Friday, December 09, 2016

December 11 Special Event will Commemorate Transatlantic Reception Anniversary

ARRL:

An Amateur Radio special event on December 11 will commemorate the 95th anniversary of the first transatlantic shortwave reception between Greenwich, Connecticut, and Ardrossan, Scotland. ARRL, the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB), and the Radio Club of America (RCA) are partnering in sponsoring the activity. The Greenwich Historical Society will also participate.

On December 11, 1921, a radio signal transmitted from the location of 1BCG in Connecticut, was heard in Scotland by Paul Godley, 2ZE, during the second ARRL transatlantic tests. The special event will use N1BCG, the call sign of Clark Burgard of Greenwich, a radio history buff who was instrumental in making arrangements for the event.

The N1BCG special event, which will be set up at a school near the original 1BCG site, will begin on Sunday, December 11, at 1200 and conclude at 0300 UTC on December 12. Operation will be on AM on 75 and 40 meters; CW and SSB on 40 meters, CW on 30 meters, and CW and SSB on 20 and 17 meters. Approximate frequencies are 3.880 (AM), 7.290 (AM), 7.235 (SSB), 7.040 (CW), 10.112 (CW), 14.280 (SSB), 14.040 (CW), 18.125 (SSB), and 18.088 MHz CW.

The event will include an attempt at a two-way contact between N1BCG and GB2ZE in Ardrossan.