Pvra Information

The Pioneer Valley Radio Association was founded in 1970 by K1NQJ, W1WHK, WA1DMX and WA1NXG, to provide amateurs with an organization in which each man had one vote in the operation and ownership of the club's equipment. The club's first repeater was put on the air at Box Mountain in Vernon, Connecticut, just prior to the first organizational meeting, with full auto patch, 450 services and a six meter output and input link. The repeater was constructed by WA1DMX, WA1NXG, and others. The first organizational meeting was held in the basement of the Message Center at 14 Haynes Street, Hartford, Connecticut, with some eighteen members present. This first meeting was devoted to the organization and structuring of the Club, and agreement to seek membership in the ARRL as an affiliated Club. Henry Zachs, owner of Message Center, provided the Club with the antenna site and space for the Vernon Repeater at no charge. Bruce, WA1NXG, served as the Club's President until the first general meeting in June, 1970, when Carl, W1FXK, was elected President. With the club growing at a rate of eight to ten members a month, some of the Torrington members suggested a repeater in Torrington to cover Western Connecticut. It was so agreed at one of the membership meetings, a repeater was constructed and installed at the former site of WLCR-FM in Torrington. Shortly thereafter, one of our members, W1MBK, who was Chairman of the Board and President of the Hartford Insurance Group, suggested that his building be used as the site for a middle ground repeater between Torrington and Vernon. This was brought up to the membership at one of the subsequent meetings, and the construction and installation of the 146.04/64 repeater was approved. The Club then received the call signs WA1KGQ for the Vernon site, WA1KGY for the Torrington site and WA1KHA for the 146.04/64 site. The membership continued growing in 1971 Ernie, W1FPT, one of our members from Norwalk, suggested that we assume responsibility for the Naugatuck repeater operating on ...