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SECARS
The Southeastern CT Amateur Radio Society
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Announcements
SECARS Field Day
SECARS is hosting Field Day at Zagray Farm Museum
SECARS will be hosting Field Day the annual emergency preparedness, education and amateur radio sporting event sponsored by ARRL. Setup begins on Friday, June 27. Our Field Day operation begins Saturday, June 28 at 2 PM and ends on Sunday, June 29 , 2025 at 2 PM. Field Day will be held at Zagray Farm Museum (544 Amston Road, Colchester, CT).
More information is available at this link.
Field Day is being coordinated by Adam Strickland (KB1YUT) and Bill Birtcher K1EV. Send an e-mail to ke1iumark@gmail.com if you have questions or for additional information.
DMR Educational Session
SECARS will be holding a DMR Education Session on Saturday, May 3 at the Uncasville Red Cross - 1031 Norwich - New London Tpke in Uncasville, CT. The session will begin at 1 PM. Please stop by and get all your questions answered about DMR!
Foxhunt
SECARS will be hosting a Foxhunt (high tech game of hide and seek) on Saturday, May 10 at 1 PM. The foxhunt will be held at Mohegan Park in Norwich, CT. We will have approximately 6 transmitters (2 meter FM) hidden throughout the park. Hunters of all skill levels are welcome to attend, and experienced hunters with equipment will be available to mentor beginners. No equipment is needed, but if you have direction finding gear please bring it.
Meetings
SECARS meetings are held the second Thursday of the month at 7:00 PM. Meetings will be held in person at the Red Cross at 1031 Norwich - New London Tpke in Uncasville, CT. We will simulcast the meeting on Zoom, and Zoom invitations will be sent out to all members approximately one week before the meeting is to occur. Please stop by and support SECARS!
Technical Seminars
Technical seminars will be held at the conclusion of each business meeting when we have a speaker. We have had interesting seminars on DXing, 160m band operation, construction projects, satellite work, go-boxes, foxhunting, DXpeditions and other topics of general interest to the radio amateur community. Our seminars are held in hybrid format (in person and on Zoom following the business meeting), and credentials are distributed to our group mailing list. Join SECARS to get on our list! Click here for our seminar schedule
Donate Now to the SECARS Building Fund
The SECARS repeater site needs remodeling due to infestation with mice and poor climate control. As such, we are starting a capital campaign, which was endorsed at the December, 2024 Business Meeting. Our goal is to raise $8,000, which will be used to remove contaminated insulation and wall board, seal openings where rodent incursions can occur, install new insulation and wall board, install a new HVAC system (ductless splits), redo the roof, paint the exterior and install keyless entry to the repeater building. These changes are necessary to ensure the long term viability of the site. To donate, please click the link below – and be sure to check the “Designate my gift to the Building Fund” option on the form. SECARS is a 501(c)3 organization. Donations are tax deductible as allowed by Federal law.
Thermometer Legend:
Purple = Cash raised to date; Peach = Pledges and donated materials
SECARS Building Fund Campaign Status
Get Your SECARS Hat!
SECARS Has arranged with a local vendor to produce custom-made hats bearing the SECARS logo. Optional add-ons include your callsign, name and only if you are a founding member of SECARS the option to include the words “Plank Owner” on the hat. Check out our FAQ and images of the hats at this link.
Your Ideas Are Welcome Here!
SECARS Welcomes your ideas for activities we could do to foster education, build camaraderie and have fun pursuing what we all love: amateur radio. If you have suggestions or ideas, we encourage you to enter them at the appended link. Enter your ideas here.
For Sale
Premium Amateur Radio Equipment For Sale
Check out this page to see equipment for sale from SECARS and local sellers. SECARS periodically posts items for sale ranging from towers, antennas, radio equipment and accessories. If you wish to list an item for sale, please contact KE1IUMark@gmail.com.
POTA Antenna Build – What a Great Time!
Parks On The Air (POTA) is an activity that began in 2017 and has since ignited significant interest across the amateur radio community. If you ever wanted to be on the other end of a small pileup, like portable operating (field day) or if you like collecting, POTA is probablyContinue Reading
Click on the images below for more information about our club!
Contact us at KE1IUMark@gmail.com
Our officers are here to serve you - by coordinating activities, managing club resources and guiding SECARS toward growth - with the input of the membership at large. Learn more about who we are at the link below.
SECARS features repeaters on 2 meters and 70 cm. Our repeaters are connected on Echolink and can be accessed from anywhere in the world.
Find the hidden transmitter! Foxhunting tests your skill in radio direction finding and orienteering. Our foxhunts cover a 20 square mile area, and we have both live foxhunts and hidden fox-boxes for you to find. Come join us!
Our members have designed and built many cool homebrew projects. Check out our project page to learn more and build your own gear and station accessories!
We have links to useful software for your amateur radio station. Whether it is antenna modeling, Morse code training or digital modes, you can find links to external sites that will get you on your way to more functions in your station!
SECARS is a very active group. Whether it is foxhunting, VHF/UHF terrestrial all-mode work, field day, public service, nets, hilltopping or just socializing at a picnic, there is something for everyone. Come join us!
Welcome to New Radio Amateurs
SECARS created a New Ham Kit to help new amateur radio operators get oriented. Whether you are a newly-licensed radio amateur or someone who is returning after an inactive period, check out our New Ham Kit. It lists various resources within SECARS and externally to get you into amateur radio. As ever, we are here to help.
Check out our New Ham Kit by clicking on the picture to the left.
SECARS Mentoring Program
SECARS has a mentoring program to help you get into new aspects of amateur radio and to enable you to teach others. To learn more about the program, click here.
Check out our Photo Gallery
SECARS members enjoy many diverse aspects of amateur radio, and we are here to support them. Our photo gallery captures SECARS members engaging in foxhunts, Field Day, our annual picnic, our auction and more. Check out the photo gallery by clicking here or on the photo to the left.
Thank You to our Donors
SECARS has been the beneficiary of several estates and individuals who have donated equipment and money to support our organization. Visit this link to find out who they are!
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MEMBERSHIP AND DONATION INFORMATION
Join Us! Apply/Renew Online Apply/Renew by Mail
At over 110 members, we are a vibrant, growing organization in Southeastern CT. Your membership in SECARS helps support the activities we sponsor and defrays maintenance costs for our repeater. Applying is simple, and family rates are available for multi-ham households!
$20 / year individual
$5 / year for each family member
Donate to SECARS Donate Online Now
Your donation to SECARS helps support our activities and helps maintain our repeater. We are a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. We depend on the generosity of other hams, our membership dues and our auction fundraiser for financial support.