[continued from previous message]   
      
   Committee to becoming president, serving from 2002 to 2003 and again from   
   2013 to 2014.   
      
      
   Bob became a Silent Key on 4 December.   
      
   -------------------------------------------------------------------   
      
   OPERATIONAL NEWS -   
      
   ---------------   
      
   2026 marks a year of many celebrations.   
      
   It is the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of   
   Independence and to honour this milestone, the ARRL has introduced a   
   special, yearlong Worked All States Award, called the America250-WAS.   
      
   This for-purchase award will be available throughout 2026 via Logbook of The   
   World and only QSLs made via LoTW count toward the award.   
      
      
   The America250-WAS Award is earned by confirming contact with all   
   50 states between 00:00 UTC 1 January 2026 and 23:59 UTC 31 December 2026.   
      
   SO - ALL OF THE YEAR AND ALL OF THE MONTHS.   
   (sarl hf notes)   
   ------------   
      
   1st January 2026  NZART Centenary 100 QSO Challenge   
      
   sites.google.com/view/zl-amateur-radio-hsistory?usp=sharing   
   (NZART)   
   ----------------   
      
   ROSS HULL all January.   
   ----------------   
      
   QSO Party Day Contest organized by Marconi Club is scheduled for Saturday,   
   January 3rd, 2026. Further information may be found at marconiclub.it   
      
   (IRTS)   
   ----------------   
      
   VHF UHF FIELD DAY JANUARY 5 and 6   
   ------------   
      
   JANUARY 2026 AX DAY CONTEST.   
   --------------   
      
   FEBRUARY 21 and 22 ARRL DX CW   
   --------------   
      
   MARCH - Jock White Memorial Field Day   
      
   This annual contest is named to honour Jock White ZL2GX, NZART Contest   
   and Awards Manager for over 40 years, for the service that he gave to   
   NZART during that time.   
      
   Feb 28, Saturday, 1500-2400 NZDT and Sunday March one 0600-1500 NZDT.   
      
   40 and/or 80 metres, PHONE (SSB) and/or CW, 100 watts PEP maximum.   
      
   Stations using two transmitters may operate simultaneously on both bands,   
   however only one transmitter may be operated on a single band at a time.   
      
   Single transmitter stations may operate on one or both bands.   
      
   (nzart.org.nz)   
      
   --------------------   
      
   MARCH 7 - 8 ARRL DX SSB   
   --------------   
      
   MARCH 21 JOHN MOYLE MEMORIAL FIELD DAY(new rules for 2026)   
   ---------------------   
   MAY:- HARRY ANGEL MEMORIAL SPRINT May 2nd.   
      
   ---------------   
      
   JUNE 6 -7 VK SHIRES CONTEST   
   -----------------   
      
   JUNE 21-22 VHF UHF FIELD DAY   
   --------------   
      
   JULY 4-5 NZART MEMORIAL CONTEST   
   ---------------   
      
   JULY 11-12 IARU HF CHAMPIONSHIP   
   -------------   
      
   JULY 18 VK TRANS TASMAN CONTEST   
   ---------------   
      
   JULY 25-26 RSGB IOTA CONTEST   
   ----------------   
      
   AUGUST 15-16 RD CONTEST   
   ----------------   
   JULY 28 ALARA CONTEST   
   ------------   
      
   SEPTEMBER 19-20 VHF UHF FIELD DAY   
   -----------   
      
   OCTOBER 3-4 OCEANA SSB CONTEST   
   -----------------   
      
   OCEANA CW CONTEST is OCTOBER 9-10   
   -------------   
      
   OCTOBER 24-25 CQWW SSB   
   -----------------   
      
   NOVEMBER 28-29 CQWW CW CONTEST   
   -------------   
      
   DECEMBER 12-13 ARRL 10 METER CONTEST   
   -----------------------------------------------------------------   
   NOW LET'S OPEN THE DX WINDOW TO THE WORLD  ------------   
      
   Amateur Radio DXpeditions has reached a  key milestone  in preparing for   
   the March 2027, yes 2027 VP 0 SG South Georgia DXpedition by signing the   
   vessel contract for the MV "Meredian". This ice-strengthened vessel is   
   ideal  for the sub-Antarctic environment.   
      
   Progress  with the  Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands   
   is positive,  as they are open to collaborating on plans  while  the  formal   
   permit process for VP0SG will begin in 2026.   
      
      
   ardxpeditions.com/dxpeditions/vp0sg   
   (425dxnews)   
      
   ------------------------   
      
   100th Anniversary of the First Polish QSL-Confirmed QSO   
      
   The Polish Amateur Radio Union report that 100 years have passed since the   
   first Polish QSO was confirmed by a QSL card. To commemorate this event, the   
   Polish Amateur Radio Union together with the SP DX Club has organized   
      
   the special callsign SN 0 TPAX.   
      
   SN0TPAX is expected to be active throughout the rest of December usingSSB and   
   CW.   
      
   (irts)   
   --------------   
      
   Jan, DL4XT will be active holiday style as 4K/DL4XT from Azerbaijan between   
   the 26th of December and the 3rd of January, using CW, SSB and FT8. Find Jan   
   on 40 metres as well as bands from 20 through 10 metres.   
      
   (newsline 2512)   
   -----------   
   Special callsign LA 100 A is active throughout 2025 to mark the 100th   
   anniversary of the first amateur radio two-way contact between Norway   
   and the USA in November 1925.   
      
   QSL directly to LA100A, via the Bureau, or QRZ.com   
      
   (RSGB)   
      
   ------------   
      
   Switzerland.   
      
   4 U 0 ITU is the call sign for the International Amateur Radio Club   
   at ITU HQ in Geneva to use from 16 May to the end of the year in   
   celebration of the 160th anniversary of the International   
   Telecommunication Union.   
   QSL via LoTW, Club Logs OQRS, or direct to   
   IARC, PO Box 6, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland.   
      
   (sarl)   
      
   -------------   
   CROATIA   
      
   9 A 169 TESLA   
      
   This is a special callsign that will be used  until months end,   
   31 December in celebration of the  169th anniversary since the birth of   
   Nikola Tesla (10 July 1856).   
      
   QSOs are being uploaded to LoTW,  Club Log, and QRZ Logbook.   
      
   (425dex)   
   -------------   
      
   80th anniversary of the Technical University of Sofia operating   
   special event station LZ 80 TUS. On the air until years end.   
   (ard)   
   -------------   
   REPEATER NEWS   
   "The UHF repeater at Mt Ginini, ACT, has suffered interference on its   
   433.050MHz input channel for many years as this is within the ISM band   
   we share with garage remote controls and other devices.   
      
   Canberra Region Amateur Radio Club committee in conjunction with the   
   CRARC Repeater Group has completed the design and planning of a   
   frequency change to implement a 7MHz split with the new input frequency   
   to be 431.050MHz with 91.5Hz CTCSS tone as at present.  The transmit   
   frequency of 438.050MHz, with 91.5Hz tone, will not change.  We are   
   planning a visit to the site in January to implement this change and   
   users of this repeater will need to reprogram their radios accordingly.   
      
   Travel to Ginini is always subject to the vagaries of weather and fires   
   so the final date will be notified closer to the time.   
   Graham, VK1GVC   
   CRARC committee member"   
      
   WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- ASTRONOMY (and Wireless Weather)   
      
   DXLook has released a new D-RAP (D-Region Absorption Prediction) view that   
   helps amateur radio operators understand and visualize HF absorption caused   
   by solar X-ray flares in real time.   
      
      
   D-region absorption is a major cause of sudden daytime HF blackouts,   
   particularly on lower-frequency bands. DXLooks new D-RAP view presents   
   existing D-region absorption data in a band-aware, geographic format,   
   allowing operators to visually assess where and on which HF bands absorption   
   may be occurring at a given moment.   
      
      
   The D-RAP view is primarily driven by official data from the NOAA Space   
   Weather Prediction Centre, using the global frequency for 1 dB absorption   
   product based on GOES satellite X-ray measurements. This dataset identifies,   
   for each region of the Earth, the highest HF frequency expected to experience   
   significant D-layer absorption at the current time.   
      
   (ARD)   
      
   WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - CW   
      
   ARRL Straight Key Night (SKN) is just days away!   
      
   Every year on January 1, Straight Key Night is on the air from 0000 UTC   
   through 2359 UTC.   
      
      
   This 24-hour event is not a contest; rather it is a day dedicated to   
   celebrating our CW heritage. Participants are encouraged to get on the air   
   and simply make enjoyable, conversational CW QSOs. The use of straight keys   
   or bugs to send CW is preferred. There are no points scored and all who   
   participate are winners.   
      
      
   All authorized amateur frequencies may be used, but activity has   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)