Ham Radio Special Event Stations
Every weekend there are special event stations on the air, depending what they are representing some are on the air for longer than just the week-end! With all the new Ham Operators that are getting their license, Special Event Stations are a good way to get their feet wet operating, and also good experience. Ham operators that have had their license for some time know that it is a lot of fun, they get to talk to people they usually do not talk to. They probably even learn a little history or facts that they did not know before.
Special Event Stations will send you either a card or something usually on an 8x10 piece of paper that says you have made contact with them on frequency xxx.xxx, on date mm/dd/yyyy, and at what time and it may also include some other verbiage. To get this (it documents your connection) you must send them your QSL card or something with your information, and a self addressed stamped envelope.
Like I said before, this is very good experience for the new Ham. Some stations run on multiple frequencies and modes of operation. They publish in several Amateur Radio magazines a small block of a frequency that they will operate on and what mode they will operate. One of the reasons that they say somewhere in this range is that they may have to move up or down a couple of KHZ to avoid another station, noise, or a net that may be on that or nearby frequency. Some of the Special Event Stations publish several different frequencies such as 10, 20, 40, 70/80 meters along with the blocks of KHZ that the Special Event Station will operate in. The modes can be upper sideband, lower sideband, or some digital mode. Some have even been known to operate RTTY and Morse Code!
Amateur Radio Operators have used their contact with these Special Event Stations for years to hone their radio operating skills. With the flood of new Amateur Radio Operators coming into this hobby, contact with these stations will give them a chance to operate on different frequencies, as well as experience operating in different modes on their new radios.
Special Event Stations will send you either a card or something usually on an 8x10 piece of paper that says you have made contact with them on frequency xxx.xxx, on date mm/dd/yyyy, and at what time and it may also include some other verbiage. To get this (it documents your connection) you must send them your QSL card or something with your information, and a self addressed stamped envelope.
Like I said before, this is very good experience for the new Ham. Some stations run on multiple frequencies and modes of operation. They publish in several Amateur Radio magazines a small block of a frequency that they will operate on and what mode they will operate. One of the reasons that they say somewhere in this range is that they may have to move up or down a couple of KHZ to avoid another station, noise, or a net that may be on that or nearby frequency. Some of the Special Event Stations publish several different frequencies such as 10, 20, 40, 70/80 meters along with the blocks of KHZ that the Special Event Station will operate in. The modes can be upper sideband, lower sideband, or some digital mode. Some have even been known to operate RTTY and Morse Code!
Amateur Radio Operators have used their contact with these Special Event Stations for years to hone their radio operating skills. With the flood of new Amateur Radio Operators coming into this hobby, contact with these stations will give them a chance to operate on different frequencies, as well as experience operating in different modes on their new radios.