The USS WISCONSIN Amateur Radio Club formed on 10 June 2000 nearly coincident with the
transfer of the ship to the City of Norfolk. The sixteen founding members were renowned
Amateur Radio operators, leaders in the community, and true visionaries. The club’s mission
has continued to be to acquaint visitors with WWII era military radio communications and
promote worldwide recognition of the museum-ship through shipborne amateur radio
operations.
The club operates out of two spaces on the O3 level of the Battleship and maintains a static
display in the Radio Room space on the Main Deck. The club’s membership maintains the
specialized knowledge and skills needed to restore, operate, maintain and repair the then state
of the art vintage radio equipment from the 1930’s and later. It amazes and delights visitors to
witness and observe our operators talk to other radio stations using equipment dating from the
dawn of radio and utilizing the magic sounds Morse Code or AM radio on this rare gear.
The club also operates two modern radio stations enabling robust participation of the club
membership in major radio operating events such as Museum Ships on the Air, the Virginia
State QSO (contacts) Party, the ship’s special events to include Anniversaries of
Commissioning and Decommissioning and the very special events surrounding Pearl Harbor
Day Memorials. Participation in these events profoundly enhances the Battleship’s reputation
and extends the reach of awareness to a worldwide audience.
The club has added educational displays to include a hands-on interactive Morse Code
demonstrator permitting visitors to send and receive code with the computer performing the
coding and decoding. We have added a comprehensive visual display of solar, ionospheric,
and atmospheric conditions affecting radio communications to enhance our discussions of
radio science. Meeting and interacting with the ship’s visitors is our priority – the doors are
always left open when we are onboard.
Among the approximately 150 world-wide maritime museum ships supporting an amateur
radio association, the USS WISCONSIN Amateur Radio Club is a recognized leader. The club
operates entirely on membership club dues, voluntary contributions, and gifts.
Twenty five years later, the club has 166 members which includes 70 associate memberships
allowing the club to reach across most of the United States and includes 8 European active
members. The club is grateful to Nauticus and the City of Norfolk for the unique opportunity to
serve as ambassadors to the ship while enjoying our hobby in world-wide radio
communications.