Penn Wireless Association 50th Anniversary

Submitted by Bob Josuweit WA3PZO, EPA Affiliated Club Coordinator:

Bucks County’s Penn Wireless Association celebrates their 50th Anniversary this month with a luncheon in Bristol. In May, 1965 the Penn Wireless Association of Windsor and the Bucks County Radio Clubs ratified a common new constitution forming the Penn Wireless Association.

Club members have participated in a wide variety of events over the years. Early on the Club sponsored weekly fox hunts. In 1971 a 2-meter repeater was put up. This was at a time when FM transceivers were just beginning to show up in ham radio stores. In 1980 PWA member Bob Strickland, WA3HWZ, became a member of the Olympic Torch Relay Team, which carried the Olympic Flame to Lake Placid, NY. Members of the Club provided communication support as the Flame passed through Bucks County from Philadelphia to Washington Crossing. Club members continue to provide communications for many events in Bucks County and the surrounding area, including the National Disaster Medical System drills in the 1980s and more recently the MS-150.

PWA has hosted a wide variety of top name speakers. These included many ARRL officials. The speaker at their first banquet in 1965 was Merrill Beam, K2BX, an electronic engineer at the Signal Corps Research and Development Laboratories in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. In 1923, he was the first radio amateur to establish radio communications with Admiral Byrd’s early Antarctic expedition and handled many messages for Byrd. A past president of PWA, John Johnson, W3BE, went on to work for the FCC Amateur and Citizens Division as well as serve as QCWA president from 2004-2008.

Club members have participated in the PA QSO Party. PWA was the first winner of the Club Award. Today the Club sponsors the QRP PA Division award.

PWA became an ARRL Affiliated Club on March 9, 1956 and a Special Service Club on April 11, 1983.

Congratulations on the first 50 years and here’s to the next 50!