ARRL Launches The NTS Letter

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ARRL Launches The NTS Letter

There's a new newsletter in the ARRL repertoire as of this week. The first issue of The NTS Letter was published on October 3, 2023. The NTS Letter is a monthly digest of all things related to the ARRL National Traffic System®. It is edited by Marcia Forde, KW1U, who is a veteran traffic handler and serves as the Section Traffic Manager for the ARRL Eastern and Western Massachusetts and Rhode Island Sections.

The NTS is network that allows for rapid movement of messages, referred to as "traffic," from origin to destination, and for training amateur operators to handle written traffic and to participate in directed nets. The network consists of the layering and sequencing of both voice and CW traffic nets, as well as a digital system that operates 24/7. This nationwide system operates 365 days a year, generally relaying routine message traffic for training purposes and for maintaining readiness if called upon in an emergency. If called upon, these operators stand ready to assist emergency communications personnel and served-agency partners in relaying welfare and other messages. It is the modern continuation of the historic "radio relay" from ARRL's founding in 1914.

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A book for all About POTA (Parks on the Air)

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The National Association for Amateur Radio (ARRL) has a new book to help radio amateurs enjoy one of the fastest growing communities within the hobby. Participants in Parks on the Air® (POTA) have built one of the most vibrant on-air communities in contemporary ham radio. Park hunters comb the airwaves for activators operating from the lawns of sprawling public mansions, stoops at urban historic sites, forest glades, rocky mountaintops, seaside beaches, and just about any state or federal park in the country — and many entities abroad.

The Parks on the Air Book gives you a look at the setups and processes of 14 operators from a variety of skill levels and backgrounds and offers advice and motivation for taking your radio out to a park. Each chapter includes a detailed gear list so you can see exactly what your fellow operators are using, whether they’re leaders of the pack like Kerri Wright, KB3WAV, and Clint Sprott, W9AV, or folks just getting started with Parks on the Air. Setups cover satellite operating, QRP, urban backpack portable, activating tailgate-style, wire antennas for POTA, and more.

Whether you want to plan a multistate rove, toss a wire into a tree at a nearby park, or hunt activators from the comfort of your home station, The Parks on the Air Book provides insight and expertise in a beautiful, full-colour format, brimming with photos that celebrate ham radio and the wonderful, shared resource of our state and national parks.

The Parks on the Air Book may be purchased from the ARRL Store (https://home.arrl.org/action/Store/Product-Details/productId/2013464221)and from your ARRL Dealer, or call (860) 594-0355 or toll-free in the US (888) 277-5289.

The Parks on the Air Book, ARRL Item No. 1748, ISBN: 978-1-62595-174-8, $22.95 retail; special ARRL Member price $19.95.

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GigaParts Expands Facilities

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GigaParts will be expanding to a new Hunstville location featuring 55,000 square feet of space. In addition to the larger storefront, GigaParts will expand its product lines to include photography, astronomy, general aviation, and maker components for the first time. GigaParts has been a major ham radio equipment supplier in the US for more than 25 years.

GigaParts - https://www.gigaparts.com/