![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||||||||||||||||
|
![]() |
|||||||||||||||||||
![]() |
|
|
![]() |
W1AW, the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station, is a living memorial to the "Father of Organized Amateur Radio", located at ARRL Headquarters in Newington CT. When visiting ARRL HQ, most amateurs choose W1AW as the place to see where Amateur Radio comes alive. What can you expect to see when you visit? Here's a look inside.
W1AW Quick Links Contribute to the W1AW Endowment! W1AW Frequency Measuring Test Page Guide to W1AW Antenna Farm QSL cards (Special Event or otherwise) currently being processed by W1AW |
||
Scheduled Transmissions | Visiting W1AW | Bulletins via Internet |
|
|
|
W1AW transmits on-the-air code practice and bulletins of interest to hams. The bulletins are also available via email and on the Web.
Pacific | Mtn | Cent | East | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 am | 7 am | 8 am | 9 am | Fast Code | Slow Code | Fast Code | Slow Code | ||
7-9 am 10 am-12:45 pm |
8-10 am 11 am-1:45 pm |
9-11 am noon-2:45 pm |
10 am-noon 1-3:45 pm |
Visiting Operator Time | |||||
1 pm | 2 pm | 3 pm | 4 pm | Fast Code | Slow Code | Fast Code | Slow Code | Fast Code | |
2 pm | 3 pm | 4 pm | 5 pm | Code Bulletin | |||||
3 pm | 4 pm | 5 pm | 6 pm | Teleprinter Bulletin | |||||
4 pm | 5 pm | 6 pm | 7 pm | Slow Code | Fast Code | Slow Code | Fast Code | Slow Code | |
5 pm | 6 pm | 7 pm | 8 pm | Code Bulletin | |||||
6 pm | 7 pm | 8 pm | 9 pm | Teleprinter Bulletin | |||||
6:45 pm | 7:45 pm | 8:45 pm | 9:45 pm | Voice Bulletin | |||||
7 pm | 8 pm | 9 pm | 10 pm | Fast Code | Slow Code | Fast Code | Slow Code | Fast Code | |
8 pm | 9 pm | 10 pm | 11 pm | Code Bulletin |
W1AW's schedule is at the same local time throughout the year. The schedule according to your local time will change if your local time does not have seasonal adjustments that are made at the same time as North American time changes between standard time and daylight time. From the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) = Eastern Time + 4 hours. For the rest of the year, UTC = Eastern Time + 5 hours.
Frequencies are 1.8175, 3.5815, 7.0475, 14.0475, 18.0975, 21.0675, 28.0675 and 147.555 MHz.
Slow Code = practice sent at 5, 7-1/2, 10, 13 and 15 words per minute (wpm).
Fast Code = practice sent at 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 13 and 10 wpm.
Code practice text is from the pages of QST magazine, the League's membership journal. The source is given at the beginning of each practice session and alternate speeds within each session. For example, "Text is from July 1992 QST, pages 9 and 81," indicates that the practice session's plain text is from the article on page 9 and its mixed number/letter groups are from page 81.
Code bulletins are sent at 18 wpm.
CW frequencies include code practices, Qualifying Runs and CW bulletins.
World Wide Web: You can also find W1AW code practice here on ARRLWeb, in MP3 format. Other resources can be found on the ARRLWeb Learn CW page.
W1AW Qualifying Runs are sent on the same frequencies as the Morse code transmissions. West Coast Qualifying Runs are also transmitted monthly by either K6YR on approximately 3590 kHz, or other West Coast stations on various frequencies. At the beginning of each code practice session, the schedule for the next qualifying run is presented. Underline one minute of the highest speed you copied, certify that your copy was made without aid, and send it to ARRL for grading. Please include your name, call sign (if any) and complete mailing address. The initial certificate is available for a $10 fee. Subsequent endorsement stickers are available for a $7.50 fee.
Frequencies are 3.5975, 7.095, 14.095, 18.1025, 21.095, 28.095 and 147.555 MHz.
Bulletins are sent at 45.45-baud Baudot and 100-baud AMTOR, FEC Mode B, 110-baud ASCII will be sent only as time allows.
Keplerian elements for many amateur satellites will be sent on the regular teleprinter frequencies on Tuesdays and Fridays at 6:30 PM Eastern Time.
Frequencies are 1.855, 3.99, 7.29, 14.29, 18.16, 21.39, 28.59 and 147.555 MHz.
A DX bulletin replaces or is added to the regular bulletins between 8 P.M. Eastern time Thursdays and 8 P.M. Eastern time Fridays.
ARRL Headquarters and W1AW are closed on New Year's Day; Presidents' Day; Good Friday, Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Thanksgiving and the following Friday; and Christmas Day.
In a communications emergency, monitor W1AW for special bulletins as follows: voice on the hour, teleprinter at 15 minutes past the hour, and CW on the half hour.
The W1AW Frequency Measuring Test (FMT) Web Page is found here. Details on W1AW's FMTs and other FMTs are available on this page.
Local (Eastern) | UTC | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Time | Day | Time | Date | Notes |
Jan 9 | 10 PM | Fri | 0300z | Jan 10 | 10 - 35 WPM |
Jan 22 | 9 AM | Thu | 1400z | Jan 22 | 35 - 10 WPM |
UTC | Local (Pacific) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Time | Day | Date | Time | Notes |
Jan 15 | 0500z | Wed | Jan 14 | 9 PM |
Station K6YR will conduct the West Coast Qualifying Run. The speeds are 40 to 10 WPM. He will transmit the Run on 3590 kHz. |
W1AW is open to visitors during normal operating hours: from 8 AM until 4 PM on Monday through Friday. FCC licensed amateurs may operate the station from 10 AM to 12 PM and 1 PM to 3:45 PM Monday through Friday. Be sure to bring your current FCC amateur license or a photocopy.
ARRL Headquarters and W1AW are closed on New Year's Day; Presidents' Day; Good Friday, Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Thanksgiving and the following Friday; and Christmas Day.
Directions to W1AW and ARRL HQ
A number of years ago, it was required that visiting operators make out QSL cards for each and every contact they made while QRV from W1AW.
While in the long-standing tradition of QSLing this once made perfect sense, over time it became apparent that this process lessened the importance of the QSL card. And, if nothing else, printing and postage costs became much more of an issue.
Therefore, we ask that amateurs who work us and would like a W1AW QSL card to send us theirs first and to please include a SASE (Self-Addressed-Stamped-Envelope). Foreign stations may either QSL in a like manner (but send along an IRC) or just "via the bureau."
W1AW/x QSL cards for operations that took place in 2008. Domestic amateurs are asked to include a Self-Addressed-Stamped-Envelope (SASE) with their requests. Foreign amateurs can QSL either direct (but include one (1) IRC) or via the bureau.
QSL cards to be processed:
Current - all regular QSL card requests received as of January 14, 2009 are processed.
W1AW bulletins are available via email. ARRL Members can register for the Members Only Web site and select the categories of bulletins they wish to receive.
Anyone can subscribe to the w1aw-list mailing list to receive all W1AW bulletins via email:
To unsubscribe: Send an e-mail message to w1aw-list-request@arrl.org. In the subject of the message, type:
unsubscribe your email address
(Naturally, replace your email address with your actual email address!)
An archive of W1AW Bulletins, 1995-present can be found on the ARRL Web site.