Discount time

From Family Tree DNA:
Dear Project Administrator,

Effective immediately this promotion will end on December 31, 2011.

New Kits

	Current Group Price	SALE PRICE
Y-DNA 37	$149	$119
Y-DNA 67	$239	$199
mtFullSequence	$299	$239
SuperDNA (Y-DNA67 and FMS)	$518	$438
Family Finder	$289	$199
Family Finder + mtPlus	$438	$318
Family Finder + FMS	$559	$439
Family Finder+ Y-DNA37	$438	$318
Comprehensive (FF + FMS + Y-67)	$797	$627
To order via the project make sure you follow your appropriate project join link
Upgrades
12-25 Marker	$49	$35
12-37 Marker	$99	$69
12-67 Marker	$189	$148
25-37 Marker	$49	$35
25-67 Marker	$148	$114
37-67 Marker	$99	$79
Family Finder	$289	$199
mtHVR1toMega	$269	$229
mtHVR2toMega	$239	$209

ALL ORDERS MUST BE PLACED AND PAID FOR BY MIDNIGHT DECEMBER 31st 2011 TO RECEIVE THE SALE PRICES. THIS PROMOTION IS NOT VALID IN CONJUNCTION WITH ANY OTHER PROMOTIONS OR COUPONS.
AT THIS TIME, WE WILL NOT BE OFFERING DISCOUNTS FOR THE Y-DNA111, NEW KITS OR UPGRADES. THOSE MAY BE OFFERED AT A LATER TIME PENDING THE LAB VOLUMES WITH THE TESTS UNDER PROMOTION.
For upgrades, log in to place your order and choose the Special offers menu on the left menu 

Family Tree DNA
www.familytreedna.com

Be in quick

Family Tree DNA have announced a 36 hour sale - which still has some time to run.
If you are in quick you might get yourself into the fascinating world of using dna testing for genealogy.

Advertised discounted prices are:


36-HOUR SALE!
START: Monday, September 26 (TODAY) at 12:00pm CDT
END: Tuesday, September 27 at 11:59pm CDT

For NEW customers:
Y-DNA 12 . . . $59 (was $99)
mtDNA . . . $59 (was $99)

Y-DNA 37 . . . $129 (was $149)
Family Finder . . . $199 (was $289)
mtFullSequence (FGS) . . . $229 (was $299)

Y-DNA 12 + mtDNA . . . $118 (was $179)
Family Finder + Y-DNA 12 . . . $248 (was $339)
Family Finder + mtDNA . . . $248 (was $339)
Family Finder + Y-DNA 37 . . . $328 (was $438)
Family Finder + mtFullSequence . . . $398 (was $559)
Comprehensive Genome (Family Finder + mtFullSequence + Y-DNA67) . . . $597 (was $797)

Upgrades & Add-Ons:
mtDNA add-on $59 . . . (was $89)
mtFullSequence upgrade (HVR1 to Mega) . . . $199 (was $269)
mtFullSequence upgrade (HVR2 to Mega) . . . $199 (was $239)
mtFullSequence add-on . . . $219 (was $289)
Family Finder add-on . . . $199 (was $289)

Prices will be automatically adjusted on the Family Tree DNA website -- no coupon code needed! Important: Promotional orders need to be paid for by the end of this sale. Visit us at http://www.familytreedna.com to order now.

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Possibly best to pick your relevant surname project and order via them, as when I checked, not all of the above tests appeared to be available via the main FT DNA web site, but were from a relevant Join Project link.

Site additions

DNA Surnames has had a slight revamp to include summary info for all the related project diaries aka blogs on the relevant pages, eg home page of DNA Surnames, and the front page for each Surname DNA project included in the Lineages section.

How to identify ancestors...

Courtesy of Dick Eastman's newsletter, anyone contemplating dna testing may care to visit this site.
It contains a newly written 12 page guide "How to Identify Ancestors and Confirm Relationships through DNA Testing."

DNA Webinars

Learn a bit more about your results, and Family Tree DNA's tests.
The following was extracted from Family Tree DNA's Facts & Genes Volume 9, Issue 3, Summer 2011:

Family Tree DNA has partnered with Relative Roots to offer quality, convenient and affordable Genetic Genealogy education to Family Tree DNA customers! We're now offering webinars (web-based seminars) as an option for our customers to learn more about our tests and your own results.
How it Works

Attend our live or on-demand webinars (web-based seminars) from the comfort of your own home! You'll view the presentation using your own computer and listen to the presenter using your computer speakers or telephone. Attendees of our live webinars are able to ask questions just as if you were attending a presentation in-person. Registrants of our on-demand webinars can access a recording of our live webinars at a time that is convenient for you. Each webinar session lasts 60-90 minutes.
Topics

We're launching our webinars with four topics:

Beginner:
Introduction to Genetic Genealogy at Family Tree DNA
Intermediate:
Genetic Genealogy Demystified: Reading and Understanding Your Family Tree DNA Results, Part 1: Y-DNA
Genetic Genealogy Demystified: Reading and Understanding Your Family Tree DNA Results, Part 2: mtDNA
Genetic Genealogy Demystified: Reading and Understanding Your Family Tree DNA Results, Part 3: Family Finder

Introduction to Genetic Genealogy - FREE!
All others - $10 each, or 3 for $25
Webinar Discount

For a limited time, register for all three Genetic Genealogy Demystified webinars for only $20! Simply add all 3 webinars to the shopping cart to get the 3/$25 special, then also enter coupon code RRW5GGD3FGA for an additional $5 discount. Offer expires September 15, 2011.

Family Tree DNA Discount

Webinar attendees will receive a limited-time discount on select new tests and upgrades to help offset the cost of attending the webinar. A coupon code will be provided at the end of each live webinar and will also be available to those who view the on-demand recordings.
Webinar Schedule

Our core webinars are currently repeated every month. Following is the webinar schedule for August:

August 25 - Genetic Genealogy Demystified: Reading and Understanding Your Family Tree DNA Results, Part 2: mtDNA
August 30 - Genetic Genealogy Demystified: Reading and Understanding Your Family Tree DNA Results, Part 3: Family Finder

September schedule:

September 6 - Introduction to Genetic Genealogy at Family Tree DNA
September 15 - Genetic Genealogy Demystified: Reading and Understanding Your Family Tree DNA Results, Part 1: Y-DNA
September 20 - Genetic Genealogy Demystified: Reading and Understanding Your Family Tree DNA Results, Part 2: mtDNA
September 27 - Genetic Genealogy Demystified: Reading and Understanding Your Family Tree DNA Results, Part 3: Family Finder

For registration, more details about each of the webinars and schedule updates, please visit: http://www.relativeroots.net/webinars/ftdna/

Tested with another company?

The following was extracted from Family Tree DNA's Facts & Genes Volume 9, Issue 3, Summer 2011 and may be of interest to anyone wishing to join a Family Tree DNA Surname project and compare their results, "like for like".
FAQ link for Y-DNA transfers
---

Last April, Family Tree DNA acquired DNA Heritage's domain and database. Existing DNA Heritage customers have already started opting in their results to Family Tree DNA's database. ....
If you’re a DNAH customer who has not yet opted in, please use the following link: http://www.familytreedna.com/landing/dna-heritage.aspx

Family Tree DNA announces Third-Party Labs Y-DNA acceptance

We are pleased to inform you about the launch of a new feature "Third Party" uploads. This will allow for the upload of 33 and 46-marker Y-DNA test results from Ancestry, GeneTree or Sorensen's SMGF. This was a natural development since the necessary tools were created to import the DNA Heritage database after they ceased operations. While the DNA Heritage transfer is free of charge as a result of that acquisition, we will be charging a nominal fee of $19/person to import third party results into Family Tree DNA.

For an additional $39, customers who transfer their third party results will also have the option of testing with Family Tree DNA so that they can receive genetic matches, ancestral origins, and other features that Family Tree DNA customers receive.

Why transfer to Family Tree DNA?

Family Tree DNA is the world leader in DNA testing for genealogy. As of August 23, 2011, the Family Tree DNA database has 212,000 Y-DNA records including over 104,000 distinct surnames. Comparing your results against the world’s largest database gives you the greatest chance of finding relevant matches and provides more refined information about your results.
Over 90% of genealogists choose to test with Family Tree DNA, creating the largest community of active genealogists in the industry.
Transferring will allow you to join projects, communicate with experts, and network with people who share your interests and your heritage.

What do you get when you transfer third party results?

The $19 fee will provide customers with an FTDNA personal page which will allow them to join FTDNA projects. This means results will be available to the administrator and included on the project’s public page for comparison with other project members.
The $58 fee ($19 transfer plus $39 for testing additional markers to make results compatible for matching) will include the same features provided to FTDNA customers:
Matches: Genetic cousins who share the same paternal line. You will have full access to your matches’ names and e-mail addresses and any genealogical information they have provided. You can immediately begin networking and exchanging information freely.
Ancestral Origins: Your matches’ paternal origins, listed by country, provide clues about your own recent geographic and ethnic ancestry.
Haplogroup: The deep ancestral origin your direct paternal line defined by your specific genetic signature.
Migration Map & Frequency Map: Interactive maps detail the ancient migrations of your paternal ancestors and the distribution of your haplogroup from more recent times.
Y-DNA Certificate: A printable certificate which includes your name and marker (STR) values.
Unlimited Updates: As our database grows, you will receive notifications about new matches we find for you. There are no subscription fees for this service.

16th: Discounts until midnight July 21st (CST)

Family Tree DNA have announced a summer special again this year - an excellent time to join the appropriate DNA project and take advantage of the following discounts.

* Y-DNA37 for $119 (Regular price would be $149)
* Y-DNA67 for $199 (Regular price would be $239)
* Family Finder for $199 (Regular price would be $289)
* Family Finder + Y-DNA37 for $318 (Regular price would be $438)
* Family Finder + mtDNAPlus for $318 (Regular Price would be $438)
* mtDNA Full Sequence for $219 (Regular Price would be $299)
* SuperDNA for $418 (Regular Price would be $518, includes Y-DNA67 and mtFullSequence)
* Comprehensive Genome for $617 (Regular Price would be $797, includes Y-DNA67, mtFullSequence and Family Finder)

In addition, existing Family Tree DNA customers may order the Family Finder
add-on for $199

The promotion will start today, Friday the 15th at 6PM CST and will end Thursday, July 21, 11:59PM CST. Kits need to be paid for by the end of the promotion.

10th: Migrated

Welcome to the new look project diary for the DNASurnames web site.
The old diary, has been migrated.
It was time for a rationalisation of domain names, given that the initial DNA Projects Portal morphed into DNA Surnames very early on in its life.
No guarantees that all links have been corrected.

As always, please check the diaries for the DNA sub projects for activity, only items of overall (potential) interest are posted here. See the links on the rhs of this diary.

16th: Upgrade sale

Family Tree DNA have just announced an upgrade sale.

Summer Upgrade Sale
Family Finder Was $289 Now $199
Y-DNA 12 to 25 Was $49 Now $35
Y-DNA 12 to 37 Was $99 Now $69
Y-DNA 12 to 67 Was $189 Now $148
Y-DNA 25 to 37 Was $49 Now $35
Y-DNA 25 to 67 Was $148 Now $114
Y-DNA 37 to 67 Was $99 Now $79
mt to FMS Was $269 Now $229
mtPlus to FMS Was $239 Now $199

To order an upgrade at these special prices log into your personal page with your kit number and password. Click on the "Special Offers" link found on the left-hand navigation bar. ALL ORDERS MUST BE PLACED AND PAID FOR BY MIDNIGHT, JUNE 22, 2011, TO RECEIVE THE SALE PRICE.

So anyone interested in seeing what more markers will tell them about their matches, here's a good opportunity to be in.

9th: Possible promotion; new project link

Just noticed on Family Tree DNA's facebook products page, that they seem to be about to run a promotion soon - if they get 3000 more "likes" on facebook!

That aside, the DNA Projects Portal has had a link included to a new DNA project.
Don would love to hear from any direct male line BIDGOOD (and variants) who may be willing to join his project and see what they can discover about this surname.

As always, check the individual dna project diaries for their latest news.

15th: Family Tree DNA- DNA Day

Check out Family Tree DNA's Facebook page for some specials available just for today.
eg Y-DNA37 $129, and a Y-DNA37 to 67 upgrade at $79, and the introductory offer for the Y-DNA67 to Y-DNA111 upgrade finishes with this promotion.

The coupon code, DNADAY2011, will expire on Friday at midnight (CT).

8th: New test announced

Family Tree DNA have announced a new Y-DNA test, Y-DNA111, which will be of particular interest to those with close/exact matches at the Y-DNA67 level.
Read about here, remembering that discounts apply to tests ordered via your appropriate surname project.

Family Tree DNA Matches

The following may be of interest to those enrolled in more than one project:
It is being posted because a close match wasn't being shown for one participant (KitB in the example below), the reason being that he had enrolled in another project, and that was the one selected (his secondary project) on his matches page.
Even though he had "match against entire database" selected, his closest match, which was with someone enrolled in his primary project, was not being shown.
The matching person (Kit A in the example below) had his preferences set to match only with that project, which, according to the explanation below from FT DNA, is not going to show up on Kit B's matches until Kit B's project is changed to the same project.
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If kit A has his preferences set to be compared against his surname projects only, he will only be compared against participants who are in that project AND have that project selected on their personal page (if they are in more than one project). If kit B has his options set to be compared against the entire database, his results will be compared against everyone else that also has their preferences set to be compared against the entire database AND those who are in the project that is selected on his page at the time.
============
From this, it could be deduced that it is therefore best to set your preferences to match against the entire database, and make sure that you have your main project selected when you check your matches.