Tula: Forging Signals in a City of Arms and Airwaves

Tula, long famed for its armories and samovars, has another craft it tends with equal care — amateur radio. The regional branch of the Union of Radio Amateurs of Russia (SRR) here operates with the precision of a well-machined receiver, its leadership roster as compact and efficient as a portable transceiver.

Command from the Control Desk

At the helm is Yuri Viktorovich Sokolov (RW3PX), who directs the branch while also sitting on the qualification commission. His deputy, Andrei Anatolyevich Plotnikov (UA3P), brings both operational support and exam oversight. The QSL bureau, vital for keeping Tula’s callsigns in the global conversation, is run by Andrei Alexandrovich Krasnov (RA3P) — a man as fluent in paperwork as in propagation reports.

Where and When the Operators Meet

On the first and third Thursday of each month, the club gathers at the Tikhmyanov branch of DOSAAF on Timiryazeva Street. These evenings are part social hour, part technical exchange, part civic service — with the qualification commission also on hand for licensing matters. The QSL bureau works to the same schedule, ensuring that physical cards still pass through Tula even in the digital age.

A Structure Built to Endure

From its revision commission, which keeps governance in check, to the qualification and certification commissions, which ensure every operator meets the mark, the Tula branch mirrors the city’s industrial discipline. There is no hint of overblown bureaucracy — only the committees required to keep a community of operators in good standing and good signal.

A Quiet Frequency in a Noisy World

There are no publicized weekly nets or repeater operations; instead, the branch’s rhythm follows its twice-monthly meetings and ad-hoc coordination over the air. In an age of constant digital chatter, Tula’s hams keep their presence measured, proving that sometimes the most enduring signals are those transmitted with intent, not noise.