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ARROW

From ArborWiki

The ARROW Communications Association, the oldest amateur radio ("ham") club in Ann Arbor, 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) MHz, 224.38(-) MHz, and 443.50( / PL 100)MHz. These repeaters are located in downtown Ann Arbor on top of the Tower Plaza building.

Monthly Meetings

Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month at Washtenaw Community College. There is usually a short business meeting followed by a program on topics of interest to radio amateurs. 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 working on setting up 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. We are very excited about the station at the Hands-On Museum, and we even have a special callsign--WA2HOM--that we will be using there. 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 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 on the second Saturday of each month. Tests are held at the Washtenaw County Red Cross, 4624 Packard, Ann Arbor, MI. You MUST pre-register by contacting Roger F. Place, W8ZRF (734-663-4625) or Clay Mitchell, W8JNZ (734-662-6663). The fee is $15.

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 2006, ARROW placed #79 nationally and #3 in the state of Michigan. Everyone is welcome to attend, whether or not you're an amateur radio operator.

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