TODAY ONLY ! - INTERNATIONAL MARCONI DAY EVENT


SATURDAY APRIL 26, 2014
TODAY ONLY
INTERNATIONAL MARCONI DAY EVENT

This has just come to my attention and may be of interest to readers, for both amateur radio operators and  shortwave listeners. From the official website (http://g4usb.net/IMD/), here are the basic details:

WHAT IS INTERNATIONAL MARCONI DAY?

International Marconi Day (IMD) is a 24-hour amateur radio event held annually to celebrate the birth of Guglielmo Marconi on the 25th April 1874. The IMD event is not a contest:  it is an opportunity for amateurs around the world to make point-to-point contact with historic Marconi sites using HF communications techniques similar to those used by Marconi, and to gain an attractive Award for achieving the requisite number of Marconi stations worked (see IMD Award ).
IMD is  held on a Saturday close to Marconi’s birthday, when amateur radio stations are established, around the world, operating from locations celebrating the original historic  sites. These stations are known as the ‘Award Stations’ and are listed on this Web Site.  The list is regularly updated close to the event as the various stations confirm their availability to operate.

 Communications techniques have changed significantly since the days of Marconi’s first experiments, and today, the Internet has become the most widely used of all communications media.  However, the spirit of IMD remains basically that of making point-to-point contact between two stations using only the HF bands.  The organising Committee of IMD has therefore decided that the use of the Internet to communicate between stations eg using the Internet Relay Linking Project (IRLP) or Echolink will not count towards the Award.

 DETAILS:  Period of Operation on 26th April 2014 - 0000 UTC  to 2359 UTC

 QUALIFYING BANDS:  All bands from 160 Metres to 10 Metres plus 500 KHz. (Note: Contacts on 6 Metres and above will not count towards the Award)

 MODES:  CW,  SSB, FM, AM and available Digital Modes

 AWARD STATIONS: For a list of IMD Award Stations, see the website - Award Stations.  This list is correct up to the time of the latest Web Page amendment.  Only contacts with the required number of stations from this list will be accepted for issue of the Award.


The Certificates are of a very high quality and are well worth obtaining to display on the wall of any Shack. They are based on an original Marconi Stock Certificate Circa 1901 and are offered under the following categories:-

 1. TRANSMITTING AMATEUR – FIXED STATION
To establish  direct two-way communication with 15 of the official Award Stations from a fixed location,  mixed modes are permitted.

 2. TRANSMITTING AMATEUR  –  Mobile
To establish  two-way communication with 12 of the official Award Stations from a mobile location,  mixed modes are permitted.

  3. TRANSMITTING AMATEUR   –  CW
To establish  two-way communication with 15 of the official Award Stations from a fixed location, using  CW only.

 4. TRANSMITTING AMATEUR   –   Digital Modes
To establish  two-way communication with 15 of the official Award Stations from a fixed location, using Digital Modes only.
e.g. AMTOR/PACTOR/RTTY/AX25/ASCII/PSK31 & SSTV

 5. TRANSMITTING AMATEUR   –   Multi-Operator
An opportunity for Clubs/Groups at fixed locations to take part and gain the award by establishing two-way communication with 20 of the official Award Stations using mixed modes or  with 20 contacts using eitherC.W. or Digital Modes

 6. SHORTWAVE LISTENERS
To log two-way communications made by 15 of the official Award Stations,  mixed modes are permitted.

 7. SHORTWAVE LISTENERS   –  CW  
To log two-way communications made by 10 of the official Award Stations using C.W. only.

 As in previous years, it is suggested that transmitting amateur stations should log all two-way contacts heard between IMD award stations and other stations.   Even if they fail to establish contact with the stations themselves,  it will still be possible to claim the SWL award using a combination of heard and worked contacts. Nice touch to have both types of certificate on the shack wall too.

 Get all the details and some interesting Marconi history at the official International Marconi Day website:

 http://g4usb.net/IMD/

Good luck everyone!

 Rob VK3BVW



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