About WADG

The Wide Area Data Group, Inc, founded in 1978, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion, education, and advancement of the amateur radio hobby. WADG is a public service organization that serves the community in education and community events, and also in the event of a disaster provides communication and support. WADG maintains several high level repeater systems that are accessible by all amateur radio operators. The systems are used throughout the year for various events, drills and nets each week.

Club Call Sign

Our official club call sign, obtained in February 2002, is WA7DG and is heard as our official ID throughout our repeater systems, IRLP node and packet nodes.

Membership / Board Meetings

Board Meetings are held quarterly and are open to all members.

General Membership meetings are held each March. During this time elections are held for new board members. General membership meetings are also called periodically through out the year.

The meetings provides for transacting club business, as well as a social gathering place.

How We Got Our Name

"From time to time, I've been asked how our club got it's name. Back in 1977, since everything was a stretch anyway, we (myself, KC7ZS and W7DDK) decided that our name should be unique.

The "Wide Area" comes from the old Wide Area Telephone Services (WATS) offered by then AT&T. My Dad, a retired N.J. Bell engineer, influenced that part of it.

The "Data" was chosen because we wanted to encourage the use of emission types other than just voice; RTTY and slow-scan. We didn't know anything about packet back then.

Finally, the "Group" evolved from the desire not to be another "society" or "association".

So there you have it; the little club with the weird name. I promise that we'll have packet on the air one of these days..."

Rich, N7RH (Silent Key)
Co-Founder of WADG