Special Events News – 20 October 2024

Special event station PF16F is active to say farewell to the F-16 fighter aircraft, or Fighting Falcon. After 45 years of service, from 1979 to 2024, the F-16 will retire from the Royal Netherlands Air Force. Members of Radio Club Limburg will be operating the callsign until 30 November 2024 and hope to work as many amateur radio operators across the world as possible. For more information about the station visit rclb.nl/pf16f.

As part of the celebrations to mark the centenary of the world’s first transglobal two-way radio communication, special callsign GB2ZL has been active at times from the UK. This is in addition to the main UK activity from GB2NZ, G2SZ and others. On Tuesday, 15 October, the GB2ZL station, operated by Chris GM3WOJ from near Inverness, made a remarkable QSO with the ZL4AA team located just North of Dunedin. The ZL4AA station was operated by Dave ZL4DK, Mike ZL4OL and Stephen ZL4BN. This QSO, on the 40m band long path at 0721UTC, was made using CW. Five hundred and fifty-nine reports were exchanged each way and the operators at both ends were thrilled to make the contact. At each end of the QSO was an 80-year-old all-valve military transceiver from New Zealand, the iconic ZC1. These radios date from 1944, just 20 years after the first UK to New Zealand QSO. For more information about the station and the ZC1 transceiver visit the GB2ZL page on QRZ.com.

Sylvia, OE5YYN is active as OE20SOTA until 31 October to mark the 20th anniversary of Austria joining the Summits on the Air (SOTA) programme. Details of a certificate that is available for working the station are available at QRZ.com.

Category: GB2RS Special Events