[MRCA] Armed Forces Day 2025

Sat May 10 13:41:02 EDT 2025

Hi Brown -
Interesting info, thanks..., It sounds to me like a case of "the Gov" just
looking the other way regarding museum ship's operation on non-amateur
freqs, despite the vague wording in Part 97 regarding Ham operations.
FWIW, I believe the FCC has no authority over the operation of military
assets (that's the NTIA's job) and I doubt that the NTIA/DOD would bother
to get involved with approving non-amateur radio operation on former USN
ships. USN/DMRO even goes to great lengths to de-mil radio equipment on
them before declaring them excess. And that's not just to mitigate PCB
concerns.

Sounds like a bunch of MARS people getting tacit approval for cross-agency
ops to include the museum ships with their former (Wink-Wink) 4 letter call
signs.
It's a good op, I'm glad we do it and I will give it a go again this year.

Thanks! We missed you at Camp Plymouth this year...
Tim
N6CC

On Fri, May 9, 2025 at 12:44 PM w1nzr at cs.com <w1nzr at cs.com> wrote:

> Hello Tim,
>
> I know that the former Navcomsta Newport,  RI, NAF was granted a "revival"
> for specifically assigned mil frequencies during the AFD event. This was
> facilitated by W3LPL, Frank in MD through his contacts at the DOD. He has
> done this for the past several years and I assume a similar mechanism has
> been employed for the other stations..
>
> I also recall several years ago regarding decommissioned naval vessels (
> specifically BB59, USS Massachusetts  / NEPL ) the ships curator asking the
> navy dept. about use of the original callsign on non-amateur frequencies
> and receiving tacit approval to do so.....and we have...although rarely....
>
> Unfortunately I will not be able to participate this year. Good luck to
> all that do so.
>
> 73,
>
> W1NZR
>
>
> NNNN
>
> On Friday, May 9, 2025 at 12:50:51 PM CST, Tim <timsamm at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> Hi Mike - It seems that many of the "military" stations that are
> participating are likely Ham clubs/MARS stations associated with that
> military activity.  Or possibly Hams operating military equipment at
> existing military bases/facilities.  Or maybe even US military operators on
> these frequencies for this event.
>
> Which begs the question of the museum ships using their former ACP-113(*)
> military 4-letter callsigns versus their associated Ham club amateur
> callsigns.  Eg; the decommissioned USS Midway museum ship using call sign
> NIIW and operating on non-Amateur freqs.  Did that somehow get DOD
> approval?  Anyone know?
>
> Just curious..
> Thanks, Tim
> N6CC
>
> On Fri, May 9, 2025 at 9:57 AM Michael St. Angelo via MRCA <
> mrca at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
>
> Just a reminder. Tomorrow is Armed Forces Day. 60 meter channel 3 5357 is
> being used by WAR so let's see if we can have a net.
>
> Mike N2MS
>
> ANNUAL ARMED FORCES DAY CROSSBAND TEST (10 May 2025)
> The Department of Defense will host this year’s Armed Forces Day (AFD)
> Crossband Test, scheduled for May
> 10, 2025. This annual event is open to all licensed amateur radio
> operators and will not impact any public or
> private communications. For more than 50 years, military and amateur
> stations have taken part in this event,
> which is an interoperability exercise between hobbyist and government
> radio stations.
> 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 that does not impact any public or private
> communications.
> Military stations will transmit on selected military frequencies and will
> announce the specific ARS frequencies
> monitored. All times are ZULU (Z), and all frequencies are Upper Side Band
> (USB) unless otherwise noted. The
> frequencies used for the test will not impact any public or private
> communications and will not stray outside the
> confines of the exercise.
> The following stations will be making two-way radiotelephone contacts with
> stations in the ARS between the
> time periods listed on the frequencies listed in Kilohertz below.
> AAC / BARROW ARMY RESERVE CENTER, KY (USB + RTTY)
> 10May 1100Z – 11May1100Z 4011.0 kHz USB 5,346.5 kHz USB 6,968.5 kHz USB
> 13,963.5 kHz USB 17,457.5 kHz USB
> AAM3D / DISA CYBERSPACE OPERATIONS DIRECTORATE, FT MEADE, MD
> 1400Z – 2000Z 4,013.5 kHz USB 5,403.5 kHz USB 7,431.5 kHz USB
> 14,484.0 kHz USB 20,920.0 kHz USB
> AAN / U.S. NORTHERN COMMAND, CO
> 1300Z - 2000Z 6,970.5 kHz USB 14,550.5 kHz USB
> AAZ / FT HUACHUCA, AZ
> 1500Z - 2359Z 7,645.0 kHz USB 14,438.5 kHz USB 18,211.0 kHz USB
> ADB / CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA
> 1500Z - 23590Z 14,487.0 kHz USB 20,994.0 kHz USB
> AFM4NPD / NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY MID-SOUTH, MILLINGTON, TN
> 1200Z – 2200Z 4,575.0 kHz USB 7,540.0 kHz USB 13,993.0 kHz USB
> AGA0WJ/ NAS WHIDBEY ISLAND OAK HARBOR, WA
> 1600Z - 2300Z 5,403.5 kHz USB 7,431.5 kHz USB 13,528.5 kHz USB
> 18,272.5 kHz USB
> AGA2SY / HANCOCK FIELD, NY
> 1200Z - 2000Z 7,473.5 kHz USB 15,807.0 kHz USB 19,955.0 kHz USB
> 20,740.0 kHz USB
> AGA5SC / SCOTT AFB, IL
> 1500Z - 2300Z 5,186.0 kHz USB 7,938.0 kHz USB 14,832.0 kHz USB 27,736.0
> kHz USB
> AGA9TR / TRAVIS AFB, CA
> 1700Z - 2359Z 5,004.5 kHz USB 7,915.0 kHz USB 14,760.0 kHz USB
> 20,763.0 kHz USB 27,877.0 kHz USB
> GRIFFIN1 / 193rd RTI ARMY NATIONAL GUARD BETHANY BEACH, DE
> 1300Z – 1800Z 5,217.0 kHz USB 7,588.5 kHz USB 14,441.5 kHz USB
> 18,293.0 kHz USB
> NAF / NEWPORT NAVAL RADIO STATION MUSEUM NEWPORT, RI (USB + CW)
> 1400Z - 2300Z 7,498.5 kHz USB 14,463.5 kHz USB
> NBGC/ USS HORNET AMATEUR RADIO CLUB ALAMEDA, CA (USB + CW)
> 1400Z - 2359Z 7,935.0 kHz USB 14,375.0 kHz USB 21,886.0 kHz USB
> 27,860.0 kHz USB
> NEMW / BATTLESHIP ALABAMA BB-60 MUSEUM SHIP, AL (USB + CW)
> 0000Z – 2359Z 4,043.5 kHz USB 7,882.5 kHz USB 14,441.5 kHz USB
> 18,211.0 kHz USB 20,997.0 kHz USB
> NEPM / USS IOWA BB 61 LOS ANGELES, CA (USB + RTTY +CW)
> 1400Z - 2300Z 4,013.5 kHz USB 7,493.5 kHz USB 14,463.5 kHz USB
> 18,293.0 kHz USB 20,997.0 kHz USB
> NEPP/ USCGC HEALY SEATTLE, WA (USB + RTTY)
> 1700Z – 2359Z 7,5433.5 kHz USB 9,430.0 kHz USB 15,742.0 kHz USB
> 19,223.0 kHz USB
> NIIW / USS MIDWAY CV-41 SAN DIEGO, CA
> 10May 0000Z - 11May 0400Z 4,010.0 kHz USB 5,371.5 kHz USB 7,390.5 kHz USB
> 14,476.0 kHz USB 18,060.0 kHz USB 20,973.5 kHz USB
> NITG / SUBMARINE DRUM SS-228 MUSEUM SHIP, AL (USB + CW)
> 0000Z – 2359Z 4,445.0 kHz USB 7,718.5 kHz USB 14,512.5 kHz USB
> 18,272.5 kHz USB 20,973.5 kHz USB
> NMC1/ US COAST GUARD BASE ALAMEDA, CA (USB + RTTY)
> 1700Z - 2359Z 7,351.5 kHz USB 14,459.5 kHz USB 22,955.5 kHz USB
> NSS / US NAVAL ACADEMY ANNAPOLIS, MD (USB + CW)
> 10May 1300Z – 11May 0200Z 4,038.5 kHz USB 5,330.5 kHz USB 7,533.5 kHz USB
> 9,944.0 kHz USB 14,487.0 kHz USB
> NWKJ / USS YORKTOWN PATRIOTS POINT, SC
> 10May 1300Z – 11May 0100Z 4,027.0 kHz USB 7,421.0 kHz USB 14,438.5 kHz USB
> NWVC / LST-325 EVANSVILLE, IN (USB + CW)
> 10May 2022Z – 11May 0300Z 3,325.0 kHz USB 6,913.0 kHz USB 9,988.5 kHz USB
> 13,974.0 kHz USB
> WAR / PENTAGON WASHINGTON, DC (USB + CW + RTTY)
> 1200Z - 2400Z 4,018.0 kHz USB 5,357.0 kHz USB 7,305.0 kHz USB
> 14,383.5 kHz USB 20,997.0 kHz USB
> ______________________________________________________________
> MRCA mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/mrca
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:MRCA at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> MRCA mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/mrca
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:MRCA at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/mrca/attachments/20250510/1b81108e/attachment.html>