend the conference to have your paper included. The submission deadline is July 31. Please send papers to Maty Weinberg, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111, or you can make your submission via e-mail. Papers will be published exactly as submitted and authors will retain all rights. For more information, please see the DCC website or call TAPR at 972-671-8277.

*ARRL 2012 Field Day Packet Now Available - It's that time of year again -- time to start gearing up for ARRL Field Day, June 23-24, 2012! ARRL's flagship operating event -- always held the fourth full weekend in June -- brings together new and experienced hams for 24 hours of operating fun. Field Day packets are now available for download and include the complete rules, as well as other reference items such as forms, ARRL Section abbreviation list, entry submission instructions, a Frequently Asked Questions section, guidelines for getting bonus points, instructions for GOTA stations and a kit to publicize your event with the local press. A brief one-page flyer with basic "What is Field Day" information has also been included in this year's Field Day packet. Amateur Radio clubs and individuals are encouraged to reproduce this flyer as a handout for information tables.