Category Archives: Contest

Amateur Radio, ARRL, Contest, Event, News

NASA announces year long amateur radio event beginning in December

NASA was created on July 29, 1958 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The first lunar mission was in 1968. Elements of the International Space Station were first launched in 1998. NASA is asking amateur radio operators to participate in these and other events for the entire year of 2018.

Beginning in December of 2017 and running through December of 2018, various NASA clubs and stations will be listening and calling via phone, CW and digital methods of the amateur radio hobby. The ARRL web site announced that the event starts Monday, December 11 UTC.

The club stations at the various NASA centers and facilities plan to be on the air with special events to celebrate these milestones and are offering commemorative QSL cards and a special certificate indicating how many centers you worked on various bands and modes may be downloaded. QSL instructions are available on the QRZ.COM site for each individual club station.

NASA plans to have a web-based system for you to check your points total and download a certificate at the end of the event in December 2018. Points will be awarded for each center worked on each band and mode.

The event will run from December 2017 through December 2018 with the following key dates:

  • Apollo 17 45th anniversary – 11-14 December 2017, beginning of event
  • NASA founded 60th anniversary (act signed by President Eisenhower) – 29 July 1958
  • ISS First Element Launch 20th anniversary – 20 November 1998
  • ISS Node 1 Launch 20th anniversary – 4 December 1998
  • 50th anniversary of Apollo 8 – launch 21 December 1968, splashdown 27 December, end of event

Note that there may be other special event operations by the various centers commemorating specific events, but those listed above will include participation from all the centers. All operating modes are fair game including satellites, repeaters, EME, ISS APRS, etc.

In addition, NASA stations hope to be on the air for casual contacts and contests as well. It is a good time to consider getting an amateur radio license.

Please check their web site for updates as the program is developed.

Amateur Radio, Amateur Radio Organizations, Amateur Radio Relay League, Contest

ARRL sponsors December CW Rookie Roundup

ARRL-Flag-waving-Large_54The American Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) is sponsoring a six-hour CW (Morse code) contest on December 20 for specifically aimed at those who have had a license less than three years. (So you were proud of yourself for getting your Amateur Extra only to learn you are a rookie for three years.)

ARRL sponsors Rookie contests three times a year in April, August and December. In these contests rookies can contact anyone, but old-timers can only contact rookies. Various contests are held by ARRL and other organizations throughout the year. These for rookies are particularly useful to learn how to use the frequencies for the new licence levels they attain. It is a great opportunity to test new equipment. Additionally they can obtain awards and certificates for all of these contests.

ARRL also sponsors specific events in addition to contesting where amateur operators can collect special cards, called QSL cards. QSL cards confirm a contact between specific stations or stations to events. ARRL, for example, is sponsoring a year-long event called National Parks on the Air where Ham operators can contact operators stationed at various national parks throughout the country.

For the upcoming CW rookie contest, the ARRL web site states:

Mission: To encourage newly-licensed operators (“Rookies”) in North America (including territories and possessions) to operate on the HF bands and experience competitive Amateur Radio operating. Experienced operators (“Non-Rookies”) are strongly encouraged to participate and help new operators – either on the air or in person.

Objective: Rookies exchange information with as many other stations as possible on the 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meter HF bands. Rookie entrants are encouraged to read “HF Contesting – Good Practices, Interpretations and Suggestions.” (Also available as PDF)

Electronic certificates will be emailed to the top five scoring Rookies in each US call area, Canadian province, Mexican call area and DX. No national winners will be recognized. A commemorative participation certificate will be available for download to every Rookie operator submitting a score.

For more information and to sign up , visit the ARRL web site .