International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend

/
International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend

August seems to have become the international weekend for lighthouses. Countries all over the world have become involved in one for or another of lighthouse activity. Some years ago the United States Congress declared 7th August as their National Lighthouse Day and during that first week in August amateur radio operators in America set up portable stations at lighthouses and endeavour to make contact with each other. This event is known as the US National Lighthouse Week.

In Britain the Association of Lighthouse Keepers, ALK, conducts International Lighthouse Heritage Weekend on the same weekend as the ILLW in August. Their objective is to encourage Lighthouse managers, keepers and owners to open their lighthouse or lightstation and related visitors centres to the public with a view to raising the profile of lighthouses, lightvessels and other navigational aids, and preserving our maritime heritage.

Read More

2025 ARRL Field Day this Weekend

/

2025 ARRL Field Day is 28-29th 2025. It North America’s amateur radio’s biggest yearly event. The sun has been very active at the peak of Solar Cycle 25. ARRL is hopeful that it will mean 2025 becomes a legendary Field Day. Get out to an activation and enjoy a good time with your fellow hams.

Use the Field Day Site Locator, featuring more than 1200 sites, if you don’t already have a site you plan to attend. Don’t forget to take the 2025 Field Day guide with you to your Field Day site.

For clubs that are activating a location, here are tips to make the most of your 2025 ARRL Field Day - https://www.arrl.org/news/view/2025-arrl-field-day-is-next-weekend

Iranian Special Event Station Honours Persian Gulf History

/
Iranian Special Event Station Honours Persian Gulf History

Proof positive that amateur radio can - and should - be above politics. Always. Proof positive that amateur radio should be about friendship, education and building bridges.  It was a proud moment for 11 ham radio operators in Iran who got on the air on 7th June 2025, calling CQ on SSB as special event station EP2PG. Using modest, home-based equipment with 100 watts of power or less, the operators faced less-than-ideal conditions on the HF bands during their 16-hour operation in this politically charged part of the world.

Still, it was a proud moment as the hams of Echo Papa two Persian Gulf celebrated the historical and cultural significance of the Persian Gulf itself and shared it with the world. One of the operators, Morteza EP5APP, told Newsline that the team's focus was on making as many DX contacts as possible in the interest of friendship and unity and, of course, to share the story of the Gulf, which is one of the world's oldest maritime regions.

Read More