Tag Archives: Special Event

Taking the checkered flag at Indy by racing and radio

By Brian D. Smith, W9IND

It’s Brickyard 400 week in Indianapolis, and the checkered flag awaits – not only for NASCAR drivers, but also for radio enthusiasts who’ve contacted all three of the 2025 special events staged by amateur radio station W9IMS. From now through the end of Sunday (Race Day), hams and SWLs who’ve already bagged the station during the two previous races at Indy can claim their Checkered Flag Award by working or tuning in W9IMS a third time.

The special events’ organizer, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Amateur Radio Club, also offers new and unique QSL cards for each race, providing collectible consolation prizes for those who don’t complete the clean sweep (and welcome extras for those who do).

The month of May witnessed the first two steps toward the colorful certificate with a full week of special event operation devoted to each major race at the Speedway – the IndyCar Grand Prix and the venerable Indianapolis 500. Then came a two-month wait for the third race, the Brickyard 400, which will go green on Sunday, July 27. This week’s special event will continue through the end of Race Day, with midnight in Indy (0400 UTC Monday) marking the end of on-air activity for W9IMS until May 2026.

W9IMS operates almost exclusively on 20 and 40 meters (and occasionally 2 meters on Race Day morning for fans in the stands and locals). Preferred frequencies are 14.245 and 7.245 SSB, plus or minus QRM, and 146.52 simplex FM.

A few tips on locating W9IMS:

  1. Check DX Summit (www.dxsummit.fi) for spots listing the current frequency or frequencies of W9IMS. You can customize your search by typing “W9IMS” in the box at upper right.
  1. Go to the W9IMS web page (www.w9ims.org) and look for the heading, “2025 Operating Schedule.” Click on the “NASCAR 400 at the Brickyard” link, which opens into a weeklong schedule of individual operators and their reserved time slots. Although operators frequently get on the air at unscheduled times, your odds of catching the station improve significantly during hours with a listed op.
  1. Prime time for weeknight operations is 6 to 10 p.m. in Indy (2200-0200 UTC). That’s also your most likely shot at finding W9IMS active on two bands. However, operators may continue till 11 p.m. or later if band conditions allow. It can also be fruitful to check DX Summit during mornings and early afternoons.
  2. Remember that the published schedule can be shortened by adverse circumstances, such as local thunderstorms, a lack of calling stations, and solar anomalies. Don’t wait till the final hour to look for W9IMS.
  3. But if you still haven’t worked W9IMS by the final weekend, don’t give up too soon. Toward the end of the special event, W9IMS ops often call for “only stations that haven’t worked us this week” and/or switch to contest-style operations, exchanging just signal reports to put more calls in the log.
  4. Keep in mind that both hams and SWLs are eligible for QSL cards and the certificate. So if your ham station isn’t able to work W9IMS by Sunday night, you can combine your two previous QSOs with an SWL report to fulfill the requirement for three credits. Just copy down the basic details – such as date, frequency, UTC, and the callsigns of several stations you heard W9IMS working. SWL reports count as credits too, although the certificate will likely feature your name instead of your call.
  5.  Still have questions? Email w9ims@w9ims.org for answers.

24 heures du Mans: TM24H callsign and special event QSL!

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Jamet, who shares the following announcement:

TM24H callsign is active on the occasion of The 24 heures du Mans

On the occasion of The 24 Heures du Mans Automobile, Radioamateurs from the Radio
Club de la Sarthe – F6KFI – will activate the call sign TM24H from June 02 to 16, 2024 inclusive.

Traffic will be on all bands (SSB, CW, RTTY, PSK, FT8, QO100) and VHF.

A special QSL card will confirm each contact.

QSL manager: F6KFI via office, as well as the possibility of a diploma.

See rules: http://aras72.r-e-f.org/

Send your comments to: tm24H@f6kfi.fr

See also: https://www.qrz.com/db/TM24H

Official website of The 24 Heures du Mans: https://www.24h-lemans.com/en

Mark Your Calendar: PI4VBD Special 150th Anniversary Station, February 14 & 15, 2024

Many thanks to Ton & Klaas-Jan who share the following announcement:

On 14 & 15 February we (the royal netherlands army signal regiment) will celebrate our 150th anniversary.

We will be on air for 36 hours with a all kind of historical and in-service radio’s on all bands in SSB and CW with cadets, servicemen, amateurs, veterans etc.

Would you share our special station among the amateur-radio world?

Thanks in advance!

73

Ton & Klaas-Jan
PI4VBD
Royal Netherlands Army signal regiment radio club

100th Anniversary of Transatlantic Tests: Special event station using a 1921 replica transmitter

1BCG Transmitter in 1921 (Source: 1BCG.org)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark (AE2EA), who shares the following announcement:

2021 marks the 100th year anniversary of the historic Transatlantic Tests, where radio amateurs using the call sign 1BCG were responsible for the first successful radio communication across the Atlantic Ocean on “short waves.”

On December 11, 2021 the Antique Wireless Association will recreate these historic transmissions on 160 meters from the Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut, using a replica transmitter constructed by volunteers at the Antique Wireless Association. This special event is your opportunity to relive a historic moment in amateur radio history.

More information can be found here http://1BCG.org

Here’s a summary:

The 1BCG replica transmitter will be operating as W2AN/1BCG on 1.820 MHz, plus or minus, using CW, from The Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut. Transmissions from W2AN/1BCG will be one-way, just like the original transatlantic tests in 1921. You can get a SWL certificate for this Special Event by sending a copy of the transmitted message to 1BCG@antiquewireless.org

Schedule: Transmissions start on December 11, 2021, on 1.820 MHz, +/-, at 1800 EST or 2300 UTC, then every 15 minutes thereafter for a total of five hours thusly; 1815, 1830, 1845, 1900, 1915, 1930, 1945, 2000, 2015, 2030, 2045, 2100, 2115, 2130, 2145, 2200, 2215, 2230 and the last transmission at 2245 EST.

Mark ~ AE2EA
Antique Wireless Association

I will definitely be listening! Thank you so much for sharing this, Mark!

13 Colonies Special Event this week for hams and SWLs

Although I’ve been rather busy the past few days, I have managed to fit in a little radio time.

On Wednesday, I spent part of the day doing the RAC (Radio Amateurs of Canada) Contest to celebrate Canada Day. My simple goal in mind was to work as many provinces as I could. Although I only made a total of 25 contacts, I managed to work the ten provinces along the Canada/US border (including Newfoundland and PEI).

During the RAC event I heard pileups for the 13 Colonies Event which is held each year in conjunction with the 4th of July weekend. I like this event because it’s accessible yet challenging.

Yesterday morning, I decided to start collecting colonies. By the end of the day, I made a “Clean Sweep” of all of the colonies and even worked one of the “bonus” stations (WM3PEN). Over the next couple of days, I’l try to snag the other bonus station, GB13COL.

As you can see by my log sheet, I had to employ three different modes to snag all of these in short order:

I’m not a contester by any stretch of the imagination, but I was able to snag these stations within 12 hours without sitting in front of the radio the whole day.  I simply checked the DX Cluster from time-to-time and pounced when the path was favorable. (All of my CW contacts were QRP, too.)

An SWL-friendly event!

What’s so great about the 13 Colonies Event is that they strongly encourage SWLs to participate! From the 13 Colonies website:

ATTENTION SWLs: All Short Wave listeners (SWL). You will also qualify for the certificate. Follow the instructions on the Certificates page when you submit your log. A special SWL logo will be affixed to the certificate for you. One or all 13 stations logged qualifies you. Just log ALL of the 13 Colony states and you can get a complete set of custom special event QSL cards also! All 13 are different. QSL requests to be made to each individual Colony State Station with an SASE. Consider becoming a HAM too! 🙂

Look at all the fun we are having! (NASWA members-watch for us in your monthly journal publication).

All you need to participate is a radio with a BFO or SSB mode. Even a portable radio can easily handle this as most event stations are easy to hear throughout North America.

If you live outside North America or you don’t have a radio with SSB capabilities, consider participating via a KiwiSDR site. There’s certainly nothing wrong with this as I heard a number of remote ham radio operators working stations yesterday.  If you choose to use the WebSDR/KiwiSDR route, I would personally stick with one geographic location for the entire event and declare the receiver location/url on your log sheet.

The event takes place July 1, 2020-1300 UTC to July 8, 2020-0400 UTC, so you still have plenty of time!.

Click here to read more at the 13 Colonies Event website and request a certificate.

Please comment if you plan to take part in the event or have in the past!

VI3RA: Last RF emanations from RA Shepparton before demolition (March 14-15, 2020)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Nigel Holmes, who writes:

Those of you who hold amateur (VK) licenses – form an orderly queue to book a spot.

Those of you who listen – make space on your shack wall for the last QSL card from Shepparton IHFTS.

A special callsign has been issued by ACMA for the event: VI3RA (Victor India…)

Amongst other experimental transmissions, will be an attempt will to reflect radio signals from the Moon using the high gain HF aerials at Shepparton. Frequencies in the 18 & 21 MHz amateur bands would be employed. This would emulate the ground-breaking work done by CSIR Radiophysics Laboratory in the 1940s from the Shepparton station which initiated Australia’s entry into radio astronomy.

Click here for more information about VI3RA at QRZ.com and SADARC.org.

Note that the event with take place March 14-15, 2020 (GMT +11:00).

Thank you for the tip, Nigel!  I’ll certainly attempt to put Shepparton in the logs! If I lived in anywhere near Shepparton, I’d make the pilgrimage to be in that long line of people hoping to light up one of those massive antennas!

I hope if any SWLing Post readers attend the event or operate as VI3RA, they’ll perhaps snap a few photos to share here with the community!

Special event stations celebrating anniversaries of famous European pirate stations

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Harald Kuhl (DL1AX), who writes:

At the beginning of August there will be two special event amateur radio stations active on shortwave, celebrating anniversaries of famous European pirate stations Radio North Sea International and Radio Caroline:

Radio Northsea International PA45RNI

from 01-08-2019 to 31-08-2019

http://www.radio-northsea.org

email: pa45rni@radio-northsea.org

[source: https://www.qrz.com/db/pa45rni]

and

GB55RC will be active from the Ross Revenge:

Celebrating fifty five years of Radio Caroline

Thursday 1st – Monday 5th August 2019

2019 is the fifty fifth anniversary of Radio Caroline and the Martello Tower Group are pleased to be able to activate the world famous MV Ross Revenge again in August. This year we have been granted the ‘special’ special callsign of GB55RC. […]

[source: https://www.qrz.com/db/gb55rc]

Special QSLs will be available.

[The QSLs above are] from previous GB5RC activities.

Thank you for the tip, Harald! I’d love to grab one of those QSLs!