In reviewing my amateur radio Google Alert this afternoon, two themes jumped out at me: newspaper coverage of hamfests and special event stations, in this case special event stations operating from lighthouses and light ships. In this edition of “amateur radio in the news,” I have three stories on special event stations taking part in the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend (ILLW).
While news stories about these special events are pretty cool, keep in mind that your club could also get something published about your special event. The ensuing publicity could attract a few new members or maybe inspire someone to get into ham radio. For more information on how to get publicity for your club, visit the ARRL’s PR Resources page.
Exmouth calling – coast watchkeepers to broadcast across the miles
NCI watch-keeper Alan Campbell hits the airwaves. Picture: Nigel Bovey
On Saturday, August 24, and Sunday, August 25, Exmouth National Coastwatch Institution will be hosting its annual radio event. Watchkeepers Alan Campbell and Anthony Howell-Jones will let fellow radio operators know about the work of Exmouth NCI. Mr Campbell, an amateur radio operator since 2002, said: ‘If atmospheric and weather conditions are right, we could be talking with folks as far away as the United States. “It’s great to be able to explain to people in countries that don’t have the equivalent of a Coastwatch who we are and what we do.”
National Park Service, ham radio groups celebrate International Lighthouse Weekend
Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Cape Lookout National Seashore will celebrate International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend on Saturday, August 17 and Sunday, August 18 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Park staff and members of both the Carteret County Amateur Radio Society and The Outer Banks Repeater Association will have ham radios set up at Bodie Island, Cape Hatteras, and Cape Lookout Lighthouses to communicate over the air-waves with other participating lighthouses and lightships from around the world.
Ham radios will be set up in the vicinity of the respective lighthouses’ Keepers Quarters. Visitors are encouraged to interact with the ham radio operators and listen in as they communicate with other lighthouses and lightships.
The International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend attracts over 500 lighthouse entries located in over 40 countries. Today, it is one of the most popular international amateur radio events in the world.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Cape Lookout National Seashore are part of the National Parks of Eastern North Carolina, a collaborative of five parks that share resources and support each other.
A beacon once again
Rudy Duchan, closer to camera, and Carl Bundy put out “CQ” calls for contacts during Saturday’s International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend operation on the Berwick riverfront. They’re members of the Bayouland Emergency Amateur Radio Service. The annual weekend challenges ham radio operators in lighthouse communities, like Berwick with its Southwest Lighthouse (visible in the background), to log communications with one another. Duchan and Bundy reported contacts from California to Ontario to New York.