Next month will mark the 100th anniversary of the 1921 "Transatlantic Tests" that marked the beginnings of international shortwave communications via amateur radio, and many events and activities are planned to mark the occasion, including an article here in CQ next month.
The ARRL and RSGB (Radio Society of Great Britain) are jointly sponsoring several events, according to the ARRL Letter. The first will be the Transatlantic Centenary QSO Party on 16 meters between 0200 and 0600 UTC on December 12, the date on which ARRL's Paul Godley, 2ZE, at a station set up in Androssan, Scotland, successfully received the signals of several amateur stations in North America. The first was 1BCG in Connecticut, operated by members of the Radio Club of America. For the centennial, the ARRL will have W1AW on Top Band and the RSGB, along with the GMDX Group (see last month's DX column) will operate GB2ZE from Scotland. All participants will be able to download a certificate and a special prize will be awarded to the first stations in both North America and the UK to contact both special event stations.
In addition, the Crocodile Rock Amateur Group (CRAG) will operate GB1002ZE from its base near Androssan between December 1 and 26, and all amateurs in the UK and Crown Dependencies have been authorized during that time period to add "/2ZE" after their call signs. For information on additional activities, visit <www.arrl.org/transatlantic> or <www.rsgb.org/transatlantic-tests>.
Finally, the Antique Wireless Association has been busy refurbishing a replica of the transmitter used on the Connecticut end of the Transatlantic Tests at 1BCG, and plans to have it on the air December 11 from a location near the original 1BCG station.
