Green Keys Night

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The Greenkeys online group is happy to announce the first-ever 'Green Keys Night' (GKN), to be held concurrent with 'Straight Key Night' on 1st January 2019, from 0000 to 2359 UTC.

As with SKN, GKN is an event and not a contest.

"Greenkeys" is not a reference to eco-friendly operating - though members certainly are keen on equipment recycling - but rather is a group dedicated to the restoration and use of vintage mechanical teleprinters and related equipment. The term "greenkeys" itself refers to the colour of the keys on Teletype machines.

Participants are encouraged to get on the air and simply make enjoyable conversational RTTY QSOs. Operate on all authorized Amateur frequencies.

Please follow established band plans and be mindful of SKN QSOs. RTTY modes only. Call "CQ GKN".

The use of mechanical teleprinters is preferred or simply get on the air with the oldest equipment you can scrape together. Real heavy metal Teletypes to be sure, but if that isn't available: analogue hardware modems, VT100 terminals, pre-Windows computers, etc. And vacuum tubes. And maybe fire up that boat anchor rig that never gets enough air time.

Please no brag tapes/files. Please, no pre-recorded messages. Have a real conversation by hand typing it keyboard to keyboard. If you are slow we'll happily wait. (A CQ macro is okay but you would have better bragging rights if you hand typed that too.) But even if you don't have any old equipment, do get on the air and have some fun QSOs the old fashioned way!

There are no points scored, but if you'd like to share with us your favourite or most interesting QSO (worked or heard), your log, and what equipment you operated with (including photos), please do.

Please note that there is a RTTY contest concurrent with GKN, the SARTG New Year RTTY Contest. The contest runs from 0800 to 1100 UTC. As long as you have your RTTY working why not join in the contest and then return to more GKN fun!

More Information - http://www.sartg.com/contest/nyrules.htm

The Greenkeys online group is an email list devoted to the discussion of older radioteletype (RTTY) gear including mechanical teleprinters (Teletype, Kleinschmidt, etc.), terminal units, paper tape, gears, cams, oil, and anything else related to TTY/RTTY. To join the group, visit http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/greenkeys.

Inaugural Green Keys Night Set for 1 January 2019

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“Green Keys Night” — an event aimed at promoting the restoration and use of vintage mechanical teleprinters — will take place on 1st January 2019 (UTC), concurrent with Straight Key Night (SKN). As with SKN, GKN is an operating event and not a contest. “Green keys” refers to the color of the keys on Teletype Corporation machines. Participants are encouraged to get on the air and enjoy making casual contacts on RTTY. Call “CQ GKN.”

“The use of mechanical teleprinters is preferred, or simply get on the air with the oldest equipment you can scrape together. Real heavy-metal teletypes to be sure, but if that isn’t available, analog hardware modems, VT100 terminals, pre-Windows computers, etc. And vacuum tubes. And maybe fire up that boatanchor rig that never gets enough air time.”
— Jeff Stai, WK6I

Sponsors request no pre-recorded messages or “brag tapes,” just “a real conversation by hand typing it keyboard to keyboard. Even those who do not own or have access to any old RTTY gear are invited to get on the air too, doing RTTY “the old-fashioned way,” keyboard to keyboard.

Stai asks participants to let him know if they were active in the event and to share a favorite or most interesting QSO (worked or heard), a log, and equipment operated (including photos).

The SARTG New Year RTTY Contest runs from 0800 to 1100 UTC on 1st January 2019. Stai suggested operating in that event as well.

The Greenkeys online group is an email list devoted to the discussion of older RTTY gear, including mechanical teleprinters, terminal units, paper tape, gears, cams, oil, and anything else related to TTY/RTTY.

Young Amateur Radio Club Contest

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The Young Amateurs Radio Club will be holding its’ second ever contest, and first annual Winter QSO Party, sponsored by Hamstudy.org! on 1st December 2018

The goal of this amateur radio contest is to get the youth involved; to incentivize everyone to get on the air, there are loads of prizes! In order to be eligible for prizes, however, your station must have a median age at or below 30. If you’re over that age, we encourage you to find local young hams and get them involved in your station!

All prizes for the under-30 categories are general purpose gift cards, courtesy of our fantastic event sponsor, HamStudy.org:

  • First Place, Single-Operator QRP: $25

  • First Place Single-Operator Low: $25

  • First Place Single-Operator High: $25

  • First Place Multi-Single Low: $75

  • First Place Multi-Single High: $75

  • First Place Multi-Multi Low: $75

  • First Place Multi-Multi High: $75

  • First Place School Club: $75

  • Second Place School Club: $75

  • First Place New Contester: $75

  • Second Place, New Contester: $25

The top three scoring entries in each category (under- and over-30) and all stations who work all WY4RC stations on the air during the contest will receive a certificate of achievement.

If you are over the prize eligible age, we strongly encourage you to still participate in the contest and treat it as you’d treat any other. All of these young operators will need people to QSO with!

Young Amateur Radio Club - http://www.YARC.world