W3A Operation Toy Train Special Event: Nov. 18

The East Penn Amateur Radio Club (W3LP) has partnered with the Allentown and Auburn Railroad to host an “Operation Toy Train” on air amateur radio special event station W3A. The main event will take place on November 18, 2023, between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM local time.  Operation will be on 20-17-10-6 and 2 meters.  This will be a mobile operation from a functional train car.  See the W3A QRZ page: https://www.qrz.com/db/W3A

Talk to the Operation Toy Train as it travels on the Allentown and Auburn Railroad in Kutztown Pennsylvania. The train will be at the Kutztown Train Station from 11:00 am to 2:00 to collect toys for the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots. Each year, the train collects over 30,000 donated toys for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation, which redistributes them to underprivileged children within the collection area.

More information can be found here:

Submitted by Walt Skavinsky, KB3SBC

2023 Operation Toy Train Schedule Northeast

ARRL EPA Section Blog: Sept./Oct. Special Events & Hamfests

From: https://epa-arrl.org/upcoming-epa-events-announcements/

EPA SIMULATED EMERGENCY TEST – The SET will be held in the EPA on Saturday, October 7. (Note that in Montgomery County the LGS Drill  will take place on Tues., Sept. 26 beginning at 4:00 pm.) ARES units in approximately 25 of the EPA’s 34 counties will participate in an exercise supporting the American Red Cross. The drill will simulate a widespread communications outage resulting from a CME event. ARES units will support Red Cross shelter operations by relaying critical email message traffic via Winlink. Last year the SET operated under similar conditions and more than 100 operators sent hundreds of messages in a highly successful event.

PA QSO PARTY – The 67th Pennsylvania QSO Party will be held on October 14 and 15. This operating event presents an excellent chance to dust off your HF rig and make some contacts. For event information and rules, follow this link: PA QSO Party Plans & Aids – PA QSO PA.

CAPITAL TESTING GROUP – Amateur radio testing in the Harrisburg area will be conducted by a new volunteer organization, the Capital Testing Group. The group is an ARRL-accredited VE unit that will hold testing sessions on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month just outside Harrisburg. In addition to the regular testing sessions the group will facilitate special needs testing in an individual’s home or an assisted living facility. Information on this extremely valuable service can be found here: Capital Area Testing Group – Ham radio testing, FCC testing, Amateur radio testing, Capital area, (arrlcapitalareatestgroup.info).

EPARA HAMFEST IN STROUDSBURG – September 17 – The Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association Hamfest will be held on Sunday, September 17 at Moose Lodge 1336. The address is 705 Stokes Mill Road in East Stroudsburg, PA. For information on EPARA, check the link: https://qsl.net/n3is/.

RED ROSE REPEATER ASSOCIATION HAMFEST IN NEW HOLLAND – October 7 – The RRR Association will hold its annual hamfest in New Holland on Saturday, October 7. The location is 339 East Main Street at the Garden Spot Fire and Rescue Station #1 in New Holland, PA. Information on the Red Rose Repeater Association can be found here: Red Rose Repeater Association – W3RRR.

RF HILL AMATEUR RADIO CLUB HAMFEST IN PERKASIE – October 22 – The RF Hill ARC Hamfest will be held on Sunday, October 22 at the Upper Bucks County Community College campus at 313 Blooming Glen Road in Perhasie, PA. Follow this link for the hamfest flyer: L:\Data\R\RF Hill\HAMFEST\HAMFEST FLYER 2022.pmd (rfhillarc.club).

ARRL EPA Section logo

 

13 Colonies Special Event

The 15th Annual 13 Colonies Special Event

2022 Event Dates / July 1 (9AM Eastern) to July 7 (Midnight Eastern)
(July 1, 2022-1300 UTC to July 8, 2022-0400 UTC)Sponsored by The U.S. Original 13 Colonies Group
http://www.13colonies.us
with the Holmesburg Amateur Radio Club, Inc.
WM3PEN@ARRL.NET2023 13 Colonies event certificate image From WM3PEN on QRZ:
The theme for the 2023 certificate is, “Signers of the Declaration of Independence” and is only available from Ken, KU2US, special event manager. Other QSL card details, Log Sheets and other special event information on the 13 Colonies Special Event can be found on the following website  http://www.13colonies.us 

13 Colonies is an annual event held during the 4th Of July Week. Those who participate try to make contact(s) with all 13 Colony Stations, and the Bonus Stations. You do not need to make a contact with all 13 to get the certificate. However, getting all 13 is known as a Clean Sweep. A Full Sweep includes the additional 3 bonus stations. This makes it more challenging.

Stations working one state or, as many as all 13, are eligible for the certificate. A “Clean Sweep” indicator will be affixed for those lucky enough to “Q” all 13. Plus, a special endorsement will be attached for contacting bonus stations WM3PEN, TM13COL & GB13COL

In keeping with the theme the WM3PEN QSL card will feature Ben Franklin.

Members of the Holmesburg Amateur Radio ClubPhil-Mont Mobile Radio Club, the Philadelphia Digital Radio Associationthe Pottstown Area Amateur Radio Club, and the Villanova University Amateur Radio Club will celebrate our independence from the city where independence was declared, Philadelphia, PA. Club members will be operating a special event station using the Holmesburg Amateur Radio Club call WM3PEN. Amateur radio stations operating from the original 13 colonies, England (GB13COL) and France (TM13COL) will also be on the air.  
 13 Colonies Log sheet:  http://www.13colonies.us/logsheet 

Sept 24 – Reading Radio Special Event Station W3BN

The Reading Radio Club will celebrate their 100th anniversary with their W3BN Special Event station on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022 from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm. There will be a beautiful keepsake certificate to commemorate your QSO with them. Details to come. 

As part of this celebration, VHF operators will activate the Reading Pagoda between 1 pm and 2 pm on simplex frequency 146.550 MHz to give local hams an opportunity to get on the log.  More to come!  

RRC website: https://www.qsl.net/w3bn/
RRC on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RRCW3BN/

Reading Radio Club logo 

July 1 -7: 13 Colonies Special Event

The Fourteenth Annual
13 Colonies Special Event

http://www.13colonies.us

This year’s theme: Land Battles of the Revolution

July 1 (9AM Eastern) to July 7 (Midnight Eastern)
(July 1, 2022-1300 UTC to July 8, 2022-0400 UTC)

  • In addition to the 13 state stations, there are 3 bonus stations: Philadelphia, Great Britain, and France. 
  • All HF bands will be in play, including the WARC bands, with the exception of 60 meters. Simplex on 2 meters and 6 meters is encouraged.
  • The Special Event stations are on the east coast and, are very close to each other. It will be harder for these states to contact each other so, use of 40m-160m is encouraged.
  • All modes of operation may be represented – SSB, CW, RTTY, Digital, Etc. – The mode of operation is up to the individual colony state station. Please refer to the State information pages for details.
  • The 13 Colonies Special Event is a not for profit event. All certificate donations are used to fund the next year’s event, and to defray any expenses occurred. All donations are used for operating costs, supplies, equipment, and 13 Colony Group initiatives. Donation is voluntary.13 Colonies image
    Also, see the website for the Philadelphia bonus station WM3PEN:

http://www.harcnet.org