What to Do about the AM Station at W1AW

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Thanks to attention drawn to it by Pete, I revisited the W1AW sub-page at:

http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2001/08/07/1/

The AM station does not appear anywhere in this lengthy description.  The page has not been updated for five years.

I realize that the donated AM equipment display does not rise to the level of being a "studio," like several operating positions showcased on that web page.  There are other displays referenced, and the station was supposed to be a working demonstration of vintage radio.

Anyone want to guess why it is not included like it deserves to be ?

The web page addressed above last updated Jun 9, 2004.
And
From the ARRL web site dated June 21, 2004:
"Friday, June 18, 2004, will be remembered at ARRL HQ as the day W1AW received its Vintage/AM station."

So the W1AW page link "Here's A Look Inside" hasn't been updated since before the installment of the vintage station and a number of other new equipment installations.

At the January 2009 BoD meeting, it was reported that an outside contractor was working with the ARRL on web site re-design, so it's possible that the W1AW sections may also be updated.

Now, not to put Steve, HUZ, on the spot (but what-the-heck), the ARRL AM web page says this:
"This web page was created and is maintained by Steve Ickes, WB3HUZ. You may contact the author directly at steve@amwindow.org about the page or its contents.". Last updated April 2008.

We have our own web page on the ARRL site. I would assume Steve is motivated to update the page when sufficient new or updated information is rolled to him and/or maybe some other criteria.  Seems like a great place to provide some information on the vintage station setup. There's several pictures around showing AM'ers operating the station. Might be a place for details on who normally can operated the station. Special Event station setups, like the W2A Armstrong setup back in August 2009 could be shown with some pictures and some details. It probably also would be interesting to see how many hits that web page has seen since it was brought on line.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

One suggestion, local AMers in or near Newington could be there one a semi-regular basis to coach new comers with the gear. This could be publicized via John Dilks column, Electric Radio and other means.

In fact Paul, why not see if a "special event" or to borrow a term you coined back in the 1990s, a "AM Festival Station" could be run from W1AW. You'll recall participating in the Collins KW-1 AM Special Event Station from the Rochester Hamfest, the AM Station at the Dayton Hamvention, and numerous other AM special events in the late 1990s.

Perhaps the fellows could come up with a date of some significance when this could be done.

I have one date suggestion, the Antique Wireless Association does have a AM Contest in February, really more of a social thing, info follows. All AWA contest are open to all, you no longer have to be a member.

Info on the AWA AM event follows:
"February is a 24 hour AM get together on 80, 40, and 20 meters and consists of round tables centered on the AM window in each of these bands. AM rigs of any vintage are welcome.
Both events are very informal and your score is simply a tally of the number of stations worked."

Other dates of significance:
- Classic Exchange Weekends -->> http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2009/01/09/10557/?nc=1
- AMI Discovery Weekend, right around Thanksgiving???
- Electric Radio "Heavy Metal Night"
- Your Suggestions...

According to the posted schedule, the W1AW building is closed on weekends and visitor operating during the week is scheduled in-between all their "official" transmitting times. I would suspect that if approval could be received from the ARRL Senior Management to operate the W1AW station during the weekend hours by visitors, weekend overtime pay for one or more ARRL people probably would also have to be approved. Having been around for a number of AM Festival-type activities over the years at various hamfests, (I suspect many remember "the Rolling Rock Hour"), it's hard to picture similar type on-the-air type activities at the W1AW building, and, as an ARRL member, I'm not sure I would want to see or here it from there. Further, someone, or some group, would probably have to put together a proposal to the senior staff as to why this weekend event would be great for the ARRL and for amateur radio.