About the ARROW
The ARROW Communication Association is the oldest amateur radio (“ham”) club in Washtenaw and is dedicated to the promotion of amateur radio activities. As such, we:
- work with the Red Cross and community groups to provide emergency and public service communications,
- hold classes to help others get their amateur radio licenses,
- hold meetings and sponsor activities that help members improve their technical and operating skills, and
- sponsor social activities to promote fellowship in the amateur radio community.
ARROW is a Michigan non-profit membership-based corporation tax exempt under section 501(c)3 of the Federal Tax Code, managed by an elected Board of Directors under its corporate bylaws. ARROW is an affiliate of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), and has been designated a Special Service Club.
Board of Directors
- President: Dinesh Cyanam, AB3DC
- Secretary: Don Winsor, AC8TO
- Treasurer: Steve Rogacki, AC8GO
- Technical Coordinator: Steve Gladden, N8LBV
- Public Service Officer: Dan Romanchik, KB6NU
- Activities Coordinator: John Wasciuk, WA8TON
- Delegate Trustee: Thomas Martin, W8TAM
Our activities and Services
The ARROW has many activities and provides a number of services for members, and the public in general. You can get detailed information about these in the Activities and Services section of the website. Our most commonly requested ones are listed below.
Monthly meetings
Meetings are held 2nd Wednesday of the month at University of Michigan, Space Research Building, 2455 Hayward St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 in Rm #2424. 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 currently operate two club stations:
- Washtenaw Red Cross (4624 Packard Rd., Ann Arbor). This club station is designed to support the emergency communications needs of the Red Cross. It has both HF and VHF capabilities, including a packet radio station. It is also available for use by all club members. Contact Jay, WB8TKL, for more information. Click here for more info on the Red Cross Station.
- Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum (220 E. Ann St., downtown Ann Arbor). In 2008, the IEEE Foundation awarded us a $10,000 grant, and the ARRL Foundation awarded us a $3,000 grant to set up an amateur radio station at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Musuem. Currently, the station can operate CW, SSB, and digital modes on 40m and 20m and FM on 2m. We operate from there every Saturday from at least 10 am until 2 pm. In addition to operating, we plan to sponsor other activities, such as fox hunting and kit building. Dan, KB6NU, is the station manager and is always looking for volunteers and ideas on how to make the station better. Click here for more info on the Hands on Museum Station.
Repeaters
The ARROW operates 3 FM voice repeaters on 146.96(- / PL100) Mhz, 224.38(-) Mhz, and 443.50(+ / PL 100)Mhz. Click here for more detailed info about the repeaters.
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! Click here for details about our net.
Get Your License!
We regularly hold One-Day Tech Classes, and provide monthly test sessions for those looking to obtain or upgrade their license. Please click for details about our Classes or Test Sessions.
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 “ham radio.” With that in mind, we’ve started an informal Elmering program, and several members have already signed up to be Elmers. Click here to find an Elmer to help you.