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LU9DCE > ALL 29.04.17 12:43l 90 Lines 3960 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: Armed Forces Day Crossband Military/Amateur
Path: IW8PGT<CX2SA<LU4ECL<LU9DCE
Sent: 170429/1140Z @:LU9DCE.TOR.BA.ARG.SOAM #:6953 [TORTUGUITAS] FBB7.0.8-beta2
From: LU9DCE@LU9DCE.TOR.BA.ARG.SOAM
To : ALL@WW
Armed Forces Day Crossband Military/Amateur
Radio Communications Test is May 13
The US Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard will sponsor
the traditional military/amateur radio communication
tests on Saturday, May 13 to mark the 66th annual
Armed Forces Day (AFD). Armed Forces Day is May 20,
but the AFD Crossband Military-Amateur Radio event
will take place a week earlier in order to avoid
schedule conflicts with those attending Hamvention.
Complete information, including military stations,
modes, and frequencies, is available on the US
Army MARS website.
The annual celebration is a unique opportunity to
test two-way communication between radio amateurs and
military stations (authorized under 97.111 of the
Amateur Service rules). It features traditional
military-to-amateur crossband SSB voice, CW, practice
using legacy interoperability waveforms, and the
opportunity for participating hams to utilize more
modern military modes, such as MIL-STD Serial PSK and
Automatic Link Establishment (ALE). Military stations
and Amateur Radio stations are authorized to communicate
directly on certain 60-meter interoperability
channels 5,330.5, 5346.5, and 5,371.5 kHz.
These tests give Amateur Radio operators and shortwave
listeners (SWLs) a chance and a challenge to demonstrate
individual technical skills and to receive recognition
from the appropriate military radio station. QSL cards
will be available on request for stations successfully
contacting participating military stations.
AFD Message
The Armed Forces Day message will be transmitted via
Military Standard radioteletype modes (MIL-STD 188-110A/B).
Software is available to demodulate the military serial PSK
waveform, and detailed instructions can be downloaded.
Utilizing this mode with soundcard equipment can be challenging;
review the instructions carefully.
A short practice transmission will be sent at 1930 and 2330
on May 6, 7, 10, and 12 on 13.506.5 MHz USB and 17.443.0 MHz USB.
Military FSK is Baudot at 850 Hz, 75 baud, low mark, and 2000 Hz center.
Most RTTY programs can be set to decode this mode. To achieve low mark
while receiving in USB, select reverse shift.
QSL cards are available for individuals that receive the Armed Forces
Day test message. To receive a card, copy the printed text of the
test message as received from the military station, and include it
in your report. No attempt should be made to correct possible errors.
Stations copying Armed Forces Day messages transmitted from US
Army and US Navy stations and requesting a QSL card, can complete
the QSL report form online. Stations copying the Armed Forces Day
message transmitted from US Air Force stations and seeking a QSL
card should send a request to Armed Forces Day Celebration,
Chief, Air Force MARS, 203 W. Losey St, Scott AFB, IL 62225.
Include a transcript of the received text, time observed,
frequency observed, military station call sign, your full name
and Amateur Radio call sign (if applicable), full mailing address
(including ZIP code).
Automatic Link Establishment
Stations with Automatic Link Establishment (ALE) capability can
contact a military station on specific half duplex crossband
channels established for this purpose. ALE is a selective calling
and linking method utilized by government, military, and amateur
radio communications. Military stations will scan and receive
certain amateur HFLINK ALE frequencies and transmit on the
corresponding military ALE frequency. Military stations will
also transmit ALE station identification (soundings) on each
military frequency at 30- to 90-minute intervals. Amateur
stations may scan military frequencies and monitor the soundings
to build the LQA database or select the channel manually. Amateur
stations will call military stations using ALE selective calling
on one of the paired cross band channels.
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