USS Potomac

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 […]

Worked All Indonesia Call Area Award

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 […]

October 2023 QSL Card Inbox

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 […]

Field Day 2023

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 […]

Worked All Chile Call Area Award

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 […]

Worked All Korea Award

Worked All Korea Award

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 […]

August 2023 QSL Card Inbox

Here are some of the latest QSL Cards that have graced my P.O. Box. My only St. Vincent QSL card up to the present time was from a 10M SSB QSO in 2003. Adding some new bands and modes, I worked the J8NY DXpedition using both CW and FT8 on the 80M, 20M and 17M […]

Worked All Italian Call Area

The FT8 Digital Mode Club (FT8DMC) rewards Radio Amateurs who make contacts with Amateur Radio stations in each of the 10 call areas of Italy with the Worked All Italian Call Area award. All QSOs must be made using the FT8 digital mode. The certificate sports a nighttime view of Italy from space showing the […]

CQ WPX Award

WPX Mixed Award

CQ Magazine sponsors a number of Amateur Radio operating awards. None are as expansive as their WPX Award. The WPX here indicates Worked PrefiXes. Prefixes are parts of an Amateur Radio callsign that includes the ITU country designator and a call area number. For my callsign of KA5WSS the prefix is “KA5”. I say “Worked […]

Diplomas Distritos EA

The European Ros Club (ERC) issues the Diplomas Distritos EA Award to Radio Amateurs who make digital contact with one other Ham operator in each of the 9 call areas of Spain. Call area EA0 is either not used or only issued for special occasions. When thinking of the country of Spain from an Amateur […]