An Announcement from the Veep

K4TD

 

As you all know, the ARRL is planning a big celebration next year to commemorate the ARRL centennial.  The League will be sponsoring a year long operating event, which includes activating W1AW in all states and inhabited territories.  The goal is for each state and territory to activate W1AW on as many bands as possible and to give QSO's on CW, Phone and digital modes.  The League will be issuing operating awards, including a Worked All States award for those who work W1AW/n from all 50 states.  Each state and territory is going to be given two (2) one-week periods in which to activate W1AW from that entity.  I was contacted by Dave, NN1N, about coordinating the W1AW/4 activities in Alabama.  Obviously, it was a "no brainer" to accept that invitation.  Now, let me share with you my thoughts on how this should play out…

Most of us would dearly love to get at least a small chance to operate under such a storied call sign as W1AW.  So I figured the best way to handle this was to turn it into a state-wide operating event.  I would like for clubs (especially ARRL affiliated clubs) to volunteer for operating slots during our two (2) one-week operating periods.  My hope is that each club will strive for maximum participation from its members thereby giving as many Alabama hams as possible an opportunity to operate under this historic call sign.  I figure we can fill any holes in the schedule with individual Alabama contributors to ensure as little "down time" as possible.  Our two (2) one-week periods are the week of the Alabama QSO Party and the week of October 15 (the operating periods run from 00:00Z on WED to 23:59Z the following TUES).  I spoke with Jim, KC4HW, about the possible impacts to the AQP.  We discussed possible solutions, which, since he is the manager of that event, I will leave to him to describe.  It is possible for separate groups/individuals to activate W1AW/4 from AL on different bands and/or modes at the same time, so don't feel constrained if your club or station can't support all bands and/or modes…just jump in.  I thought the best way to proceed was to get a team together to coordinate the scheduling by mode.  To that end, KT4TX agreed to coordinate SSB, KC4HW agreed to coordinate digital, and KY4F (and I) will coordinate CW.  I anticipate that we will put up an online calendar to facilitate an easy, rational method for scheduling operating slots.  This approach is not intended to constrain interested parties into having to select only one mode, it's just that it appeared we needed to be sensitive to the fact that our Alabama hams may have a preference as to mode, and we want to make it easy for everyone to get into the queue and to have a "go to" person to help them get on the roster.  My metric for success is to allow as many Alabama hams as possible to participate.  Of course, I'd love it if we turned more QSO's than our brethren from TN, GA or FL, but that's not an overriding goal…maximum participation is the order of the day here.  I plan to communicate with the ARRL Section Manager to ensure the widest possible dissemination of this information to ARC's state-wide, but I thought I'd start here first.  If you have any other suggestions, I'm all ears…

I've already been contacted by Cheryl, AA4YL, on behalf of the Heart of Dixie ARC, W4HOD, with an expression of interest.  I'm hoping that other clubs will also take note and want to get on board in this. I think this will be fun, and give each of us interested hams an opportunity of a lifetime to get on the air as W1AW/4.  We hope to hear from you in this regard.

73,

Rick
K4TD

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