Current announcements of the WOLF CREEK RADIO ASSOCIATION (WCRA), with a focus on public service, education and contesting
2024 CQ World Wide DX Contest SSB
0000Z Saturday 26 October to 2359Z Sunday 27 October 2024
OBJECTIVE: For amateurs around the world to contact as many other amateurs in as many other CQ zones and countries as possible
BANDS: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10m, in accordance with country and IARU Region band allocations
MODE: phone (SSB)
Click here for complete rules and contest exchange
70th Annual POISSON d’AVRIL Contest 2024
0000Z Monday to 1954Z Monday 01 April 2024
SPONSOR: Legion Intl. des Radio Professionels et Amateurs-Lacrimers d’Oignons en Oeil Fondation
BANDS: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10m, in accordance with country and IARU allocations, or not
MODES: two, some, none, or maybe more
Click here for complete rules and contest exchange
Bonne Pâques et chance!
European Union DX Contest 2024
1200Z Saturday 03 February to 1200Z Sunday 04 February 2024
OBJECTIVE: Increasing activity on the air, strengthening the reputation of amateur radio operators, and the demonstration and improvement of technical skills and knowledge across the world. This is a world-wide competition: everybody can work everybody
BANDS: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10m, in accordance with country and IARU Region band allocations
MODES: morse code (CW) and phone (SSB)
Click here for complete rules and contest exchange
IARU HF World Championship 2023
The International Amateur Radio Union’s HF World Championship (CW/SSB) will be held from 1200Z July 8 to 1200Z July 9, 2023
With the upper bands in good shape, this event should be an opportunity to pick up some new DX contacts. Click here for complete rules and contest exchange
We hope to hear you on the air!
2023 Museum Ships On the Air
This year the Museum Ships Weekend Event will be held from 0000Z June 3, 2023 to 2359Z June 4, 2023. There are currently 102 ships participating worldwide.
A number of Northeast Ohio amateur radio operators will be activating the historic USS COD on Lake Erie, pictured underway above. We will be aboard the boat in the radio room using the original end fed zep aerial and the call sign W8COD, operating SSB and CW modes, mainly in the General portions of the bands.
All stations that work at least 15 different ships of those participating will receive a certificate if they send a copy of their log entries showing these contacts.
For more information, go to nj2bb.org/museum. We hope to work you!
2023 Armed Forces Day Crossband Test
The Department of Defense will host this year’s Armed Forces Day (AFD) Crossband Test, scheduled for 13 May 2023. This annual event is open to all licensed amateur radio operators. For more than 50 years, military and amateur stations have taken part in this event, which is an interoperability exercise between hobbyist and government radio stations.
The AFD Crossband Test is a unique opportunity to test two-way communications between military communicators and radio stations in the Amateur Radio Service (ARS), as authorized in 47 CFR 97.111. These tests provide opportunities and challenges for radio operators to demonstrate individual technical skills in a tightly controlled exercise.
Military stations will transmit on selected military frequencies and will announce the specific ARS frequencies monitored. All times are ZULU (Z), and all frequencies are Upper Side Band (USB) unless otherwise noted. For more information, go to dodmars.org
The W8UPD 70cm Repeater is Back
The University of Akron Amateur Radio Club has returned their 70cm machine to the air as an analog repeater, 443.1125, positive offset, PL tone 131.8
Club Officer Javan W8UA reports it should have coverage around the City of Akron, and it does sound good here. They plan to bring back the 2m repeater by the fall semester if all goes well
Congratulations to all the University of Akron Amateur Radio Club officers, members and friends who worked to make this happen!
Congratulations
Northeast Ohio’s very own Anthony Luscre K8ZT won the World in the 2022 CQ World-Wide SSB Contest. Working Single Operator All Bands QRP, he posted a final score of 349,160 points to finish #1 in the World in that category. Pretty impressive. Check out the full contest write-up here. Very fine business!
In Memoriam
Shawn W7AZC has passed away. He was a good guy, and our thoughts are with his family
2023 CQ World-Wide WPX SSB Contest
0000Z Saturday 25 March to 2359Z Sunday 26 March 2023
OBJECTIVE: For amateurs worldwide to contact as many amateurs and prefixes as possible during the contest period
BANDS: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10m, in accordance with country and IARU Region band allocations
MODE: phone (SSB)
Click here for complete rules and contest exchange
ARRL International DX Contest 2023
0000Z Saturday 04 March to 2359Z Sunday 05 March
OBJECTIVE: To encourage W/VE stations to expand knowledge of DX propagation on the HF and MF bands, improve operating skills, and improve station capability by creating a competition in which DX stations may contact W/VE stations
BANDS: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10m, in accordance with country and IARU Region band allocations
MODE: phone (SSB)
Click here for complete rules and contest exchange
RÉSEAU DES ÉMETTEURS FRANÇAIS Coupe du REF
0600Z Saturday 25 February to 1800Z Sunday 26 February 2023
BANDS: 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10m, in accordance with country and IARU Region band allocations
OBJECTIVE: French amateurs work as many amateur stations in as many of the 97 metropolitan
departments (including F6REF HQ), overseas territories (DOM/TOM) and DXCC countries of the
world as possible; foreign amateurs work as many F stations in as many of the 97 metropolitan departments (including F6REF HQ) and overseas French territories (DOM/TOM) as possible
MODE: phone (SSB)
Click here for complete rules and contest exchange
The Netherlands PACC 2023 DX Contest
1200Z Saturday 11 February to 1200Z Sunday 12 February 2023
OBJECTIVE: Increasing activity on the air and the demonstration and improvement of technical skills and knowledge across the world. The first PACC contest was held in 1955. In this contest the Dutch provinces are the multipliers. It’s a 24 hour contest in CW & SSB modes, individual or group
BANDS: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10m, in accordance with country and IARU Region band allocations
FREQUENCIES: Use according to the IARU Region 1 preferred (contest) segments
- CW: 1810-1840, 3500-3560, 7000-7040 and 14000-14060 kHz
- SSB: 1840-1880, 3600-3650, 3700-3800, 7060-7100, 7130-7200 and 14125-14300 kHz
The band segments 3500-3510 kHz and 3775-3800 kHz should be used for intercontinental contacts only
MODES: morse code (CW) and phone (SSB)
Click here for complete rules and contest exchange
2023 European Union DX Contest
1200Z Saturday 04 February to 1200Z Sunday 05 February 2023
OBJECTIVE: Increasing activity on the air, strengthening the reputation of amateur radio operators, and the demonstration and improvement of technical skills and knowledge across the world
BANDS: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10m, in accordance with country and IARU Region band allocations
MODES: morse code (CW) and phone (SSB)
Click here for complete rules and contest exchange
Hungarian DX Contest 2023
1200Z Saturday 21 Jan to 1200Z Sunday 22 Jan 2023
OBJECTIVE: Increasing activity on the air, strengthening the reputation of amateur radio operators, demonstration and improvement of technical skills and knowledge across the world
BANDS: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10m, in accordance with country and IARU Region band allocations
MODES: A1A morse code (CW) and A3J phone (SSB)
Click here for complete rules and contest exchange.
ARRL November Sweepstakes 2022 SSB Contest
2100Z Saturday Nov 19 to 0259Z Monday Nov 21
OBJECTIVE: To support amateur self-training in radio communications, including improving amateur operating skills, conducting technical investigations, and communicating with other amateurs. Stations in the United States and Canada (including territories and possessions) exchange information with as many other US and Canadian stations as possible
BANDS: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10m
CONTEST EXCHANGE: Serial number + Precedence + Your call sign + Check + ARRL/RAC section
Click here for complete contest rules and exchange definitions.
Japan International 2022 SSB DX Contest
0700Z, Nov 12 to 1300Z, Nov 13 2022
OBJECTIVE: For amateurs around the world to contact JA stations in as many JA prefectures + JD1 islands as possible, and for amateurs in Japan to contact DX stations in as many DXCC entities and CQ Zones as possible
BANDS: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10m
CONTEST EXCHANGE: JAs: RS(T) + Prefecture number(01 to 50) Others: RS(T) + CQ Zone number
If you’ve been looking to contact JA-JS stations via SSB, here’s the contest for you!
CQ World Wide SSB DX Contest
October 29-30, 2022 Starts 00:00:00 UTC Saturday Ends 23:59:59 UTC Sunday
OBJECTIVE: For amateurs around the world to contact as many other amateurs in as many CQ zones and countries as possible
BANDS: Six bands only: 1.8, 3.5, 7, 14, 21 and 28 MHz. Observance of established band plans is strongly encouraged
CONTEST EXCHANGE: RS report plus the CQ Zone number of your station (e.g., 59 04)
The CQ WW Contest is the largest Amateur Radio competition in the world. Over 35,000 participants take to the airwaves on the last weekend of October (SSB) and November (CW) with the goal of making as many contacts with as many different DXCC entities and CQ Zones as possible.
With band conditions being very good lately, this weekend should be a great opportunity to make some new SSB contacts on the HF bands!
Cuyahoga Falls Amateur Radio Club (CFARC) Tech License Class
The Cuyahoga Falls Amateur Radio Club (CFARC) is conducting a free Technician License class this fall. The Tech class will be held on Sundays starting on Oct. 9th, 2022 from 1:30 to 4:00 PM Eastern, and runs for six weeks, online via Zoom and Google Classroom. The first class has been recorded, so you can still sign up and participate!
This year CFARC is working in conjunction with the M.O.R.E. Project. This means that Technician students who complete the class and pass the license exam may be eligible to receive a GOTA (Get On The Air) package of free equipment, including a VHF/UHF HT and an SDR (Software Defined Receiver), as well as their $35 initial FCC license fee reimbursed.
Because the class draws attendees from around the country, we recommend attendees also join a local radio club in their area. If you recommend this class to someone, please let them know about your local club so they can find mentors in their area. For more information or to sign up, go to cfarc.org
Summit County ARES is taking sign-ups for licensed amateur radio operators to work the following events:
2022 Goodyear Half/10K, Saturday August 13th, 6:00 a.m. until ~ 10:00 a.m.
2022 Akron Marathon, Saturday September 24th, 6:00 a.m until ~ 2:00 p.m.
The Akron Marathon Race Series events are two of the largest EMCOMM events in Summit County each year, and a great way to get involved and showcase the value of amateur radio and public service! To sign-up for these events, click HERE
The 2022 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival Community Parade on July 24th and the Canton Repository Grand Parade on August 6th are making a call for amateur radio operators to provide EMCOMM. These events are the largest amateur radio public service events in Stark County each year!
For the Grand Parade, approximately 35 operators are needed along the parade route and in the staging & de-marshaling areas. The Community Parade is a bit smaller, requiring 15 operators. All you need is a 2m HT. Training will be provided at one of 2 training sessions held at the Sippo Lake library branch.
To sign up for either event or for more information, go to hofhams.info
Our friend Gennady UX5UO has announced that his print shop has reopened and he is able to work again. He prints QSL cards for many DX/contest/DXpedition stations worldwide, including N8ACP’s cards. Check out what else he’s done on his website: it’s impressive. Please spread the word and support our friend if you are in need of QSL cards
