Amateur Radio operators try to leave politics out of our normal discourse on the air. But sometimes the urge to dive into controversy seems irresistible. Here are a few examples where geopolitical disputes get expressed in the form of Amateur Radio awards. Japan and Russia have yet to sign a treaty ending World War II […]
Japan has one of the largest number of Amateur Radio operators in the world. The YB6_DXC Digital Modes club offers the WDM (Worked Digital Mode) Japan Award for working certain numbers of unique Japanese Amateur Radio stations using only digital modes. New England may enjoy privileged access to European stations. But here on the West […]
Call Area Awards are issued to Amateur Radio operators who make contacts with each of the active call areas of a given country. Many countries around the world issue callsigns with digits (0-9) that correspond to a specific geographic area. In most cases a call area award is easier to obtain than one which requires […]
With FT8 you can work towards, and receive, the Worked United States Stations Award with even the most basic Ham Radio HF station imaginable. To receive the starting certificate requires contacts with 100 different stations residing anywhere in the United States. The certificate for each level appears to be unique and features some scene from […]
On November 4, 2023, Penny and I visited the USS Potomac and sailed around San Francisco Bay in President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s yacht. Known as the floating White House, it is an historic landmark docked in Oakland, California. What makes this trip radio-related is the fact that the yacht had a radio room onboard. But […]
Indonesia is spread across innumerable islands in a sprawling swath of the Earth that abuts both the Pacific and Indian Oceans. An Amateur Radio operator who makes contacts with one station in each of the 10 call areas of the country can earn the Worked All Indonesia Call Area award. The European ROS Club issues […]
Here are some of the latest cards to arrive at my QTH. I worked Raul (EA5KA) during his visit to Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean where he operated as CE0Y/EA5KA. This QSL card confirms contacts on new bands on 30M and 17M, both using CW. I had confirmed the Ducie Island, also in the […]
The Valley of the Moon ARC (W6AJF) achieved its highest Field Day score in all of the years I have been involved with the club effort. Our 445 QSOs beat out 2019’s effort by just three contacts. But CW contacts and extra points pushed us over 2,500 for the first time. Preparing to erect the […]
The country of Chile hugs the Pacific Coast for about half of South America’s length. The country is divided into a total of 8 call areas (1-8). The numbering starts in the north and counts upward until reaching Cape Horn. The FT8 Digital Mode Club (FT8DMC) sponsors the Worked All Chile Call Area award for […]
Have you managed to work all call area districts in South Korea using the FT8 digital mode? If so, the FT8 Digital Mode Club (FT8DMC) has an award just for you. It’s called the Worked All Korea Award. To receive it, Amateur Radio operators must demonstrate having made at least one QSO with a South Korean Ham […]