We need at least 75 RCA members to agree to bring to the entire membership the consideration to vote on a proposed change to the Constitution.  Please consider agreeing for this to be brought up, even if you don’t agree with the proposed change, so that we can hear the voice of the membership.

You can simply email  RCA staff and state if you agree that this should be put to a vote to the members.

You will find more information below on this issue.

SECOND CALL FOR DIRECTOR AND OFFICER NOMINATIONS

The Nominations and Elections committee is looking for nominations for candidates for directors, Treasurer, Secretary, and Vice President Counsel for the 2017 Election.

The election will be done electronically this year, with paper ballots to those who request them. Candidates should kindly have their nomination presented by September 1st. A position statement and bio will be solicited from all nominees. This will be due by September 8th and posted on the RCA website.

All members should note that the RCA Board of Directors voted in June to not count ballots that have less than 5 of the 7 votes cast for director. In other words, kindly appreciate that single-vote director ballots, for example, will not be counted in the final tabulation. Please get to know your candidates and help RCA support you!

Please send nominations to Chip Cohen, Chair, at ncohen@fractenna.com by Friday, September 1st.

RCA President Tim Duffy announced that the 2017 Keynote Speaker is Director Glenn Cannon.  Duffy stated: “We are very lucky, and extremely pleased, to have as our 2017 Keynote Speaker Glenn Cannon.  Director Glenn is a native of Pittsburgh, and has spent his entire career in public safety communications and emergency management, at every level of government from city to federal.  He started the paramedic program in Pittsburgh in 1975, and up until recently was the Director of Pennsylvania’s Office of Emergency Management, reporting to the governor.  We look forward to his presentation on November 17th at the Duquesne Club.”

NEW!  For the first time we are making available a limited number of half table spaces at the RCA Technical Symposium.   The Symposium is held during the day from 8 AM to approx. 4:45 PM, and is attended by a large number of RCA members including engineers, technicians, and technical experts in the wireless industry.

Because of space limitations, we will have a few tables which can be shared by vendors for the purposes of showcasing literature, or small products.  Vendors can discuss or demonstrate during the breaks, but there can be no audio or video presentations during the Technical Symposium’s presentations.  Each half table costs $150.

If you are interested, please fill out the form below. Note that if we assign a vendor a half table space, only one representative will be able to staff the table, because of space restrictions.

RCA will be at APCO – booth#950. 

Please be sure and stop by!

RCA Evening Networking Session at APCO, Sunday August 13th, 5:30 to 7:30 PM

Sign up now for the RCA Networking Session at the 2017 APCO show. It will be held immediately after the first General Session. Registration includes your choice of a beverage as well as a nice selection of hot and cold Hors D’oevres.  The event will be held at the Mineral Hall B-C, on the 3rd level at the Hyatt Regency Hotel at the Colorado Convention Center, 650 15th Street.  Cost is $20/per person.

Thanks goes to our sponsors:  AGL Media Group, Anritsu, Black & Veatch, DH Sales Group, Fractal Antennas, ICOM, IWCE/UC, Kirmuss & Associates/iNTELLi, Mission Critical Communications, PMC Associates, Rohn Towers, V-Comm.

RCA had a booth at the Annual Dayton Hamvention, the largest convention event for the amateur radio community in the U.S.  The event was held on 19-21 May, and featured over 500 indoor exhibits and over 2,500 outdoor exhibits.  Each year thousands of licensed radio amateurs attend this event.

RCA had a booth at the event to stimulate interest in RCA among the amateur radio community.  While RCA is NOT an amateur radio organization, many of its members got their first taste of wireless via the hobby of amateur radio.

Each year at Dayton Hamvention, RCA Director Carole Perry hosts a “Youth Forum” for students and youth who are interested in amateur radio.  This year was Carole’s 30th Youth Forum, and she was surprised to receive from RCA Director Charles Kirmuss a replica of the CW Morse code practice oscillator that she used in the 1980s with her early youth programs. 

There was standing room only at her 400 seat Youth Forum, which lasted beyond the allotted 3 hours, and was housed in one of the two largest rooms at the event.  Of special interest was a video that Carole produced “Where are They Now?” which featured six youth from past Dayton Youth Forums and where their careers led to.  

Each year Carole picks one youth presented from Dayton to be showcased at RCA’s annual Technical Symposium in November.  The quality of the presentations by these students is amazing, and her and RCA’s hope is that many of them are encouraged to pursue careers in wireless.  Director Carole Perry continues to pursue one of RCA’s core objectives, which is to further the art and science of wireless, and promote interest in science and engineering among our youth.

We are looking for presenters for our 2017 Technical Symposium to be held in Pittsburgh on Friday November 17th.  We welcome “early technical work” in any area of wireless including antennas, broadband, broadcast, cellular, land mobile radio, military, or satellite topics. 

Of especial interest this year are topics in broadcast areas, because the day after our Technical Symposium and Annual Banquet attending RCA members will be able to tour station KDKA, which is considered by some to be the first broadcast station in the U.S.

Prospective presenters should include a 1-2 paragraph abstract of the topic they wish to present on, a title, a short bio, and a headshot.  Sometime in the early fall the abstracts will be reviewed and all be notified if they have been chosen.  As in previous years, presentations should be of a technical nature and not be a sales pitch.   Those that are chosen to present will have their slide decks placed on the RCA Website, and the presentations will be live streamed and video archived in the RCA YouTube channel thanks to iCOM of America.

Please send your submissions to pantherpinesconsulting@gmail.com.

CQ RCA Amateur Radio Operators:  rules and spreadsheet log forms have been added to the calendar item regarding the QSO Party on the RCA Website.

Our New Club Trustee and QSO Party Organizer, Director Paul Gilbert, KE5ZW, is making the contest extra interesting and fun this year by having points based on what level of member you contact.  The top winners will get a certificate and mention in the RCA publications.  Remember the event is coming up Saturday May 6th, from 12 noon to 12 midnight EDT.  Enjoy!

Dr. Eric Stoll, Ph.D., P.E., K2TO is retiring from his career at the Harris Corporation, and has asked the RCA to find a replacement as the RCA amateur license trustee.  RCA wishes to thank Dr. Stoll for his work in organizing the spring and fall RCA QSO parties, and holding the FCC amateur radio license W2RCA for the club for many years!  Dr. Stoll is also Treasurer Emeritus of the RCA, and again we thank him for his service to the Radio Club of America as an officer.

RCA Director Paul Gilbert has been approved by the RCA Board of Directors to become the new trustee of the club license, and to organize the QSO parties.  The license will be transferred in the near future, with assistance from VP and Club Counsel Barney Scholl.

The QSO parties provide an opportunity for RCA members who are licensed radio amateurs to contact one another on the airwaves.  The next such event is scheduled for Saturday May 6th 2017 beginning at 12 noon EDT.   More information can be found in the Upcoming Events Calendar.