Vintage Radio and Communications Museum Receives Grant

W1VCM Receives Grant for the Vintage Radio and Communications Museum

The amateur radio club of the Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut, W1VCM, has received a grant to design and implement new antennas that cover frequency ranges available to US radio amateurs and add Earth-space capabilities to their shack.

"These new capabilities will allow club members to show the full range of technologies that make amateur radio the unique lifetime hobby it is," said club President Bob Allison, WB1GCM. "Over the years, these demonstrations have encouraged more than a few visitors to pursue their amateur radio licenses. These improvements will allow our visitors to better engage with technologies that impact their everyday lives," he added.

The museum is run by volunteers and it opened in September 1990. It is dedicated to the preservation of old-time communications equipment and to educating the public about communication systems of the past.

The new functionality will include computer-controlled tracking, a high-gain antenna system, and a new satellite transceiver that allows communications to the International Space Station and several low-Earth orbit amateur satellites.

Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut Director John Ellsworth emphasized the importance of the amateur radio club as part of the story of communications, stating, "During our docent-led tours, we discuss the history and development of radio and television. Having a working radio station available reinforces many of the topics discussed."

The grant was awarded by Amateur Radio Digital Communications.