160-Meter operators can revel in two opportunities in December that promise to fill the airwaves with activity to test skills and stations on the band. The events take place a century after the 1920s Transatlantic Tests which ushered in the dawn of international amateur radio communications.The annual ARRL 160-Meter Contest begins 2200 UTC on Friday, December 3 and ends at 1559 UTC, December 5 (see rules). This 42-hour CW-only contest is most similar to the original Transatlantic Tests. The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) is planning to activate special call signs to commemorate the centenary of the Tests, with stations from the UK and Crown Dependencies using up to seven different prefixes: G6XX, England; GD6XX, Isle of Man; GI6XX, Northern Ireland; GJ6XX, Jersey; GM6XX, Scotland; GU6XX, Guernsey; GW6XX, Wales. Look also for stations signing the suffix “/2ZE” to their station’s normal call sign, which was authorized by Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, to use from December 1 – 26.
One week later, ARRL and the RSGB are jointly sponsoring the 160-Meter Transatlantic Centenary QSO Party for six hours on December 12, 2021; 0200 to 0800 UTC. The event coincides with the 100th anniversary of the successful Second Transatlantic Tests. Stations participating will operate only on CW, trying to contact the two official call sign activations, W1AW and GB2ZE. At times the stations may listen for callers 1kHz above their transmitting frequency, to help those listening for them. They may also periodically ask for DX callers, only. Call sign and signal report will be exchanged.
During the QSO Party, ARRL will activate W1AW from Newington, Connecticut. RSGB will activate GB2ZE with help from a team of stations, including members of the GMDX Group of Scotland sharing the operating duties. GB2ZE commemorates the call sign of Paul Godley, 2ZE, who was sent by ARRL to the UK to lead the second Transatlantic Test in December 1921. W1AW will be activated for the entire six hours, and stations operating as GB2ZE will keep the following schedule:
0200 UTC, from the commemorative station at Ardrossan, Scotland
0300 UTC, from GM3YTS
0400 UTC, from GM0GAV
0500 UTC, from MM0ZBH
0600 UTC, from MM0GPZ
0700 UTC, from GM4ZUK to 0800 UTC or until the band closes at sunrise
The GMDX Group will award a quaich — a traditional Scottish drinking cup representing friendship — to the first stations in North America and the UK to complete contacts with both W1AW and GB2ZE during the QSO Party. A commemorative certificate will be available for download. Log submissions will not be required from participants. The official logs from W1AW and GB2ZE will be used to determine the winners and for certificates. Logs will not be received from participants.
For more details, see http://www.arrl.org/transatlantic or rsgb.org/main/activity/transatlantic-tests
73 Nick G4FAL (RSGB Liaison with ARRL for joint transatlantic celebrations)
