By Mark Abramowicz, NT3V
“Q-R-Z. Here is W3BN, Whiskey Three Bravo November celebrating the 275th Birthday of Reading, Pennsylvania.”
And that will be among the many on-air calls inviting amateur radio operators. from across the country and around the world to join the Reading Radio Club in marking a significant anniversary for the region – 275 years since the sons of William Penn established what became the town of Reading in the “Penn’s Woods” colony that later was named Pennsylvania.
The W3BN Special Event Station launch date is Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. The time of operations will be 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. EDT on SSB on 10, 15, 20, 40 and 80 meters.
At least three HF radios will be transmitting through an array of beams high atop towers as well as through a series of long wires stretched across the property of Steve Dobbs N3EF.
Steve’s world-class contest station will be host for the 12-hour event that will be anchored by Reading Radio Club operators giving out W3BN contacts.
W3BN will certainly be the MUST HAVE entry in logs of hundreds of radio operators hitting the bands in search of something unique or unusual.
We’re expecting some pretty robust activity as the Special Event call will be posted on DX spotting networks throughout the day. On the air, RRC operators will direct stations to search W3BN on the QRZ.com page to find out more about the operation.
Each station making contact with W3BN qualifies for a colorful commemorative certificate to mark the occasion. All a licensed operator has to do to get their certificate is to send log information about the contact – call sign, date, time and band as well as their name to w3bn275@gmail.com to receive the certificate via email.
It’s that simple!
And, for those in the region who don’t have HF capability, a team of VHF operators will set up a portable operation atop Mt. Penn along Skyline Drive overlooking Rading on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. EDT.
That part of the W3BN operation will be activated on 146.550 megahertz (simplex). RRC members will remain on the mountain until at least 2 p.m. to give as many stations across the region a chance to make a VHF contact and earn a certificate by sending their log data to confirm the contact to w3bn275@gmail.com.
SSB or VHF, make plans to be part of the fun!