March 2008 Dear Member, It’s an unimposing brick building, sitting on a small knoll in a residential area yet not out of place. Today it is lightly covered with snow that settles on the windows and door frames, giving it the perfect look for a postcard – or QSL card. Accented with unique detail, the architecture of the building sets it back in time and apart from its surroundings. Round windows grace the end walls of the rectangular building and a formal entrance, reserved for special occasions, lies at the top of steps leading down to Main Street in Newington, Connecticut. This simple and graceful building represents far more history and accomplishment than most passersby would imagine. Cross the threshold and you enter another world, one in which the magic of radio communication has spanned several generations. You can feel the spirit of Hiram Percy Maxim, whose “Old Betsy” rotary spark gap transmitter graces the vestibule. You can almost see HPM sitting at his desk in the era of Amateur Radio when sparks flew and each contact was a rare event. And his spirit of adventure and experimentation – and above all, service – is still alive at W1AW, the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial station. The days and nights spent at W1AW by generations of ham radio operators have paved the way for you and me. They have left their mark and we are bound to continue the traditions that define our history. While we celebrate that history, W1AW embodies so much more. Through its round windows you can glimpse the future as well as the past. Today W1AW is a showcase for an Amateur Radio service with capabilities that surpass what HPM, with one of the most imaginative minds of his generation, could have envisioned. A vintage AM station sits gracefully alongside D-Star and other advanced digital technologies. A matrix of antenna connections and a wall of transceivers and amplifiers for every band bring daily bulletins and Morse code practice to every corner of the country and the world. The guest operating suites showcase the most up-to-date equipment. W1AW has come a long way since Old Betsy ionized the air with every dit and dah from Hiram Percy Maxim’s fist! And I know he would be glad to see the station that W1AW has become. In recent years, since we launched the W1AW Endowment Fund, the station has been modernized without sacrificing its character and history. Income from the Endowment Fund has contributed to the replacement of aging equipment and antennas. New band pass filters, computers and cables have been installed. We are continuing to build the permanent fund - The W1AW Endowment Fund - to cover W1AW annual operations and capital needs. The next steps to improve the station will be to upgrade software and continue to replace equipment that is at or near the end of its reliable service. In 2008 new transceivers and amplifiers in the three operating suites will be installed to enhance your experience when you visit and contact hams back home, or even when you work W1AW from your own shack. I know that as an intrepid tinkerer and inventor, HPM would be pleased with how far Amateur Radio has progressed, and proud of the station that bears his name. Now we need you to help us continue the progress to make W1AW a truly 21st Century operation. Your financial commitment in 2008 will help ARRL maintain W1AW as America’s Amateur Radio station. I hope you will make the largest contribution you can manage to fund a bright future for W1AW. A donation of $1000, $250 or $100 will ensure that W1AW continues to represent the best of Amateur Radio. If you are in a position to do even more, your multi-year pledge of $500 a year, $1000 a year, or $5000 a year for up to five years to the W1AW Endowment Fund may be fulfilled in annual, semi-annual or quarterly installments. Another creative option is to support the W1AW Endowment with a gift of securities. If you you’d like to discuss your giving plans, call the Development Office at 1-860-594-0397 or contact us by email at mhobart@arrl.org. Your generosity will send a strong message that you honor the history of W1AW and are committed to a bright future for W1AW as the heart of our service. ARRL will use your contribution to build a fund to ensure that the flagship station, W1AW, will continue to represent the best of all of us. And if you haven’t visited ARRL and W1AW recently, I hope you’ll plan a trip to Newington and arrange to operate W1AW and see for yourself the magical role that W1AW plays for Amateur Radio. Thank you and 73. David Sumner, K1ZZ |
