{"id":57413,"date":"2023-08-06T06:04:18","date_gmt":"2023-08-06T10:04:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=57413"},"modified":"2023-08-06T06:04:18","modified_gmt":"2023-08-06T10:04:18","slug":"how-to-earn-the-w9ims-2023-checkered-flag-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2023\/08\/how-to-earn-the-w9ims-2023-checkered-flag-award\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Earn the W9IMS 2023 Checkered Flag Award"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Once, Twice, Three Times a QSO: How to Earn the W9IMS 2023 Checkered Flag Award<\/b><\/h1>\n

By Brian D. Smith<\/b><\/p>\n

Two out of three ain\u2019t bad, proclaims the late \u201970s classic rock song. But three out of three gets you the Checkered Flag Award from W9IMS.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s another way of reminding you that the third Indianapolis Motor Speedway special event of 2023, honoring NASCAR\u2019s Verizon 200 at the Brickyard, will take to the amateur radio airwaves starting at midnight Indy time (0400 UTC) on Monday, August 7, and ending at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 13 (0359 Monday, August 14 UTC).<\/p>\n

Those who chalked up contacts or receptions during both of the first two special events in May \u2013 commemorating the IndyCar Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 \u2013 now have the opportunity to complete the clean sweep and qualify for the colorful Checkered Flag certificate.<\/p>\n

But even if you\u2019re just getting up to speed on the Speedway special event, or have caught only one of the two special events so far, you\u2019re still in the running \u2013 not for a Checkered Flag Award (that\u2019ll have to wait till 2024), but for one or more of the three collectible QSL cards that commemorate the individual races.<\/p>\n

How to find W9IMS? The station operates primarily on 20 and 40 meters, but sometimes adds 80 meters later in the week (and occasionally 2 meters on Race Day for locals and fans in the stands at the Speedway). Preferred frequencies are 14.245 and 7.245 SSB, plus or minus QRM.<\/p>\n

And the following suggestion will enhance your chances of putting W9IMS in your log:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Check DX Summit (www.dxsummit.fi<\/b><\/a>) for spots listing the current frequency or frequencies of W9IMS, if any. By typing \u201cW9IMS\u201d in the search box at upper right, you can customize it to show reports for only Indianapolis Motor Speedway special events. Naturally, you\u2019ll be interested in only the ones from August 2023.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
    1. Follow this link to the W9IMS web page (www.w9ims.org<\/b><\/a>) and look for the heading, \u201c2023 Operating Schedule.\u201d Click on the NASCAR 200 link, which opens into a weeklong schedule listing individual operators and their reserved timeslots. Your odds of catching W9IMS on the air improve significantly during these hours.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
        \n
      1. Prime operating time on weeknights is 6 to 10 p.m. Indy time (2200-0200 UTC). However, W9IMS can appear anytime, even on two bands at once, between 0400 Monday, August 7, and 0359 Sunday, August 13.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
          \n
        1. Operators often get on the air at unscheduled times. That\u2019s why DX Summit is your best bet for locating W9IMS\u2019s current frequency (or frequencies).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
            \n
          1. If you plan on applying for the 2023 Checkered Flag Award, remember that the three required W9IMS special event QSOs (or reception reports) must come from all of the year\u2019s three races \u2013 the Grand Prix, the 500 and the Brickyard. Making three contacts during the coming week still earns you the colorful Brickyard QSL card, but no extra credits toward the certificate.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
              \n
            1. Remember that the published schedule can be shortened by adverse circumstances, such as noisy band conditions, local thunderstorms or a lack of calling stations. Don\u2019t wait till the final day and hour to chase W9IMS!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                \n
              1. If you want to get off to the earliest possible start, keep an ear on 20 meters at midnight Monday (Indy time) and listen for a YL operator. Cathy Harris, W9QKR, is slated to kick off the festivities from 12-2 a.m. (0400-0600 UTC).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                Once, Twice, Three Times a QSO: How to Earn the W9IMS 2023 Checkered Flag Award By Brian D. Smith Two out of three ain\u2019t bad, proclaims the late \u201970s classic rock song. But three out of three gets you the Checkered Flag Award from W9IMS. That\u2019s another way of reminding you that the third Indianapolis […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","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":[545,3,894,43],"tags":[4102,248,6168],"class_list":["post-57413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ham-radio","category-news","category-qsl-gallery","category-shortwave-radio","tag-ham-radio","tag-qsl","tag-w9ims"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-eW1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":39462,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/09\/w9ims-last-chance-for-the-checkered-flag-award\/","url_meta":{"origin":57413,"position":0},"title":"W9IMS: Last chance for the Checkered Flag Award","author":"Thomas","date":"September 7, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Brian (W9IND), who writes: If you\u2019re chasing the W9IMS Checkered Flag Award, this weekend marks your last chance to snare the third and final special event of the year. The Brickyard 400 operation will conclude at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 8 (Indianapolis time)\/0359 UTC\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-2018-QSL-Card-Indy-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-2018-QSL-Card-Indy-1024x649.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/W9IMS-2018-QSL-Card-Indy-1024x649.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":52823,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2022\/05\/w9ims-a-radio-run-at-the-indy-500\/","url_meta":{"origin":57413,"position":1},"title":"W9IMS: A Radio Run at the Indy 500","author":"Thomas","date":"May 25, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"W9IMS: A Radio Run at the Indy 500 By Brian D. Smith, W9IND You can\u2019t win the Indianapolis 500 until they wave the checkered flag \u2013 and you can\u2019t win a W9IMS Checkered Flag Award unless you contact the Indy 500 special event. 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Smith, W9IND Never mind the old saying about April showers bringing May flowers. In Indianapolis, the month of May ushers in auto racing season, with two major events scheduled at\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\/2025\/05\/W9IMS-2024-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/W9IMS-2024-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/W9IMS-2024-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/W9IMS-2024-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/W9IMS-2024-1.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":53533,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2022\/07\/w9ims-from-the-speedway-to-your-wall\/","url_meta":{"origin":57413,"position":3},"title":"W9IMS: From the Speedway to Your Wall","author":"Thomas","date":"July 24, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"From the Speedway to Your Wall: Taking the W9IMS Checkered Flag By Brian D. 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And for those who haven\u2019t, there\u2019s still a special QSL card awaiting\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\/2022\/07\/2021-Indy-500-Back.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/2021-Indy-500-Back.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/2021-Indy-500-Back.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/2021-Indy-500-Back.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/2021-Indy-500-Back.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":60240,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2024\/07\/winning-with-flare-an-easier-path-to-the-w9ims-checkered-flag-award\/","url_meta":{"origin":57413,"position":4},"title":"Winning with flare: An easier path to the W9IMS Checkered Flag Award","author":"Thomas","date":"July 17, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"By Brian D. Smith NASCAR comes to Indy this Sunday, which means that from now until then, you have a chance to snare the third and final QSL card in the 2024 set of amateur radio station W9IMS. Better yet, you can earn this year\u2019s Checkered Flag Award with less\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\/2024\/07\/W9IMS.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/W9IMS.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/W9IMS.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/W9IMS.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/W9IMS.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/W9IMS.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":56923,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2023\/05\/w9ims-indy-500-special-event-details\/","url_meta":{"origin":57413,"position":5},"title":"W9IMS: Indy 500 Special Event Details","author":"Thomas","date":"May 24, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Indy 500 Special Event: The Greatest Spectacle in Radio!\u00a0 By Brian D. Smith, W9IND Like the race cars that made Indy famous, your opportunity for another W9IMS QSL card is coming around again. This time it\u2019s the venerable Indianapolis 500 that will take center stage from now through 11:59 p.m.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/2022-GP-Front-W9IMS.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/2022-GP-Front-W9IMS.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/2022-GP-Front-W9IMS.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/2022-GP-Front-W9IMS.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/2022-GP-Front-W9IMS.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/2022-GP-Front-W9IMS.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57413","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57413"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57413\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57415,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57413\/revisions\/57415"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57413"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57413"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}