The following "job descriptions" (guidelines, if you will) are descriptive of the volunteer appointments most likely available in YOUR area of the USA. For appointment applications or further information, contact the Field Services Department, ARRL HQ, 225 Main St. Newington CT. ----- TECHNICAL COORDINATOR The ARRL Technical Coordinator (TC) is a section-level official appointed by the Section Manager to coordinate all technical activities within the section. The Technical Coordinator must be an ARRL full member holding a Novice class (or higher) amateur license. The Technical Coordinator reports to the Section Manager and is expected to maintain contact with other section-level appointees as appropriate to insure a unified ARRL Field Organization within the section. The duties of the Technical Coordinator are as follows: 1. Supervise and coordinate the work of the section's Technical Specialists. 2. Encourage amateurs in the section to share their technical achievements with others through the pages of QST, and at club meetings, hamfests and conventions. 3. Promote technical advances and experimentation at vhf/uhf and with specialized modes, and work closely with enthusiasts in these fields within the section. 4. Serve as an advisor to radio clubs that sponsor training programs for obtaining amateur licenses or upgraded licenses in cooperation with the ARRL Affiliated Club Coordinator. 5. In times of emergency or disaster, function as the coordinator for establishing an array of equipment for communications use and be available to supply technical expertise to government and relief agencies to set up emergency communications networks, in cooperation with the ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator. 6. Refer amateurs in the section who need technical advice to local Technical Specialists. 7. Encourage TSs to serve on RFI and TVI committees in the section for the purpose of rendering technical assistance as needed, in cooperation with the ARRL OO/Coordinator. 8. Be available to assist local technical program committees in arranging suitable programs for ARRL hamfests and conventions. 9. Convey the views of section amateurs and TSs about the technical contents of QST and ARRL books to ARRL Hq. Suggestions for improvements should also be called to the attention of the ARRL Hq. technical staff. 10. Work with the appointed ARRL TAs (technical advisors) when called upon. 11. Be available to give technical talks at club meetings, hamfests and conventions in the section. Recruitment of new hams and League members is an integral part of the job of every League appointee. Appointees should take advantage of every opportunity to recruit a new ham or member to foster growth of Field Organization programs, and our abilities to serve the public. FSD-109 (191) ------ OFFICIAL OBSERVER The Official Observer program has been sponsored by the League for over 50 years to help amateurs help each other. Official Observer appointees have aided thousands of amateurs to maintain their transmitting equipment and operating procedures in compliance with the regulations. The object of the OO program is to notify amateurs by mail of operating/technical irregularities before they come to the attention of the FCC. The OO is also the backbone of the Amateur Auxiliary to the FCC's Field Operations Bureau. OOs are certified in the Auxiliary by passing a mandatory written examination. The OO performs his function by listening rather than transmitting, keeping an ear out for such things as frequency instability, harmonics, hum, key clicks, broad signals, distorted audio, overdeviation, out-of-band operation, etc. The OO completes his task once the notification card is sent. In hard-core rules violations cases, OOs refer problems to higher echelons of the Amateur Auxiliary, and may be requested to gather evidence for possible FCC enforcement actions. Requirements follow: 1. Must take and pass examination to be certified as a member of the Amateur Auxiliary, an FCC requirement, based on study of the ARRL's Amateur Auxiliary Training Manual. 2. Must be an ARRL Full Member and have been a licensee of Technician Class or higher for at least four years. 3. Must report to the OO Coordinator regularly on FSD-23. 4. Maintain regular activity in sending out advisory notices as needed. The OO program is one of the most important functions of the League. A sincere dedication to helping our brother and sister amateurs is required for appointment. Recruitment of new hams and League members is an integral part of the job of every League appointee. Appointees should take advantage of every opportunity to recruit a new ham or member to foster growth of Field Organization programs, and our abilities to serve the public. FSD-110 (1288) ----- AFFILIATED CLUB COORDINATOR The ACC is the primary contact and resource person for each Amateur Radio club in the section, specializing in motivating, providing assistance and coordinating joint activities of radio clubs. The ACC is appointed by, and reports to, the Section Manager. Duties and qualifications of the ACC include the following: 1. Volunteer a great deal of time in getting to know the Amateur Radio clubs' members and officers person to person in his section. Learn their needs, strengths and interests and work with them to make club effective resources in their communities and more enjoyable for their members. 2. Encourage affiliated clubs in the section to become more active and, if the club is already healthy and effective, to apply as a Special Service Club (SSC). 3. Supply interested clubs with SSC application forms. 4. Assist clubs in completing SSC application forms, if requested. 5. Help clubs establish workable programs to use as SSCs. 6. Approve SSC application forms and pass them to the SM. 7. Work with other section leadership officials (Section Emergency Coordinator, Public Information Coordinator, Technical Coordinator, State Government Liaison, etc.) to insure that clubs are involved in the mainstream of ARRL Field Organization activities. 8. Encourage new clubs to become ARRL affiliated. 9. Ensure that annual progress reports (updated officers, liaison mailing addresses etc.) are forthcoming from all affiliated clubs. 10. Novice Class license; ARRL membership required. Recruitment of new hams and League members is an integral part of the job of every League appointee. Appointees should take advantage of every opportunity to recruit a new ham or member to foster growth of Field Organization programs, and our abilities to serve the public. FSD-201 (1288) ----- EMERGENCY COORDINATOR The ARRL Emergency Coordinator is a key team player in ARES on the local emergency communications scene. Working with the Section Emergency Coordinator, the DEC and Official Emergency Stations, the EC prepares for, and engages in management of communications needs in disasters. EC duties include: 1. Promote and enhance the activities of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) for the benefit of the public as a voluntary, non-commercial communications service. 2. Manage and coordinate the training, organization and emergency participation of interested amateurs working in support of the communities, agencies or functions designated by the Section Emergency Coordinator/Section Manager. 3. Establish an emergency communications plan for the communities and agencies that will effectively utilize ARES members to cover the needs for tactical and formal Welfare message traffic. 4. Establish a viable working relationship with all federal, state, county, city governmental and private agencies in the ARES jurisdictional area which might need the services of ARES in emergencies. 5. Establish local communications networks run on a regular basis and periodically test those networks by conducting realistic drills. 6. Establish an emergency traffic plan, with Welfare traffic inclusive, utilizing the National Traffic System as one active component for traffic handling. Establish an operational liaison with local and section nets, particularly for handling Welfare traffic in an emergency situation. 7. In times of disaster, evaluate the communications needs of the juris-diction and respond quickly to those needs. The EC will assume authority and responsibility for emergency response and performance by ARES personnel under his jurisdiction. 8. Do all that is possible to further the favorable image of Amateur Radio by dedication to purpose and a thorough understanding of the mission of Amateur Radio. Requirements: Technician or higher class license; Full ARRL membership. Recruitment of new hams and League members is an integral part of the job of every League appointee. Appointees should take advantage of every opportunity to recruit a new ham or member to foster growth of Field Organization programs, and our abilities to serve the public. FSD-46 (1288) ----- NET MANAGER For coordinating and supervising traffic handling activities in the section, the SM may appoint one or more Net Managers, usually on recommendation of the Section Traffic Manager. The number of NMs appointed may depend on a section's geographical size, the number of nets operating in the section, or other factors having to do with the way the section is organized. In some cases, there may be only one net manager in charge of the one section net, or one NM for the phone net, one for the cw net. In larger or more traffic-active sections there may be several, including NMs for the vhf net or nets, for the RTTY net, or NTS local nets not controlled by ECs. All ARRL NMs should work under the STM in a coordinated section traffic plan. Some nets cover more than one section but operate in NTS at the section level. In this case, the Net Manager is selected by agreement among the STMs concerned and the NM appointment conferred on him by his resident SM. NMs may conduct any testing of candidates for ORS appointment (see below) that they consider necessary before making appointment recommendations to the STM. Net Managers also have the function of requiring that all traffic handling in ARRL recognized nets is conducted in proper ARRL form. Requirements: Novice class license or higher; Full ARRL membership. Recruitment of new hams and League members is an integral part of the job of every League appointee. Appointees should take advantage of every opportunity to recruit a new ham or member to foster growth of Field Organization programs, and our abilities to serve the public. FSD-1 (1288) ------ OFFICIAL BULLETIN STATION Rapid dissemination of information is the lifeblood of an active, progressive organization. The ARRL Official Bulletin Station network provides a vital communications link for informing the amateur community of the latest developments in Amateur Radio and the League. ARRL bulletins, containing up-to-the-minute news and information of Amateur Radio, are issued by League Headquarters as soon as such news "breaks." These bulletins are transmitted on a regular schedule by ARRL Headquarters station W1AW. The primary mission of OBS appointees is to copy these bulletins directly off the air from W1AW -- on voice, cw or RTTY/ASCII -- and retransmit them locally for the benefit of amateurs in the particular coverage area, many of whom may not be equipped to receive bulletins directly from W1AW. ARRL bulletins of major importance or of wide-ranging scope are mailed from Headquarters to each Bulletin Manager and OBS appointee. However, some bulletins, such as the ARRL DX Bulletin (transmitted on Fridays UTC), are disseminated only by W1AW because of time value. Thus it is advantageous for each OBS to copy W1AW directly. In some sections, the Bulletin Manager may assume the responsibility of copying the bulletins from W1AW; therefore, individual OBSs should be sure to meet the Bulletin Manager on a regular, agreed-upon schedule to receive the latest bulletins. Inasmuch as W1AW operates on all bands (160-2 meters), the need for OBSs on hf has lessened somewhat in recent times. However, OBS appointments for hf operation can be conferred by the Section Manager (or the Bulletin Manager, depending on how the SM organizes the section) if the need is apparent. More importantly, to serve the greatest possible "audience," OBS appointees who can send ARRL bulletins over vhf repeaters, and via uploading to packet bulletin board systems (PBBS) are of maximum usefulness and are much in demand. If possible, an OBS who can copy bulletins directly from W1AW (or the Bulletin Manager) should be assigned to each major repeater in the section. Bulletins should be transmitted regularly, perhaps in conjunction with a vhf repeater net, on a repeater "bulletin board" (tone-accessed recorded announcements for repeater club members), or via a RTTY or packet (computer) mailbox, if one is functioning locally. Duties and requirements of the OBS include the following: 1. OBS candidates must have a Novice class license or higher. 2. Retransmission of ARRL bulletins must be made at least once per week to maintain appointment. 3. OBS candidates are appointed by the Section Manager (or by the Bulletin Manager, if the SM so desires) and must adhere to a schedule that is mutually agreeable. 4. OBS appointees should send a monthly activity report (such as FSD-210 under "Schedules and Net Affiliations") to the Bulletin Manager, indicating bulletin transmissions made and generally updating the Bulletin Manager to any OBS-related activities. This reporting arrangement may be modified by the Bulletin Manager as he/she sees fit. 5. As directed by the Bulletin Manager, OBSs will include in their bulletin transmissions news of local, section and regional interest. Recruitment of new hams and League members is an integral part of the job of every League appointee. Appointees should take advantage of every opportunity to recruit a new ham or member to foster growth of Field Organization programs, and our abilities to serve the public. FSD-7 (987) ------ OFFICIAL EMERGENCY STATION Amateur operators of Novice Class and above may be appointed OES by their SEC or SM at the recommendation of their ECs or DECs (if no EC). The OES must be an ARRL member and set high standards of emergency preparedness and operating. In addition to OES's operating within their own local EC jurisdictional areas, they should be able to respond in "off shore" emergencies, such as those which frequently occur in foreign countries. Here are the standard qualifications and functions of this appointment: 1. Possession of full ARRL membership and a Novice Class license or higher. 2. Regular participation in the local ARES, if any, including all drills and tests, emergency nets and, of course, real emergency situations. 3. Ability to operate independent of commercial mains including at least one-band mobile capability. 4. Must be fully acquainted with standard ARRL message form and capable of using it in handling any third-party messages. 5. Report monthly to the EC/DEC or SEC. Recruitment of new hams and League members is an integral part of the job of every League appointee. Appointees should take advantage of every opportunity to recruit a new ham or member to foster growth of Field Organization programs, and our abilities to serve the public. FSD-108 (1288) ----- OFFICIAL RELAY STATION This is a traffic-handling appointment that is open to all classes of license. This appointment applies equally to all modes and all parts of the spectrum. It is for traffic-handlers, regardless of mode employed or part of the spectrum used. The potential value of the skilled operator with traffic know-how to his country and community is enhanced by his ability and the readiness of his station to function in the community interest in case of emergency. Traffic awareness and experience are often the signs by which mature amateurs may be distinguished. Traditionally, there have been considerable differences between procedures for traffic handling by cw, phone, RTTY, ASCII, packet and other modes. Appointment requirements for ORS do not deal with these, but with factors equally applicable to all modes. The appointed ORS may confine activities to one mode or one part of the spectrum if he wishes. There is no versatility requirement, although versatility does indeed make it possible for anyone to perform a more complete public service. There is, however, the expectation that the ORS will set the example in traffic handling however it is done. To the extent that he is deficient in performing traffic functions by any mode, to that extent he does not meet the qualifications for the appointment. Here are the basic requirements: 1. Full ARRL membership and Novice Class license or higher. 2. Code and/or voice transmission capability. 3. Transmissions, by whatever mode, must be of the highest quality, both technically and operationally. For example, cw signals must be pure, chirpless, clickless, code sending must be well spaced and properly formed. Voice transmission must be of proper modulation percentage or deviation, precisely enunciated with minimum distortion. RTTY must be clickless, proper shift, etc. 4. All ORS are expected to follow standard ARRL operating practices (message form, ending signals, abbreviations or prowords, courtesy, etc.). 5. Regular participation in traffic activities, either free-lance or ARRL-sponsored. The latter is encouraged, but not required. 6. Handle all record communications speedily and reliably and set the example in efficient operating procedures. All traffic is relayed or delivered promptly after receipt. 7. Report monthly to the STM, including a breakdown of traffic handled during the past calendar month. FSD-107 (1288) -----