[GCARC] Ever make HF cross-band ham contact with a US Department Of Defense (DOD) station? Try Saturday!

[Jim n2gxj]

Another "unusual" activity for you to try with ham radio is available to us
Saturday!

What?
DoD MARS armed forces day (AFD) test of cross band operations with amateur
radio stations.
Military stations transmit outside the ham bands on HF saying where they
are listening inside the ham bands where we are allowed to transmit for any
ham radio operator who wants to try and call to make contact with them.

Up for the challenge?

How?
All you have to do is figure out how to set up your radio to operate split,
where you listen on their frequency outside the ham band, and then when you
key up, your transmitter transmits within the ham band where they say they
are listening for you.
Easy, right?

Learning and reward
If you are successful, you'll have learned how to operate split between
military and ham bands in this exercise, and there's some QSL cards
available for bragging rights you can get from the DoD to celebrate your
accomplishment.

What frequencies, what to listen for, and when?
the details:

Key is knowing what frequencies and at what times the military stations
might be on the air.  They may only transmit once/10 minutes, or they
may actively be calling CQ.  You'll just have to listen in to find out.
Listen for their callsign (which will not be a ham callsign), and for
on-air instructions as to what frequency they are listening to that is
inside the ham band for you to call them on.

Examples of stations you might hear:
Callsign   Where from, Frequency, when
WAR        Pentagon, Washington DC:  7,357.0 kHz USB  (starting 1200Z)
NSS         US Naval Academy, Annapolis MD: 7,533.5 kHz USB (starting 1300Z)
AAM3D    DISA Cyberspace Operations Directorate, FT MEADE, MD, 7,421.0 kHz
USB (starting 1300Z)
AAN         US Northern command in Colorado: 14,550.5 kHz USB (starting
1400Z)

There are mores stations than just these!
 and there's more frequencies for these stations, I just listed ones we may
have a good chance to hear in New Jersey.  You can try the others too!
Details:
https://www.dodmars.org/mars-comex-information-website/armed-forces-day

Parting thoughts

As you may already know, the AFD Crossband Test is a unique opportunity to
test two-way communications between military communicators and radio
stations in the Amateur Radio Service (ARS), as authorized in 47 CFR
97.111. These tests provide opportunities and challenges for radio
operators to demonstrate individual technical skills in a tightly
controlled exercise scenario.

Good luck to anyone who tries!
Jim, n2gxj