The ARROW Communications Association, the oldest amateur radio ("ham") club in Ann Arbor. It promotes amateur radio and conducts amateur radio activities in Washtenaw County. ARROW is a Michigan non-profit, membership-based corporation, and is tax exempt under section 501(c)3 of the Federal Tax Code. ARROW is affiliated with the American Radio Relay League, the national association for amateur radio.
Repeaters
The ARROW operates 3 FM voice repeaters on 146.96(- / PL100 when needed) MHz, 224.38(-) MHz, and 443.50 MHz. The 146.96 MHz and 224.38 MHz repeaters are analog FM repeaters, while the 443.50 MHz repeater is a Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) repeater. Information on how to set up your DMR radio to access the ARROW DMR repeater, can be found on the ARROW website.
These repeaters are located atop the Wolverine Tower building, near I-94 and State Street in Ann Arbor, and provide decent coverage of the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area. They are open repeaters and are free for anyone to use.
Monthly Meetings
Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month; check the web site for current meeting locations. Meetings start at 6:30, followed by the speaker on a topic of interest for radio amateurs, the a boring business meeting. Meetings are open to the public. Talk-in assistance for meetings is on the ARROW 2-meter repeater (146.96-) MHz.
Club Stations
We are currently have two club stations: one at the Red Cross Building at 4624 Packard and the other at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum in downtown Ann Arbor. The station at the Hands-On Museum, which has the callsign--WA2HOM--is in the process of being rebuilt. Call Dan KB6NU at 734-930-6564 or e-mail him for more information.
Get Your License!
ARROW conducts both Technician (beginner) and General (intermediate) Class license courses. For more information on these classes, go to the ARROW's ham radio classes information page.
License Testing
ARROW has a cadre of Volunteer Examiners, who conduct examinations for amateur radio licenses at 9 am on the second Saturday of each month. Check the ARROW web site for current license locations.
Monday Night Net
The Monday Night Net is held on Monday evenings on 146.96(-) at 8:00 pm. While a net control station is almost always there, there may be some nights when he or she is absent. If you don't hear any activity, give a call anyway to see if there are others awaiting the net. If so, take the bull by the horns and run the net yourself!
Mentoring, or "Elmering"
One of the great traditions of ham radio has been the willingness of experienced hams to help new hams get started. These mentors are sometimes called "Elmers," a name whose origin is as obscure as the origin of term "ham radio." If you need help choosing a radio, setting up an antenna, or troubleshooting a piece of gear, call Dan KB6NU at 734-930-6564 or e-mail him.
Field Day
The most important annual amateur radio event is Field Day, held on the last full weekend in June. The purpose of Field Day is to practice operating in the field, using power sources not attached to the power grid. These conditions simulate conditions that might occur in the case of a disaster or emergency.
To make Field Day more fun, it is a competition. Stations participating in Field Day get points for making contacts, obtaining publicity, and a number of other ways. In 2012, ARROW placed #48 nationally and #3 in the state of Michigan. Everyone is welcome to attend, whether or not you're an amateur radio operator.
