Armed Forces Day Crossband Military/Amateur Radio Communications Test

/

The US Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard will sponsor the traditional military/amateur radio communication tests on Saturday 13 May 2017 to mark the 66th annual Armed Forces Day (AFD). Armed Forces Day is May 20, but the AFD Crossband Military-Amateur Radio event will take place a week earlier in order to avoid schedule conflicts with those attending Hamvention.

The annual celebration is a unique opportunity to test two-way communication between radio amateurs and military stations (authorised under Part 97.111 of the Amateur Service rules). It features traditional military-to-amateur crossband SSB voice, CW, practice using legacy interoperability waveforms, and the opportunity for participating hams to utilise more modern military modes, such as MIL-STD Serial PSK and Automatic Link Establishment (ALE). Military stations and Amateur Radio stations are authorised to communicate directly on certain 60-meter interoperability channels - 5,330.5, 5346.5, and 5,371.5 kHz.

These tests give Amateur Radio operators and shortwave listeners a chance and a challenge to demonstrate individual technical skills and to receive recognition from the appropriate military radio station. QSL cards will be available for stations successfully contacting participating military stations.

The Armed Forces Day message will be transmitted via Military Standard radio teletype modes (MIL-STD 188-110A/B). 

Software is available to demodulate the military serial PSK waveform, and detailed instructions can be downloaded - http://www.n2ckh.com/MARS_ALE_FORUM/MSDMT.html

Utilising this mode with sound card equipment can be challenging; review the instructions carefully.

A short practice transmission will be sent at 1930 and 2330 on 6, 7, 10 May 2017 and 12 May on 13.506.5 MHz USB and 17.443.0 MHz USB.

Military FSK is Baudot at 850 Hz, 75 baud, low mark, and 2000 Hz centre. Most RTTY programs can be set to decode this mode. To achieve low mark while receiving in USB, select reverse shift.

QSL cards are available for individuals that receive the Armed Forces Day test message. To receive a card, copy the printed text of the test message as received from the military station, and include it in your report. No attempt should be made to correct possible errors.

Stations copying Armed Forces Day messages transmitted from US Army and US Navy stations and requesting a QSL card, can complete the QSL report form online - http://www.usarmymars.org/

Stations copying the Armed Forces Day message transmitted from US Air Force stations and seeking a QSL card should send a request to Armed Forces Day Celebration, Chief, Air Force MARS, 203 W. Losey St, Scott AFB, IL 62225.

Include a transcript of the received text, time observed, frequency observed, military station call sign, your full name and Amateur Radio call sign (if applicable), full mailing address (including ZIP code).

Stations with Automatic Link Establishment (ALE) capability can contact a military station on specific half duplex cross band channels established for this purpose. ALE is a selective calling and linking method utilised by the government, military, and amateur radio communications.

Military stations will scan and receive certain amateur HFLINK ALE frequencies and transmit on the corresponding military ALE frequency. Military stations will also transmit ALE station identification (soundings) on each military frequency at 30- to 90-minute intervals.

Amateur stations may scan military frequencies and monitor the soundings to build the LQA database or select the channel manually. Amateur stations will call military stations using ALE selective calling on one of the paired cross band channels.

Complete information, including military stations, modes, and frequencies, is available on the US Army MARS website - http://www.usarmymars.org/home/announcements

EI6YXQ for International Marconi Day

/

The Kerry Amateur Radio Group based in Co. Kerry Ireland will participate as an Award Station in this year's International Marconi Day event on Saturday 22nd April 2017.

The station will be set up at Colaiste Brhreanainn on the site of the former Marconi Station at Ballybunnion, Co. Kerry, Ireland by the Expeditionary Radio Team of the radio club.

Operation by club members for the full duration of the event from 0000 UTC to 2359 UTC on 22nd April is planned. Two HF SSB stations are planned for this year on the site as well as a HF data station.

The special event callsign EI6YXQ will be used to commemorate the original callsign of YXQ used by the Marconi Station in Ballybunnion which made world history by achieving the first transatlantic voice radio transmission in March 1919 to the Marconi Station located at Louisberg, Cape Breton in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland in the East to West direction. The number 6 is used in the callsign as a tribute to the late John O’Carroll EI6AH who organised the event for many years over two decades ago welcoming many amateur radio operators through the doors and always making sure that everyone had a cup of tea and plenty to eat. The welcome extended by John and his family was legendary, embodying the spirit of amateur radio and friendship.

A QRZ.com page for EI6YXQ has been set up in addition to having a special QSL card printed for the event. The QSL card can be seen on the QRZ.com page. We intend to upload the log of contacts to the page also and access permitting we will endeavour to post updates from the station over the course of the event.

The Kerry Amateur Radio Group are looking forward to working as many stations as possible as well as having an enjoyable weekend at the station on this historic site.

Kerry Amateur Radio Group - http://kerryamateurradiogroup.com

International Marconi Day - 22nd April 2017

/

Dozens of official 'award stations' have registered to take part in the 2017 International Marconi Day (IMD) event, this year being held on 22 April 2017 0000-2359 UTC (starting on 21 April 2017 in US time zones).

All contacts counting toward the Marconi Award must be made on HF with registered stations, but other participating stations do not need to be registered to claim awards. This year marks the 30th International Marconi Day, held each year to mark the anniversary of wireless pioneer Guglielmo Marconi's birth on 25th April 1874. International Marconi Day is observed each year on a Saturday close to Marconi's birthday. Many special event stations - some operating from Marconi-related sites - will be on the air.

Marconi Award certificates are available for both transmitting stations and shortwave listeners (SWLs).

The event is not a contest but an opportunity for amateurs around the world to make point-to-point contact with historic Marconi sites using HF communication techniques descended from those used by Marconi, and to earn an award certificate for working or hearing a requisite number of Marconi stations.

There are two categories. Transmitting amateurs attempt to complete contacts with 15 of the official award stations, while shortwave listeners attempt to log two-way communications made by 15 of the official award stations.

International Marconi Day special event station GB4IMD will be on the air from Cornwall, helmed by members of the Cornish Amateur Radio Club, which organizes the IMD event. Cornwall was home to some of Marconi's early work. 

Cornish Amateur Radio Club's Website - http://gx4crc.com/imd-stations/.

The Kerry Amateur Radio Group in Ireland will be taking part as an IMD award station. EI6YXQ will be set up on the site of the former Marconi Station at Ballybunion. The YXQ suffix commemorates the call sign of the Marconi Station at Ballybunion.

In the US, special event station K2M will be on the air from Binghamton, New York, the site of the remaining Marconi tower, where the inventor demonstrated in 1913 that it was possible to communicate via radio with a fast-moving train.

For the seventh year, radio amateurs in Norfolk, England, will be active from Caister Lifeboat as part of the IMD celebration. The Norfolk Amateur Radio Club (NARC) will be on the air from special event station GB0CMS at the Caister Lifeboat Visitor Centre to commemorate the village's original Marconi wireless station, established in 1900. The station's original purpose was to communicate with ships in the North Sea and the Cross Sands lightship.

Other IMD sites with historical links to the inventor's work include Cape Cod, Massachusetts (WA1WCC and KM1CC); Nantucket Island (W1AA/MSC); Glace Bay, Nova Scotia (VE1IMD); Villa Griffone, Bologna, Italy (IY4FGM), and many others.