Transatlantic Tests
The early 1920s saw the dawn of international amateur radio. A series of significant milestones led over some five years from no amateur transmission ever having been heard on another continent, to intercontinental two-way communications becoming commonplace.
The RSGB will commemorate these historic events by encouraging everyone to get on the air to make QSOs – focusing on December 2021 and December 2022. Full details of the how you can participate will be published here.
Special Events and Activities
RSGB, ARRL and our members are organising some great on-air activities to celebrate the achievement of transatlantic communications by radio amateurs one hundred years ago.
The RSGB and the ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® in the US have announced joint events to celebrate the achievement of transatlantic communications by radio amateurs 100 years ago. The press release can be read here.
RSGB and ARRL Joint Events
3-5 December 2021 | ARRL 160m Contest 2021 – with 1920s RSGB callsigns |
12 December 2021 – 0200–0800 UTC | 160m Transatlantic Centenary QSO Party |
December 2022 | Transatlantic Centenary Marathon – save the date for next year |
1 December 2021 – 31 December 2022 | Commemorative Transatlantic QSL Card – for G6XX, G6ZZ, G5WS, G5AT and G3DR plus their regional variants, also for GB2ZE and GS2ZE. |
Other Activities
November 2021 onwards | Celebrating the events of 1921 at Ardrossan in 2021 |
13-14 November 2021 | Transatlantic QSO Party, sponsored by the Radio Club of America |
11-12 December 2021 | 1BCG Special Event – activation on 160m CW using a replica transmitter. This was transmission only. |
12 December 2021 – 0252 UTC | The Radio Club of America’s W2RCA made a one-way transmission on 1825 kHz at 12 WPM CW, from Connecticut. This was transmission only. The message included slightly abbreviated text of the 1921 1BCG message to Paul Godley, then “best wishes to all from the Radio Club of America for the next 100 years of wireless progress 73 de W2RCA.” |
1-26 December 2021 | Special “/2ZE” suffix authorised to mark the Centenary of Paul Godley’s work |
The Story of the 1920s Transatlantic Tests
Transatlantic Tests History
Transatlantic Tests 1 – Initial failure prompts ARRL plans for further tests
Transatlantic Tests 2 – ARRL representative Paul Godley goes to Scotland
Transatlantic Tests 2 – Godley wins the bet
Transatlantic Tests 3 – Europe is heard in North America
Transatlantic Tests 4 – Two-way Transatlantic amateur communication achieved
Radcom, Wireless World and Radio News Articles
“Bridging the Atlantic” – Radcom May 2018
“The Erection of 5 WS – The Radio Society Special Station at Wandsworth” – Wireless World, January 20, 1923
“The Transmitting Station of the Radio Society of Great Britain” – Radio News, July 1924