For the past several decades I have been an avid reader of QST and seen photos of W1AW, casually thinking someday I would visit the league. Because of the distance needed to travel , again the notion was at the bottom of my bucket list.

An invitation from a relative for a 50th wedding anniversary celebration plus my eldest son’s career being a pilot at Southwest Airlines, I found myself in Providence Rhode Island a mere 90 miles from Newington CT. I set my sights on a visit to HQ.

The staff at the league was gracious and accommodating as I proceeded to take a tour of several departments of ARRL. I viewed areas where the staff works to produce the monthly magazine plus meeting technicians in the radio lab where products are tested.

The finale was a short walk over to W1AW.  I viewed banks of radios positioned in cabinets with the job of sending daily bulletins broadcasting from HQ. The staff asked for my radio license and then positioned me in front of a Yaesu-5000 rig and rotated the 20 meter 5 element mono band beam. With the Yaesu amp set at 800 watts my cue for my phone transmission was set.

If you would ask me “Mike, did you pinch yourself”? Yes, I was at awe I had operated W1AW. I worked a pile up of stations on 20 meters from North to Southern United States. A notable QSO was with a 97 year old ham from west of Green Bay, Wisconsin, his first QSO with W1AW.  We both completed a check mark on the old bucket list. Thank You again to the whole staff of the American Radio Relay League for a very memorable day.

                                       Mike G kb6usj