04/09/2026

ARRL[1]ÿThe National Association for Amateur Radio¨ has welcomed a new high-performanceÿElecraft[2]ÿstation to Studio 3 at W1AW, the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station, at its headquarters in Newington, Connecticut.

Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Watsonville, California, Elecraft produces high-performance amateur radio equipment available both factory-assembled and as kits. Its product line spans ultra-portable to full-featured desktop stations and is widely used by operators ranging from Parks on the Air¨ (POTA) activators to DXpedition teams.

Elecraft Co-founder Eric Swartz, WA6HHQ, visited ARRL Headquarters on April 7, 2026, to formally present the station. ARRL staff, including CEO David Minster, NA2AA, were on hand to receive the equipment.

The station includes theÿK4D transceiver[3]ÿwith built-in KAT4 automatic antenna tuner,ÿKPA1500 1500+ watt solid-state amplifier[4], and companion accessories including the K-Pod control panel, KPAK3AUX cable interface, MH4 hand microphone, and SP4 speakers.

The K4D supports full remote operation, allowing control from another K4, a software application, or Elecraft's K4/0 Remote Panel. Its peer-to-peer architecture enables straightforward remote setup without reliance on a centralized server.

"We're pleased to support ARRL and W1AW with this station," said Swartz. "W1AW is an important destination for radio amateurs, and we're glad members and other visitors will have the opportunity to get on the air using Elecraft gear."ÿ

Through partnerships with manufacturers, W1AW offers operators the opportunity to get on the air using a wide range of modern stations under one of the most recognized call signs in amateur radio.ÿ

During his visit, Swartz also met with ARRL Senior Lab Engineer Rick Ciervo, W1CIE, and Digital RF Engineer John McAuliffe, W1DRF. Swartz is a key member of the ARRL Clean Signal Initiative (CSI) Working Group, which is developing technical standards to improve transmitter and amplifier signal purity. CSI is a program of the ARRL Technical Standards Committee.

"We're grateful to Eric and to Elecraft for their continued support of ARRL and the Amateur Radio Service," said Minster.


[1] https://www.arrl.org/
[2] https://elecraft.com/
[3] https://elecraft.com/products/k4-transceiver
[4] https://elecraft.com/products/kpa1500-amplifier
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