Privacy Policy
How we collect, use, and protect information when you visit the W3ACH website.
Last updated: May 2026
Introduction
The Cumberland Valley Amateur Radio Club (W3ACH) maintains this website at www.w3ach.com as a resource for club members, the amateur radio community, and the general public. We are committed to being transparent about how we operate this site, including what data tools we use and what information may be collected.
We do not sell advertising, we do not sell your data, and we do not use this site for commercial purposes.
Information We Collect
Information You Provide
When you interact with certain features of the site, you may voluntarily provide information such as:
- Your name, callsign, and email address when submitting a membership inquiry or contact form
- Your callsign and password when registering for a member account
- Any other information you choose to include in a form submission
This information is used only to respond to your inquiry, process your membership, or manage your account. It is not shared with third parties except as required by law.
Automatically Collected Information
Like most websites, our server automatically logs basic technical information when you visit, including your IP address, browser type, pages visited, and the date and time of your visit. This information is used solely for server security monitoring and troubleshooting.
Cloudflare
Security & Performance
This site is protected and accelerated by Cloudflare, which sits between your browser and our server to provide security, performance, and reliability.
This website uses Cloudflare, a service provided by Cloudflare, Inc. All traffic to and from this site passes through Cloudflare's network, which provides:
- DDoS protection and security filtering to block malicious traffic
- Content delivery and performance optimization
- DNS resolution and SSL/TLS encryption
- Basic traffic analytics (page views, request counts, threat data)
As part of providing these services, Cloudflare may process your IP address and other connection metadata. This data is handled in accordance with Cloudflare's own privacy practices. Cloudflare does not use this data to serve advertising. You can review Cloudflare's privacy policy at cloudflare.com/privacypolicy.
Microsoft Clarity
Behavior Analytics Tool
This site uses Microsoft Clarity to help us understand how visitors use the site so we can improve the experience for our members and visitors.
We use Microsoft Clarity, a behavior analytics service provided by Microsoft Corporation. Clarity helps us understand how people interact with our website by collecting data such as:
- Mouse movements, clicks, and scrolling behavior
- Session recordings (anonymized replays of page visits)
- Heatmaps showing which areas of pages receive the most interaction
- General usage patterns and navigation paths
Clarity does not collect personally identifiable information such as your name or email address. Session recordings are anonymized — any text you type into form fields is masked before it is recorded.
The data collected by Clarity is used exclusively to improve the design and usability of this website. It is processed by Microsoft in accordance with their privacy practices. You can learn more about how Microsoft Clarity handles data at Microsoft's Privacy Statement and the Microsoft Clarity FAQ.
By using this website you consent to the processing of data about you by Microsoft in the manner and for the purposes described above. If you wish to opt out, you may do so by installing the Microsoft opt-out browser plugin or by enabling the Do Not Track (DNT) setting in your browser. Additionally, many popular ad blockers (such as uBlock Origin, AdBlock Plus, and Privacy Badger) as well as privacy-focused browsers and built-in browser shields (such as those in Brave or Firefox Enhanced Tracking Protection) may also block Clarity automatically.
Cookies
This website uses cookies for the following purposes:
- Session cookies — to keep you logged in to your member account during a visit
- Remember Me cookies — if you choose the "Remember Me" option at login, a persistent cookie keeps you logged in across sessions (up to 7 days)
- Microsoft Clarity cookies — Clarity sets cookies to identify returning visitors and maintain session continuity for analytics purposes
You can disable cookies in your browser settings, though doing so will prevent you from logging in to the member area.
Member Accounts
If you create a member account, we store your name, callsign, email address, and a securely hashed password. This information is used to:
- Authenticate you when you log in
- Display your callsign and name within the member area
- Track your net check-ins and participation for club records
- Send club announcements if you opt in
We do not share member account information with any third party. You may request deletion of your account at any time by contacting us.
Third-Party Links
This website may contain links to external sites such as ARRL.org, QRZ.com, and other amateur radio resources. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to review their policies separately.
Children's Privacy
This website is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has submitted personal information to this site, please contact us and we will promptly remove it.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. When we do, the "Last updated" date at the top of this page will be revised. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of the site after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact Us
If you have questions or concerns about this privacy policy or the data we hold, please reach out through our contact page.