{"id":60240,"date":"2024-07-17T06:27:05","date_gmt":"2024-07-17T10:27:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=60240"},"modified":"2024-07-17T06:27:05","modified_gmt":"2024-07-17T10:27:05","slug":"winning-with-flare-an-easier-path-to-the-w9ims-checkered-flag-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2024\/07\/winning-with-flare-an-easier-path-to-the-w9ims-checkered-flag-award\/","title":{"rendered":"Winning with flare: An easier path to the W9IMS Checkered Flag Award"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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

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 effort than usual, thanks to the unforeseen effects of a mischievous sun.<\/p>\n

Back in early May, the W9IMS crew staged their first special event of the year, commemorating the IndyCar Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But a series of solar flares spoiled the party, making it difficult for many stations to connect with W9IMS.<\/p>\n

Since the usual requirement of the Checkered Flag Award is to work or tune in all three W9IMS special events in a given year, the uncharacteristically low number of Grand Prix contacts seemed destined to result in an uncharacteristically low number of certificate recipients.<\/p>\n

So club officers changed the rules. This year, you can qualify for the award with credits for any two of the three special events: the Grand Prix and Indy 500 in May, and the upcoming NASCAR 400 at the Brickyard.<\/p>\n

Of course, it\u2019s best to bag all the events and claim the trio of \u201924 QSL cards along with the certificate. But for anyone who went 1-for-2 in May, the coming week is your last opportunity to add more W9IMS wallpaper to your shack. The station will be on the air through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, July 21 (Indianapolis time)\/0359 UTC Monday, July 22.<\/p>\n

W9IMS operates primarily on 20 and 40 meters, but occasionally 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

A few tips on locating W9IMS:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Check DX Summit (www.dxsummit.fi<\/b><\/a>) for spots listing the current frequency or frequencies of W9IMS. You can customize your search by typing \u201cW9IMS\u201d in the box at upper right.<\/li>\n
  2. Go to the W9IMS web page (www.w9ims.org<\/b><\/a>) and look for the heading, \u201c2024 Operating Schedule.\u201d Click on the \u201cNASCAR 400 at the Brickyard\u201d 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.<\/li>\n
  3. Prime time for weeknight operations is 6 to 10 p.m. in Indy (2200-0200 UTC). That\u2019s also your most likely shot at finding W9IMS active on two bands. However, it\u2019s not unusual for operators to continue till midnight or later if band conditions allow.<\/li>\n
  4. Remember that the published schedule can be shortened by adverse circumstances, such as local thunderstorms, a lack of calling stations and, as we discovered in May, solar flares! Don\u2019t wait till the final hour to look for W9IMS.<\/li>\n
  5. But if you still haven\u2019t worked W9IMS by the final weekend, don\u2019t give up too soon. Toward the end of the special event, W9IMS ops often call for \u201conly stations that haven\u2019t worked us this week\u201d and\/or switch to contest-style operations, exchanging only signal reports to put more calls in the log.<\/li>\n
  6. Keep in mind that both hams and SWLs are eligible for QSL cards and the certificate. So if your ham station isn\u2019t able to work W9IMS by Sunday night, you can create an SWL report by copying down details of successful contacts \u2013 such as date, frequency, UTC, and the callsigns of several stations you heard W9IMS working. SWL reports count as credits too, although the certificate may feature your name instead of your call.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    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 effort than usual, thanks to […]<\/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":[3963,6168],"class_list":["post-60240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ham-radio","category-news","category-qsl-gallery","category-shortwave-radio","tag-brian-smith","tag-w9ims"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-fFC","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":39462,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/09\/w9ims-last-chance-for-the-checkered-flag-award\/","url_meta":{"origin":60240,"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":59635,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2024\/05\/w9ims-2024-checkered-flag-award\/","url_meta":{"origin":60240,"position":1},"title":"W9IMS: 2024 Checkered Flag Award!","author":"Thomas","date":"May 8, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"2024 Checkered Flag Award: Time to Get Racy! By Brian D. Smith, W9IND You can\u2019t go 3 for 3 if you haven\u2019t gone 1 for 1. And if you want to add the 2024 Checkered Flag Award to your collection, you\u2019ll have to bag the first W9IMS special event of\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\/2024\/05\/2023-GP-Front.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/2023-GP-Front.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/2023-GP-Front.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/2023-GP-Front.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/2023-GP-Front.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/2023-GP-Front.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":62820,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/05\/2025-checkered-flag-award-w9ims-grand-prix-special-event-now-underway\/","url_meta":{"origin":60240,"position":2},"title":"2025 Checkered Flag Award: W9IMS Grand Prix Special Event Now Underway","author":"Thomas","date":"May 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Make the Month of May Even Merrier: Earn Your First Credit Toward the 2025 Checkered Flag Award By Brian D. 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":57413,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2023\/08\/how-to-earn-the-w9ims-2023-checkered-flag-award\/","url_meta":{"origin":60240,"position":3},"title":"How to Earn the W9IMS 2023 Checkered Flag Award","author":"Thomas","date":"August 6, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"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. 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Smith, W9IND The Checkered Flag is in sight \u2013 for hams and SWLs who\u2019ve completed two-thirds of the chase for the annual W9IMS certificate. 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":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60240","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=60240"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60240\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60242,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60240\/revisions\/60242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}