Ham radio news, yet again.
The CQ WPX contest for CW (aka Morse code) took place this past weekend. I'm not really into radiosport but it's a great chance to improve operating skills and make some contacts that I wouldn't otherwise have been able to make. I focused primarily on different countries that I hadn't had a contact with, and I was able to get through to Ukraine, Luxembourg, Finland, Sweden -- all new to me. But the most exciting contact that I had over the weekend was actually domestic. The American Radio Relay League has an award called Worked All States. To earn it, you need a confirmed contact in each of the 50 US states. There are different endorsements for different bands (frequency ranges) and operating modes (CW, phone, digital) but the base award needs a contact in each of the 50 states, any band, any mode. The very last state that I was missing was Alaska.
On Saturday, I was checking a site called DX Summit, in which amateurs around the world note where you can find other amateurs on the dial. If you're looking for a particular country, it's a great resource. I was looking to see if there were any other countries I might be able to contact, and I happened to see a spot for Alaska! I tuned in and listened and sent my call. It took a few tries to get through, but I managed, and it was confirmed over on Logbook of the World yesterday. If I go for the CW endorsement I'm still missing 4 states (Iowa, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Rhode Island), but I've officially earned WAS!
I'm pretty happy about that.
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