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On March 5, 1952 amateur radio station W3TKQ was born at The Franklin Institute Science Museum in Philadelphia.
Originally sponsored by the Haverford Township Emergency Radio Net, the responsibility of the station's educational mission was passed in 1960 to The Phil-Mont Mobile Radio Club which, to this day, maintains the tradition of daily operation of this world-famous demonstration station.
When the FCC recently announced the opening of the "vanity call" program, Marian Fox, WA3YJR, wife of recently deceased club member Harold Fox, suggested that her family would be very pleased and honored if Hal's call could be reassigned to the club station. Thus the wheels were set in motion to exchange the venerable W3TKQ for the unique and prestigious W3AA.
The club's Board of Directors is proud of the legacy of the original call letters, but believes that the new call letters signal yet another milestone in the station's history of service to the community. Staffed with dedicated volunteer operators, and with the support of the staff of The Franklin Institute, the station will continue its mission of education far into the 21st century. It is fitting that this leading amateur station, which has introduced to countless thousands the enjoyment of amateur radio communications, now has call letters worthy of its achievements.
It is also fitting that the first radio contact using the new W3AA call letters was made with W3BBB, the ARRL Atlantic Division's "Grand Old Ham" of 1993, who in 1962 built the station's first glass-enclosed ham shack in The Institute, and who has been associated with the station longer than any living amateur.
The station may be reached at 215-448-1139.
For more information, contact the station's trustee, Steve Hoch, WU3I at w3aa@fi.edu
On the Internet: http://sln.fi.edu/tfi/exhibits/w3aa.html
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