Notice from the President, Steve Urso, N1CM:

Webmaster

Stamford Amateur Radio Association (SARA)

Annual Report

December 2025

To All SARA Club Members:

As another year comes to a close, the Stamford Amateur Radio Association board of directors wishes you a great Holiday season and Happy New Year.

So with the New Year upon us we hope all current and past club members will consider continuing their membership in 2026. We have secured the Stamford Government Center for in-person meetings for the entire year and hope to use the St John’s Church grounds on Newfield Avenue again for Field Day.

SARA was number one in our 2A class in CT and number 30 out of 297 worldwide in 2A.

Should you have any suggestions or ideas for Club meeting topics or activities please contact any board member.

Membership is open to all licensed hams. Dues are $25.00 (please add $2.00 for PayPal fees) for the year which includes membership for you and your immediate family. Dues are $20.00 for matriculated students and hams that live outside a 50 mile radius of Stamford. Your dues money supports: costs associated with our website, business registration and taxes, mailing list, insurance, operation of 3 repeater radios at two sites plus their care and maintenance, and Field Day operation which includes equipment, supplies, and meals. Many members include a tax-deductible donation along with their required dues, and that is always appreciated.

You can register for membership online using PayPal at http://ctsara.org/membership.html. The new website’s membership page is quite streamlined. Fill out the form, and once this is done and submitted, click the PayPal link to pay.

Again the board thanks you:

Steve Urso, N1CM, President

Jon Shapiro, W1DYN, Vice President

Terry Martin, K1FI, Treasurer

John Sabini, WB1GRB, Webmaster

Terry Papazidis, WA1JBO, Secretary

Gaetano Galletta KD2SGR, Director at Large

Steve Urso, N1CM, President

About SARA

We are the Stamford Amateur Radio Association (SARA) of Stamford Connecticut.

Founded in 1974 and active ever since, we sponsor and maintain three repeaters, provide communication services at public events, contribute to emergency communications for the city of Stamford, hold licensing exam sessions and hold a competitive Field Day event every June.

Services that we perform for our members include antenna raising, radio setup, training, and advising. 

We need your ideas and input. What activities would you like the club to participate in? We also
need your help in organizing these activities as well as participating in them. How would you
increase club membership? Communicate your ideas and comments to any of the board members.

Your input is very important to the continuing health of the club.

About Ham Radio

Amateur radio, often called ham radio, is both a hobby and a public service in which participants, called radio amateurs or hams, use various types of radio communications equipment to communicate with other hams locally, around the country, or around the world for public service, recreation, and self-training.

There are hams in just about every country, and even in outer space -- the International Space Station has a ham radio station on board and regularly makes contact with hams around the world. Hams also have several dozen ham radio satellites in orbit, which are used by hams to relay signals from one part of the globe to another.

Some hams enjoy experimenting with radio technology, some like competing with other hams (called contesting) some like talking to hams in foreign countries, and some just like chatting with other hams, either nearby or across the country.

All radio amateurs around the world are licensed by their own governments. All hams in the United States are licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which administers the Amateur Radio Service. Getting a license requires passing a multiple choice test on radio theory and radio regulations.

Many hams work closely with both governmental and volunteer organizations, drilling and preparing for disasters, providing communication when all other forms of communication have failed.

More information about amateur radio can be found on the web page of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) which is the national association for Amateur Radio operators in the United States. More details about ham radio can be had on their What is Ham Radio? page.

J/S WB1GRB  12/10/2025