I helped out the Valley of the Moon Amateur Radio Club‘s Field Day effort in 2026. Once again we mounted a 3A entry here in the San Francisco section. Two transmitters were connected to triband beams and the third utilized either a dipole or an R7 vertical. Despite not burning the midnight oil while operating […]
I just discovered recently that I had 75 cards at the W5 incoming QSL bureau and no envelopes on file! I’ve sent a payment in for more envelopes and anxiously await what they will bring in the future. For now, here are a few cards that have trickled in over the last couple of months. […]
I made the short drive to Sonoma State Historic Park on June 22nd, 2026 to activate the park as part of the Parks on the Air program (POTA). In the end I logged 39 contacts on 20M, 17M and 15M using FT8 and FT4. I worked stations in the US, Canada, Japan and China. At […]
There are many awards you can chase that base achievements on the number of grids worked. Maidenhead grid squares were introduced in 1980 to replace the QRA locator system used for VHF activity in Europe. The new grid scheme could be applied worldwide and its popularity exploded. Though originally intended for VHF/UHF operations, its use […]
The VHF/UHF Century Club (VUCC) is the world’s premier VHF/UHF operating award. The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) offers the award for all bands above 50 MHz (with a couple of exceptions noted below). The requirements for VUCC vary widely depending upon the band in question. The lower VHF bands requires contacts with stations in […]
Indonesia has a growing Amateur Radio population. The European Ros Club has an award to incentivize making contacts with Indonesian stations across the archipelago. Their Indonesia Grid Locators Award requires Amateur Radio operators to work Indonesian stations in at least 5 different Maidenhead Gridsquares. Additional certificates can be had by working more grids within Indonesia. A grand total […]
A recent QSL Bureau shipment included a good number of interesting QSL cards. I worked A61ZX in the United Arab Emirates on 17M using FT8. It’s just my second card from the UAE. Although I’d worked Christmas Island once before, I was happy to get this card for a VK9XU QSO. Contact was made on […]
Founded in 1945, Arabic speaking countries formed the Arab League to draw its members closer and foster cooperation. Today there are 22 member states. The FT8 Digital Mode Club (FT8DMC) sponsors the Arab League Award (ALA) for working Amateur Radio stations residing within those countries. But there’s another FT8DMC award requiring contacts with Arab League nations solely in Africa. That would […]
Of all of the Continents defined for Amateur Radio purposes, Oceania may cover the greatest expanse on the planet. The FT8 Digital Mode Club (FT8DMC) offers up the Worked All Oceania Award to track progress in contacting Ham Radio stations in the many countries that dat its extent. The entry level Bronze award requires contact […]
To celebrate the widespread exploration of British naval officer James Cook, the FT8 Digital Mode Club (FT8DMC) offers the Captain James Cook Award. To obtain the award, applicants need to make contact with stations in the places Cook visited. This award is a synonym for the Captain James Cook Award from NZART. The award is […]