What changed
Other on-the-air programs — edited Aug 31, 2026 by Unknown editor
This is the first recorded version, so every line is shown as added. Note: Imported from content/wiki
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POTA and SOTA are the largest, but the same activate-and-chase model exists for almost any category
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of place. All of them are free, and most share the same portable kit.
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## Places
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- **WWFF (World Wide Flora & Fauna)** — the international parks program. Many POTA parks are also
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WWFF references, so one activation can be logged to both; WWFF wants 44 contacts for a valid
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activation, which is the main practical difference.
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- **IOTA (Islands on the Air)** — islands grouped into reference areas. Long-established, chaser
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oriented, and the reason for many DXpeditions.
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- **US Islands (USI)** — the same idea for river, lake and coastal islands within the US.
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- **ILLW (International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend)** — one weekend each August; enormously
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popular with clubs.
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- **Castles on the Air**, **Mills on the Air**, **Museum Ships Weekend** — heritage-site
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activations, big in Europe and growing in North America.
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- **Beaches on the Air**, **Bunkers on the Air** — regional variations, same format.
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## Trails and routes
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- **Trails on the Air (TOTA)** and the historic-trail programs.
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- **Appalachian Trail Golden Packet** — a coordinated annual attempt to relay a packet the length
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of the trail entirely by amateur radio.
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## Grid and geography chasing
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- **Grid square chasing** — VHF operators activate rare Maidenhead grids, particularly on 6 m
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during [sporadic E](/wiki/operating/weak-signal-and-scatter).
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- **County hunting** — work all 3,077 US counties; mobile operators run county lines for chasers.
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- **Worked All States (WAS)**, **Worked All Continents (WAC)**, **DXCC** — the classic ARRL and
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IARU awards; see [DX and awards](/wiki/operating/dx-and-awards).
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## Events worth putting in the calendar
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- **[Field Day](/wiki/activities/field-day)** — the fourth full weekend in June; the biggest US operating
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event and the best club recruiting weekend of the year.
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- **Winter Field Day** — January, same idea, colder.
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- **Jamboree on the Air (JOTA)** — October, scouting; see
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[youth and schools](/wiki/clubs/youth-and-schools).
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- **13 Colonies**, **Route 66 on the Air**, **special event stations** generally — short-run
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stations with certificates, listed in QST and on the ARRL special event page.
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- **ARISS school contacts** — a scheduled contact with an astronaut, arranged months ahead through
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ARISS; a genuine highlight for a school or club.
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## Why bother
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These programs give a reason to operate, a structure for learning a new mode or band, and a ready
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supply of people to work at a fixed time. They are also the easiest possible on-ramp for a new
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licensee: hunt from home for a month, then activate something yourself.
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NARA's [Alfred Vail 20-20 Young Keyers Award](https://usnara.org/awards/alfred-vail-20-20) works the
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same way for young CW operators.