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Amateur Radio Activities At The   Antique Wireless Association

TThe AWA has always had a strong appeal for the radio amateur with an interest in vintage communications. Most, if not all, of our founding members were hams, and their influence continues to be reflected in various club activities.      First and foremost is the annual Conference held each August near Rochester, New York. This is a four-day affair that features a large flea market, an auction of early radio gear, technical sessions, a contest for restorations and other items of early radio equipment displayed by members, a side trip to the AWA Museum and an opportunity for all to get together and talk radio for four days.      Many of the participants have made the pilgrimage to Rochester each summer for more than 20 years. Even those that design modern gear, have an interest in what went before and appreciate the way that it used to be done.      During the remainder of the year there are weekly nets for members and friends to check in, ask questions of each other and generally keep up with what others are doing. These nets include CW, SSB and AM modes. Some are daytime others evening and two are on Sunday.      It would take up most of one's time to make all of them in one week. Activity peaks during the winter when conditions improve and there is not as much going on. When in the Rochester, New York area, you'll be welcomed on our 2-meter repeater. To see a current net schedule, click here to go directly to the "Meets and Meetings" section of the current "AWA Journal Online Edition" (our quarterly bulletin for members).      Our organization also sponsors four major "on the air" get-togethers open to all hams who enjoy operating vintage equipment. Among them are two winter events: The Bruce Kelley Memorial 1929 QSO Party (usually in December) and the Linc Cundall Memorial Old-Time CW Contest (usually in January). Our 24-hour AM QSO Party is generally held in February and The John Rollins Memorial OT DX Contest usually takes place in April.      The two QSO parties are very different. The December event is for transmitters that conform to 1929 or earlier designs constructed with appropriate vintage tubes and parts. Hartley, Colpitts, TNT all are names that will be familiar to the hams in this one.      Power is limited to 10 watts input until midnight, when it can be increased to 20 to try and work the West Coast. The event runs for two 24-hour periods on consecutive weekends in early December. Getting out those dusty old rigs and making them work is a challenge that many members enjoy. Some have even heard from the OOs!      The one in February is a 24 hour AM get together on 80, 40, and 20 meters and consists of round tables centered on the AM window in each of these bands. AM rigs of any vintage are welcome. Both events are very informal and your score is simply a tally of the number of stations worked.      The other two events are formal CW contests that strongly favor participants using equipment from early times. The first, in January, is for transmitters and receivers of 1946 and earlier vintage. WW II surplus is popular in this contest and input power is factored into the scoring which favors the low power rigs. Modern gear is also allowed, but is penalized in the scoring. 160, 80 and 40 meters are used for this contest.      The second contest, in April, extends the equipment window to 1960 allowing for Heathkits, Elmacs, Collins and many other makes of period ham transmitters. This contest takes place on forty and twenty meters to give those on the West coast a better chance. Each contest runs for two 24-hour periods, starting at 2300 UCT on Wednesday and Saturday nights in the same week.      Full details for the four events are published in the "Amateur Radio" column of The AWA Journal at appropriate times. Final scores for each contest are also published in Electric Radio. Join up now, begin receiving your bulletins, and get in on the next one!

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