Halloween (or All Hallows Eve) is coming up this Sunday. Originally the day was celebrated by the Celts as Samhain. This translates roughly to "Summer's End" and marked the time when the hours of darkness started to become longer than the daylight hours as the seasons changed. The Celts believed that at this time of the year, the veil between our world and the netherworld became nebulous, allowing for demons and evil spirits to cross over to our realm. This is the source of the belief in ghosties and goblins around this time. People began wearing masks or costumes to confound the evil spirits. The name came about as the evening precedes the Catholic Holy Day known as All Saint's Day - thus the All Hallows Eve moniker.
What's this got to do with Amateur Radio? There are several Halloween events coming up, with the ghostie and goblin theme as part of the "fun". Probably the best known amongst QRPers is NA5N's popular Zombie Shuffle which is traditionally held the Friday before Halloween, which happens to be this coming Friday. It's called the Shuffle because we all know that zombies don't possess the wherewithal to sprint! For the rules, you can visit http://www.zianet.com/qrp/ZOMBIE/zombie.htm The competition runs from local sunset to local midnight; and you can operate for any four hours. Participants are asked to call "CQ BOO".
This year, on the day of Halloween itself, the Mid-MO Amateur Radio Club will be operating Special Event Station WØO from Frankenstein, MO. They will be operating on or near the standard QRP watering hole frequencies throughout the day and night. If your address is good on QRZ, they will send you a commemorative QSL.
Also this year, Ed Breneiser WA3WSJ has announced that his GORC organization will be holding a Zombie Sprint. You can operate any four hours of the entire Halloween weekend; and while this is not a strictly QRP event, there is a bonus multiplier for operating QRP. The winner of the contest will receive a Ft. Tuthill 15 Meter Transceiver kit. Details can be found here: http://www.wa3wsj.org/Zombie-Sprint.html
Have fun and BOO !!!!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Hello Larry,
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to let you know that our own WI6TCH (Gina) here in the California Bay Area will be on the air between 2100Z and 2300Z on October 30, and between 2100Z-0100Z on October 31, on 80m, 40m, 20m, 15m, and 10m, depending on propagation. She's planning to work phone, PSK31, and RTTY, and will be offering a "special event" Halloween QSL card. Very fun! New Jersey may be a bit of a reach for a QRP contact, but you just never know!
73,
Seth, NF6Q (ex KJ6HZC)