Welcome To The Connecticut Section of the ARRL, The National Association for Amateur Radio (TM)

Find out how you can get involved by viewing the narrated Power Point and learn about The ARRL Field Organization.  If you wish, you can use keyboard shortcuts to clickable links:  alt-n for next, alt-p previous, pause the audio with alt-a and replay with alt-l.

Get the latest monthly Section news and other important info and news at the CT Section Page: http://ct.arrl.org

View and post Section events on the Section calendar.

Find a club near you at http://www.arrl.org/find-a-club

Get current ARES and digital info at the Connecticut ARES® Web page http://www.ctares.org.

Breaking News

New DEC Region 4 Appointed

Greetings!

I am pleased to announce that Reed Gustafson K1EMD has accepted an ARRL appointment as District Emergency Coordinator for ARES Region 4!

In his "day job" Reed is the Emergency Management Director and Fire Marshall for the town of Colchester.

And his town EOC, which is a genuine bomb shelter, is well equipped with amateur radio gear covering HF to 1.2 GHz!! He hosts the KB1NUM-10 Winlink RMS Node.

Reed is a former police dispatcher and knows his way around emergency communications.

Please welcome Reed to his new duties and give him your enthusiastic support!!

Reed succeeds Bill Covey W1GTT as DEC4. We were very fortunate to have had Bill serving in this role for the past two and half years!

Thanx, Bill, for the leadership that you provided for Region 4!! And, especially for the support and friendship you have given me personally!!

Your efforts to improve the "readiness posture" of ARES in Region 4 is noteworthy and appreciated.

Your contributions in the area of digital/data modes, especially APRS and Winlink, have benefited amateurs in all five ARES Regions.

The Region 4 Mobile Communications Unit is a vivid and tangible example of the significant improvements made during your tenure.

Please accept my personal and organizational thanx for a job WELL DONE!!!

73, Wayne N1CLV

SEC CT ARES

NTS Corner

The National Traffic System dates back to 1939 when George Hart, W1NJM skillfully created a way to route messages across the country in 24 hours.  In Connecticut, we have nets that meet daily to handle traffic into and out of the Section.  You too can get involved by contacting Section Traffic Manager Anne West K1STM k1stm@arrl.net.  View the net schedules and monthly station activity reports, net reports and public service honor roll totals and make plans to participate!

Public Service Honor Roll

If you’re an NTS operator or an ARES volunteer, you can be recognized on the Public Service Honor Roll by filing a report with your Section Traffic Manager at the beginning of the following month indicating your service.  For many years, this was known to be an NTS-only award but categories for ARES participants were added some years ago so do file a report and be recognized!  Read all about it at http://www.arrl.org/public-service-honor-roll.

Training Tips

From time to time, you will see some training tips posted here and on http://ct.arrl.org.  All tips will be reviewed by our training coordinator Rod Lane N1FNE and a subcommittee familiar with the topic.  If you have ideas, please send them to n1fne@arrl.net.

ARES

Tactical and FCC Call Signs

Tactical call signs are those commonly used by ARES ops to identify a key location or position of the operator.  For example, one might say, “Net control, this is Hartford Hospital”. 

There are some key points to remember though when identifying our stations.  Read the article by Wayne Gronlund, N1CLV which will clarify the issue.  You will need Adobe Akrobat Reader.

Tactical and FCC Call Signs