DVRA designated an ARRL Special Service Club

The ARRL has designated the Delaware Valley Radio Association as an ARRL Special Service
Club, thanks to the efforts of ARRL Southern New Jersey Assistant Section Manager Gary Wilson
K2GW and with support from Section Manager Ron Fish KX1W.

The ARRL describes Special Service Clubs as amateur radio clubs that go above and beyond.
They are the leaders in their amateur radio communities – active in training classes, publicity
programs and the pursuit of technical projects and operating activities. D$`

DVRA’s wide range of activities, training, community outreach and tradition of public service
qualified it for the two-year designation.

For example:

• As an all-purpose club, the DVRA conducts a variety of activities, participates in public Service events, offers operator training and mentoring, participates in Scouting events and training, holds a monthly meeting with guest speakers and runs a world-class Club Station W2ZQ.
  
  
• The club publicizes activities, resources and events via the website, W2ZQ.com, social media channels and traditional media. The club recently established a YouTube channel with short videos on various amateur radio topics.
  
  
• The center of activity is the Club Station W2ZQ, housed in a World War II Navy transmitter building that club members have fully renovated and equipped. It houses two complete HF stations, a VHF repeater, an APRS digipeater, WinLink VHF-RMS node and a 1296 MHz Earth-Moon-Earth (EME) station. A team of experts led by DVRA member Joe Taylor K1JT is expanding EME capability.
  
  
• The W2ZQ station hosts special event stations, such as W2T and W2P, held annually to commemorate the battles of Trenton and Princeton during America’s War for Independence. Members use the club station for all modes of communication and contesting. The station is also the site of the club’s annual community Open House and ARRL Field Day.
  
  
• Off-site events include an annual series of Fox Hunts, Parks On The Air events and Special Event Stations like W0W, commemorating the fictitious invasion of New Jersey by aliens from Mars, broadcast on radio in 1938.
  
  
• Training offered include licensing sessions, CW training and monthly hands-on seminars covering topics like antenna building, electronic circuit demonstrations, power management, digital modes and many others. Most importantly, the exchange of ideas that occurs within the walls of the station building is priceless.
  
  
• A monthly New Ham Net and a weekly Tech Net on the club’s UHF repeater provide additional training and technical support.
  
  
• The club Antenna Committee provides antenna design, construction support and troubleshooting for members’ home stations.
  
  
• The club supports emergency communications by encouraging members to participate in ARES/RACES and hosting the Mercer County ARES/RACES website.  It also runs the Mercer County WinLink VHF RMS.
  
  
• With such a wide range of activities, offerings and member expertise, the club has tripled in size over the last six years, which contributed to the Dayton Amateur Radio Association naming DVRA Hamvention Amateur Radio Club of the Year for 2023.
  

Congratulations to the DVRA for earning the distinction as an ARRL Special Service Club