ARROW Communication Association

Serving Radio Amateurs in Michigan's Washtenaw & Wayne Counties

Dayton Bus Trip – 2024

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The ARROW Communication Association is once again proud to sponsor a motor coach trip to the 2024 Hamvention at Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center in Xenia, Ohio. Started in 2002, this annual club activity has grown in size and reputation with hams across Michigan and Ontario.

To Register and see full Details visit: https://w8rp.org/daytonbus2024/
Register by April 12th 2024

Join us on Saturday, May 18, 2024, when we depart from the park-and-ride lot beside Ann Arbor Pioneer High School (601 W. Stadium Blvd) at 4:30 a.m., arriving in Xenia around 8:30 a.m. On board, you can stretch out, relax, take a nap, chat with other hams, and enjoy a light breakfast with coffee as the coach takes you directly to the country’s largest amateur radio event!

AMPTeam Outing: Jan 15th 2024

When: Monday, January 15th, 6:00 pm until 9:00 pm
Where: County Farm Park, 2230 Platt Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48104

AMPteam Outings take place once every month all year long, rain or shine.  We gather at a common location, set up and operate portable HF, VHF, and AREDN Mesh Microwave stations. This provides an opportunity to hone our skills in rapid and efficient deployment of Amateur Radio stations into the field in what are oftentimes non-optimum conditions.

License Exam Test Session

Are you ready to take your Amateur Radio exam? ARROW provides exam sessions the second Saturday of each month.
Next Session: December 9th 2023 at 9:00am
Location: Fellowship Bible Church 2775 Bedford Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
For more information email info@w8rp.org
2023 Field Day Logo

ARROW 2023 Field Day Activities

2:00 PM Saturday June 24 – 2:00 PM Sunday June 25 on the soccer field just north of Ann Arbor Airport

Local ham radio operators participate in this annual, national event, first done in 1933. Temporary amateur radio stations are set up in public locations to showcase Amateur Radio technology and practice. Radios are operated from tents and RVs, using temporary antennas, with emergency power (generators, batteries, solar). Field Day is an emergency exercise, a contest, and a 24-hour nerd party. Operations will continue throughout the night.

  • Get on the air with us!
  • Information about amateur radio
  • Displays and demonstrations
  • “Elmering” (mentoring)
  • Talk about all things radio and technology
  • Sit back, relax, and have fun!

ARROW Exhibits at Ann Arbor Maker Fair

On Saturday, May 6, 2023, I was joined by Joe AC8ES, Ed KC1DYK, James AE8JF, and Ralph AA8RK at the Ann Arbor Creativity and Making Expo (AACME). Formerly called the Ann Arbor Mini-Maker Faire, this is the first post-pandemic instance of this event.

From L to R: interested attendee, Ed KC1DYK, Joe AC8ES, Dan KB6NU, James AE8JF, another interested attendee. Photo: Ralph AA8RK.

While the number of exhibitors and attendees was down from 2019, I think everyone had a great time. In addition to ARROW, exhibitors included:

  • Skyline High Robotics Team
  • Maker Works
  • All Hands Active Makerspace
  • Retro Computing SIG

and several others. There was even a woman there doing some creative upholstering.

We had a couple of interesting things to show people:

  • Joe, AC8ES, brought his parabolic, double biquad WiFi antenna project.
  • Ed, KC1DYK, brought a nanoVNA and the coil and variable capacitor that he built from a soda can.
  • I brought my assortment of keys and code practice oscillators to demonstrate Morse Code and got many of the attendees to send me their names in code.

Joe, AC8ES, demonstrating his parabolic, double biquad WiFi antenna. Photo: Lisa Giannati Photography.

I also brought my KX-3, and we set up the 40m/20m inverted-vee antenna out in the courtyard.

Ed, KC1DYK, tossing a line up into a tree so that we could raise the inverted-vee antenna. Photo: Joe AC8ES

Unfortunately, band conditions weren’t all that great, so we didn’t make a lot of contacts. Also, being so close to the building probably didn’t help.

One of the highlights of the afternoon was meeting one particularly smart high school student. She came up to our table, just as we began packing up. As it turned out, she had either just completed, or was working on an antenna similar to Joe’s. We gave her the spiel on ham radio, and I think we convinced her to get her Tech license. I’m also going to try to get her to come to Field Day.

Thanks to all who attended and all who helped out with the event.

 

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