| iNARTE News Selected On-line Articles Volume 19 Number 2 Summer 2001 |
On May 5, 2001, Joseph Butler, IEEE EMCS
President and James Wickham, iNARTE President signed a Memo-randum
of Agreement (MOA) for mutual support (see cover image at left).The purpose of the MOA is to serve as a framework within which both organizations may support programs or events in-tended to foster and promote technical awareness, education, and achievement in electromagnetic compatibility. NARTE and the EMC Society will exchange technical articles to encourage and broaden interest, understanding and apprecia-tion of electromagnetic technology. The IEEE EMC Society will assume responsibility for the accuracy of the examination ques-tion file used to assess competency of certification candidates. NARTE will continue to administer the certification process. The two organizations will cooperate in the development of curricula for certifying technical personnel and practitioners.
Heptode Award
In the days of vacuum tubes there were a series of multi-function
tubes described by the number of elements contained
therein, such as triode (three elements), tetrode (four elements),
pentode (five elements) and so on. Within this array was a
multifunction tube called a heptode.
A heptode is a seven-electrode vacuum tube containing an
anode, a cathode, a control electrode, and four additional elec-trodes
ordinarily in the nature of grids. These added elements were
"helper" elements that made the circuit more efficient. Vacuum
tubes have passed from the mainstream and are now only remem-bered
by relatively few senior practitioners.
There are people who believe in NARTE enough to lend a
hand periodically. These are not Herculean efforts, just small
things that help to make life for the staff and directors a little easier.
Routinely, until now, they have gone unacknowledged.
The Headquarters staff felt that all good deeds should not go
unrecognized. To properly thank those who lighten their burden,
the NARTE staff developed the Heptode Award. (A sample is pictured at right)
The symbol for the award is a "hep toad". Just as added elements make complex
circuits function better, hep toads hop to help us make our
operations more efficient.
Now those who do something nice are in danger of receiving a heptode award. The awards are made directly by the individual who received the kindness and consist of a certificate, a trinket, and notice in NARTE News. It is just our way of saying, "Thank you." Individuals nominated to date will be announced in the next issue.
2001 Election Results
Congratulations to the following officers who have been
elected to serve a term of two years, effective from July 1, 2001
until June 30, 2003.
Call for Award Nominations
2001 National Service Award
NARTE is requesting nominations for the 2001 National
Service Award. This is the highest award conferred by NARTE
and is presented to only one individual annually. Candidates must
have established a lifetime record of distinctive accomplishments
or have made a remarkable difference to telecommunications or
related fields from a single act. Individual achievements should
be worthy of national recognition, be of a magnitude to make a
distinct impact on the industry, and be of a nature that characterizes
the recipient as an extraordinary individual whose talents,
intellect, capabilities and successes are measurably significant.
The names of deserving individuals and the rationale for their
nomination should be sent to NARTE headquarters and post-marked
no later than May 31, 2002.
2001 Marconi-Bell Award
NARTE is requesting nominations for the 2001 Marconi-Bell
Award. This award of distinction will be made to the engineer/
technician who has made a major contribution to his or her
respective field and is acknowledged by supervisors and peers as
an outstanding practitioner whose performance is extraordinary.
Recipients may or may not be a member of NARTE. Three
(3) Marconi-Bell awards may be presented annually. Nominations
should be presented in writing and sent directly to NARTE
headquarters. Awards will be presented in the following disciplines:
EMC and/or ESD, and Telecommunications. These
awards will be presented annually at respective symposiums or
trade shows.
EMC Lab Assessors Now
Eligible for ATL Certification
On May 5, 2001 the NARTE Board of Directors adopted a
policy that corrects an inequity between those who are certified as
accredited electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) laboratory staff
and those who assess accredited laboratories.
Current employment in a laboratory accredited by A2LA, NVLAP, or equivalent accreditation organization, is one of the qualifications for certification by NARTE as an EMC Accredited Testing Laboratory (ATL) engineer or EMC ATL technician. Assessors who conduct assessments of EMC test laboratories cannot be employees of any accredited laboratory, because such employment would constitute a conflict of interest.
As a consequence, such assessors, while competent in all other aspects, could not qualify for NARTE certification as an EMC ATL engineer or technician.
To correct this inequity, the Board of Directors has adopted the following policy:
b. Any engineer or technician so qualified and certified by NARTE may, at his or her option, continue enrollment as a certified EMC ATL engineer or technician after such employment or listing has terminated, provided that such termination was not imposed for fraud, deceit, incompetence or misconduct in the practice of EMC engineering or technology as a certified engineer or technician.
New FCC Electronic Filing
On May 21, 2001, the FCC implemented
the Universal Licensing System
(ULS) for Commercial Licensing. This
new system enables interested parties to
check the status of a new license or renew
an expiring one online. The FCC now
accepts the new FCC Form 605; however,
they will continue to accept Form 756 until
November 21, 2001.
Please contact
NARTE headquarters with any questions
about ULS.
Revised NARTE EMC Study
Guide Now Available
The 2001 Edition of the NARTE EMC
Study Guide is now available. The 2001
Edition has been overhauled by NARTE
EMC engineer and author Michel
Mardiguian and incorporates many corrections
to existing formulas and references.
This latest revision is just in time for EMC Certification applicants who are studying for the IEEE EMC Society Symposium examination session to be held on August 17 2001. For more information, or to order, contact NARTE headquarters at 1-800-89-NARTE, 9-5 Eastern time, or use our on-line Secure Order Form.
Discount on Telecom Source
Book of US and Global Carriers
Advanstar Communications is offering
NARTE members a 20% special discount
on their Telecom Source Book. This
source book features vital information, statistics
and listings of telecommunications
companies and suppliers.
US telecommunications company listings include information on ownership, operating statistics and revenues for LECs, IXCs, cellular operators, holding companies; International Carriers listings provide data on Canadian and other foreign public systems, including number of phones/exchanges served and budget expenditures.
For Cellular Operators, there is a complete listing of wireline and non-wireline companies serving MSAs and RSAs.
For Interconnect Companies, information on equipment and service companies, including suppliers of paging, sound systems, station message detail recording, toll restrictor and voice processing/mail equipment is included.
The Source Book also includes:
ENTELEC 2001, New Orleans -
An Alligator Tale
New Orleans is a great place for a
convention. The atmosphere is festive and
energy is high.
We should have known that a convention in New Orleans would have a reptilian theme, but somehow, no one expected live alligators at the Exhibitor’s Reception! Nor were we (representatives Laura Holmberg of Massachusetts and Russell Carstensen of Washington State) prepared for the wide range of alligator meat dishes from alligator head gumbo to fried alligator tail.
It had been a few years since NARTE participated in the
Energy Telecommunications and Electrical Association
(ENTELEC) annual conference --too long. We had a chance to
renew old business relationships and make a few new ones.
NARTE hosted a workshop to familiarize attendees with NARTE
certification and prepare them for the NARTE examination.
NARTE’s President Emeritus Ray Thrower presented the history
and vision of NARTE. Russell Carstensen spoke to workshop
attendees regarding strategies for passing the NARTE examination.