05/02/2025
In this Issue:
630-Meter Band Worked All States Awards Issued
Clock is Ticking Down to 2025 Dayton Hamvention
Heritage CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame
“Star Wars” Meets Amateur Radio
International Amateur Radio Union Gathers in Paris to Honor Centennial
Amateur Radio in the News
ARRL Live Events and Podcasts
In Brief...
Announcements
The ARRL Solar Report
Just Ahead in Radiosport
Upcoming Section, State, and Division Conventions
Did You Know?
630-Meter Band Worked All States Awards Issued
Eric Tichansky, NO3M, of Saegertown, Pennsylvania, has been issued the first ARRL Worked All States award for the 630-meter band. He picked up the award at ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut, on April 21, 2025. That was the culmination of years of study, work, and experimentation.
Eric Tichansky, NO3M, with his ARRL Worked All States certificate.
Tichansky had a draw to 160 meters early in his ham radio career and was active in contesting and DXing on top band. When he moved to his current home, he was able to experiments with LowFER operation. When 630 meters opened to amateur use, he got straight to work. “It seemed like an unreachable goal at the time, but patience and persistence as well as gaining more and more of an understanding of the capabilities of the band over the years proved otherwise,” said Tichansky.
His transmit antenna system has been a journey in trial, error, and fire – he’s a member of what he calls the “Hall of Flames.” He says he “definitely learned that good quality insulators do make a difference.” After years of work and refinement of matching and loading techniques, his 67-foot vertical with 8 sloping toploading wires as a wire skirt over a large radial field have proven to be the ticket to success. “For reception, I have always used dedicated receive antennas which have included phased Beverages, a full-sized 8-circle vertical array, and various others like a terminated loop,” said Tichansky.
As news of the award achievement spread in the amateur community, even many long-time hams with little or no experience on 630 meters wondered how it worked. Tichansky says Alaska and Hawaii proved especially challenging. “(The states) were certainly a challenge, Alaska perhaps moreso. However, both locations had excellent resident operators and stations and through persistent attempts and the right conditions, two-way QSOs were completed. I have a few CW QSOs with K9FD/KH6 (SK) which still stand as the distance record on 630 for CW. I also have the overall distance record for a QSO with VK4YB via JT9 which took a long time and many attempts, finally finding success on a morning (US side) near the equinox,” he said.
Tichansky says there are several other operators right behind him, with WAS almost completed. In fact, ARRL Awards Branch Manager Sharon Taratula announced today that Edward Gray, WØSD, of Salem, South Dakota, has been awarded 630-meter WAS #2.
Most of the contacts on the band happen just like any other band, says Tichansky, from getting on and calling CQ or replying to one. Very few of his contacts on there were scheduled.
It takes an experimenter’s mind and a lot of patience to be successful on the band, but like with any other operating specialty, there is a community ready to help. “The 630-meter community is very diverse, but there are a number of members that come from particular backgrounds including microwave operations, EME, topbanders and other weak signal communications. The thing we have in common is that we are experimenters and enjoy a bit of a challenge!” exclaimed Tichansky.
He currently has a DXCC total of 17 on the band. Tichansky plans to contribute technical articles about operating on 630-meters to QEX magazine in the coming months. All ARRL members have access to QEX and three other high-quality publications digitally.
Dr.
Duino
Clock is Ticking Down to 2025 Dayton Hamvention
We’re just two weeks away from Dayton Hamvention®, held May 16 – 18, 2025 in Xenia, Ohio. ARRL invites all radio amateurs attending Hamvention to stop in to our large exhibit area. We’ll be located in our usual spot, in the Tesla Building.
As we all enjoy the peak of Solar Cycle 25, there’s never been a better time to step up your radiosport game. The ARRL Radiosport Forum this year is entitled “Level Up!” and is scheduled for Sunday from 10:30 – 11:30 AM in Forum Room 2.
ARRL Radiosport leaders will share an update on 2025 contests, award hunting, and other radiosport activities like the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) 100th anniversary activity and 2025 ARRL Field Day (June 28 – 29). Also learn how to find a contest club in your area to get a seat on a winning team.
There are many other ARRL-sponsored forums at Hamvention. Find more information at www.arrl.org/expo. Get tickets for Hamvention at www.hamvention.org.
Heritage CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame
The Heritage CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame, created by longtime amateur radio publisher Richard Ross, K2MGA (SK), will continue to honor amateur radio operators on a new section of the www.Hamgallery.com website.
CQ magazine ceased publication in October 2023. Ross died on April 27, 2024, and the change was made with the permission of his widow, Cathy.
The Heritage CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame honors licensed amateur radio operators, and non-licensed individuals, who have made significant contributions to amateur radio, their professional careers, or to another aspect of world affairs. A select and diverse group of amateurs will administer the new website and review submissions.
The 2025 inductees are:
Professor Jim Breakall, WA3FET. Dr. Breakall's work has been instrumental in amateur radio antenna technology development for decades. Dr. Breakall has authored numerous peer-reviewed scientific articles and books. He is an IEEE Life Fellow, a Radio Club of America (RCA) Fellow, and has been awarded the Sarnoff Award, the Dr. Ulrich L. Rohde Technical Award, at the RCA, and the Technical Achievement Award at the Dayton Hamvention®.
Angel M. Vazquez, WP3R. Vazquez graduated from the City University of New York. He worked at WNYC as a radio engineer before moving back to Arecibo, Puerto Rico and taking a job at the Arecibo Observatory in 1977, rising to become head of telescope operations. He has presented numerous talks on the Arecibo Observatory and his amateur radio experiences at the Dayton Hamvention® Antenna Forums, RCA Speaker series, HamSci conventions, and multiple amateur radio clubs around the world. He was awarded Puerto Rico Amateur of the Year in 2017.
Wayne Overbeck, Ph.D., N6NB (SK). Overbeck was co-inventor of the Quagi antenna, which is part quad, part Yagi. He was active in amateur radio for over 68 year, was a communications law professor and textbook author as well as an accomplished DXer and contester.
The nomination deadline for 2025 has passed but information can be found at Nomination Process for Heritage CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame.
Geochron
Global Operational Awareness
“Star Wars” Meets Amateur Radio
The POTA JEDI Council, also known as the Pottstown Area Amateur Radio Club, will be convening in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, on Sunday May 4, 2025, to set up a multi-mode Parks on the Air (POTA) demonstration with “characters” paying homage to the “Star Wars” universe.
Walt Skavinsky, KB3SBC, the “Sith Lord of QRP” (low-power operating), a veteran POTA operator and organizer of the special event, will lead his band of experienced radio amateurs in showing visitors how POTA can be done, including what kind of equipment you’ll need to get started.
“We want to share our experiences so that other people can get a head start and learn from us, so they don’t make the mistakes we made at the beginning,” Skavinsky explained. “Believe me, we all know going out for the first time can be a nerve-wracking experience.”
POTA Jedi Council activation begins at 8:00 AM EDT on Sunday, May 4, and will run until about noon. Each of the operators will be on the air for about an hour — solo — so as not to interfere with each other in the confined “signal landing and take-off zone.” Visitors can witness each of the operators using multiple modes — SSB, CW, and FT8 — to make contacts. More than 200 contacts are expected.
Other JEDI personnel participating will be Dr. Bill Hewitt, W3FRB, “Boba Fett-enna Master” (makes his own antennas); Greg Malone, WA3GM, “Dah-Lorian” (CW operator); Joel Rubincam, NF3R, “CQ-3PO” (SSB and FT8), and Pete Kobak, KØBAK, “Rove One” (how to do a “rover” activation). The operators will be ready to answer questions about the gear and antennas, and how to make and log contacts. And just maybe, future amateur radio JEDIs will get a chance to make a contact as well.
The event will take place rain or shine, and refreshments will be served at the POTA Jedi Council event. The theme is appropriate for the day — “May the 4th be with you!”
International Amateur Radio Union Gathers in Paris to Honor Centennial
One hundred years ago, in April 1925, ARRL founder Hiram Percy Maxim traveled to Paris to form the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). Maxim served as IARU’s first president and ARRL serves as the International Secretariat.
One hundred years later, IARU delegates gathered again in the city on April 26, 2025, to honor the centennial.
ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR; ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA, and ARRL International Affairs Vice President Rod Stafford, W6ROD, participated in the event, representing the International Secretariat.
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