Jim Irby, WB4EJR, writes:
On August 22nd at around 10:00 AM, twenty-one amateur radio operators who were attending the Northeast HamXposition in Marlborough, Massachusetts boarded a bus for the 90-minute trip to ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut (https://www.arrl.org/inside-w1aw). The trip was organized by Bob DeMattia (K1IW, HamX) and Bob Inderbitzen (NQ1R, ARRL).
Once on site, the group was given a tour of the station by Bob Inderbitzen and John McAuliffe (W1DRF). They pointed out early transmitting equipment used by ARRL founder Hiram Percy Maxim, and they discussed the history of the ARRL. Equipment used to send code practice training transmissions throughout the world was seen as well as new conferencing facilities. Vintage Collins and Drake line equipment was also on display. One or two of the attendees made QSOs from W1AW.
For lunch, Bob DeMattia organized delivery of more than enough subs to feed the tour group. Lunch was taken outside the W1AW building on picnic tables under a beautiful stand of trees. The tour group returned to Marlborough by mid-afternoon.
Thank you, Bob DeMattia, Bob Inderbitzen and John McAuliffe, for this wonderful trip. It was beautifully organized, and it fulfilled a dream many of us have had for many years!
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Larry Banks, W1DYJ, writes:
I was happy to have the opportunity to visit ARRL Headquarters on the Friday of HamXposition. I was last in Newington in 1965 while home one summer from college. Some highlights and a personal story.
First, everyone we met made us feel welcomed: my thanks to the great Headquarters’ staff, especially our host Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R. Naturally, everything I saw was great, from the antenna farm, to the “shack” (as if such a high-level, multi-operator-position, impressive looking W1AW could be even thought of as a “shack!”), to the lab and museum. Two personal highlights were seeing (and smelling) “Old Betsy” – Maxim’s spark transmitter – operate, and the ARRL’s OSCAR I satellite. Three were built: the ARRL has one, the Smithsonian has one, and the third one burned up when it came back to earth.
A personal delight: My original call in 1961 was KN1VFX, and then K1VFX in Stratford Conn; I became W1DYJ in 1966. While sitting on the bus in Marlboro I noticed a person walking down the aisle wearing a call sign tag: K1VXY! I asked him “Is that your original call?” Howard said YES, and that he also was licensed in December 1961. I mentioned that I grew up on Stratford – and Howard said “My sister-in-law lives in Stratford!” Small-World Squared!