{"id":44103,"date":"2020-07-01T08:33:10","date_gmt":"2020-07-01T12:33:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=44103"},"modified":"2020-07-01T08:33:10","modified_gmt":"2020-07-01T12:33:10","slug":"w9ims-a-delayed-start-for-the-indianapolis-motor-speedway-special-event-station","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/w9ims-a-delayed-start-for-the-indianapolis-motor-speedway-special-event-station\/","title":{"rendered":"W9IMS: A delayed start for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway special event station\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Brian D. Smith (W9IND), who shares the following announcement:<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

W9IMS: A delayed start for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway special event station<\/h2>\n

by Brian D. Smith, W9IND<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a late start for auto racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as well as the amateur radio station that honors this century-old tradition … but the show must go on!<\/p>\n

And this week it will, as special event station W9IMS returns to the airwaves from now through Sunday to offer radio hobbyists a fresh opportunity to collect more \u201cwallpaper\u201d: Two vivid racing-themed QSL cards and the popular certificate known as the Checkered Flag Award.<\/p>\n

The 2020 certificate will be easier than ever to earn. Normally the Speedway\u2019s three major races take place on three different weekends, but this year, because of Covid-19 concerns, they\u2019ll be consolidated into two. Accordingly, hams and SWLs will be required to contact or tune in W9IMS during only two race weeks \u2013 the current one, which continues through Sunday, July 5; and Aug. 17-23, which ends on the day of the venerable Indianapolis 500.<\/p>\n

Even if you succeed in snaring W9IMS only once, you can still send off for the corresponding QSL card. All certificate and QSL designs are new each year.<\/p>\n

The coming Independence Day weekend will feature an unprecedented racing doubleheader, with the IndyCar Grand Prix and the NASCAR Brickyard 400 slated for Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Consequently, the first W9IMS QSL of 2020 will be a full-color, four-sided card portraying images from both races.<\/p>\n

So where do you find W9IMS? The station will stick to three bands, 20, 40 and 80 meters, and may appear at any time of day or night from now through Sunday.<\/p>\n

However, the best bet is to catch the station during prime time \u2013 2200 through 0200 UTC on weeknights (6 to 10 p.m. Indy time). W9IMS operators also plan to activate 20 meters during daytime hours, often between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. (1200-1800 UTC); and will cover the various bands all weekend starting at 10 a.m. (1400 UTC) daily.<\/p>\n

If you still haven\u2019t caught W9IMS by the time Sunday evening arrives in Indianapolis, operators commonly conduct their own happy hour \u2013 working stations in rapid contesting style \u2013 right up to midnight (0400 UTC Monday).<\/p>\n

Here are a couple of hints for tracking down the station during special event weeks:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Go to the W9IMS web page (www.w9ims.org<\/a>), find the \u201c2020 Operating Schedule\u201d heading, and click on the link to \u201cGrand Prix & Brickyard\u201d or \u201cIndianapolis 500.\u201d Although some W9IMS operators get on the air at unscheduled times, you\u2019ll have your best luck looking for the station during the hours and bands reserved with a name and a callsign.<\/li>\n
  2. Check DX Summit (www.dxsummit.fi<\/a>) for spots that identify the current frequency (or frequencies) of W9IMS, if any. And if you type \u201cW9IMS\u201d in the search box, you can customize it to show reports for only that station.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    For additional details, consult the W9IMS web page. Feel free to submit both of your 2020 QSL card and certificate requests in the same envelope, and if you don\u2019t have your own QSL card, a printout of your W9IMS contacts or reception reports will suffice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Brian D. Smith (W9IND), who shares the following announcement: W9IMS: A delayed start for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway special event station by Brian D. Smith, W9IND It\u2019s a late start for auto racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as well as the amateur radio station that honors this century-old […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3194,545,3,894,43],"tags":[3963,4102,248,34,6168],"class_list":["post-44103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-guest-posts","category-ham-radio","category-news","category-qsl-gallery","category-shortwave-radio","tag-brian-smith","tag-ham-radio","tag-qsl","tag-shortwave","tag-w9ims"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-btl","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":37020,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/04\/w9ims-new-season-of-indianapolis-motor-speedway-themed-special-events\/","url_meta":{"origin":44103,"position":0},"title":"W9IMS: New season of Indianapolis Motor Speedway-themed special events","author":"Thomas","date":"April 26, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Brian D. Smith (W9IND) who shares the following W9IMS press release: Amateur radio station W9IMS prepares to unveil a new season of Indianapolis Motor Speedway-themed special events, with three QSL cards and a certificate available to hams and SWLs. DATE: April 24, 2019 Three\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/W9IMS-QSL-Card-2018-1024x649.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/W9IMS-QSL-Card-2018-1024x649.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/W9IMS-QSL-Card-2018-1024x649.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":33939,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/09\/today-w9ims-last-special-event-station-of-2018\/","url_meta":{"origin":44103,"position":1},"title":"Today: W9IMS last special event station of 2018","author":"Thomas","date":"September 3, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to\u00a0SWLing Post contributor, Brian D. Smith (W9IND), who shares the following information about SWL-friendly awards offered by his amateur radio club to commemorate the three major auto races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Brian writes: W9IMS: Last special event station of 2018 Amateur radio station W9IMS will conclude\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Current Events"","block_context":{"text":"Current Events","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/current-events\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/W9IMS-QSL.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/W9IMS-QSL.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/W9IMS-QSL.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":32007,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/05\/today-w9ims-special-event-honoring-races-at-the-indianapolis-motor-speedway\/","url_meta":{"origin":44103,"position":2},"title":"Today: W9IMS special event honoring races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway","author":"Thomas","date":"May 12, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to\u00a0SWLing Post contributor Brian D. Smith (W9IND), who shares this information about SWL-friendly awards offered by his amateur radio club to commemorate the three major auto races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway: Indianapolis Motor Speedway special event stations: Act now for your shot at a 2018 certificate! Attention,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2012_Composite.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2012_Composite.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2012_Composite.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":49022,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/05\/indy-500-week-marks-the-second-w9ims-special-event-of-2021\/","url_meta":{"origin":44103,"position":3},"title":"Indy 500 Week Marks the Second W9IMS Special Event of 2021","author":"Thomas","date":"May 24, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Indy 500 Week Marks the Second W9IMS Special Event of 2021 By Brian D. Smith, W9IND If you\u2019re looking to add a 2021 Indy 500 QSL card to your collection, and perhaps a certificate as well, your odds of success just accelerated. From now through the end of Sunday, May\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/w9ims-qsl-2020-e1621895386130.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/w9ims-qsl-2020-e1621895386130.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/w9ims-qsl-2020-e1621895386130.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/w9ims-qsl-2020-e1621895386130.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":48865,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/05\/2021-w9ims-special-event-station-details\/","url_meta":{"origin":44103,"position":4},"title":"2021 W9IMS Special Event Station Details!","author":"Thomas","date":"May 10, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Now Underway: A More Typical W9IMS Special Event By Brian D. 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For hams and SWLs alike, that means a renewed opportunity to earn three\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/w9ims-qsl-card-e1620686981762.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/w9ims-qsl-card-e1620686981762.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/w9ims-qsl-card-e1620686981762.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/w9ims-qsl-card-e1620686981762.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":49961,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/last-chance-to-grab-a-2021-w9ims-special-event-qsl-card\/","url_meta":{"origin":44103,"position":5},"title":"Last chance to grab a 2021 W9IMS Special Event QSL card!","author":"Thomas","date":"August 12, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Brian D. 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