Douglas Sharafanowich – WA1SFH
ARRL Section Manager, Connecticut
Cell: 203-494-3885March 25, 2025
Greetings! I hope this finds you well.
CONTENTS
– The CT Section Manager Newsletter
– If YOU build it, they will come.
– CT Hamfests (March – May)
– ARRL Field Day 2025
– Parks On The Air (POTA)
– Youth Outreach
– ARRL’s Letter re: FCC Public Notice, “Delete, Delete, Delete”
The CT SECTION MANAGER NEWSLETTER
Welcome to my 1st Section Manager Newsletter. I am happy to report that progress continues at ARRL to rebuild their I.T. capabilities after last year’s horrendous cyberattack, and the Section Email function for Section Managers is the most recent example of this recovery.
Below is a quick overview of what is going on in the Connecticut Section.
Also, I would very much like to hear from you about Amateur Radio activities that you are involved in and what you are building. Here are 2 Examples:
– A local ham in Stratford is converting solar powered walkway lights into solar powered Mesh Network Nodes.
– During my Winter Field Day Tour, I came across a station in Uncasville using a quick to set up 40m Folded Dipole supported by 3 sets of green garden plant stake (2 stakes per set in an “X” configuration) for Near Vertical Incident Skywave (NVIS) propagation.
“IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME.”
(quote from the movie: Field of Dreams)
New W1BPT – KB1AEV Link
By the end of this week, the Bridgeport W1BPT 2m repeater will be “linked fulltime” to the KB1AEV repeater Network.
Rx 146.445Mhz
Tx 147.445Mhz (this is a non-standard +1Mhz split)
PL tone: 151.4 (new PL tone changed from 77)
I am beyond thrilled to see how the Greater Bridgeport Amateur Radio Club ( GBARC) has spearheaded the NEW Repeater link to the KB1AEV repeater system. It will be up and functioning 24/7. This now gives folks in lower Fairfield County (CT ARES Region 1) access to the mighty KB1AEV linked repeater network that covers a large portion of CT. This has been a dream for over 40 years. Congratulations to Dana KB1AEV, Peter K1PCN (and his GBARC team), and others in achieving this milestone.
Antenna Builds
SouthEastern Connecticut Amateur Radio Society (SECARS) is now planning sessions for 2 antenna Builds. One will be a multi-band for POTA and the other will be a G5RV dipole variant.
Licensing Classes
Meriden Amateur Radio Club (MARC) and Eastern CT Amateur Radio Association (ECARA) are running Technician and General Study Classes. This is a great way to bring new people into the hobby and build club membership.
Developing new Net Control Station Operators
For Amateur Ra dio Emergency Service (ARES), National Traffic System (NTS), and SKYWARN, CERT. Phil K1XFC, your CT ARES Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC), sponsored a highly successful half-day Net Control Station Training Workshop at the Newington Fire Department HQ on Saturday, Feb.1, 2025. The presenter was Douglas WA1SFH, your new CT Section Manager (SM, and we had about 40 people in attendance – including 3 hams from New York State. It even got a write-up in the ARRL Letter. As a result of that write-up, there have been inquiries from other amateur radio leaders – as far away as Vancouver Island (BC).
The NCS Training Workshop PowerPoint presentation can be found at: https://ctaresregion2.org/downloads/category/2-training
Building CT ARES
Volunteer Leaders Wanted
Between Covid and the normal course of retirements and relocations, CT ARES SEC Phil K1XFC is actively looking for a few good men (and women) to fill key volunteer leadership positions. Specifically, District Emergency Coordinator (DEC) positions for Region 1, Region 2, Region 4.
DEC Info at: https://www.arrl.org/district-emergency-coordinator
In addition, there are several openings for local town Emergency Coordinators (EC) in each Region.
EC Info at: https://www.arrl.org/emergency-coordinator
More detailed information about each position can be found in The ARRL Emergency Coordinator Manual at: https://ctaresregion2.org/downloads/category/8-the-arrl-emergency-coordinator-s-manual
To find your Region, and how to contact SEC Phil K1XFC, go to: www.ctares.org
CT HAMFESTS (March – May)
We have 3 Hamfest coming soon. You really don’t want to miss them! Grab a few Ham buddies and carpool up together.
Sunday, March 30, 2025 THIS WEEKEND !!!!
What: Southington Fleamarket/Hamfest & CT ARES Spring Meeting
Sponsor: Southington Amateur Radio Association (SARA),
Place: Southington High School,
720 Pleasant Street., Southington
Time: 8am – 12 noon
Saturday, April 26, 2025
What: SECARS Amateur Radio Fleamarket/Hamfest
Sponsor: SouthEastern Connecticut Amateur Radio Society
(https://secars.org)
Place: Our Lady of Lourdes Parish Hall,
1650 CT Route 12, Gales Ferry
Time: 8:30 am – 2 pm
Fri./Sat./Sun., May 9 – 11
What: 48th Eastern VHF/UHF/Microwave Conference
Sponsor: The North East Weak Signal Group
Place: Hilton Garden Inn
Corporate Drive, Windsor
(I-91 Exit 38 to Day Hill Rd.)
Time: See Flyer
Flyer: https://www.newsvhf.com/conference/
ARRL FIELD DAY 2025 is COMING!
June 28 – 29
Now is the time to start planning for ARRL Field Day 2025. If you are a member in a Club, I encourage you to take an active role and participate – The More, The Merrier! However, if you operate solo or in a small team, now is a great time to start organizing and planning where you will be, getting site permission, etc.
Info about ARRL FD 2025 can be found at: https://www.arrl.org/field-day
Please be sure to post your operating site on the FD Locator Map, and let us see where you are operating.
Map Link: https://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator
The FD Locator Map is a powerful tool in promoting Amateur Radio and encouraging Hams and Non-Hams (including Municipal and State officials) to visit.
Congratulations to The Eastern Connecticut Amateur Radio Club (ECARA) as being the first to put their FD 2025 site on the Map.
Don’t keep your FD site a secret! Put it on the ARRL FD Locator Map…TODAY!
PARKS ON THE AIR (POTA)
I am very excited about the POTA program with opportunities to “activate” over 130 listed parks here in CT. This independent program is an outgrowth of the previous ARRL National Parks On The Air (NPOTA) initiative, and has been a real shot in the arm for our hobby encouraging Amateur Radio Operators to go out into the field and get “Radio – Active”. The Warmer weather is coming. Go POTA! We even have a CT based POTA group: Connecticut Parks On The Air. https://groups.io/g/CT-POTA
YOUTH OUTREACH
Question: “Why don’t we see more young people in Amateur Radio?”
Answer:
Because very few Hams are making an effort to introduce and engage kids in amateur radio activities at Schools, Home Schooling organizations, Youth Activity Groups (e.g. Scouting, etc.), Amateur Radio Clubs, or Public Events – and leaving the job to THE OTHER GUY to do. – DON’T BE THE OTHER GUY.
Section Youth Coordinat or (SYC) Needed
With the previous SYC now serving as the CT Section Manager, the CT Section is now looking for a special individual who understands the vital need of getting Youth involved in Amateur Radio and wants to make a difference.
As a member of the Section Cabinet reporting to the Section Manager, the role of the SYC is to: Assess youth activity within ARRL affiliated clubs, promote youth related on-air activities, encourage youth related programs and activities within clubs and, provide Youth related ideas and resources to Amateur Radio Clubs within the Section.
It’s a Team Effort…. the SYC can’t do it all himself. The SYC will need to build a small team of Assistants to make it happen across the state. – For more information, please contact me, Douglas WA1SFH.
ARRL to Gather Comments from Members on FCC’s Public Notice
Dear ARRL Member,
On March 12, 2025, the Federa l Communications Commission (FCC) issued a Public Notice titled “In Re: Delete, Delete, Delete,” seeking input from the public on FCC rules that may be outdated, unnecessary, or in need of modification. This inquiry is part of the FCC’s ongoing effort to alleviate regulatory burdens across various services, including the Amateur Radio Service.
As part of this review, ARRL is conducting a thorough examination of the provisions in Part 97 and related rules that affect amateur radio operators. ARRL’s written comments, which will be prepared by our FCC Counsel and the ARRL Executive Committee, will include consideration of feedback we received from members.
Members who want to share comments and concerns about this matter are urged to share your feedback directly with ARRL. Please submit your comments by March 31, 2025 and use the following feedback form:
www.arrl.org/fcc-public-notice-march-2025
ARRL will submit our official filing to the FCC by the April 11 deadline. After that, there will be an opportunity for reply comments at the FCC until April 28, and then later, opportunities for public comment on any rules the FCC proposes to delete or modify.
While the FCC Public Notice is a broad inquiry that does not single out any specific radio service, ARRL is nonetheless committed to protecting the Amateur Radio Service, promoting its public interest goals, and ensuring your right to access radio spectrum.
ARRL will continue to work on this matter, and we will inform members as more news develops.
Thank you,
73, ARRL Executive Committee
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ARRL Connecticut Section
Section Manager: Douglas Sharafanowich, WA1SFH
wa1sfh@arrl.org
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Hello members of WMA.
Greetings! I hope this finds you well… and RADIO ACTIVE. 🙂
Maine Section News
The March 2025 Section Newsletter is now available at 
The ARRL Board of Directors met on January 17 and 18. The minutes for the meeting are not available yet, but I promised to have a Zoom conference call after the meeting to give you an update. It’s been a busy few weeks since I took office!
