Grant Date: August 2021
Amount: $22,983

The W5TC station sits atop the National Weather Center, and two stories above it stands a 50-foot tower meant to hold large beam antennas. Over the years, the Alpha Sigma Delta Radio Society (ASDRS) had become inactive, and the station sat unused after a large membership loss due to graduations. A group of dedicated students successfully reactivated the club’s activities over the last few years. Last year a severe weather event destroyed the beam antenna mounted atop the tower, leaving minimal operating capability for W5TC.

The equipment funded by the grant includes a new HF beam antenna, new UHF/VHF antennas, a new station computer, modern radios, and the associated hardware required to make these items compatible. This grant ensures that the club can effectively demonstrate much of the modern capabilities that amateur radio has to offer. ASDRS will also assist in local ARES and Skywarn activities (the Norman National Weather Service Forecast Office is located within the National Weather Center as is the Storm Prediction Center), and teach students about public service operations. Along with ARES and Skywarn, ASDRS is in a unique position to also assist the National Weather Service with its many communications needs. Having the ability to assist the NWS in message transmission is not only a learning opportunity, but also a way to improve safety for citizens in the state of Oklahoma.

Learn More: https://www.w5tc.org/