The Transatlantic Centenary Tests

The RSGB hosted, The Transatlantic Centenary Tests, on the HF bands to commemorate the centenary of the achievement of Amateur Transatlantic communication, during the Transatlantic Tests that were held between 1921 and 1923.

The Tests ran from 1 December 2022 to 31 December 2022. RSGB members made over 162,000 contacts with radio amateurs around the world. 198 separate entities were contacted during December.

Links to – The Transatlantic Centenary Tests

Why The Transatlantic Centenary Tests?

24 December 1922 was when the very first amateur signal from Europe was heard in North America; this was from the RSGB station (G)5WS which was established at Wandsworth in South London, as part of the Third Transatlantic Tests.

Unlike the tests of the 1920s, which mostly consisted of one-way communication, the 2022 tests encouraged world-wide two-way communication with UK & CD based stations. We wanted to showcase amateur radio in 2022 to celebrate this milestone in the history of the hobby.

Special stations were activated from the UK by RSGB members and Clubs, using original RSGB call signs from the 1920s but using state-of-the-art modern radio equipment.

The Club Log team kindly agreed to provide the supporting infrastructure for the Tests.

In anticipation of this centenary celebration, with the assistance of Ofcom (the UK licensing authority), the RSGB renewed five call signs which they held in the 1920s:

• G5WS, used for the 1922 tests – “the first to get across”
• G5AT, used for the 1923 tests
• G6XX, used for the 1923 tests
• G6ZZ, used for the first amateur tests on a moving railway train in 1924
• G3DR, Scottish Highlands Call – GM3DR.

These historic call signs were activated by RSGB members and Clubs, using G5WS, G5AT, G6XX, G6ZZ and G3DR (England), GM5WS (Scotland), GW5WS (Wales), GU5WS (Guernsey), GD5WS (Isle of Man), GJ5WS (Jersey) and GI5WS (Northern Ireland).

(The massive power station chimney at Wandsworth used to support the (G)5WS aerial in December 1922.)